4 Jun 2024 – Hello June

Sat: a beautiful day to start the month of June.

While waiting for them, took a walk around EppsOrthodontics,WesmarkBlvd,Sumter soaking in this glorious day.

Way to go for Zuno, the family’s pet to finish his first 5K-Race at the SumterSPCA K9-5K led by #2&Lily with Linn finishing 1st place for her age-group.

Driving to&fro there ~2+hrs in an open-top-jeep directly under the sun was not the best situation for this aging white-hair-head but Zuno loved it – above pix credits to Ellie#2

If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience ― Woodrow Wilson

Chinese-Buffet-Dinner but TopChina is no longer, this time@Blossom,SunsetBlvd,W-Columbia which turned out to be a success especially when #5 wants to have his Bday dinner there – that is what said! Missing Linn who was busy at some graduation and #1 away in GA.

#3 eyes were bigger than his stomach(as my father always said 眼闊肚窄= eyes wild stomach narrow) for this time, despite him usually finishes all the food on his plates! Had a bite for most of the not deep-fried seafood. Extensive selection, not only Chinese – BBQribs,Sushi,LowcountryBoil,Pasta. US$155 for 6ppl. Looks like a popular place with big crowds and waiting lines. Ended the day with card games, only the boys had interest – everybody was busy with their own life.

Sun: @RiverlandHillsBaptistChurch. Lunch@BJ’sRestaurant&Brewhouse and with selections like these, it is no wonder that ppl overindulged. According to BillHicks – if you want to understand a society, take a good look at the drugs it uses. And what can this tell you about American culture? Well, look at the drugs we use. Except for pharmaceutical poison, there are essentially only two drugs that Western civilization tolerates: Caffeine from Monday to Friday to energize you enough to make you a productive member of society, and alcohol from Friday to Monday to keep you too stupid to figure out the prison that you are living in…

Ignorance is a lot like alcohol: the more you have of it, the less you are able to see its effect on you ― Jay Bylsma. Schiller – against stupidity&ignorance the very gods themselves contend in vain.

Mon&Tue: tkx to #3 for driving me to&fro Walmart which will probably be it for this trip round. Getting foods,etc ready&looking forward to my AT-hiking buddies from NC,VA&DC who will be visiting this week. Will be missing Wiggs/VA and MoFo/SC who are not able to make it.

1 Jun – Happy Bday Morten
2 Jun – Happy Bdays KK & RichardLee
4 Jun – Happy Bday Natasha
6 Jun – Happy Bday Dika & Harry
9 Jun – Happy Bday Sophie
15Jun – my father would have been 112. L&M’s paternal grandfather would have been 100
15Jun – Happy Bday AmyJ
19Jun – Happy Bdays JenLeng & ChengSong
22Jun – Happy Bdays Josh & Devon
25Jun – Happy Bdays Chon/John, Clement & Huang/HI,USA.
28Jun – Happy Bdays Jeff & JohnWilson
30Jun – Happy Bdays JenMun & AnnieKOH

31 May 2024 – A Month Has Gone By Quickly

Mon: with the flock away, it was a quiet MemorialDay staying indoors with the AC to continue reading this well written book, Plantation/2001 very befitting being in this Lowcountry surroundings – 585pp, real page turner story. Writer DorotheaOliviaBentonFrank(1951-2019) grew up in SC and wrote 10Books&10Novels – pix downloaded.

