24 Jan 2026 – Welcome Back Peggy&Family And Tim&Chris

Wed: text message from USAPresidentTrump to NorwayPrimeMinisterStøre on Jan 18 at 16:15hrs. Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7mev35x2lo

NorwegianPM-Støre said he had repeatedly explained to Trump that the NobelPeacePrize is awarded by an independent committee, not by the Norwegian government. Oh dear! am I out of my mind to be heading to Norway&USA? Completely speechless at what is going on and wondering if this is fake news or that my imagination is playing tricks on me??

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/19/europe/trump-norway-nobel-prize-snub-intl

Thu: Happy 24Bday to grandchild #1Katy – graduated with her Masters from UofSC last month, and just like a blink of an eye when I changed her diapers, now here am I getting ready to fly across the ponds for her wedding next month?!

Before you marry a person you should first make them use a computer with slow Internet to see who they really are – Will Ferrell

Welcome Tim(last time we met was in Dublin/Ireland for Lock&May’s wedding/1970?) and his son Chris – tkx for 蝦子麵 HaZiMeen/ShrimpRoeNoddles, one of my favourite noodles. YMCA/OrchardRd, where they are staying downloaded old pix of what was from my childhood days and today – agreeing with Tim’s comment, the old one has more character like us. Good luck to Chris who will be starting a new job here in Mar.

Being in the OrchardRd area was no problem to pick up distilledH20 for PP to drop them off to where she&her family will be staying during their visit and learning the difference between all these waters! Have not been to CentrePt for a while, glad to discover that there are both a grocery&foodcourt conveniently located just around the corner of their accommodations.

Slow but steady walk to&from PlazaSIN finding this bargin dressS$3.90 while walking under the shade by ConcordeHotel and got some sewing accessoriesS$10.50@Spotlight/PlazaSIN. Lucked out at the downstairs CareFridge/FOC for my monthly ration. Today was 18yrs ago since this blog was started and today managed ~10,000steps.

https://amylamsg.com/2008/01/21/about-the-book/

Fri: what a lovely&perfect day catching up with PP. Bfast&MT-Market,stroll on EC-Pk,CoffeeBean&TeaLeaf/MarineCove for refreshments,take-away-lunch from MyBriyaniHouse ending on Bus36 a loop joyride with ~10,000steps for today. Appreciations with thanks for all these yummy gifts.

Sat: introducing to PP Old Bibik’sPeranakanKitchen for one of my favourite dishes there –

AyamBuahKeluak – chicken cooked with the nuts from the kepayang/PangiumEdule, a mangrove tree. The fresh fruit and seeds contain hydrogen cyanide and are deadly poisonous if consumed without prior preparation.  It’s also one of the favorite dishes of SINs founding PM-LKY and his son, LHL.

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2013-05-16_111918.html

The contents of the nut is dug out and sautéed with aromatics and seasonings, before usually stuffing back into the nuts but today it was not stuffed back into the shell but taste just as delicious. It is one of the most labour-intensive Peranakan dishes to prepare. Peranakan/Nyonya cuisine comes from the Peranakans, descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang,Malacca,SINIndonesia, inter-marrying with local Malays. This unique cuisine found mainly in this part of the world combines Chinese,Malay,Javanese&other influences.

20 Jan 2026 – Here There&Everywhere in Every Ways

16 Jan 2026 – ThankU For a Wonderful Bday Week

Wed: thankU AK for lovely orchids+Bfast at our usual-haunt@MT-Market catching up with updates. When we first met, was not even a grandmother then, her 2kids were not even in their teens and she was about to expect her #3. Now she is soon to be a grandmother of 2 and my #1grandchild is soon to be married – it is thru’ our decendents who show us how the years have gone by so quickly…

Where has the time gone?
The years have slipped away.
Every time you look around,
There is a brand “new” day.

The old passes on—
Making way for the new.
The new becomes many,
And the old becomes few.

Where has the time gone?
For, longing are the years,
Which brought joy and laughter
And sometimes even tears – Salley

Unusual to see 2Dendrobium/Den blooms fused together and the abnormality is quite stunning, unfortuantely it broke off from the stem, so now individually placed on its own. Den is a genus of mostly epiphytic and lithophytic orchids in the family Orchidaceae. It is a very large genus, ~1,800 species and this one might be DenVictoriae-Reginae, commonly known as the QueenVictoriasDen.

Tkx for BeefRendang,OtakOtak,AyamBuahKeluak,NgorHiang,Popiah-dinner@Godmama/Funan – nice cool evening to dine alfresco despite entertaining issues with the glass-sliding-doors – hahaha!

