18 Sep 2025 – Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy/OGD

Mon: safe journeys onwards to Lisa on this lovely wet rainy morning –  appreciations&thx to her for taking time to visit until we may meet again, here’s to my favourite KayaToast@YaKun/Jewel despite of the line…

Perfect day to edit&update the family KwongLeeBank/KLB banking post thanks to cousinKaren for her B/W pix contribution of the KLB-Sariket&Binatang branches/Borneo.

Still unable to figure out as to where&when the above B/W KLB-branch??

From uncleKhoon’s old B/W pix, it looked like the 1937 KLB-Sibu-branch, but Karen said that the roof did not look the same?? more mystery to solve…

https://amylamsg.com/2009/01/12/kwong-lee-bank/

Tue: today marks MalaysiaDay and the day SIN joined Malaysia in 1963 (my first passport was a Malaysian passport!). In memory of LKY, SIN first PM who was born on this day in 1923, and also Happy Bday to a dear sis-in-law Ivy.

https://www.roots.gov.sg/en/stories-landing/stories/in-memoriam-lee-kuan-yew-1923-2015/story https://live2makan.com/2025/09/16/treasures-malaysia-day-1963/ 

Productive grocery day with everything cleaned,cooked,washed&packed into the fridge or freezer by noon, and a reminder to fast after 18:00hrs for a Esophagogastroduodenoscopy/EGD- oesophagogastroduodenoscopy/OGD in simple language – a stomach scope for tomorrow morning. Commonly known as gastroscopy, is a medical procedure that allows doctors to examine the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract, including the oesophagus, stomach, and duodenum. This is done using a flexible tube called a gastroscope, which is inserted through the mouth. The procedure will involve the use of local anaesthetic&sedation.

Robert Redford, a fluid physical grace and an inner radiance that sometimes makes it seem as if he’s lit from within and an avid environmentalist sadly died at the age of 89. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la5CdXgEmfw

https://screenrant.com/a-walk-in-the-woods-movie-true-story/

 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckke5522r23o

Wed: many tkx to cousinChengEn/Roy for picking up Eni to meet me@SGH for the OGD procedure – do not remember in any of  the previous procedures that states: Patient must be accompined by a Caregiver on the day of the procedure, otherwise the procedure may be postphoned. Did not want to take the risk of postphoning or cancelling the appt and all’s well that ends so far! Had one of the most peaceful short but heavy sleep under sedation. BP on the high side, and bieng a total wimp stuck with needle and surrounded with these tubes, surprising that it is not higher – hahaha.

It’s the ouch factor. Our bodies are built to avoid pain, and a sharp object jabbing us isn’t exactly on the fun list…

Coincidentally 17Uncle looks amazing well to be 91 was also having his appt@SGH – appreciations for yummy DimSum-lunch@TienCourt/CopthorneKing’s Hotel and tkx for driving me back to the EastSide on this lovely wet rainy day.

Thu: morning volunteered to another NUS-Research, this time round on NuclearEnergy@YioChuKangRd and strangely enough@YCK-Chapel/BlessCommunity, a new area for me! Bus43 on the main MP-Rd conveniently takes me on a joy-ride directly there and with the rush-hour traffic started at 08:30hrs thinking that it will take ~1hr.

Nice to be on the upper deck despite of the slight lingering condensation on the front window by the time it got to MacPherson-MRT-Sta. Beautiful Boungervillas at the overhead bridge on YCK-Rd to the church.

Delighted to see different places of worhships next to each other door to door or just across the road and do still always pray that ppl can peacefully continue to worship their choice of faith and more important to respect each other despite of the difference in cultures,religions,etc.

It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences – Audre Lorde

Clever way to cover the church fence. Interesting research with 51-Flashcards to either strongly-slight agree, not agreeing or disagreeing, slight-strongly disagreeing. They were rather disappointed that most of my answers were neither agreeing nor disagreeing! Need to sleep on that before any comments! Back to MP-hawkers for an early ChickenRice lunch and some errands before May’s arr.

