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

9 Jan 2012 – Happy Bdays to niece Judy & nephew Lee

Visits to KCH from the mid 2000s onwards were for the LAM Heritage research. This will make it the 9th visit! Most info regarding places of interest are posted: Mar 2008, May 2009, Mar 2010 and Mar 2011. Thus this time round, a wet Jan, the monsoon being at its height is only a short visit to see family & friends and will be riding the Tiger back to SIN early evening. Perhaps another trip for Lawrence’s Bday if the fares are affordable 🙂

Appreciations to M&L for putting me up in their home with a luscious green and beautiful Heliconia garden and for driving me around to visit Mabel’s family, for all the yummy food including my favourite of all wild ferns, Midin/Fiddleheads.

More local yummies, prawn mee/noodles, Kolo mee and black vinegar pig trotters… Denise don’ t freak out 🙂

Colourful Sun market/farmers’ market filled with goodies and the lovely aroma of the local coffee.

Thanks to Sia & family for including me to JiaJia’s 10th Bday.

How nice to be able to welcome baby, Kiefer to this world. Congratulations to Angel & Kurt and safe journeys to Brussels/Belgium.

It’s strange indeed how memories can lie dormant in a man’s mind for so many years. Yet those memories can be awakened and brought forth fresh and new, just by something you’ve seen, or something you’ve heard, or the sight of an old familiar face – Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows,

6 Jan 2012 – Kuching=cat in Malay, thus Cat City!

KUCHING: A student and her would-be rescuer are missing after both fell into a monsoon drain during massive flash floods that left the city crippled. The student (29 )slipped and fell into the drain while walking to a bus stop to wait for her mother after her car stalled in the floodwaters. The rescuer (29) then jumped in to save her but was swept away by the heavy current…

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/6/nation/10213275&sec=nation

This is so sad. By the time the Tiger landed, the worst floods were over. Today, another wet day but no floods. Good to be with family and eating KCH laksa which is different from SIN laksa. The soup or gravy here is more with a spice base than a coconut milk base in SIN.

And was so fortunate to have the laksa leafs in bloom in Mabel & Lawrence‘s garden. These leafs really bring out the flavour of the gravy!

Pix of the sky outside the flat window in SIN the night before flying off to KCH.

There was this really bright shinning mysterious star.

Star light, star bright,
The first star I see tonight;
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight

4 Jan 2012 – Lunch & Movie

Sun: organizing all the pix from 2011 so that they will not be lost or deleted! Quite a job when there are a couple of thousands!

Mon: a public holiday. Visited sister-in-law Poh Kit@Bukit Merah and Ivy’s mom as Les & Ivy are still in NYC.

Tue: tkx to Kenson for gifts and a vegetarian lunch@New Green Pasture Cafe****/Fortune Centre, one of my favourite vegetarian places. Their Vietnamese roll is tasty and filled with fresh crunchy veggies. Was introduced to this place when working in H&H some years ago. And it was also a good time to go and wish everyone in H&H a Happy New Year after lunch.

Before flying off tomorrow, wanted to catch The Artist****a French romance film. The story takes place in Hollywood between 1927 and 1932 and focuses on a declining male film star and a rising actress as silent cinema grows out of fashion and is replaced by the talkies.

Much of the film itself is silent; it is shot in black-and-white. Dujardin, the dashing main actor won the Best Actor Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and has 6 Golden Globe nominations, the most of 2011.

An excellent movie, not easy to play silent movies. The body language and the expressions are so important to carry the message!

Will be heading to KCH on the Tiger, but have not made up my mind if the laptop is staying or going! Time will show…

When you see a silent movie, you understand everything that’s going on from the images because the images are so strong – Monica Bellucci

1 Jan – Happy 2012 from SIN to all on this Universe

Now that Hawaii/USA has passed midnight, the whole world is in sync to the year of 2012.

Being a wimp with crowds, the choice was to celebrate a quiet New Year’s Eve with cousin David & Leah from HI who will be flying off this evening. Tkx to Mica & Mun for drinks and food at the SIN Swimming Club  where we found a quiet place. A bubbly toast@my hide-away to welcome 2012. Safe journeys to David & Leah and to all who are traveling this holiday season.

Enjoy the fireworks pix downloaded from various sites…

Sydney/Australia & Hong Kong gave the most spectacular show according to the news report. Singapore where I am located now but was not anywhere near the maddening crowd!

 دبيّ‎ Dubai/UAE. مصر Cairo/Egypt where the protesters over-powered the fireworks. Cape Town/South Africa.

Always impressive in Москва́Moscow/Russia with the domes of Saint Basil’s Cathedral. Paris/France and London/UK creative show focusing on the London Eye .

Toronto/Canada. New York City/USA and Las Vegas/USA.

riːoʊ deɪ ʒəˈnɛəroʊ Rio de Janerio/South America where just looking at the crowd is enough to scare me off. Even being a big fan of fireworks is not good enough reason to get me into those kind of crowds 🙂

The best of luck to whatever 2012 resolutions or plans but most important, stay safe, healthy and be thankful.

31 Dec 2011 –  or Mayan Calendar…

A Happy, Healthy & Wealthy 2012

Sásta, Sláintiúil & saibhir 2012

En lykkelig, sunt og rik 2012

Bahagi, Sehat & Kaya 2012

一個快樂，健康和富有2012

एक खुश, स्वस्थ और धनी 2012

سعيدة ، صحية والغنية

Best wishes from
Amy LAM in SIN and her family

Linn & Jeff and Katy, Ellie, JohnW, Sophie &James in USA

May & Bjorn and Olai  in USA

Jan Special Dates

2 – Happy Bday Darryl NEO

3- Happy Bday Richard TANN

5 – Happy Bday Leonard SHOH

6 – Happy Bday Cindy HALL

9 – Happy Bdays Judy LAM & LW AMEEN

10 – Happy Bday ANG Kee Yang

15 – Happy Bdays Angie SOSA & me!