Thu: 2IKEA-DaisyCussions Bday giftS$30 to myself. Tkx to nieceAdeline for DimSumLunch@CantonParadise/PP where she ordered enough food to take away for another meal for a whole family! What does it feel like to be 76 when the FlowerPower within still rules idealistically&strongly more so now in this troubled-world – flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words ScottMcKenzie’s SanFrancisco still lingers within. Blessed with good food and happy that these feet can still walk everywhere with all my senses intact, more or less – hahaha!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bch1_Ep5M1s

Yeah to a needed traffic light@PP/MP-Rd when taking a bus(cousinKaren must be thrilled!), but preference is still to walk around the HDB-estate and today these lovely Queen of the Night cactus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) on StillRd 昙花 (tánhuā)=fleeting flower reflecting its beauty but brief overnight blooming, often associated with good fortune. Might tempt me to take another midnigt walk if still awake. Tkx for these 2026calendars from Norway took 2weeks for snailmail and with much appreciations for all the gracious well wishes.

Fri: lunch@MT-Market with nieceDaisy, thankU for one of my favourite Cantonese desserts(almond&walnut paste) from one of the better stalls SiyuanDesserts 思源糖水铺, good but still cannot be compared her mother’s homemade almond paste which is greatly missed.

Tkx Gel for bringing us dinner&cake to my 4walls and appreciations to nephewLee for this pix from 2017, 9yrs ago.

9 Jan 2026 – Subli Motion

Tue: XmasDecorations down, so ready to be boxed and put away until next season…

Appreciations for the new S$300CDCS$600PTVS$60

Neighbourhood ready for CNY appropriate&tasteful with just the red&gold lights – time for an ice-cream before the rains, dessert before dinner.

ThankU for dinner with nieceJudy&nephewClement.

5 Jan 2026 – The End of Twelth Days of Christmas

Fri: 1st2026 Friday out with 51more to follow!

1 Jan 2026 – Over & Out with 2025

Mon: On the fifth day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Five gold rings… enjoy this last 2025Monday.

Why U might feel carsick in an EV—even if U are not usually prone to it – for one like me who has tendency to motion sickness, this is not good for me! https://www.carscoops.com/2025/06/felt-carsick-in-an-ev-science-has-the-explanation/

Japan breaks from US-Alliance: 70yrs pact collapses as Tokyo goes its own way – keep hoping&praying for peaceful consequences… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZEN4rTekkc

Introducing Cendol to ChristopherY who is back for a short visit and this time round his newly wed bride Kate who also happens to be from Jiangmen/China. Discovered that Christopher’s family is also from Jiangmen. Hmmm! do wonder if our ancestors might have know of each other??

With a cabbage in the fridge and since@GeylangSerai was in the mood for lamb/mutton to make Fårikål (Norwegian Lamb & Cabbage Stew), yes Lamb with a B(during student days in Dublin/Ireland, we used to tell ppl how to spell our name, Lam without the B!)and no Goose or Geese –  https://northwildkitchen.com/farikal-norwegian-lamb-cabbage-stew/

Drinks&food@VUE especially the oysters which were fresh&delicious

The crowds were starting to gather@MarineBayPromenade before 23hrs

~30mins of spectacle fireworks display with probably one of the best views possible ending with much smoke but the lungs are grateful&thankful for a breezy night clearing the air quite quickly and ringing 2026 in with a BANG.

Appreciations with tkx to broLeslie&Ivy+family for this evening and safe trip to nieceKat,Devon&Eliot.

Dixcussing with Kiera and not to sound unappeciatative but every NY-Eve, a certain chord in me that has been brewing over the past 4decades! As spectacular(irony) as these NY-Eve-Fireworks around the world are, cannot keep but wondering about more constructive ways to spend these $MultiBillions$ on, like education,medical,etc instead of fireworks,firearms,etc. Senior years are certainly bringing back some idealistic teen years thoughts

Last here when it was then ME@OUE/Apr2016 with KV&family, a location with a view on the roof-top and food to die for…

Squid-InkCroissant – my favourite.

SashimiPlatter,RedLobster/ChiliSauce&ManTou,DarkChocolateMoelleux, best lave-cake tasted.

OUE-Bayfront ground-floor lobby with these sculptures do make me think that DIET is to DIE without the T. Who am I trying to kid? Not only being a glutton but also being greedy&weak for good food,champagnes,wines,whiskeys and not forgetting good-looking men, in that order – hahaha.

