31 May 2022: Uvalde Elementary School Shooting

Fri: that same truly SAD feeling and lost of words creeps up again as I remember another elementay school shooting 10yrs ago where 20children and 6adults were the victims – total of 28 killed including the gunman’s mother and the gunman who shoot himself. https://amylamsg.com/2012/12/16/truly-sad/

Prayers to those affected by this recent RobbElementarySchool in Uvalde, TX/USA (Tue24May2022) where 19children and 2adults were the victims – total of 22 killed including the gunman. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/05/27/us/texas-school-shooting How many more of these mass shooting does it take for ppl to understand what&where the problems lie before there are any solutions? Are these mass shootings only happening in USA or that other countries are just not reporting about it??

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States

Sat: helping out at CC in the afternoon as Calvin is out of town and it would be good to have an extra pair of eyes&hands around. The kitchen is out of action, so no drinks or foods can be served at present, but can always bring you own.

Enjoying Sat night at Geylang, SIN only legal red-light district (for real) – and not only red-lights, but bright lights for durian-hopping in this Durian-Paradise. The prices ranges for the different types, and the Kampong-Durian refers to durians that aren’t hybrid or specially grown and I like those.  https://www.comparehero.my/travel-lifestyle/articles/durian-types-cheap-budget

Tkx to Wendy for driving&helping to choose the Kampong-Durians. White-hair does have its advantage here, complimentary fresh coconut-drink for the Ah-Ma! RichardY/HKG thinks that I should touch up my pix as he cannot see the point of making myself look older than I actually am and that I have only one life and to make the best of it. My reply to him is that I have no complains – comfortable with my age+looks enjoying my being&existence by living life to the fullest within my condition&capacity. To be honest, I prefer my natural looks, but tkx RY for doing such a great job of touching me up, hahaha!

Sun: great catching up with HS&Boon and hearing about their recent Greek Islands hopping trip. Glad that they like one of my favourite HorFun@IpohStyleSanLouHorFun from 50A Marine Terrace#01-275,  and the KampongDurians, mangosteens&rambutans, all local and yummy. Another hot day and the AC on by 1530hrs until temps go below 30ºC – power bills have gone up and it will even get hotter for the next couple of months.

Mon: regardless if you are marking&observing this MemorialDay (USA public holiday – pix downloaded) or otherwise, it is a day to remember&honour those who have fallen while serving their countries. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history Unofficially, today also marks the beginning of the summer season – a good week ahead to all. Jun-school-holidays have started here in SIN, that means going out only when necessary for me. And in memory of a young beautiful lady Tori – https://amylamsg.com/2011/05/30/in-memory-of-tori-mcgee/

Tue: for ChickenRice fans+other chicken dishes enjoy your chickens as SIN receives its last chicken import from Malaysia today on this lasr day of May. 2021 SIN imported 214,400tonnes of chicken ~48% of these chickens were from Brazil, ~34% from Malaysia, ~8% from USA and the remaining 10% from other countries. Tkx to IreneH for the funny – needed a good laugh today.

What came first – the chicken of the egg? I dont’ care, I eat both – GousePasha

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-chicken-export-bans-hurt-breeders-government-urged-review-price-ceiling-2709241

Was hoping to SarawakKoloMee@LinYuMei HaigRoadMarket&FoodCentre for breakfast, but it was not to be as the stall was not opened. No worries, cloudy sky made it possible for a stroll on JooChiatRd (one of my favourite roads here in SIN to walk) to HjhMaimunahRestaurant which is usually crowded whenever I pass by, but today there were not so many ppl yet. The food was inviting, but by now was not hungry – periwinkles looked tempting but after the last experience when I had to fly back after a bad incident of food poisoning of these in KCH, am careful nowadays!

Another nicely restored perankan-type-house. Did not ever know that GreenCoffee existed. By the time I got to KỳAnhQuán/VietnameseRestaurant, the sun appeared, got a refreshing cold AssamDrink there+some spring-rolls to takeaway and headed to the bus-stop.

31May2022: WorldOmeter of COVID-19 deaths are as follow:

26 May 2022: Most Beautiful Public Restroom

Sun: train your mind to see the the bigger pictures with different angles so as to be more aware of circumstances&situations and of ppl with their actions&words. Some ppl&situations are not what you sometimes believe or perceive them to be, or perhaps age has to do with my present cyniciam, hahaha! Find own your balance otherwise your brains will fall out if you are too open-minded, lol.