14 Sep 2025 – Stamina Is Not As It Was!

Thu11Sep: in memory of 2,996ppl who lost their life in 2001.

Rainy lovely wet day – tkx to Henry for his input for the Long-Distance Through-Hikes flyer. Now to figure out how to put it together, not even sure if I remember how to use WordDoc? And which WorldMap is best to illustrate the trails??

GringoBowl(GrilledMarinatedChicken,MexicanRice,BlackBeans,Mix Cheese&salad,Chipole,Salsa)S$20;

Dessert@AwfullyChocolate – their cakes are too heavy&sweet for me but do like their milkshade. And here hei=black in Mandarin-Chinese language while in Norwegian=hi.

Fri: new (for me it is new!) hotel to check out MercureICON-SingaporeCityCentre/ClubStreet directly connected to Chinatown,TelokAyer MRT-Sta and a short walk to Maxwell MRT-Sta – nice room and conveniently located.

Lisa’s room has a nice view over Chinatown facing towards NeilRd.

Easy&slow walk on SouthBridgeRd enjoying some newly discovered nooks&crannies, explaining about the SamsuiWomen.

Former KLBank/72-74SoythBridgeRd now hoarded under renovations to be??? Interesting underground tunnel paintings towards ClarkQuay on to HillSt – imagine the Queen having take-away tea, hahaha!

Today FOC@CivilDefenceHeritageGallery/HillSt for Lisa to sit on a fire-truck – they have done a good job in this museum and a must to visit for anyone with intentions of becoming a firefighter.

While Lisa explored the PeranakanMuseum, was thinking of taking the steps up to FtCanningHill but neither the mood or energy were there, needed some peace&quiet time inside the ArmenianChurch(SIN oldest church/1836 and my favourite church) and also sat in the lovely garden thinking&meditating over family&friends, counted ~100souls of family&friends so far! who have passed on – it’s afterall the HungryGhostMonth/sometimes referred to as GuiYuè/鬼月. Stranglely was told by HKG-friend that it is not observed in HKG or China, so must be more for the Chinese in Malaysia&SIN?

https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=7948f862-350b-4a34-96ff-f13bc97e4cfc

Late lunch@Godmama/Funan to introduce Lisa to Peranakan foods – KuehPieTee/NyonyaTopHats 娘惹小金杯 AyamBuahKeluak and leading her to the NationalGallery,EmpressPlace area for her to explore – now with bleachers setting up getting ready for 3-5Nov F1Race, a reminder to avoid this area. Bus196 in front of FullertonHotel back to the EastSide just before the rush-hour-crowds feeling rather fatigue after ~12,000steps/10k.

Sat: met with Lisa on the MRT@MaxwellStaPlatformB to continue to NapierSta heading to SBG in the elegant company with the swan on SwanLake, a man-made water feature built in 1866, not long after SBG was established in 1859. Before it was called SwanLake, it was called the MainLake or FirstLake and one of the first man-made lakes here. The swan’s elegance is a reminder that beauty is best expressed through simplicity.

https://www.nparks.gov.sg/sbg/our-gardens/tanglin-entrance/swan-lake

NationalOrchidGarden boasts over 1,000 types of orchids and more than 2,000 hybrids of more species of orchids – a highly recommended visit for any orchid lovers.

https://www.parkssingapore.com/parks/national-orchid-garden/

SembcorpCoolHouse must have one of the biggest Phalaenopsis with each impressive bloom about the size of the stretched palm of a hand. Not sure what this yellow flowering curtain is but it is absolutely stunning.

https://mothership.sg/2021/04/tropical-montane-orchidetum-botanic-gardens/

Could have spent more time at the gardens but had to rush back for Lisa to get some shopping done@TinSengJewellers, bringing back memories that this was the location for the family when they shopped for jewerly.