I went to my husband and said, ‘I want to buy Momma’s house and keep it in the family.’ Peter said, ‘How much is it?’ I said $180,000. I only needed $149,000 and he said no. I asked him why and he said, ‘If you think I’m going to spend the rest of my life sitting on a front porch listening to all your relatives tell the same stories over and over till they fall off the porch, I’m not going to do it.’ ” Ms. Frank was livid. “I said: ‘O.K. Well, I’ve got news for you, Bubba. I’m going to write a book and I’m going to sell a million copies and I’m going to buy Momma’s house back. And you can’t come in.’ He said, ‘Let’s see you do it...

https://www.paperbackswap.com/Plantation-Lowcountry-Tales-Dorothea-Benton-Frank/review/0425194183/

Tue: grocery shopping – 3types/4ozs,1.15gr per package of smoked salmon/AlaskanUS$9,AlanticUS$9,NorwegianUS$7, all good but need some scramble eggs to compliment them. Steelhead&salmon are both nutritious fish that are rich in protein+omega-3 fatty acids, and in general, salmon is slightly higher in fat than steelhead.  Steelhead vs. Salmon: What’s the Difference? – Alaskan Salmon Co. (aksalmonco.com) Flock came for dinner and Linn made yummy ShrimpAlfredo.

When you feel neglected, think of the female salmon, who lays 3,000,000 eggs but no one remembers her on Mother’s Day – Sam Ewing

Wed: really 9yrs ago! Amazing that Tristan, boy in the strip-T-Shirt remembers that I was in their class to give a talk about CNY! And look at them now!!

@TotalWine for some unusual miniature bottles for my collection, a lemon squeezer – like my GinTonics when I can use this to get the flavour&oil of a fresh lemon. OrientalMarket the only place I know of here for Curry sauce!

Summer for prose and lemons, for nakedness and languor – Derek Walcott

Thu: finally, 64tiles cleaned&scrubbed, trying to assemble them together for attachment on this cute table that was blown down by a storm some years ago. Except for a few broken tiles, can still be repaired but hard on the hands! Nice to be able to be busy&constructive to use as a side table in the living room.

Former US President Donald Trump found guilty – usually, fast asleep as it is past midnight where I am now – trying to understand what is happening and despite that no one is above the law, but who know what will happen??? Sharing this perfect sardonic humour borrowed from a FB-friend.

A few minutes past the supposed dismissal time, the courtroom is so silent that all I can hear are my own keystrokes and those of the reporters to my immediate right and left – LisaRubin

Updates: Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts in hush money trial (nbcnews.com)

Edited: 5Jun – good one written by Denise Foot, and popularized by TV anchor Lawrence O’Donnell?

Becki Dahlstedt – It is very good but has been also mis-attributed to Lawrence; it should be attributed to Denise Foot (a retired nurse in Alaska)

Debra Sherman – The sad part is that I don’t think any of this is true. He’s a narcissist through and through. Narcissist do not see their failings or wrongdoing. He probably sleeps just fine narcissists don’t have a conscience.

Fri: celebrating a 50Bday@SanJose,AugustaRd,Lexington

26 May 2024 – #4 Sophie’s Track Banquet

Thu: much action with my morning cuppa –

Aurora brought a mate – animal protection ppl/ASPCA was here but those birds escaped flying over our roof. ASPCA are now figure out a trap to capture them knowing where those birds like to hang out. Hope that they will be captured&returned to where they belonged despite that I will miss their beautiful company&sighting but not their noisy squawking and their attempts to eat my plants – strange that they seem to like my company or it is my plants, hahaha!

Animals are the bridge between us and the beauty of all that is natural. They show us what’s missing in our lives, and how to love ourselves more completely and unconditionally. They connect us back to who we are, and to the purpose of why we’re here― Trisha McCagh

#3 now being reviewed for a EagleScoutCandidate and sounded like a pretty extensive interview that I have no doubt that he will make it despite me having to return to SIN when the results are out. Eagle Board of Review Guidelines (eaglescout.org)

Created in 1911, Eagle Scout is the highest rank of the Scouts BSA (formerly Boys Scouts of America. Because it takes years of hard work, service, and determination to become an Eagle Scout, this prestigious milestone is recognized across the country and the world.

