18 Dec 2022 – Laptop Issues

Wed: welcome auntie Ngor back to SIN and tkx to cousin Karen for arranging for us all to meet. As it was needed to run some errands@PP. Somehow unable to get into my WordPress to post, so just making short notes in WordDoc to copy and paste when I can access to my blog. This beautiful water-colour painting with even a nissen on the envelope to match is painted by my talented Swedish friend. Tack så mycket/thank you so much for 2overseas greetings from Sweden USA arriving on this 14thAdventDay.

Thu: a trip to CGH to visit sis Jo who is in decent spirit with a good appetite, so all in all she is as well as can be! Her single room there even has a balcony with her own bathroom. ShkranLakشكرًا لك’/thank you for my 1st cup of coffee made by a robot on this 15thAdventDay. Good&tasty MeeSiam brunch@Kaffe&toast before visiting hours and for once I am not the patient this time round!

Fri: Giant/Tampines a last trip there for 2022 and today’s with a good saving of $11savings for promotional items + $3.50SenS&$2.50YUU, total of S$17. TGIF, a good weekend ahead and Vielen Dank/thank you for this 16thAdventDay. As the Northern Hemisphere countries head into the darkest day of the year, am here in the tropics enjoying the memories of some of these yummy seasonal Norwegian foods.

Do miss the best Medisterkaker by EllenHald where she has reindeer meat in the mixture, Rype by KariHeggelund and Bacalhau by IngridHustad 

 https://amylamsg.com/2013/12/16/antidote-to-darkness/

Sat: 谢谢 Xièxiè/thank you&welcome to my 2022ChristmasVillage on this 17thAdventDay. Has been quite some time ago since KW was at our season’s annual pot-luck-gathering. Happy Holidays Ting,CH,Bev&KW – tis the season to drink and be merry and see y’all in 2023.

As we gathered upstairs, the other gathering downstairs what we thought was an Indian wedding turned out be an Indian Cultural affair as we later discovered on our way for dinner.

Dinner@MarineTerrace entertained by life-music, never a dull moment when living in HDB-heartland communities.

Sun: Happy Hanukkah to those marking the beginning of this celebrations, תודה/thank you on this 18thAdventDay and 4thSunday of Advent and to Leonard to fixing my laptop issues. This final candle symbolizes peace reminding us of the message of the angels: Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men. And may each&everyone of you find your Peace towards Good will to all.

13 Dec 2022: Happy St Lucia Day

Sat: The phrase time heals all wounds may be first attributed to the Greek poet Menander, who lived around 300BC and said, Time is the healer of all necessary evils. Geoffrey Chaucer’s poem, Troilus and Criseyde, written in the 1380s contains the phrase: As tyme hem hurt, a tyme doth hem cure. Time heals all wounds is one of the most popular sayings, but it may not be completely true for everyone. Although time is not exactly a healer, it can have healing purposes. Ultimately, it’s up to you to find ways to achieve healing and or ways of dealing with the hurt or wounds.

Tkx to dear bro&sil for Sunday dinner – my contribution is the bitter-gourd from the coffee-shop across the road. With the exception of Ivy, everyone likes it, so I do get some to take to them once in a while. Les made lamb which was marinated for the day and it was deliciously tasty&tender. Do not always take bus36 back to the East from RochalieDr, but will try to do so in the Dec month to enjoy the lights on OrchardRd.

Mon: news of sis Jo falling yesterday was not how I wanted to start my week! Made my way to ChangiGeneralHospital/CGH to find her still in the overcrowded A&E. Thank goodness to hear that there was a single room available later in the afternoon and that all the tests so far are good – hopefully she will be able to be home soon.

New territory to explore since in the area – EastPointMall by SimeiMRT-st, just a few blocks from the hospital. Appreciations to Clement for meeting for lunch to cheer me up, needed it.

Tue: Happy StLuciaDay to those marking the day – have not baked Luciabrød/Luciaboller/Lussekatte since L&M were kids.  Sometimes it feels like yesterday, other times it feels like a lifetime ago! This time of the year when it is usually busy with the Christmas preparations and believe it or not, I have not had a tree since the kids left home, and not do not intend to have a tree again in this life-time. Tusen takk/thank you on this 13thAdventDay for those good memories.

