26 Feb 2021 – 11to15CNYsDays – Calvin’s SurpriseBday

Mon: This has been circulating around FB, amazing what one can buy or sell nowadays.

Chinese (Cantonese) TaamTung 痰罐 taam=phlegm and tung=a container – English Spittoon! My paternal grandmother had one of these (of course without the double Happiness Chinese character!) by her as she was a chain-smoker and often had to spit out her phlegm! Wonder what she will say to it being a Chinese Traditional Fruit Basket? For some toddlers this was and or maybe still is also used as a potty, but food does become shit at the end it – hahaha

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3122937/chinese-sellers-amazon-hawk-spit-bowls-fruit?utm_content=article&utm_medium=Social&utm_source

11thCNYday visiting bro Les’s clinic staff@FarrerPkMedicalCentre&Hospital An OJ-machine, outside on the sidewalk, but no AppleJuice even with this huge one at the main entrance. This machine is still charging S$2 (S$3@many other machines), enjoyed a healthy dose of my VitC for today.

Lunching on Malay food – SotoAyam/ChickenSoup + Achar/PickledVeg&Bridal/PotatoPatty S$6+ @CitySquareMall. Shopping@Mustafa for dill to make Gravlaks ie if only I can find fresh salmon! The dill here cost S$1.55 for this large bunch which would have cost ~S$2 for a tiny bunch at other grocery stores and would have needed at least 10bunches!

Tue: grocery shopping@Giant/Tampines. Tkx for 12CNYsDay DIYpopiah lunch@Peggy’s who has a GreenThumb, a cat on the HotTinRoof! and the tallest tree in her neighbourhood. She has finally brought down the curtains for her advertising agency, H&H where I once worked, and can now concentrate on her orchids and the writing of her book.

Nice to catch up with Peggy, Pat, LenChoo & Beng – Peggy&Pat are classmates from 1962CHIJdays.

Wed: 13CNYsDay and a surprise Bday for Calvin@CC. Made Gravlaks since I was doing it for tomorrow, but only had a taste for everyone except for the BdayBoy, who got a few more bites!

Tkx to Chris for picking me up to collect the RoastSucklingPig&Pork, to Yoshie for salad and to SengHock for strawberries. Considering that Calvin+Helen&2others have just for the first time cycled 122km island round, was in good spirits enjoying the surprise for someone who does not like Bday cake, so durian ice-cream+durian waffles for dessert. Appreciations to all who helped to pull this thru’, pix credits to Helen & Yoshie.

Thu: 14CNYsDay, RossmaxSpacer+new medication Relvar (to be used only once day) for asthma was delivered today. The spacer was recommended to used with my other inhalers (max 16puffs per day). More appointments ahead@SGH to check on this consistence cough+shortness of breath.

Thank you Theresa&ChengJun for yummy home-made seafood+braised-pork dinner in company of bro Les&Ivy – my contribution, Gravlaks for starters.

Fri: 15CNYsDay TGIF and is last day to this 2021 CNYcelebrations&visits, the first night of the lunar year with full moon 元宵節 Also ChapGohMei and ChineseValentine’sDay – enjoy the full moon, ie if not cloudy! Need to fast&rest (by choice!) this worn-down body&soul today before going apprehensively! for the 1st shot of COVID-19 vaccine tomorrow!!

https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chinese_Customs/chinese-new-year-festivities.htm

21 Feb 2021 – 6to10CNYsDays – JanJat (Cantonese)人日

Wed: Lent begins today – also known as Ash Wednesday. For those observing&practising, what are you going to give up until Thu1Apr2021 (40days)?

CNYs 6day visit at the Cairnhill area for

a delicious home-made 5course lunch by KK – thank you.

Thu: those effect by this freeze, please take care and be safe&warm. Many in TX/USA are effected with on&off electricity. Thoughts are with June Rose Theingi in Mandalay/Myanmar. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55902070

CNYs 7day is JanJat (Cantonese)人日, literally translated=people’s day, the common man’s Bday, the day when everyone grows one year older! Happy Bday everyone!

Fri: appointment@SGH with a domino effect for more appointments until Jul when tests, scans, etc are done – the reality of aging! Amazing how SGH has developed and is still expanding, the latest construction being where the former bus interchange was. Quite a contrast from when I was first there to visit broLes where he broke his leg in the 1950s!!

A walk around the area with the old&new and this must be one of my favourite mailboxes along Neil/KampongBahruRd.

Passing by SilatRd SikhTemple/BukitMerahRd, usually on the bus when passing by here, so finally a chance to take some shots when walking by.