Eagle Scout Benefits: The Value of Becoming an Eagle Scout (verywellfamily.com)

Having problems with iphone camera, glad that this old faithful Canon is still with me and not giving me any problems – just need to make sure that the battery is charged. Can now take more pix…

Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second – Marc Riboud

IrmoHighSchool TrackBanquet – congratulations to #4 and so proud of her achievements

Slightly long drawn out but good food catered by MissionBBQ US$6 pp.

Fri: 0630hrs walked from the condo for ~3hrs along River&PineIslandRds, and saw only a handful of cars and 2ppl walking.

Amazing nature and sometimes not so natural – CoveViewCt

Was hoping to walk on to PineIsland with my brunch-pack, disappointed to find this fence but glad that I was able to drive around there 8yrs ago! Hopefully another walk here my next trip as it is scheduled to be a StatePark later in the year. Aurora+mate again on my neighbour’s deck when I got back, managed to get the plants indoors just in time…

Pine Island on Lake Murray to open in mid-fall 2024 | Columbia News | postandcourier.com

Previous posting on PineIsland from 2016

PineIsland – this 27-acre has been a private club for about 50yrs and owner SCE&G – SC Electric&Gas plans to keep it that way. But this longtime privacy of a premier site on Lake Murray is starting to come into question…

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/737404/pine_island_guards_privacy_but_scegs_lake_murray_club_is/

StMichael’sLutheranChurch(1814), a charming white wooden church with a bell that chimes happily every Sunday.

http://www.sciway.net/sc-photos/lexington-county/st-michaels-lutheran-church.html

Sat: EggsUpGrill,DutchForkRd tkx to Linn for the introduction to another egg place! Since in the neighbourhood, grocery shopping@Walmart – good deal, RotisserieChicken for US$5.97 each, bought 3 spent the rest of the afternoon deboning them and cooking broth with the bones now ready in the freezer for company&the rest of my stay.

Sun: it’s the MemorialDayWeekend – the flock is away with their extended US family somewhere in NC, so no need to attend any church today! Saw this sign from Unbelievably Hilarious Signs You Can’t Miss! and thought it appropriate being a hot&muggy Sunday, hahaha. Keeping myself busy and enjoying this book but do take a longer time to read as the eyesight is not as it used to be…

Self-selecting process of elimination for most things life offered, such as risk and adventure― Dorothea Benton Frank

22 May 2024 – And About Eggs

Sun: took some pain reliever last night, right knee was really giving me some discomfort and could hardly stand on it – not sure if it is that I have been out of Glucosamine the past week has anything to do with it? Or that I have been walking many stairs daily/14steps up&down the stairs and probably ~10times daily! Tkx to #3 for driving me to Walgreens to get more today – have been looking for them the past 2trips@Walmart, none there& then or perhaps did not look at the right places!!

Morning service@RiverlandHillsBaptistChurch with my flock, and as usual remained outside to protect my eardrums. Never cease to amaze me that this is a church despite that it is not my first time here! Wonder what my frugal maternal grandfather who was a Baptist minister would have said to this location?

Favourite church of all churches is still the ArmenianChurch of SaintGregory the Illuminator, referred to locally as the ArmenianChurch, the oldest Christian church located on HillSt/SIN. Being a non-believer of any organized religion, this modest simple church somehow gives me a serene comfort of peace, especially when I am the only person there!

Lunched@AnotherBrokenEggCafe/Lexington – not hungry enough to order anything, had a bite from everyone to taste+a cup of hot tea. Seems like names like this and Eggslut do draw the crowds! and as far as fresh good eggs are concerned, they are one of the most healthy&nutritious foods, depending on how they are prepared. Appreciations to EdagrO for this link: In the shell, eggs can last 3-5weeks from the day they come home, and that may even outlast the date on the carton. https://nyti.ms/3WMJ0RW

As long as I can be healthy, does not matter what age –

This Is What The World’s Oldest Person Eats Every Day – Juicing for Health (juicing-for-health.com)

It may be the cock that crows, but it is the hen that lays the eggs – Margaret Thatcher

FrozenYogurt@Menchie’s/Lexington – first experience here and a place like this would do well in SIN, highly recommended – pix downloaded.