Life is not an easy matter…. You cannot live through it without falling into frustration and cynicism unless you have before you a great idea which raises you above personal misery, above weakness, above all kinds of perfidy and baseness – LeonTrotsky

Mon: a link so true to Norway ie that it is not possible to do just one trip when visiting – must be having a NorwayWithdrawal to be searching for a good site! It is really one of the most beautiful countries I have been, lived&worked in and according to this video, it is where the most beautiful public restrooms is located! Made of frosted glass and concrete, in quintessential minimalist design, the structure seems to glow in the dark as the glass is lit at night. In the daytime, the facility offers just about the most breathtaking view you could hope to enjoy while relieving yourself.

Ureddplassen along the road in the Helgelandskysten area, this rest-area gets its name from the WWII memorial located at the site. The monument commemorates the Norwegian submarine Uredd=fearless that sank during the war, causing 42 sailors to lose their lives. Have not been there yet, but this bucket, (hahaha) is on my bucket-list when&if I am ever in N Norway again!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYhuf4fHHzY

Tue: at CC to help out and to get grandniece Kiera her first pair of climbing shoesS$99 – LaSportivaTarantula. Climbing is popular with the younger generation, was not that long ago that I was at CC getting a pair of climbing-shoes for grandnephew Darryl. Lunched@OwlsBrew, but forgot to tell them to not have the chilli in our thin-crust-pizza!

Wed: welcome back to SIN and tkx for the visit dear beautiful niece Yasmine&Andrew. Belated Bday (23May) gift to her+wishes for them to enjoy their stay, take good care to be healthy&safe and all the best for everything ahead. A lovely wet afternoon cooling down the evening temps for a goodnight sleep.

Thu: have always wanted a small stone-bench or chair! Thought this came in 3pieces, but how wrong can I be, this one is cemented into a single piece. ChrisT managed to get it transported from a 3storey heritage-house to a HDBblock – thankful for this gift and grateful to the help for getting it outside my 4-walls. Now fitting perfectly here, an ideal seat for getting on&off shoes – also be assured that no one will be able to steal it, hahaha!

Stone furniture brings back fun childhood memories where all our outdoor furniture were made of stone as far as I can remember! Pix of me (1952-53) on a stone-bench with bro Leslie by another stone bench in the background! Will search for more…

Tkx to Iyas for showing his new pad on the 44floor – interior fittings&furnishing tastefully done. Good to be able to get some tips if I need to redo my place.

Such a good idea for a toilet with integrated hand basin for my next new toilet, and maybe a small bathtub or (standup or walkin-tub/pix downloaded) to relax those overused stretched muscles.

21 May 2022 – Flu+PCV13 Shots

Tue: being the first appt is the best way to go@SGH. Got my breakfast, breathing tests, consultation with follow-ups appts+paper work including 2shots (flu+PCV13) all done by 1100hrs.

Nice crochet-flower-art by KnotsWithLoveFHG, Carnations, OrchidsToSunflowers, in appreciation of SGHstaff. Just as I was admiring these, DaisyC messaged to let me know that she managed to get fresh milkfish and if I would like to lunch with her? Anyone who knows me also know that I cannot resist fresh fish&seafood, hahaha!

OutramMRT-NE-PurpleLine3 to DhobyGhaut, quite an underground system, must have looked lost as some kind lady directed me to PlazaSIN where I picked up a house-warming plant+snack and still managed to connect with NS24-RedLine to YioCunKang.

The barricades+construction got me confused and here I asked a young man for directions and was impressed&touched that he not only gave me directions, but walked me (10-15mins) to Daisy’s lovely newly renovated pad – calming&nice minimalist feeling&style.

Thank you for yummy lunch and what a beautiful peranakan-tiled wall.

Today is the National Day & a public holiday in Norway Happy 17May to those celebrating&marking the day when the Norwegian Constitution was signed in Eidsvoll/Norway on 17May1814. Pleased&delighted to see that #6+family&friends had a nice 17May celebrations in Norway with perfect blue sky thru-out the whole country.