8thCNYday yummy dinner@DIY GoodChancePopiah 好彩薄饼, 1st time here, tkx to Clem for the introduction.

A leisure stroll along BlairRd – can never get enough of these beautifully restored old houses.

Did not even realised that ShakeShack is on NeilRd! Down lively&vibrant KeongSaikRd where it was the usual long-line@KokSen

Chinatown/MeiHeongYuen Dessert 味香园甜品 for our favourite shaved-ice dessert. Had not planned to be in Chinatown until after the CNY, there it goes again to show that life never goes according to plan – hahaha. Continuing towards BuddhaToothRelicTemple

Some of the 2021CNY lights&scenes to remember by – appreciations to Clem for being such a sport to take this slow stroll with me on a pleasant breezy evening.

Taking a detour to my bus-stop, but passing by one of my favourite bus-stops (designed to fit the surroundings here) on TanjongPagarRd, and by the scene of the fatal tragic accident a week ago. Condolences to their families and may these 5young men now RIP – tempting fate is a sad way to go!

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/5-die-car-crash-fire-tanjong-pagar-shophouse-14185410

Fate loves the fearless – JR Lowell
There is not such thing as accident, it is fate misnamed – Napoleon

Sat: Happy Bday Jay and appreciations to you, dear nephew for making time to catch up on this 9thCNYday – CheeCheongFun lunch@MarineTMarket&FoodCentre. Tkx for the yummy varieties of SoonKway.

Sun: 10thCNYday – Good Sunday morning, taking a day to rest. 2appointments have been scheduled for the COVID-19 vaccines next month in Mar. Being born in the year of the OX, I am ready with my bullish attack on COVID-19.

16 Feb 2021 – 2&3CNYsDays in A Colourful-Coded Family

Sat: 2ndCNY day’s visit – tkx to a lovely cousin Karen&Peter (paternal grandmother side/Chan), for her yummy KCH-Laksa lunch. She is originally from Sarikei/Sarawak, but left to study in Perth/Australia when she was 16 and never returned. When I was visiting Sarikei 10yrs ago, the ppl there remember her as the skinny girl who threw things out of the window where she lived!

https://amylamsg.com/2011/03/16/sarikei/

Payang puri was built After KL bank and it was a vacant block when we moved into the 4th and 5th floor ( first penthouse of Sarikei) I watched the construction of the building while throwing things out of the window – Karen Lim

At sis Jo (83) for yummy home-made duck porridge dinner and take-away MeeSiam. Sue fell yesterday, fractured or even broke her wrist and is in a cast&sling.

Sun: enjoy your day with your Valentine. My most favourite version of Unchained Melody (1965) sung with such emotions&talent by Bobby Hatfield, may he RIP. This version was made popular again after it was used in the movie Ghost. Giving away some of my things and made this for a beautiful couple, Karen&Peter.

The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing – Blaise Pascal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZZqf3AVJbE

Edited: Fastelavn and it is meant to celebrate the promise of Spring’s return, celebrated in most Scandinavian countries. Fastelavnsboller (pix downloaded) and FortuneCookies (pix credits to May) home-made by May this year, she even managed to insert the fortunes inside the cookies – impressive.

https://www.norwegianamerican.com/festive-fastelavn/

3rdCNY day’s visit to 11auntieDiana (93) who is in good health&spirit – she is the now the eldest of the BG. Amazingly she still manages to eat her own lunch with chopsticks! Good to catch up with cousin Ken&Cynthia. Managed to capture this wedding pix of auntieDiana&uncle PingNam (1959). Tkx to Les&Ivy for the use of their car&driver/Rahman, making it easier&possible for this visit. Believe it or not, fell asleep for 4+hrs this afternoon!!

Mon: 4thCNY day’s visit with 6sis-in-law, Ivy (78) to 2sis-in-law, GeokSiew (81) at niece Leng&ChinSheng – their 2children have left the nest. Appreciations for lunch.

With the 8ppl regulations, it is difficult to see everyone in my 2bro’s branch.

Leng is blessed living in these surroundings where she can plant her own papaya trees and

there is even a durian tree in the neighbourhood – such a treat to see this kind of greenery in a residential area@Jalan Rasok

To nephew Mun&SK+SuiChang (eldest of the OG&PG) who also has left his nest but was back to meet with us. Appreciations to him for taking time with his grandaunties! Tkx for yummy durians. Tkx to all for having us, good to catch up with part of 2bro’s family. Missing JenWee&Steve+families. Took me 30mins on the bus+1hr on the MRT to get to this Kranji&BukitBartok area – less than 30mins to get back when driven by Rahman.

