21 Apr 2024 – Congratulations to Katy

Thu: headed towards West on ECPk slightly later to see a tiny fraction of the sun struggling to peep thru’ between the clouds, not a complete sunrise but still beautifully serene and perfect for me as not too hot to be out walking after sunrise – also able to take pix in daylight!

Usually would just by-pass ParklandGreen, walking on the outer path by the sea, but today was meeting with AudreyM&her dog@Starbucks here.

17,939CigaretteButts, 11,215PlasticStraws picked in 90mins

8MillionMetric tons plastic dumped into the oceans annually. Learning from these well-presented environmental awareness poster art and sad to know how we are contributing to the destruction of MotherNature on PlanetEarth.

Nice to see how trees are planted in a way to fit into this open-space corridor and hello to Skipper.

Was not even aware about this DogRun where dogs are able to run about unleashed inside a fenced area – informed by Audrey that there is one of these in many neighbourhood.

Skipper was not totally at ease with the rumbling of thunder despite being good to sit quietly and not sniffing me when we had a cuppa. Animals’ instinct is something I always paid attention to and sure enough it started pouring just a few mins after they got on their Grab. No problems or worries for me to just walk under the shade all the way for brunch@MarineParadeMarket.

Fri: Congratulations Katy, so proud of #1 and soo looking forward to seeing them all end of the month – pix credits to Linn. Phi Beta Kappa (ΦΒΚ) stands for Φιλοσοφία Βίου Κυβερνήτης (Philosophia Biou Kybernētēs=Love of Learning is the Guide to Life – the oldest (1776) US academic honour society and the most prestigious scholastic organization that requires an invitation to join.

How to Become a Phi Beta Kappa and Why (usnews.com)

Sat: starting this beautiful day with Helen by the wall of 54MarineTerrace where there is a tasteful mural of life by the SIN-River in the 1960s painted by MrLim, a MarineTerraceWalk resident. Bfast@MTmarket.

Walking from MT-MP-Still-ECRoads enjoying the sight of these lovely bougainvilleas@ChurchOfTheHolyFamily and a new mural@Yong’sTeochewKuey.

JooChiat(one of my favourite roads to walk)-ChangiRd–

GeylangSeraiMarket for TehTarik-GeylangRd-HaigRdMarket with these tiny colourful fish and also when the sky opened up and poured. Since Helen has never tried, thus a good excuse to stop and sharing a bowl of SarawakLaksa@LinYuMei.

Wandering around the HaigRdMarket is a feast for the eyes&stomach – not to have or eat any of these but just seeing the brilliant&vibrant colours makes me feel so blessed that I can see&not colour-blind.

Such lovely warmth of thought and delicacy of colour are beyond all praise, and equally beyond all thanks – Marie Corelli

HaigRd-KatongShoppingMall for BananaPie&MiniChocolateTart, but were sold out@DonaManis. Tried the new AuntiePengBananaPie and they are just as good. Bus48-CC@BkTimahRd to share this pie and to say hi before heading on to the US.

Katong Shopping Centre’s Dona Manis co-founder leaves, sets up bakery right next door – Mothership.SG – News from Singapore, Asia and around the world

Sun: checking that the most important things like passport,insurances,prescribed-meds,etc are in order&valid as its going to be another busy social week ahead. Packing the most light-weight Drip-Dry-clothings, ie washedf&dried within the hour+NO ironing needed! Thrilled that the old Arcteryx outfits are still as good as new&still fit. No fan of these preparatory elements of travel – but do look much forward to be with my US-flock again.

Heaven’ll be our last move!-No baggage, no luggage, no hard journey, no packing, no long travel! It may be a long way, but it may be closer than you think – David Berg, ie if there is Heaven and what makes anyone think that they will even get there – hahaha…

17 Apr 2024 – Secret Singapore

Sun: appreciations with thanks to Iyas for Sunday’s scrupulous HalahHomeCooked lunch + a variety of yummy HariRayaCookies – Selamat Hari Raya to him&family.