18 – Happy Bday Isabelle AMEEN

19 – Happy Bday Kari HEGGELUND

22 – Happy Bday Katy HALL

24 – Happy Bday Ole Kristian HUSTAD

http://amylamsg.com/2011/01/05/a-lost-civilization/

Dr. Sandra Noble, the director of the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, has pointed out that there is no declaration in Mayan literature that the end of the world will occur when the Long Calendar ends its fifth cycle…

30 Dec 2011 – To Preserve a Legacy for Future Generation

ABN-AMRO-Private-Banking presents this elephant parade in SIN. Since unable to donate or adopt, AudreyM & I shot 162 elephants with our camera to show our support to this WildlifeReservesSIN-ConservationFund. This is the largest open-air art exhibition in preservation of the Asian elephant world wild painted by local & International artists. For those who can contribute, please go on this site for inquiry:

http://www.elephantparade.com/events/Singapore-2011

Day 1 Wed: 0700hrs bus#135 to AMK Interchange connecting tobus#138 to SIN Zoo/1hr30mins travel time. First 25 elephants with #4 EWN replaced by Love & Protection. HS is fortunate to have SIN Ele-Dragon guarding his house@CairnhillRd!

DamagedDumbo who is supposed to be@RafflesPlaceGreen swapped locations with  Deep InSIDE, who was originally@MBS. 

Last stop for Day 1, VivoCity (with 26, the most in this location) and Unicelephant in a glass-case. Home 22.00hrs, showered and crashed but still missing 9 elephants.

Day 2 Thu: 0645hrs bus#196 to ClementiRd/1hr15mins on the bus. A short walk to the new Tembusu-College/NUS for Precious Ties & Blink of an Eye. MRT to SBG for one of them name after SIN National flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim and Blessing. Continued solo on foot to JimThompsonRestaurant on DempseHill. Lucky Kirimek who is the only one in a restaurant! 2 more in front of Forum/OrchardRd. Complete those by 12noon but still no news as to where DelightfulDurian/DD who is supposed to be@One Fullerton and StarryStarry/SS@MBS??

Day 3 Fri: received email as to the new locations for DD & SS. 0615hrs bus#196 to SouthTower/OneRafflesQuay, DD’s new relocation and to the ArtsHouse for SS. Poor SS is behind the barricades where VictoriaMemorialHall is undergoing major renovation and makeover! Hooray! looks like the facade will be kept.

The sunrise was beautiful and that is when SIN is at its best. NO crowds and cool temperatures, home by 0815hrs.

The whole adventure has taken nearly 23hrs and cost under S$30, the most expensive is the entrance to the zoo, S$10 for local seniors, otherwise S$20. Difficult to upload all the elephants in their locations. If interested, plx contact me for the pix. With 162 elephants and their locations photographed, will end with sharing this message from the White Elephant@SAM.

2011 was the worst year for the seizure of ivory from elephant tusks in decades, according to the international wildlife watchdog TRAFFIC. It said the rising demand from Asia was the cause…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16361180

Sad to read today’s BBC news about this. My New Year wish is that people will NOT buy ivory, then these killings can STOP!

27 Dec 2011 – Chancery Grove

Mon: tkx to Kitty & family, Boxing Day was a day full of fun! Walking up the slope in Chancery Lane towards Chancery Grove (first row pix downloaded from various property sites) was reviving memories when the parents used to play mahjong@the Lim family in the 1950s. Remembering that there was a small house away from the main house where the mahjong sessions were held then!

At least there are some greens in spite of the built-up!

To be experiencing a completely different ambience with a fun group of Irish with their families in SIN is a nice change.

Appreciations to Ciera & Steve for hosting this lovely Boxing Day pool party where three generations and a thirsty dog had a blast. The grown ups enjoyed the yummy food and drinks. The mini cup cakes, brownies stars and bashing the Santa piñata were great success for the younger generation! Safe journeys and Happy New Year to Kitty & family who will be heading to Bali for the New Year!

This life is like a swimming pool. You dive into the water, but you can’t see how deep it is – Dennis Rodma

26 Dec 2011 – Happy Boxing Day and…

On the second day of Christmas,

my true love sent to me

Two turtle doves…

Traditionally, Boxing Day is when the Christmas box (where gifts are placed) to share with the poor. Contemporary Boxing Day in many countries is now a shopping holiday associated with after-Christmas sales. Do NOT have any intentions to shop! The origins of this day is based on giving gifts to the less fortunate members of society.

On 26Dec 2004, the ground shook violently unleashing a series of killer waves that sped across the Indian Ocean at the speed of a jet airliner. More than 150,000 people were dead or missing and millions more were homeless in 11 countries, making it the most destructive tsunami in history.

Sat: tkx to AudreyW for including me in her bankers’ group for a yummy Christmas Eve dinner@her home in my neighbourhood.  A 3yrs old boy there taught me that blueberries are little grapes and persimmon are pushy-men 🙂

Sun: Christmas pot-luck dinner@4th aunt LAM Poh Kow with sis Jo, cousin David, Leah, Mica&Mun, friends from Myanmar, TinTin & MinMin.

A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm – Bill Vaughan