13 Nov 2015 – My Favourite Local Actor

Thu: lunch at National Museum Food For Thought***The calamari-bacon salad was tasty and no matter what anyone says about bacon or any other food – everything to moderation.

My favourite local actor, Lim Kay Tong was also lunching there. Saw him on TV first when visiting SIN in the 1990s with Growing Up**** Forever Fever (1998)**** and this year in 1965**** where he was LKY…

telling the engaging and touching stories of immigrants and natives during the time leading up to the independence of SIN. The protagonists were a part of history in the making; they become the pioneer generation who live to see beyond the prejudice and fear of racial hatred and ultimately face the challenge of nation building – a mirror reflecting the fragility of racial harmony in our world today.

SIN National Museum never fail to impress me. Really like the way how the contrast of old and new

are jointed together without destroying or demolishing the old.

German Film Festival – Angst Vor Der Angst/Fear Of Fear**Margot knows that the anxieties she began to feel in the last months of her pregnancy and that have become worse since the birth of her child. She loses herself to a crippling fear of fear.

Two nights of Margit Carstensen’s acting is enough!

Fri: looks like another dark German movie tonight – I Only Want You To Love Me. Giving that a pass for something more cheerful and looks like I have broken a finger!!!

About a year ago, during SIN 25th International Film Festival/SGIFF, was unable to attend the last two movies as I was hospitalized. Getting paranoid about film festivals and Fri 13th 🙁

12 Nov 2015 – Festival of Lights

Mon: the advantage of being a senior and living in public housing in SIN – 4 safety handle bars (the white ones) installed in my bathroom for S$25.68 ie paying 3% and 97% subsidized by AhKong.

Tue: to those celebrating, Happy Deepavali/Diwali, a public holiday here in SIN. To those who wonder what this is all about – the ‘Festival of Lights’ dates back to ancient India, commemorating the triumph of light over darkness and the victory of good over evil.

For some, this also marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. The diversities and multi-cultural backgrounds in SIN are quite unique. We celebrate new years for the Chinese, Indians, Malays and the 1Jan, public holidays for all.

Feeling blessed and looking forward to tasting the food in colourful Little India. Being no fan of crowds+heat, will go another day to eat my favourtie chicken biryani at Tekka Market.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/in-pictures-little-india/2248212.html?cid=FBSG

Diwali pix downloaded from various sites.

Wed: Myanmar President Thein Sein congratulated democratic champion Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday (Nov 11), as her party appeared to have trounced the ruling camp in the first free election in 25 years and inched towards an absolute majority in parliament…

http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/myanmar-president-thein-sein-congratulates-aung-san-suu-kyi-vows-stable-transition

Watched 2 movies and should have just not have done both on the same day as they were rather depressing flicks. Drop Box***One winter, a pastor finds an abandoned infant on his church steps, and builds ‘a drop box’ to rescue any future foundlings. Reminded me of the ‘Gate of Hope’ at CHIJ.

Award-Winning Documentary About Life.

19th German Film Festival 2015 started last weekend. Managed to get 3 free tickets featuring at the National Museum. Martha***Marriage and patriarchal dominance where Fassbinder draws his audience into the complex emotional trap of Martha, an overly obedient wife on her path to destruction at the hands of a cruel possessive and sadistic husband.

9 Nov 2015 – In SIN & Myanma

Leaders of China Mr Xi and Taiwan Mr Ma will be meeting in SIN Shangri-La Hotel for talks. This is quite a historic event. The last official meeting between China & Taiwan was in 1949! Let’s hope and pray that the outcome will be good and peaceful for all. Pix credits to ST.

Fri & Sat: TGIF and have a good one. Let’s catch up at Campers’ Corner where I will be serving Sangria at their Arc’teryx Fall 2015 Sales. Quoting Garry – Amy running the drinks.? Like Dracula in the blood bank methinks...  🙂 🙂 🙂

Sun: needed to recover from the Sangria and from standing for 2days! Woken by the drums and singing. Thinking it was another Malay wedding at the common areas, but it turned out to be some Malay Heritage awareness. Too tired to bring myself downstairs. Just these 2 pix taken on the way to the bus and was short of time.