9 Dec 2022 – A Dedication to Cousin David

Wed: needed a quiet day to rest and to gather my thoughts after being on the go everyday for over a week.

Thu&Fri: sad news that cousin DavidWT WONG(1940-2022) passed away peacefully in HI/USA, was really hoping to catch up with him next year, but alas it was not to be.

6 Dec 2022 – Tampines1, Hub & Mall

Sat: nice walk down memory lane from the bus stop in front of CapitolBuilding crossing StamfordRd to VictoriaSt where main entrance to my old CHIJ school was.

From the GateOfHope heading down the red-tiles-floor where it was an orphanage once-upon-a-time now houses many trendy eateries.

Delighted to see the beautiful old fig-tree still standing by CaldwellHouse, former Rev Mother’s office – a place familiar to me being summoned there more than once!

Welcome Garry back to SIN and on this 3rdAdventDay,TerimaKasih/thank you to Clement for yummy lunch@LeiGarden. Do not remember when I was last there, and since it is still there, must be doing something right as it is the only restaurant I remember from here when I returned in 1998.

Random happenings while walking off lunch…

Sun: StandardCharteredMarathon were dominated by Kenyans with EzekielOmullo winning the men’s marathon in 2hr20min20sec. ~0645hrs at the half-way-mark/MarineCove to cheer on Kevin who completed his 1st-SIN-Marathon&40+other Marathons around the world.

Due to the marathon, took the wrong bus and was delayed 5mins heading to UnitedMedicare/Queensway, but all’s well that ends well on this 4thAdventDay 謝謝thank you to dearest bro Steven for his smiles despite not remembering who I am. Thank goodness for my amazing niece DaisyL who is such a filial daughter.

An afternoon@HollandV; MeePok brunch followed by walk to ChipBeeGardens for ice-cream@DailyScoop, coffee@SundayFolks, and an AlmondCroissant from TiongBahruBakery to take away.

Ice-cream makes me feel like being a kid again, tkx to DaisyL – hahaha

Mon: busy busy day started with a short walk around BugisJunction before Bfast with Kevin&his mother Theresa. Tkx to Alex for his book, looking forward to reading it.

Getting confused and lost@Tampines but to discover&learn that TampinesMall, Tampines1,TampinesHub,CenturySq are 4different places, but are connected in one way or other. Tkx to Kiera, a delightful grandniece for showing me around the impressive Hub – last here was in 2017. https://amylamsg.com/2017/08/11/52nd-national-day/

Such a good idea as to the use of the open space in the middle, will try to figure out if there will be a movie for my taste screening to experience this open-air-concept but with a roof.

An amazing library on 5levels including 2culirnary studios.

Including play-stations for the younger non-readers to release their energy.

ShepherdPie lunch@DutchColony

Tkx to Garry for PonggolNasiLemak dinner+dessert/Hoshino Coffee@Capitol.

Ending this day with one of SINs most entertaining comedian KumarXXX where he celebrates 30yrs in show business. Find something that makes you happy. Even if it’s less money, at least you’re satisfied, and you’re happy – Kumar.

https://whatareyoudoing.sg/kumar-a-funny-type-of-kind/

Tue: Happy St Nicolas Day on this 6thAdventDay; thank you/Kiitos and Happy National Day for Finland and to those celebrating&marking the day. Safe journeys for Kevin+his mother Theresa after a short visit here, now heading back to Finland after seeing Theresa off in Borneo.

Safe journey to Garry who heads back to Australia this morning. Brunch with Clement spending the rest of the afternoon exploring I12Katong checking out what is available now that most spaces are occupied after being revamped.

https://www.sgvue.com/building-directory/singapore-428802-east-coast-road-i12-katong

2 Dec 2022 – New Advent Calendar In The Making

Tue: Happy 16thBday to my grandson, JohnW who was born in SIN. Glad that he could revisit his birth-country earlier this year in Jul. To an amazing grandson who taught me that the Eastern-Box turtle only roams 1 mile its whole life and if it is removed from its area/home then for the rest of its life it will roam aimlessly stressed out…

https://amylamsg.com/2018/07/06/4th-july-2018/

Tkx to Linn for the share of his newly-born pix as the only one I am able to locate is from PatLynn&David’s wedding and it is not even sharp.

Helping out @CC and it is a wonder how light&portable Helinox are to wander around with or to leave them at home and they do not take much space in use or being stored. 

Wed: Christmas mail done and out on this last Nov2022 day. Here in SIN and only@CC will you find the most extensive selection of Chaco which have carried me millions of steps all over the world the past 30+yrs without problems and will be wearing them till I drop!

I like Cinderella, she has a good work ethic and she likes shoes. The fairy tale is all about the shoe at the end – hahaha

30Nov2022: WorldOmeter of COVID-19 deaths are as follow:

Thu1Dec: out with Christmas decorations&AdventCalender, the one I have stitched in the 1980s and have so far used, inserted with the word Thank you in 24 languages, and its Greek Ευχαριστώ to start the season. Advent is the season before Christmas. In many branches of Christianity, Advent consists of the period starting 4Sundays before Christmas.

Putting together a new paper pop-up-village AdventCalender from IKEA this year so that 6small candies can be inserted into the houses with hopes&thoughts that some Christmas I can reunite with all 6grandchildren. Starting with Day1 today and will enhance with paint, small ornaments, etc as days go by.

9 Dec – Happy Bday Stanley Neo
13Dec – Happy Bday Ingrid

16Dec – Happy Bday Andy Lam
19Dec – Happy Bday Rita Tann
21Dec – Happy Bdays ANG ChinSheng and Anna Tsang
23Dec – Happy Bday Minos Lam
25Dec – Merry Christmas

27Dec – Happy Bday Lisa Xiao
28Dec – Happy Bday Peggy Puddey
31Dec – Happy Bdays Jorden&Jagger Wong

Hair trimmed and tkx to Helen for fun company to start off this season’s social get togethers. This will be a nice edible wreath to make for the season for any gatherings.

Fri: 2ndAdventDay of Thank you is ありがとうございました’Arigatōgozaimashita and congratulations to Japan for a comeback against Spain to win 2-1.

Doing my part where Christmas decorations@CC are concerned – tkx to Feier for her delicious home-made Northern-Chinese lunch.

Caught a rainbow while crossing the road to LauPaSat, welcome Kevin who is in SIN to run the Marathon on Sun. Tkx to Alex for Satay and appreciations to ChingEei for the group pix and does the rainbow end in your soul or on the horizon?

28 Nov 2022 – Cyber Monday

Fri: tkx to Boon for sharing this from KenrokuenGarden/Japan bringing back wonderful memories from 7yrs ago. Nice to see that this tree has grown to reach the top of its support system. https://amylamsg.com/2015/12/05/japan4/

In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful— Alice Walker

Sat: 20copies of Season’s GreetingsS$6.50, one box ChocolateTartsS$5.50, BananaPieS$30 from DonaManis, KTMW-chicken-rice-lunchS$7.90@KatongShoppingCentre. Chicken-rice-hunk-SokiWu is now computerized – too busy to smile or do his act or perhaps he has grown out of it!

https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/katong-chicken-rice-hawker-hunk-tiktoks-newest-obsession

Bus to YishunInterchange/NorthpointMall, off one stop too early when changing from bus966-857 and got totally lost in some residential area, but all’s well that ends well and appreciations to DaisyC for meeting me at the interchange.

Tkx to cousin John for hosting a BBQbday at his house with green garden, a rambutan-tree

surrounded by 100s of air-plants&bonsai and even the rooster&hens fly in here to make themselves at home. And how befitting to have this cock visiting to just learnt that South Carolina Gamecocks/USA(where #1 is at her 3rdYear now) won their AmericanFootball game.

