17 Feb 2014 – Lunch with an Artistic Flair!

Sat: good buffet lunch with niece Sue and nephew Clement at Rita Carlton’s Greenhouse****must have been 10+yrs ago since I was last there! But did not realize that Dale Chihuly’s Sunrise was there then. This time round, the reason for this venue is to see the art pieces after 3hrs lunch…

Appreciations to CK Lee who provided info regarding the hotel having a self-guided audio art tour with a guide book, highlighting some signature art pieces displaying at hotel’s public areas. The hotel’s concierge do lend these podcasts to any interested guests. The art tour offering was created as an unique experience which one cannot get in another hotel in SIN.

Learnt that it is designed by Irish architect, Kevin Roche. The Ritz-Carlton Millennia Singapore (新加坡丽嘉登美年大酒店), marked C on map with 600+rooms over 32 floors was opened in 1996. Houses 4,200 piece modern art over some 10,000sq metres of chromafusion glass and mother of pearl.

The only outdoor piece is Zhu Wei’s ‘China China’. Frank Stella’s ‘Cornucopia’ dominates the lobby. John Rose’s ‘Double Screw’ commissioned for the lift lobby.

Malcolm Morley’s landscape. Sue admiring David Hockney’s colour lithograph/screen prints and Rainer Gross’s landscape oil on canvas. Many others more art pieces…

but the main reason is that I am a total fan of Dale Chihuly who is an American glass sculptor and entrepreneur. His works are considered unique to the field of blown glass, moving it into the realm of large-scale sculpture.

Sunrise, Sunset, flowers in a vase and birds in the garden are here.

By the time we ended our art tour, high tea was served in the Chihuly Lounge where Sunrise is and do not need any more food for the next week. If I do not go on a diet, will certainly die very soon…

Ended this lovely Sat evening at Clement’s catching up with movies, Despicable Me 2*** and Enough Said*** Somebody plx tell me what was going on at Bukit Merah View Sat 15 Feb? People holding ropes and walking around make-believe money, what a total contrast from the Ritz!!

Just think of all those women on the Titanic who said, ‘No thank you’ to desert that night.  And for what? – Erma Bombeck

15 Feb 2014 – Time to put away the CNY decorations!

Philomena***** based on the 2009 investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith (Coogan) ‘The Lost Child of Philomena Lee’, Philomena focuses on the efforts of Philomena Lee (Dench), mother to a boy conceived out-of-wedlock – something her Irish-Catholic community didn’t have the highest opinion of – and given away for adoption in USA.

Brilliant acting and interactions from both.

This movie managed to trigger off a particular memory which have been buried and still not ready to talk about it yet. Perhaps some who has lived in Catholic Ireland and can be objective about the Catholic faith might have a more insight and understanding… ie not blind faith!

The ending scene was profound when the old pathetic nun excused herself for doing what she did. Philomena nobly told the nun that she forgives her while Martin looked on with contempt and told the nun that he could never forgive her. The anger in him is reciprocal – it is just heart-breaking to again watch how some helpless innocent get abused and manipulated by people who are in the power to help 🙁

Seldom do I rate movies with 5* but this one managed to strike a sensitive nerve!

A wise Australian friend, Denise: it was a fabulous movie. and a moving movie. and a proof that the life of a nun was unnatural and made some bitter old ladies.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2495391/How-I-helped-Philomena-track-son-sold-cruel-nuns-Its-film-toddler-torn-mother-reducing-grown-men-tears–REAL-story-haunt-forever.html

Arc’teryx Spring/Summer 2014 Collection Launch: thank you to Calvin and staff of Campers’ Corner for a lovely evening! Enjoyed meeting various people who have outdoor activities in nature as our common interest. Not your usual food but very tasty with a leg of ham and a wheel of cheese! All the best of luck to Calvin in this new location. Campers’ Corner is the best outfitter stores here in SIN

Happy Valentine’s Day and this year, the moon for the Chinese Valentine’s Day happens to fall on the same day! Thank you Henry for the beautiful rose. Last day of the CNY celebrations and time to put away the CNY decorations until the Goat’s turn!

