8 Mar 2013 – Happy International Women’s Day

Wed: Arr KCH (1hr flight time) safe and sound ahead of schedule on TigerAir. Appreciations to Chuan for meeting me at the airport. After running errands and a yummy bowl of KolokMee, it was time to catch the bus (MYR20 RT/S$8) to Damai Beach Resort*** app 45mins drive north from KCH center. 2N3D inclusive breakfast (MYR410 nett/S$165). Reasonable and decent buffet breakfast. Tkx to AnnChee for the bookings.

Blissful and idyllic ambience located on the coast, this resort commands a panoramic view of the S China Sea with Mt Santubong in the background. The sound of waves crashing onto the shore is comforting. Places of interest include the Sarawak Cultural Village which is just around the corner but have been there a couple of times; Santubong jungle hike, been there done that.

http://amylamsg.com/2008/03/10/santubong-jungle/

The legend attached to Mt Santubong is of intrigues, jealousy and murder. When view from the S China Sea, the profile of Mt Santubong is supposedly to look like a woman lying on the horizon – my thoughts, any thing is going to look like a woman in the sailors’ imaginations who have been some time away at sea 🙂

The first 3 days of this trip is for relaxing and reading. The SPA did not look too tempting. No internet without paying and thus no posting until back in KCH. This resort was originally a Sheraton 20+yrs ago and must have been quite something in its heydays. Holiday Inn took over next and now this is the third proprietor. The maintenance could be better but being by the sea, it must be extremely costly to keep things spick and spam!

Room (1207) with a view and 188 steps down to the beach or an efficient shuttle pick-up. Was quite alone up in the hills but a perfect get away from the main drag. The chalets are ideal for families.

Strolling at dusk and dawn was the only time comfortable and was back in the room before dark. Being alone up on the slope, horror movie The Shining/1980 with Jack Nicolson came to mind. No REᗡЯUM but red flags along the beach indicates the danger to swim in the sea and the other danger, Beware of Falling Coconuts 🙂

No dangers in capturing some these beautiful natural sand art made by the waves that only lasted a few minutes before they are completely wiped out by the waves. Sweet fragrance flowers fallen from the trees, but was told by the gardener that the locals call this Putat laut, botanical name Barringtonia asiatica tree

Life lasts but a few scratches of the claw in the sand – Wislawa  Szymborska

3 Mar 2013 – Beyond any Doubt, the King of YuiSang/鱼生=raw fish

http://amylamsg.com/2011/02/14/king-of-yuisang%e9%b1%bc%e7%94%9f/

http://amylamsg.com/2012/02/12/a-28-ingredients-dish/

Starved all day to taste this dish so that the flavour can linger till the next tasting 🙂 Have been blessed again to taste this dish by Frank NG’s family 3yrs running. Tkx to Jessie&Frank for sharing the ingredients (some not available overseas).

Appreciations to Ivy&Les for including me. Thank you to Jessie (Ivy’s cousin)&Frank for all the cutting and for sharing the secret in good company of porpor, sis Jo, Angelique&Paul, Sharon&Harry (Ivy’s cousin). The champagne and wine complimented to this most scrumptious YuiSang, tkx to Les.

Preserved ingredients: 1.Vegetable  2.Cucumber 3.Red sweetened ginger  4.White sour ginger 5.Brown melon 6.White melon 7.Leeks. These 7 preserved ingredients can be bought at: Sin Hwa Foodstuff/Senoko South Rd/SIN

Dried candied ingredients: 8.Winter melon 9.Chinese mandarin orange.

Fresh ingredients thinly cut: 10. Two varieties of lettuce/iceberg&romaine 11.carrots 12.Large celery 13.Spring onions 14.Coriander, also known as cilantro, Chinese parsley 15.Red chillies, remove seeds 16.Fish ikan–parang is Malay for wolf-herring/brandy for seasoning, optional.

Fried crisp ingredients: 17.Wonton skin 18.Pillow-shaped crispies/pok chui 19.rice vermicelli/mei fun

Sauces & Seasoning: 20.Five spice power 21.Ground white pepper 22.Thinly sliced fresh ginger 23.Light soya sauce 24.Calamansi juice 25.Finely cut scallions fried till crispy 26.Sesame oil and oils from the deep-fried scallions 27.White sesame seeds 28.Pounded roasted peanuts.

Tossing and mixing this salad with auspicious phrases and sayings.