Tkx to his offer for this stone-stool, originally from 5Temenggong, something I so remember sitting on in my childhood. He also has some of the stone-backings for another stone-bench; good to be reminded of the good-old-days. Looking forward to finding this stool a new place outside my 4-walls.

Nice to catch up with part of this branch of the family(Jay&Ray are away working) and to meet new younger ppl. Happy Bday DaisyC, vividly remember one of the first visits when Josh was born, ie 23+yrs ago, now a mother of 3sons into their 20s.

Sun: with Thanksgiving out of the way, time to get the Christmas stuff out, starting with the list of correspondences, And also its the first Sunday of Advent, need to find the Advent Calendar. 

Mon:  BlackFriday&CyberMonday – time to shop&find your bargains, but for someone who dislike shopping, those days are just like any other days. Unable to find just one word that would be the opposite of a shopaholic or oniomania! Calvin&Sam are in Germany, so will be in CC most of this week, hopefully get hardcopies of 2022Season’sGreetings addressed and in the postbox by the last day of Nov.

24 Nov 2022 – Being Thankful, Always

Mon: Good Monday Morning on this WorldTelevisionDay and a fabulous week ahead to all. Tried the new MRT TELine/Brown from OrchardB –

GreatWorldCity/2stops to take bus16. Nice to experience this ride when it was quiet and everything is still new. Also in future when the BrownLine is completely ready, will be able to take the MRT from MarineC-OrchardB ie if I am in a rush! Preference is still above ground on the buses, but good to have the choices.

Tue: nice 4+k walk on ECP-BougainvilleaGarden, bus32-Esplanade, short ~1k walk-CliffordPier via JubileeBridge; bus196-XianJiPorridge,Blk107JalanBkMerah. 1st time tasting watercress in congee, excellent for my taste, will remember to get some and add to my congee in future. This must be the only place I know of that serves watercress in congee, tkx to Clement for recommendation, appreciations to DaisyC for this info, never knew that – it’s very old Cantonese style of adding watercress to porridge. I grew up eating that at Chinatown porridge stalls

Bus196 from BkMerah–CDB/TheRoyalNorwegianEmbassy to get papers certified, must have been ~30+yrs ago since I step into the top floor/44@HongLeongBld/RafflesPlace.

Bus196 from ShentonWay-IKEA/AlexandraRd for a productive&successful shopping afternoon&lunch. Their ChickenWings&PeelToEatShrimps never disappoint me and even this mini ChristmasLog was decent and attractively presented.

Delighted with the find of ready-made black-out curtainsS$14.90+a new paper AdventCalendar$39.90. Looking forward to making this daily starting 1Dec. Again bus196(4x in a day must be a record for me!) back to the EastSide – pleased to manage to be on the go from 0800-1700hrs and not too tired nowadays!

Wed: late out with #3sBday(29Nov) gift, but this will be the last of such kind of gifts for Bdays. From 2023, cash gifts are more particular&useful as agreed by all – for Christmas, still an annual basket for the family+cash for the individuals.

Thu: Happy Thanksgiving to all and even if you do not celebrate or mark this day, there is always something to be thankful to. Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life. https://amylamsg.com/2016/11/25/thanksgiving-2016/

Picked up meds from FarrerPkMedical, errands@CitySqMall, and appreciations for all kinds of foods starting with a cheese platter made by me@CC, CheeseMushroom@Herbivore, AlmondCremePaste@YatKaYanDessert一家人 and of course not forgetting my favourite Ben&Jerry’s CoffeeIcecream@Cookie&CoffeeCafeBar (afterall, Thanksgiving is an American celebration!) all under one roof@FortuneCentre. Nice to catch up with Henry and safe trips to Inessa.

What we’re really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving – Erma Bombeck

20 Nov 2022 – Grandnephew Ayden Doyle

Thu: yeah! a productive day with Thanksgiving baskets ordered to be delivered to USAfamily and new bank account set-up. Too bad for DnB, but their service needs much improvement and they were really unhelpful despite being their client since the 1970s! Let’s hope that will not need to change again now with SpareBank1

Fri: another productive day with grocery shoppingS$35 including 2tubs of CoffeeHäagen–Dazs&MeePokBfast+lunch with coffeeS$8 done by 0700hrs. Rest of the morning cleaning&putting away fresh producesS$12, porkbones&meatS$6 to be cooked for stock&soup; should not need to do grocery until Thanksgiving!

Laundry for cooler weathers clothing done and put away until the next trip.

And the weaver said, Speak to us of Clothes. And he answered:
Your clothes conceal much of your beauty, yet they hide not the unbeautiful.
And though you seek in garments the freedom of privacy you may find in them a harness and a chain.
Would that you could meet the sun and the wind with more of your skin and less of your raiment,
For the breath of life is in the sunlight and the hand of life is in the wind.

Some of you say, “It is the north wind who has woven the clothes we wear.”
And I say, Ay, it was the north wind,
But shame was his loom, and the softening of the sinews was his thread.
And when his work was done he laughed in the forest.
Forget not that modesty is for a shield against the eye of the unclean.
And when the unclean shall be no more, what were modesty but a fetter and a fouling of the mind?
And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair – Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)

Tkx to Clement for Vietnamese dinner – SpringRolls+RoastQuails@KỳAnhQuán and Black-Sesame-Cake+rich yummy Sundae@SevensCafe, also a pleasant walk ~5kwalk MarineCres to&fro JooChiatRd.

Sat: lovely cool wet weathers, perfect day for snoozing. Sooo excited&thrilled to be made a grand-auntie again, #33 for the PurpleGeneration. Happy Bday&welcome adorable grandnephew AydenDoyle to this world(08.58hrs UK-time). Congratulations to his parents Yasmine&Andrew. Perfection only exists in babies and there are no words to express the joy of a new life.

Sun: appreciations to Leonard for help with high-tech and for tasting the food@OldBibik’s Peranakan-Kitchen – good BeefRendang and PulutHItam/black rice pudding with coconut milk&ice cream, 1st time tasting it with coconut ice-cream and such a yummy combination. Tkx for delicious home-cooked dinner@Ivy&Les 

16 Nov 2022 – Hello SIN

Sat: beautiful sunrise view from bedroom window, cherishing&enjoying every moment to the fullest watching father&son building bird houses for the winter, and admiring the last&only rose left for the year.

Tis the last rose of summer
Left blooming alone;
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone… – Thomas Moore

Sun: yummy home-made RoastBeef openfaced sandwich with freshly home-baked-bread before taking off from OSL-HEL. A flock of birds wishing me a safe trip as we drive down the road leaving the neighbourhood for this round.

Not much change for OSL-airport@Gardermoen – I stand by corrected that the short train journey from Olso Central Station to Gardemoen Airport is the most expensive in terms of distance travelled – Kevin

Mon: appreciations&tkx for good interesting HEL-SIN flight company of Kevin making the 12+hrs flight time go by faster – pix credits to him. Again lucky to have an empty seat beside us and after 7hrs sleep, just one movie 23Walks for this flight, another good flight. Now ready to hit the long-distance flights for 2023…

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it – Henry Ford

Pix credits to first-born for #2 last high school XC banquet with her flock. Wow! trying to imagine that there will be soon 2grandchildren in University!! Hope to be able to make it for her high school graduation in May2023.

Tue: arr on schedule safe&sound back in my 4walls and after 7hrs sleep adjusted back to SIN-time(7hrs ahead of Norway), hopefully no jetlag for this short trip. Follow-up appt@SGH and all is well until the next appt in Mar2023. Creative display of this project there at the moment https://projectlionheart.sg/

Happy Bdays to Chris/15Nov&Belated to Sam/10Nov – knowing that time has really gone by quickly when I see pix of his kids all so grown and now with his family pet too! But still, sometimes it still feels like yesterday when all these kids, including my own grandchildren were just smaller kids…

Art in CC by Jimmy Raffuse Bins/Catchall Trays, 2019, multicolour carpaint on cast resin – https://pluralartmag.com/2019/10/18/a-refusal-of-raffles/

Tkx to Helen for being such a sport again walking the evening away with me, enjoying all the street-life with entertainments&performances, first time hearing&seeing this amazing Sheng-https://artsequator.com/lasalle-michael-lee/

Life on OrchardRd with S$1.50durian-ice-cream – just like waving the magic-wand, no more line at the ice-cream man when I was ready for it after the magic-show, hahaha. Christmas lights to be posted for Christmas.

