18 Jan 2015 – For A Ripe Age Of 65 Years…

Sat: welcome Minos who arrived safe and sound, and starving from Toronto/Canada via HKG! A plate of SIN Carrot Cake and Fried Oyster at T3 Kopitiam***seemed to have satisfied his appetite for the time being 🙂 Dropped him off to his hotel after lunch. Amazing that he was not tired after nearly 20hrs in the air more hours of layovers! Will probably hit him later…

We picked Minos from the hotel to join us for a  belated BDay dinner at Clem’s. Did not really want to be out on a Sat evening with the crowds, especially just after Clem’s cataract surgery. Bought food back to his place. Tkx for the GinSeng Bird’s Nest, Sue.

Have been trying to look for coffee ribs and found some at Tong Ah on Keong Siak Road, the original Tong Ah being a beautiful white corner building with some personality. Due to raising rents it moved to #36, and as far as I can remember #36 was a club where father went to play mahjong in the 1950s! And the coffee ribs are nothing to write home about…

Cakes at one of my favourite bakers in Bk Merah, The Bakery Chef****looking and tasting good – Opera Cake, Chocolate Rainbow, Lollipop Cheesecake, Rainbow Cake and Praline Delight.

Sun: morning walk on East Coast Park. Not early enough as someone has already arranged these flowers 🙂 🙂 our native coastal tree Putat Laut (Barringtonia asiatica). Thanks and appreciations to Bian for providing the name. Found only one orchid plant in bloom and according to Peggy this is a Phal. Am so fortunate to know people who are knowledgeable about  our local plants  and orchids. Good to have a name to them when posting these pix.

Many barricades and changes there. The water skiing location is now closed down. East Coast Lagoon Food Village is definitely a night place. There were only a couple of stalls opened; the MeeSiam there was OK, abit on the oily side. MeeSoto was too spicy for overseas visitor – forgot to tell them to skip the chillies!

Happy Birthday to grandniece Isabella, Lee&Adeline’s sweet daughter and only child who just started Primary/Grade 1. Both she and grandnephew Lucas just started school 2 weeks ago and really it seems like yesterday that they were born!

As nephew Clem so blatantly puts it, ‘but you are old auntie Amy‘ – so this is how the younger generation views us, ouch! But then I am afterall 2 decades older than him, thus he has a point that I am old. To my 80-100yrs old aunts and uncles, I am probably young to them. So all is relative by relatives…hahaha!

To all in Northern Norway, this beautiful pix is posted by Ranveig and looks like the sun is slowly but surely showing an appearance after a dark long hibernation!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgiQD56eWDk

Condolences to cousin John WONG for the passing of his wife, and to nephews Jay & Raymond WONG for the loss of their mother. May she now RIP.

I have to be alone very often. I’d be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That’s how I refuel – Audrey Hepburn

12 Jan 2015 – Linn’s Running

Proud of my first-born and mother of 5, Linn who made this 2014 SC/USA list for 5k/19.59, 10k/42.23 and Half Marathon/132.19 races. Some of my favourite pix of her in action from the 1990s – 2014. Appreciations to Coach Hammontree for his coaching and way to go for Linn’s  discipline and dedication.

http://www.examiner.com/article/top-south-carolina-female-master-s-road-race-performances-for-2014

SC/USA area 82,931km² pop 5mil. SIN area 718-km² pop 5+mil. Noway’s area 385,178km² pop 5mil. Just to put some perspective regarding the areas and pop of SC/USA, SIN and Norway. Perhaps then can some understand why I need to go on long hikes after being in SIN for a few months 🙂

Here are what to expect from SIN for the coming years…

The National Gallery due to open before 2015 is over – will be the largest visual arts venue in SE Asia. These buildings were SIN formal Supreme Ct and City Hall.

Jewel Changi Airport under construction – a palace of glass with waterfall blend with retails, entertainment and leisure outlets.

Fantasy Island on the drawing board – off the coast and will be the largest eco theme park when completed. 3 SIN pix credits to CNN.