Second course: raw fish with spring onions, cilantro, red chillies (all finely cut) and seasoning. Some like to dip this into hot congee to cook the fish, my preference is raw. And for those who are still hungry, salted duck, Chinese sausages & pickles, abalone, cooked peanuts to compliment the congee. Bon Appetit!

Please do not ask the measurements as to how much of these 28 ingredients. The art of making good food is many trials and errors, tasting as you go along!

A story about baking told by Ajahn Brahm came to mind when all these ingredients were being typed on the keys and his words – the secret to life… everything is out of control.  And my words eat, sleep, enjoy and live to the fullest – in that order 🙂 🙂 🙂

Everyone makes mistakes. The wise are not people who never make mistakes, but those who forgive themselves and learn from their mistakes – Ajahn Brahm

1 Mar 2013 – Bye-bye Feb!

Someone tell me what was the occasion 9 months ago before March??? There are at least 8 family and 19 friends’ birthdays this month and do not blame it on St Patrick 🙂

TingTing commented that 9 months before Mar is Jun (start of summer holidays). Now that says it all regarding to the timing of Linn’s birth in Mar and May’s in Sep (Christmas holidays 9 months before Sep)… 🙂 🙂

Thu: appreciations to Hannah for meeting up. Do understand that she only have very few days with her family and friends before returning to Laos. Good luck to her afternoon appointment and enjoy the stay. Trying to remember how I met this adventurous young lady, but seems blur besides that she was studying in Denmark and then ventured on to Trondheim/Norway and somehow I provided her Stenseth’s contact if she needed help…

Edited (3 Mar) and this from Hannah...umm i believe i found out about you when you had that talk about walking the appalachian, but i couldn’t make it to the talk coz i was in norway, or maybe sweden, at that time, so i got my friend weixiong to buy a copy of your book for me instead. and then i must have emailed you and started some conversation about having been on the appalachian for a week myself, and then it just started from there..!

Trips to KCH/Sarawak and to Pusan/Korea (will be the 1st and hopefully the cherry blossoms are blooming) booked and confirmed for this month. New nickname given by Margaret in France, ADA – Always Departing Amy 🙂 🙂 🙂 and will be looking forward to catching up with her in France after the UK Coast-Coast hike.

Told myself that I will watch Argo on the big screen if it wins the Oscar and being true to myself and my words I did just that. Good movie and even when one knows the ending, the suspense is directed with taste to keep me on the edge on the seat. When the real incident happened in 1979-80, was too busy raising the family but do remember vaguely.

Argo****at the peak of the Iranian revolution, a CIA was involved to free 6 US diplomats who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador. Argo tells the story of a plan to convince Iran that the six men were just members of a camera crew who were scouting the area for a science fiction film titled ‘Argo’.

Slate.com: not every critic was pleased to see Argo win Best Picture at the Oscars. After its nomination was announced last month, Kevin B. Lee trashed the film and states that this year’s worst Best Picture nominee. Disagree here but there are some valid points.

Ah Boys To Men: Part 2***a SIN production by Jack Neo focuses on the theme of the definitive path for all young men in SIN National Service/NS. It is SIN first military themed film in 10 years, as well as the first movie duology, with the first part being released in 2012. Have not seen Part I, will try to get hold of a copy someday. As the title says it all, it is about boys learning to be men and the best place is in NS, especially for the SIN boys… 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Mar family Bdays:

9 Mar – Happy Bday Sue Lynn

11 Mar – Happy Bday Ken

14 Mar – Happy Bday Ellie

17 Mar – Happy Bday Pat Lynn and Beth, Happy St Patrick’s Day

18 Mar – Happy Bdays Linn & Yi Sheng.

21 Mar – Happy Anniversary to Ivy & Leslie

31 Mar – Happy Bday Josephine

Happy Mar Bdays to: Anthony, Gel, Geno, John Lim, Natty (SIN). Soakhoon (Malaysia), Alex (BKK), Hannah (Laos), Simplicius (Australia). Amelia, Paul, Steven (Ireland), Thomas (Norway). Al, Cee, Janice, Marcella, Warren (USA).

28 Feb 2013 – en Route to Brussels/Belgium

Wed: Kiefer, Angelina & Kurt, lovely to see them and Kiefer is stretching and walking. Cute toddler who likes my home-made soup with rice! Safe journeys to them who are now on a 12hrs flight back to Belgium after their annual trip in KCH.

Would like to dedicate this Oscar posting to Alonzo DAWE, an amazing 85yrs gentleman, father of Jan SOSA, grandfather of Angie, Jackie and Amanda; great-grandfather to at least 7 kids that I know of! He is an inspiration to us who has recently joined FB to keep contact. Welcome Alonzo to the online world. So glad that we can keep in touch across these oceans.