Receipt 5Jul1973/more than half a centurey,52yrs ago! when father bought me some jewerly during a visit back here then! Jewerly have been past on to Linn&May now.

Jewelry is a treasure that lasts from one generation to another — Dana Cheng

A short rest back at the hotel follwered by more roaming about the area with soya-chicken dinner&durians before catching the MRT across the road from the BuddhaToothRelicTemple.

Sun: a good night sleep last night after ~20,000steps/15k yesterday and today is for relaxing&resting before another busy week ahead.

There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep ― Homer

10 Sep 2025 – Thank You Cousin Karen

Sun: cool&wet day with on&off rain showers all day, perfect weather for snoozing. Surface car-park here is now finally equipped with EV-chargers and the elevator-landing on the ground-floor is newly painted ‘pretty in pink‘!

Now I am totally confused, found my father’s death certificate where his DOB is stated 15Jun2011 as originally documented in the family records’ data? So will go back to the 15Jun2011 for his DOB. As for paternal grandfather’s urn, Irene has written to:

KwongWaiSiewPeckSanTheng Columbarium. 50BishanLane/SIN – have not been there since Nov2016.

This photo is of my ancestor. His name is LAM Song Kee. His urn is #11657. The urn is located at block 42/4166.

Mon: HKG-family&friends, stay away from Tapah and be safe. Running errands@PlazaSIN trying these new staircase from HandyRd-MtSophia/515steps brighter&broader compared to the old staircase dark&narrow one (now moved a block away) taken with Helen Sep2022.

Sep2022: Helen is always a great sport to tag along my spontaneous uphill walks, hahaha and this time round was to MtEmily&Sophia. It was pleasant to step on a natural path again despite it being just a few steps. MelbaCafe was closed, so will have to be another time to go inside there.

Whenever I am in this area, memories of childhood days of the grand EuVilla, and like #5TemenggongRd such a pity that it is also gone.

Sep2022: Oh well! at least the memory is still intact – sunset also means its time to head for a bite. Found the narrow never-ending stairs leading us down to between the Cathay&SOTA buildings, has been a long while ago since I took these stairs.

Today the former TowerHouse’s renovation is completed and now a clubhouse on MtSophia for the condos HausOnHandy on HandyRd.

https://remembersingapore.org/mount-sophia-tower-house/

MtSophia.

Beautifully done-up@SophiaHills

And if walking is not for you, make sure you have a car or can afford to Grab if you live here!

Nice to still see a few of the shop-house-style on SophiaRd.

Heading towards NivenRd where there are some still some old charm&personality with more low-rise-shop-house-style and a Sikh temple.

Tue: appreciations with thanks to cousin Karen for yummy lunch@家嫂Ka-Soh/GreenwoodAve – after 86 years as one of the oldest independent restaurants in SIN and pioneers of the Cantonese style fish soup that features a milky&creamy fish broth without the use of milk, sadly they will be closing their doors for good 28Sep. Pix credits to Karen with below site added Sun21Sep2025.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insider/singapore-food-beverage-eateries-closing-heritage-brands-rent-manpower-5357526

What a perfect way to end this lovely wet catch-up-day@CoffeeBean&TeaLeaf/MarineCove – HotVanilla&YuzuOsmanthusCake hit the spot today.

Wed: some quiet time before the busy social days ahead and really desperately needing to stop eating like there is no tomorrow or there will be no tomorrow…

The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison – Ann Wigmore

6 Sep 2025 – Welcome Lisa&Lily

Wed: 20yrs ago, I was the only female from SIN to complete the AppalachianTrail-Thru’hike/USA ~2,175m/3,500k in 127days. Appreciations with thanks to the press ST/27Jan2008,SundayPost/2Mar2008,MyPaper/26May2008 and even the local Chinese paper,

and magazines Prime/Mar-Apr2008,Shape/May2008 for their write-ups then. Quite a surprised to get so much attention and keep newspapers cutting+magazines to remind myself how speechless I was about completing this hike! Today I am still the only female from SIN who has hiked the AT-Thru’hike while AT-fellow-hikers are hiking the 100MileWilderness/USA now at this moment.