And this one of Mexico City’s future international airport reminds me of my rock from Ireland!!!

Sat: an afternoon at Marmot/Novena catching up with Chris & Benny and later at CC/Waterloo meeting up with Joshua who will be heading to Oslo and Tromsø. Lucky fellow! Looking forward to hearing about his first experience with winter and seeing his pix when he returns. Joshua works for Canon and he is the only person I know of in SIN who shares my Bday. Angie/USA is the other.

Never knew that SIN Post had a special wine label just for them – learn something new everyday!

Sun: yeah, the congee stall XinXian Pork porridge****at Marine Terrace Market is back in business with the formal owners’ cooking. Welcome back and delighted to have a decent congee place within 5mins walking distance.

Tkx to Clem&family for dinner at PorKee Eating House***at Tiong Bahru. 4th aunt&family used to frequent this place. Then it closed down for a while and now reopened, but unfortunately they have taken away the coffee ribs which was my favourite. Instead it is now champagne ribs! Miss the coffee ones. This is the venue chosen for Clem&famly’s CNY reunion dinner!

Passport renewed! With a little bit of luck and shoes fitting, valid for travels till 2020. A wonderful week to all. This image is with thoughts to Linn! Way to go my first born.

9 Jan 2015 – A Host Of Angels

Happy Birthdays to niece Judy and nephew Lee

Tue: watched 4 movies downloaded and tkx to Clem. What If***Love Is Strange***The One I Love***& Calvary***All quite good and probably will not remember any of them soon! Read in some list that these were out of the 25 others that one should watch. There are 2 more – Force Majeure and Elaine Stitch/Shoot Me, but Clem did not manage to find them to download.

Wed: tkx to Sue for my latest collection of angels. My host of small angels are even older than the stone collection. This year decided to have all the 20 of them out together. Somehow the latest fluorite one is not quite happy being stuck on by double-sided tape. It kept falling away from the host. Decided to take the tape off and it did not fall. Sounds like me, not liking to being stuck – looks like we will get along great 🙂

Finally found some black sesame paste at Meidi-Ya/Liang Ct. Not the usual brand I am used to but better than none. They had the white sesame paste in tubes there but not the black ones!

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby***One couple’s story as they try to reclaim the life and love they once knew and pick up the pieces of a past that may be too far gone. Was thinking about the Beatles Eleanor Rigby but the movie has got nothing to do with it besides the name…

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Appreciations to Jo for dinner and also when the news of the Paris shooting appeared on the TV screen. Earlier was happy seeing somebody running to assist an elderly man to cross the road at a bus-stop. And sad to end the day with this kind of news 🙁

http://www.cnbc.com/id/102316759

Thu: more blood tests at Mt E and with some minor changes for the blood thinner meds –  more or less back on track again! Movie Theory of Everything****an extraordinary story of one of the world’s greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde. Once a healthy, active young man, Hawking received an earth-shattering diagnosis at 21 years of age. With Jane fighting tirelessly by his side, Stephen embarks on his most ambitious scientific work…

We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity. We cannot remain looking inwards at ourselves on a small and increasingly polluted and overcrowded planet – Stephen Hawking

Tkx for dinner Hong and nice to meet Boon who both just returned from a whole month in EU checking out all the wonderful concerts. What a nice way to spent a month. The black pepper crab at Eng Seng Restaurant****is delicious. They are known for their black pepper crabs and mee goreng/fried noodles. Good to discover a new location on Still Rd

5 Jan 2015 – Away With The Decorations

Fri: tkx to Henry for bringing yummy dinner. Too lazy to go out. Like this unpolished 2in1 stone from him to add to my collection. The big one weighing 2+kg with something looking like a modern art of a person lifting the universal in the air! was found on the W coast of Ireland/2004. Quite amazing and even paid overweight for the checked-in baggage to get it back… for real!

