28 Dec 2023 – LAM-Group+Friends Christmas Lunch

Mon: thank you to Ivy&Les for this amazing scrumptious Christmas buffet lunch spread@TanglinClub. They started this wonderful family tradition since their first grandchild, Kiera(here in white between her grandparents in this pix)was born, when she was sleeping in her baby-car-seat! Today she is back for holidays from her U in the USA.

With some of my siblings+some of their flock – pix credits to David.

This year even Albert got into the mood bringing more PartyPoppers which I first discovered 10yrs ago. Pix credits to David and MeiPin.

25Dec2013

Started bringing these 10yrs ago and what a fantastic action pix from David when none of us knew what to expect from these poppers then. Beth was as cute as a button all excited to gather as much of the confetti on the floor! December 2013 – Here-There-Everywhere – This-That-Everything (amylamsg.com)

Today was told by Betty, our head server who has been taking care of us since?? that the Grinch from past Christmas, too long a story, but the family knows who I am referring to. Anyway, the news is that he has passed on some years ago, so there shouldn’t be any more complains about ppl making merry for the season-hahaha!

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more – Dr. Seuss

Tue: was so tired yesterday, had to crash before 2100hrs last night and got up by 0230hrs this morning. It was meant to be as with this time difference it gave me a good opportunity to chat&catch up with my flock&friends in Norway&USA.

Tue&Wed: taking time to sending,answering&thanking ppl with much appreciations to all for beautiful snailmail handmade,etc greetings+gifts.

Thu: today, the following message with the above attached pix sent to MP-TownCouncil(the only one this year!) So far your ppl have been very attentive to my request regarding this kind of issues, Today, what do I see on the staircase? Need to nip it at the bud again before more things keep piling up again. Would appreciate if you can take care of this. If this is not removed by the next charity collection notice, will post it for collection.

Grocery shopping before another busy social weekend ahead.

Despite testing Covid-negative, a recent study found long COVID patients’ quality of life scores were lower than people with advanced cancers like stage four lung cancer. Long article but worth reading – tkx to MartinW for this interesting share.

Long COVID will take your health, your wealth — then it will come for your marriage – ABC News

24 Dec 2023 – I Paint My Singapore 心绘新加坡/Yip YewChong

Thu: still a mild Covid trace with perfect cool wet weathers to be in my 4-walls but somehow, there is always something or other that needs sorting out. The never-ending job of cleaning,decluttering,dusting,etc – but a nice time of the year to receiving the few snailmail, especially from the SheahanFamily, the only ppl I know who are not in my online contact list! Met Susie&Bobby when 1stBorn was a UF-Freshman/1992 and today they still have the same address in GNV FL/USA, now grandparents but have not met up with them since 1992!!

Fri: Happy Winter Solstice/Dongzhi/冬至節, the arrival of winter and the shortest day with the longest night of the year in one of my favourite places, Tromsø/Norway – pix credits to YngveOlsen. To those marking the day, enjoy A Whole New World with Disney-themed TongYuen/湯圓 – pix downloaded, will get the plain TongYuen with BlackSesame filling.

What a productive day when its Covid-negative! Started the day visiting with goodies for the clinic ladies@CardiacCentre/FarrerPkMedicalCentre. What are the chances to bump into Kat who just arr from NY/USA(did not even know that she will be back?), Pat&David back from their Japan trip, and now its Lucas turn to test Covid+ Hoping&keeping our fingers crossed that he will be OK by Mon and that we all will test negative-

“Nostalgia – its delicate, but potent. Teddy told me that in Greek nostalgia literally means “the pain from an old wound.” It’s a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone. This device isn’t a spaceship, it’s a time machine. It goes backwards, and forwards… it takes us to a place where we ache to go again. It’s not called the wheel, it’s called the carousel. It let’s us travel the way a child travels – around and around, and back home again, to a place where we know are loved.” Tkx for this beautiful write up, Bala

Managed to get last moment shopping done@RafflesCity.

The main reason to be here was not the shopping but to attend YIP YewChong’s exhibition before getting caught with the busy week ahead. Glad that he is on his feet again after a rough day last week.

Being his usual gracious&modest self, he took time to chat&sign books – have been following with his works for many years – https://yipyc.com

Lunched@MParadeHawkers from one of my favourite ChickenRice stalls+to pick up TongYuen with BlackSesame filling for today’s T-time and Poppers for Monday.