Jan crossed paths with me during our FL/USA days where we both were working for the same travel agency. Coincidently Angie (Jan’s first-born) & I share the same bday dates and Al (Jan’s husband) and Linn my first-born share the same bday dates.

Wonders never cease. Thomas, our neighbour in Piggsoppgrenda/Norway from the early 1980s who used to only like meatballs and pancakes as a child has now written Norway Mat/Viten (Norway Food/ Knowledge) which won this year Gourmand Award International for best book on food in Paris last weekend!

Congratulations to Thomas UGELVIK and to Torill WISTNER/mother of Thomas who is a good friend. It seems like yesterday when Thomas & May were playing in the sand box at the tiny patch of garden we had then. Our paths crossed again in Bergen mid 1980s before moving to the US. Hope to be able to catch up this year…

Inspiration may be a form of super-consciousness, or  perhaps of subconsciousness — I wouldn’t know. But I am sure it is the  antithesis of self-consciousness – Aaron Copland

26 Feb 2013 – BlinkBlink…

The recent news of the US$50mil diamond heist at Brussels airport where armed men held up security van as diamonds were loaded to a plane brought back this other story of the Hope.

Not a blinkblink person but this particularly Hope has always fascinated me and still continues to fascinate at this stage of life’s journey! The dramas, history, intrigues, stories, etc are endless and interesting. Hollywood had a chain of movies base on this Hope which is 45.52-carat (9.10 g), deep-blue diamond, now housed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington DC/USA.

Several accounts, based on remarks written by the gem’s first known owner, French gem merchant Jean Baptiste Tavernier, suggest the gemstone originated in India, in the Kollur mine in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh (which in the 17C had been part of Golconda kingdom). Tavernier obtained the stone, possibly by purchase or by theft and brought a large uncut stone to Paris which was the first known precursor to the Hope Diamond. This large stone became known  as the Tavernier Blue diamond. Smaller pix is a cubic zirconia replica of the Tavernier Blue.

Being the most famous diamond, it is also notorious for supposedly being cursed! Reading about it but of course the truth will never be reveled unless Hope can tell of all its experiences and sufferings. The Hope was first discovered in the 1600s and has been thru’ many owners. The original must be quite something. Bought, stolen, recut and shaped over the centuries and now finally at the museum, est worth US$250mil.

Pix: owned by King Louis XV in 1722/Assembled into elaborate pendant Order of the Golden Fleece. And the Hope Diamond in its present setting. Pix and sources on the Hope are from Wikipedia.

When one hears, sees and reads about the stories and history when diamonds are concerned, it is sad to know of blood and tears shed because of greed. For those who have joy in owing diamonds, well each to their own!!

I  have nothing against diamonds, or rubies or emeralds or sapphires. I do object  when their acquisition is complicit in the debasement of children or the  destruction of a country – Edward Zwick

24 Feb 2013 – Chinese Valentine’s Day!

Happy Birthday to Bjørn, father to my youngest grandchild Olai, who is here car shopping for his father’s Bday present which worn him out!! Asleep safely with paternal grandfather, John.

Sun: 15 and final day of the CNY celebrations is known in the Hokkien dialect as chap goh mei/十五暝, the fifteenth night. Rice dumplings tangyuan/汤圆, a sweet glutinous rice ball brewed in a soup, are eaten this day. Like them only when filled with back sesame paste. Candles are lit outside houses as a way to guide wayward spirits home.

In SIN & Malaysia, this day is celebrated by individuals seeking for a love partner, Chinese version of Valentine’s Day! Normally, single women would write their contact number on mandarin oranges and throw it in a river or a lake while single men would collect them and eat the oranges. Sweet ones mean compatibility 🙂

Hitchcock****based on Stephen Rebello’s 1998 non-fiction book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho tracks how Hitchcock decides to make a horror movie. No studio wanted to finance him so he mortgage his house to make Psycho. The film centres on the relationship between Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) and his wife Alma Reville (Helen Mirren).

Being a big fan of Hitchcock, enjoyed this movie. Psycho is the best horror suspense movie ever made and directed.  Not a fan of horror movies but this one stuck in the memory, not for the horror but for the suspense.

The shower scene brought back memories from the early 1960s when I needed someone to sit by the bathroom door for a week after watching the movie! Also some unhappy memories, JFK assassination/1963, father flying off with mother to London where she underwent major surgery but returning to fight a painful losing battle to cancer.