Tue: need to rest today before visiting with friends and more appointments@SGH.

Tkx to FB for this memory. Wondering when we can have another lovely CNY gathering like this one 3yrs ago??? This year, will be missing saying personally 恭喜发财, 新年快乐, 身體健康 Wishing You Prosperity and Good Fortune, Happy New Year, Good Health to those I am unable to visit.

Edited: forgetting all these days in the middle of this busy CNYvisits. Forgot all about Pancake Tuesday&Mardi Gras Tue16Feb2021 and did not have any pancakes!

12 Feb 2021 – CNY/Lunar New Year 2021

Tue: and I never thought I had that kind of energy, so was quite thrilled to be able to hand-wash one set (one pair) of black-out curtains, 2 more sets to go+3sets of ordinary curtains which will not be done until after the CNY period. The old hooks needed to be replaced and fortunately they were available in the accessory shop across the road.

Grocery shopping at neighbourhood Giant who is teasing with the Chinese word Niú牛=cow! 1st time to spot fresh chicken gizzards there – bought some+fresh chicken meat to make Fajitas, now all cooked&packed into 8packages to freeze. The freezer is again full and even if there is a lockdown, I have enough food for a couple of weeks, do need to slowly empty it!

Thank you to AudreyW for this yummy looking LoBakGoh/TurnipCake, looking forward to tasting it. Having senior moment, had to text her to return to pick up her red-package!! Could not resist buying this cheese-board online – there was a offer of free shipping for 2 and if I got 1+the shipping would cost about the same. They look like good gifts for ppl who like cheese&wine, like myself! Am exhausted after such an active day, hope for a good night 8hrs sleep. 

Wed: another set of black-out curtains washed and then to pick up a PandanCake for bro Steven in the UnitedMediCareCentre. He was in good spirit and enjoyed his cake, but unlike in Sep2020 when he could still remember my name, am not so sure if he remember my name this time round.

IKEA had the Mustard&Dill sauce, picked up 6bottles to make sure I have enough to last to the end of the year! Have been waiting for a long time for this so that I can make Gravlaks. Tkx to Daisy to arranging the appointment at the home and for her company at IKEA.

Just as I thought that today was over, Gel drops by with her annual home-made Kimchi, thank you thank you. Looking forward to tasting it, cheers to that and what a feast it will be ahead. 

Thu: the 3rd&last set of black-out curtains washed and got some sewing done on this last day for the year of the RAT and what a year it has been.

Fri: TGIF – to all celebrating the CNY/Lunar New Year starting today Fri12Feb2021 lasting for 15days. Thank you for all the greetings – my favourite so far was sent by Reis&Henri from ‘Temenggong Artists-In-Residence’. The Chinese character Niú牛=cow, thus, Happy Niú Year 

Tkx for yummy lunch@Les&Ivy and appreciations to Pat&David for the ride there&back. Not quite the same with such a small group, but good to catch up with Pat&David+Lucas&Beth and Patricia&Albert+Kiera. After today, there is still 2nd sis-in-law, Josephine/sis and 11&13auntie to visit and to pay respects to my parents.

CNY is now Celebrate New Year! Whether you call it Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year or Korean New Year, as long as everyone is welcome to celebrate, does it really matter what we call it? As long as it’s about family and friends, and food and gift-giving

https://www.quora.com/Is-the-term-Chinese-New-Year-offensive-to-non-Chinese-Asians-who-celebrate-Lunar-New-Year

8 Feb 2021 – And A Simple Life

Fri: starters – first Lo-Hei (Cantonese for tossing up)&reunion in my own 4-walls! A simple ready-packed with the basic dried&pickled ingredients: crackers, red&white ginger, leek, yam. wintermelon, sesame seeds, grinded groundnut, pepper&herbs, apricot sauce costing ~S$10. Adding some fresh produce (carrots, cilantro, cucumber, pomelo, spring-onions, white-reddish, fresh-squeezed calamansi-juice+raw salmon~S$25 is not anything like Jessie&Frank’s 28ingredients with wolf-herring, but 18ingredients with salmon tasted OK and was better than no Lo-Hei.

https://www.roots.gov.sg/ich-landing/ich/yusheng-and-lo-hei  https://amylamsg.com/2013/03/03/28-ingredients/

Mains: TruffleWagyu Rice-Beef-Bowls+Pork ribs&cheek, delivered by BurningOak.

Desserts: tkx for the yummy chocolates&durians, now I have desserts in the freezer to last at least a month!

