24 Jan 2012 – Second CNY day…

Today’s visit brought back much memories from the 1950s. Good to see Ken who is visiting from London. Auntie Kwok made the best butter cookies and they were thin enough to practically melt in your mouth. Have not tasted anything like her butter cookies since.

She is now 97yrs and doubtfully even remember that she was once my mother’s closest friend. Our families + the Leungs would meet up every weekend back then!

Kenson & Peggy are the childhood friends from the 1950s and today we try to meet up annually to somewhere that none of us have been. Kenson is also May’s godfather! Now that say something for friends for over half a century 🙂

Auntie Kwok is the only one still alive from the 3 families of her generation. Uncle Vincent & family immigrated to Australia in the mid 1960s. Uncle Vincent, auntie June and my parents are long gone. Kenson’s father and my mother left us in the early and mid 1960s.

Pix postings are from the 1950s and 60s, except the coloured one of auntie Kwok with Kenson.

A double rainbow was sighted a few days ago and in Chinese culture, a double rainbow is considered auspicious and a reason for reflection and meditation… !! 

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest – Confucius

23 Jan 2012 – Goodbye Rabbit Year

The visits started 1030hrs with 4th auntie Poh Kow. Good to see cousin Wilki & Patty visiting from HI/USA, Jay & Daisy and their 3 sons Josh, Jordan & Jagger (4 generations together). Continued to 10th, 11th and 13th aunties.

Thanks for lunch and wines@Les & Ivy with the siblings and their families. By the time the camera was ready, bro Steven & family had unfortunately left to do their visitings. Grandnephew, Lucas’s new toy to check out everyone’s heart and probably also to make sure that his baby sister will be delivered on time, adding another purple generation in Mar!

The visit continued to a long-lost cousin, Karen! Her parents are visiting from KCH/Malaysia. Met with auntie Ngor and uncle Kuan a couple of years ago. Auntie Ngor is father’s cousin on paternal grandmother, CHAN Swee Ngor side. Not capable of covering this branch. Another cousin, WingKei living in Christchurch/NZ is taking care of this branch. Appreciations to Karen for including me in their lovely condo@Seaview for their delicious spread.

After 12hrs of visiting, it is time to crash. CNY always bring back good childhood memories with the anticipation of new clothes, yummy food, fireworks, games, house filled with joy & laughter together with families & friends and not to forget red packages etc… 🙂

In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future – Alex Haley

21 Jan 2012 – Happy Bday to Katy for tomorrow

Amazing, eldest grandchild turns 10 tomorrow and from now she will count her age in two digits! No internet where the suitcase is, so in libraries etc to get online. Unlikely to be online the next few days. Thus time to be wishing each and everyone –

Kung Hei Fat Choy 恭喜發財/A Healthy, Happy and Wealthy Dragon Year

Since the forecast for the rabbit year was sooo hopping way out, let’s see if the forecast for 2012 dragon’s year will be another PUFF 🙂

http://amylamsg.com/2011/01/22/forecast-for-the-year-of-the-rabbit/

Dragons are legendary and mythical creatures from many cultures. European dragons from various European folk traditions, derives from Greek δράκων(drákōn) which probably comes from the verb δρακεῖν (drakeîn)=to see clearly. Dragons have major spiritual significance in various religions and cultures around the world. In Asian cultures dragons 龍/lóng are representative of the primal forces of nature, religion and the universe. They are associated with wisdom—often said to be wise and possess some form of magic or other supernatural power.

The predictions for the Dragon year to people born under the sign of the Ox! Dragons is the only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac signs. Capricorn, another mythical creature in the Western zodiac and my sign, so does that mean we are in for an unreal year 🙂 🙂

People born 4 Feb 1949 to 4 Feb 1950, year of the Ox are sturdy, earthy, no-nonsense. Affectionate and easy-going, the Ox can show a fierce temper when agitated. Neat, tidy, quiet and studious, with a great love of the home. Music can be a great love. Family life and a loving partner are high on the Ox’s priorities. A wonderful loyal friend.

Despite what appears to be an easy and plentiful harvest for the Ox in the Year of the Dragon, it would be wise to keep that yoke tightly harnessed to the plow. Should that not always be the case! 

You will need to toil and slave on your own just to keep your head on straight. Yeah like anyone will do that for me.

You hate noise. Wow 100% on. Dragons are all about keeping the decibel level high. NOT for the Ox! Get ready for the clanging of cymbals and beating of drums. I will disappear on some trail.

There will be more than a romantic glimmer for Oxen in this Dragon year. Hahaha. That attached person you had your eye on last year may indeed become single again. Like I care.