Thu: slowly but surely in not too bad crowds finding my way to MRT-TEL-ShentonWaySta by 01.00hrs grateful for the extra late trains (last one 02.30hrs, every 5mins) back to the EastSide by 02.00hrs. Everything went impressively well-controlled&smoothly without any incidents but not sure when the next outing at such a time will ever happen again and only here in SIN would I attempt take the subway alone at this time of the early morning…

Singapore tops the world ranking, with 98% of residents feeling safe walking alone at night. Its low crime rates, strict law enforcement, and social order foster an unparalleled sense of public security – Sources: (Gallup) (Euronews) 

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 Bdays DavidLam & Mayven
21 – Happy Bday Michael
22 – Happy Bday Katy
24 – Happy Bdays OleK

28 Dec 2025 – Who Are U; Who Am I?

Fri: on the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Two turtle doves

HappyBoxingDay/StStephen’sDay/WrenDay on this 2ndDay of Christmas – BoxingDay comes from a tradition of gifting boxed gifts to the ppl who might need them more. What a nice way to share gifts received and giving away things not needed or in used any longer+a day to acknowledge with appreciations&gratefulness for greetings&gifts&kindness received. ChristmasCrackers loot from yesterday’s lunch that would otherwise have gone to waste but the grandchildren might appreciate them for the CNY.

Sat: on the third day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Three French hens

Appreciations with thanks to Henry for HorFun+Chicken dinner, no FrenchHens

but a pleasant surprise of a life-music-performance@MT-MarketSquare on this 3rd Day of Christmas, again no FrenchHens but a very attentive&discipline audience…

Sun: on the fourth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Four Calling Birds

Grandniece Isabelle asked – what do u think being yourself means? such a profound question from a teenager! What kind of an answer does she expect or hope from this grand-auntie? The simple answer – depending on what stage in life, U are what U are and every stage has its charms with their ups&downs.

Cogito, ergo sum – René Descartes 

Quiet days are important  –   ie a day doing nothing…

Might or might not be any or some of whatever above descriptions but by asking Who Are U; Who Am I occassionaly helps to reconnect with core values, fostering self-awareness and personal growth. Totally blessed, so far for intact mental&physical health to be able to still live financially independently making my own choices (without intentions to hurt oneself or others) and not what others expect or say but to accept the consquences moving forward to continue learning with time for each&every change at the different stages in this life journey.

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken – OscarWilde

We are living in a world where people demand explanations for everything — your choices, your silence, your growth. But what if silence is not weakness… but evolution?

Never explain yourself to those who live in the WORLD you have already surpassed — Yuval Harari

ThankU to broLeslie&Ivy for another delicious SundayDinner@Rochalie – nice to have some time with nieceKat, grandniecesDevon,Eliot&Kiera and pleasant surprise to catch up with nieceJessica from Canada, was not even aware that she is back visiting.

25 Dec 2025 – Tanglin Club

Aug 2022: new completely mesh-HelinoxSunset/4th!Helinox chairS$200 added to the collection – cooling&perfect for relaxing with a book or watching movies. The other more solid mesh-office-chair(2021X’mas-gift) with the supporting back is better for when having to type&work on the laptop.

Mon: شكراً shukran/Arabic – delivered Helinox chair to CC for repairs, was hoping that it would lasted longer than 3+yrs. With appreciations to Chris who will be fixing it. In the meanwhile despite it being heavier to move around, will just be content with IKEA’sPoäng from Linn when she got it to nurse #3John, ie 19yrs ago when he was born here! Do desperately need new cover(Cushion,Knisa-light beigeS$50), not feeling the best with a slight temp, will wait with an IKEA trip until feeling better.

Tue: takk/Norwegian – taking an easy day before tonight’s dinner. Have not been to this YMCA/StevensRd since cousinDavid’s days with his HI/USA students, another life-time ago! Instead of the direct MRT-TEL from MT-StevensSta, will take Bus16 changing at either DhobyGhaut or Somerset to Bus190 or 970 factoring in that there is always traffic jam at OrchardTurn taking me StevensRd and crossing the road to the Y. More time on transportation but less walking, need to preserve the energy for family dinner.

Appreciations to nieceJudy who now works at this YMCA for this delicious ChristmasSpread – have to really pace myself during these seasonal feasts and not eating like there is no tomorrow or there will not be a tomorrow…

Wed: thankU for this julaften/ChristmasEve and for all online,snailmail greetings&gifts – with fond memories&thoughts of loved ones, family&friends, near&far.

Good of KK to include the mini-homemade-chocolate-wreath in his Minimalist Tree in a Maximalist House.