Mon: Linn’s TrackAward presentation@LexingtonHighSchool where the Girls’CC-team were StateChampions in 2022 then. Good to say hi to JeremyL, and to meet their head coach Tanner who looks like one of the kids at the school – his last season as he heads on to coach full time@UofColumbia/SC. Looks like he likes to do short&sweet year ending awards, unlike that@IrmoHighSchool where #4 will be having hers with drinks&food being served on Thu! Suits me fine – only there for Linn, none of the grands attend here.

Tue: nice walk with my 1stBorn to check out that the key works for the gate at the pool now that it is official opened.

Another book borrowed (need to still return the other one left in Norway!) in good company of this crane – how appropriate considering that I have just strung&hung 18foil canes made by #5 where they can represent tranquility,peace,patience and symbolize wisdom,grace,balance,transformation – definitely good to have!

Crane Bird Meaning and Symbolism (Luck, Omen, Dream, Spirit) (birdertopia.com)

‘I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world – Sasaki’

Appreciations to Linn for taking me to check out the school where she is teaching 3rdGraders – AmericanLeadershipAcademy/Lexington,SC. Tkx to Allison for stopping by to have dinner with us, amazing lady who can recognize at least 75kind of birds’ chirps! Birds chirping is like a gentle reminder to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us every day.

A turbulence of this kind would probably give me a heart attack too, condolences to his family. Am one of those who keep my seatbelt on most of the time and would even tighten it more so at the slightest turbulence – pix downloaded

One dead, dozens injured after Singapore Airlines flight from London hit by severe turbulence

Wed: curry night for the family and a few fake cacti to brighten the kitchen.

My fake plant died because I did not pretend to water them

18 May 2024 – Ja vi elsker dette landet

Wed: early 17thMay dinner for the US-flock as they will all be busy in school and at track practice&meet on Fri. Wed night is their Sushi night, just got a shrimp platter to mark the day. Linn managed to cut some of the beautiful ClimbingDonJuan roses that she planted at the house in Clearview.

Thu: the plants have to go out on the deck, peacock or not – hope that the saying grass being greener on the other side is true and that our plants are not to his taste! Need to hang something shiny like foil or MylarBallons to hopefully keep birds&squirrels away from the potted plants on the deck –

mini Kalanchoe and mini rose
Impatiens, CallaLily and Celosia
ClematisDrRuppel and SweetMillionCherryTomato

A garden isn’t meant to be useful. It’s for joy – Rumer Godden

Decided to name this roaming peacock Aurora as he showed up around the same time with all these recent unusual aurora sightings, and these birds were supposedly a delicacy in MedievalTimes! – do wonder if they are any good? somehow, I imagine that their meat is not too tender!?

14 Brilliant Peacock Facts You Might Not Know | Animal World (animal-world.com)

Fri: gratulerer med dagen og hurra for 17mai to all celebrating&marking the day when the Norwegian Constitution was signed in Eidsvoll/Norway on 17May1814. A noteworthy aspect of the Norwegian National Day is its non-military nature – all over Norway children’s parades with an abundance of flags form the central elements of the celebration(pix from KarlJohanGt,Oslo/Norway downloaded).

Hope that #1&Jack get to experience the parades there this year. Looks like good food and nice weather for their first 17May celebration in Norway – pix credit to May. One of my favourite 17May pix is of #3 raising the flag in their Treehouse@Clearwater in 2016.

Sat: early morning coffee@Starbucks,LakeMurrayBlvd,Irmo – spacious location with nice painting on the wall and a drive thru’.

#4StateTrackMeet@SpringValleyHigh District4A where she PR with her 4x800mRelay 2.29 shaving off 4sec from her last meet – good job and way to go despite of humid&muggy conditions. Home – SPRING VALLEY High (richland2.org)

My gift to her was this dark navy hoodie sweatshirt with her team+their names behind.

