29 Jan 2023 – Medical & Music 

Wed: CT-scan@NHC/SGH on time as scheduled, in&out within less than 30mins, hopefully no further attention will be needed after the results. Kopitian gone from NHC and in its place is SG-Hawker.

Decided to pack some Nyonya/Peranaka food for lunch. Heavy rains while on Bus196 and even without umbrella was not a problem as the walkways to&from all the bus-stops on my paths today are all shaded. Enjoying fully this lovely cool wet afternoon with this yummy food. An early good night sleep with the peaceful&relaxing pitter-patter of the rains.

Thu: needed today to be a loner recharging for another busy weekend ahead. Watching cheesy movies is a good way for me to switch off. Appreciations to 1st-born for posting these pix and nice to see that they do mark the CNY despite being in a another culture&society where CNY is not celebrated. Besides myself, #3 is the other only one in my flock born here in SIN! Thank goodness Chinese eateries are world-wild and take-away Chinese food is a nice way to mark the CNY. Tkx to Gel for her home-made Kimchi

Fri: TGIF on this 6CNY-day and a good weekend to all. Appreciations to Aileen(now a proud grandmother to a beautiful baby girl – pix credits to the Tang-family) for taking time to meet up for brunch in my hood in the midst of her very busy schedule, اشكرك for lovely orchid, safe journeys back to her temporary home in Saudi.

谢谢 to Calvin for this juicy&sweet box of mandarin-oranges, stay safe&warm in their Japan trip – pix credits to Yukie.

Sat: today is the 7CNYday and also know as Rénrì人日, Everybody’s Birthday. According to Chinese customs, Renri was the day human beings were created. It is celebrated not only in China, but also in the surrounding region influenced by Chinese culture. Happy Birthday to all celebrating Downstairs here@46MarineCres, the neighbourhood has been preparing since a week ago for their CNYdinner.

Tkx to AudreyW for lunch invite, she is the only one who I know makes yummy 炒年糕 or chǎo niángāo = Stir fried Shanghai rice cakes with mushrooms & cabbage in a delicious, savory Asian soy based sauce.

Tkx to HS for Concerto3 -Three Concertos with re:Sound – 3rd time within a week at the WestEnd. Quick ThaiFoodBite&drink@BarBarBlackSheep after nearly 2hrs on the bus! Has been a long while ago since last YongSiewTohConservatory of Music/YSTCM and what fantastic performance. The music&medical scenes here in SIN have have come along impressively from since what I can remember from my younger days!

1.Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto for 2 Cellos in G minor, RV 531 (soloists: Qin Li-Wei, Liu Jiaqi). 2.Grażyna Bacewicz: Concerto for String Orchestra. 3.Joseph Haydn: Cello Concerto No.1 in C major (soloist: Qin Li-Wei).

Where words fail, music speaks — Hans Christian Andersen

Sun: cool quiet wet day to chill before dinner with nieceDaisy&grandnephewDarryl before he returns for his studies in Sydney/Australia next week. Met@KatongShoppingCentre – ChickenRice, for me and IpohTuckKeeSon noodles for them – nice walk to I12.

24 Jan 2023 – Visits & Visitors

Sat: welcome Henrietta&Francis from HKG for Meepok brunch @TanjongPagarPlazaMarket&FoodCentre. Being CNY’s eve, many stalls were closed, thus not much selection.

Was even brave enough to step into Chinatown to snap some shots! Too tired to go for more reunion dinners tonight, need to charge up for all the visits for the coming week.

Sun: A very Happy 21st Birthday to #1 – appreciations&thanks to 1stBorn for these pix of my beautiful grandchildren, the FabulousFive in the USofA.

KongHeiFattChoy to all celebrating the Lunar/Chinese New Year of the Rabbit on this 1st CNY-day.

Appreciations&tkx to Les&Ivy for delicious lunch+wines to start me looking much forward hopping with eagerness&enthusiasm into more adventures&journeys ahead.

Nice to catch up with Michael&Sharon+Alex&girlfriend. Tkx to Theresa&CJ for visiting.

Mon: on this 2nd-CNY-day visiting with 2nd sis-in-law who was recently promoted to a great-grandmother, niece JenLeng to grandmother, grandniece QiYing to auntie and grandnephew KeeYang to a father. Starting a new generation in the LAM-family with Baby Anna’s 1st CNY. Looking forward to meeting her soon, today she was home asleep.

