11 Dec 2010 –  Island Getaway

Fri: Changi Village/posting 14 Sep 2009 Time & Tide wait for No one! where one of the best Nasi Lemak stalls is located- a hearty breakfast hit the spot before getting on the boat at Changi Ferry Point on this hazy day. For those who have the luxury of time (slightly under 2hrs!), No 2 bus from town will take you all the way to Changi Village Terminal for less than S$2.

About 10mins ride on a bumboat is Ubin, an island where SIN has stood still since 1950/60s (Pulau=island in Malay). As you get off the boat head for a lesson of tropical fruits, herbs, vegetables etc. Bicycle rentals are abundant, unless you bring your own which will cost an extra S$2 on top of your S$2.50 fare on the bumboat!

For S$4 but you will need at least 6 person to fill the small van, a driver will drive you to Chek Jawa, 10mins drive/1hr walk. There is a coastal & mangroves boardwalk, seagrass lagoon, Jejawi Tower 20m (highest point on the island) and a viewing jetty where there is a charming cottage.

The Tudor architecture style was built in the 1930s as a holiday retreat and probably where you can find the only working fireplace in SIN!

This 10.2sq km island is largely a series of undulating granite hills and the picturesque abandoned granite of Balai Quary is still visible. Did not have the time to check out Noordin Campsite where the National Police Cadet Corps Campsite is and four other quarries but will certainly return to do so another day. Remember to bring mozzy repellant, you will need it! Appreciations to Audrey MOH and her ESL class for including me on their field-trip.

If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos – EO Wilson

9 Dec 2010 – Ajahn Brahmavamso

Wed: paid respects to my parents at Mandai Crematorium/posting 27 Apr 2010, the mystery of the missing rose is no longer a mystery. Both roses are in place and let’s hope that they will remain so after the repainting job which is ongoing when I was there. Will check on that before I take off from SIN early next year!

Nearly 2hrs by bus with a change at Ang Mo Kio to another bus. Met with Siong Yin at AMK Hub for lunch and bought a new pot, always wanted one of these multi cooker with steamer. Can look forward to cooking my Cantonese clear soup and steam fish or whatever I feel like eating at the same time.

Thu: first heard of Ajahn Brahmavamso when I returned to SIN in 2000. An English monk with a degree in Theoretical Physics from Cambridge University and a monastery in Australia is not your usual monk. Very impressed with his talks as it is NOT about religion but more about attitudes and ways to live. Ajahn Brahm is one of the very few people I admire and respect! Will try to catch his talks whenever he and I are in SIN at the same time! Inspiring, sincere, logical, realistic talks with humour are easy to follow. His first book Opening the Door of your Heart*** was published in 2004 and now his new publication Simply this Moment. Looking forward to reading it.   http://www.ajahnbrahm.org/about.html

Grant yourself a moment of peace and you will understand
How foolishly you have scurried
Learn to be silent and you will notice
You have talked too much
Be kind, and you will realize
Your judgement of others was too severe –
Chinese Proverb

7 Dec 2010 – Dinner, Temple, Lunch & Movie

Congratulations to Evelyn & Andrew who were married on 2 Oct when I was en route from NY to SC, thus missing this wonderful wedding. Met Eve in 2003 when I was working in Marina House and she needed orchid pictures for the Times Publishing Group cooperate calendar. We finally caught up for dinner Mon night and had the chance to see the pictures. What a lovely wedding outfit with real orchids and Lily of the Valley in her hair… the perfect combination to match SIN colours. Wishing them the very best of luck for their future.

Tue: annual expedition with 90yrs old por-por (Ivy’s mother) to Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple@Waterloo St/posting 22 Dec 2009. Dim-sum lunch at Victor’s Kitchen***@Sunshine Plaza. When this HKG husband & wife team opened in a tiny corner with 6 small tables some years ago, the food was excellent for the money then. Today they have expanded to a larger area but their food is not as good as it used to be.

