30 Sep 2022: F1 Road Closures

Thu: HurricaneIan made landfall Wed28Sep~1500hrs FL/USA time at FtMeyers – 1+million are without power. Ppl in the path of Ian plx take extra care to be safe. Will be following&tracking Ian closely as it is predicated to be moving towards SC!! over the weekend. Memories of those FL days preparing for hurricanes are still deep in the mind but have been blessed and was not hit directly by any during my 15yrs stay there. Experienced some wet days with HurricaneAndrew in 1992.

Started my fun day@BedokHeartbeat – do enjoy walking and absorbing the ambience in these heartland areas here in SIN.

Even managed to buy 2hat S$16 and this dress S$50 from these young ppl, Emily&Fiona who are selling for some charity, or so they tell me!

Had a craving for MeeSiam@BedokInterchangeHawker 01-66 but was not hungry enough for the usual whole bowl, usually S$3.50 but was willing to pay the full price with less noodles so as not to waste and was charged S$2.50 which was just perfect for me both the taste&size, will be back, as the saying goes – Waste not, want not.

Met with Helen@Roots,EliasMall for my drastic hair-cut, had not buzzed it like this since just before the 2005ATthru’hike, tkx to Dee then – felt that a change is needed after not been out of SIN for nearly 3yrs and also in anticipation of going back to swimming soon. Dropped by to CC to say hi.

Helen is always a great sport to tag along my spontaneous uphill walks, hahaha and this time round was to MtEmily&Sophia. It was pleasant to step on a natural path again despite it being just a few steps. MelbaCafe was closed, so will have to be another time to go inside there.

Whenever I am in this area, memories of childhood days of the grand Eu Villa, and like #5TemenggongRd such a pity that it is also gone.

Oh well! at least the memory is still intact – sunset also means its time to head for a bite. Found the narrow never-ending stairs leading us down to between the Cathay&SOTA buildings, has been a long while ago since I took these stairs.

CôChung@PlazaSIN – have been wanting to eat these WaterFernCake again and glad to introduce them to Helen – Bánh Bèo/steamed rice cake with crushed shrimp, scallion oil topping with special sweet fish sauce. Bus16 ride from OrchardRd back to the MarineC was still OK tonight around 22.30hrs, but the driver must have thought he was driving the F1 and got back safely to my 4-walls in record time, hahaha – for real!

Will most certainly be keeping my distance from the areas in&around the F1 circuit in SIN this weekend. All 32 buses along these routes will be diverted and going anywhere by or near or via these areas will be diverted and will take much longer to go from the East to downtown. https://www.8days.sg/seeanddo/thingstodo/singapore-f1-2022-road-closures-transport-guide-692061

Bed linen, extra mattress, towels are out from storage getting ready for arrival from Norway tomorrow. Byebye Sep2022.

30Sep2022: WorldOmeter of COVID-19 deaths are as follow:

24 Sep 2022 – Four-In-One Rail And Bus Depot 

Wed: CrossIslandLine/CRL is SIN 8th MRT line and the longest fully underground line at more than 50km. It will be constructed in three phases and is expected to start next year. Some stations are expected to be opened by 2032 – will definitely not live to see the completion of this line!

https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltagov/en/upcoming_projects/rail_expansion/cross_island_line.html

EastCoastIntegratedDepot will contain three train depots and one bus depot within a single site of 36ha. SIN largest train and bus depot (four-in-one rail and bus depot) to open in 2025, structural works 75% complete, hopefully will live to see this one!

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/transport/singapores-largest-train-and-bus-depot-to-open-in-2025-structural-works-75-complete

Quite impressive&glad to see how far we are with public transport systems here, especially being a frequent&regular user of it.

Thu: welcome Bill back to SIN – guilding around the JooChiat area, the vicinity surrounding this area was declared SIN 1st Heritage Town in 2011. It is chosen, in part, because of strong efforts to promote its Peranakan culture.

Tkx to Calvin for driving, always nice to be able to show ppl who appreciates the company, food, history, etc. Apologies but only able to do a short tour today – throat, voice, etc still not fully healed. The renewed interest in the heritage here brought a new wave of redevelopment in the late 2000s. Trendy art galleries, design studios, upmarket retail outlets, boutique hotels&eateries emerged, while a number of shophouses were restored and new condominiums built.