Words can not express the joy of new life – Hermann Hesse

Nice spontaneous meet up with Lily&AngelinaÔng who text me while I was about to hop on the MRT in Kranji. Since they were in town and for me to get back from the West-East of the island, BencoolenSt was just a slight detour. Tkx for my favourite ice-cream@FortuneCentre and safe journeys onwards for them.

Tue: 3rdCNYday, headed again to the other end of the island, 2days in a roll to be in the West&North ends! – to visit with 11thAuntie(95, eldest of the BG), nice to catch up with cousin Ken&Cynthia@BinjaiPK

And with 18thUncle&Auntie(87, youngest of the BG). Tkx to cousin Sara for lunch&dessert@CausewayPt

Took the opportunity to check around the new Woodlands InterChange; got OliveRice to go and Bus168 back to Bedok InterChange a joy-ride of 1+hr. Thus wrapping up the CNY-family-visits for this round and who knows if the energy will still be there for a next round?

Hallo, Rabbit, he said is that you?
Let’s pretend it isn’t, said Rabbit, and see what happens ― AA Milne

20 Jan 2023 – The Year of the Rabbit

Tue&Wed: needed these 2days to do whatever had to be done, including preparing for the next wave of the CNY socials. 

Thu: was planning a quiet day but realized that some last moment errands were needed. Appreciations to Clement for the RabbitRedPackages and for ChickenRiceDinner in TheHainanStory ChapterOne (Hotel Boss). Lovely stroll to WaterlooSt, sometimes the unplanned things are the best! But they were out of RedMelonSeeds.

Continued on the bus to Chinatown in time to get to YueWah before it closed. Thank goodness there were some packages left and even managed to snap a few pix before the rains started. Will be back another night when its less ppl&cars.

Fri: Ivy called and had to make a trip to PP to pick up some last moments CNY-goodies for her – not sure how many more times I can do this, but will always try my best to help as long as I am able. Since I was out&about, might as well pick up more mandarin oranges. Again just back in time before the rains, despite me liking the rains&cool weathers, do really feel for the vendors who depend on this major CNY-event to earn their main profits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePW4kTiGffY/3.20 Mm Lee – Fengshui Is utter Rubbish, from my understanding, it does not only applies to Fengshui, but also to things like horoscope, etc, and I fully agree with him here. Its going to be another busy social weekend. Preparations for the Rabbit to pop&hop out of its hole are more or less ready, but

16 Jan 2023 – Days of Celebrations

Fri: welcome to AhChee from Canada – it has been 50+yrs ago since we last crossed paths during our student days in Dublin/Ireland. Nice to meet with his wife, Angie. Tkx to Les&Ivy for hosting a scrumptious LoHei dinner last night. A great evening catching up with news from this 1960s-70s-group of IGAS, IrishGrads who are all grandparents now!

YiQian PrivateDining壹仟私厨Cantonese&Teochew fare – Prosperity LoHei with Lobster龍虾撈起, MarinatedBabyOctupus 潮式腌小墨斗, Beef with SlicedGarlic琥珀蒜片牛柳粒 pix of 3 of my favourite dishes there.

BraisedSlicedDuck鹵水鴨片, SoonHock笋壳鱼Steamed TeochewStyle潮州蒸, MustardGreen with CrabMeat蟹肉鱼漂大芥菜,Wok-fried GlutinousRice with WaxedMeat 生炒臘味糯米飯 https://www.yiqianprivatedining.com/

Sat: Happy Pongalஇனிய பொங்கல் to those celebrating this Hindu harvest festival(14-17Jan). Thanks to nephew Clement for lunch at the MajesticRestaurant, MarinaOne. https://www.facebook.com/majesticrestaurantsg/

yummy foods,

had fun exploring this new exciting location.

Threw some magnetic darts(first time with these kind of darts and has been a long time since I threw any darts!) in the basement.

Coffee&drink@TheSingapuraClub – for once music from the 1950s-70s could be recognized&related to and not blasting thru’ boombox, but in comfortable volume providing relaxing ambience with just us there(would not want to be here in any crowds). A pleasant&peaceful afternoon went by quickly.

