12 Jan 2017 – In Chinatown

Mon: waiting for a delivery from FedEx who is unable to pin down for morning or afternoon. As it is the delivery did not arrive until 1630hrs. On days like these and many others, playing the piano for the host of guardian angels and minions who are my greatest audience!

Headed into Chinatown late afternoon via KeongSaik Rd to take pix before and after the sunset. Stumbled upon some happenings at the Sri Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple (1925).

http://www.sttemple.com/sri-layan-sithi-vinayagar-temple/about-lsv-temple.html

The diversity of churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, etc where all can worship without fear of the differences is what makes SIN so unique. There are 10+places of worship just in Chinatown itself.

http://www.chinatown.sg/index.php?fx=directory&g1=category&g2=3&g3=27&m=list

Hawker Chan of one-Michelin-starred Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle has new location with AC@Smith St – for S$4.50 it was OK. But certainly NOT worth the 30mins waiting in line. Personal preference for taste is still Chiew Kee@Upper Cross St.

Before sunset…

Let there be lights…

A Mon night and nearly 3weeks away from CNY in Chinatown thinking that it would be less crowded, but of course crowd is also relative but to me, this is a crowd! Hopefully crowds mean good business and sincerely do wish all vendors abundance business for the Year of the Rooster.

Tue: tkx to Suriati for catching up, milkshake@BugisMcD and for the best yummy pineapple tarts. Unfortunately she does not make them for sale as she used to. Good of Seb to spare an evening for reunion dinner@First Stop Food Junction/Queen St.

Wed: a busy morning starting with app at MtE, continuing to Takashimaya to pick up a book@Kinokuniya.

SIN Tourist Board to pick up info and this place has changed since the last visit – do not even remember when the last visit was, at least a decade ago?

There is even an eatery there now, but did not try it.

Thu: there are some interesting houses on Mountbatten Rd and have been trying to capture a decent pix of this sculpture when on bus196 double-decker. Somehow, either the bus is moving too fast, the windows are not clear or the weather does not cooperate! So far these are the best. Will keep trying! Tkx to sis Jo for dinner.

Footprints will disappear on earth, but seemingly not on the moon! I wonder if it is also such for other planets?

We walked on the moon. We made footprints somewhere no one else had ever made footprints, and unless someone comes and rubs them out, those footprints will be there forever because there’s no wind ― Frank Cottrell Boyce, Cosmic

8 Jan 2017 – And There Will Be 51More TGIF…

Fri: good morning from SIN – TGIF, the 1st for 2017. Sunrise and an hour later. Living in the city or anywhere else have both advantages and disadvantages. Where ever you may be and whatever you do, live life in the present with constructive and positive attitudes. Have a wonderful weekend.

Outside the back/kitchen window is the 3-storey car-park roof garden. 4beautiful Yellow birds are regular visitors here, but have not managed to capture any shots of them. Should sit quietly at the gardens with my camera oneday and hope to see them! At least this Lonesome Dove made my day for a few seconds 🙂

Great to catch up with Catherine&Lee for T@PS Cafe/Paragon and this time with the CNY trimmings. Welcome back to SIN. Good of Ivy to join us.

A pleasure to meet with this young family who are friends of Catherine’s son. Jacob is an adorable 13months baby. Appreciations to SiewKing&Jog for coffee and Key-Lime pie.

Checking out the happenings of the bright colourful CNY decorations and trimmings@Paragon. 

Was surprised to see David Gerstein’s works@Paragon, not that I can afford to buy! but do like his colourful works. Those who are not aware – SIN tallest sculpture, Momentum (2007) adjacent to One Raffles Quay is by Gerstein.

Like these white plates and the gilded bowl with tree motif, but do not need any more stuff, as it is, am trying to get rid of stuff. These pix do not justify the proper 3D effect – should have taken them at different angles, but did not want to risk breaking them.