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_946__2008-11-13.html

Fri: if you spend as much time as I do@SGH, you might have noticed 3beautiful sculptures(Trees of Learning, Knowledge & Life)in the courtyards by Bro JosephMcNally(1923-2002), founder of StPatrick’sArtCentre, now known as LASALLE-College of the Arts in SIN. Good to know that abdominal, pelvis scans+colonoscopy all cleared&normal.

ReachingOut designed by the NayangAcademy of FineArts is located in the middle of this greenery across from Kopitiam, and when not too hot+an available bench, it is quite serene to have a cuppa here.

Caring by Jasper is appropriate in these surroundings with a refreshing water feature by it, even some of the thrash-bins are tastefully covered.

FarrerPkMedicalCentre to pick up meds and nice to bump into Michael where we were reminiscing about when we first met! – Patricia&Albert’s wedding(Dec1998) where Alex was the cute pageboy then!

Sat: Chuck&friends who are on the PEI/Canada, plx be safe from HurricaneFiona. Memories from our 2005ATthru’Hike when we had the backlash of HurricaneKatrina and hiked 3days&nights in the rains.

2200hrs: appreciations&tkx for updates from Chuck – Yesterday morning we made the decision to move off the island prior to Fiona’s landfall. We took a walk on the beach near Stanhope and headed to New Brunswick to ride out the storm and decide if a return to the island post-Fiona is possible.

Sun25Sep: Storm Fiona: Nearly all of Prince Edward Island without power after powerful winds, heavy rain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIA23d_lybw

10 of my favourite poems and today’s choice – The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

https://www.aconsciousrethink.com/8971/poems-about-life/

20 Sep 2022: Eat Well Laugh Often Love Much

Sat&Sun: spoons are the only cutlery needed this weekend and the next few days. Still sore down the throat, healing slowly but surely. Will have to continue to avoid solid foods and hot foods&drinks for the week. Seems like this aging body is now demanding more time to heal. An excuse to dig my spoon&eat straight out of a 473ml ice-cream tub – no problems to finish the whole tub for a meal.

Might as well try to drink the ocean with a spoon as argue with a lover — Stephen King.

Mon19Sep: with pomp and sorrow, world bids final farewell to HM-QE2. 11.00hrs (LondonTime) State Funeral Service ~2,000ppl attending (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62890879), the coffin travelled in Procession from Westminster Abbey, here the coffin was carried on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy drawn by 142sailors to Wellington Arch and from here the coffin travelled by hearse to Windsor/St George’s Chapel.

HM-QE2 was laid to rest on Monday night together with HRH Prince Philip at a private family service in the King George VI Memorial Chapel located inside St George’s Chapel.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62952004

https://amylamsg.com/2022/09/10/queen-elizabeth-ii-1926-2022/

Appreciations to Clement for yummy dinner from Crystal-Jade, one of my favourite places for Cantonese-style-congee and thanks for ice-creams – first time tasting this ice-cream brand.

Arrived today – mailed ordered this heating pad thru’ Amazon.sg(S$58.71)10days ago as I had such a pain in my neck 2weeks ago. Haniperis Heated Neck Shoulder Wrap with Auto Shut Off and 3 Adjustable Temperature, Electric Thermal Compress Neck Brace, Heat Therapy for Soreness & Stiffness Pain Relief. 

Tue: finally managed to keep down last night’s dinner and with the new heating pad, feels like I am human again! Hopefully energy will be back for preparations of overseas guest and family visits ahead.

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.

16 Sep 2022 – Bilateral Tonsillectomy

Tue: they are just about everywhere lately – hen(black&white), rooster by the bus stop@NeilRd just before KampongBahruRd.

SGH/OCH@OrthopeaedicDep to review that C-spine is able to endure GA for Thu-surgery. A cuppa+a treat@Starbucks to start the day,

and continuing the day to wander&wonder around Chinatown to one of my favourite cakeshops@ChinatownPoint. Just looking with the eyes as the mouth could not fit in another bite of cake for today!

Looking forward to the completion of the MaxwellMRT station on the TEL/BrownLine, located across the road from BuddhaToothRelicTemple&Museum

JinrikishaStation(junctions of Neil&TanjongPagarRd)

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_485_2005-01-03.html

FairfieldMethodistChurch, formally JingHwaCinema as my memory recalls and also that it was haunted as a cinema – seemingly a  worker died during construction. Do remember going to movies with mother here.