Campers’ Corner Grey/White Hair Group, despite of our hair colour, we thankfully still have hair and do hopefully will keep leading an active healthy life – pix credits to Helen.

Comments from FB: RY – Did U draw on the eyebrows, look kinda overly conspicuous to the point of ostentatious and that’s from a guy with hardly any eyebrows… yours truly… so jealous. Me – I too have hardly any eyebrows, so tried drawing! Appreciate your comment, will go easier on them the next time when I do it again. RY – I knew it, something kinda looks odd… almost clownish. JaneH comment –You look so good. Me – thank you Jane and I feel good too! So as long as I am OK&feel good with myself – hahaha!

Tkx to Helen for good company for an afternoon walk@SBG. Some changes here since the days being involved with OSSEA in the late 1990s&early 2000s. Finally managed to get a copy of SecretSingaporeS$29.70@RisisShop/SBG-TanglinGate. JeromeLIM is one of my favourite SIN bloggers – https://the longnwindingroad.wordpress.com Appreciations for dinner@Rochalie

Mon: running errands@PlazaSIN – ArtsFriendS$7.15, BengawanSoloS$9-Kueys for sisJo, CSS$8.15 including Promo+CDCS$10Voucher, DaisoS$17.45, SpotlightS$31.80-threads+a new towel for myself on sale, old one is 25yrs old! and believe it or not, guest towels have lasted me since student days from Ireland and still in good shape. llaollaoYogurt treatS$6. Total spent S$82 including busfares to&fro what I consider an efficient-successful-errand-day – hahaha! Tkx for dinner@7A

Tue: a nice quiet cool wet day to chill and start thinking as to what has to be done&needed when in the US from 29Apr-15Jun. Planning to travel with just a carry-on as some of my clothes&stuff are there in storage@Linn’s condo. It would be interesting to have a wall like the downloaded pix above and have all-ready-packed suitcases depending on where in the world you are heading to – LOL

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wed: Bfast with Gel@MTmarket – nice to catch up before heading off.

15 Apr 2024 – A Special Single Day Posting

Edited&updated 16Apr 2024

‘This is probably one of my last murals’: Artist Yip Yew Chong unveils latest creation as Lau Pa Sat celebrates 130th anniversary, Lifestyle News – AsiaOne

Mon: have been following with YC Yip’s work since his 2016Mural@WaterlooSt. AsiaOne featured him 13Apr(youtube link below) and recently received from NLB-BiblioAsia Vol20Issue01 featuring him The Way We Were. Decided to search in my postings to discover that there are at least 11postings he is mentioned.

Why I Do What I Do: He paints funerals in his art to reflect everyday life in Singapore (youtube.com)

24 Dec 2023 – Winter Solstice2023/I Paint My Singapore 心绘新加坡

The main reason to be here was not the shopping but to attend YIP YewChong’s exhibition before getting caught with the busy week ahead. Glad that he is on his feet again after a rough day last week.

Being his usual gracious&modest self, he took time to chat&sign books – have been following with his works for many years – https://yipyc.com

21 Nov2023 – Art of Joy/Book Launch

Sat: Congratulations to YC Yip&TaiHo Woon for an overwhelming success turnout for their book launch@TiongBahruCC today. Looking forward to reading it – great catching up with Irene&Susan.

The lines to purchase and for signing were so long that the panel fireside chat was ~an hour delayed.

Yip Yew Chong – Artporters

23 Nov 2021 – Old Charms vs New Charms/On The EastSide To Chinatown

Great to catch up with IreneH and to see Yip in action. https://yipyc.com/maps/

YipYewChong’s new mural on a lane off TempleSt/Chinatown –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWpm-4rU0GI

21 Mar 2021 –  CitySquareMall/Yip YewChong’s Works

Do enjoy many of YipYewChong’s works and the below documentary features SIN-Chinese from various dialect groups and their cultures. Here you can catch a glimpse of him bringing TV host DannyYeo to his studio to view the paintings 年晚，行清，烧衣， 中秋夜， 冬至 and 戏院横街湿巴刹 Also a walking tour of his ChinatownMurals, as well talked about his 2012 trip to his ancestral village in China’s Guandong province. E.