Pleasant life entertainment, but nowhere to sit for appreciation. After 2+hrs on the feet in a mall was enough for me, overwhelmed by stuff. Could have gone outside, but thoughts of the heat and the crowds were enough to kept me indoors!!!

Dinner@Crystal Jade Golden Palace*****where there are no complains as far as food and service are concerned here. Was not even aware that this location is a 2016 Michelin One * Restaurant until today.

Tkx to Les for this Tasmanian wine, excellent with the appetizer of Crispy Belly Pork and Deep-fried Silver Fish, my favourite place for these appetizers.

Triple Braised Duck-wing, Octopus&Beancurd (no pix), Pomfret, Chilled Yellow-Crab, Gai Choy (Chinese mustard greens),

Baked Lamb Rack with red wine&black pepper (moist and tender), Lobster with noddles (excellent) and refreshing Osmanthus Flower Jelly with Wolfberries for dessert. Many Tkx to Catherine&Lee for dinner.

Did not manage to capture all the dishes and some of the food pix are downloaded here. Too much food and had to doggy-bag the last dish which was one of the best breakfast I had 🙂

Sat: still cleaning, clearing the mess and rubbish from 2016. Some bags packed and ready for charity collection and other ready to thrash – one cannot go far with too much excess baggage and at the same time, I have and need to desperately work on my excess weight in the body too! Excess baggage in every ways are never good news…

3above pix downloaded. For me, this is still the best of all the Sound of Silence even after 5+decades. Clear your mind and listen to some of the most meaningful lyrics!

http://societyofrock.com/even-52-years-later-simon-garfunkel-perform-sound-of-silence-like-only-they-can/

Sun: have been trying to get a decent shot of this house when on bus 196. Here on a moving double decker bus and OK weather, but still not how I like it. The giant sculpture of the feet is not clear enough!

Tkx to Les&Ivy for a hot-pot dinner, considered my first CNY reunion dinner.

5 Jan 2017 – Thompson East Line

Mon: even an Ox needs to rest for next few days to quiet the body, mind&soul before meeting the Rooster!

ATTITUDE is everything.

It doesn’t matter how your day has gone; always go with your head held high. Plucked, pounded, mistreated, overworked but still with dignity and grace.

Tue: today is when most in SIN are back to work and school, thus the year of 2017 starts the first blank page of a 365pp book! Write a good one and in my case, updating this blog regularly so that I can look back with fond memories. Hopefully dementia will not find its way here too quickly…

http://www.straitstimes.com/world/americas/scientists-link-higher-dementia-risk-to-living-near-heavy-traffic

Interesting – I wonder if this incurable condition also effects those who are part of the heavy traffic-jams daily?

The beauty and irony of it all is that most of the last 2days were spent vegetating and watching cheesy brainless movies to switch off, not thinking or remembering any of the movies or anything else at all 🙂

I wonder if that will also contribute to dementia??

Tkx to CC for the bones, etc from the Christmas bash. After sawing the bones in half (to get most of the marrow), boiling for a day and straining away the fats, a most delicious stock is ready. The saying, as dry as a bone is indeed very appropriate.

Wed: hump-day, usually a day for omelette with wilted herbs – tasty and nutritious in addition to not wasting of foods after a weekend of fresh herbs. Do not use any forms of oil or butter, etc but a non-stick pan.

Teflon, also known as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is supposed to be not good, but when used properly it is considered OK.

http://www.straightupfood.com/blog/2015/09/24/are-nonstick-pans-safe/

Was enjoying this morning’s fresh air with all the windows opened (seldom) under 30C pleasant temperatures until the pounding and drilling started, this time just below in the playground. Amazing, whatever that drilling was about? it was sealed, completed and washed by the end of the day – tkx to our foreign workers.

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/pm-lees-facebook-photo-prompts-appreciation-for-foreign-workers

Advantage that there will be a MarineTerrace MRT Station, now under construction just around the corner – disadvantage, the endurance of noise and dust for the next 7yrs! C’est la vie.

