14 Dec 2011 – ABFitch Encounters 🙂

Tue: playing tourist guide for Tommy and the two places he requested to see were SBG and Raffles Hotel.

Started SBG@Cluny Rd entrance where two guys caught my attention. Asked if they were the models from ABFitch and looking at them, one could guess, especially with one of them wearing the red branded sweat pants who is also the same topless guy from Mon’s pix! Another coincident!!

Chat for a few minutes and was glad to hear that they are enjoying themselves. Good to see them jogging in the gardens and they sounded as nice as their looks! Jim (in shorts) is from Hollywood/USA and Harry from London/UK. How pleasant to have Harry crossing my path on Mon & Tue! Wishing them the best. Made my day! ABFitch has chosen well 🙂 🙂

The new branch Food for Though is located@the Cluny Rd side and what a good idea with the cement tables with an opening for a potted plant or flowers. Good luck to David for this new location. Looking forward to try the food. The range of Heliconia is quite fantastic in the gardens.

The old bandstand has been there as far as back as memories can recall, must dig up pix from the 1950s at that location! The National Orchid Garden within SBG is well worth a visit, S$1 for SIN seniors and S$5 for tourists. Au Jardin the 5* restaurant, not my price range, just pix to show the lovely ambience!

Botanic Gardens new MRT is app 20mins walk from the Evans Rd gate. The rests of the pix are from the airport/T3. Safe journeys Tommy and thanks for lunch. Appreciations to Tommy, Harry and Jim for crossing my life’s journey 🙂 🙂 🙂

Free self-portrait taken at the airport by the Angry Birds at a catapult stand and per request got it sent to my email… amazing!

Words to me were magic. You could say a word and it could conjure up all kinds of images or feelings or a chilly sensation or whatever. It was amazing to me that words had this power – Amy Tan

13 Dec 2011 – Topless Young Men…

Mon: Helen (yet another of Harry’s friend!), good of her to meet up for an early lunch@Paragon’s Soup Kitchen***and was pleasantly surprise with a group of jazz singers singing one of my favourites, What a Wonderful World…

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do…

Abercrombie & Fitch men, what a feast for the eyes… what more can I say 🙂

Appreciations to Les&Ivy for delicious dinner@Great World City’s Imperial Treasure Cantonese Cuisine****as always, the wine from Les cellar need no words! Tasted an interesting new dish looking like shark fin at first sight but knowing L&I that would not be the case. Hairy crab roe with egg white custard, very good with a dash of black vinegar.

Great to catch up with Kitty BROSNAN & family, last time we met was in Spain last year. Another Irish guest, Tommy DRUMM who is passing thru’ on his way to Perth/Australia. He is an Irish retired sportsperson, played Gaelic football and captained Dublin to the All-Ireland title in 1983.

Congratulations to Kitty’s grandson who recently won the World Championship for Kickboxing: GOLD Brian Brosnan Full Contact -71Kg

I’m not going to sit on the porch of the old anchorman’s home with a drool cup – Tom Brokaw

11 Dec 2011 – or just meant to be…

Sat: met up for the first time with Henrietta & Francis from HKG who are friends of Harry (HKG hiking buddy). H&F are in SIN to visit a sick auntie. As we were chatting over dinner, they were telling how serious their auntie’s condition is and that the relatives (ie their cousins) live opposite the Botanic Gardens with the hospital just a few blocks within their home.

The mind suddenly flashed back to a recent dinner with CHIJ classmates! Irene then told me that Gerald & Greta’s (friends from the 1960s) mother is in serious condition. Immediate thought was should I call or visit but was told then that Auntie Pearl would not know or remember me in her condition.

During dinner with H&F last night, called Greta and asked if I could visit her mother and she said that it is OK. How coincident is this when SIN has 5mil people and HKG 7mil and we meet! Spasiba/Russian(11th day Advent calendar of thank yous) to H&F for dinner and seems like they are meant to cross my path. Safe journeys to them.

Fri: met with AudreyM for a cuppa and early exchange of Christmas gift. Audrey worked with me at the first job in SIN in 1999.

East Meets West 2011***Millenniums ago, eight quarreling heavenly gods fall to earth because they could not live harmoniously together. Millenniums later, they meet in Guangzhou as contemporary personas, not knowing they used to be gods. A struggle of love & good over hate & evil is the message but not my cup of tea.

This East did not meet West for me or perhaps being away from the East from such a young age and for nearly 40yrs, could not relate the title to this movie!

New Year’s Eve***Usual Hollywood flick and a feel good movie. No struggles but reflections here and a nice way to pass rainy afternoons with all these well-known casts whose characters’ lives are intertwined over the course of the final day of the year!

Que sera sera… whatever will be will be, the future is not ours to say! From movie The Man who Knew too Much

10 Dec 2011 – Father…

Little boy got on the bus, sat next to a man reading a book, and noticed he had his collar on backwards.

The little boy asked why he wore his collar backwards.

The man, who was a priest, said, ‘I am a Father..’

The little boy replied, ‘My Daddy doesn’t wear his collar like that.’

The priest looked up from his book and answered, ”I am the Father of many..’

The boy said, ‘My Dad has 4 boys, 4 girls and two grandchildren and he doesn’t wear his collar that way!’

The priest, getting impatient, said. ‘I am the Father of hundreds’, and went back to reading his book.

The little boy sat quietly thinking for a while, then leaned over and said, ‘Maybe you should wear a condom, and put your pants on backwards instead of your collar.’

Tkx to Richard YUNG for sharing the above hahaha 🙂

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_743071.html

Ladies, time to do your Christmas shopping! Will head there Mon morning, not even this will get me to brave the weekend crowds 🙂 🙂

A WONDERFUL WEEKEND TO ALL & STAY SAFE!

8 Dec 2011 – Away from the Maddening crowd…

Sun: the immigration on the Malaysian side is brand new to me and the formality of filling up of paper forms is now redundant, just finger prints. Quite sensible and eco-friendly, ie no wasting of paper! Trips to KUA (in the state of Pahang/Malaysia) are usually about eating and this time round is no exception, except this is the first time taking the bus there (app 7hrs with stops). One way fare SIN-KUA S$29. KUA-SIN 29MYR/S$12. Total S$42.

Mon: appreciations to auntie Mo-Kit for dinner, accommodations for a night and driving me to return (borrowed on previous trip) the family records to father’s cousin (paternal grandfather LAM Song Kee’s half brother’s son) who lives in KUA. The energy does not stretch out to this branch, so hopefully someone in this branch will be interested to take the interest to fill in their data and we can joint the branches!

https://amylamsg.com/2010/04/11/a-savory-journey/

Tue: walked around near Mega Mall and the mall where there are Christmas decorations of balloons and Angry Birds cupcakes in the Deli!

Wed: sunrise walk by Hyatt Hotel, Grateful to LayWah for driving us around.

Wed: Tkx to Pat Chee for sharing her piece of paradise@KUA Tembeling resort, a peaceful rest by the sea.

Thu: back to the concrete jungle and the maddening crowd but do look forward to meeting Harry’s friends who will be visiting from HKG.

The bird of paradise alights only upon the hand that does not grasp – John Berr

3 Dec 2011 – Perfect movie & ［(－－)］ZZzzz weather

Third day of Advent, dank je wel=Dutch thank you for 3 movies, pix of some Christmas lights taken, Christmas mail for snail mail done and on their way and a nice nasi lemak picnic breakfast/brunch this morning (no rain then) at the Botanic Gardens with auntie Winnie from HI. Tomorrow off to Kuantan/Malaysia until next weekend. No phone, online or internet access, so no blog postings until back in SIN!

50/50***a 27-year-old  radio program writer, Adam is diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cancer. With the help of his best friend, his mother, and a young therapist at the cancer centre, Adam learns what and who the most important things in his life are.

Restless***about young love and mortality. A terminally ill teenage girl who falls in love with a boy who likes to attend funerals and also their encounters with the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot from World War II. Who do you live for is the question…

Two movies about cancer back to back were slightly on the heavy side. Good acting and also lessons with mortality at this stage of life are noted with reflections!

Nasi Lemak 2.0***entertaining example of Malaysia comedy about the journey of a young man who grew up in Chinese surroundings. At the start, he refuses to touch any food other than Chinese food, which he believed was far superior. After experiencing and learning the Noya, Malaya and India food cultures, he learns that art of fusion cooking.