MurrayTerrace:

https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/Get-Involved/Conserve-Built-Heritage/Architectural-Heritage-Season/-/media/11032B75B49D4162A06E153A957F1310.ashx

Wed: following with HM-QE2’s last journey before her funeral – such a historical event with overwhelming coverage. There will probably never be another monarch who will sit on a throne for 70+yrs, especially one who has reigned with total dignity&grace. Today is the first full day that the Queen’s coffin will lie in state in WestminsterHall and the first members of the public pay their respects where she will remain until the morning of the funeral. Keeping this event in a single blog posting updating until the funeral.

https://amylamsg.com/2022/09/10/queen-elizabeth-ii-1926-2022/

Thu: all day surgery+post-op-recovery@SGH to rid another incident finding cyst in the R-tonsil, hopefully the last incident finding for now. Procedures went smoothly with the expected and advanced-info provided. Tkx to Clem for being there to ensure that I get back on my 2feet back to my 4-walls, am totally blessed with a nephew like him. Now to shallow the endless variety of meds to prevent&counteract whatever they need to do for the next week+

Fri: good thing is that I get to eat soft-comfort-foods and I like these soups I have prepared in advance now in the freezer – PurpleSweetPotatoes, Pumpkin, BoneBroth, pix downloaded here. Do wonder if Beethoven did really say that Only the pure in heart can make a good soup??

Will buy congee@MT-Market as needed – best fresh. Chocoate&coffee ice-cream in the freezer – now even my teeth gets a break from chewing.

Happy Malaysia Day to those celebrating&marking the day.

12 Sep 2022: National Lion Dance Championships

Fri: did a special single posting paying respect to QE2, the only queen being part of SIN colonial days. https://amylamsg.com/2022/09/10/queen-elizabeth-ii-1926-2022/

Fri: tkx to Ivy&Les for dinner@ParadiseTeochew/ScottsSquare 潮式卤味三拼盘
BraisedTrioCombinationPlatter, 蒜香炒时蔬Stir-fried Vegetable, 瑶柱虾籽大芥菜Braised Mustard Green with Shredded Conpoy&Shrimp Roe

东星斑SteamedCoral Grouper, 潮式海鲜炒面线Stir-fried MeeSua, 福果甜芋泥
Mashed Yam with Gingko/Orh Nee

Was fortunate to walk pass by this amazing National Lion-Dance Championships on the way to the bus-stop. Despite the crowds but being outdoors+also being fan of LionDance and tkx to MeiPin for finding some seats.

Lions play an important role in Chinese mythology, and represent joy&happiness.Lion dances are performed accompanied by the music of beating of drums, cymbals&gongs instruments synchronise to the lion dance movements&actions. Performance of Lion Dance brings luck and to get rid of the devil.

Nice to see young ppl enjoying this glorious evening entertained by street music on OrchardRd with huge bright lights of this new iPhone commercial on the PullmanHotel. Tkx for this lovely walk on the eve of Mid-Autumn.

Sat: 祝福大家中秋節快樂 Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to all celebrating&marking this day. Enjoy your 月饼/Mooncake, I grew up with the 蓮蓉LotusSeed paste filling – today there are all sorts of different fillings, but my personal preference is still the simple white Lotus.菱角/WaterCaltrop, 餘頭/Taro, the only time I eat these foods and will light a lantern for tonight.

In Chinese culture, roundness symbolizes completeness&togetherness. A full moon symbolizes prosperity&reunion. Round mooncakes complement the harvest moon in the night sky at the Mid-Autumn Festival. Pix from last week wandering in Chinatown.

From GardensByTheBay, pix credits to SengHock

Sun@28TemenggongRd Mid-Autumn event sharing with Helen my childhood haunts;

https://mothership.sg/2018/03/temenggong-road-telok-blangah-colonial-houses/

tkx for being such a good spot to walk up&down MtFaber with me in the night road-lights and appreciations for dessert&drinks@ArboraHilltopGarden&Bistro.

https://mothership.sg/2022/09/temenggong-mid-autumn-2022/

Has been over a year ago, tkx to Reis&Henri since@TemenggongRd then, and it does not get easier that #5 is no longer. https://amylamsg.com/2021/01/

In memory of all those2,977victims+19hijackers, 2,996total who lost their life in 2001, 21yrs ago today the attack that changed our world, we remember the valor of those we lost—those who innocently went to work that day and the brave souls who went in after them. Hopefully we are mindful of those who grieve for them and the light that still lives in their hearts.

