20 Jun 2022 – Staying Strong&Positive

Fri: tkx to Les&Ivy for scrumptious foods paring perfectly with his champagne&wine to celebrate our C-negative testings, but staying positive&strong to welcome Catherine&Lee from across the boarder.

ParadiseTeochew 潮樂轩@Takashimaya where they have changed their flavour to a spicy taste for the WhiteBait – prefer the non-spicy ones, but still good together with the pickled veggie for an appetite pick-up. TeochewStyleSteamedPomfret 潮式蒸鲳鱼 always fresh and made to perfection by the chef who has been cooking for Les since 20+yrs ago; TeochewStyleRoastedSucklingPig 潮式烧乳猪

Stir-friedJapaneseA4WagyuBeefCube with SlicedGarlic 蒜片A4日本和牛肉粒 yummy tender beef perfect with the garlic, BraisedMustardGreen with CrabMeat&DriedFishMaw 蟹肉鱼鳔扒大芥菜, ChilledOsmanthusJelly 桂花糕 a refreshing dessert to end this wonderful meal, perfect foods to recover by!

Sat: Thanks to Sarafian Salleh for this interesting share – Singapore as one of the most graveyards in the world. Its strategic location since the age of maritime trade has attracted people from all over the world to trade and eventually called this island, home. My quest to look for graves is to understand the diversity of the ancient societies here in Singapore which has made this island unique. Almost 90% of the graves of these early settlers have been exhumed to make way for commercial and residential development. Some people believe that houses built on graves bring about prosperity and luck. While others try to avoid living on them, fearing the spirits will affect their lives. Nevertheless, I can confidently say that the entire island were covered with graves. This evidently shows that Singapore has all time been a vibrant entrepot to the world. May the souls of our forefathers rest in peace. Without them, there is no prosperous Singapore today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTM3euk4ImA 

I remember PeckSanTheng 碧山亭 (pix downloaded) from the 1950-60s, the cemetery (now no longer) where my paternal grandfather&mother were buried and also where we used to pay our respects during the annual Qingming. https://amylamsg.com/2016/11/06/paying-respects/

Sun: Happy Father’s Day to all fathers with loving memories to the best father for me (pix from 1950s, 60s&70s).

To my 1st&2nd-born’s father (pix 1983Norway) and to the fathers (pix 2021USA, 2016Norway) of #1-6, thank you for being such wonderful fathers to my grandchildren. To my 3grandsons who some day might be future fathers.

One of the most adorable eye-candy! modern-day fathers for this Father’s Day – will inspire me to practice Liszt’s LaCampanella over&over, especially the first page – hahaha

https://www.classicfm.com/composers/liszt/pianist-dad-plays-la-campanella-for-crying-baby/

Mon: stay dry, healthy&safe on this cool wet Monday, also  World Refugee Day and a good week ahead to all – enjoying the rains making me feel lazy&relax, an excuse to procrastinate whatever plans I had today! https://tnp.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-rainy-days-ahead-singapore-triggered-two-weather-phenomena

Rain produces a sound akin to white noise. The brain gets a tonic signal from white noise that decreases this need for sensory input, thus calming us down – Kimberly Hershenson

World Refugee Day, an international day designated by the UN to honour refugees around the globe. In the past decade, the global refugee population has more than doubled. According to UNHCR, ~100mil ppl around the world have been forced to flee their homes, so sad, but who wants to live where there are wars? Among them ~26.6mil refugees, the highest population on record and these numbers are only going to increase with this on-going Ukraine war.

https://www.coe.int/en/web/interculturalcities/world-refugee-day-2022

16 Jun 2022 – But Without Complains Or Symptoms

With much appreciations and thank yous to everyone who has sent words of gracious kind thoughts, concerns&greetings – they have been received and felt&noted with gratefulness helping to make these few days go by quickly

Mon-Wed: not going to waste the ARTtest-kids until tomorrow as I will not be going anywhere even when the only symptom is just a slight sore throat. Besides reading, it is time to dust (long-overdue) the books on the shelves and more screen time than usual. Making sure all doors&windows are opened to air these 4-walls as much as possible except when it gets quite unbearably humid with humidity of 80%+and the fans are of no help – thank goodness for the AC then, usually between 1500-1900hrs.