The real purpose of running isn’t to win a race, it’s to test the limits of the human heart – Bowerman

Appreciations with thanks for nice lunch location@LovelandCoffee run by a local family from Irmo – first experience here.

Loveland Coffee – Loveland Coffee

Good to have #2&4@YachtCove for dinner and thanks to #2 for the best cookie I have ever tasted. #3&5 are out hiking with the BoysScout and supposedly camping – camping was cancelled due to lightening threats but they managed to have a camp-fire-cooked-out-dinner. #5 was rather pleased that he did not have to camp,hahaha!

Yesterday’s amazing sky just before the downpours@SpringValleyHigh when Linn had to be with her LexingtonHighTrackTeamDistrict5A where she coaches – pix credits to her. According to her it poured there after this pix was taken (no enhancements or photoshop) during their meet while it was only a few drops hereYachtCove.

Lexington High School / Welcome to Lexington High School (lexington1.net)

14 May 2024 – Unusual Aurora Borealis Sightings

Sat: TrackMeet@RidgeViewHigh for State qualifier. #4 overtook 4 others at her last lap for her individual 800m, exciting to cheer her on this beautiful blue-sky day where she was pleased with her times 2.33 despite not qualifying for State but will head with her 4x800mRelay team for State next weekend.

Talked with one of the many security officers to learn that he has 32rounds of bullets if he had to use his gun – quite intimidating to see him so fully armed including handcuffs, etc. Hopefully ppl like him can stop anyone trying to cause any trouble.

AuroraBorealis lights around the world tonight – pix credits to Jane/Tasmania,Australia.

https://ow.ly/HTIZ50RB95r

Meteorologist JoelBarnes@WBBJ7,Jackson,TN and pix credits to SC Cheng/WA,USA.

Nemo of Switzerland with their song TheCode won the EurovisionSongContest2024 – not my taste of music but did enjoy watching it during student days in the 1960s-70s when the ears were more tuned to the era of Abbas&Beatles

Eurovision Winners (eurovisionworld.com)

Sun: unexpected lively Mother’s Day morning cuppa with only not the birds&trees, but also in the company of a peacock! Was warned about the peacock but did not think that it will appear on the neighbour’s roof to keep me company today – what a dramatic morning despite his not puffing the tail feathers.

More excitement from the other side of the condo with 3RedCardinals flying to the trees as I opened the front door. Stood quietly and saw them flying back to the bush by the garbage-bin – tried to tiptoe for a closer look but they all ended flying back to the trees, will not disturb them in case they have a nest in the bush. What a glorious way to start Mother’s Day.

10yrs ago that we gathered with my whole full flock – do wonder when we can do that again? Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers(and to my 3grand daughters who may be mothers someday!) with loving memory of my own mother TSENG MayLan(1911-1965). Appreciation with gratefulness to 2daughters Linn(1974)&May/(1978) for making me the mother I am today and to 6grandchildren for giving hope to looking forward ahead with the feeling of living a full life, enjoying&savouring all the milestones&moments there are.

A Mother is the only person who carries you 9 months in her belly, 3 years in her arms and forever in her heart 

Dinner@Publico where I am able to get the flock posed in their chronological age order.

Thank you to #2 for these beautifully presented&delicious cupcakes – fun creating a now pix reenacting from one a decade ago and #5 is certainly no longer a toddler any longer, hahaha! Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.  Appreciations to #3 for driving me for another trip to Walmart, my way of giving them some pocket money instead of renting a car. Now whatever needed to keep me occupied for the week ahead are within the condo.

Mon&Tue: peacock has been keeping me company with its squawks the past few days. Neighbours commented that he is annoying when that squawking happens in the early hours, quite understandable – hopefully he will stay away from our unit during those precious sleep hours. Appreciations with tkx for this lovely Magnolia from a neighbour who has the tree.