Wed&Thu: what a bright-brillant-full-moon for this early morning wake-up greeting after flu+PCV13 shots yesterday@SGH. Had a good 8+hrs sleep, now to take it easy today&tomorrow.

Fri: Its been a long time ago since last stepped foot in an orchid farm. Tkx to Wendy & AhHong for this lovely morning where it was a breath of fresh air to be amongst these beautiful Dendrobiums, Renantheras+many more species orchids@NeoCheng SoonFarm/30LimChuKangLane5. Nice to be able to catch up with AhHong who remembers those days where we were setting up for the shows – good to see him with a cheerful smiley disposition.

And tkx to Wendy for dessert@PoisonIvyBistro/Bollywood. Appreciations to Ivy&HoSeng – the concept of BollywoodVeggies started~20yrs ago when I was working for NetBallSIN. Such a good idea then, and still is to have a part of SIN to connect to what was! PoisonIvy is where you can taste some delicious local delight filling with nostalgic memories!

Tkx to Chris for Japanese dinner@Chikuyotei/Intercontinental and for introducing GrilledStingrayFins – they are delicious with the mayo, tasted like NorwegianDriedFish/tørr fisk but the mayo did make it taste differently must try that with the tørr fisk in future!

And also tkx to Les&Ivy for Jazz&Cocktails@Idlewild/Intercontinental – pleasant voice&sight! of GreggAuthur from Australia. Nice meeting Jan who grew up in Alaska, a young active sporty lady who will be doing an island-round cyclying tomorrow morning – good for her. Left 2230hrs, was tired after a morning in the sun at the farms+long MRT&bus rides.

Sat: had a good night sleep, now ready to deal with another day, not really! and tomorrow too will be another day! Wonder if it is the side-effects of the 2shots+the heat&humidity??

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense – Ralph Waldo Emerson

16 May 2022: Teamwork Lessons

Thu: one of my favourites https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jop2I5u2F3U – a meaningful&profound message without saying anything especially in today’s world circumstances&stituations! To all in Finland&Sweden+other countries who are feeling threatened by the stronger&super powers, including where I am today, stay united&strong. Hoping&praying that peace&love be with us all. Tkx to Robert for the share, was searching for it – and as he said  the only Motivational propaganda I take.

It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) that those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed – Charles Darwin

Fri: TGIF – a good weekend to all, especially to paraskevidekatriahobics. Paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia both are defined as the fear of Friday the 13th, and like all superstitions, etc the only thing we may have to fear is fear itself.

Sat: made some salad for staff@CC as their kitchen is out of action until next month. Appreciations to Calvin, Sam & Wendy’s good company for last night’s Vietnamese dinner at MrsPhoHouse/RangoonRd despite of too salty food and poor service – should have taken it as a sign when there were only a few tables of ppl there! Would NOT recommend this location, had better meals at the BeachRd location. Tkx to Wendy for the ride back to the East and for the chat.

Sun: Happy Vesak Day to all celebrating&marking the day. Somehow this downloaded pix is smoothing to my eyes, just added the orange text to fit the day! Chatting with both daughters in USA&Norway early hours this morning – delighted and looking forward to US arrivals on Wed13Jul. Have been now informed&updated that #3 will also be visiting, the only one of my 6grandchildren who is born in SIN and now he is at last getting to visit his birth-country since his birth in 2006.

Sooo missing my AT-hiking-buddies this 2022-Trail-Days! Congratulations to HiHills for her PorscheTaycon fully electric in a frosted berry color – tkx to Wiggs for pix

First TrailDays attended: 2008: https://amylamsg.com/2008/05/19/damascus-va/

2016: https://amylamsg.com/2016/05/16/the-30th-annual-appalachian-trail-days/

2017: https://amylamsg.com/2017/05/22/trail-days-2-2017/

2018: https://amylamsg.com/2018/05/19/trail-days-2018/ was Bear’s final&last TrailDays, but hopefully I can be there again for 2023-Trail-Days! Has not been too easy to arrange to meet for these TrailDays being also end of the year for school events&functions for the USgrandchildren. Tkx to MoFo who made these gatherings possible by driving me there&back over the years.

Mon: enjoying this public holiday starting with breakfast with Helen at MarineTerraceMarket and a walk-about to check out the to-be MarineTerraceMRTstation – pix credits to Helen.