Sat: 10 Day of Christmas, delivered gift basket to Carmel and made pasta and Tiramisu for CC. Still within the 12 days of Christmas frame of celebrations and gifts! These colourful coconut candies are from KohSamui/Coconut Island. If only they knew how to market these, packaging & coordinating the colours with festivals and seasons for gifts!

Sun: tkx to Clem for having me at his place to catch up with some of his downloaded movies. Nice relaxing afternoon. Appreciations to Daisy for including me to dinner at Bukit Merah/Ah Orh Seafood Restaurant*** Their signature dish is cold crab which was not too fresh!  Happy Belated Birthday Darryl who turned 16yrs Fri 2 Jan.

Mon: Serena***an American drama film based on the novel of the same name by Ron Rash. Set in NC/USA during the Depression era, it tells the story of George Pemberton and wife’s life during the time. Pemberton is a businessman struggling to maintain his timber empire, whose life gets complicated when he finds out that his wife Serena is unable to bear children. Was hoping to see some sceneries of the AT…

12 Day of Christmas and time to take down decorations. Before putting them away would like to share first-born Linn&family/USA and god-daughter Guri&family/Norway 2014 greetings. This is the best way to remind me who is who with their names & ages as my own age gets on 🙂 Thank you Linn & Guri for their considerations to us in the grand generation!

A trip to Temenggong Rd returning a piece of broken concrete slab!!! Happy Birthdays to Gerald and Leonard.

We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths – Walt Disney

1 Jan 2015 – Peace and Good Health

The four official languages in SIN + the two countries where I lived for many years many moons ago!

English: A Happy, Healthy & Wealthy 2015

Malaya: Bahagi, Sehat & Kaya 2015

Chinese: 一個快樂，健康和富有2015

Tamil: एक खुश, स्वस्थ और धनी 2015

Irish: Sásta, Sláintiúil & saibhir 2015

Norwegian: En lykkelig, sunt og rik 2015

The new year usually gets me started with these thoughts and this year, I will write them down so that I can share them before I see the last daylight!

If the whole world could do away with all their so-called weapons of defence and stop putting firework shows, but instead use the money for education and medical, can there be PEACE then? Of course it is not probable nor is it unrealistic – Imagine by John Lennon pops up more often in the mind as time is getting shorter!

Thus will stop posting pix of fireworks even when fireworks never fail to awe me…

♥ Peace ♥ Vrede ♥ Paqe ♥ سلام ♥ Свет ♥ Мир ♥ Pau ♥ 平和 ♥ Mir ♥ Fred ♥ Vrede ♥ Rahu ♥ Kapayapaan ♥ Rauha ♥ Paix ♥ Paz ♥ Frieden ♥ Ειρήνη ♥ Lapè ♥ שלום  ♥ शांति ♥ Béke ♥ Friður ♥ Perdamaian ♥ Síochána ♥ Pace ♥ 평화 ♥ Miers ♥ Taikos ♥ Мир ♥ Keamanan ♥ Paċi ♥ صلح ♥ Pokój ♥ Amani ♥ ความ สงบสุข ♥  Barış ♥ Світ ♥ Hòa bình ♥  Heddwch ♥ פרידן ♥

Not enough postings can bring PEACE but will add on new pix as time goes by –

https://amylamsg.com/2011/08/11/may-peace-be-with-you-all/

Jan Bdays

2 – Happy Bday Darryl NEO

3- Happy Bday Richard TANN

5 – Happy Bdays Gerald CHOO & Leonard SHOH

6 – Happy Bday Cindy HALL

9 – Happy Bdays Judy LAM & LW AMEEN

10 – Happy Bday ANG Kee Yang

15 – Happy Bdays Angie SOSA & me!

18 – Happy Bday Isabelle AMEEN

19 – Happy Bday Kari HEGGELUND

21 – Happy Bday Michael LEONG

22 – Happy Bday Katy HALL

24 – Happy Bdays 15th uncle TC LAM and Ole Kristian HUSTAD

This is not a good start to 2015. Hope that cousin ChengEn is safe and sound in Shanghai/China.