Tkx to another neighbour who informed me that the peacock ate all their flowers, the whole plant+roots – bad greedy peacock! That of course got me to take the flowers indoor when not on the deck or in the living room – wonder why he does not go for the Magnolia flowers?

 A peacock has too little in its head, too much in its tail – Swedish proverb

10 May 2024 – Annual Lunch Date

Tue: annual lunch date@ChickenSaladChick/HarbisonBlvd with #1&2 for updates. Time flies with the grand generation/GenZ turning into young adults. #1 will be heading to Norway for a short holiday before her internship@UofSC and #2 will start at a medical clinic for her summer internship next week. Way to go and well done, ladies – so proud of them.

My present neck of the woods/N-LakeDr just on the main road for both Clearview&YachtCove where plant life can still bloom in peace allowing its natural habitat to flourish with cleaner air for breathing.

Fri: TGIF and the week has gone by quickly. Appreciations&thanks to #2 who drove me to&fro WalmartSupercenter/DutchForkRd for shopping&picking up plants to spruce up the deck to keep me company for the next few weeks. Prefer this Walmart to that@HarbirsonRd – this is the Walmart that used to open 24hrs and here was where I was trying out shoes all night for the 2005AT-Thru-Hike! There is a Domino’sPizza with good thin crust here – according to Iyengar, the typical Walmart today offers you 100,000 products!!

6 May 2024 – Celebrating a Milestone

Sat: started the day bright&early heading downtown to find a parking space/GreeneSt by the ColonialLifeArena. Early enough to get one in the open-air parking lot and still had time for a cuppa@TropicalSmoothisCafe/LinolnSt with Jack who we bumped into by chance when trying to look for a Bfast place.

Great to have someone like Jack who is familiar with this location to guide us to the shorter line and to find a row with 12seats for our group.

The ceremony started on time 09.30hrs with the UofSC’s entertaining&delightful BrassBand and with everything running impressively,efficiently&smoothly. Where is Waldo? Now with HighTech, it was no problem getting our graduate to turn her head to us with a wave and to see her on the extended TV monitor.

Linn&I had to leave immediately after a proud moment (alot of hardwork for 30secs–quoting Dee, hahaha) watching #1 received her BA/MagnaCumLaude  – above 2pix credits to the others who were able to document the rest of the ceremony.

Had to be here to set up for lunch and it is a nice informal location with a small private room for our group. The Peanut Man – Restaurant in Columbia, SC

Perfect lunch salads&sandwiches and a good time with speeches was had by all – nice to meet with Jack’s parents,Jason&Stephanie & sis,Skyler.

Picked up a cake&drinks@Publix and headed to Clearwater for dessert&board-games with fond memories when #1 thought I should be Yoda and made me this mask for 2011Halloween – kept that mask until it burnt down with the house in 2013, happy to find the pix in my 2011Folder – May the Force Be with Us All on this May Fourth and every day ahead.

Appreciations with thanks for an amazing day with my USflock+pets, an EnglishMastifBo&BlackLabZuno and their extended families&Jack, all driving from FL,GA,NC gathered here in SC to celebrate #1’s Graduation milestone at this stage and may she stay healthy&safe in her life journey ahead to enjoy the moments.

Group pix – credits to Jeff for setting it up.

Back/L-R:Jeff,Terry,Dee,John,Sophie,William,Jack
Front/L-R:Kristy,Olivia,Chris,Ellie,Katy,James,Cindy,Me,Kathleen,Linn

Sun: Happy Cinco de Mayo, good to be back where there is a wider selection of TexMex cuisine and more available. A funny greeting from 1stBorn, shared with LarryP who thought that it was from my grandchildren – a good way to remember, hahaha! Late lunch@ElPoblano/Chapin where they were setting up for a BBQ&LiveBand outside parking-lot for this evening. Had the SpecialNachoFajitas appetizer and still enough to doggie bag away for 2more meals!

