18 Apr 2012 – Food Tasting & Tourist Guiding…

Welcome JohnC from HKG for his annual SIN cuisine & movies tours! Appreciations for his help to pick the menu for Tue 24 Apr dinner! Watched two movies, Funny People & Street Dance. Nothing to write home about but good way to pass time on these hot, humid and rainy afternoons!

Food tasting@Wo Peng Restaurant****Furama Hotel in Chinatown for a family dinner next week to be hosted by bro Lawrence. The 3 dishes tasted were good, but on the salty side. Have requested to the chef on cutting down with the salt.

Stuffed home-made tofu
Stewed egg plants with minced pork
Roasted crispy pork belly

http://www.wopeng.com.sg

Completed in 2002, the bar in the lobby of Parkview Square has a unique 3-storey high wine chiller…

and is one of the more expensive office buildings in SIN. Interesting classic Art Deco style. Houses the embassies of Austria, Mongolia and the United Arab Emirates. In the centre of the plaza is a statue of a golden crane with it’s head lifted, pointing towards the direction of Mainland China, it’s wings in pre-flight mode. On the pedestal, a Chinese poem is written:

黄鹤楼

故国旧有黄鹤楼
北望神州几千秋
黄鹤展翅飞万里
伟哉狮城见鹤楼

The poem refers to a mythical crane looking towards the direction of its temple (a place of worship in Hubei/China) and eager to fly the thousands of miles back — depicting the homesickness of the owner!

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

It takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home – Author Unknown

16 Apr 2012 – … that is what life is about!

Being so used to having all the conveniences, the weekend has been quite a challenge! The kitchen and bathroom are being repainted with a new sink and toilet installed. Sat 13.30hrs no access to both rooms for at least 24hrs. Decided to go for a swim at Katong Swimming Complex which has been avoided in the weekends. Weekdays would have cost me 50cents (seniors) with an additional 20cents for a small locker. Weekends cost 60cents. Because of the rains it was pleasantly quiet in the pool.

This complex is not new and as far as my memory goes, swam here with niece Pat/May when she was a toddler who is now over 40 with a daughter soon going on 9yrs. Took grand-daughter Katy here when JohnW was born. Certainly slightly run-down but clean.

Sun: early congee breakfast at the local market and to use the public restroom there. Was surprised how clean it is and having to pay 10cents upon entry was well worth it! Living is SIN really has many +++ but the – is mainly due to kiasu attitudes of the people caught in this rat-race which unfortunately often brings out uncourteous and ungracious behaviours 🙁

So very nice to catch up with Garry from Australia (his birthplace) and Bali (his retreat/hideaway!). Been a couple of years since we last met. Celebrating a belated 60th Bday lunch with him and nephew Clement who has recently renovated his flat. Congratulations to his tasteful designs. 

Have a wonderful week…

If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world – Francis Bacon

14 Apr 2012 – Congratulations to 3 Fine Young Ladies…

With Singapore ageing population, there is a need to explore how seniors can be effectively engaged to remain active contributors to our society, and to promote the notion that seniors can and ought to live in a meaningful and purposeful manner. Through our Chinese news feature, we hope to address ageing issues and debunk stereotypes of the aged by profiling active seniors who will inspire fellow seniors and younger Singaporeans too.

…NG Sie Yen, SEOW Kia Hui and WU Shiyan for presenting their impressive looking final-year project@Nanyang Technological University NTU/SIN. Appreciations to be included in their project, even though unable to read Chinese 🙂

Has it already been 4 months ago since they interviewed me on a rainy day?

http://amylamsg.com/2011/12/15/active-agers/

Seemed like yesterday I received their email explaining about their project and asked if they could include me in their project. Was then in the USA and explained that I will not be back in SIN until Nov 2011. Thus the interview and communications by email started in Sep/Oct 2011. How time has passed and now will soon be heading back to Norway & USA again!

Some might be reluctant to admit that we are getting on in age, but that should not stop us from living life to the fullest. Especially now in these ‘Golden Years’ when it is the last lap. Go live out your dreams with no regrets but without malice or harming anyone by actions or words intentionally!

http://active-agers.weebly.com/21333365232004840836-27963209863325825105.html

Active aging requires us to go on living life to the full no matter how differently – Joan Chittester

11 Apr 2012 – Repairs & Repaint

Aug 1999: bought this HDB 3 room flat for S$170,000 and renovated it. After nearly 13yrs, the kitchen ceiling is spading and needs repair, the floors and walls have hair-line cracks and need a new layer of paint. Have also decided to get the bathroom a new layer of paint on the floor and walls. Considering what people are now willing to pay for this flat, over S$400,000 is really crazy, would not be able to afford to buy it now!