2 Sep 2025 – DOB Confusions…

Sun: appreciations to our beautiful fashionable hostess for Sunday’s dinner@ImperialTreasureTeoChew/Ion where one of my favourite chicken-fish-maw-shark-fin-soups. Delicate lovely potted Cuphea hyssopifolia/MexicianHeathers made nice gifts when one can present them wrapped like these.

Mon: hello Sep on a dark&early walk before sunrise&rains. View of lights towards downtown from the CrusieCentre is just an illusion of the sun – could feel the humidity and tiny drops of drizzles in the air but really quite lovey&breezy.

Amazing to get the impression that there is land across in the dark while actually they are all the lid-up tankers in the sea between Indoneaia&SIN.

After ~7,000steps headed inland to the MT-market from SiglapCanal by one of the few overhead-bridges over ECP with hardly any traffic on both sides at this time, also the best time for me to walk.

Sep starts the month of autumn and looks a busy month ahead to welcome visitors from Norway,Thailand,USA. Believe it or not but there are ~21 family-Bdays and ~40FB-friends-Bdays this month – calculate 9months back and figure it out… hahaha!

2yrs ago completed this PEI/Canada hike – will be making a presentation on long-distance hiking in Nov2025@Campers’ Corner. Date to be announced.

https://amylamsg.com/2023/09/02/pei-tip-tip-confederation-trail-ct-4/

Tue: another cool lovely wet morning with appreciations to cousin Irene(from Granduncle LAM JeeChew’s branch)for making me dig into papers/donated to National Library Board./NLB to discover that my father BG1LAM TinYue(1913-1996) was born on 15Jul1913 and not 15Jun1911 as previously stated. What a pain to have to go into all the postings to correct his year of birth. Checking to discover that 4Auntie BG4LAM PohKow(1916-2016) was born Jan1916?? and 5Uncle BG5LAM TinYick(1916-1988)in Oct1916. WOW! paternal grandmother RG1CHAN SweeNgor was prolific!

Cousin Yun tells me I remember that #4 birthday was in aug a day before mine in the lunar calender and if this is the case I am totally confused…??? Am aware that dates may not be accurate as the older generation used the lunar calendar but do want to at least get the years correct on the family tree while waiting for nephew Raymond to confirm the DOB of his grandmother.

30 Aug 2025 –  Flu-Shot

Wed: bringing lunch to sisJo now age 88, her helper on leave in the Philippines and Micheal away – nice to see her with such a good appetite enjoying the CCF&Congee from MT-market and being me knew that she, like me would like lots of extra condiments.

She is amazing and has impressive green&nimble fingers – made a bag full of these beautiful paper-quilled gift cards.

KeDongDong/Spondias dulcis is a tropical fruit that grows in equatorial climates, it is also known as Ambarella or SpanishPlum.  Calamansi/Citrus × microcarpa, also known as Calamondin is a hybrid of kumquat&mandarin orange. Both here bontiful with fruits – appreciations with thanks for a bag of these self-picked from her garden.

Have not seen a StarfruitTree/Carambola for a long while, bringing back memories with one at the courtyard@5TemenggongRd.

Delighted to see what can grow within a small patch of green in these semi-detatched-residents, like a SecretGarden!