A stroll with Leonard between charming back-lanes

to discover KỳAnhQuán/JooChiatRd – the best roasted quails tasted, will be back to taste the other dishes! Highly recommended – a perfect wet-cool afternoon to snooze, especially when things are spinning around like the old LPs, now in hands with Leo and tkx to him for IT-help and to make sure that I did not black-out, hahaha!

11 May 2022 – Movie Breathe

Sat&Sun: Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers with loving memory to my mother Tsang MayLan(1911-1965), special thoughts my 2daughters, Linn&May (pix from 2020) who made me a proud mother are also mothers and my 3grand-daughters, Katy, Ellie&Sophie (pix from 2014) who might also become mothers, ie if I live to see their children, my great-grand-children (BrownGen). It has been 3yrs since I saw #1, 3, 4&5 and also has been 3ys ago since I have been at their school-ending-year awards&presentations ceremonies – hardly recognise #4 who has stretched and resembles her 2older sisters.

Many thx to Jeff for mailing these from #2-5, so thoughtful&sweet of them.

Mon: tkx to first-born for these recent pix of my FabulousFive in the US

and here with them on strings, would be able to form a quintet! – appreciate to receive this video from their father

Will be missing yet another school-ending year events and this will be the third year not being there Hardly recognising #4 playing the double-bass&soccer who will be a teenager next month, resembling her 2 older sisters. Looking forward for her visit in Jul – she is the only grandchild I took full care of when her mother had to be hospitalized after birth.

1st-born’s 40thBday in 2014BostonMarathon/MA, USA when we all (ie my 2daughters+6grand-daughters) met then and have not been all together since. Can only hope that we can all be together to celebrate her 50thBday in 2024.

Good Mon morning and a good week ahead to all from a tunnel vision of the East-Coast area taken from a HDB-lift landing. But when you clear&open your mind, you can have a wider vision to imagine&see a bigger picture!

Tue: tkx to DaisyC for lunch company in Chinatown. At Daiso for these 2sunflowers+leaf and what I now have to pay is S$8.56 instead of S$8 before the pricehikes. Discovered Scarlett, but have not tired these loctus root snacks yet and then could not resist these bottles (can be later used as a floor-lamp stand of piggybank) of popcorns – OK taste, most ppl here prefer the salty taste, but I do like the sweet taste.

Wed: Breathe (2017) – brillant inspiring touching movie based on the true story of Robin Cavendish who became paralyzed after contracting polio in the late 1950s – highly recommended. The topic of assisted suicide was also part of the fictional 2016 drama Me Before You — an ending that sparked some outrage due to its perceived comment on life as a quadriplegic. But Serkis — who made his directorial debut with the drama based on the parents of his Imaginarium Studios co-founder Jonathan Cavendish — stressed that Breathe‘s mutual agreement between Robin, Diana and Jonathan is the decision’s “extraordinary” element. “It’s not a selfish act; it’s kind of altruistic in a way, as it was to make life better for Diana and Jonathan, so they wouldn’t have to go through the misery of watching some very, very long, extracted, painful departing,” he explained – The Hollywood Reporter.

https://www.rotary.org/en/jonathan-cavendish-why-he-created-polio-movie-breathe

I have accepted the risk of dying, I don’t want to just survive I want to truly live 

7 May 2022 – Magnolia Snack Bar Nostalgia

Wed: found these pix from 8yrs ago from one of the visits with my US-flock then. Sunrise Cactus pre-bloom, full-bloom, post-bloom – a reminder as to how quickly time goes by, so take care to enjoy your moments of bloom. The blooms may be brief but the memory of its beauty will last a lifetime. A good mid-week and

May the Force Be with you all – pix of SkelligMichael/CoKerry, Ireland downloaded

Thu: Happy CincoDeMayo to those celebating&marking Mexican army’s victory over France at the PueblaBattle during the Franco-MexicanWar. https://www.edarabia.com/cinco-de-mayo/ Enjoy your tacos&tequila – everyday is a celebration with many special celebrations this month despite the lack of authentic ambience – the mind&memory can help.