Friends and close family will rally for your cause when difficulties arise with your significant other. Hello am happily single. You are stubborn and sometimes obtuse. There must be a mix up with animals here. Listen carefully and heed their friendly advice or you can expect a head first topple over the nearest cliff. A broken head with no brains is the forecast for 2012! LOL 🙂 🙂 🙂 

It may be that dragons really did exist and they were so valuable they were simply hunted to extinction – Carole Fontaine

20 Jan 2012 – … or SIN Trail

Received a virus in hotmail and thanks to the computer guru, Leonard it is now clean and healthy again. The thought of changing to another email is a nightmare as there is much data in the hotmail! Let’s hope that the Dragon will puff away whatever future bugs and virus before they get near any of us 🙂

Keretapi Tanah Melayu/KTM train services to Tanjong Pagar stopped last June. The KTM railway land was returned to SIN in Jul as agreed with Malaysia. The 26km tract of former KTM railway land is open to the public from Monday, with the exception of Jalan Hang Jebat, Ghim Moh Road and Kampong Bahru Flyover. Looking forward to the completion and would like to walk the whole 26km one day, or maybe two days considering the heat and the humidity when it is located just above the equator!

For the past half-year, the authorities had been removing old railway tracks and equipment as well as levelling and turfing over the land parcel, which runs from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands. It would be wonderful to have trail like the Virginia Creeper Trail/VA and the High Line/NY in USA.

http://www.vacreepertrail.us/
http://www.thehighline.org/about/park-information
http://amylamsg.com/2011/09/18/high-line/

The historic Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, which has been designated a national monument, remains closed as well for maintenance works and structural inspection. If they can manage a job like the National Museum, SAM and ACM, then SIN will have another beautiful Heritage monument to add to the list.

The tracks at the old Bukit Timah station, now a conserved building, have been retained though most of the 26km tract from Woodlands to Tanjong Pagar has been turfed over. Also being preserved are two historic steel bridges and their tracks, one in Dunearn Road and the other in Upper Bukit Timah Road near the Rail Mall.

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_750774.htm

Was@SBG to check out this interesting exhibition with some good suggestions posted (now@Marina Barrage). Interesting to see the cost of train tickets in 1955! All pix are downloaded from various sites and some taken in the exhibition@SBG.

http://www.thegreencorridor.org/

Traveling is like flirting with life. It’s like saying, ‘I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station’ – Lisa St. Aubin De Teran

18 Jan 2012 – Why Wikipedia went down at midnight…

CNN – Go to Wikipedia at midnight, and you won’t find any of the usual encyclopedia articles.

Instead, you’ll be greeted with a message about anti-piracy bills that are topics of heated debate in the U.S. Congress — stirring opposition from tech companies in Silicon Valley and support from media companies in Hollywood.

Wikipedia, one of the highest-traffic sites on the Internet, will shut down for 24 hours in protest of these laws, which the website says would make it very difficult — maybe impossible — for its nonprofit encyclopedia to continue to operate.

The blackout starts at 12 a.m. ET on Wednesday.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/17/tech/web/wikipedia-sopa-blackout-qa/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge
‘For over a decade, we have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia.Learn more.’>> > 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Take_action

‎”Breaking News: ████████ ██████ ██ ████ ██ ████ ██████ ██ ████ ██ ██████ ████ ██████ ██ ████ ██ ████ ████████ ██████ █ ███ ██████ █████ █████ ████/████ ███’█ ██████ ████████…”

Am blacking my Facebook profile pix for 24hrs in support to the Wikipedia blackout!

Assassination is the extreme form of censorship – George Bernard Shaw

You can cage the singer but not the song – Harry Belafonte

17 Jan 2012 – or I want too!

Today decided to check out the new I12 Mall@Katong. The number of the building is 112 but the way it is projected it looks like I want too! Nice to be in a brand new GV cinema with only 5 people, including me. Yeah, finally a cinema in walking distance, app 10mins walk or 3 bus-stops!

There is a water feature outside of the Food Republic food court on the top floor. Would love to bring my grandchildren here, like the SIN Zoo with a fantastic water playground there, even I am tempted to be in the water, especially with the hot hot hot days back.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows**a new action-packed adventure in this sequel that follows the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his long-time trusted associate, Dr. Watson. The duo take on their arch-nemesis, the criminal genius Moriarty, with the help of Holmes’ older brother Mycroft and a fortune-teller called Sim.

My ratings are partial as action movies are not for me. Used to enjoy the old B/W Sherlock Holmes on TV but this Hollywood production has way tooooo much violence and had to close the eyes most of the time!

Condolences to Gerald, Greta and their families for the passing of their mother, auntie Pearl. May she RIP now after nearly 3 months of life-support in the ICU. Yesterday she was cremated@Mandai Crematorium where my parents are also located. Said my goodbye to auntie Pearl and paid a visit to my parents’ niche. It was a hot day and the walking out to the main road to catch the bus in the mid afternoon heat was rather overwhelming after a funeral.

What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us – Helen Keller

15 Jan 2012 – beside getting up in the years!

Must admit that the energy is not what it used to be. Enjoying the afternoon rests and naps if possible to fit them in, especially now that the hot and humid days are returning here in SIN after a very pleasant windy spell!