Wed15Jun: loving memories of my father LAM TinYue (1911-1996) who would have been 111yrs today. He was never the loudest voice in the room, but he was the loudest presence with his quiet dignity, and I aim to be someone that he would nod to and be proud of. To the most amazing man I ever known, thank you for teaching me to become whom I am today. I hope he looks down on me once in a while with a smile because I am trying my hardest to carry around what that he has taught. I have been told that time heals everything, but something about this day still makes me feel a little sad.

Fond memories of my ex-father-in-law, the Norwegian grandfather of my children&great-grand-father to my grandchildren, John HALD III (1923-2008) who would have been 99yrs today – how coincident is that the 2ppl who I admire&respect were born on the same day!

https://amylamsg.com/2008/08/29/a-noble-gentleman/

Also the Bday of my favourite Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

Thu: tkx for the invite, but will have to give it a miss on the big screen due to present circumstances. Have not read this since my Dublin-days; today at this stage with my eyesight will not be re-reading it, but linking to Spotify for the recording by RTÉ Radio One – that should keep me busy for a few days!

https://open.spotify.com/show/4wntQzELHUc6US7lHcdRlS?si=_-gwvvxhTAOf0JiNaiLwjQ&utm_source=copy-link

Ulysses (1922): A book which almost requires no introduction, Ulysses has long been regarded as one of the key works of Modernist literature and one of the greatest novels ever written. Set over the course of one day, the 16 June 1904, the reader follows a day in the life of Leopold Bloom and experiences the various encounters he has with some of Dublin’s other inhabitants. By modelling Ulysses on Homer’s Odyssey, Joyce creates a sense of the epic, and transforms Bloom’s journey through contemporary, mundane Dublin into one of mythic proportions. While nobody would describe Ulysses as an easy book to read, or even comprehend, many people from all over the world are drawn to its complexities, subtlety and unique stream-of-consciousness structure. Bloomsday, an international celebration of the life and works of James Joyce, is held every 16 June, during which many of the novel’s moments are relived on the streets of modern Dublin.

12 Jun 2022: In Imaginary Norwegian Woods!

Thu: Happy 13thBday to #4 in USA. A decade ago she gave us a Panic-Moment when we were searching high&low and to our relief we found this adorable sweet toddler napping inside the laundry basket turning it into a Kodak-Moment.

Today an active beautiful teenager playing the double-bass, running and soccer – looking much forward to her SIN visit next month.

Fri: getting food&groceries@the local market before 0700hrs and before more ppl are out, also avoiding being out in the weekends. This is what is blooming@2nd-born’s in Norway – Bear’s Garlic/wild garlic and I am guessing that Bjørn’s name=bear in Norwegian and he is growing this for his namesake – hahaha

Made my day to receive this from #6 – what a sweetheart. Mailed on the 27May from Norway, received in SIN 10Jun – postage NOR128/S$18+ for a tube of lotion SKOG=forest in Norwegian with a lovely scent of pine-forest will bring back much fond memories from Norwegian Christmas and being out in nature there! Will have to live vicariously from imagination, memories, scents, other ppl recent events&travelling pix, etc until when I can feel more comfortable to be out on the go again.

Sat: tkx to Stanley for this delivery – he & Judy are moving out of BukitMerah to Bedok, giving away bro Steven’s alcohol collection over the years. Not about to drink any, but not sure how I can use them for cooking. No problems with the Cognac for Gravlaks and Whisky for BourbonSalmon, but need to learn cooking chicken soups with D.O.M Benedictine; the rest will go to CC’s shelves with Calvin’s+my other decorative bottles there.

Many ppl (including my families&friends in SIN, Norway&USA) I know of have tested C+ and who knows how many more who I do not know of, not taking risks to be out or socializing unnecessarily. At this stage in life’s journey with whatever underlying health issues existing or not, it is not worth to take uncalculated risks. Have known ppl who has taken the ACTtest with-results, but PCRtest with+results.

According to CK who had a runny-nose, slight fever&cough for a couple of days when he was tested C+ in Nov2021. The rest of the time he was perfectly fine until he lost taste&smell, which didn’t come back till ~3months later,  and he thinks not all came back and some food just don’t taste the same like before. He just felt restless from being cooped in a room for almost 3week! Protocols different nowadays, but to lose taste&smell can really be a bummer for a foodie like me!

Sun12Jun2022 1000hrs: looks like my immune system has finally admit to defeat despite of 3C19shots+1flu-shot+1PVCshot/pneumonia. 2weeks ago, dinner with 2others who were down with C+ and a week ago with 1other who has also been down with C+ now to isolate until ARTtest negative.