This is #1000 posting since this blog started in 2008!

All  you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t  hurt – Charles  M. Schulz

12 Feb 2014 – LAM JieChiew’s Branch of the Family Tree

Pink mobile from Lawrence gave up on me after falling in the toilet! plus a few bumps on the floors over the years. 30 Apr 2011: tickled PINK with all the new things but do not know how to use a thing. Today: pink camera destroyed in fire and with no more pink, not so tickled with the new things and still do no know how… 🙁

Mon: Lawrence arrived from KCH to meet up with cousins arriving from CA/USA tomorrow. Could not be contacted until I know how to answer this new phone!! Can it be that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks is getting to that stage?? Just need to show that the older the dog, the longer time needed to learn as long as the determination to learn is there 🙂

Tue: yes success to contact Lawrence and thanks to Les&Ivy for the use of their car and chauffeur we made our annual trip to pay respects to our parents at Mandi Crematorium. The porcelain roses got a new layer of spray paint but will have to look into getting some new ones again.

Welcome to SIN cousins Michael&Betsey, Linda&Alfred and niece Candice from CA/USA. These cousins’ and cousin Joy’s grandfather LAM JieChiew was the older bro our grandfather LAM SongKee/left.

Back from left: Joy, Leslie, Sue, Lawrence, Betsey, Candice, Alfred, Michael; front from left: me, Ivy, Jo, Joyce and Linda

Can never thank Les&Ivy enough for their gracious kindness to pull the family together for these wonderful gatherings. Tonight, starting with champagne, strawberries & smoked salmon in their home and continuing with dinner at Tower Club*****with top wines from Les&Ivy’s cellar and food at the club.

Unusual and nice display, Tower Club Prosperity Yu Sheng/LoHei for starter. Ended with a tasty dessert of Chilled Avocado Sago topped with Ice Cream which was probably a green tea ice cream that over-powered the avocado but still good.

Appreciations to David&SanSan, SIN friends of Michael&Betsey for the family pix.  Great that niece Sue was able to be there to meet another of the orange generation, Candice. Cousin Joy, you are the only LAM in SIN from the LAM JieChiew’s branch we know of, tkx for being there with us.

Safe journeys to KCH and BKI and hope to hear from you all if you have the time on transit in SIN back to CA/USA. It is really nice to share some heritage with you.

It is not the honor that you take with you, but the heritage you leave behind – Branch  Rickey

9 Feb 2014 – M1 Mobile problems!

Fri: could kick myself for not remembering to take pix!! Camera was in the bag!! Thank you to cousins Wilki&Patti and lovely niece Daisy Chia (The Yoga Shala SIN) for their company over lunch in Little India. Pix from 2010 also in Little India, not much change besides more white on the top of the head and more waistline 🙂 Safe journeys back to HI/USA.

Dropped by Parkway to check with M1 as to why unable to receive calls. Was told that M1 was having problems during my absence and everything is OK now. Discovered that I have accidentally inserted the pre-paid card instead of the correct one was quite a relief. Thought for a moment that all contacts were lost. All’s well that ends well with the unexpected drumrolls of the Lion Dance.

Changi Airport has 3 terminals and even after immigration one can connect to all 3 via the skytrain. T3 is the newest and T1 has been newly refurbished. If possible usually give myself more time than needed when travelling from SIN. Pix from 2013 starting from SIN airport-OSL-London all destroyed in the fire.

The Butterfly Gardens in T3 (after immigration) is a peaceful place to visit; a colourful feast to the eyes and calming effects before travels! Another round with the butterflies as there are only 2 pix in the 30 May 2013 posting! One of them came to say hello lingering on the arm for quite a while.

The caterpillar does all the work, but the butterfly gets all the publicity – George Carlin

6 Feb 2014 – Kuching, Sarawak

KCH is over-blogged since 2008. Been visiting at least once a year since then but this is the first time on a regular airline, Malaysian Airlines/MAS flying via Kuala Lumpur/KUL. Tiger Airways have unfortunately taken SIN-KCH off their route. Was able to get fares for under S$100 SIN-KCH-SIN then. AirAsia, the other budget airline’s fare for the required dates were much higher than MAS and this time round it was just under S$200 to fly MAS!