It made her think that it was curious how much nicer a person looked when he smiled ― FH Burnett/The Secret Garden

Thu: Garry mentioned MealsOnWheels, triggering off memory of a visit when broLawrence moved for his boys’ schooling in Sydney/Australia when I volunteer doing some MealsOnWheels then. Garry was telling me about a friend who had a stroke and lost his memory, but when going thru’ some of his images on FB-posting managed to bring back some glimpse. Definitely a reason to blog&post on FB with images, not only for reference but for that it can&will be a reminder someday if&when needed. Experiences&glimpse into the past can hopefully be lessons for the future…  https://amylamsg.com/2009/11/05/trolls-brain/

In May2013 my blog was approached by the SingaporeMemoryProject/SMP but busy and did not follow-up and now too lazy… https://www.singaporememories.gov.sg/

How often do we tell our own life story? How often do we adjust, embellish, make sly cuts? And the longer life goes on, the fewer are those around to challenge our account, to remind us that our life is not our life, merely the story we have told about our life. Told to others, but—mainly—to ourselves ― Julian Barnes/The Sense of an Ending.

Fri: views of both sides of KampongBahruRd@overhead bridge from KB-BusTerminal to SGH for follow-up,flu-shot,prescription refilled.

Since in the area when energy permits would also wander into Chinatown. Views of both sides of EuTongSengSt&N-BridgeRd at the overhead bridge from ChinatownPt to Ppl’sPkCentre to discover that Ppl’sPkComplex is newly painted red making it easier to distinguish the difference from Ppl’sPkCentre. Advantage for me to not go to wrong location, yes it has happened – hahaha!

Next to one of the first few ijooz machines now is a new ReadYourFuture machine and believe it or not, today’s entertainment cost S$2 worth of common sense reminder! Remember that your health needs serenity and good mood.

Do like how this public phone is incorporated on the mural here somewhere on UpperCrossSt. Seldom but cute to see ppl dressed in matching material clothes remembering how fun it was those days when the kids were dressed in matching clothes.

Sat: ~02.30hrs got up to close the windows completely, depending on the intensity of the pitter-patters on the AC-compressor by the bedroom window. Completely=heavy downpours=AC or fan to be turned on otherwise stuffy within the 4walls which also means interrupted sleep. A snoozing day in perfect weather for recoving from a flu-shot with a book.

The person who deserves most pity is a lonesome one on a rainy day who doesn’t know how to read – Benjamin Franklin

26 Aug 2025 – 15K80Singer Sewing Machine

Sat: Fairmont Hotel – Flavours of Singapore High Tea@ANTI.DOTE

CendolSunriseMocktail – excellent&refreshing. Lyre’sLondonDry,RedBeanSyrup,CoconutWater.CitricSolution,PandanFoam

Savouries: Chinese,Malay,Indian.Perankan,Eurasian.

Sweets: TrafficLightCake,KuehSalat,PutuPiring,

PaniPuri,OrhNee,EggToast,Kopi&Tea,Scones and VanillaBourbonTea.

Every bite was tastefully presented inside out in cozy ambience with his paintings on the walls to evoke an aura of traditional SIN where the diversity of coexisting in harmony that makes SIN truly unique. Highly recommended S$68pp but reservations necessary before it ends on 30Sep2025.

RafflesCity:  across N-BridgeRd is the HQ of SMRT/former CHIJ-classrooms.

Food-court was under renovation when last here, now its TheFoodPlace where the NasiPadang looks inviting, will try another time.

New Kino here has nice SIN-gifts. Hazy evening and wondering if Indonesia is again at their forest fires but then was reminded that it is 1st of the 7thMonth/LunarCalendar starting the HungryGhostMonth. Need to get indoors and shut the windows with the AC – the never-ending of beliefs,faith,hopes,etc triumph over logic&reality again! Our humanness makes us vulnerable and we all seek solace in different ways, depending on the devils that haunt one from life’s experiences that determine what manner of solace we choose.