Safe Haven**when Katie appears in small town Southport/NC, questions about her past were raised. She was determined to avoid people until a series of events draws her to Alex, a widower with two young children; and another with her single neighbour, Jo  As she falls in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her.

With Jo’s support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose a life of transient safety or one of riskier rewards. And I chose this ‘cheesy’ movie for the Carolinas low country landscape where I look forward to visiting again!

A bunch of teenagers sat in front and were giggling when ever the make-out scene appeared. Quite annoying but we were probably just as annoying, if not more when we were at that same stage 🙂 🙂 🙂

Sat: appreciations to nieces PatLynn & SueLynn for including me for their dinner at Guan Hoe Soon Restaurant*** where authentic Peranakan cuisine has been served since 1953 which makes this place the oldest nonya restaurant in SIN. 

This is talent with photography by Nick Selway…
Enjoy the last weekend to the CNY celebrations.
Seize the day or wave!

We must become so alone, so utterly alone, that we withdraw into our innermost self. It is a way of bitter suffering. But then our solitude is overcome, we are no longer alone, for we find that our innermost self is the spirit, that it is God, the indivisible. And suddenly we find ourselves in the midst of the world, yet undisturbed by its multiplicity, for our innermost soul we know ourselves to be one with all being – Hermann Hesse

22 Feb 2013 – And Women…

Lincoln****Steven Spielberg directs two-time Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis in a drama about the 16th President’s tumultuous final months in office. 1881-65 America was divided by the Civil War and Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come and the consequences of his own life…

Hyde Park on Hudson****1939, King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth (parents of the current Queen Elizabeth II) visited President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s country estate in Hyde Park Ny/USA.  FDR was growing closer to his distant cousin Daisy and eventual mistress, Margaret. No British monarch had ever visited the US before and King George hoped to bolster US support for the UK on the eve of World War II, which broke out less than three months later.

A true story and the real hotdog picnic video is shown in the credits. So do stay for the credits and let me know if it is the original…

Thu: SIN at its best between 0600-0700hrs, cool quite and peaceful. A beautiful morning to try out the new folding bike, not easy with such small wheels and will take some getting used to. The day ended with the sky opening up and pouring rains on the bus back from the movies. The advantage of living in public housing, shaded walkways from the bus stop to the buildings.

Tkx Cindy for sharing this on FB. Having just watched the movie Lincoln and even these great powerful people mentioned here are unable to convince people, then who can??

What we can really do is to live & love in harmony with one another and hope that it will rub off to one another, ie action speaks louder than words,  but unfortunately there are too many words flying around without action!

Interesting read for wine lovers. Hmmm… wonder how it will taste like:

http://www.wistv.com/story/21290409/wine-aged-on-ocean-floor-near-charleston-harbor

The human world is a mess. Life under the sea is better than anything they’ve got up there – The Little Mermaid movie

20 Feb 2013 – ENOUGH, says the Stomach!

Sun: appreciations to Richard from Sydney/Australia for taking time to visit and for lunch.

Mon: lunched at Little India and durian in Chinatown with cousin Wilki&Patty before they take off back to HI/USA tomorrow. After today, the stomach really needs to rest. Consuming an overwhelming rich food daily over a couple of weeks has certainly been unhealthy, this has taken its toll and the body is certainly feeling the consequences…

Tue: found a decent airfare back to EU via Saudi, one way SIN – London for US$332 S$412. Connecting with RyanAir London-Oslo S$85.

Saw a car that finally meets my needs – VW Transporter 5/House on Wheels.  Not too big and enables me to drive comfortably cross-country with it, perfect to be able to stop and stretch out to sleep . Only problem is that £55,00/US$85,000/S$105,000 is way above my budget. Not that I know much about vans or would buy one. But I have hoped to see a practical design like this to make me even want it! Finally this happened!!

http://www.doubleback.co.uk/

LOVE … And Other Bad Habits** a SIN production. A look at 3 different kinds of relationships, from teen infatuation to the nuances of adult relationship. A divorced couple who might be on the path to reconciliation and a rekindling of romance. Two professionals who seem to be more dedicated to their careers than each other, until a workplace dilemma forces them to, literally, take action.

Beautiful Creatures**is set in fictional Gatlin, SC/USA. A supernatural love story tells the tale of two star-crossed lovers: Ethan a young man longing to escape his small town, and Lena, a mysterious new girl. Together, they uncover dark secrets about their respective families. Went to this one because it was filmed in SC but disappointed that the beautiful SC scenes were not included!

Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean,
Needs not the painted flourish of your praise:
Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye,
Not utter’d by base sale of chapmen’s tongues – Shakespeare

17 Feb 2013 – Reunion with Family, Friends & Food/Part 3

A week of visiting and visitors and such a wonderful way to start the new year. Thank you for a lovely surprise present from Les, MacBook Air. Another new gift to myself, a radio/CD player. The old one finally decided to say goodbye after a decade! Starting the year of the ssnake with a bunch of new ssstuff…

Thu:  delightful 5hrs lunching with classmates from CHIJ/1962-65 Peggy, Rebecca and Winnie who is visiting from CA/USA. A simple local meal of nasi lemak/ناسي لمق  fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf, specially for Winnie who does not get much of these local dishes in CA. Appreciations to Winnie for taking the time from her short SIN 1 week visit with her family here in SIN.

Fri: enjoyable dinner with the Chuas. Sharon & Alex are visiting from BKK/Thailand. Amazing to remember that Alex was the page-boy for Patricia & Albert’s wedding/1998 and now he is 17! Tkx for the visit. For them who lives in BKK, a Western style-meal of the salmon bugs, shrimp salad and clam paste was the choice!

Sat: is the 7th day of the CNY traditionally known as Rénrì (人日, the common man’s birthday), is the day when everyone grows one year older. Tkx for lunch at Audrey’s (delicious home-cooked meal, hats off to the chef and will certainly return for leftovers!) continuing to another lunch at Les & Ivy who were hosting the clinic and hospital staff of Mt E. In paradise just tasting his wine collections in the late afternoon… 🙂

Imagine the best, most delicious, and sensuous banana pudding you can imagine, add just a touch of butterscotch, vanilla, peach, pineapple, strawberry, and almond flavors, and a surprising twist of — garlic??!! Like many of life’s greatest experiences, eating durian cannot be adequately described with words. Durian has a characteristic delicious flavor, creamy texture, and tantalizing fragrance that is just… durian! — the king of fruits, Nature’s most magnificent fruit gift – Shunyam Nirav

Appreciations for including me to their dinner at 2bro’s family to meet up with sis-in-law Yoke Sau, 1 niece, 3 nephews with their families. Should be a total of 17 in that branch, sadly bro Kiong passed on over 10yrs ago and 3 of the purple generation could not make it.

The eldest of the orange/children’s generation LAM JenMun (yellow shirt) born 1959, stems from this branch. The eldest of the purple/grandchildren’s generation also sprouts from this branch. From left, sitting LAM SuiChang & ANG KeeYang, both born in 1989.

14 Feb 2013 – Reunion with Family, Friends & Food/Part 2

Happy Hearts Day!

BBC/Mon: Pope Benedict has shocked a billion Roman Catholics around the world, and his closest advisers, by announcing that he will resign at the end of this month. Within hours of Pope Benedict announcing his resignation, lightning struck St Peter’s Basilica. The Pope, who is 85 years old, has been the head of the Church since 2005.

Tue: more visitings. Tkx to Helen & Brian for the invite. Do lift my hat off to all the mothers of this gang. Fond childhood memories of CNY celebrations with all the cousins and a gang like this, except that we are all related! Great to catch up with my computer guru, Leonard who will be off to Japan for a week. Safe and happy journeys to him.

Continued to catch up with cousin ChengEn visiting from Shanghai/China. Unfortunately cousin ChengLoon was out visiting but managed to capture a pix for his wife, Eva and baby who are visiting from Brisbane/Australia. LAM ChengLong’s (youngest son of 17uncle LAM Tin Yie) baby is the second youngest of the Orange generation ie my children’s generation. LAM Jayden Jing-De/born 2011.

Cousin YEO Yat-Soon’s who lives in London/UK (only child of 9aunt LAM Poh Kiu) baby is the youngest of the Orange generation, Ella YEO Tsing-Mei/born 2012.  And the eldest of that generation is my 2bro LAM KwokKiong eldest son LAM JenMun/born 1959.

Appreciations to Les & Ivy, for a lovely evening with Clement, PatLynn, David, Lucas & Beth who returned back to SIN after their visit in Klang/ Malaysia where David’s family lives. Les made his delicious mussels in wine sauce, yummy and the best mussel dish I have ever tasted. Hope that Clement has learnt the secret in the sauce 🙂

No woman will ever be truly satisfied on Valentines day because no man has a chocolate penis wrapped in money that ejaculates diamonds – anonymous