Mon: arrived in time for dinner with Chuan and Jack. Appreciations to Chuan for meeting me at the airport and for arranging dinner at The Dyak****

And first time staying in a hotel in KCH! Bro Lawrence’s house is pack as his whole family, John & family and Larry are here to celebrate the Big 80! Bro in law Michael, sis Joyce, bro Leslie&Ivy and I stayed in the Four Points by Sheraton**** hosted by the owner of the hotel.

Tue: thank you Tan Sri Ting for a wonderful stay in a pent-house room with a view and a private memorable lunch of fresh fish, prawns, etc specially prepared under the instructions of Mrs Ting.

Happy 80th Birthday to #1 bro Lawrence. Blessed to have brothers and tonight at the Sarawak Club with family and friends, we celebrated with delicious food, champagne and wine. Thank you Lawrence&Mabel, John&Francesca, Justin, Sabine and Larry. Good to catch up with many of Mabel’s family.

B/W pix from 1930s & 40s in SIN.

1950s in SIN and 1960s in Dublin.

Wed: lunched at Imperial Duck***Sago pudding and tea (unusual Irish flag colours!) in Damai Beach Resort (pleasant 1hr drive) and dinner at The Dyak****for Les&Ivy to try. Glad that they enjoyed the food there too! Night-cap at Les&Ivy’s suite was a perfect way to end this lovely evening.

Thu: KCH laksa with Angelina, Raymond&Agnes and Larry. Apologies Angelina, had to start without you but glad to have some minutes to catch up even though it was a bit of a rush. Had to pack and the plane will not wait. Sorry to miss Kurt who will be arriving from Belgium later.

Tkx Chuan for the ride to the airport and some minutes over a cuppa. The MAS landing from KUL-SIN was the worst ever experienced, thought for a moment that it would be the end… 🙂

Too much of a good thing can be wonderful – Mae West

But as the years pile on, too much of a good thing can make one feel unwell 🙁

2 Feb 2014 – The Wooden Horse to be specific!

Wonder if it would just rock backwards and forwards without galloping… ?

Fri: appreciations to sis Jo and niece Sue on this 1st day of CNY, started with the visits to the aunties, first to 4th aunt/PohKua who will be 100 in Sep. Great to see cousin Wilki&Patty from HI/USA, our annual catch up. They were wondering what outfit I would turn out with his year? Was fortunate to find this child-size belly dancing scarf to spruce up an old green suit from working days. The largest size in the kids’ department shoe store has a perfect pair of red shoes with magical power 🙂

Welcome to SIN, cousin Michael&Betsey (red circle) from San Francisco. Looking back into some old pix, it has been nearly 60yrs ago we celebrated CNY together. The B/W pix is from 1955 at 5 Temenggong Rd where everyone there is related! Bro Leslie is in the red rectangle. Cousins Wilki, Yun and I must be climbing some trees since we are not in the pix 🙂 🙂

Will figure out who these cousins of my dad when cousin Linda arrives from LA. She will know as this is her branch ie LAM JieChiew, grandfather’s elder bro.

Handsome grandnephew Stanley surprised me by asking if he could take a pix of us. Was touched by this gesture and glad to see that the purple generation are growing up to be such fine young adults. Wonders never cease now that the Wooden Horse has rocked fully into 2014. Appreciations to Les&Ivy for the food and wine.

Continued with visits to KK & auntie Kwok and to cousin Karen to catch up with her parents (from KCH),  paternal grandmother’s branch. By then was too tired to remember the camera!

Downloaded from Karen’s FB, she with her mom, auntie Ngor and Karen’s home-made delicious KCH laksa.

Sat: surprised visit from Hannah and her parents. Good to be able to chat with her parents.