Was in the mood for some TexMex today, delighted to discover the nearest location to satisfy my craving is only 3bus-stops away@Guzman y Gomez,12Katong S$31. BurritoChickenBowl+2 large sides of Guacamole&PicoDeGallo is enough to last me for a few meals – first time tasting this rich interesting chocolate/cinnamon drink Champurrado.

Follow-up appt@FarrerPkMedical and all is as well as it can be with breathing back to 99% as to when I was there with 30% a month+ago, ouch!  Now able to run errands in LIttleIndia&Chinatown (Mother’s Day deco is up) without feeling out of breath&tired. Appreciations to CJ&Theresa for yummy dinner, her HKG-style-steamed fish is one of my favourites, especially with totally fresh fish. Do miss the freshness of Norwegian fish/wild when I can fish them and have them on my plate in less than an hour.

Finally this guide I have been waiting for from Canada (took slightly over a month!) arrived. Looking forward to reading it.

Fri: Ode to Art@RafflesCity would usually have something there to catch my eyes.

Treating myself to my favourite almond croissant@TiongBahruBakery and my favourite box of RoyceDarkChocolate for Mother’s Day. All mothers deserve to treat themselves now&then, tkx to niece Patricia for company.

In conjunction with SIN-HeritageFest2022, CapitolTheatre premiered its documentary film tonight. Have not been inside this since the 1960s (do not even remember any of the movies seen there) and nice memories to see the familiar pair of FlyingHorses, what I used called them before knowing about Pegasus and the zodia dome ceiling. Fascinated to know&learn that all the chairs can be retracted underground in such a way that it can be turned into an empty hall so as to accomodate exhibitions+other kinds of other functions, what a clever&practical idea – would like to see it in action!

https://thelongnwindingroad.wordpress.com/2022/05/04/the-singapore-debut-of-the-capitol-of-singapore/

Vivid memories of the MagnoliaSnackBar (best chocolate milk shake for me then) in the Capitol Building, also in CHIJ classrooms overlooking this building from 1962-65.

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2016-01-25_105628.html

The introduction+speeches went on longer than expected, had to cancel reservations for dinner@BroadwayAmericanDiner. Headed back to RafflesCity to dine@DinTaiFung (few locations open up to 22hrs nowadays), thinking of #6 as this is his favourite place to eat at and again mistaking the stalk of lemongrass for a straw in my favourite lemongrass drink! Appreciate the good companies of neices, nephew, grandniece&friend.

Sat: relaxing with my favourite goodies&snacks reading&watching movies for this Mother’s Day weekend.

I sometimes seem to myself to wander around the world merely accumulating material for future nostalgias –  Vikram Seth

3 May 2022 – And Meeting Up With Niece Francesca 

Fri: appreciations to IreneL for her invite you to a Zoom meeting with the conservation team in China. This ceremony at our ancestral hall is to honor our ancestors and report the start of the construction repair work in May. Nice to see&recognise some faces of the cousins from granduncle LAM JeeChiew’s branch. Pix to be included if I receive any from IreneL.

Tkx to Les&Ivy for last night’s dinner&dessert to welcome niece Fran from KL/Malaysia. Great to catch up with her and safe journey back to KL. Looking forward to more family-get-togethers now that we are allowed to have bigger gatherings. pix credits to bro Les, was too busy catching up with Fran!

Yummy starters, meats&desserts@Atout – my favourite were the beef and GrandMarnierSoufflé

Sat: sooo proud Sooo proud of my #2 Elisabeth HALL in SC/USA. Congratulations Ellie for her PSAT TOP Scores and for being selected as one of the 21-22 PalmettoGirlsState delegates to represent IrmoHighSchool and for being MissYellowJacket pageant – way to go Ellie.

With this view into Johor/Malaysia from a new condo, no rains can stop the eyes from enjoying the surrounding views.

And you cannot go too wrong when you have a view of this unblocked church – faminlar looking wall decoration from the WaterlooSt days!

Tkx to Calvin&Sam for gracious&kind hospitality at his lovely new pad. Another 1+hr bus journey ride in the dark thru’ unfaminlar areas observating some passenger carrying bulky carriers from Diaso as prices there will no longer be just S$2 from tomorrow. https://mothership.sg/2022/04/daiso-queue/

30Apr2022: WorldOmeter of COVID-19 deaths are as follow: