RIP Dearest Brother Steven

14 Feb 2024 – Third Brother

Sun: MandaiCrematorium for Steven’s funeral with nieces,nephews&grandnephews. Paid respects to my parents & to s-i-l since we were at the location, and surprisingly for a 2ndCNY-day, looked like many others were also paying respects to their departed ones.

A multi-million$ industry NirvanaMemorialGarden where both Steven&PohKit tablets with their names are now located.

Words will be out of place here as to how I feel about such extravagance spent on the departed, but each to their own beliefs to ease their conscience. The never-ending of beliefs, faith and hopes triumph over logic and reality again! As Denise puts it so eloquently – Our humanness makes us vulnerable and we all seek solace in different ways. I suppose it depends on the devils that haunt one from life’s experiences that determine what manner of solace we choose.

Nirvana Memorial Garden – A Six Star Memorial Garden (nirvanagarden.com.sg)

Tkx for lunch@CystalJade/JurongPt, Olai would have liked to see how they make his favourite XiaoLongBao小笼包 from scratch – 1st time in this location and was amazed at this made-to-be a HKG-St ambience.

Mon: sea burial today heading out to the open seas from MarinaBayFerryTerminal

where dearest bro Steven can now be free to RIP – despite of the rains we managed to send him peacefully off with loving memories&thoughts for his final journey to his resting place. Tkx for lunch@Daisy’s.

For the Chinese, a decent funeral is considered one of the most important acts of filial piety to one’s parents and elders. My dear children, when my life’s journey is over please let me go quietly and peacefully, no need with acts of filial piety, ie rituals, ceremonies, etc. The gracious decent lovely beings you are (during my life’s journey) and hopefully continue to be after my life’s journey are your acts of filial piety.

A peasant dies calmly because he is not a Christian. He performs the rituals as a matter of course, but his true religion is different. His religion is nature, with which he has lived – Tolstoy

Tue: fasting&resting to recharge for whatever may be ahead! Appreciations to Gel for delivering her annual homemade Kimchi+GreenTea – looking forward to tasting it.

Wed: 5thDay of the LunarNewYear/2024 is to welcome Caishen财神 in Chinese mythology, is a revered deity associated with prosperity, abundance&financial well-being. Forecast with the presence of quarrelsome stars, so best to be aware of such – hahaha!

Caishen | God of Wealth, Fortune, Prosperity | Britannica

Happy Valentine’s/Heart’s Day. The origins of V-Day is a pagan festival, Lupercalia in ancient Rome – not as romantic as you would imagine! According to Hallmark ~145million cards are sold in USA and ~250million stems of flowers globally each year! At my age, an affair of the heart is a bypass – Joan Rivers

To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance.
To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you.
To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple.
To respect strength, never power.
Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away.
And never, never to forget – Arundhati Roy/The Cost of Living 1999

Today is also Ash Wednesday for those marking the start of Lent:

Ash Wednesday, Valentine’s Day fall on the same day this year | AP News

Tkx with appreciations for dinner tonight@CrystalJade/GreatWorldCity, pleasantly surprised with not much of a crowd at the restaurant for a Valentine’s evening.

Menu: in pix 2CombinationRoastedMeatPlatter, ChineseSpinach with AssortedEgg in Broth, Sweet&SourPork, PrawnPasteChickenWings, BeefHorFun, RoastDuck + not in pix SautéedBeef&Asparagus, CrispyHomemadeTofu, Chicken&DuckCongee, and my all-time favourite mini EggTarts. As per request for MeiPin to let her know the dishes…

Happy CNY 恭喜发财 🍊🍊2024

10 Feb 2024 – The Year Of The Dragon

Wed: somehow fate has it that I decided against going out last night to see the 1,500DragonDrones as it was cancelled, perhaps might be able to catch it another night in the schedule? And just as well to stay away from anyone to nurse a runny nose&stomach.

MBS cancels Feb 6 CNY drone show, citing ‘unforeseen circumstances’ | The Straits Times

Yeah to that we will soon have MRT connection. Marine Terrace TEL-BrownLine MRT station Exit2 is just around the corner from me.

TEL Stage 4 stations handed over to SMRT for final tests | The Straits Times

My favourite commercial where taking public transport is concerned…

How do you measure the economic success of a country? Looking from this list, good to know that both Norway&SIN are where I have lived&worked in these countries and at present still visiting in SIN and returning annually to visit Norway. Happiness,success,riches,wealth,etc are relative&subjective! But life would be rather sad if everything is to be measured by monetary signs!

The World’s Richest Countries Across 3 Metrics (visualcapitalist.com)

We are all visitors to this time, this place – Aboriginal proverb. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love – QE2

Thu: condolences to nieces,nephews&grandnephews for the loss of their father&grandfather, my3rd bro Steven Lam KwokPing.

Reunion dinner@Rochalie with family&friends.

Good to catch up with MeiPin & Chris and nice to meet with May&Andrew who are also friends with Carmel & HelenSee, small world. Appreciations to Les&Ivy for ReunionDinner to welcome the Year of the Dragon, eager&ready to pounce its forceful

Fri: TGIF and a good weekend to all. To those who will be having their ReunionDinner tonight, enjoy your moments before the mighty Dragon eager&ready to pounce its forceful appearance tomorrow.

Sat: welcome to the Year of the Dragon to SIN. A Happy,Healthy&Wealthy Chinese/Lunar New Year to all who are marking and celebrating. My dialect is Cantonese, KongHeiFattChoy 恭喜肥菜is used at this time of year to deliver a wish for prosperity.

Tkx to Les&Ivy for 1stDayCNY lunch@Rochalie.

Did not manage to capture a family group pix, but some shots are better than none. Hopefully David will have better one to be updated here.

Appreciations to KK for the LionDance@Cairnhill.

Great to catch up with Rosanna&family who arr from UK yesterday and nice chat with YunYun.

SpringFestival 春節2024

6 Feb 2024 – Alexandra Hospital

Sat: an emotional afternoon@AlexandraHospital/Hospital In A Garden with bro Steven – 1stVisit here around noon in blue sky&sunshine and was impressed by all the luscious greenery surroundings, a feeling of peace&serenity, also bringing back childhood memories of 5TemenggongRd.

The sky opened up in the later afternoon and was amazed&liked where there were some open corridors with the bamboo shades curtains which prevent the rains in, but still giving the fresh-open-air cool breeze. Watching Steven drifting in&out, praying here that he is in no pain and he even gave me a smile when I left.

Just like in my childhood days, the cars could be under these shades to let ppl out at the main entrance and such a clever idea to have a glass roof here. Appreciations&tkx to nieces&grandnephews for picking me up to dinner@GreatWorld, and rather brave of me to attempt to be out on a Sat evening.

Alexandra Hospital (roots.gov.sg)

Appreciations to JeromeLIM for his share: Alexandra Military Hospital — which began operations in July 1940 as Singapore main military hospital, was the scene of a brutal massacre of medical staff and patients.
Among those who lost their lives was Capt Roylance “Lance” Lynton Parkinson, who arrived with the RAMC only ten days before the first bombs fell on Singapore.
Capt Parkinson was posted to Alexandra as an anesthetist having lost a coin toss to Capt Bill Frankland for a position at Tanglin Military Hospital. Sadly, Capt Parkinson who was administering anesthesia to a patient in the operating theatre, was bayonetted and killed when IJA soldiers entered the hospital on the afternoon of 14 Feb 1942.

Sun:  1stDay of ChineseSpring is today Li-Chun立春 which means the start of Spring. CNY-Day usually is around this time. Thus CNY holiday is also called SpringFestival春節, also my dearest bro Lawrence would have been 90 today, may he RIP.

8things to avoid today – tkx to RY for this share&reminder: 1Don’t go back to your wives’parents, 2Don’t move house,

3Don’t pick a quarrel with others, 4Don’t cut your hair, 5Don’t go for medical treatment,

6Don’t lie down, 7Don’t exercise vigorously, 8Don’t immerse in video games or binge watch shows. Not that I was going to do any of these today considering the rest I need after the busy Jan-month but will try to remember not to lie down or binge watch any shows, and definitely not going or near into Chinatown.

Sad to hear of Roar’s passing in Trondheim/Norway, may he now RIP – condolences to Anne&family. Roar Margido Stenseth | Minneside (vareminnesider.no)

Jul2023: delightful afternoon 3k-hike@Baklidammen to&fro Lavollen when Roar just walked way ahead of us like there was no tomorrow despite having great difficulties to get up after sitting down. And that was my last hike with Roar.

Trondheim/2023 – Here-There-Everywhere – This-That-Everything (amylamsg.com)

Mon: getting clothes, etc fixed to be ready for the CNY – the heat is back and AC is also back on. Was reminded by FB that it has been 11yrs! ago when Brian&Helen included me in their celebrations in HKG then when there was still energy to party till the early hours of dawn – hahaha!

IMG_1629IMG_1590

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Feb2013: painted the town red after dinner and did not get back to the hotel until 0300hrs. Appreciations to these young people for including this grandmother in their celebrations. Had a blast.

https://amylamsg.com/2013/02/06/party-like-there-is-no-tomorrow/

Tue: was planning for the LightToNight2024+1,500Drones tonight but would be tempting fate riding a bus to wet evening events. Have so far been living vicariously thru’FB-friends&social media pix. And even if I am there, my pix can never justify the real thing!

Light to Night Festival 2024 happening from Jan. 19 to Feb. 8 at Civic District – Mothership.SG – News from Singapore, Asia and around the world

Dragon made up of 1,500 drones to light up Marina Bay sky in February – CNA Lifestyle (channelnewsasia.com)

CNY Grocery

2 Feb 2024 – Where Size Does Not Matter

Tue: a day to catch up with errands and grocery shopping. Bus197 to BugisJct/M1 to settle with the application for DigitalAccess – was greeted by frogs near the bus stop,hahaha! Walked to ShineKorea/N-BridgeRd for this Yuzu(refreshing with 1TableSp mixed in a large glass of ice water)RoyleS$17/RafflesCity for my CNYtreats. Early dinner mood – MiniChickenRiceBowl++S$10@Guzman y Gomez/I12.

Giant/MT-Tue4%Sen, could not resist this basket on promotion and was pleased with how sweet these mini tangerines are. CDCvouchers/S$60 and ended up paying S$1.60. Here is a case where size really does not matter! punt intended lol. These mini tangerines are really juicy&sweet, highly recommended.

Wed: lunch mood for IndonesianFood/AssamFish+AcarAcar@JewelFoodRepublic, that’s the advantage with living in a place will all these choices. Nice to have caught up with Garry for this time round. 1st encounter with a robot police@T4 – wonder how that works? Somehow would feel safer with a real one in uniform! Tkx for this first taste from Ai-CHA爱茶

Tkx to Seb for this link – Police robots on patrol in Singapore (youtube.com)

Thu: welcome Feb and good to receive 6months of RecogenSupplements,complimentary BdayBox+7FOCsachetsS$256 delivered. Hopefully these will keep my joints lubricated for the next 6months, but for today, do need to let those joints, body&mind take a break to rest up for busy upcoming social events – collagen pix downloaded.

Collagen: Benefits of Types in Food, Powders, and Body (verywellhealth.com)

Fri: popiah from MP-hawkers to Rochalie for Ivy’s lunch – have not seen such a selection of such fancy teas from Korea. Will take some getting used to not seeing Mila there.

Tkx for Tea@M&S-Cafe/Wheelock – have not been in this space since it was Borders! just goes to show how long ago?? Great to catch up with AudreyM who has moved back to SIN from China since last summer, and now she is busy with her dog and a new job.

These are simple rules. No barking, no growling, you will not lift your leg to anything in this house. This is not your room. No slobbering, no chewing, you will wear a flea collar. This is not your room. No begging for food, no sniffing of crotches, and you will not drink from my toilet. This is not your room – Turner & Hooch/1989

2 – Happy Bdays Cathrine and Garry
4 – Happy Bday Kurt and Lawrence who would have been 90
6 – Happy Bdays Letty and MariaTorres
10 – Happy Bday MeiYEO
12 – Happy Bday SK
14 – ♥ ♥ ♥Happy Valentine’s Day♥ ♥ ♥
15 – Happy Bday Guri
16 – Happy Bday Mike/LOON
20 – Happy Bdays YatSoon, Jay and Henry
24 – Happy Bdays Bjørn and CalvinT
27 – Happy Bday Cleo

Farewell To Mila Aguila

29 Jan 2024 – Family’s Helper Since 1992/32Yrs

Fri: was rather curious about what was happening while waiting for my ride downstairs – not a usual sight with a film crew at a wake! Since I had time, had a closer look to be informed that they were filming a mock-up-wake which was a government project for a mock-up-wake by a playground. C’est la vie – if there is no life, there will be no death, so life&death do go hand-in-hand! A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time – Mark Twain.

Byebye to cousins and a safe trip back to Canada, hopefully it will not be another 13yrs before their next visit. Tkx to ChengEn for his Grab-rides,pix&video – nice to be able to show off Jewel’sWaterfall from the Skytrain. What are the chances to bump into Vincent on the way to the carpark, so here again when it’s meant to be it will be.

Sat: 3k morning walk in full moonlight by the new MarineTerraceMRTst to be! Caught the first 36Bus@06.05hrs opp MandarinGardens

to the airport to bid farewell to Mila, family’s helper from the Philippines who has been with our family since 1992(32yrs). She arr in SIN to look after father in 1992 and has been thru’ the passings of father,Ivy’s mother,Pat&Kat’s marriages,Kiera’s birth – she will be missed. Here with her sonMichael&grandsonCaleb to accompany their mother&grandmother back to her home – hope to be able to visit with her in the Philippines someday!

Sun: thank you to our MarineCrescentRC for their Sunday morning surprised visit to a constructive chat+CNYgifts received with appreciations&gratitude. Hope that they will take care of those bicycles, still in the staircase landing and quite an eye sore besides being dangerous in case of fire.

Tkx for Steamboat dinner+durian for dessert, not quite the season yet, thus costing a bomb for this delivered package – durian for me is no doubt the King of Fruits.

Mon: morning SGH-appt, again what are the chances that Garry is staying at the hotel just across the road from SGH? And that I have no confirmed plans for the afternoon??

Welcome Garry and nice to spend an afternoon in Chinatown, not solving world’s problems this time round-hahaha! but just enjoying the company in the CNY ambience chatting about this&that. Here by Yip YewChong’s LetterWriterMural/SmithSt, where he is doing a such a good job to stay seated on a make-believe-chair for this pose-lol. Bye&safe journeys to Larry who will be flying off back to the US in the wee early hours of Tue, ie tomorrow.

Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from – ElisabethRoss

What Is Meant To Be Will Be

25 Jan 2024 – No Matter By Chance Or Fate

Mon: joyride on 2different buses43&147 to Hougang, a completely new territory to look for MaruMaruBakery – as it turned out that can only be purchased online. A helpful young man who I asked for help there was kind&gracious to checked&called. Managed to order online, tkx to help from nephew. Hopefully all worth the while for these individually wrapped nicely presented pineapple tarts, also hopefully tasting good as gifts to especially overseas visitors. 3boxes of HuatTarts/12pcs per box@$3per pcs ordered to be picked up tomorrow night.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b6t9z2WoBN7VBz8GyUXBLvZmChpT3yhQ/view?usp=sharing

Disappointing dinner@SpringCourt/Chinatown. Had the LoHei, signature Popiah and waited nearly 30mins before we decide to cancel the rest of the orders and left. Well, at least we got to LoHei with Larry wishing us Good Health which is most important for us all.

Must be out of my mind to wander into TempleSt this time of the year! But then only Puff the MagicDragon can get this to happen! What are the chances to bump into overseas cousins when out with visiting overseas guest? Tkx to VincentChan for group pix.

Managed to get melon seeds for both bro Leslie&myself, he likes the whitesS$7/500g and I the redsS$8/500g. Just feeling happy that the rains are staying away for these seasonal business, felt sorry for them over the past years when the rains really hit and kept ppl away.

The lights this year are quite delightful, but my pix do not justify how lovely they really are. Will download some other ones from ppl with better pix. Poor Larry who is jetlagging, can sooo relate with him that feeling bringing back memory(late 1970s?)when I flew from SIN-MCO and driving~2hrs to GNV to visit with 2ndBorn@UF. Struggled to keep my eyes open on the road and she surprised me with tickets to a concert there with KiriTeKanawa, one of my favourite sopranos. It was impossible to keep my eyes open then, no matter how hard I tried.

Tue: appreciations to cousinChengEn for driving us for a short visit to sisJo(eldest of the GreenGen today) and to ParkwayP/TheLensMen for Susannah&Edith to get new eyeglasses. They still have the last pair+case bought here 13yrs ago! ChickenRice@MPhawkers&Cendol@PPfoodcourt. Nice to have a group pix of 5GreenGen cousins pix, tkx to ChengEn for group-selfie.

Hougang to pick up the PineappleTarts and by betting lost, discovered a more direct bus55 back. Another joy ride, but this time in the dark when I do not like to be trying to find my way, but these Tarts can only be picked up after 20.00hrs when its dark! punt intended here, lol.

Wed: needed to be alone with some of my favourite trees by the sea@EC-Pk to re-charge enjoying all the oxygen they are giving out. Totally blessed to have&know this area so as to savour the peace&tranquility needed to clear the mind.

Looks like the roosters+their flocks also have the same idea, but none of them were crowing as there is space enough for all here and no need to mark territory.

BoonTatSt for satay but the sky opened up and poured just after 1900hrs so ate inside@LauPaSat which was packed. At least Larry got to see how efficiently the street was closed for traffic before the downpours, was surprised to hear that he has never been here during his 4yrs working&living here.

The last time it rained like this here was when #6 was visiting and he certainly did not mind the rains! Apr2022: dinner@LauPaSat on this lovely wet Easter Sunday night, but then why let the weather dampen good company with yummy foods when you can dance in the warm tropical rains before flying back to colder weathers.

Thank you for dessert@AndazHotel to end this wet evening(2hotel pix downloaded).

Thu: Happy Thaipusam to those celebrating&marking the Hindu festival today. Take care to be safe where devotees pierce their skin and walk 4k from SriSrinivasaPerumal Temple/SerangoonRdSriThendayuthapani Temple/TankRd – 2above pix downloaded.

Tkx for dinner@DancingCrab/OrchardCentral – their signature dish, a different twist to ChilliCrab in a bread bowl 跳舞螃蟹首选, SambalGilledFish,etc., more a menu&venue for the younger generation!

You cannot teach a crab to walk straight – Aristophanes

Crossing the only overhead glass bridge across OrchardRd from OrchardGateway to the bus stop to be caught in traffic on OrchardRd by the Thaipusam procession – no complains in this traffic-jam when on an AC-bus with happenings like this.

Welcome Larry From USA/2024

21 Jan 2024 – Bloating&Gut Issues

Thu&Fri: overnight@Rochalie and was awake before the crow of the roaster. Just discovered roosters mark their territory by crowing, a behavior that is vital to them. When a rooster crows, he sends a clear message to other roosters that he owns this area. If another rooster enters his space, he crows more frequently. And I thought they only only crow in the mornings. Sounds like the roaster+his flock or maybe a new roaster flock now? are still somewhere in this neighbourhood. So not only do we have SteakAllaRochalie but now the RochalieRoaster – hahaha. A ride into FarrerPkMedicalCentre to get papers sorted out for the future dreaded dental procedures ahead and back to my 4walls to rest before dinner.

Welcome Larry back to SIN thank you for last night’s dinner@BugisJunction – cool wet weathers in addition to his condition, hot soupy dishes were appreciated. Hope that he will be more up to exploring around new unchartered areas with new skyrises.

Was not even aware about the underpass from BugisMRT-Andaz&Duo – so rain or shine, no worries about the weathers when walking underground in these comfortable, clean&safe areas. like the one from Funan-CityHallMRT. Appreciations to visitors who get me to wander around discovering these new paths. These cookies are to die for, tkx to Michael for making them and to Larry for carrying them on the plane from TX.USA.

Exploring above ground around the DuoTower with dessert&drink break@SoFrance for so-so LemonTart. Being here gives me a few buses 16,48,196 to choose. Decided to try a new path crossing Rochor&BeachRd, and along the new

GuocoMidtownOffice building pavement leading to NicoleHighway to bus196. Trying my best to adjust to these new landmarks nowadays (pix downloaded) even more confusing in the dark!

Sat: time to get snailmail CNY-Greetings ready for mailing+online acknowledgements. Watched a beautiful&touching Japanese movie, Departures/2008  おくりびとOkuribito=one who sends off.

The film follows a young man who returns to his hometown after a failed career as a cellist and stumbles across work as a nōkanshi—a traditional Japanese ritual mortician. He is subjected to prejudice from those around him, including from his wife, because of strong social taboos against people who deal with death. Eventually he repairs these interpersonal connections through the beauty and dignity of his work. The taboo subject of death here gives another aspect as to how different cultures handle the various rituals practiced.

Departures – Full Movie | Oscar Winning, Subtitled, Japanese Film (youtube.com) 

Interesting podcasts Live Well Be Well with DrWilliamJohnBulsiewicz better known as DrB is an American board-certified gastroenterologist and author known for his exploration of the relationship between the gut microbiome and plant-based nutrition. His logical precise&clear explanations are applicable to my gut&bloating issues at present – need to look into his products 38Tera.

Sun: today a lot of snow&cold in Norway/Trysil&OSL – pix credits to Kari,Kirsten&Mette.

I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, “Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again ― Lewis Carroll 

Tkx for Sunday’s early dinner@OldBibik’s PeranakanKitchen/JooChiatRd, too tired&stuffed after this early dinner – energy has gone to the gut instead of the brains, need an early night before another busy week ahead.

OLD BIBIK’S PERANAKAN KITCHEN – Welcome to Old Bibik’s Peranakan Kitchen.

Welcome Cousins Susannah & Edith

17 Jan 2024 – Combined Bdays Lunch With Leonard

Sun: what a delicious early-Bday-lunch within my 4walls. Appreciations to Clement who helped to pick up some of my favourite foods of my choice and appreciations for dessert,drinks&BakKua. Started the first LoHei 撈起 for the year, a ready package with dried&preserved ingredients is not anything near Frank&Jessies28Ingredients, but still better than none! Added quite a fair bit of veggies to balance with the other meat dishes today.

https://www.roots.gov.sg/stories-landing/stories/lohei

ImperialTreasure PekingDuck, MeePokNoodles with leftover duck meat.

YiQian壹仟私厨 SautéedBeefCube with SlicedGarlicenus 琥珀蒜片牛柳粒 and 18 Seafood食霸海鲜 CrispyChicken stuffed with glutinous rice 糯米雞

Desserts from TiongBahruBakery where there is even a branch@Siglap now. CashewNut&Chocolate cookies from Dulcet&Studios@BukitMerah are good, can even taste the butter in them, first time tasting anything from this JapaneseLifestyleCafe – will return when in the area. Dulcet & Studio | Tampopo

Mon: Happy Bdays to me,AngieS,EstellaC,JoshL&JohnT – really how can it be 74yrs when it does not feel such, but how do I know how&what 74 feels like? Tkx for the yummy AlmondCroissant from TiongBahruBakery, my most favourite croissant to start my 74yr of this life journey.

Calming view from the kitchen window – have watched these flowering trees since they were planted, day1~24yrs ago and today it has reached the 7&8Floors. Content with the min CNY deco so far… PlazaSIN to renew Starhub/SeniorPlan lasting for the next 2yrs.

When you see me sitting quietly,
Like a sack left on the shelf,
Don’t think I need your chattering.
I’m listening to myself.
Hold! Stop! Don’t pity me!
Hold! Stop your sympathy!
Understanding if you got it,
Otherwise I’ll do without it!
When my bones are stiff and aching,
And my feet won’t climb the stair,
I will only ask one favor:
Don’t bring me no rocking chair.
When you see me walking, stumbling,
Don’t study and get it wrong.
‘Cause tired don’t mean lazy
And every goodbye ain’t gone.
I’m the same person I was back then,
A little less hair, a little less chin,
A lot less lungs and much less wind.
But ain’t I lucky I can still breathe in – Maya Angelou

Tue: welcome to SIN cousins Susannah & Edith, the snowbirds! from BC/Canada. Good to catch up after so many years, do not even remember when we last met?? Thank you for this unique honey and looking forward to tasting it. Checking over the blog postings and looks like Nov2011 was the last time I met with Susannah.

Hi & Bye@the 5th Airport! – Here-There-Everywhere – This-That-Everything (amylamsg.com)

and Nov2009 with EdithFamily from Canada – Here-There-Everywhere – This-That-Everything (amylamsg.com)

Wed: appreciations for tonight’s dinner with Les&Ivy@Rochalie’s menu ofDuck+sauce, MeeGoreng,OtakOtak,HerbalChicken,Beef/Chicken/MuttonSatay+sauce,BeefRochalie,potatoes&white rice. So nice to see Ivy in good spirits enjoying the company of our cousins who we have not seen since 2011 and 2009. 

S$500 CDC Vouchers

13 Jan 2024 – With Refunds Vouchers

Wed: looks like another wet morning here but considering that the SE USA(pix downloaded) has been issued with tornadoes threat and the freezing temps in Norway(pix downloaded), there are no complains here despite of this crazy weathers with the high humidity for late morning and afternoon after the rains.

Deadly winter storm puts more than 25 million under tornado watch in Southeast | CNN

Deep freeze settled over Norway – Norway’s News in English — www.newsinenglish.no

Finally, all Christmas deco down, packed and stored but in NO mood to welcome the Year of the Dragon or think about CNY deco yet.

Thu: morning briefings to construction-workers(big thank you to them)who are getting the MarineTerraceSt/TEL-MRT up&running, hopefully real soon. Looking forward to when it will take less than ~100steps/1min to walk from my 4walls to Exit2 under shade to this station.

‘Singapore is a transit mecca’ — US transport professional praises Singapore (msn.com)

Still hearing one or two screaming toddles who are still not happy(that too shall pass/hahaha) attending the Sparkletots/preSchool ground floor of the block where I hide in my 4walls to remise about 1stBorn hiding behind my legs in her toddle years whenever she met someone unfamiliar.

Making use of the cool morning to walk to PP-FairPrice to get grocery making use of CDC-vouchers and getting back S$8/with T&C apply.