Sun: visit with 2nd sis-in-law GeokSiew, niece JenLeng&ChinSheng, their son KeeYang& daughter QiYing. This is the largest group from my siblings. 4th sis-in-law PohKit, nephews Vincent&Clement were also with me and good to see the 2 sis-in-law having such a nice time catching up. Thank you niece JenLeng for having us in her lovely home. Appreciations to nephews Vince and Clem for driving and navigating.

Looks like the grandchildren in USA also had a blast celebrating the CNY. Just love that they are all in red. Pix downloaded from Linn’s FB friend.

Have to pack, heading to bro Lawrence’s 80th Bday tomorrow. Never a dull moment with the size of my family 🙂 🙂 🙂

2 Feb – Happy Bdays Cathrine & Garry

4 Feb – Happy 80th Bday Lawrence & Happy Bday Kurt

14 Feb – ♥ ♥ ♥ Happy Valentine’s Day ♥ ♥ ♥

15 Feb – Happy Bday Guri

16 Feb – Happy Bday Mike/AT Trail name LOON

18 Feb – Happy 50th Bday Henry

20 Feb – Happy Bday YatSoon

24 Feb – Happy Bday Bjørn  and Happy 50th Bday Calvin

Dorothy: How do you talk if you don’t have a brain?

Scarecrow: Well, some people without brains do an awful lot of talking don’t they? – Wizard of Oz

30 Jan 2014 – Until Another 12 years!

Linn’s winters in Norway from 1974-78 when the winter of 1978 lasted until mid May. Even the locals there thought it overwhelming and the news into the local papers then! That was also the year May was born. Getting paranoid about getting as many old pix as possible in a digital format!

Dallas Buyers Club****loosely based on the true-life tale of a drug taking, women loving, homophobic man who was diagnosed with full-blown HIV/AIDS and given 30days to live. He started taking FDA approved AZT, which brought him to the brink of death. To survive, he smuggled non-toxic, anti-viral medications from all over the world, but still illegal in the US…

27 Jan 2014 – …Prawn Noodles in SIN!

Fri: thanks Sebastian for introducing Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles****at Pek Kio Market Food Centre/Owen Rd 41A/01-15. Here the big fresh prawns are served separately. The broth is excellent, even when slightly on the salty side, but then most outside food are either too salty or too sweet for my palate!

There are still a few more venues to try this dish before figuring out which is best to my taste!

Returned to the National Museum to take pix and read more in details of the SIN Living Gallery displays of Film & Wayang and Food, some of my favourite things to do 🙂 When with visitors, time is usually not on my side. Took an afternoon to read and enjoy these displays. Such fond memories of the Satay man and TokTok mee from childhood. Younger generation have no idea as to what I am rambling about 🙂 🙂

From left: Steven, Andrew, PohKit, standing from left: Daisy, Darryl, Judy, Vincent, Annie, Stanley, me and Clement. Sat: appreciations to niece Daisy for including me to their hot-pot family reunion dinner. Found a pix/early 1960s of bro Steven&family with Vincent & Judy, before Daisy & Clement existed! Still remember visiting Daisy at the hospital when Darryl was born. Today he is a fine young man, 15yrs and taller than most of us. With Stanley/18 and Andrew/7, there are 3 in the purple generation here.

Have been told by Annie, who believes in the Chinese horoscope and fengshi that the Year of the Horse will be excellent for those born in the Year of the Ox, ie Jo, PohKit & I. Of course what can be better than having my whole family together, come April… counting the days, 73.

Sun: lovely morning visit from Kitty and Yasmin. Tkx for dinner at Les&Ivy’s. Good to see KimBeng and the kids who are now young adults, Edwin/18 & Heather/20 who has just returned to SIN after a semester in Germany. Thank you KimBeng for the ride back to the EastC.

Mon: really need to rest and space out for one day before the mad CNY rush. This trip in SIN has so far been too busy but always wonderful to catch with family & friends.

We need not feel ashamed of flirting with the zodiac.  The zodiac is well worth flirting with – DH Lawrence

25 Jan 2014 –  Before the Horse Gallops in…

Wed: Happy 12th Birthday to #1 grandchild Katy who is born in OK City. She  & James are the  grandchildren whom I was not present at birth but was there soon after her birth. Memories of Gator as a puppy in the kitchen with a floor lined with newspaper.