Sun: Wow! imagine this outside by your window! Where do they all come from? Was not aware that there are so many parakeets flying freely about at ChoaChuKang with at least ~250 of them perched on one tree. If energy&mood permit, might even wander about there to see it for real but will NOT stand under this tree – hahaha, pix downloaded from ST.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/large-flocks-of-parakeets-a-spectacle-in-choa-chu-kang-but-they-may-affect-native-species

Appreciations for SundayDinner@Rochalie, first taste for this yummy Promfet wrapped in seaweed but the abalone was a challenge for the denture – hahaha! Tkx for these fresh 楊梅 YeongMui/BayBerry, been a long while ago since last tasted these berries and used to confused them with 山楂果 HawthornBerry which in CTM is one of the most commonly recommended foods to help treat high blood pressure

Hardly go into the gazebo now that it is enclosed wtih the new portrait! Enjoyed a few minutes sitting by the slightly opened door to savour some fruits+a glass of Port with the family while no one was smoking within.

Mon: its back to schools for both Norway&US-flock with 3 at the universities on full scholarships and 3 into HighSchools. Missing them&looking much forward to being with them again. Watching them off to their own life is such a blessing but also a reminder to enjoy our moments as our time here is getting shorter! #1Katy will be completing her Masters@UofSC end of this year and getting married Feb2026 – tickets are booked to be there. A good semester to them and a fabulous week ahead to all – pix credits to Linn who is an amazing daughter&mother and a wonderful teacher.

Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead – Nora Ephron

Tkx to neighbour who was going to rid&trash this old sewing machine bringing back childhood memories when mother sewed all my clothes on such a machine and where she taught me basic sewing, also by the window!

A Stitch in Time Saves Nine – Proverb

CK-Lim/9672 5786 who makes house-call said that it is in decent useable condition after cleaning&oiling+replacing the cable taking ~2hrsS$100. Found the original receipt costing S$340 in 1951 ~S$4,181 today – strangely the UserManualGuide is in Malay.

Tue: welcome Garry – introducing to him 红星酒家RedStarRestaurant. Have always wanted to try out the food here and the pushcarts certainly brought back happy childhood memories of Sundays lunches with the Kwoks and Leungs…

For more than 5decades, this location has and still serves DimSum on traditional pushcarts+most still speak Cantonese here, advantage for me!  點心DimSum/Cantonese=literally to touch the heart. What a pleasant surprise to bump into VictorYue, another Cantonese connection.

22 Aug 2025 – Heartbeat@Bedok

Tue: bright&early for SGH-appt and so far all is OK with the lungs. Chinatown to check out this Dim-Sum/YumCha but unfortunately they do not take reservations for weekends – looks interesting, will return to try the DimSum there someday. DimSum is the heart&soul of Cantonese cuisine

SmithSt’s hawkers are no longer, still a pedestrian street now revamped into trendy shops. Did not attempted to go inside considering that MeiHeongYuen’s shaved-ice is now $8 – do remember paying $5 not that long ago!

More new eateries on S-BridgeRd towards the MRT-TEl-MaxwellSta/Exit2 at the controverisal Smoking-Samsui-Woman wall-mural. This mural, painted by Dunston/Jun2024 was the centrepiece of a debate regarding its appropriateness and she is here to stay until she fades! but a new plaque has been installed. The anti-smoking message is written at the bottom of the plaque: The artist stresses that the cigarette depiction is not intended to glamorise or promote tobacco use. Smoking has been shown to be extremely harmful to one’s health.

https://mothership.sg/2025/07/samsui-woman-mural-chinatown-smoking-plaque/

Quite a contrast and different from Yips’s wall mural. https://vimeo.com/646312082

Back to the EastSide for a short nap before heading to PP for some errands&dinner with Clement. Enjoy walking with awarness&appreciations with these delightful flowers on the way – thanks for DimSumDinner@CantonParadise. ~12,000steps today was good enough to put me to a needed good night sleep after a few nights of not so restful sleep.