Sat: was in the mood for durian – but unfortunately no fresh stock, instead so-so CharKueyTeow@AlexandraFoodCentre with Daisy&Clement.

Sun: on this ChristmasEve+the 4th&last Sunday of Advent, here is to wishing each&everyone a peaceful&joyful holiday season from SIN. Was supposedly to lunch with cousin Karen, but her helper down with Covid. Hoping&keeping fingers crossed that she will be well enough to travel to KCH next week.

Last moments of gift wrappings with Handel’s HallelujahChorus/Messiah before dinner@Rochalie.

I know ‘Hallelujah’ isn’t actually a Christmas song, but it has that cozy, haunting vibe that sounds like a winter’s night and belongs by a fire – Bonnie McKee

Appreciations to Karen for coming by to pick up gifts.

Tkx to Ivy&Les for delicious ChristmasEve+May&Albert’s 25AnniversaryDinner.

20 Dec 2023 – Down With Covid

Sun: tkx to 1stBorn for the reminder for this 3rd Sunday of Advent, have nearly forgotten some of these Sundays of Advent since the empty nest when we made some of these homemade advent lights then.

Lunch@MT-FoodMarket with Henry and thanks for yummy apple&pecan tarts from Baker&Cook – now with him in a new job at a designing company there was much to catch up.

Our Daily Menu – Baker & Cook Pte Ltd (bakerandcook.biz)

Olaf in front of Paragon/OrchardRd wishing everyone a good week ahead with some humour to start the last week before Christmas – appreciations to AmyJ for this share, but do wonder where this is from, ie if not photoshopped?

Mon: woke up with a runny nose+scratchy throat, considering that I have been around the company of both bros Steven&Leslie+their families the past 2weeks with most of them having tested + it is inevitable with incubation period being 2-14days. Glad most of whatever shopping that needs attending to are done, enough food to last for the week and a list of movies to catch up. Not going to waste ARTtest-kids until mid-week, will not be going anywhere or seeing anyone as long as testing +

Last time tested + Jun2022: Isolation With Covid – Here-There-Everywhere – This-That-Everything (amylamsg.com)

Tue&Wed: have always been fascinated&interested in ancient&lost civilizations and if finance,health,time,etc are of no issues, would have liked to visit many of these sites. Reality is that priority with time for family&friends top the list.

ErikVonDäniken’s Chariots of the Gods claimed that the Sarcophagus of Palenque depicted a spaceman sitting on a rocket-powered spaceship, wearing a spacesuit. Despite that he incorrectly states the sculpture to be from Copán, rather than Palenque was the start to plant the seeds of much interest to lost civilizations when first read in 1969/first edition paperbag which was still on my bookshelf in 1999 but somehow is now missing? Pix downloaded.

Appreciations&tkx for recent Netflix amazing documentary AncientApocalypse by GrahamHancock series which really got me catching up&understanding more of what has already starting to sprout wild in the mind for half a century. Fascinating as they seem&sound, remember to read between the lines and find the balance – pix downloaded.

Now that the eyesight is not as it was, would like to listen to some of his audiobooks, and to learn more. Physically will not be able to visit many of these places, but will try to objectively listen, read, watch, etc with an open mind, both postive&negative sides from ppl who sounds logical who make sense to me.

Graham Hancock – Fingerprints of the Gods – Full length presentation – YouTube

10 Ancient Cities That Were More Advanced Than You Think

5Jan2011 post from a Sep1990 trip to Mexico, ie before blogging days.

With the world in wash cycle and thanks to Denise’s queries, thoughts of the Maya civilization surface again!

Maya cities reached their highest state of development during the Classic period/app 250-900AD and continued throughout the Post-Classic period until the arrival of the Spanish. Maya centers of the southern lowlands went into decline during the 8th&9th centuries and were abandoned shortly thereafter. This decline was coupled with a cessation of monumental inscriptions and large-scale architectural construction. There is no universally accepted theory to explain this collapse but there are many questions without answers.