Cinco de Mayo=fifth of May is celebrated in the USA and primarily limited to the state of PueblaMexico. It commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the 1862Battle of Puebla – 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 is limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed voluntarily in the USA&other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage&pride. Happy Cinco de Mayo to all celebrating&marking today, especially to the Korkowski family!

Mon: lovely cool wet Mon to chill and for getting laundry,etc done. A week has gone by quickly, now more or less in sync with the time-zone here.

3 May 2024 – A Zombie With A Headache – Hahaha

Tue30Apr: arr 0700hrs@IAD and the best time to stretch my legs with hardly any one in my way – walked from C-gates to take the train to A-gates.

Such a contrast@A&B-gates, bright&clean with hard-floors(all public buildings should have hard-floors for hygienic reasons) and flags of the world&US-states – morning walk up&down here a couple of times, still not too many ppl yet.

Took refuge here for some quite moment as more ppl turned up after 1000hrs – thoughts of the 2004 movie The Terminal with Tom Hanks after roaming around ~5hrs@IAD.

~2hrs flight to CAE departed on time taking off by all these private jets (probably the only time to see so many private jets!) to an airport that is impossible to get lost in unless you are not sober-hahaha! Tkx to 1stBorn for meeting&picking me, always appreciative when she is able to take time off her major hectic schedules – single mom full time teaching,coaching,etc, and now with gradaution on top  o preparations ahead.

Jetlagged@the year ending IrmoMIddle&HighSchool concert where both paternal&maternal grandmothers are beaming with joy&pride(also proud that I managed to keep my eyes opened) for their grandchildren(#3,4&5 for me) in the orchestra – first of the many events for this trip.

There are grandmothers out there who would move heaven and earth for their grandchildren – JE-Howard

Wed: what a special moment it is to be able to lunch@OliveGarden  with #1grandchild, just the 2 of us catching up and running errands for the early afternoon. Blessed with her for wanting to spent time with me&for being my driver, especially all the way to #4RegionalTrackMeet@RichlandNorthEastHighSchool. Hot late afternoon with the scorching sun, not the best time to be under and despite of a splitting headache managed to watch her run 3events with her last one just in time for the beautiful colours of sunset. Appreciations&tkx to Jeff for driving me back to YachtCove.

Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns it calls me on and on across the universe ― John Lennon

Thu: what a start of a glorious day to catch up with 2Born on the phone. Thought that I will get away from the MarineTerraceMRTstation construction in SIN but looks like construction follows me here but thankfully not so dusty&noisy with digging up a lawn as to digging into hard concrete asphalt – woodpecker is still here to accompany me for my morning cuppa on the deck. Enjoying the grocery shopping with all the selections&space@Publix/MurrayLanding.

Fri: lovely peaceful morning walk with the surroundings and its natural habitat despite for getting up ~0100hrs this early morning and unable to fall back to sleep until ~0300hrs! Hope to stay awake to go suitcase shopping later with 1stBorn&#1.

What we call economic growth is in fact a growth in waste and a decline in the health of natural habitat – Satish Kumar

1 May – Happy May Day/Labour Day
5 May – Happy Cinco De Mayo
6 May – Happy Bdays WONG WaiKit & Jan SOSA
10 May – Happy Bday Andrew LAM
12 May – Happy Mother’s Day
13 May – Happy Bday Susannah LAM
16 May – Happy Bday LAM JiaWen
17 May – Hurra for 17mai
18 May – Happy Bday Helen VICKERY-YEO
19 May – Happy Bday Paul KRAUSE
23 May – Happy Bday Yasmine AMEEN
27 May – Happy Bdays LAM SuiChang & Karen LIM
28 May – Happy Bday Vanessa LAM
30 May– Happy Bday Hans Kristian HUSTAD

29 Apr 2024 – So Long For Now, SIN

Fri: durian season has started and will be eating this King of Fruits for the next few days now that I can get it@MTmarket and take it back to eat in my 4walls – this is the only fruit that I know of is prohibited to be on public transport, for real!