Looking forward to having a MRT station just around the corner, but in the meanwhile will have to live with the constructions and dust – as long as I am not yet dust 🙂

The Project Information Centre is but only a few steps from me and they did a good job in this location.  The posters and models are informative and well-done. Est date of completion – 2024.

Julie who is friends and ex co-workers with both Clem & Aud is preparing for a trip to Island and Norway and needs some info. Did not have much here in SIN, but must remember to get her some maps, etc when back in OSL.

Thu: profile pix downloaded from stuff that needs to be said – John Pavlovitz. A worth-while and interesting read.

On the Day I Die – Don’t let your life be stolen every day by all that you’ve been led to believe matters, because on the day you die, the fact is that much of it simply won’t.

Yes, you and I will die one day.

But before that day comes: let us live.

http://johnpavlovitz.com/2016/02/29/on-the-day-i-die/

Today, the 12th Day of Christmas is when all the Christmas trimmings will be down and packed away. No CNY deco for the Year of the Rooster, but will certainly snap enough shots in Chinatown to make up for it!

1 Jan 2017 – Reflections of 2016

Fri: the last TGIF and the last Friday for 2016. A pleasant stroll after the rains around PeckSeah St (Chinatown), usually just rushing thru’ here and forgetting how charming it can be with the contrast with the old and new.

Edited 5Jan –  this just turned up in the news, so do pay a visit to this Red Dot Design before May this year!

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/maxwell-chambers-to-expand-will-take-over-building-that-houses-red-dot-design

Thank you Lucas for these lovely napkins from Japan. How kind and thoughtful of him to remember that I like them – perfect for my tea-ceremony and also for a dinner table setting for 6. Tkx to Jo for dinner.

Sat: as I was thinking of taking a day to reflect on 2016, JohnM shared this FB posting and reality hits! Must try to even work harder to keep the mind clear and open.

A year ago E1 was on the drawing board and now it is KIV, well at least until the heart can beat regularly again! Nothing on the board for now until the ablation heart procedure is over, even though the chances are high (50-70%) that Afib will continue or return, but still must just give it a try.

Besides the passing of 4thAuntie, AuntieKwok, Marlene, royalty and many celebrities, 2016 passed by quickly with the usual travels to be with family and friends in USA&Norway. Also has been a busy year with overseas guests – catching up with family&friends who were either staying with me or just travelling via SIN.

Completed 2bucket list hikes: GreenCorridor – SIN (25k) and TrollTunga – Norway (23k).

Sun: out with 2016 and in with 2017. An optimist stays up until mid-night to see the new year in; a pessimist stays up to make sure the old one leaves – I am neither as I prefer my sleep 🙂

Spontaneous visit from AudreyW and we managed to ring in 2017 with this bottle of sparkling sake; the bubbles were perfect for the occasion – tkx Aud. Great to catch up and life is full of pleasant surprises!

Tonga is the first to ring in 2017 at 10:00 GMT on December 31 2016.

Sat 11:00              New Zealand

Sat 13:00-15:15  Australia

Sat 15:00              Japan & South Korea

Sat 15:30              North Korea

Sat 16:00              China, Philippines, Singapore

Sat 17:00              Most of Indonesia

Sat 17:30              Myanmar and Cocos Islands

Sat 18:00              Bangladesh

Sat 18:15              Nepal

Sat 18:30              India and Sri Lanka

Sat 19:00              Pakistan

Sat 19:30              Afghanistan

Sat 20:00              Azerbaijan

Sat 20:30              Iran

Sat 21:00              Moscow/Russia

Sat 22:00              Greece

Sat 23:00              Germany

Sun 00:00             United Kingdom

Sun 02-3:00         Brazil

Sun 03:00             Argentina, Paraguay

Sun 03:30-8:00   USA, Canada

Sun 09:00             Alaska

Sun 10:00             Hawaii

Sun 11:00             American Samoa

Sun 12:00             US outlying islands (Baker Island, Howland Island etc)

Finally with the whole world (last country to join, Baker Island) in sync into 2017, hopes for a World United in Peace and Goodwill is on top of the wish-list.

