5 May 2010 – Biko/Mexico City is 46 on World’s 50…

Cinco de Mayo=fifth of May is a holiday celebrated in the USA and primarily limited to the state of Puebla Mexico. The holiday commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on 1862. Cinco de Mayo is not an obligatory federal holiday in Mexico, but rather a holiday that can be observed voluntarily. It is not Mexico’s Independence Day which actually is 16Sep, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.  While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed voluntarily in the USA and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. Happy Cinco de Mayo to my Mexican friends in Mexico and around the world, especially to the Korkowski family!

For chocolate lovers- the word chocolate originates in Mexico’s Aztec cuisine, derived from the Nahuatl word xocolatl=bitter water. Chocolate was first drunk rather than eaten. It comes from the fermented, roasted, and ground beans of the cacao or cocoa  tree.

CNN: World’s 50 best restaurants. Danish cuisine reigns supreme, according to the some of the planet’s most prominent eaters.

S. Pellegrino’s annual ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ list was released on Monday at a celebrity-chef-studded event in London, England, marking the ninth edition of the much buzzed-about (and hotly debated) catalogue of the international culinary landscape.

No. 1 spot goes to Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark. The restaurant, helmed by chef René Redzepi, ranked No. 3 in 2009. The Guardian newspaper’s restaurant critic Jay Rayner — better known to U.S. food fans as a judge on ‘Top Chef Masters’ — agrees with the judges’ decision.

Writes Rayner on The Guardian’s food blog, ‘Is that the right result? Allowing for the fact that I think the rankings are far less interesting than the list itself, I would say, yes. Redzepi, the 32-year-old chef at Noma, pursues a regional, seasonal agenda that is right on the cutting edge: if it isn’t available in the Nordic region, he won’t cook with it. The result is a very idiosyncratic style of food that speaks to concerns about the way a global food culture turns our eating experiences a uniform beige.’ – Sarah LeTrent and Kat Kinsman

SIN’s placing out of the 50…

28) Iggy’s (Singapore)

39) Jaan Par Andre (Singapore)

46) Biko (Mexico City, Mexico)

The Norwegians told me that the Danes live to eat while the Norwegians eat to live… so true 🙂

If the first grape you eat is bitter then you will not bother eating grapes again. If the first grape you eat is a sweet one then you will be willing to eat a lot of bitter grapes in search of another sweet one –

3 May 2010 – New Outlet

Sun: again thanks to MeiPin for introducing me to this second outlet (the first outlet is on North Bridge Rd, posting 20 Sep 2009). The new outlet does not have my favourite smoked duck pizza, but MeiPin wanted pancakes for breakfast and there are pancakes here. In a couple of days, she will be leaving SIN for her extended adventure and it was nice to have a chat before she flies off. Good luck, safe journeys and take care of yourself, MeiPin. Met with AmyR for the SE Asian Films at the new extension of SAM, The Moving Image Gallery, SAM at 8Q by the new Food For Thought.

The Big Durian/Malaysia**a soldier ran amok with an M16 rifle in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown district 18Oct 1987. His outburst triggered fears of racial riots. Nine days later, there was a clampdown of the Internal Security Act. Did the Malaysian public’s view of the police, media, judiciary, royalty and political process subsequently undergo a radical shift after this incident? The narrator of The Big Durian speaks to some real Malaysians about the circumstances surrounding their reactions. Was not in this part of the world at that time to follow the news, nor too interested in the politics; thus did not get too much into this movie.

Kubrador/The Bet Collector/Philippines****this realist melodrama chronicles 3 days in the life of bet collector Amelita who runs the illegal gambling game of jueteng. Jueteng is so popular that even politicians and the police are believed to have a share in its illicit revenues. Shot on HD video, the camera captures the desperate living conditions of the film’s characters. Excellent acting and filming. Stayed on for the talk-session with the director to learn that over 80% of the people in the Philippines live in poverty… so sad when one can remember that Imelda Marcos had over 3,000 paris of shoes! Surely one pair will be enough to feed a family for a year!!