Visited the National Memorial in serene surroundings of a reflecting pool and 168 empty chairs, a reminder of the people who lost their life in the 1995 bombing.

Her***set in the Los Angeles of the slight future, the story follows Theodore Twombly, a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system…

Interesting concept and at the rate of our high tech, anything is possible but  would be sad to interact only with a voice!

Thu: August: Osage County****set in OK in August where Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts played their roles as mother and daughter and did an excellent job. When the man of the house disappears, the family gets together to look for him but only to find a few days later that he has committed suicide. A series of conflicts and skeletons exposed for the entire family after the funeral!

Life and drama in the Midwest’s never ending corn fields…

Dinner with Henry in Chinatown and to take pix of the lights. Do not intend to go into Chinatown until after the CNY. The last weekend before the CNY is going to be crowded and even for a Thu night, the crowds are staring… like the horse, I too will be galloping away from the crowds 🙂

LoHei Teochew style at Lee Hui (Ah Hoi)*** is not like our Cantonese (28 indigents!), still good and a nice change.

Delicious food at Northeast Restaurant***Green Bean Noodle with carrot, cucumber and sauce; sautéed Hot & Sour shredded potatoes with green chilli.

Fri: welcome to SIN, Sylvia from Germany. A lovely morning walk at EC Park with Sylvia and Peggy who wanted to take the orchid pix from the pervious posting for her Orchid Society.  Today we spotted 2 more orchid in bloom (too tiny for decent pix from my camera) and this delicate flower from the Barringtonia asiatica tree.

A  good horse should be seldom spurred – Thomas Fuller

21 Jan 2014 –  Once Upon a Time in Dublin Fair City…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yusheng

Sun: welcome to SIN Yasmin from NY/USA. This beautiful lady is the daughter of KittyEU ( a friend and music teacher) and I used to baby-sit her when she was born in Dublin/Ireland.

We were living in 16 Waterloo Rd (mid 1960s) then, cousins, Lock, Yun and Chai on the 3rd floor, Leslie, Joyce and I on the 2nd floor and Kitty&Dean in the basement. Yasmin tells me that she is in her mid 40s now and I do not know if I should believe her…

Thank you to Les&Ivy for this first 2014 LoHei and dinner at Crystal Jade Golden Palace**** at Paragon. For cousin Anna this is her first ever and probably for Yasmin too! Great to catch up with this group from Dublin days. Will be able to recognise them anytime, so that means that none of them have aged… clock-wise sitting: KittyEU, Anna, Jo, me, Yasmin, Ivy, PeckHar, standing, Charles, Leslie, HungSoo and Mrs Charles/PeckHar’s sister.

Mon: lunched at Boon Tong Kee chicken rice with Anna who had to check out of her hotel by 12n. Am not impressed with the Balestier Rd Boon Tong Kee branch. Was hoping to take her to the MacRitchie TreeTop Walk. Unfortunately it is closed on Mondays. Had an afternoon to catch up with who is who on the TSANG side, ie my maternal side.

A pleasant walk on East Coast park with lovely orchid in bloom. Appreciations to Peggy Tan for the name of this beauty – Cymbidium finlaysonianum. Bought some satay & otak at East Coast Lagoon Food Village for dinner at sis Jo’s. Saw Anna off at the airport hoping to show her the Kinetic Rain in T1 but it was not meant to be, the sculpture is under maintenance!

Safe journeys and she will need to revisit for the Walk and the Kinetic Rain 🙂 Que Sera, Sera…

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140120-too-cheeky-for-china

The identity of their creator is a mystery but I thought I it rather befitting with a sense of humour as it was on the wall of a hot pot restaurant. The installation was nicknamed ‘Buddha Jumps Over the Wall’ after an expensive Cantonese soup that is a Chinese delicacy. Some thought it was distasteful and they had to be removed…

Such a pity, but each to their own! Just discovered that this soup dish has sharks’ fin in it, so a definite NO NO NO!