Hello Stranger/กวน มึน โฮ **** Thai movie inspired by Korean culture and entertainment that fluxed around Asia, the film tells a love story of a guy and a girl who destined to meet in Seoul during their private trip to Korea. Funny romantic comedy, light and entertaining with good laugh for 2hrs to forget whatever unhappy thoughts you might have 🙂

There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met – Yeats

6 Dec 2010 – Woods Equestrian

Made a vegetarian lunch for Sam & Orlando to celebrate my Christmas lights (the ones bought at IKEA when actually only planned to get a bracket!) and to celebrate the nearly completed spraying the seed-pots Christmas decorations. Sam is the daughter of WONG Hong Sze. Sam and Orlando met during their studies in London where he is originally from and they got married in SIN Feb 2009. Great to catch up with this delightful young couple who are starting their life together. Appreciations to them for wanting to spend time with me! Sam is an avid rider and has her own horse. Lagos. For more info:

http://www.woods-equestrian.com

They have recently set up a riding school where one can even ride on a mechanical simulated horse, Totilas, to experience the feeling before actually riding the real animal. It is a good idea, especially for those who are apprehensive. This way one can try to feel and see if one is comfortable so as not get nervous being on the real animal. Horses are very instinctive and sensitive, they immediately sense if the rider is nervous or not in control.

The very best of luck to them and to their new riding school. Looking forward to the opening of Woods Equestrian. Have never been on a mechanical horse, can then try to ride on Totilas even thought preempt that my preference is to ride on the real thing as riding out in the nature is fun. Now if that is not already mindset about the preempt… what is 🙂

We all talk to ourselves
A major key to success exists in what we say to ourselves
Which helps to shape our attitude and mindset
Darren Johnson

4 Dec 2010 – Salad & One Amber

Thu: thank you Aileen for a most healthy and delicious lunch at Mescluns*** Salad, Sandwich & Soup@CityLink. The selection of greens are fresh and a good variety of extras and toppings. Freshly squeezed juice was like any other freshly squeezed juice and the soup was so-so. Did not try the sandwich. Will certainly return for the salad and their dressings.

Appreciations to Jane for a home-cooked dinner at her beautiful new condo@One Amber, another of SIN’s changing skyline on the East Coast.

Here is one we all can relate to in today’s tech-no world! Have a good weekend.

A little boy goes to his father and asks ‘Daddy, how was I born?’

The father answers, ‘Well, son, I guess one day you will need to find out anyway! Your mom and I first got together in a chat room on Yahoo.  Then I set up a date via e-mail with your Mom and we met at a cyber-cafe.  We sneaked into a secluded room and googled each other.  There your mother agreed to a download from my hard drive.  As soon as I was ready to upload, we discovered that neither one of us had used a firewall, and since it was too late to hit the delete button, nine months later a little Pop-Up appeared that said:

YOU GOT MALE!! (John W)

The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men,
but that men will begin to think like computers
Sydney J. Harris

2 Dec 2010 – Two movies + Dec special dates

14 Happy Bdays Ingrid HUSTAD & LAM Cheng Chwab

16 Happy Bday Andy LAM

23 Happy Bday Minos LAM

24 Happy Anniversary May & Albert CHUA

25 Merry Christmas

27 Happy Bday Lisa XIAO

31 Bye-bye 2010

Winner of the coveted Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival 2009, The White Ribbon**** is set in the village of Eichwald, Germany just before World War I. A story of the children and teenagers, their families, a school choir run by the village schoolteacher, the Baron and his family, the pastor, the doctor, the midwife and the tenant farmers. Strange accidents occur and gradually take on the character of a punishment ritual but no one knows who is behind it…

B/W film to merge into 1913-1914 time frame. There is no music but the natural sounds of what is happening is a good way to keep the concentration. The ending is quite ingenious as the only conclusion is your own speculation! Somehow the character of the pastor reminds me of Brand, one of Ibsen’s play… another European up-tight religious character.

Bruce Lee, My Brother*** based on the memoir written by his younger brother, Robert. As a young man, Bruce Lee was often engaging in street fights with his buddies, Kong and Unicorn. Against his father’s wishes, Bruce studies the Wing Chun martial arts style instead of Tai-chi and tastes his first triumph by knocking out a Caucasian boxer at a tournament with his kung-fu skills.

On the eve of his triumph, he learns that Kong has become a drug addict and decides to rumble the drug lord’s den together with Unicorn. This renders him the target of both the triads and corrupted cops who want him in jail. To save his life, Lee’s father has no choice but to send him off to San Francisco to pursue his studies. Enjoyed seeing a less action flick of Bruce Lee in his growing years. The young HKG actor, Aarif Rahman is quite pleasing to the eyes! Only wished it was in Cantonese. For those expecting much action and kung-fu will be disappointed.

Success means doing something sincerely and wholeheartedly – Bruce Lee

30 Nov 2010 – Happy 60th Bday to cousin KC LAM

In this Korean movie, the fictional story of Sex Volunteer*** the police are tipped off of a sex trade occurring at a love motel. When the police arrive they arrest young filmmaker Ye-Ri, a handicapped man with cerebral palsy and a Catholic priest. During their trial it’s revealed that the act in question was a volunteer service performed by an organization that offers sex to the disabled… some real heavy issues!