Supermarkets offer return vouchers and other promotions for those spending CDC vouchers | The Straits Times

Fri: cool wet day to relax watching a British suspenseful drama – The Stranger, an 8part British mystery thriller. The secrets&lies of suburban families are made public by the appearance of a stranger and here goes to show perhaps some secrets should remain secret. A good way to keep the mind occupied before a busy weekend&week ahead with socials and more overseas visitors.

Sat: morning walkabouts before sunrise is the favourite time for me and taking time to enjoy the peaceful quiet moments, using the imagination to see that these tree-branches shape like a beautiful silhouette of some animal in the streetlights.

Quoting CharlesSchulz – I love mankind … it’s people I can’t stand! Especially discourteous uncivil,etc ppl and unfortunately there are too many of them around…

Busy day running around, first some HamChimPeng/鹹煎餅+CharSiuBao/叉燒包 to Ivy&Les, then took Bus75 to see where the new route would lead me,…ending@BkMerah for KwayTeow lunch.

Looks like FairPrice’s Dragons here are puffing with full-force into CNY which falls on 10Feb this year

Speak politely to an enraged dragon – JRR Tolkien

How Beautiful Is The Rain

9 Jan 2024 – Happy Bdays Judy & Lee

Sat: appreciations to 1stBorn for this pix of her flock to start off the first weekend for 2024.

A day to fast&rest so as to remain sane and have some energy for the rest of Jan with more overseas guests and before the CNY. Epiphany/Women’s Christmas in Ireland – traditionally a day off from housework&cooking – Nollaig na Mban shona Daoibh, tkx to Carmel for the reminder&share. Not so with me, it’s down with all the Christmas deco to be packed away, but then I am neither in Ireland nor am I Irish despite having lived there for over a decade – hahaha.

Sun: got up ~0330hrs to close the windows as it started raining and have been snoozing&watching movies on&off until ~1500hrs when I left for MtE/Novena to visit Ivy – still raining at 1800hrs when I returned. Delightfully refreshing to see 2kids enjoying the rains without a care in the world, bringing back innocent childhood moments. Would sometimes carry a big umbrella out and stood in the middle of the field@5TemenggongRd on heavy rainy days! Today seems like all the joints are aching in these cool wet weather days – time plays tricks on an aging body!

How beautiful is the rain!
After the dust and heat,
In the broad and fiery street,
In the narrow lane,
How beautiful is the rain!

How it clatters along the roofs,
Like the tramp of hoofs
How it gushes and struggles out
From the throat of the overflowing spout! – Wordsworth

Sad news of IreneW’s(Ivy’s KL-family)passing – was hoping that she will visit Ivy and was looking forward to catching up with her. Condolences to David&Judy+Cindy,Soakkoon and the family.

Mon: started the day@0630hrs from the EastSide slowly heading on foot to the dentist after getting off the bus@Chinatown. NDCS despite the incorrect day, mistake on my part(appt supposed to be tomorrow), but they still managed to slot me in. The not so good news is that there is a crack in one of my teeth inside the bridge! Ouch!! that means major costly job over a long period – oh well, one step at a time, part&parcel of life.

Otherwise, a productive day running errands@ParkwayP including getting a haircut and having one of my favourite ChickenRice@LeeHeng,84MarineParadeCentral#01-15 with this line starting after my takeaway purchase. Would have got something else if the line was such when I was buying.

Tue: Happy 60Bday niece Judy and Happy 50Bday nephew Lee. Really! nieces&nephews who are over half a century old and they are not even the oldest ones, seems like yesterday then they were babies!!

Tkx to Clement for lunch@DicksonNasiLemak where we discovered there is only standing room or take away. It was too spicy for my taste, but then seems like the tastebud has changed with age, and not a good choice with the RendangSet for my stomach. Dickson Nasi Lemak

Always something exciting&new on JooChiatRd when following your heart – hahaha.

Appreciations for helping with CDCvouchers-set-up on phone and also to sort out this Sunday’s lunch menu. Could not resist this cute LobsterTreasure@BreadTalk that turned out to have too little filling and too much bread.