Ah, music – A magic beyond all we do here ― J.K. Rowling

What a nice coincident to bump into the SingingRockReps from CZ who are showing their range of harnesses for all kinds of climbing@MBS. Despite of our densely ~5+mil pop here, SIN is a safe place to be and these police patrolling around tonight will definitely see to that. https://www.singingrock.com/working-and-rescue-harnesses

Wed: glad to be able to sleep 7+hrs last night adjusting back to SIN-time today. Busy day within the 4-walls unpacking, laundry, putting away things, updating of blog, organizing paperwork&pix etc. Takes a week to prepare for such a trip, then another week to unwind and get everything back on track again. But being able to spend time with family&friends make it all worth the while.

Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary – Margaret Cousins

11 Nov 2022 – ByeBye DnB, Hello SpareBank

Tue: FinnAir dep on schedule last night 22.30hrs, thought it looked to be a crowded full plane but was lucky to have an empty seat next to me for this 13+hrs flying time from SIN-HEL. With dinner, 7hrs of sleep, breakfast, watched 1movie(Land/USA) and had fun with their flight info screen, all in all a good flight.

Arr HEL on time with 1+hrs layover time to connect; such a contrast here compared to last night’s crowd in SIN airport last night, but then it is 0600hrs! HEL is a popular transfer point for services to&from Europe and 1+hr was enough time to connect from HEL-OSL, 1hr20mins flight time and again lucky here to have an empty seat next to me on this nearly full flight.

Arr OSL 0830hrs on time in fog&rains. Expected to be in line at the immigration here in OSL, pleasantly surprised did not have to go thru’ any immigration as it was taken care of in HEL where the passport was stamped with the 1st stamp for this passport, but do not understand why they had to stamp it on the last page?? Time for pølse med lumpa(hotdog wrapped in potato wrap) with raw onions NK46-S$$6+soda/SoloNK40-S$5, XpressTrain RTtickets@SenSave NK210-S$29.

Appreciations to 2nd-born for meeting me at the train station. No point of her driving to the airport which will take ~1hr when the Xpress train takes ~20mins.

Amazing with even a lemon on their lemon plant; Christmas cactus given by Ellen(1924-2020),1st&2nd-born’s Norwegian grandmother, coincidently it started to flower on Ellen’s Bday this year(27Oct). Beautiful Oxalis triangularis/ Purple Shamrock. Do wonder where they get such GreenThumbs from?

Wed: a walk down Bogstadveien in the Majorstuen area. Chillout-travel store is still around; looks like Christmas decorations are up, got warm-smoked mackerel at Jacob’s,(Essendrops gate9), one of the few grocery stores that has it.

DnB has been quite a pain –  considering that I have been banking with them since the 1970s@RådmannHalmrastsVei,Sandvika(used to be able to drive there, now for only pedestrians) when it was BergenBank(pix downloaded) merged with Den norske Creditbank in 1990 to form Den norske Bank. It is now part of DnB NOR, and finally closing my account there and done with them, opening a new account with SpareBank

What businesses need from a bank is significantly different from what individuals need from a bank ― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, CEO of Mayflower-Plymouth

Thu: nice refreshing walk around the neighbourhood amongst these beautiful naked trees in appropriate clothing to stay dry&warm to meet with Ingrid&HansK.

I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift – Dodinsky

Fri: Ullevål Stadion has a new coffee joint – ExpressoHouse, was a pharmacy there during my last visit 3yrs ago. Looks like they are tearing down a building across the road, wonder what it will be? Metro station spied from a side exit.

Glad that BakerHansen is still around where my favourite Napoleonskake&Kransekaker can be purchased. Delighted to discover that #6, like his mormor&oldermor also likes Napoleonskaker. Tkx to Mette for taking time to catch up.