Tkx to Calvin@CC for hosting this celebration with my favourite durians

for JanBdays – myself, Estella, David, Iyas and SkyThian. Appreciations to Estella for good Tequila

Sun: tkx to Les&Ivy for dinner and to Shawn for durians – wow! durians 2 nights in a row, sugar level is now probably high enough to get me thru’ any long distance walk, hahaha!!

Amazing to hear about May/Pat’s trip in Japan, especially the MoonFlower Sagaya Ginza, Art by TeamLab. Worlds Unleashed and then Connecting and according to her – a beautiful experience of food like eating in a moving artwork. Fish sprang from plates, water flowed round, flowers bloomed. On my bucket list but will probably be too distracted to eat.

Mon: tkx to AT-fellow-hikers, HiHills&MissWiggy for beautiful orchids and to Wendy for TorchGingerFlowers. Appreciations and thank you to each and everyone of you for your kind&thoughtful Bday gifts, treats&wishes. Need to give the stomach a rest before the next wave of socials for the CNY. When I was in my 50s, I thought I’ll never make it to the 60s. At 60s I thought that’s it. And now 73, still on my feet enjoying life to the fullest.

12 Jan 2023 – Guests From Australia&Switzerland+Light to Night Festival

Mon: a quiet day needed before the storm of socials this whole week.

Tue: tkx for including me for last night’s claypot-reunion-dinner at NewLuckyClaypotRice/HollandDr and  desserts  at DailyScoop/ChipBeeGardens 

with nieces Judy, Daisy, nephews Vincent, Clement(seldom time that I can get a pix all these 4sibilings together!), grandnephews Stanley, Darryl from broSteven’s branch – missing Annie&Andrew. Welcome back to SIN, Vince, even just for a short visit, safe trip back to your other home in Australia.

Wed: welcome Bill back to SIN and welcome Tanja for her first visit, hopefully many more visits to follow. From the airport straight to a bowl of PrawnNoddles at DaDongPrawnNoodles 大東蝦麵@JooChiat where every morsel was thoroughly consumed&enjoyed by guests from Switzerland. This noodle stall has been around since 1966. Now, at the helm of it all is WatsonLIM, a 31-year-old 2nd-generation hawker who has decided to take over the reins from his father.

Bus36 to Esplanade, changing to Bus75 a short walk through

to see what is new on my favourite handicapped-staircase.

Appreciations to Theresa&CJ for yummy steak dinner and the best tasting bamboo I have tasted. This amazing lychee is delicious&juicy and with this kind of size&cost, one is all you can eat. Usually not a fan of prunes, but this PruneLapis 黑棗千層蛋糕is good.

Thu: will be guiding Bill&Tanja thru’ a brief&short colonial walk from CHIJMES(1852)VictoriaSt(my old school)walking to show the magnificent colonial architecture. Passing by StAndrew’sCathedral(1836), being wrapped at present!, National Gallery(1939)formal SupremeCt,

VictoriaHall(1862), AsianCivilisationMuseum(1867)orginally planned to be a CourtHouse, SIN-River, FullertonHotel(1928) formal GPO,

CliffordPier(1933), LauPatSat(1824).  

Tkx to Calvin for LoHeiDinner@TanXiangYUÁN/LittleIndia

https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/entertainment/ben-yeo-opens-live-seafood-restaurant-little-india-tan-xiang-yuan-338746

LightsToNightFestival2023 – pix credits to Helen. Ephemeral + Hearing Padang by Atelier Sisu

May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out ― JRR Tolkien

Pulse by Felix Frank 

https://www.straitstimes.com/life/arts/light-to-night-2023-is-back-in-full-swing

8 Jan 2023 – Belated Decoration From Norway

Thu: on this 12thDay of Christmas, when all the decorations are usually taken down, but this beautiful paper-mache-handmade star by #6 arr from Norway(snail-mailed 16Dec). Another reason to leave the decorations up until the weekend!

Happy Bday to my High-Tech-Guru Leonard, without him would have given up being online! Nice to see allotment-gardens, a lone-swimmer+some school-field-trips enjoying the day on my late morning walk. A good teacher will let the mind stretched by a new experience that can never go back to its old dimensions…

~7k walk from ECpk viaKatongPkUnderpass-MountbattenRd-OldAirportRd-blk34CassiaCres to pick up broLes’s, and my too favourite mini-paus. Took the bus16 back, not a fan of carrying too much stuff when walking longer distances!