Well done YYC, hope that he will someday publish his works, if not already done? Pix downloaded.

11 Mar 2021 – Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Wed: hello Macus, nice to meet a good sport who willingly wants to wander around with me for the day. CityCentreSofitel for the art exhibition of Yip Yew Chong’s Stories from Yesteryear.

The CNY reunion dinner where according to Yip, the son who did not return – to my idealistic imagination, I would like to think that the guy walking up the stairs is the son returning.

23 Jul 2020 – Autophagy (pronounce otto-FAY-gee)

A quick walk thru’ Chinatown to run some errands and to catch the bus – delighted to catch some of Yip YewChong new mural paintings. Has been a while since being away from the 4-walls for more than 9hrs (excluding the stays in hospitals!).

30 Nov 2019 – It Has Indeed Been A Busy Month

Changi Airport’s tunnel leading to T4 – amazed how this location was once the budget terminal and now look at this – nobody in my way for these shots with how ice-kacang were made in the good-old-days. Have been trying to explain this and now finally an illustration speaking fluently, tkx to Yip YewChong.

Sun: Amoy St Located along the back wall of the 182-year-old Thian Hock Keng Temple on Amoy Street, this 40-meter-long mural portrays the lives of Singapore’s early Hokkien migrants.

Work in progress of the Thian Hock Keng mural at Amoy Street. Many people were surprised when I explained that the shoreline was right in front of the temple (in this photo, it’s where the tall buildings are). The mural is, in a way, educational – Yip YewChong

23 Feb 2016 –Talk By YipYewChong/2016

Appreciations to Yip Yew Chong for an educational & interesting evening@National Library.  He mentioned that TiongBahru is his favourite work. Will look forward for him to publishing a book on all his mural paintings.

https://amylamsg.com/2016/07/11/heritage-muralstiong-bahru/

His drawing of his childhood days at SagoLane@Chinatown is amazingly descriptive. Remember hearing that the funeral parlours there also served as hospice facilities then! As a kid and now as an adult wonder what were or are his thoughts being surrounded by such a harsh reminder of the inevitability of death daily then?

http://yipyc.com/blog/2015/08/31/memories-of-sago-lane-street-of-the-dead/

His works bring back memories of the bygone days for me and as he said so clearly that there are no messages or agendas hidden in them, they are just what you see, like his website, easy to remember: http://yipyc.com/

http://www.btrts.org.sg/history-of-sago-lane/

11 Jul 2016 – Including Everton Rd

39&40 Everton Rd – Amah & Barber is in the neighbourhood where 4thAuntie LAM PohKua+family once lived. Spent some weekends there as a child with them as 4th aunt did not have any daughters and wanted to adopt me! But usually after the weekend, 5 Temenggong Rd was where I returned to.

First time venturing back here since the late 1950s – used to be sensitive about this issue, but fortunately grew out of it and has turned the situation to my advantage by feeling so much in demand 🙂 Still counting my blessings when thinking of the old CHIJ Gate of Hope…

Provision Shop – 8 Spottiswoode Park Road. This area is delightful & interesting with the contrast of old shop-houses and new condos.

9 Jul 2016 – Former Catholic High School

Thu: heritage Murals by Yip Yew Chong & Yuen Kum Cheong@Campers’ Corner are now completed and they are absolutely worth the time to take a look.

http://yipyc.com/ycs-mural-locations/

Heritage Muarls@51 Waterloo Street – Here-There-Everywhere – This-That-Everything (amylamsg.com)

 

13 Apr 2024 – Songkran&Thingyan

Wed: SelamatHariRaya to all celebrating&marking the end of fasting,1st-day Syawal month in the year 1445 of the IslamicHijrah calendar – a public holiday here in SIN. Beautiful Swarovski display –  pix taken last week@MidValleyMallSouthkey,JB/Malaysia, will give it a pass to visiting GeylangSerai&KampongGlam this season.