Supporting The Necessary Stage’s Theatre for Seniors at the Esplanade featuring brand new works by members. Rise of the Phoenix comprises two plays—Waste***chronicles the story of Peter Lee, a tour guide whose wife leaves him and is haunted by the ghost of his mother, and Lost***explores the relationships and the revelation of unspoken truths as a mother leaves her family.

Pleasant surprise to bump into Eleanor who I have not seen for ages! Glad to learn about Semakau Landfill from the play. Had no idea about this island until today. Must visit this impressive island made of rubbish! Semakau pix downloaded.

http://www.zerowastesg.com/tag/semakau-landfill/

Mon: good Mon morning. Safe journeys and hikes to Calvin, SengTeong and PengHann who will be heading to Taiwan. Testing out this HMG ultralite backpack for future use. Appreciations to Calvin of CC for the pack.

http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/controlled-excitement-among-myanmars-voters-as-election-is-conducted-peacefully

Another historic moment to be inserted into history books.

5 Nov 2015 – Also Back To The World Of Acronyms!

Tue: appreciations to Yoshie for meeting up with the info on Japan and also for the loan of her useful book. Looks like KK has planned the perfect itinerary – off the beaten path and that suits me completely.  Looking forward to my first experience in Japan.

Wed: back in action at East Cast Park and only 5mins walk to get there. As usual am there before sunrise and the crowds. This is when SIN is at its best – quiet and peaceful. The serenity of waves smashing ashore is comforting to the ears.

Good morning and welcome to SIN to whoever are on those planes – counted at least 5 preparing for landing within 1min. After a few minutes, one gets used to the droning of these jets and they become a part of the walk.

Also here with the never-ending constructions. The McD is no longer and will be replaced by some project name ‘Marine Cove’!

The path to Gardens By The Bay is completed, app 6k and when I do walk there, will start much earlier.

Amazing trees and roots along the walk, reminding me to not get caught in these intrigue and manipulating situations, not seeing an objective whole pix of life. Thus not getting trapped in negative and nonconstructive circumstances with words or actions.

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in – Greek proverb

Good to see that people are enjoying their morning activities in groups or alone, but that means that it is time to head for a shower. Nice to see the sun after months of haze.

Random pix at ECP today…

Little darling
The smiles returning to the faces
Little darling
It seems like years since it’s been here

Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun,
and I say, It’s all right – Lennon/Harrison/McCartney

Edited –

Thu: Bridge or Spies****based on a true story in the year 1960 about the U-2 incident, where an American lawyer named James Donovan is recruited by the CIA during the Cold War with the mission to rescue a pilot named Francis Gary Powers, who has been detained by the Soviet Union.

Steven Spielberg & Tom Hanks seldom disappoint me!

Movie afternoon and evening at Vivocity GV

Spectre 2015***while M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind Spectre.

‘Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion’, a global terrorist organization that plays a major role in the Bond stories. Still miss the old 007 with Sean Connery…

Appreciations to Yulis for the premier invite and for a yummy champagne spread. That is the best way to watch a movie 🙂

2 Nov 2105 – And All Souls Day

Fri: running errands and picking up meds at MtE. Tkx to Peggy for lunch at Sophie’s New Green Pastures Cafe**** is by far the best vegetarian restaurant in SIN.

Sat: grocery shopping at the wet market and day in the kitchen chopping. Halloween dinner at CC. Appreciations to Calvin for providing the otah-otah, prawns, beer and wines.

Sun: this weekend is the best time to make ‘Nasi Ulum’ for family & friends – with at least 10 different herbs finely chopped to be consumed raw mixed into cooked rice. All the herbs and spices are there to ward of any demons, dark forces, evils, etc over All Saints Day today and carrying on to All Souls Day tomorrow…

Belated Bday celebrations to Kiera(12), May, Adeline and Ivy. Tkx to Les&Ivy for dinner and to Lee&Adeline for a yummy Tiramisu. Good to catch up with May&Albert too.