Thu: kept this card made 20yrs ago when working@H&H and has never failed to keep me sane giving me a good laugh every year especially in my HDB-suroundings. Will be sharing this for the next 12days of Christmas so be patient to read it until the last day – hahaha

On this first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree

https://www.41051.com/xmaslyrics/twelvedays.html

Tusen hjertelige takk=thousand heartly thanks to broLeslie&Ivy for our annual Christmas family lunch@TanglinClub, still one of the better Christmas-Lunch-Buffet here in Singapore. This year there is an addition of the WinterVillage with the trains – nice touch.

The first one celebrated here was when Kiera was in a baby-carrier/2months, now she is 22 and here with babyKai’s 1stXmas – welcome back to SIN Kat,Devon/under the weather,Eliot&Kiera. Clement is also under the weather and not here today and to be honest, am not feeling my best took 2Panadols+CoughMixture this morning and will try to talk less for today.

We first introduced these party poppers here when they were first produced nearly ~2decades ago and have kept the tradition since despite the dismay of the servers – hahaha but they are compensated with good tips. David&family are away celebrating with his family in Perth/Australia, Sue took family pix with his camera and those will be updated here when he gets back. This fancy group-pix is taken by the club but not with just the family.

5Jan: edited with appreciations and thanks to nieceSue and nephewDavid.

Special thanks for this seldom pix with my only brother left and BabyKai’sFirstChristmas.

God Jul🎄og Godt Nyttår🎉til deg og dine.

Merry Christmas🎄and a Healthy&Safe 2026🎉to each and everyone.

Seaaon’s Greetings🎄and a Healthy&Safe 2026🎉to each and everyone.

21 Dec 2025 – A Time For Everything

Thu: kiitos/Finnish – condolences to Claire/Norway, to Gel/SIN for the recent passings of their fathers and to Inga/USA for her mother, may they RIP. The circle of life with a time for everything starting with birth until when death marks the end of a physcial life. Always sad&painful when your beloved family&friends die but hopefully some good memories to remember them by.

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal – From an Irish headstone

Fri: danke/German – productive Fri-morning walking to run errands, looks like widening of the sidewalk@StillRd. Always delighted to see grown-ups spending time with kids outdoors.

TheLensMan is now located in another new location no longer opp the food stalls, now nearer the WhiteOctopus but still within the MP-Promenade. PP is now ready with TangsXmasMarket in the basement. A quick ride on Bus36-RafflesCity/Nespresso with heavy traffic@Stamford&NBridgeRds junction and back to the EastSide on Bus16 within less than an hour.

FullertonHotel inside-out elegantly&fully decked&dressed ready for this Season. Nowadays when snailmail is no longer the main mode of communication, it is easily forgotten that this location was once the GeneralPostOffice/GPO.

Thankful for SG-CulturePass/S$100, including SisticFeesS$104 – appreciations to Leo for helping with the booking. Has been a long while ago since the last life-performance of any opera and now an enjoyable Mozart’sDieZauberflöte/MagicFlute by the SIN-LyricOpera@VictoriaTheatre. Do know this opera well with ~7min Overture and the beautiful&difficult ~3mins aria Der hölle Rache – complete opera ~2+hrs including 20mins intermission. Photos&video not allowed during performance.

Good enthusiatic audience, pleased with RowBSeat27 and probably the only empty seat26 next to me! No problems being by the timpani when not a full orchestra – an easy get away from the crowds directly by the door with a pleasant short walk across SIN-River to the FullertonBusStop for Bus196 with hardly any traffic&ppl on or off at stops and was back to my 4-walls before 23.00hrs.

https://www.singaporeopera.com.sg/slomagicflute1225

Sat: cпасибо spasibo/Russian – thankU KK for homemade fish-soup (on the fishy-side)+tea that has an amazing aroma for my smell but he does not know what kind of flowers, looks like some family of the Daisyflower – will brew it next week and see if the taste will give me a hint…

Interesting analogy, tkx to KarenSB for the share. Despite not being a car person but do know that Volvo is Swedish-made and Ferrari,Italian. For one who has lived&worked in both Norway&USA for many years would agree that Volvo is sitll one of the safest cars and Ferrari an iconic luxury sports car. Both good cars but does depend on who you really want to be your driver but who knows what will happen when more driverless cars hit the roads…

Sun: mahalo/Hawaiian – to get dessert for tonight’s dinner@Clement on this 4AdventSunday/3days to Xmas. Recycled&decorated these commerical bags&boxes to be given away for this season. Waste Not,Want Not – Proverb

Also Winter Solstice/Dongzhi冬至 on the shortest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere. ThankU for yummy local feast with GadoGado,MeeSiam,Rojak,Satay+Kueys for dessert.

Forgot about getting TongYuen/湯圓