How rich art is; if one can only remember what one has seen, one is never without food for thought or truly lonely, never alone – Vincent van Gogh

1 May 2010 – May- born in Sep, Happy May Day!

1st May/May Day is synonymous with Labour Day International Workers’ Day, a day of political demonstrations and celebrations organised by the unions, anarchists, and socialist groups; also it is a public holiday for the countries celebrating this day. The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian, with the festival of Flora, Roman Goddess of flowers. It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane. Many pagan celebrations were abandoned or christianized during the process of conversion in Europe. A more secular version of May Day continues to be observed in Europe and America. In this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the Maypole, to welcome spring in pagan cultures.

SOS is the commonly used description for the international Morse code distress signal  · · · — — — · · · This distress signal was first adopted by the German government in radio regulations in 1905. With the development of audio radio transmitters, there was a need for a spoken distress phrase. Mayday was adopted by 1927 International Radio Convention as an emergency code word used internationally as a distress signal in radio communications. It derives from the French venez m’aider=come and help me, a signal for life-threatening emergency. The call is always given three times in a row ‘mayday-mayday-mayday’ to prevent mistaking it for some similar-sounding phrase under noisy conditions.

May Special Dates:

1 May – Happy May Day

5 May – Happy Cinco De Mayo

6 May – Happy Bdays WONG Wai Kit & Jan SOSA

10 May – Happy Bday Andrew LAM

13 May – Happy Bday Susannah LAM

17 May – Happy Bday LAM Poh Chee & hurra for 17 mai

18 May – Happy Bday Helen VICKERY-YEO

23 May – Happy Bday Yasmine AMEEN

27 May – Happy Bdays LAM Sui Chang & Karen LIM

28 May – Happy Bday Vanessa LAM

30 May– Happy Bday Hans Kristian HUSTAD

Sweet April showers do spring May flowers – Thomas Tusser

30 Apr 2010 – Happy 60th Bday John WT 

How is it possible that I know of only one male friend who is not a family member born on my year??? 🙂

Today, exactly 5yrs ago was the 1st day of my AT Thru-Hike. All my fellow-hikers and especially me, could not understand how we were going to survive on the Appalachian Mountains for four months then! But we did and so much has happened since. The best parts are that most situations were not planned or expected, like traveling around and meeting interesting people, experiencing and learning to deal and see things in different angles. With decent health, family & friends, yummy food and excellent wines in the belly, who can ask for more in the golden age! Live life fully as who knows what tomorrow will bring? Time really has gone by like the wink of the eye and it is already the last day of Apr. Strange how most things have a way of working out when you live and work with good intentions from the heart.

Wed: Gave another AT Thru-Hike talk to a small group at WINGS (Women’s Initiative for Aging Successfully) Junction 8 office tower, Bishan. Enjoyed the closer connections with smaller groups, more time getting to know the people and for personal Q&A. Thank you to WINGS http://www.wings.sg for hosting the talk and to Eleanor YAP director, http://www.agelessonline.net for arranging it.

Thu: thank you to Leslie & Ivy for lunch at Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck@Paragon*** with guests, Catherine/Kitty and her son-in-law Steve. Met Kitty (the name my family would know her by) at the St Patrick’s Reception and discovered that she and Lawrence were good friends from his Dublin days in the 1950s/60s. And my parents visited her family when they were in Dublin. Did not have the chance to get her contact that evening we met. Thanks to the Irish Embassy that we all got connected up again. She will be heading back to Ireland via Dubai. Kitty has a house in Spain, 20mins drive from where I will be in Jul/Aug. Hopefully she will be there around the same time and we will meet again. Another unexpected and unplanned surprise and how delightful to know her.

Have a fabulous weekend.

Fate is the raw materials of experience. They come uninvited and often unanticipated. Destiny is what a man does with these raw materials – Howard Thurman

27 Apr 2010 – Mandai Cremetorium

Was at my parents’ niche yesterday to place a new porcelain red rose which was bought in the USA during my Jan visit. A similar rose was placed there when I returned to SIN over 10 years ago. Was so lucky to find this at a sale in SIN then. Eyeing it for over a week but S$60 was on the steep side. And behold, it went on sale at half the price when I went back to the shop to buy it. This rose has been there for over 10 years and the colours have faded over the years. Unfortunately nothing similar could be found again in SIN and the old faded rose has been receiving a couple of layers of spray paint over the years.