Crescent moon sighting confirms Hari Raya 2024 falls on Apr. 10 in S’pore: MUIS – Mothership.SG – News from Singapore, Asia and around the world

Thu: welcoming rains this morning – enjoyed the short cool wet morning walk, especially on a day like this with the feeling of peace&serenity of having the paths to myself.

In solitude, we find wisdom; walking alone, we discover strength.

Alone vs Solitude – Here-There-Everywhere – This-That-Everything (amylamsg.com)

Totally blessed to live less than 5mins walk from EC-Pk/AreaC. From here am able to walk(not in the heat&humidity!) to the airport (~12k/2+hrs)heading East or into town(~10k/2hrs) heading West. Somehow got yesterday&today confused, especially after a public holiday in the middle of the week! Thought nephew would be heading off to SYD/Australia today and was planning to walk to the airport, but he took off yesterday and will not catch up until after my US trip in mid-Jun. Not meant to be for me to do a long walk today…

A comment from IngvaldT triggered some memories of CPH/Denmark and  TOS/Norway airports from the 1960s&70s, another LaLaLife time ago – LOL.

Ingvald: selv om Kastrup alltid har vært en av mine favoritt flyplasser(dersom en da kan bruke den betegnelsen om en flyplass). Så merker en at de Europeiske flyplassene ligger langt fra Changi. Og ikke bare i distanse. Sitteplasser, toaletter og annet har langt å gå før de når Changi standard. Noe de antagelig aldri kommer til å gjøre. 

Fri: TGIF, a good weekend to all from another lovely very wet morning. If it was a Grand-Old Apr2015 9yrs ago in Miri/Malaysia, today will then be Great-Grand-Old in SIN with a slight change of less wandering and less climbing of trees&walls but without any regrets for going to where,when&what what I wanted when the moods&possibilities were there – hahaha!

The Grand Old Lady – Here-There-Everywhere – This-That-Everything (amylamsg.com)

Appreciations with tkx to Theresa&CJ for delicious steak dinner with champagne to celebrate Ivy’s recovery. What are the chances of bumping into my 84yrs mature(his own description of himself, hahaha!)) bro-in-law Khalid on the bus, both on our way back to the EastSide on a Fri night? Nice chat to learn that he, originally from Iraq has been in SIN since 1970 – wow! 54yrs is a long time…

Sat: Happy Songkran สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์ and Thingyan ပျော်ရွှင်သော နှစ်သစ် ဖြစ်ပါစေ။ – Happy Thai&Myanmar New Year to Lily&Theingi who are celebrating&marking the festival and tkx to them for providing the appropriate greetings for this occasion. Beautiful decorative characters looking probably difficult to learn!

After 2wet days, the morning sun is welcomed for the drying of weekend laundry, especially the bigger items like bed-linen+towels.

She stuffed her white load into the machine first and opened the package of laundry pods she’d purchased at Walmart…. She removed a pod and inspected the interesting, squishy thing. Last year, some crazy teens had dominated the news after eating pods on a dare. In no way did it look edible. Good old common sense disappeared a bit more with each generation ― TT Boerner.

9 Apr 2024 – The Changing Lights

Sat: EdgarONG – do not forget how important the empty days are, how important it may be sometimes not to expect to produce anything, even a few lines in a journal – a day when one has not pushed oneself to the limit.

AdelheidMunan:  and then the neighbours called the police, bomba and an ambulance. We’re very civic conscious!

My reply:  so true, especially for ppl like me at this age who lives alone. Would also report if I do not hear or see for a few days from my elderly neighbours who live alone.

Despite FB for removing 3FB-postings in Feb2024 and for telling me who I am over the years, hahaha, FB for me is an OK way to communicate with families&friends around the world to let them know my whereabouts being alive&kicking – LOL! If I do not know who I am after over 7decades, the choices&consquences are for me to live and move forward with in the rest of my life journey…

Sun: appreciations with tkx to Leonard for helping out to check what is needed to be done before getting rid of all these old High-Tech stuff.