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/east-asia/story/china-new-year-stampede-kills-35-shanghai-city-government-20150101

30 Dec 2014 – Welcoming 2015 With Open Arms!

Sat: resting over the last 2014 weekend is the best I could do for myself and on a rainy and wet but enjoying the cool weather. Grateful to people for their thoughts –

Thanks to Linn&family for yummy Dove Chocolate which melts in your mouth and survived the mailing in this lovely tin-box

Quite a masterpiece by youngest grandchild Olai (3) – I see a dove flying for PEACE! May&family for snowflakes which fit perfectly into my ‘Frozen’ theme! Like us, here is to prove that every snowflake is different!

My gifts to Olai who is into swimming. Since Norway is in the midst of winter, it is easier for me to get the ring and goggles, for once I gave a perfect gift 🙂 Am so glad as both Linn&May learnt to swim before they were 5. Was rather particular that they felt safe in the water. May/1983 age 4+ in SIN with 3 different kinds of floats and she managed to learn then…

Appreciations to Les&Ivy for a wonderful trip, lunches, dinners and drinks; Chris (CC), Aileen & Zai (H&H), nieces Sue & Adeline and to Lisa&family (HI/USA) for their thoughtful and lovely gifts.

Sun: body still resting but the mind and heart went out to our neighbours in Malaysia that started the year with the missing MH370, then MH17 shot, the recent floods and now a missing AirAsia QZ8501 from Surabaya/Indonesia to SIN.  This flight normally takes app 2hrs, Surabaya being 1hrs behind SIN. For those who are not aware, AirAsia is a Malaysian budget airline and I have been on it many times! 2 above credits to ST.

Mon: decided to watch 2 movies before new movies take their place. Love On The Cloud***this romantic comedy follows a modern city boy who uses WeChat to make friends in hope of finding a true and sincere romantic relationship. However, he gets involved with a fashionable city girl in a one-night-stand. Despite that, he still searches for a true and pure relationship…

Saint Laurent***is a 2014 biography drama film about French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. It centres on the designer’s life from 1967 to 1976, when his fashion career was at its peak but his personal life was on the other end of the spectrum. This movie is 2.30hrs and can be slow at times but did enjoy the music. Like that opera arias were used for the cat-walk.

Tue: in the CBD area tidying up loose ends, paying bills etc. Change Alley today is totally different from the one in childhood days!

When having to face these bills, I think of Jackie’s mom who just threw all hers on a bed and burnt them. If any of you have read ‘The Burning Bed’ you would want to burn the bed too but that is another entirely different direction of thoughts. Sooo understand Jackie’s mom as I feel the same when ever I see those bills 🙁

Good of Clem to meet for lunch – made my day!

Condolences, prayers and thoughts to the families & friends of the passengers and crew of flight QZ8501

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/airasia-flight-qz8501-debris-and-bodies-are-found-search-bad-weather

One more day of 2014. Please do not let in any more bad and sad news. Has been a rough year in news and my own health. Hospitalized twice which also has swallowed a whole year of my budget! Hoping for a better 2015 and wishing each and every one of you

A Happy Healthy & Wealthy New Year for 2015. The CNY will fall on Thu 19 Feb 2015 and we will be into the year of the Goat/Sheep. Seeming the Chinese consider those the same animals, so now you see why we as Chinese are so screwed up 🙂

Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right – Oprah Winfrey

27 Dec 2014 – Starting on Christmas Eve

Wed: thank you to Management and Staff at Hagley & Hoyle for a lovely Christmas Eve lunch and gathering. Am honoured to be invited. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all.

Last moment shopping for wrapping paper, was out of it. Bought a gigantic popper for tomorrow’s lunch.

Tkx to Les&Ivy we were 22 for this Christmas family lunch. Les, Jo and their entire family, Joyce with her family minus Yasmine&Andrew who live in L’don and nephew Clem. And of course needless to say that I miss Linn&family and May&family. From our father LAM TinYue’s branch we are a total of 66 at present!