Forgot all about the beautiful full moon last night because of durian – too preoccupied choosing my first durian for the season, hahaha! Tkx to AaronL&HelenS for their FBpix reminding me how beautiful last night’s moon was and for Helen’s comment Durian vs Moon. The winner is …… Durian. lol

With my photography skill and without high-tech-equipment, might as well borrow some the younger generation’s pix! Imagine if I had to carry this to take pix, there would no pix to share from me. I, for one certainly will not be carrying this with me and as it is, no matter how much the outdoor life attracts me, would always prefer to hike with just a daypack – vividly memoires with a fullpack when hiking thru’ certain sections of the AT in 2005.

Sat: looks like this will be my last time at this temporary bus-stop – looking forward to the new one when I get back in Jun.

Bus36 directly to TanglinMall for OSSEA’s OrchidShow.

Congratulations to AhHong/NeoChengSoonFarm for his Brassocattleya(C-Portia x B-LittleStar)+DendrobiumUnregistered(Den-Goldenrod x Den-gouldii). Good to catch up with Yusof.

And to PeggyT for her DencrobriumCaesar (Den-Striaenopis x Den-Stratiotes).

Pix or words do no justice to these beautiful exotic blooms, you need to be there in person to see them. This Orchid Show starts today Sat27Apr thru’ Sat5May – organized by OrchidSociety of SouthEastAsia/OSSEA. There will be a plant booth selling plants,etc at B1 & info for those interested.

The master of wit&eloquence OscarWilde in his play A Woman of No Importance – Lord Illingworth told me this morning that there was an orchid there as beautiful as the seven deadly sins. This comparison evokes both the allure of the orchid’s delicate beauty&intrigue of the darker aspects of human nature. Just as the 7deadly sins captivate our imagination, so does this exquisite flower provoking some of us to contemplate the complexities of existence, where beauty&temptation intertwine like petals in a mysterious bloom. Perhaps that orchid, with its sinuous curves&intoxicating fragrance, embodies not only physical allure but also the hidden desires&contradictions within us all.

AssamFish+AcarAcar@ArungPadang,FoodRepublic/ShawHouse lunch knowing that these kinds of local foods will not be in the menu until end Jun! Not a complain, just to mentally prepare body&mind to be ready for a change of cuisine.

Sun: appreciations with thanks for yummy family dinner@Rochalie. Delicious fresh-steamed-fish and sweet Yangmei 楊梅/Myrica rubra, also known as Chinese bayberry, red bayberry, or yumberry – have not had these since last trip to HKG! So good to see Ivy excising&moving on her legs again.

Mon: dep 21.00hrs SIN-SFO-IAD-CAE arr CAE Tue30Apr ~22+hrs flying-time with UnitedAir and ~6+hrs layovers@SFO&IAD. Having just ~2hrs to keep my fingers crossed for no delays into SFO and hoping&praying no hold ups at immigration to be in time to catch the flight-IAD. I am still waiting for space-age to be advance enough to zap me to wherever in the world I we want to be instantly – hahaha!

Nobody ever thinks clearly at the airport – Nicolas Cage

All was good&well with no delays – ChangiT2 has changed since last here with a towering multimedia digital waterfall display 4storeys@the dep check-in level. In the dep transit area after immigration is Dreamscape, a new garden that combines digital content, plants&fish. Nice to have these calming effects when the line for SFO-flight was long with a full ~15hrs flight.

No time for pix@SFO, thank goodness they put in 3 additional immigration officers after being in a very long line for ~30mins. Overheard a conversation from some Americans – quite a contrast to come home to this when we just breezed thru’ all the immigrations in SIN. I was just happy to not miss my next ~5hrs flight!