TanglinMall is ready for the CNY, elevators at the overhead bridge on GrangeRd(TourismBoard-GrangeResidences) are now working.

Nice to be able catch up with cousinYeng, her daughter Jessica visiting from Canada+cousinChing&HengHuat Missing ZhaoMing who just flew off back to Canada.(13thAuntie’s branch). Appreciations to Les&Ivy for having us.

Fri: tkx to cousin Lock, a medical dr who survived cancer for this interesting share(seen  it some time ago, but forgot to share!), educational but do pay attention and watch the whole video despite it being nearly 2hrs.  Sadly for me, words like corruption, greed, hypocrisy, etc pop into the mind.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmxUsAI29fw 

Sat: thank you thank you Gel for this early BdayDinner, one of the freshest&delicious crab meal I have had – what a treat.
There is a saying in Baltimore that crabs may be prepared in fifty ways and that all of them are good.H. L. Mencken

Yummy noodles from PehGee delivered from IpohTuckKee Son/KatongBranch 怡保德记仔highly recommended. The only issue now is that they are next to one of my favourite ChickenRice stalls@KatongShoppingCentre, oh dear! the luxury of these kind of choices-hahaha!!

With my kind of energy nowadays, my contribution, desserts&drinks – store-bought strawberries&grapes, homemade-coconut-AgarAgar+LemongrassTea. Fun meeting new ppl and one who has climbed to the top of Mt Everest(Sagarmatha) 8,849m,29,032ft. What an exciting&interesting evening listening to Lee PehGee’s 2009climb, something I will never do despite that the views being spectacular from there. Pix credits to Gel&Lynette.

4 Jan 2023 – Goodbye 2022

Sun: from SIN my birth country with 4national languages/English,Chinese,Malaya,Tamil – 新年快樂SelamatTahunBaru,புத்தாண்டுவாழ்த்துக்கள் and from my other homes at one time in Ireland, AthbhliainFaoiMhaiseDuit, Norway, Godt nytt år + USA and here is to wishing each and everyone Happy&Healthy 2023 now that the whole world is into 2023 – the 1st being Samona&TongaIslands and last, Baker&HowlandIslands.

Appreciations and thank you for good company, Calvin,Sam, Helen&Wendy/CCgroup.

Gravlaks, Hams&sausages with GermanPotatoSalad

Cheese, fruits&desserts and all the foods went down well without any leftovers. Thank you Helen for beautiful flowers and for all the pix.

Mon: on this 9thDay of Christmas, no Drummers drumming, but its a public holiday here in SIN today. Stayed put to not get caught in crowds before school starts tomorrow. Appreciating all these yummy goodie-gifts from all over the world – many thanks to all for them. A needed quite day to give the body&mind, especially the stomach a rest!

Tue: getting organized before putting away the season’s decorations, greetings, etc. This year will probably not be taking them down until after the 12thDay of Christmas as I will be having ppl over for the weekend. Looks like life will be busy for this month ending the TigerYear with the RabbitYear falling on Sun22Jan, Katy’sBday when she will be 21.

Wed: package from PEI arr and still hoping to hike this thru’hike 700km/435m if only I can find some support to carry my hiking gears, no wish to hike with a fullpack. Just hope that I will catch my breath, have been short of it the past week! Feelings come and go, but conscious breathing keeps me sane.

And so I have to live. Because we live for more than just ourselves, Most of the time we live for others, keep putting one foot before the other, left and right, left and right, so that walking becomes a habit, just like breathing. Ina n out, left and right ― Thrity Umrigar, The Space Between Us

2 – Happy Bday Darryl
5 – Happy Bdays GeraldC & Leonard
6 – Happy Bday CindyH
9 – Happy Bdays Judy & Lee
10 – Happy Bday KeeYang
11 – Happy Bday MickK
15 – Happy Bdays AngieS, Estella, JoshuaL & me!
18 – Happy Bday Isabelle (SunSun)
20 – Happy Bday DavidLam & Mayven
21 – Happy Bday Michael
22 – Happy Bday Katy
24 – Happy Bdays 15thUncle & OleK