Mon&Tue: like many situations, it’s a difference to be there in person than captured in film, but still possible to appreciate&enjoy, living vicariously thru’ all who shared their Eclipse&Spring images – thank you. Cheap harmless thrills with some humour from pix downloaded when unable to be there – hahaha!

Hoping to catch my breath with energy&time to allow me to try out some of these heritage trails, especially those here on the EastSide when the weathers do not provoke asthma attacks! – pix downloaded.

Tkx to IngvaldTANGEN for his posting, finally someone who also like walking long distances! Might try out this route too someday when the heat&humidity are not that overwhelmingly oppressive – not suicidal yet!

5 Apr 2024 – A Short Adventure

Dec2015 – was planning earlier to be in JohoreBahru/Malaysia to attend god-bro LIM KeeJin’s funeral. Condolences to god-sis Pat(WONG AhFook’s granddaughter)&her family. Got news that the Sultan of Johore younger son’s funeral was also on the same day, which means that we will get probably get stuck in traffic all day in Malaysia. Instead got stuck in SIN traffic in the bus with roads closures&detours because of the marathon and JB was cancelled then.

Tue: planning to be in JB the next 2days, do not even remember when last in JB?

Wed: 0730hr on MarineParadeRd bus 36/15stops to DoubyGhaut, looks like the NationalMuseum is getting ready for something or maybe just cleaning??

0815hrs DG-MRT to Kranji 0900hrs/15stops, bus from Kranji-WoodlandsCIQ. Heavy traffic for vehicles going into JB, bus looped around that avoiding the traffic to drop us at the train station.

5mins train ride after going thru’ custom&immigration – must be the shortest train-ride needing a passport! Crowded/max300 on train with things&ppl moving smoothly with just a 5mins delayed.

A moment of the cheapest thrill having the train to ourselves before others – hahaha!

Impressive station@JB-CitySquare – would like to revisit when constructions are completed. Home – Johor Bahru City Square (citysqjb.com)

A short walk along JalanWongAhFook (friend of paternal grandfather, and was told by god-sis Pat that their family sold 5TemenggongRd to the LAMs) towards the heritage area in the mid-day heat.

Good NasiLemak+ChaiTowKway lunch@HuaMui.

Would like to explore more in this heritage area another time when and if I get here again, but not in the middle of the day in this heat.

10mins Grab-ride to JB-MidValleySouthkey/StGilesHotel, a room with a view on the 18Floor. City Hotel in Johor Bahru | St. Giles Southkey Hotel (stgileshotels.com)

Stayed in this mall the rest of the day enjoying the AC leisure window shopping comparing prices with many lovely displays for the HariRaya season. Being midweek as well as fasting still ongoing, thus not too many ppl to be annoyed about – hahaha! Mid Valley Southkey

Early dinner ChickenCurry&Toast+DriedMeeSiam@HedaiKopitiamOrientalKopi.

WatermelonMartini nightcap on the 28Floor and if I even do visit here again, will definitely bring swim-suit.

Thu: a most peaceful rest sleeping for 6-8hrs in dark cool 19°C. Enjoying every bite&sight@Bfast.

More walking window shopping&lunch@MengMengRoastedDuck, but no duck, just dim-sum.

Scrumptiously displayed cakes@LavenderBakery and what a good idea to have CurryChicken@SekTong by 深夜食糖 served in this dug-out loaf of bread where the gravy can be soaked into. Catching the 2015hrs train back to SIN and getting into the EastSide by 2230hrs – a thousand thanks to nephew for arranging&accompanying me on this short delightful trip.

If a train doesn’t stop at your station, then it’s not your train…

Shopping spree for toiletries,treats,2dresses,1-night-hotel+Bfast,foods,transportation,etc,ie everything inclusive~S$350 was well-worth the energy&time and a nice change&treat from my 4-walls.