Chickened out about popping the humongous ‘bazooka’ (as described by the nephews!) popper but did the smaller ones 🙂 This year the club supplied the small ones.

First day of Christmas and time for the this book to take over the Advent Calendar

Good to catch  up with Weng Kei&Siew Ngor Chen, cousins from paternal grandmother’s branch who I met when I was visiting Euphemia in Auckland/NZ 2008. They are on transit from NZ to Sibu in Sarawak.  Picked them from their hotel down town and brought them to meet Les&Ivy.

https://amylamsg.com/2008/03/26/honolulu/

Fri: thank you Calvin at Campers Corner for a delightful Boxing Day gathering. The suckling pig was yummy and so were the mussels, prawns, squids, steaks etc. Unable to drink any alcohol this whole holidays, but it does not stop me for enjoying and having fun! Appreciations to chefs Roy & SengTeong  for their delicious cooking and to Sam & Mrs Cheah for all the kitchen chores.

Missed Chris who has visitors and unable to join us.

Sat: This weekend the body and stomach need to rest 🙂

Gluttony and idleness are two of life’s great joys, but they are not honourable – Julie Burchill

20 Dec 2014 – Banyan Tree at KohSamui

Wed: all afternoon at Mt E for tests etc to ensure the body  is able to take a short flight tomorrow. Slowly but surely I can walk even when it is at the speed of a snail. Tkx to Clem for early Christmas dinner at Buko Nero****good food and a glass of wine before going on anti-bio because of the  ‘Helicobacter pylori’ attack causing the serve bleeding ulcer.

Thu: more blood test in the morning, packed and headed to the airport to discover that passport for sis has expired. At this rate life goes, might end up with a heart attack! Jo, had to go home while Lawrence and I checked into BKKAir, first for me! Hopefully things will work out for the best tomorrow and that she can have an extension for her passport and also there is space on the plane.

Glad and relief to discover that the passage sitting next to me is a young handsome cardiologist. 1.30hrs flight flew by with dinner served. Going thru’ immigration at KohSamui/Thailand airport felt nearly as long as the flight – perhaps it would have gone faster if I had Leon to chat with 🙂

Fri: a private jacuzzi and pool to every villa makes life quite comfortable. Indeed a relaxing and beautiful place to be with perfect temperatures with sounds of the waves from the S China Sea to calm body & soul. Appreciations to Les&Ivy.

Lovely breakfast with the family and good to catch up with Kat & family who is back for the holidays from NYC.

Must admit that the Thai are really good at their SPA and massage. Had one this afternoon and it really felt good.

Yummy rock lobster dinner at The Cliff****

Yeah, Jo arrived safely. All’s well that ends well…

Love all, trust a few,
Do wrong to none: be able for thine enemy
Rather in power than use; and keep thy friend
Under thy own life’s key: be check’d for silence,
But never tax’d for speech – Shakespeare

15 Dec 2014 – An Unexpected Weekend

Sat: the last 2 movies The Monk and Revivre went to the drains and so were plans for wrapping gifts. Thanks to Les, Drs Ang & Tan and the staff at Mt E, blood transfusion was necessary and hopefully this will keep me going for this life’s journey. A serve bleeding ulcer caused by the HelicobacterPylori is no joke, especially when blood is coming out of both ends, and also when one is on blood-thinner! Looks like a vampire attacked my hands 🙂

Sun: the Third Advent Candle is the Candle of JOY and today, am both joyful and grateful that I survived thanks, to the excellent doctors and dedicated staff at Mt E.

Mon: Martin Place Sydney, Australia – gunman takes hostages in a chocolate café. Of all places Lindt Chocolate, one of my favourite chocolates!! Their demands, an ISIS flag and to talk to the PM Abbott. This ISIS ideology is really getting out of hand. Prayers and thoughts go to all who are affected in this Sydney Seige. Pix credits to BBC.

Gunman holds hostage in Belgium – what in the world is happening and what kind of evil and dark forces are going on??

