28 Apr 2022 – Looking For A Needle In A Haystack
Sat: tkx for my dose of red meat, yummy rib-eye-steak@TanglinClub and my favourite Bushmill night-cap – was first introduced to Bushmills in the late 1960s in Ireland! and liked it then.
Bro Leslie discovered a brillant way to rid AC-condensation on the windows while chilling outside Maduro jazz-lounge last night – he should patent his secret! Appreciations for a lovely evening out with Les&Ivy+Daisy and Clement – as we were leaving, was stopped by some young ppl who asked if we were a family and after confirming that we are, she was all smiles telling us how wonderful and nice to see family having such a nice time together – blessed&grateful to Les&Ivy for these family gatherings and for keeping us together.
Sun: tkx to 2nd born for this smoked mackeral, it was OK but I still prefer the plain warm-smoked ones. Many think it is too fishy, and even when I am visiting her in Norway, will try to eat this outdoors! I like it on an open-face sandwich with raw onions and NorwegianMillsRemulada which was unfortunately confiscated when she tried to bring on her trip this time round with no checked-in luggage, only carry-ons. Oh well, will have to wait until I get to Norway to taste it.
A busy Sunday trying to locate old pix with IreneL for the LAM-Heritage project. So many questions with few&no answers as most of the BlueGen who have the answers have passed on and the few ones remaining do not know or not quite sound in the minds to remember. With such a large family like ours it is a challenge but good news is that Prof. Selia Tan and the conservation team in China will hold a special ceremony at our ancestral hall to honour our ancestors and to report the start of the construction repair work in May – this traditional Cantonese ceremony will be held Fri29Apr.
Mon: must try to locate as many pix&any other possible info from my 2009&2011 trips so that the conservation team can see and keep to the original designs. Not sure how Irene is going about with her research or how she intends to write the family history? Will try to do my best to help as long as I can do so with good conscious&intentions , ie without uterior motives!
Tkx to her for this info and pix of a Ming Dynasty ancestral hall (layout slighly similar to our anestral hall) that is being restored. We are fortunate that the same contractor involved in this project will be working on ours. Another encouraging development is that the head of the Lam Family Association in the neighboring township of Sunwui (Xinhui) has offered to deal with the Party secretary on our behalf. He is a powerful and influential person in the region, so this will be very helpful.
Tue: take care, stay healthy&safe everyone now that life is more or less back on track here in SIN. Time to find my passport and yeah! it is still valid – have just been informed that about 2months wait to apply!! Slowly but surely thinking&planning about being on the go again, ie if my health checks are cleared!
Busy getting help to recover the images from the CDs with no luck. Last hope now is to approach the library (have been informed that the only chance might be the museums, library or police who might have better Hi-Tech equipment!). Tkx to Leonard for all his help and for trying. His neighbourhood has a guy ringing his bell on an icicle tricycle, had to treat myself with an ice-cream to remind me of the carefree childhood days when I used to run down TemenggongRd to the main TelokBlangahRd at the same sounds of those bells.
Life is like ice-cream, enjoy it before it melts
Wed: searching&updating pix&info, etc for the LAM-Heritage and for Irene’s research. What I managed to salvage from the grounds when I was there in 2009&2011, thinking that it would be the last time I would see our ancestral hall – tkx to Irene for sharing her salvage when she visited in 2019.
Thu: finally able to visit bro Steven@UMC – last visit was for his Bday Sep2021, closed to visitors for the last CNY. ART self-test was required and the sky opened up during the hour bus ride on 196. No worries as it really cooled down the temps after a hot&humid morning. He was in good spirits, even remembered who I am+my name as well as his own name after a few hints.
Some random interesting (to my eyes!) shots from the bus on the way back. Nonna Lina with the Italian flag colours located in one of the shophouses on CantonmentRd; caution – caterpiller crossing road! Have been wanting to take a pix of this interesting BuahCherry/Aratiles-sarisa tree which looks like it has no trunk on NicholeHighway before it gets chopped down.