SunSun(8) tells me that she prefers to be known as her nickname than Isabelle, so SunSun she will be. How time flies!

Will be taking a walk down some of these places on the link below. These so-called haunted places anywhere in the world usually have the most interesting history and stories. Have been  to 9 out of the 10 listed below, so will have to head to Woodleigh MRT, the former Bidadari Cemetary one day soon.

Must admit that I was slightly uncomfortable with during a night visit at Ft Canning Pk some moons ago, but that does not stop me from still visiting. The existing map, now edited was designed by Chan & I when we were working in H&H. So I do know that location inside out! We also designed this brochure with map and info (no more in use) over a decade ago. Kept it as it was my favourite project.

http://www.stuff.tv/sg/features/10-most-haunted-places-in-singapore/7-bukit-brown

Edited – another interesting SIN Dark Past link

http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/places-in-singapore-with-a-dark-past#xtor=CS1-10

Mon: All Souls Day and may the departed ones RIP and the ones still are find Peace. It is a commemoration of the departed and is observed primarily in the Catholic Church. Its origins date back to European folklore related to customs of veneration practiced worldwide thru’ events like the Mexican Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) or the Chinese Ghost Festival.

What is the difference between the soul and the spirit???????

Tkx Kirsten for sharing her beautiful misty pix where I took many walks when living in this neighbourhood at Kolsås/Norway. Thoughts of Babs Moe and Helga Aarflot, may they RIP there.

Heart Attack***Freelance graphic designer Yoon (Sunny Suwanmethanon) goes to a doctor for a rash that spreads all over his body. The doctor warns him that he needs to take on fewer jobs to get better, but that proves to be difficult for the workaholic Yoon.

These Thai names are not the easiest names to remember or write! A slow movie where Thai actor Sunny goes quite far in shedding his heart-throb image…

Special Nov date:

30 Oct 2015 – And Rediscovering Suntec City

The Bios Urn – Let’s convert cemeteries into forests!

The Bios Urn is a fully biodegradable urn designed to convert you into a tree after life. Mainly composed of two parts, the urn contains a seed which will grow to in the name of your loved one. Bios Urn turns death into a transformation and a return to life through nature.

Pay attention to something he said about SIN – ‘transport this to SIN who is neutral and will give it to the world’. Let’s hope he is right about SIN as his ideas are brilliant and for the good to the whole world…

http://billionsinchange.com/film

Thu: happy to see blue sky and to have watched Baby Steps***where Danny and his boyfriend, Tate, want to have a child of their own but their journey to parenthood becomes complicated when Danny’s meddlesome mother tries to take control of the couple’s every decision. A good progressive Taiwan movie with a message of tolerance and love showing at Suntec GV,

Took the chance to rediscover Suntec City where only The Fountain of Youth seems to be the only constant fixture.

The new Sky Garden is now open and there is no lack of eateries. Looking at the cars displayed, I can also imagine what kind of clienteles are expected here!

South Beach standing on 3.5-hectar with 2 new blocks comprising of offices, a hotel, shops and residences on Nicoll Highway. Quite impressive, would like to be able to get up to the pent house some day!

The project includes the restoration of 4 conservation buildings – the former Non-Commissioned Officers’ Club building and part of the former Beach Road Camp which brought the memory back to the 1950s where I was there for a wedding. Glad to see somewhere still in the memory in this very modern project.

An old school mate, Melinda Lewis was one of them in the wedding group, must reconnect with her and ask whose wedding was it? Do remember that my cousin Des (may he RIP) was with me. So can presume that they are either family or friends of aunty Winnie.

Fri: good news today considering the tears and the scene I caused at the first and only bull-fight I attended in Spain/1960s not knowing what the reality of bull-fight was about then. Poor father, he was totally embarrassed by me!