Fri: brunch@MT-hawkers with WinnieL and safe trip onwards to her. Tkx to nieces, nephew&grandnephew for dinner@SBCD KoreanTofuHouse/MilleniaWalk.

Desserts@PatisserieG/MilleniaWalk

One of my favourites from here is the G-Spot

Coffeesmith/SuntecCity  – first time here!

1 Apr 2024 – No April Fool

Fri: yeah breathing better! Caught in the downpour@the MarineTerraceWetMarket this morning, but so refreshing with a coffee break despite for the short duration! Tkx to Helen for her share of pix, hands were carrying too much to take pix, but the scene was similar to that of hers – appreciations to her for taking these pix@CircuitRd.

Early 87Bday dinner from me for sisJo@7A where this huge mango tree can be found and looks like the sparrows are well-fed here too!

Appreciations with tkx to JeromeL for his share – The sea of candlelight every Good Friday at the Portuguese Church. Learnt that the PortugueseChurch is the same as StJosephChurch@VictoriaSt. 

Portuguese Church | Search Results | The Long and Winding Road (wordpress.com)

Portugal in Singapore | The Long and Winding Road (wordpress.com)

Sat: welcome RichardLee back to SIN – thank you for taking time with HS,Chim&Sudha.

BigPrawnWonton,IrishCoffeePorkChop,NonyaFish,StirFriedPeaShoots蒜蓉炒豆苗 SignatureNoodles@NoodleMan/SmithSt – highly recommended, and my usual favourite durian-shaved-ice dessert@MeiHongYuen/TempleSt.

Appreciations to Sudha for showing me around her neighbourhood@Duxton by night&walking me to the bus-stop.

Delighted to discover this durian joint #99@BukitPasoh, will return. YanKit area always bring back some amusing swimming childhood memories – hahaha!

Sun: HappyEaster to those marking the occasion and hope that your long weekend was an enjoyable one! To Norwegian family&friends who are@their hytte, ski safe and to my US flock enjoy the SpringBreak. Sharing some dishes to get into the Easter mood – tulip&cake pix credits to KarenSB and the others downloaded. Energy-level&mood are far from what it was to do such elaborate presentations but the ideas&thoughts are still there, somewhere within – hahaha!

Easter is the only time when it’s perfectly safe to put all your eggs in one basket – Evan Esar

13 fascinating Easter traditions from around the world | Reader’s Digest Asia (rdasia.com)

A simple soft-boiled-egg for Easter Bfast to start this last Sunday and last 2024MarDay. Happy 87Bday to sisJo, thank you with appreciations for dinner&dessert here with her immediate family.

Feeling totally blessed with sincere gratitude of appreciations from my Norway&US flock’s share. Soo impressed for their 5hrs skiing trip with their pet and good to see the younger generation moving forward with new friends.

Mon: welcome WinnieLee back to SIN. A whole relaxing luxury day chewing the fat@FourSeasonsHotel/OrchardBlvd.

Chilling&catching up with short walk across the road to FoodRepublic@Shaw for a bite and appreciations for a nice soak in a hot bath to relax the muscles, for real – no April Fool, hahaha

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything – William Shakespeare

Some good April Fool pranks from the marketing standpoint – colourful&good humour for INVSBÅL from IKEA, hahaha.

10 April Fool’s Day 2024 posts we loved from Singapore brands | Marketing-Interactive

The craziest April Fool’s pranks that were actually pulled off (msn.com)

Happy AprBdays to family&friends

2  Apr –  NEO EngHuat
4  Apr –  KHOO Amy, MayaH, RichardY
8  Apr – TorillW
10Apr – LAM Danielle
12Apr – PeggyT
13Apr – LAU Yvette
15Apr – LynneO, AileenK
17Apr – LAM Sara, AnneS, SharonK,
19Apr – KLUSMAN Claire
22Apr – BOROWSKI Ike
29Apr – LAM Stanley