Google and found this website http://www.romanceher.com/porcelainrose.htm which delivered the rose within 24hrs when I was in the USA. Hand-carried it back to SIN so that I could place it for this year’s ChingMing, + or – a month is no big deal but staying away from the crowds is my issue. To my surprise the old rose was not in #52. Was rather annoyed as to why anyone would remove it. Placed the new one there, thinking perhaps the old one fell and broke. After completing the usual respectful duties, decided to walk around with rose hunting in my mind. Bingo, found the old rose but not at #52. Both #52 and where the old rose was found are too high for any child to place it there.

Cleaned and placed the old one together with the new one. For the next trip, will try to remember to bring some silk flowers for whoever who needed my parents’ rose so badly so as to remove it. Will leave a note to request for them to NOT take my parents’ roses, now that I have finally managed to get one each for both my parents. Pictures are not from yesterday, was too disturbed to take pictures after 2hrs journey by two different buses on top of the pouring rain and then the missing rose!

The quote is for Linn’s rose garden. The wall is the explanation to Sophie‘s Angel Face blooms 🙂

I once had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: no good in a bed, but fine up against a wall – Eleanor Roosevelt

24 Apr 2010 – Fantastic Dancing

Was first premiered at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival September 2009. If you are into ballet and dance, this is a must. Am not so into ballet but wow! how pleasing to the eyes with such physic and graceful movements on top of a masculine face who could act. Touching and inspiring with wonderful cast of actors and dancers. Would certainly want to watch it again, some years later, even when it is over 2hrs!

Based on the autobiography by LI Cunxin/李存信, a poor village boy was plucked at the age of 11 by Madame Mao’s cultural delegates and sent to Beijing to study ballet. When he was 18, LI was awarded one of the first cultural scholarships to go to America, and subsequently been offered a soloist contract with the Houston Ballet. The cultural exchange to Texas USA saw him being seduced by the freedom in a westerner’s world. That discovery was fueled after realising that his Party has lied to him about America. He started a relationship with an aspiring American dancer, Elizabeth Mackey. They rushed their marriage so that LI could remain in the USA while avoiding defection as he wanted to be able to return to China to visit his family.

But the Party detained him at its Houston Consulate. This caused a 21-hour international incident; American and PRC diplomats debated the issue. LI was eventually allowed to stay, but his citizenship was revoked – he had effectively defected. Cut off from his family, LI continued to dance. He abandon his duties, his parents and his country because of love and freedom, not for fame or money. He’s a man who is torn between two worlds cultural identities.

Currently, LI Cunxin is a stockbroker, living in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and children.

Ballet dancers, like most artists, never make much money, and I was the only wage-earner to support three children, plus I was helping my parents and six brothers in China – LI Cunxin

22 Apr 2010 – Yesterday, Interesting Hump-Day!

Wed on the MRT, an unusual sight with someone dressed in a kilt. Asked for permission to take his picture and we exchanged cards, only to realize later that Matthew was on his way to the Food Asia Expo, Stewart’s Whisky… cheers and good luck. Must try to go before it is over on Fri. Asked about his tartan and was told that it is Dress Stewart. During my Dublin boarding school days, tartan skirts were my favourite skirts to wear. These patterns consisting of criss-cross horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours and originated in woven cloth, but now they are used in other materials. Tartan is associated with Scotland and Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns. It was not until the mid-nineteenth century that specific tartans became associated with Scottish clans.

MRT to Pasir Ris (posting 30 Apr 2009)@Aloha Loyang Resort to spent some time with HimSuan & family who are here from Goa for their yearly visit. Being unfamiliar in that area, I decided to walk from the Bus/MRT Interchange to the resort. It was hot but the fear to taking a taxi is even hotter! How fast Michael & Rachel have grown but that is the usual case when you see them only once a year. They have strong feet to be able to walk with us from one end of the park to the other and back again. A certain area in this park reminds me of Shakib Gunn where we held a memorial kite-flying day. Thanks to Jane and Doris who brought dinner over.

Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind – Lionel Hampton

20 Apr 2010 – Not Hell…

Arrived in SIN 19 Apr 0100hrs and my punishment was that I did not have the correct change for the taxi-fares. First the sights & grunts when he heard my destination (app 15mins from the airport), then driving like there is no tomorrow, with one hand on his mobile and his obnoxious loud voice shouting… all the signs were there to expect the worst! The meter flashed S$8.20 at journey’s end and since it was after mid-night, am very well aware of the surcharges but not that much. Trying to pull a fast one by telling me that the fares was S$22 got me to question him.

Frustrated, he realised that I am not that gullible and a S$50 note triggered the devil out, cursing me left and right since he could not make change. Told him to wait as there is a 7-11 around the corner. Explained the situation to a kind young man who made change and he told me to take note of the taxi number. Paid S$16.20 to get cursed up and down again. Thoughts of asking for a receipt but then I do cherish my life… the lunatic was so angry that he nearly hit another car on his way out after I unloaded my own luggage. Was initially tired but could not sleep until after I wrote the complain to the company. If I get stalked or beaten up, the culprit is a middle-age Chinese taxi driver/SHB 8952U who drove me from the Budget Terminal to Marine Crescent on 19 Apr 0100hrs…

Prefers the BMW/Bus-MRT-Walk most times but sadly not available after midnight. Would have walked if I had no check-in bag. Have encountered enough of rude SIN taxi drivers, but this one tops the list. Welcome to SIN and to their courtesy & smiling campaigns! To use the phrase, Taxi Driver from Hell will be an insult to Hell in Norway and might also be an insult to the other hell!

Hell is located in Lånke/Stjørdal/Nord-Trøndelag/Norway- about 352 people live in the center of Hell but the whole village’s population is app 1,500. Been thru’ Hell many times in the 1970s en-route from Oslo to Tromsø for summer jobs during college days from Dublin. Due to it’s name, Hell has become a minor tourist attraction. The station sign reads Gods-expedition, an old spelling of the Norwegian word for cargo handling=godsekspedisjon would be the current spelling. The name Hell stems from the Old Norse word hellir=overhang or cliff cave. The Norwegian word hell=luck. The Old Norse word Hel is the same as today’s English Hell, as a proper noun. In modern Norwegian the word helvete=hell and god=gud.

Looking forward to be at Storlidalen in Trollheimen, Trøndelag area this Aug for god-daughter, Guri’s wedding… pray no more volcano’s fury! Hope to get some hiking in the mountains. Might make a visit to Hell again 🙂

It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell – Buddha

19 Apr 2010 – I ‘m back… in SIN!

Sat: delicious dim-sum lunch**** unable to provide the name of the place (cannot read Chinese… no joke!) or take anyone there but thanks to Henry & John, I am introduced to the best Cantonese cusine. Chinese food often taste better than the looks and presentations while Japanese food is the other way round! Had to walk the rest of the day to let all this sumptuous food digest. Love to snap pictures of the old and new. The contrast is a constant reminder that every situation and story have their flip-sides!!

St John’s Cathedral (built 1849) against Bank of China (built 1990).

Night scenes from Gough Street area

Sun: the tram also known as dingding is the best way to see any city. Here in HKG, it is inexpensive (HK$2) and being on the upper deck commands a good view; in addition, it does not move too fast. Quarry Bay@Happy Restaurant***** had the best black vinegar chicken… to die for! Pleasant day to walk by the coast around TaiKoo Shing and Quarry Bay Park where people were fishing and enjoying their Sun. Appreciations to Henry & John who knew how I hate crowds, and took great consideration to that when choosing eateries & places of interest. How can I ever thank them enough for their hospitality and graciousness. Henry LIM, wishing him all the best with his job and stay in HKG and JohnWT CHENG, all the luck for his business ventures.

People living deeply have no fear of death – Anais Nin