31 Jul 2020 – ‘Lokkee’ Pronounced Lucky!
Tue: grocery shopping@Tampines via Bedok-InterChange passing these colourful dessert places and still have not had the chance to taste any of them! The free shuttle are not only on time, but tend to be 5mins early as discovered last week&today.
This time round, started at IKEA, unlike last week when Giant took up all my energy&hands. Unfortunately IKEA is out of my favourite mustard-dill sauce, grønsakskaka (literally translated veggie-cake), and they do not have the rainbow bags.
Got this rack S$5 (50%discount probably a display piece but it works fine for me), also have been wanting it for a while. Decided to cross the road to Giant to get some grocery, etc, and finally broke down to buy one of these trolley-bags which I have been trying to do without, but S$10 is worth to give it a trial to see if it will serve its purpose&also to see how long it will last. Have been carry my weekly grocery in the backpack+shoulder-bag, but lately felt uncomfortable with all that baggage, especially when having company for a meal. Where Giant&IKEA are concerned, there is always something one needs there!
Wed: 0550hrs first #48bus to BkTimahRd changing to#980 arr 0645hrs@bus-stop51071/ThomsonRd just by the entrance to MacRitchie Reservoir main entrance. Trying to remember when was the last time here? and the only pix found are from the mid 1950s when this was one the places to bring overseas families&friends. Here with cousins LEUNG KahLing&her sister (I think?) from the maternal-side, the TSANGs. Peggy LEUNG, friend from childhood is distantly related by marriage – her father, Vincent LEUNG was from my mother’s bro-in-law side – complicated enough with the LAMs, not to start with the TSANGs!
Not being familiar here and still dark, followed the sign to the bandstand (that is the only landmark I can remember), thinking that it must be the main drag, and main drag it is for tourists, but it is not where we were to meet. Appreciations to Grace for her graciousness, backtracking (not a favourite move for some hikers!) to lead me onto the Nature Trail.
This looks more like it – how relaxing walking on natural paths and so serene without many ppl due to the rains.
The ears feel good to hear the birds&cicadas again. The only wild-life that crossed my path was 3wild boars.
Continuing from VenusDrive crossing UpperThomsonRd to SimMIngAve/BrightHillDr where KongMengSanPhorKarkSee Monastery is located- the last time here was to listen to a talk by Ajahn Brahm (was&still am a fan of this English monk), and do not even remember when? must be over a decade ago?? An impressive monastery now with the origins of a humble&modest traditional Chinese forest monastery in 1920-21.
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,for you art crunchy and good with ketchup
We were about the only ppl here which is perfect for me – after some short quiet mediation moments, Grace continued on to the other sections of the PCN which I did in 2016, decided to backtrack to VenusDrive hoping to do the TreeTopWalk (bucket list) since in the area, but the deities&the sky told me otherwise. Now that I know how to get there, will have to be another walk. Today’s distance ~10km with all the backtracking, detours etc.
http://amylamsg.com/2016/03/21/park-connector-network/
Thu: running errands@PlazaSIN. Interesting presentations&tasty dinner@Lokkee (TungLok Group) – Awesome Flaming Pineapple, Braised beef served in a pineapple ON FIRE!
MapoTofu, ChineseChives+MatsutakeMushroom, MushuPork. Tkx Clement for this scrumptious dinner – a definite recommendation, will return to try more of these exciting dishes on their menu.
https://www.lokkee.com.sg/wp-content/themes/lokkee/pdf/Ala-Carte-Menu.pdf?misc=20170420_045143
Fri: TGIF on this last Fri+last day in Jul and a public holiday in SIN. Selamat Hari Raya Haji to all Muslims reflecting on Ibrahim’s willingness to be obedient to Allah to sacrifice his own son Ishmael. Was planning for a late afternoon walk@MtFaber onwards (this section done a couple of times some years ago), but not meant to be. Split Ribena on the kitchen window’s curtains and had to get them down for the washing machine before they stain, also to discover that they need new hooks too. These 20yrs hooks have gone rusty.
Fri31Jul2020: WHO & WorldOmeter of COVID-19 deaths are as follow:
SIN/pop 5.6+mil in an area of 721SqKm – 27
SC/USA/pop 5+mil in an area of 82, 932SqKm – 1,667
Norway/pop 5.3+mil in an area of 365,268SqKm – 255