Sometimes you can only find Heaven by slowly backing away from Hell – Carrie Fisher/Wishful Drinking.

2 – Happy Bday Darryl

5 – Happy Bdays Gerald  & Leonard

6 – Happy Bday Cindy

9 – Happy Bdays Judy & Lee

10 – Happy Bday KeeYang

15 – Happy Bdays Angie  & me!

18 – Happy Bday Isabelle (SunSun)

19 – Happy Bday Kari

21 – Happy Bday Michael

22 – Happy Bday Katy

24 – Happy Bdays 15thUncle  and Ole K

30 Dec 2016 – A Riverboat Experience

Tue: just as I was planning to take a break from eating today as Henry was supposed to have dinner with me last night, but it happens to be tonight – such is life when the memory gets up in age! All’s well that ends well, it is always nice to catch up with him. Tkx for the beautiful emerald. Forgot to take pix, uploaded from 1+yr ago and he looks the same!

It is indeed a small world and life has many coincidences – Andy (with the darker shirt) who is in the CC group (Thomas’s partner in training) also works with Henry.

Wed: as we say our goodbyes to 2016, Bowie, Cohen, Prince, George Michael, Carrie Fisher, Richard Adams+others, we must also remember to give thanks for their Ziggy Stardust, Suzanne, Purple Rain, Last Christmas, Star Wars and Watership Down.

Apologies for error in the pix – should be actually, too lazy to correct…

Being a member of Watsons has its advantage at their sales when shopping for toiletries is a good deal. S$30+ quarterly is really not too extravagant!

This Christmas season has gone by fast and Parkway Parade’s Christmas deco are down being now replaced with CNY deco. Seems like the Rooster year will be a good one for the Ox – as usual, take this with a pinch of salt. Tkx to niece DaisyLam for lunch@DinTaiFung****where the food there seldom disappoints.

Thu: US actress Debbie Reynolds dies, a day after daughter Carrie Fisher – BBC. Thank you for her Tammy (the age of innocence for me then!!). Above 3pix uploaded from various sites. My heart would fall apart and stop too if my girls go before me 🙁

If you have a need to be comfortable all the time—well, among other things, you have the makings of a classic drug addict or alcoholic ― Carrie Fisher/Wishful Drinking

Stewords Riverboat, a 3-decked, non-motorized replica of the 1800s Mississippi steam boats. Formerly@Sentosa, the Riverboat now operates at Marina South Pier with Santa Fe Tex-Mex Grill on the Main Deck, Wood & Steel Gastrobar on the al-fresco Bridge Deck, and a private function hall on the Upper Deck. The concept is great with spectacular views in good weathers, but not suitable for people who gets seasick easily due to constant rocking motion of the ship.

Appreciations to Lee for a yummy dinner@Wood & Steel Gastrobar***CajunCalamari, PamaHam, Blue Eyes – premium ribeye steak pan-seared and Belly Dancer – belly-pork, but skin was not crispy. Nice ambiance and good service. A perfect sunset in the lovely outdoors evening sea-breeze. Thank you dear nephew for the introduction to this location and most of all for taking the time to re-connect.

Note: if you plan to visit this location, take the MRT to Marina South Pier (Exit B) and the station is just a minute. Parking was S$15 for 3hrs!

26 Dec 2016 – Happy Boxing Day

A symbol of goodwill and love…

Fri: dank je (Dutch) TGIF – enjoy this last 2016 weekend.

谢谢Xièxiè (Chinese) to Calvin&staff of CC for a delicious evening in good company of dashing ppl in plaids.

My favourite one is only but 9months young – pix credits to Chris.

Sat: fun to catch up at our annual get-together. Italian taste is on the menu today – appreciations to Ting for the bruschetta, Bev for the cheese and crackers. Tkx Ting, CH and Bev for good company and gifts. Pix credits to all 3.