Sat: reunion with Judy, Daisy, Clement, Stanley&Darryl. Having fond memories of their mother&grandmother who would usually make her AlmondPaste at this time of the year, and believe me it is the best I have ever tasted. Dinner@ChuanKeeSeafood泉记海鲜煮炒on LowerDelta/BkMerahRd and with a nice breeze making it pleasant to be dining alfresco.

Decent food – Sauté Asparagus with Mushrooms & Scallops, Cereal Chicken Coffee Ribs, Satay (chicken&pork Chinese style), Sweet & SourPork, Tofu, with the Fried Rice being my favourite dish for tonight.

Hazel, my Irish-Norwegian FB friend asked-

How do you keep your figure?
My reply – What figure???? hahaha
To be honest, I can feel that the body, especially the heart is protesting and it is time to cut down on all these rich foods or the body will not make it till the end of the year!

Sun: have been trying to get this shot from the kitchen window since a year ago, but somehow it always turned out blurred with the old camera. Now with the new camera, finally managed – still waiting for the yellow bird before the yellow blooms disappear! Tkx to cousin Calvin for the name of this – Xanthostemon chrysanthus (F.Muell.) Golden Penda 金蒲The parking garage roof-top garden (2004-5) has flourished and it is a pleasant view from the kitchen window whenever I am by the kitchen sink.

Mon: the adjustment of the new electrical bill nearly gave me a heart attach. Looks like the freezer will have to go now that the heat is returning with a vengeance and the AC is already on in the daytime (between 12n-1800hrs) since a few days ago! Chris warned me about the freezer consuming quite a bit of electricity, but did not gave it much thoughts until the bill was adjusted!!

We believe that electricity exists, because the electric company keeps sending us bills for it, but we cannot figure out how it travels inside wires – Dave Barry

4 Feb 2021 – Many Lines In Chinatown To People Watch

Mon: stayed in to wait for the delivery between1000-1400hrs from SGH, quite amazing that all prescriptions from SGH are FOC for delivery nowadays under this pandemic – they do not want ppl waiting and hanging around the hospital, and quite rightly so! CNY stuff are more or less ready&up.

Belated Bday greetings from the Fabulous5 arrived, taking 2+weeks from the US. Nice to see their hand-writing, except for #5 who somehow managed to print out his! Love the sketch from #1.

Tue: real busy running errands – first@Giant/Tampines, then to Bugis and if you are thinking of going into KwanImThongHoodChoTemple, you had better be prepared to stand in line which stretched down to BencoolenLink snaking around back to WaterlooSt.

Looks like a gazebo has replaced Caishen 財神 God/Deity of Wealth, but then with the present circumstances, the deity must be overworked!

Wed: in Chinatown for more errands today hoping that I will not have to do any next week! A cuppa@NayangOld Coffee for energy boost to start the day – nice and relaxing sitting outside under the fan with a breeze and only with 2-3ppl.

Passing by a very long line to the wet-market which stretched thru’ ChinatownComplex by this wall-mural towards SagoLane,

otherwise not too bad elsewhere except for another long line@King of FriedRice, at the newly revamped FoodSt. Will try that when there are no lines! Appreciations to my beautiful niece Daisy for catching up and for lunch@FamousEunos BakChorMee, so-so and will not be a regular at this BCM-stall. Do enjoy&like the colourful sights here at this time of the year – as long as I do not get caught in the crowds!

Could not have picked better days to run errands as the neighbour 2floors above are doing some major renovation works drilling&hacking away making a lot of racket. This must have been what it was like for the neighbours when my place was renovated in 1999 and all the floor and a few walls were hacked away. So its pay-back time now – no worries, this notice gave us warning, but I even planned to run errands most of this week before I saw the notice!

Thu: let the pre-CNY gatherings&reunions roll in. Local freshly-made CheeCheongFun from my favourite stall in the hood for lunch. Freshly-baked Irish scones from Carmel will hit the spot for today’s T, thank you thank you.

Appreciations to CK for these yummy pineapple-tarts (highly recommended) and to Leonard for the camera (the old Canon was falling apart!). Now ready to click without having to worry that the memory card might fall out! And a big thank you to Leonard for helping me out to set up with my banking, etc on the laptop&phone

2 – Happy Bdays Cathrine and Garry
4 – Happy Bdays Lawrence and Kurt
12 – Happy Bday SK Tan & KungHeiFatChoy 恭喜發財
14  ♥ ♥ ♥Happy Valentine’s Day♥ ♥ ♥
15 – Happy Bday Guri
16 – Happy Bday Mike/LOON
20 – Happy Bdays YatSoon and Henry
24 – Happy Bdays Bjørn and Calvin