Only have two wishes, PEACE and GOOD HEALTH. Maybe it is too much to ask for, but one can still dream and hope.

Edited: 16 Dec 2014 – condolences to the families and friends of the 2 hostages in Sydney Siege. Prayers and thoughts are with them. The siege is over but sadly not peacefully. News that 2 hostages and a self gunman did not survive.

This is scary, many times when some dark negative forces take over, my health seems to be affected, including 9-11 and the Bali bombing! Getting totally paranoid. Consolation from KK, ‘There’s always sthg terrible happening in the world….

12 Dec 2014 – A Busy Week Of Entertainment!

As it is Changi Airport in SIN ranks the best in the world and has done so for the past few years. Would be interesting to see the rankings when this project is completed in 2018? Above pix credits to ST.

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/transport/story/work-changi-airports-jewel-project-and-t1-expansion-begins-20141205

Mon: Mahalo/Hawaiian thank you for getting all the snail-mail (greeting cards + a couple of packages) out with a bill of S$50 in postage.

SGIFF NMS: SIN Girl, straight out of bad relationships, two lost souls strike up a friendship on a holiday resort island. How coincident can this be that the island happens to be Koh-Sumai in Thailand, where I will be heading next week!! Some of the dialog is in Cantonese and simple enough for me to understand…

Tue: OCBC Aquatic Centre for a good swim. Can’t beat this Olympic indoor pool size and a lane to myself again! The energy level and mood seem to always be better after a good workout. S$1 entry for seniors is really affordable. Had to even show my senior ID and maybe should take that as a compliment 🙂

Condolences to Calvin at Campers’ Corner for the passing of his mother. She has been suffering with cancer for a while and may she now RIP. Thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

SGIFF: As You Were, two childhood friends who are now a couple find their relationship threatened by the mysterious working of memory and the troubles of familiarity. This film is ode to the passage of time and the persistency of solitude.

Shown at The Projector, Golden Mile Tower is my first experience at this location. Worn-down cinema but trying to revive by showing the not usually seen movies on the 5th floor. Seats need to be replaced and rather steep seating which is good as the chances of having a head blocking is minium! Not a desirable area with females at the entrance look like they are dressed to kill – did not have the guts to take pix here and it was past 2300hrs when the movie was over!!!

Wed: Merci/French thank you that I found the way by bus and MRT+LRT to Punggol/Purple Line for Calvin’s mother wake.

SGIFF Lido: About a Woman/Indonesia movie. An elderly widow finds herself alone and lonely after the departure of her maid. Concerned for her wellbeing, her daughter and son-in-law hire a live-in helper – a young boy named Abi – to keep her company. The widow and Abi slowly develop a kind of affection bond.

Did not make the other show Breaking The Ice and just as well. Totally worn out both mentally and physically after About a Woman, unlike the woman when she could still hiked the AT 🙂

Thu: chei-zu tin-bar-te/Myanmar thank you to Peggy for a veggie lunch at Fortune Centre and to a fantastic Musical Adventure Monkey Goes West at the newly revamp Victoria Theatre. Enjoyed this entertaining show with a fully local cast.

Like that the concert hall and the theatre are now connected (especially today as it was pouring buckets when we just got into the connection). The revamp has been tastefully done keeping to the white marble style as how I remember this location from the 1950s!

SGIFF The Arts House: We Were There, a trip into memory lane for six old friends. Was too tired after nearly 3hrs of musical to appreciate this flick! Was struggling to keep my eyes opened! Decided not to rate these SGIFF movies as they are rather different from the usual ones.

TGIF and no movie today but more Christmas shopping and wrapping to do. Explored the new Bedok Mall and a trip to the Tampines IKEA.

Have decided against putting up my Christmas Village this year as I have been busy at the SGIFF. In addition, next week will be heading to Thailand for a long weekend!

This is what it looks like if it is up –

https://amylamsg.com/2013/12/17/christmas-decorations/

To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die – Thomas Campbell