So good of Lawrence, Les&Ivy to drop by for a bite after Christmas Eve Mass at the chapel of St Patrick’s School. Tkx to Les for these bubbles and to Grace for this only hand-made greetings.

Sun: from my family to yours –

from SIN to where ever this greetings can reach, wishing each and everyone peace and joy. Merry Christmas and goodwill to all.

Thank you to Ivy&Les for the annual Christmas lunch@Tanglin Club. A wonderful time was enjoyed by all with abundance of good company, food and wines.

Comment from Audrey – Is this your entire clan? Geez… My reply – far from entire clan – only just a tiny fraction, none of my children and grandchildren (10) are here! None of my 2bro (16), and not the complete family of bros 1, 3, 4 and sis’s family here. Total from Branch1 (my siblings and I) stands at 67 today!! My father being Branch1, so try and count how many when I total in all the other 12branches????

Jo insisted on making dinner and Lawrence wanted to see the Orchard Rd Christmas lights, imagine what it is like sitting in the traffic,but then one can enjoy the lights! (Posting for these lights – 12Dec). As always Tanglin Club, CHIJMES and Raffles Hotel are my favourties.

Mon: Happy Boxing Day! Thank you to DaisyChia for a lovely stroll@East Coast Park and MeeSiam@MarineCove. Delighted to see ppl taking time to enjoy this public holiday outdoors.

When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself ― Tecumseh

22 Dec 2016 – And Feel A Lot Like Christmas

Wed: got a hair-cut recently and for S$5. The stylist was afraid to thin out the thick hair in fear of them sticking out all over! Told him it will be OK as this weather here is not particular for a head full of hair and for that price, there are no complains or much stick-outs! Finally it takes no time to dry after a wash nowadays!

Thu: ευχαριστώ/efcharistó (Greek) to cousin Yeng and her family for taking time to catch up. The last time we met was in 2008, Vancouver/Canada. JieQing was then 12 and now she has grown into a fine 21yrs young lady. ZhaoMing is a fantastic dad and a wonderful husband. The ceiling@Toast-Box in Shaw House has an interesting ceiling and we had fun playing 5stones.

Cousin Cheng&HengHuat are also back in SIN for the holidays. Much respect and admiration for 13Uncle who is 90 – still driving safely, working and taking care of 13Aunt who is wheelchaired-bound. Have managed to capture some pix of Branch13.

More last minute shopping@Orchard Rd. Expected a worse crowd, but was pleasantly surprised that it was not too bad. Perhaps many ppl are away for the holidays. The tree in Takashimaya never fails to bedazzle me. Like the recycled bottle-tree@the Market Place in Paragon.

Now that I have figured out what to do for the corks, next will be the bottles 🙂

Getting ready to start chopping up fruits for a fruit cocktail dessert at CC tomorrow night. Looking forward to seeing everybody.

Condolences to Adrian and his family for the passing of his mother. And to Mario for the passing of his sister. May they RIP. Prayers and thoughts are with them this holiday.

21 Dec 2016 – A Cathedral Restored

Fri: TGIF – a wonderful weekend to all. ขอขอบคุณ khob kun ka (Thai) for these lovely orchids (Rnst. Bangkok Beauty) to brighten the day. Know of only 2, but there are many more, with a fragrance Aranda bertha braga (Spider Orchid) is one of them. Appreciations to Neo Tuanhong for the names.

The Winter/Christmas village is finally in place – on the piano and have not had a real Christmas tree since the children moved away (19yrs ago). These are my Eco environmental friendly annual Christmas trees.

Sat: 고맙습니다 gomabseubnida (Korean) to Les&Ivy for a night of fine dinning and fiery dessert!! at Dempsey Road La Ventana****where Michelin-starred Spanish cuisines are served.

Lovely evening in good company of Clement, MeiPin and the owners of this location!