8 Jun 2022 – Might Keep The Cardiologist Away!

Sun: has been a long while since I have been out of my 4-walls and on a go for 12+hrs. 0800hrs on the 196Bus to Commonwealth (now I know 3ppl in this area) to help Wendy for her move, but first a cuppa with a typical SINbreakfast. Helping her is enough to convince me that I do not want to make another move if not necessary – you never know how much you have until you have to move!! Appreciations to Iyas for letting me clean up&change at his place before attending a cremation.

Tkx to Leonard for this bottle of yuzu, a citrus fruit called yuja in Korean, or yuzu in Japanese making a nice refreshing drink.

• Highly nutritious – Yuzu is low in calories but highly nutritious
• Contains powerful antioxidants
• May improve blood flow
• May have anticancer properties
• May protect your brain

Paid respects to my parents since I was@MandaiCremetorium for YeeLing’s cremation – condolences to her family. Her brothers KK&Ken flew back in time but their luggage did not make it, thus Ken only had his travelling clothes and as KK humour went in his eulogy, no one sat next to him – KK has inherited his good sense of humour from his mother.

Mon: Queen Elizabeth II (96) made a surprise appearance on the balcony of BuckinghamPalace as part of the final day of celebrations to mark her historic platinum jubilee 70-year reign. Reading about the RoyalFamily’s track record it will be doubtful that any of them will be able to be like her beyond any doubts carried her duties&responsibilities for her country&her people to her fullest – respect and Long Live the Queen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUmGIg_6VBw

A good Mon&week ahead to all. Thank you to a wonderful brother&cardiologist who supplies me all the wine in my 4-walls, but have yet to taste the Romanee Conti(1999) in his cellar and waiting for the occassion to taste that. According to him, a glass of red wine in moderation might keep the cardiologist away – hahaha, maybe the Queen takes a glass of red wine daily! lol. https://expatliving.sg/singapore-cardiologist-dr-leslie-lam/

Men are like wine – some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age — Pope John XXIII

Sorry boss, I’ll be late for work because there’s a python outside my door – sound like an incredulous excuse! If this happened to me, no need to call and no need for red wine – would have had a heart attack!

https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/bedok-reservoir-resident-held-hostage-python-outside-hdb-flat-forced-call-late-work

Tue&Wed: helping out with the finishes touches for CC’s newly renovated kitchen – to be edited with pix.

4 Jun 2021: Other Upcoming Festivals

Wed: welcome the month of June and Happy Gawai to those celebrating&marking this DayakFestival, one of the major festivals &public holidays today&tomorrow in Sarawak, E-Malaysia. Looking forward to visiting KCH/Sarawak again to catch up with family&friends there, but it would not be the same now that Lawrence is no longer.  https://www.borneotalk.com/gawai-dayak/

Still unable to find a place to eat pansoh/Iban for chicken cooked in bamboo here in SIN.

Appreciations to Theresa&CJ for yummy dinner

Thu: fun memories of the 1st SIN-Orchid-Festival@SBG (2003) and 1st SIN-Garden-Festival@Suntec (2006) which were enjoyable to help set up then. Looking forward to these@OrchardRd&SBG. Tkx to Jo for tonight’s dinner.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/orchard-road-and-botanic-gardens-to-host-singapore-garden-festival-after-four-year-hiatus

One of my favourite festivals iLight is back and if energy permits, will try to see these lights to soak up some needed energy! If otherwise, will just have to live vicariously thru’ FB-friends’ pix and this link. https://www.ilightsingapore.gov.sg/

Condolences to KK & family for the passing of his sister, YeeLing (84) – our families have been friends since the early 1950s when we used to meet every weekend for lunch.

Fri: TGIF Duanwu Festival 端午節 Happy Dragon-Boat-Festival and a good weekend to all – enjoy your BakChang/Zongzi 粽子, not being a connoisseur with these rice dumplings will be happy to mark the celebrations with whichever ones I can find in my area. Has been 20+yrs ago since I last beat the drums for these races!

https://elle.com.sg/2021/06/09/bak-zhang-different-types-traditional-rice-dumplings-dragon-boat-festival/

There were only 3ppl in front this morning when I was@KimChooKuehChang/EC-Rd, but the line grew after I was done.