Bull fighting or any animals used for fighting is cruelty against animals or any living creatures who has a life and can feel. This should NEVER have been approved least to even say subsidized !!!

http://www.peta.org.uk/blog/victory-european-parliament-votes-end-subsidies-bullfighting/

29 Oct 2015 – Getting Lost In Translation

Heartbreak is how we mature, there is almost no path a human being can follow that does not lead to heartbreak – David Whyte

http://www.davidwhyte.com/biography.html

https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/04/29/david-whyte-consolations-words/

This constant dialogue between reality and illusion, moderated by our use of language, is what poet and philosopher David Whyte explores in Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words

Norwegian for ‘the inescapable euphoria experienced as you begin to fall in love,’ from ‘Lost in Translation’ by Ella Frances Sanders.

Too often words get misinterpreted causing misunderstands, heartaches, etc – thus when a question is asked of me, sometimes need return with the question for the definition of whatever is asked, and that can be rather tiring at times…

Tkx Matty for this share and yes how important it is to promote what you love and to be positive. Like this cheerful and colourful painting by Paula Nicho Cumez. Water lily somehow gives me a positive serenity.

Mon: one of the MRT lines is down due to some power failure. Free bus rides for the areas effected. Interesting to get caught in the rush-hour traffic. People were civilized in the packed-bus and glad to see that everybody behaved. Had to close my eyes as it was too tight for comfort. Tkx Faith for lunch at IKEA. Had some food shopping to do there and nice to be able to catch up.

Tue: Happy 91 Bday to Ellen L&M Norwegian grandmother (pix from 1985 just before we moved to the US). Appreciations to LuLu from Miri/Sarawak for stopping by to share the salad. Take care, stay safe and have a good stay in hazy SIN. Purple sweet potato is my favourite potato and it is not always one can find these at the wet market.

Wed: most welcoming morning rains and today’s PSI 80+ under 100, first since my return. Time for a walk in my neck of the woods to see what is new.

Choices galore where eating is concern here on the East-side. Difficult decision when passing by Beach Rd PrawnMee, but did not feel like anything soupy. Glory**** for a popiah (薄餅), SIN spring-roll was more in mind.

Thu: it saddens me to have to share this link, but people ought to be aware and be very weary about food ‘Made in China’. Here is a typical case of ‘money is the root of all kinds of evil’. When their milk and infant formulas can be adulterated with melamine, what else will they not do to earn money???

http://www.timefornaturalhealthcare.com/be-careful-what-you-buy-plastic-rice-is-spreading-across-asia/

The Martian****astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a severe storm in Mars and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring him home…

Good acting and effects with a sense of humour. No violence or villains but with everyone working together to bring a stranded astronaut home.

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful – Buddha

25 Oct 2015 – Why 66 Is Better Than 28…

A few days ago read about this newly published book. About a month ago, a write-up interviewing me in ST/13 ST 2015 by Ho Ai Li about swim meets in SIN 50yrs ago. How coincident can this be? The message is loud and clear – start planning for another long-distance hike and if help, health and logistics permit, will put the plans into action!

2 Sep 2013, Diana Nyad age 64yrs emerged onto the sands of Key West after swimming 111miles from Cuba to Florida across this stretch of shark-infested waters in 53hrs – an epic feat of both endurance and human will.

Yes, this is a one-way journey we’re all traveling, and it has an endpoint. We have to get real. I can’t pretend I’m not a whole lot closer to the end than ever before. I accept the lines on the face, cartilage thinning in the knees, the breasts riding lower and lower – Diana Nyad’s memoir ‘Find a Way’

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-nyad-no-limits-aging-20151021-story.html

Thu: going thru’ the movie screenings online and decided to watch ‘Are You Here’ at Bugis Filmgarde. Was expecting to see an American comedy, but what a total shock to be watching some Chinese horror.