A stroll thru’ SBG –

Good to see so many trees lit and decorated, now called Trees of the World. Vivid memories of the days when Wendy & I started the idea during our OSSEA days! It was like pulling teeth to even get the Embassies to sponsor and decorate a few trees then!!

Sun: today is the last Sunday of Advent – less than a week to Christmas day and just less than 2 weeks left of 2016.

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill is to have the true spirit of Christmas.

Getting to see the end of the light in the tunnel where making and wrapping of gifts are concerned 🙂

Interesting results of my dominant personality trait – answers reveal that:

kindness is your most dominant personality trait. You are very sensitive to others and rarely have a bad thing to say about anyone. People are constantly impressed by your thoughtfulness. If someone is having a bad day, you always seem to know how to make it better.

Just remember, these stuff are just for the fun of it. How nice to be able to be kind, but of course not all the time…

Mon: @MtE to reschedule app and to drop off a gift to KokSoon. Tickets to OSL via Istanbul on TurkishAir (SIN-IST-OSL-IST-SIN S$800) booked for Jan2017. PS Cafe where my favourtie Key-Lime pie can be found in SIN! Great to catch up with Larry, Michael and Vincent. Safe journeys back to the US for Michael.

The festive glitters and glows at Paragon are cheerful to look at.

Tue: Cathedral of the Good Shepard is now finally fully renovated and restored after being damaged by the constructions of the MRT and SMU. This SIN oldest catholic church is built in 1847.

Have been here when there was no AC during 1960s student days in CHIJ across the road! The spiral stairways here are similar to that across the road at CHIJ where I have tried to climb!

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/restored-cathedral-a-feast-for-the-eyes

The Nativity scene is quite amazing, created by a businessman husband and retiree wife – it took them 5months to create this.

The religious figurines were flown in from Rome and the structure was fully hand-built by them.

Appreciations to Carmel for ice-T & ice-cream@SBG Casa Verde in good company of Ivy.

SBG, SIN 1st UNESCO World Heritage Site and my favourite gardens to be in SIN. Fond memories from childhood playing around the band-stand and the setting up of all the shows in this location.

15 Dec 2016 – And Comparing $$$

Mon: the fridge has started to act up after 15+yrs of being on non-stop. Not a good time, but never a good time! Fridge$$$ shopping@Mustafa. Decided to try their new roof-top cafe. Chicken biryani there pretty decent, enough to doggy-bag for another meal.

Rather pleasant, but can be a bit on the warm side even in the AC dome. Would have been better after the sun sets! Last serving is at 2300hrs.

Delighted that I had the time to check on prices to discover that a large package of dill here is under S$2. At other grocery stores, a small package is just under S$3 and when making Gravlaks, would be using at least 5 of those small packages, amounting to S$15! Also found the Betel-leaf for Nasi Ulam, ie for when I make it again.

Tue: Happy St. Lucia’s Day – 13Dec was also the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, in the old Julian Calendar and a pagan festival of lights in Sweden was turned into St. Lucia’s Day. Down memory lane with pix from Dec 1980, 36yrs ago!!! Linn reminded me that this pix is from a Christmas play@Nordberg menighets barnehage! Have not made these Lucia’s buns since my Tromsø days!

More fridge$$$ shopping at Best Denki@ParkwayP where I felt I was watching the Lulu movie all over again! Did not quite understand what this female salesPRC was trying to tell me besides no stock…

Feeling rather down upon receiving news of bro Steven’s stroke this evening and in hospital waiting for surgery.

Wed: continued with fridge shopping. Bus to Bedok Interchange and a free shuttle to IKEA and Courts.

Had chicken wings & Gravlaks@IKEA (not sure when I can make my Gravlaks! Dill does not keep without refrigeration). Somehow, gravlaks with potatoes and arugula is not how I would serve this dish!

Did some shopping since I was there.

Courts‘ price is the most expensive quote for this Panasonic NRBM229. In Mustafa, no stock like in Best Denki but available online@Qoo10. The problem I am having is that this is the only size fridge that will fit into my old fridge’s space in my kitchen!