And we are talking about public housing! so imagine the price of private condos in SIN…!!

Tue: went shopping at IKEA for a few things, like a bracket to place the microwave. Of all the days to shop, there were problems with the systems. Had to wait for over half and hour so that the cashiers can reboot their registers. Even with the long lines and wait, the crowd was civilised and chocolate was passed around to humour us 🙂

Have to live with this mess for a few days. There will be workmen doing the job here, unlike in Norway when I had to do most of the painting! So let this be 2012 spring cleaning! Expecting visitors from Bali this weekend, HKG and Goa next week. Then to close and shut down for the summer. Am considering to spend Thanksgiving in the USA this year. Tickets have been booked to fly off 4 May heading to OSL first.

Spring cleaning is all about personal satisfaction. It is the time of year that triggers homeowners to revive their home and renew their lives – Peter Walsh

9 Apr 2012 – New Toy – Acer Aspire S3

Sat: Easter presents to myself, no chocolate or eggs but an ultra slim, 13mm/0.51″ slim and ultra light at less than 1.35kg/3.0lbs are really the ++s! 13.3″/33.8cm LED Screen with the embedded lithium-polymer battery lasting up to 7 hours. Will probably take me forever to figure how to use it! Wonder if there are ultra instant instructions?? But it sure looks elegant and so much lighter to carry 🙂

Tkx to Leonard for helping to choose and for loading up this new toy. Including an external DVD drive and a wireless mouse all for S$1,198. According to Leonard, my high-tech guru, it is time for this new notebook after having the old laptop for nearly 4yrs.

Congratulations and good luck to him for a new job. Refreshing ginger tea and crayfish salad@TCC /Funan***after a whole day of fun shopping… 🙂 🙂

Sun: tkx to Les & Ivy for chicken rice & yummy veggie Easter dinner@Boon Ting Kee/River Valley Rd***

http://www.boontongkee.com.sg/

Yeah my first blog posting on this new toy and quite a novelty with a cordless mouse! Did it, but has taken more time with a smaller screen compared to the previous laptop. Anything new does take some getting use to…

Eventually I found it had been working all along-but didn’t show anything on-screen until it had the first full-page of text. I inserted 30 new lines, and suddenly my toy said ‘hEllO woRlD’. An hour later I understood alphabet shifting rather better – Graham Nelson

6 Apr 2012 – to paper lingerie!!

This trip wraps the KCH trips for this year now that the family property Jalan Reservoir has been sold with the main bulk of the shares distributed and company into liquidation! This 3.39acres/147,688sq ft prime-land has been in our family for the past 4 decades and now it is time to let go.

Saying goodbyes to the trees was not that easy. Fate had its way that it was not meant for us to develop this and who knows when the new owner will start bringing the bull-dozer in? Rumours have it that there are plans for luxurious condos and self-service apartments…

I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues – Dr. Seuss

Grateful to be able to spend some quality time with bro Lawrence. Arrived Mon evening and headed to the Rotary dinner and talk by Mr Soo. Tkx for including me with the fellow Rotarians@Telang Usan Hotel, which is owned by one of the Rotarians. Lawrence had the Nasi Goreng Belacan/Shrimp Fried Rice and I had the Ayam Masak Merah/Chicken in Oyster Sauce, both tasty.

http://www.telangusan.com/

Tue: Thai food lunch with Lawrence & Mabel and Chuan@Absolute Tribal 喜悦***/Hills Shopping Mall by Pullman KCH Hotel. Interesting decor, a pillar of coffee beans and drift wood!

http://lifemixx.com/absolute-tribal-in-hills-shopping-mall-kuching.html

Dinner@the.Dyak****excellent tribal food. Tepus Suring/wild ginger, Petai Gulai Kechala/bitter nuts, Manuk Lulun/chicken cooked in bamboo. Their Tuak/rice wine ice cream is to die for! Yummy organic food with no MSG. Tkx to Kenson for dinner who also is in KCH for a project. Pix with Lawrence & Mabel, Kenson and Vernon, the owner. Seems like both K & I have this place on the top of our list!

http://celestialdelish.blogspot.com/2011/12/thedyak-restaurant-in-kuching-sarawak.html

Wed: a morning drive to view Lawrence’s properties followed by museums. Was fortunate to view different displays in all the 3 different buildings: Fossil Wood, B/W photos of the Baram & Tinjar and the intrigue interior painting in the main building.

A sentimental walk to Jalan Reservoir which is just behind the museum. The trees there were not the kind that would turn to fossil wood even if left untouched. But all trees are beautiful, especially those that can grown strong!