And it was the correct cinema according to my ticket…

http://movies.insing.com/movie/are-you-here-2014/id-9de70000/showtimes/

Wrote to Filmgarde to inform them of the situation and that being a senior does not mean the I can be so mistaken! Was there some confusion? or did I get lost in translation??

A prompt apologetic reply explaining that insing.com has placed the wrong movie poster on their site. Would MOST certainly NOT watch this movie with such a poster, even if you pay me…

Pix credits to Rico Hizon

Fri: with haze PSI readings of 200+ better stay indoors after my early morning marketing. Good morning Merlion – mascot and national personification of SIN, please puff away the haze with whatever powers that is within you. We in SIN will help to do the rain-dance to welcome the wet season which is sooo desperately needed…

Sat: thank you to Calvin and co at CC for yummy food and drinks. The new rope machine is quite something. Appreciations to Chris & Freddie for taking care of the dishes –  that is where I like to see my younger men, behind the kitchen sink 🙂

River Nights Festival – Colour of Lights lit up the historical SIN River and Empress Place. A walk around the ACM grounds and by the SIN River with performances at the Empress Lawn by T’ang Quartet and Vocaluptuous made a delightful evening with a breeze in spite of the haze, which actually was OK considering the result of these pix taken!

Thank you Yoshie for her company. Nice to see just a small crowd on the grounds of Empress Place, like the days at SBG when the SSO first performed outdoors there. Now the UNESCO grounds is too crowded for me on performance nights.

Fantastic job done with the revamp of then Victoria Memorial Hall, now Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall, both inside out. Amazing to think back when first inside there (no AC then) 1955-56? where mother was part of the Association for the Blind raising money at a charity bazaar. Dressed by our parents! as some mascots for the Chinese stall.

A year later 1957 other stalls followed the idea and here gathered on stage in The Victoria Memorial Hall then. Group pix found in the The National Archives of Singapore@1 Canning Rise and I have the original.

Sun: have to get my act together. Seems like life has been in a daze over the past week. Just having some not so good days in this haze. Prayers and thoughts for the sufferings and the lost of all kinds of habitats and life in these on-going fires. This is sooo very wrong and I feel sooo helpless. No pix needed here as they will make me sadder 🙁

Tkx Aud for the company and for cheering me up.

23 Oct 2015 – And Star Wars

Tue: today was at Orchard Rd and Dali’s ‘Profile of Time’ has time out. It was only last week I took the pix of it. Wonder if it will return? Did not believe my eyes – Christmas decorations are out and it is not even Halloween yet !!!!!!!

Watched 2 movies and did some grocery shopping since I was in the area.

Boulevard***is a movie about choosing truth, regardless of how many years may have been lost to a lie. A devoted husband in a marriage of convenience is forced to confront his secret life.

In retrospect, this seems an homage to the other side of the comedy mask Robin Williams wore. In many ways it is his Ave Atque Vale. Sensitive, subtle, deep, and heart- wrenchingly real, it is a fine yet sad way to say goodbye to RW – gradyharp

The Intern****a retired successful business owner and widower lands an internship at a fashion website run by a young, career-driven woman. Enjoy watching a movie when there’s no villain, ie bad guy in it.

Light comedy that offers entertainment which also touches on women’s rights and the elderly at the workplace. Some hope for me to be an intern somewhere 🙂

Wed: before filing away and forgetting, would like to remember some of my favourites contrast of the old (1700-1800s) with the new (1900-2000s) combinations from OSL/Norway.

The National Theatre (1829)
Designed by architect Henrik Bull.

http://www.union-theatres-europe.eu/UNIQ144540484831477/national_theatre_oslo

The Peacock Fountain was placed in 1989. Designed by Carl Nesjar (tkx to Kris for that info) and given to the city of OSL by Christian Ringnes, a businessman whose family started the country’s largest brewery Ringnes more than 100yrs ago.