Wed: bought new cover for the ironing board and sewing a new cover for the sleeve-ironging-board.  Repairing kitchen curtains which was done some years ago – just goes to show how strong the sun facing the kitchen window can fade the colours and tearing the folds of this strong material. Do not like to waste buying or throwing if possible to be repaired – sewing with audio-book or music is such a good constructive therapy for now – sewing mends the soul/Miriam Albright

Thu: dentist appt at Heartbeat@Bedok – do always enjoy this location with the HangingGardens. Nothing serious, check-up,cleaning&polishing and yeah no decay.

Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth – MalloryHopkins

Fun ProjectCitizens with nice displays and info boards – can you still remember when you got your first PinkIC? Hopefully most of us will also probably remember the number too…

Pleased with this dress using CDCvouchersS$20 paid S$2

Fri: exchanging sports bra@Decathlon/Kallang – pick up these flowers from the ground while the foreign workers were trimming the hedges and one of them even helped, could not bear to waste these beautiful blooms when this arrangement can be appreciated even for just a moment. Lunching on one of my favourietes yummy PrawnMee@EC-Rd.

18 Aug 2025 – HollandVillage/V & NorthSouthCorridor/NSC

Fri: HollandV – once a burial ground and military village now a trendy-hip area. Named after HughHolland/1907, an architect from an early resident of the area. MRT-sta/2011 and with 4shopping centres with the latest OneHollandVillage/2023 – a pet friendly mall.

During the 1960s-80s, HollandV was vibrant for its bohemian spirit – artists, musicians, writers came for the open-minded vibe, the relaxed cafes, and the European-style pubs where you could have a pint while listening to live jazz.

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment – Ralph Waldo Emerson’

HollandPiazza/2018,HollandRdShoppingCentre,Raffles definitely no lack for eateries,shop,etc… but do wonder how many of these malls will manage to sustain amid all the other rapid modern developments over the island?

https://hollandproperty.com.sg/history-of-holland-village/

Sat: bus48 on route to Campers’ and wondering if I will live to see the completion of this section of Rochor/BkTimahRd – NorthSouthCorridor/NSC. It is no wonder when sinkholes happen with so much digging under and piling on top on such a tiny island!

https://propertyreviewsg.com/north-south-corridor/

Japanese tea ceremony, known as chanoyu or sadō, is a ritual centered around the preparation&serving of matcha tea (a finely ground powder made from specially grown green tea leaves packed with antioxidents), reflecting harmony,respect,purity&tranquility. This brings back vivid memory of Hiroko when she first introduced this ritual to me in the 1970s,Tromsø/Norway where it was unusual to see a Chinese or Japanese person there then!

Have adapted this tea rutual as part of my life and try to do a simiple version for myself at least once a month for the past 3decades. The challenge is getting good reputable matcha and tkx to Yoshie for the newest. The purpose is about being present in the moment and remembering that this very moment will never come back again – good for body&soul.

Appreciations with thanks to Calvin,CC-staff+Guests-of-Honour for this day.

https://mai-ko.com/travel/culture-in-japan/tea-ceremony/the-japanese-tea-ceremony-explained/

The tea ceremony is about finding order, balance, and harmony within yourself and with those you have invited to share the experience – Bacarr

Sun: #1 was off to college today 5yrs ago. Another lifetime ago since driving Linn to UF,FL,USA/1993, then a visit to welcome Katy in OK,USA/2002. And now she is preparing for her wedding – with tickets booked, looking forward to my precious KT-Bug’s wedding in Feb2026. 

Mon: remembering all the brave ppl who lost their life in WWII. Today 80yrs ago my late maternal journalist 8thUncle, Eddie TSENG (1915-1988), was one of a handful of reporters aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay who witnessed the PEACE signing.