The good news is that Steven is out from surgery and that he is OK. Also this commercial made my day – hahaha

Have been banking with this bank ever since it existed, and NO such luck! Perhaps its time to change bank!? Certainly do not mind living in Lillestrøm with George Clooney 🙂 Maybe that’s why my Norwegian family do not bank with this bank, no such luck for them either 🙂 🙂

Thu: hopefully this is it with shopping – realistically NOT! Tried to cheer myself up with La La Land****(one of my favourtie phrases!!), but you do have to be in the right frame of mind to watch it.  A story of an aspiring actress and a dedicated jazz musician, who are struggling to make ends meet. Set in LA modern day, this musical is about everyday life exploring the joys and pains of pursuing your dreams…

Visited Steven@SGH and that certainly did not put me in the right frame of mind 🙁

12 Dec 2016 – With Family, Friends & Food

Thu: decided to make NasiUlam for lunch – the last time I made it was 2+yrs ago.

https://amylamsg.com/2014/10/12/happy-belly/

Somehow, still do not manage to get all the herbs and this time lacking both the Torch-Ginger flower bud and the Betel leaf. Yes, I can taste the missing ingredients – perhaps that is why it is so seldom made due to the difficulty to get all the herbs besides all the cutting…

Grazie (Italian) for Gel and Alan’s good company to start the holiday lunches. They had no complains with the Nasi Ulam nor the rest of the menu…

Appreciations to Gel for the intro to Alan who has enlightened and educated me about certain aspects of SIN that I was ignorant about. 3above pix credits also to him making the food looks better than the real thing!

In memory of John Lennon and thank you for Imagine my favourite of all. To everyone – please continue to be a dreamer and keep imagining.

Fri: TGIF – Arigatōgozaimashita ありがとうございました (Japanese) to the cardiac team@MtE and to Les for a lovely and delicious get together to celebrate life for and with Ivy. Good to see family and friends enjoying the evening as the sky cleared.

Here with 3generations including the family’s and my cardiologist, KokSoon.

Tkx to the young man for providing us with live-entertainment on my ex-Steinway! and to MeiPin for demonstrating her elegant sword movements, 青龙出水🐉 – the green dragon emerges from the water. Women do need to show their weapons when challenged 🙂

Both 1990-91 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle were excellent. Many blurred pix, blame it on the champagne and good wines… lol.

Sat: brought noya-food (Ivy request) from the East Coast Rd area for brunch with Les&Ivy. Dumplings from KimChoo, Popiah&MeeSiam from Glory. 3above pix downloaded.

Sun: teşekkür ederim (turkish) for the good company of Larry&Michael from TX/USA and Clement. Nasi Lemak for brunch and a nice catch up session this 3rdSun of Advent. 1st Christmas snail-mail greetings received, tkx Janice&Tom. This new marble-top table is a Christmas gift to myself! and Rnst. Bangkok Beauty, the perfect red colour orchid to ring in the holidays.

Walked to Gardens by the Bay (Bay East) via EC Pk. Nice to see ppl out enjoying their Sunday. Was abit concerned about this person just lying on the concrete in the middle of nowhere! But she was breathing!

Views of SIN Skyline from the bridge on the ECP over the Kallang River.

Appreciations to Les&Ivy for black-peeper crab beehoon dinner. Starting at Tanglin Mall, walked towards Orchard Rd for the lights.

Some of my favourties – Wheelock Place, Takashimaya, Paragon, Centrepoint/looking up from the basement link.

Centrepoint again won the best for this year, this time with their Christmas Clockwork Kitchen theme. Like the colours here but prefer the theme at Orchard Centre!

Orchard Centre has a very blue colour theme to match with the street! Caught the bus at PlazaSIN and a good night sleep after app 10km walk in the fresh air! Wanted to push myself, and no problems there, but the heat and humidity do get to me eventually!!