St Olavs Plass (1864)

This square is located at the junction St. Olavsgate, Munchs gate, Langes gate and Universitetsgata. The yellow building was formally Rikshospitalet Apothek/The National Hospital’s Pharmacy (1872). Now a cafe and bar.

Center piece at St Olavs Plass. ‘Water Fountain Sculpture’ is designed by Sven Påhlson.

Oslo sentralstasjon/Oslo Central Station, abb Oslo S is the main railway station in OSL  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_Central_Station

Norway being one of the oldest and strongest marine nations and this pix is my favourite for contrast of floating vessels.

Back to the Future: has it really been 30yrs ago??? That will add up to be 50yrs ago since I first left SIN and 30yrs ago I moved away from Norway. Do like the idea of self-tying shoes, especially at this stage when the knees and the back are not so cooperative 🙂 🙂 But US$10,000+ is a bit unrealistic.

Today the ‘Force Awakens’, but having problems to get thru’ corruption, deception and the galaxy of haze!!! May the Force be with us all.

Another exciting premiere will be taking place end of this month in China and Norway, a contemporary opera. Heard some bits of it and the music does not appeal to me, but would be interested to read the libretto someday.

When Nora walked out the door leaving her husband and children behind, in Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’ in 1879, her future was a question mark.  Today 136 years later, it still is. The Opera ‘NORA – too late’ takes a new look on this iconic and world famous figure of the stage.

Librettist Jon Fosse is looking at the dilemma of Nora from a human, contemporary perspective while keeping the main focus on the three Women of the Opera. Du Wei’s composition is transcending Fosse’s text, interpreting its silence through a captivating, musical language that is both very emotional and personal.

20 Oct 2015 – Of Past & Present

Mon: catching up with newspapers headlines collected on the flights before putting them into the recycle bin. Unbelievable amount of junk, bad journalism, depressing news, etc. Do people really pay money to read such trash?

The link below has inspired this posting.

http://digitalsynopsis.com/design/reflections-of-the-past-tom-hussey/

Some amazing pix to remind us, the senior citizens, that yes we are aging and that is reality. Reflect back and remember the blessings in your life’s journey. Live and enjoy every moment to the fullest with the time we have left…

A comment from Julie in NC/USA: My mom told me that my aging dad, a tall and handsome captain of a ship in his younger days, used to look at his reflection and sigh a deep sigh. I interpreted it as , ‘Look at me now.’
After reading this, maybe he was seeing the reflection of his younger self but his sigh still meant ‘Look at me now.’ It was the tenor of his sigh.

My reply: For me the sigh can be interpreted – those were the days, been there, done that and glad that I do not have to do it again…

But then as Munch said – the truth lies between two lies 🙂

1981 – Norway

33yrs later 2014 – USA

This is what happens when I get stuck indoors. Took me forever but eventually found the pix (1961) with my first camera and 50yrs later in 2011 at Yulis wedding with a digital one.

Still enjoying and having good times with different cameras over the years, but has to be idiot-proof, ie simply just aim and shoot. No, do not want a selfie stick, takes the fun out of it for me!

Working hard to focus on clearing junk out of my place and packing away stuff that no longer are in used. Perhaps that can distract me from the very itchy heat-rash. Not getting any good night rest with this on top of the jetlag 🙁 This too shall pass 🙂 🙂

http://mothership.sg/2015/10/the-1-hour-pm25-in-the-west-of-spore-has-breached-442-on-oct-19-2015/

The haze is bad and if the heat-rash gets worse, might consider going away if the oral meds do not work. Do not understand how is it that the PSI reading in the west is 400+ ouch, while here in the east, it is 60+??? The news below in not something any of us wish to hear. Have not even dare to venture outdoors today and tomorrow will be another day…

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/hazy-southeast-asia-set-suffer-months-indonesia-fails-072018924.html?linkId=18051825

It’s just another day for you and me in paradise
It’s just another day for you and me in paradise, paradise
Just think about it, paradise, just think about it
Paradise, paradise, paradise… Phil Collins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DFluKXQfiw