Tkx to Les & Ivy for a yummy cholesterol-filled breakfast@Tiong Bahru but then in the good company of a brother cardiologist, a sis-in-law GP, an older sis and a younger family friend, there is no worry for cholesterol 🙂

Appreciation to MeiPin for introducing all the trendy shops in this up-coming Tiong Bahru area where the family owned 3 Seng Poh Rd many moons ago!  Below a repeated post from 22 Jun 2010:

3 Seng Poh Rd was at one time in the hands of the LAM family (1940s-1960s). Cousins Lock, Yun & Chaiwho have immigrated to Canada lived there in the 1950s. It is now the New Cape Inn and Fook Weng Seafood Restaurant. Opposite #3 during the Japanese Occupation in the 1940s was where my 2nd brother sneaked to pick up the fallen grains of rice and where sister Jo saw the water-torture. The atrocities from those days are still in the memories of those who have experienced or witnessed them; never pleasant to hear but hopefully never to be repeated. There is a saying where war & love are concerned, there is no fairness or justice…

Next to #3 is the famous bird singing corner. There was a small temple across the road at the traffic lights but has recently been replaced with a boutique hotel (opposite the beautiful tree). Where the yellow taxi is standing, there used to be my favourite prawn noodle soup stall which was a push-cart where the whole kitchen was wheeled around with wooden chairs strapped around the cart. Prawn noodle was the only dish he sold and was usually sold out by 1000hrs. Today beside Jo‘s home-cooked prawn noodle, the only other one which can be compared to my 1950s push-cart favourite is @Blanco Court Prawn Mee**** Beach Rd.

You know you’re getting old when you can’t remember how old you are – Catherine Puzino

14 Jan 2012 – And Reunion dinner@Moi Lum

Tkx for including me for this early reunion dinner. The food was delicious and blessed to be with family. This is also the same place Steven & family had their reunion dinner last year during May& Bjørn’s visit. And now they are a family with a son name Olai.

http://amylamsg.com/2011/01/31/a-rainy-weekend/

Appreciations for the yummy ice cream cakes to celebrate 3 generations of Jan Bdays, grandnephew Darryl, niece Judy and myself.

Old people are fond of giving good advice; it consoles them for no longer being capable of setting a bad example – Francois De La Rochefoucauld

12 Jan 2012 – With a Complicated Life…

My Week with Marilyn****BBC production based on Colin Clark (an employee of Sir Laurence Olivier’s) documents about the tense interactions between Olivier and Marilyn Monroe during production of The Prince and the Showgirl in the summer of 1956. Clark works as an assistant  starring Olivier and Monroe who was also on honeymoon with her new husband, playwright Arthur Miller.

When Miller leaves the country, Clark introduces Monroe to British life and they spend a week together, during which time she escapes from her Hollywood routine and the pressures of work. All of London is excited to see the sex symbol, while Olivier is struggling to meet her many demands and acting ineptness and Clark is intrigued and infatuated by her.

A woman who had it all, especially sex appeal and sadly still could not find any contentment and inner peace within! Born as Norma Jeane Mortenson in1926 and died 1962 age 36 as MM. Her childhood was traumatic and she had 3 marriages behind her.

Journalist Anthony Summers examines the issue of Monroe’s relationships with the Kennedy brothers at length in two books: his 1993 biography of FBI Director J Edgar Hoover, entitled Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover, and his 1985 biography of Monroe, entitled Goddess. In the Hoover book, Summers concludes that Monroe was in love with President Kennedy and wanted to marry him in the early 1960s; that she called the White House frequently; and that, when the married President had to break off their affair, Monroe became even more depressed, and then turned to Robert Kennedy, who visited Monroe in Los Angeles the day that she died.

A wise girl kisses but doesn’t love, listens but doesn’t believe, and leaves before she is left – Marilyn Monroe

10 Jan 2012 – Back in SIN to bid farewell to 162 Elephants

The only one within the budget to adopt is by Wilairat TANO, 10cm Kasastra who is #180 out of 1,500 costing S$59. Contributed by buying a book and some gift tags, total cost+S$114. Good luck to the auctions and hope that this will help with some conservation to wild life. It never fails to sadden me with news where cruelty to the animals and the innocence are involved. It would be a different matter if it was a real issue of survivor but unfortunately most cases are greed.

Some wild life@SBG, a black swan on Eco Lake. Was trying hard for 10mins to frighten this reptile back into the bushes least someone who might not be paying attention to their steps might step on it.

Appreciations to Leonard, the computer savvy one who has taught me whatever I can do online! Today I learnt to synchronize and co-ordinate the blog header pix with my cover pix in FB, wow! Had a nice lunch, chicken rendang and Red Velvet Cake for dessert@Food for Thought*** the new SBG outlet. Still miss the smoked duck pizza from the N Bridge Rd outlet which is no longer now.

The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people – Martin Luther King