There’s no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending. – Abraham Lincoln

New curtains for back-room done&hung, about time as the old ones ones days were getting flimsy&discoloured by the strong afternoon sun facing west. Hopefully these new ones will last for this lifetime…

And when an architect has designed a house with large windows, which is a necessity today in order to pull the daylight into these very deep houses, then curtains come to play a big role in architecture – Arne Jacobsen

14 Aug 2025 – Down Memory Lanes – CHIJ

Mon: HennaPaintingParty, complimenting Devon’s beautiful real finger nails. She tells me that she even plays the guitar! amazing how she does it. When first in USA/1985, tried acrylic nails but was so helpless with them and gave them up after a few trials. Appreciations with tkx for dinner – my contribution is a salad to go with this scrumpious freshly steamed-Pomfret鬥鰱 which really went down well for Eliot. Theresa’s roast-beef+sauce was yummy.

Tue: memories from 2decades ago, Aug seemed to be a month for long-distance-hikes and time to prepare a talk on this subject highlighting on the hike below:

30Apr-3Sep 2005: USA Appalachian Trail ~3,500k/2,175m – 127days
2-6Mar2012: HKG MacLehose Trail  ~100k/62m – 5days
27Jul-11Aug2013: England UKc2c  ~309k/192m – 16days
13Aug-1Sep2023: CanadaPEI Tip-Tip-Confederation Trail  ~273km k/170m

Hiking often means walking for several hours a day ~2/3hrs to a full day and is considered a long-hike. Trekking or long-distance-hiking or thru-hiking refer to multi-day hikes, long-distance trails. https://outdoorswithnolimits.com/long-distance-hiking-guide/

20yrs ago: 12Aug2005 – AT-Thru-Hike-Day105 hiking ~33k/21m somwhere in NH/USA.

Why does Yohanan say that one may pray all day long? Because prayer never loses its value – Talmud

12yrs ago: 12Aug2013 – UKc2cDay16 ~25km from Grosmont – Robin Hood’s Bay completing this 309k/192m thru’hike in 16days. RobinHood’sBay is a small fishing village and a bay located within the North York Moors National Park, 5mi S of Whitby and 15mi N of Scarborough on the coast of North Yorkshire. Early history about pirates and smuggling seem to be part of it…

It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end – Ernest Hemingway…

2yrs ago: 12Aug2023 – PEI-IslandWalkDay9 ~23k/15m~8+hrs including rest stops. O’Leary-McNeillsRd on the ConfederationTrail where the first(for me) solar-panel-composting-toilet was located on this beautiful day. Dinner@Vinny’s/O’Leary.

You never know what peace is until you walk on the shores or in the fields or along the winding red roads of Prince Edward Island in a summer twilight when the dew is falling and the old stars are peeping out and the sea keeps its mighty tryst with the little land it loves – LM Montgomery

Wed: more down memory lane to 1980s-90s in FL/USA. 1988 moving into Carmel; 1989 Linn’s Bday-pool-party when I dropped the Bday-cake! no clubhouse yet, 1990 LHHS-Homecoming with Scott. These kids are now parents with grown-up-kids who are about to get married!! Thank you for the good memories with the help of FB and my blog.

https://amylamsg.com/2009/11/05/trolls-brain/

Thu: another joy-ride towards the WestSide, strange as I do not frequent this area and today is the 3rd within the past 2weeks! CHIJ-OurLadyQueen of Peace@ChestnutDrive to celebrate SrMariaLau/1962-VictoriaSt-CHIJ-classmate’s Bday. The last time here was to pick SrD for an IGAS-event ~20yrs ago. And now this building here is named in her memory, may she RIP

Appreciations with thanks to YokeMing for arranging&picking up Thai-food/ThaiNoodleHse,CoronationRd and tkx to Mag for including me – usually away from SIN this time of the year. Sorry to hear of Sylvia’ s passing, may she RIP.

For ppl who do not have sweet tooth or otherwise, what a good idea with this yummy ChineseOliveRice Bday cake, remembering the NasiLemak Bday the other savoury Bday cake tasted – must try it with NasiUlam…

Thanks to Penny for the ride back to the EastSide – the cherries&grapes flew away quickly…

The wiser mind mourns less for what age takes away than what it leaves behind –  William Wordsworth’