MayaCalendar is not just a system to mark off the passage of time but it helps to understand the movements of the solar system. It does NOT predict the end of the world in 2012 but their astronomy was so advanced that they were able to document up to the 2012 WinterSolstice. Today known as the Galactic Alignment, where scientific researchers have worked on the movements of planet earth’s position and her axis and pole in relationship with the galaxy for 21Dec2012.

Interviews conducted by JJ Marks/Jul2012 with Maya daykeepers (shamans) at the sites of ChichenItza&Uxmal revealed that the MayaCalendar does not, in any way, predict an end to the world but, rather, a new age, a new cycle, in precisely the same way that people in the modern age hope for change and renewal in the new year and make new year’s resolutions.

The Maya Calendar and the End of the World: Why the one does not substantiate the other – World History Encyclopedia

One of the oldest archaeological sites not on a heritage list, NanMadol, like EasterIsland, is an engineering marvel. Nan Madol: The City Built on Coral Reefs | History| Smithsonian Magazine

Edited 25May2025: Unidentified liquid discovered beneath ancient Mexican pyramid

This week started with 2 natural disasters, earthquake in China and volcano eruption in Iceland.

At least 116 dead in north-west China earthquake | The Straits Times

Iceland volcano lava misses town, air travel concerns quelled, after eruption – CNA (channelnewsasia.com)

Tkx to Clement for delivering food.

16 Dec 2023 – First Panda Cub Born In Singapore/2021

Wed: Happy StLuciaDay to those celebrating&marking today – have not baked Luciabrød/Luciaboller/Lussekatte since 1st&2nd born were kids! Happy Bday to a dear Norwegian friend, Ingrid.

“St. Lucia” – The Cello Advent Calendar – December 13th – YouTube

One of #6’s requests while in SIN was to see the pandas KaiKai&JiaJia in Feb2020.

Since then there has been an addition to the panada family, LeLe born here in SIN Aug2021 – pix downloaded.

Singapore’s first giant panda cub Le Le to be separated from mum as he turns two – CNA (channelnewsasia.com)

The panda care team@Mandai’sRiverWondersPark has been preparing LeLe’s for his trip to China and his last public appearance here is today. He will enter quarantine the next day before heading to China. Wishing LeLe the best in adapting to his future home in China – pix downloaded.

More time for Le Le fans to say goodbye, with S’pore-born panda’s flight to China pushed to January | The Straits Times

Singaporeans bid ‘bittersweet’ farewell to China-bound panda cub Le Le | South China Morning Post (scmp.com)

Welcome David&Nancy back here. Thank you to all for taking time to catch for Peranakan dinner@ChilliPadi/JooChiat. Chilli Padi – Peranakan Food Catering & Restaurant

Appetisers: KuehPaiTi/花篮饼, NgohHiang/五香,UdangSambal/叁峇虾

Safe trips further, stay safe and enjoy your moments. Pleasantly surprised to bump into Haresh – been a long time ago since we last crossed paths, appreciations to him for stopping to say hi – pix credits to Teresa.

Thu: Singapore International Film Festival 2023 Official Selection – A Year of No Significance /大風吹@The Projector/GoldenMiletower – tkx to Boon for ticket.

Chronicles a fading generation of Chinese-Educated-Singaporeans – A Year of No Significance – SGIFF

Fri: Singapore International Film Festival 2023 Official Selection Golden Leopard Award Winner,Locarno Film Festival 2023 Swatch First Feature Award Winner,Locarno Film Festival 2023 – Dreaming And Dying/好久不見@The Projector/Cineleisure. Long time no see is the literal translation and definitely long time no see and long time will not see movies when having to payS$13.

Dreaming & Dying (好久不见) + Q&A (theprojector.sg)

As interesting as this movie is, somehow get lost in translation and too deep for me to figure out! The contemporary relevance is aimed more for the X&Ygenerations.

On the other hand, this is more interesting to me – what is not to like with an A.I. that can to a certain extend interact educationally, intelligently, interestingly and with wit.

Googles GEMINI Just SHOCKED The ENTIRE INDUSTRY! (GPT-4 Beaten) Full Breakdown + Technical Report – YouTube

The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question of whether a submarine can swim – Edsger W. Dijkstra

Sat: berries&fruits ready washed, dried&cut for my infamous healthy/hahaha FruitCocktail dessert for the annual ChristmasBash@CC. Cheers,干杯,Salute,Skål,Sláinte to ring in the season.