Again a movie aimed for the locals. At present there are rumours that the movie might be banned in Malaysia!! And the main actor Namewee was detained without water. Somehow I fail to see why this low-budget comedy can provoke such havoc! Maybe was lost in translation or selective viewing and can only see the humourous side of it 🙂

By law I am Malay, by ancestry I am a mixed Malay-Arab, by choice I am a Malaysian but in the heart I belong to the Human Race – Anas Zubedy

1 Dec 2011 – And a complain about a police…

Today is the first day of advent and the advent calender is out with the 24 different languages of thank you. Goraibh maith agat/Irish to the sound of cooling, gentle and peaceful rains…

https://amylamsg.com/2009/12/31/last-day-in-2009/

Yesterday Wed, started a beautiful day catching up with Gel who is now a proud auntie to a 3 months baby girl. Had breakfast at our favourite Marine Terrace Congee and ChaiTowKway stalls. Gel grew up in this area and the women have known her since she was a child and still she has yet to receive a smile from these 2 stores which have been here for over 20yrs!

1030hrs, proceeded on to Katong Flower Shop to check for flower pots. Have been searching for tall long rectangular pots for the past 3yrs, but no luck. Saw some interesting concept of vertical gardens. The man from Bangladesh was graciously trying to service us plus another customer while the other 2 Chinese were busy messaging on the phone! Will certainly write to his management to show my appreciations to this foreign helper who made my day:

http://www.katongflowershop.com/

1430hrs, was at Kim Tian Rd trying to locate 127A. Due to the new constructions and lack of signs was lost. Walked by a police station and thought I was in luck… man think again! Went in and this is answer I received! I am not a street directory. Asked if he could check the directions and a shrug was the reaction…

Why is SIN wasting our taxed money with courtesy campaigns if this is the result? Sad that a police, our men in uniform has such an attitude in the Tiong Bahru Neighbourhood Police Post on Kim Tian Rd, hope that it is not like that elsewhere! Walking down the steps of the 40th storey-building as the power was out is nothing compared to rude people 🙁

Grateful to be able to strengthen the calf muscles. Gel tkx for a lovely day ending@IKEA with delicious chicken wings!

Dec’s special Bdays:

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

Whoever one is, and wherever one is, one is always in the wrong if one is rude – Maurice Baring

30 Nov 2011 – Goodbye Nov 2011!

Happy Hump Day and here is another  new version above, fun with letters and words 🙂

Here is another good one with letters 🙂 🙂

After being married for thirty years…..

A wife asked her husband to describe her…..

He looked at her slowly……then said,

‘You’re A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K.’

She asks….. ‘What does that mean?’

He said, ‘Adorable, Beautiful, Cute, Delightful, Elegant, Foxy, Gorgeous, Hot.’

She smiled happily and said… ‘Oh, that’s so lovely…..

What about I, J, K?;

He replied, ‘I’m Just Kidding!…….

The husband is now recuperating in the hospital!  LOL 🙂 🙂 🙂

Already Famous***This local production stars SIN actress Michelle CHONG as Lim Ka Kiao who sells TVs in Malaysia but she wants to be on TV! She heads off to SIN to fulfill her dream. She meets a shy coffee shop assistant who helps her achieve her dream. Not just about the trials and tribulations of making it in showbiz, but also finding finding herself and her soulmate!

OK and entertaining catered more for the local SIN audience and market!

Acting is not about being famous, it’s about exploring the human soul –
Annette Benin

28 Nov 2011 – Cheese & Wine

Yesterday a pleasant surprise call from cousin Linda who lives in CA/USA with her husband Alfred TAY. Linda’s mom LAM Yuet King is my father’s cousin, ie paternal grandfather LAM Song Kwee and Linda‘s maternal grandfather LAM Jee Chiew were brothers. LYK celebrated her 100th Bday this year, unfortunately could not make it as the births of James and Olai were happening around the same time.

Linda, tkx for calling and touching base. Hope that perhaps our paths will cross in 2012 and can then exchange notes on the family tree!

Pix credit to Alfred of auntie LYK’s 100th Bday with 5 of her children, Linda in pink.

Sun: a relaxing brunch with Bev, Ting & CH. Just too lazy to go anywhere! Appreciations to Ting & CH for bringing cold meat, cheese, garnish, bread and crackers. Tkx to Les, the wines were perfect for the occasion. Tkx Bev for early Christmas gift! CH enjoyed the light saber, the one used on Halloween when Yoda was with the Force in SC/USA 🙂

Brunch continued to dinner at the coffee shop across the road, was a relief not to be near any of the weekend crowds in town. Another event at the common area downstairs, this time a flea-market. Ting was happy shopping with her eyes 🙂 🙂

Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking – Albert Einstein