Taiwanese lunch@Xian Ding Wei Restaurant***鲜定味/Spring Mall with all the Easter setups! These colourful pix were taken with all my grandchildren in mind.

https://foursquare.com/v/xian-ding-wei-鲜定味/4d0c6758be6d6ea8c00dffb4

Midin & seafood dinner…

Thu: morning walk by the river, Carpenter St, Main Bazaar with the contrast from the White Raja times to the shop houses. No disrespect to the dead and Ching Ming month is ongoing. Nowadays, not only can one can get laptops, credit cards etc, even umbrellas and lingerie all made of paper to be burnt to the underworld.  What next…

Delicious local kolo mee breakfast@Sin Min Joo***with Lawrence and his lawyer. According to the locals, the half hour long line is worth waiting! Lunch with Chuan and tkx for the drive to the airport. Wishing him and his lovely family the very best of luck for their futures.

Appreciations to my KCH family, Chuan, Kenson and the others who crossed this path for all their hospitality and company.

Happy Easter to all who are celebrating.

1 Apr 2012 – with a new addition to the purple generation!

Sat: belated bday celebrations for niece Pat and grandniece Elizabeth/Beth, 2 weeks young and the new additional to the purple generation born on the same day as her mother on St Patrick’s Day. Beth is # 22nd from the purple generation (LAM Tin Yue’s branch) and one more due in Jun this year for this generation… to my knowledge just one more for 2012 🙂

Happy 75th Bday to sister Jo.

The Yeows must have the smallest pet aquarium with mini shrimps and fish, app half and inch/1.2cm in size! David being a good photographer has filled a wall in their apartment with lovely pix.

Appreciations for including me in their celebrations with yummy dinner. Denise in Brisbane/Aus, do not freak out, the fish-head Assam curry is delicious, same goes for yam-ring and the rest of the food. Two sinful bday cakes, chocolate and strawberry.

Have a wonderful Sunday and a great week ahead if I do not have the chance to blog for next week!

No Apr Fool… getting ready to ride the Tiger again (for the 3rd time this year) bound for KCH tomorrow 🙂

Apr Special Dates

2 Apr – Happy Bday Marianne HUSTAD

4 Apr – Happy Bday Richard YUNG

6 Apr – Good Friday. Happy Easter

8 Apr – Happy Bday Torill WISTNER

12 Apr – Happy Bday Peggy TAN

15 Apr – Happy Bday Lynne ONG/MICHEALS & Aileen KOH

17 Apr – Happy Bdays Anne STENSETH, Sharon KOH & Sara LAM

21 Apr – Happy Bday Gilbert CHAN

22 Apr – Happy Bday Ike BOROWSKY

29 Apr – Happy Bday Stanley LAM

30 Apr – Happy Bday JohnWT CHENG

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me – Chinese Proverb

29 Mar 2012 – Walk with Dignity!

It doesn’t matter how your day has gone – always go home with your head held high.

Plucked, pounded, mistreated, overworked but still with dignity.

Attitude is everything….

Tkx Denise for sharing. Hang on this roller-coaster ride and have no regrets! Remember that today will pass and tomorrow will be a new day 🙂

Tue: lovely company of grandniece Kiera who is visiting from NYC. After a morning movie with her, spent a nice afternoon together with mother & daughter catching up. How is it possible that I baby-sat niece May/Patricia in early 1970s in Dublin and now her daughter is 8 going on 9yrs… 🙂 🙂

The Lorax****an animated adaptation of the Dr. Seuss 1971’s children’s book, follows the story of Ted trying to win the girl of his dreams by finding her a real tree. He then stumbles upon the Lorax who tells him that his home, the Truffula Forest, is in danger due to the machinations of O’Hare, the mayor and greedy proprietor of a bottled oxygen Co.

Anyone who is fortunate to have the company of elementary school kids, do go watch this with them!

Wed: A Dangerous Method*** about Sigmund Freud, mentor to the fledgling psychiatrist and Carl Jung. Set on the eve of World War I, the film follows the turbulent relationships between the duo and Sabina Spielrein, the disturbed but beautiful woman who comes between them. Heavy and slow but worth seeing.

Appreciations to Peggy & Pat Tham for their company to lunch and the movie.

Salmon Fishing In The Yemen***when Britain’s leading fisheries expert is approached by a consultant to help realize a sheik’s vision of bringing fly-fishing to the desert, he immediately thinks the project is absurd. However, when the Prime Minister’s press secretary latches on to it as a good will story, a team will have to put it all on the line and embark on an upstream journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible, possible…

This BBC production is entertaining and encouraging way to pass an afternoon.

Analysis does not set out to make pathological reactions impossible, but to give the patient’s ego freedom to decide one way or another – Sigmund Freud