One of the best remarks is when Ye-Ri is interrogated by the police, are you in love with the handicapped man and she replied, are you in love with your hands every time you masturbate!! Posting 1 Aug 2009/A Frozen Flower and Lust Caution regarding my sentinels on Love, Lust & Sex are still valid…

https://amylamsg.com/2009/08/01/frozen-flower-lust-caution/

While the movie was screening, a piping festival is ongoing outside the grounds of the Cathay. Somehow the past few weeks have been nostalgic, with long-lost cousins, Mt Sophia and the bagpipes which always brings back memories of mother bawling her eyes out… the few times she worn shades! There were no jet-planes in the 1950s and the transportation from Singapore-London was by cruise-ship; that was how brother Lawrence sailed off to further his studies then.

Downloaded from different websites two B/W pix dated app from the 1950s- after the cruise-ship lifted its passenger bridge and the anchor was slowly cranked on to deck. Then one could also hear the bagpipes’ band playing and see them marching in their magnificent tartan uniform. After the ship’s horn is sounded, the passengers will throw multi-coloured paper streamers to the waving crowds on the wharf. It was amazing with all the colors flying, would catch on to some ends, holding on to them under they break. What a sweet and significant way to say goodbye…  for now it is bye-bye to Nov 2010!

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling –  Frederick Weatherly

28 Nov 2010 – Old School

Old School is six-block property of the former Methodist Girls’ School on Mt Sophia, has been revamped and open to everyone as a place to interact and to exchange ideas; a place for showcasing interesting art-forms. This area brings back memory from the 1950s where we visited the EU villa and just below where Cathay is, there was a music shop across the road. Keller Piano Company was where all my music books came from, the property was owned by my father & his associates then.

Fri: opening of works by Michele RIGHETTI created in his new studio at The Old School, Mt Sophia Singapore. His new exhibited works are quite a change from his previous, The Author’s Emotions, which is a mix of Mediterranean landscapes combined with Asian inspired characters. Enjoyed his Emotions but his new inspirations take some getting use to. Michele’s studio is now relocated at the Old School. Thank you Lydia & Michele for including me to the opening. Wishing him every success. http://www.righettiarte.com

A cousin whom we have not seen since the early 1960s was visiting from CA. Michael LEONG is the grandson of LAM Jee Chiew (brother of my grandfather, thus my granduncle). Michael’s parents and many from LAM JC’s branch (father’s cousins) colour coded blue, (my parents generation) emigrated to CA in 1960s. Linda who was also recently here in SIN is the one who has kept in contact. Good to be able to know the green, my generation of LAM JC’s branch. Thanks to Les & Ivy for hosting Fri lunch with the company of Betsey, Michael, Jo and a common friend of Les & Michael. Appreciations to Sansan? who brought us together for this reunion.

If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance –
George Bernard Shaw

24 Nov 2010 – Survivor of the Fittest!

Yesterday Jo made me lunch. While sitting in her living room supposedly watching TV, but more focus on the birds outside. These birds are so tamed and used to getting food that they fly into her house. By the door on top of a shelf are bits of bread for them. Previously the bread was just thrown out on the lawn but the bigger black magpies would fight the smaller sparrows… survivors of the fittest! With this arrangement, there is some control with that only the smaller birds are welcome. There is also a blue pet budgerigar in a cage… the irony of life. Birds in cage is a sad sight to my eyes! Tomorrow I will be roasting another bird for Thanksgiving dinner… another survivor of the fittest 🙂

Shopping in IKEA yesterday evening really made my day! Went there to get a bracket to for the microwave (also ended up getting some decorative Christmas lights… like I needed them!!) and decided to grab a bite there. Their chicken wings are quite decent. Found a tall table by the window where I could watch the rush-hour traffic. Just finished enjoying a few pieces of wings, a bottle of pear-cider when I heard this timid soft voice in Chinese… 請 問 literally translated to please ask, meaning may I ask in a formal polite form. Looked up to see this nerdy (no derogatory meant) young man with black rimmed glasses gesturing to my tray to ask if I was done so that he could clear it.

This took me by such a surprise as I do not even remember when and where I have encountered such soft-spoken courtesy especially in the IKEA cafe! Managed to murmured a quick thank you. Such gestures are far and in between and was in such a state of amazement that I forgot to ask his name. Will write to the IKEA management to thank this young man for making my day.

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