Tkx to Calvin for yummy SuckingPig+food galore contributed from everyone – good to catch up with Helen&many others. Pix credits to Helen and others.

12 Dec 2023 – AT Hiker Photo Archive

Sat: welcome back dear nephew Vincent, enjoy this short trip and safe journeys forward, tkx for dinner@SinHoiSai+dessert@DripsBakery. TiongBahru’s festive lights for the season are so far most pleasing to my eyes.

Bus16/OrchardRd on an AC-bus with front row seat and not on the road, also good that the bus lane is able to by pass the heavy traffic jam. Will probably take a walk here some evening when the crowds are done with their Xmas shopping rush.

Could not resist this cactusS$13@BanNeeChenNursery bringing sweet memories of #4

2022 full bloom(pix credits to 2ndBorn) was just a couple of leafs when she got it from her paternal grandmother. Had one when I was living in Norway, but do not ever remember it with such full of blooms – looks like she really has GreenThumbs, must ask her what is her secret? Will now have to now figure how to take care of it and see how long it can survive in my 4-walls? Now this is what I would call this 70yrs plant real HolidayCactus- appreciations to Annette for this share.

Holiday Cactus Differences – Identify Christmas Thanksgiving And Easter Cactus | Gardening Know How

Pix from one of the visits with my US-flock. 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. How to Care for Christmas Cactus (thespruce.com)

Sun: IngaBurton&her mother SuzanBaekkelund marked themselves as safe during The Tornadoes Across North-Central Tennessee, USA – pix downloaded on this 2nd Sunday of Advent.

Tennessee Tornadoes Kill at Least Six. Here’s What to Know (msn.com)

Thoughts are with those in that area visited in Jun2015 – Nancy has moved back to FL and Linda has passed on since.

Thank you Nancy for putting me up and putting up with me near the little people! Thank you Linda for the use of her washer and dryer. It was a pleasure to meet a lovely local lady who is born and bred in this delightful place.

It’s not the days in life we remember, rather the moments – Walt Disney 

Clarksville – Here-There-Everywhere – This-That-Everything (amylamsg.com)

Pix credits to 1stBorn various running friends@StrictlyRunningSantaRun while Sue&I dropped off some food to Rochalie, whole household there down with Covid. Bro Steven, Daisy&Clement recovered from Covid some days ago – hope&prayers to escape from this round.

More hospitalisations as Singapore’s Covid-19 cases hit record high for 2023 | The Straits Times

Mon&Tue: appreciations to the AT hiker photo archive – good memories and nice to be able to locate those who completed the AT-Thru’Hike with me in 2005 – pix credits to ATC.

https://athikerpictures.org/

Trail name: Tiger Lil
First name: Amy
Last name: Lam

Trail name: Miss Wiggy
First name: Karen
Last name: Scalf Beahan

Trail name: T2
First name: Mike
Last name: Shepard

Trail name: Gadget
First name: John
Last name: Bredenkamp

8 Dec 2023 – To Ring In The Season

Tue: appreciations&tkx to Annette for her share to these yummy looking foods. What an amazing&appetizing way to present these festive foods. Will attempt a fruit platter for CCxmas spread with these yummy ideas or perhaps just stick to Calvin’s favourite FruitCocktail…

Thought cousin Karen might take the challenge for the PavlovaChristmasTree, but she tells me that it will take up her entire fridge and my reply, make a smaller one or get another fridge!

Wed: Happy St Nicolas Day on this 6thAdventDay and Happy National Day to those celebrating&marking the day – Kiitos=Finnish/thank you for today and everyday.

Appreciations to Sebastain for taking the time in these heavy rains – rainy pix credits to him taken on his way, but the tropical showers were over by the time he got to my 4-walls.

thank you for his presence,present,dinner&dessert.

Looks like they are ready with the holiday season’s dessert@CoffeeBean&TeaLeaf/EC-Pk with a cute robot helping to clear!

Thu: Happy Hanukkah to those marking the day. PrawnNoodle lunch with Clement and glad that he is feeling better after being out with Covid over the weekend&the beginning of this week.

Lee family’s PrawnNoodle Soup, now on to the 4th generation.