9 Sep 2022 – May Her Majesty Now Rest In Peace

Fri: a special single posting paying respect to the only queen being part of SIN colonial days. Queen Elizabeth II/HM-QE2 UK’s longest-serving monarch died aged 96, after reigning for 70yrs. As a 21-year-old princess, she had vowed to devote her life to service and that she did with total dignity&grace. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61585886

From cousin Karen: Getting dressed and to have a formal meeting with the new PM two days before not being able at all (and while the world fret abt the venue) really commands respect. My reply: She is one of the very few monarchs(the other is King Haakon VII(1905-1957) of Norway who I highly admire&respect. Oh yes, King Rama IX – Bhumibol Adulyadej(1946-2016) too – an era when&where duties, ethics, morals, etc are of different interpretations&values as of today!!

Sharing this eloquent comment and agreeing with him fully from cousin YatSoon who is born, lives and works in London,UK: I am not by instinct a supporter of monarchy as an institution, but the late Queen Elizabeth II has been an exemplary constitutional monarch. She was from my parents’ generation which lived through the Second World War. The Queen’s first Prime Minister, Churchill was born in 1874, and her last, Liz Truss was born in 1975.

The first US President she met was Truman and the last was Joe Biden.

From my Singaporean background, the first Singaporean PM she met was Lee Kuan Yew, and the last was his son Lee Hsien Loong. A surprisingly large number of Commonwealth government leaders in the Queen’s reign have been from the same family: Pierre and Justin Trudeau in Canada, Jomo and Uhuru Kenyatta from Kenya, and three generations : Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi from India (as well as leaders from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh).

Fri16: the lines from Southwark Pk to Westminster Hall,

8 Sep 2022 – More Procedures@SGH

Mon: Happy11thBDay to #6, adorable baby like his mother and just as adorable today. Looking much forward to their next visit.

4 Sep 2022: Seize the day, then let it go…

Thu: grocery shopping@Giant/Tampines and thankful to niece for this new Wheelie, also grateful for the free shuttle bus to&fro BedokBusInterchange.

Somehow I have not associated Tamarind with Assam even when I know that they are the same. Have always like Assam fish and Tamarind drinks&snacks. Decided to buy a box of ThaiTamarindS$6.50 to try, delighted that am able now make my own drink, snack on them at a fraction of the price and not having to go the Thai or Vietnamese places to get the drinks or snacks.

Enjoying my wanderings – here on bus13 passing by MasjidMalabar(closed for renovations)&HotelBoss@the junction of VictoriaSt&JlnSultan; checking out what is happening and to wonder despite of the never ending barricades, constructions, threatening sky, etc.

Fri: have been needing&wanting this tiny fanS$10 without a cover(easier to clean the blades) and a tiny radioS$25, delighted to have found them within my budget@SimLimSquare.

MiddleRd&WaterlooSt where I frequented once upon a time when working with advertising@H&H(closed its doors completely shut in 2020-21)FortuneCentre&CC(before moving to BkTimahRd)WaterlooSt. Looks like the Stamford Arts Centre’s renovation is completed and looking good.

In 7thHeaven, finally found my favourite Ben&Jerry’s CoffeeCoffee ice-cream@FortuneCentre(tkx to Clement for the tip). Last time I tasted it was when #6 was visiting in 2020 and we were@SINZoo – they used to have it@VivoCity, but sadly no longer.

Seems quiet here despite with probably the biggest lantern@AlbertRoundAbout and the NightBazaar, but MidAutumn is still a week+ away. School holidays start this weekend, so will stay away from any potential crowded places.

Sat: Danish psychological thriller Kærlighed for Voksne/Loving Adults is based on a novel by AnnaEkberg(a pseudonym for authors AndersRønnowKlarlund&JacobWeinreich) now on Netflix. Good plot with unpredicted twists and will keep you guessing till the end – do not want to be a spoiler-alert, one of the better thrillers I have watched, highly recommended.