Beach Road Prawn Mee 美芝律大虾面 at East Coast – The Ordinary Patrons

Tkx to Yngve Olsen, an amazing photographer for these wonderful shots from my favourite Northern town in the middle of the day. Tried to explain that the sun is not around this time of the year in Tromsø/Norway and many find it difficult to imagine. Having to live&experience thru’ these dark winters for 5yrs was tough, but still one of the best times that was another lifetime ago! Somehow Dec had been and still is a difficult month for me.

Tusen takk and appreciations to all who crossed my path above the ArcticCircle helping to make it one of the most beautiful&memorable places to have lived in.

Fri: marketing day for fresh produce+bones~S$30 to cook some stock to last for the weekend&next week – nice that Gel wants to share my simple homemade salad&soup.

Tkx to Edgar ONG for this share:

Art by Joshua Seong

If you haven’t sent cards this year, or planned the perfect gifts.

If you don’t have the perfect tree or the perfect family, for a perfect festive photograph.

It’s okay.

4 Dec 2023 – SnailMail 

Fri: Welcome Dec – Tis the season again for the 1stDay for AdventCalendars and both the handmade(to be filled with 24InternationalThankYouNotes)and the IKEA PaperVillage(with 1piece of dark chocolate daily)are in their places within the 4walls. Will try my best to keep as many traditions possible as long as there still is energy&time!

ChocolateAdventCalendars are also in place for the younger generation – was eyeing one by LadyM, but at the cost of S$99! instead got 2packets of DarkLindtS$28.

Lunch@Funan and oh! the choices@BasementFoodCourt!! We here in SIN are thoroughly spoilt where the food choices&varieties are concerned. Somehow the appetite mood has been for fish&seafood the past week. Seafood has always been one of my favourites, especially when they are fresh and would even prefer some raw, but lately due to a weaker stomach/IBS, have kept to cooked seafoods despite of the good news that AbdominalCTscan being cleared today.

For me, if there’s anything that would represent me and my style of cooking, it would be a seafood platter. Maybe a perfectly shucked oyster with a bit of lemon and cocktail sauce or mignonette sauce – Chuck Hughes

Sat: @OldAirportRd/CassiaLink for family’s favourite paus and also picking up some other foods for RochalieDr.

Taking the long way today with more changes on the buses due to diversions on the roads/Standard Chartered Marathon 2023Weekend. Do not remember when the last time was a conductor sported on my bus rides?? this was Bus13 from KallangRd-MCres.

Sun: lovely cool wet morning on this 1stSunday of Advent As we enter into the holiday season, remember to stay healthy&safe and take time to give yourself some quiet peaceful moments to get away from the rush&stress.

Thank you for this most delicious Samgye-tang/삼계탕,蔘鷄湯/KoreanChickenSoup lunch@FortuneCentre – hit the spot on this beautiful 1st Sunday of Advent. Will return for another round some other time, appreciations to Daisy for recommendations.

Always enjoy wandering around here checking out the eateries, once upon a time was my working place/9thFloor and now, the only location I know of with 2Sugarcane juice vending machines at different entrances. The line for YatKaYan 一家人 was curving around the corner even before it was opened! Ben&Jerry’s, one of the few places where they used to serve CoffeeCoffeeBuzzBuzzBuzz, my favourite flavour icecream is now replaced by  HaagenDazs.

Waterloo&BencoolenSts are where one can fine churches, mosque, temples, synagogue within a stone-throw from each other and like our choices, diversities and varieties of food, that also apply to cultures&religions which makes SIN so unique where there is so much to experience,learn and respect with our differences.

Crossed path with a person carrying her dog. At first sight thought it was a stuffed teddy bear, but stopped to ask for permission to take this pix and was told that the name of her real pet is Teddy/MiniturePomeranian who is 7yrs and allowed me to pet without trying to lick, sniff or jump at me – this is the kind of dog I do not mind being around!

Mon: limiting SnailMail2023Greets out to overseas mail this year. Postage has gone up and also festive rates no longer applies. HealthierSG@Bedok, and the line was crazy. This day turned to be a busy one as bro Steven was admitted@NUH A&E. Taking the MRT from Bedok/EastSide–KentRidge/WestSide and then back again to the EastSide of the island takes ~3hrs on the trains&feeder-buses. The last time here was Jun2019 for Lawrence.