Got 5different BakChangs+DonaManis BananaPie for auntie Ngor, cousin Karen and CCstaff. Glad that they were consumed&enjoyed by all

Sat: appreciations to 1st-born for these school year ending pix, soo missing their events, especially when it is an end of an era – five past and one present graduates of IrmoElementary where I have also given presentations to both #1&2’s classes – quite strange to not have any more grandchildren in elementary school. In every ending there is another beginning until it is really THE END – so enjoy all your moments when they are.

Way to go #5, now done with elementary school; #4, straight A’s plus award for integrity and done with MIddleSchool – thank you 1st-born&Jeff for making me a proud grandmother to these FabulousFive. 

Today’s craving was for Thai food and the good thing in SIN is that it is possible to get decent Thai food@GoldenMile where I did some shopping – Tamarind-snacks and baby-egg-plant is a must for me where GreenThaiCurry is concerned (to be added to the take-away food)

got some of my favourites – GreenThaiCurry, OliveRice, RedRuby to go, enough food to last me for a few days!

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 111. L&M’s paternal grandfather would have been 99
15Jun – Happy Bday AmyJ
19Jun – Happy Bdays JenLeng & ChengSong Happy Father’s Day
22Jun – Happy Bdays Josh & Devon
25Jun – Happy Bdays Chon/John, Clement & Huang/HI,USA.
28Jun – Happy Bdays Jeff & JohnWilson
30Jun – Happy Bdays JenMun & Annie

31 May 2022: Uvalde Elementary School Shooting

Fri: that same truly SAD feeling and lost of words creeps up again as I remember another elementay school shooting 10yrs ago where 20children and 6adults were the victims – total of 28 killed including the gunman’s mother and the gunman who shoot himself. https://amylamsg.com/2012/12/16/truly-sad/

Prayers to those affected by this recent RobbElementarySchool in Uvalde, TX/USA (Tue24May2022) where 19children and 2adults were the victims – total of 22 killed including the gunman. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/05/27/us/texas-school-shooting How many more of these mass shooting does it take for ppl to understand what&where the problems lie before there are any solutions? Are these mass shootings only happening in USA or that other countries are just not reporting about it??

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States

Sat: helping out at CC in the afternoon as Calvin is out of town and it would be good to have an extra pair of eyes&hands around. The kitchen is out of action, so no drinks or foods can be served at present, but can always bring you own.

Enjoying Sat night at Geylang, SIN only legal red-light district (for real) – and not only red-lights, but bright lights for durian-hopping in this Durian-Paradise. The prices ranges for the different types, and the Kampong-Durian refers to durians that aren’t hybrid or specially grown and I like those.  https://www.comparehero.my/travel-lifestyle/articles/durian-types-cheap-budget

Tkx to Wendy for driving&helping to choose the Kampong-Durians. White-hair does have its advantage here, complimentary fresh coconut-drink for the Ah-Ma! RichardY/HKG thinks that I should touch up my pix as he cannot see the point of making myself look older than I actually am and that I have only one life and to make the best of it. My reply to him is that I have no complains – comfortable with my age+looks enjoying my being&existence by living life to the fullest within my condition&capacity. To be honest, I prefer my natural looks, but tkx RY for doing such a great job of touching me up, hahaha!

Sun: great catching up with HS&Boon and hearing about their recent Greek Islands hopping trip. Glad that they like one of my favourite HorFun@IpohStyleSanLouHorFun from 50A Marine Terrace#01-275,  and the KampongDurians, mangosteens&rambutans, all local and yummy. Another hot day and the AC on by 1530hrs until temps go below 30ºC – power bills have gone up and it will even get hotter for the next couple of months.

Mon: regardless if you are marking&observing this MemorialDay (USA public holiday – pix downloaded) or otherwise, it is a day to remember&honour those who have fallen while serving their countries. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history Unofficially, today also marks the beginning of the summer season – a good week ahead to all. Jun-school-holidays have started here in SIN, that means going out only when necessary for me. And in memory of a young beautiful lady Tori – https://amylamsg.com/2011/05/30/in-memory-of-tori-mcgee/

Tue: for ChickenRice fans+other chicken dishes enjoy your chickens as SIN receives its last chicken import from Malaysia today on this lasr day of May. 2021 SIN imported 214,400tonnes of chicken ~48% of these chickens were from Brazil, ~34% from Malaysia, ~8% from USA and the remaining 10% from other countries. Tkx to IreneH for the funny – needed a good laugh today.

What came first – the chicken of the egg? I dont’ care, I eat both – GousePasha

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-chicken-export-bans-hurt-breeders-government-urged-review-price-ceiling-2709241

Was hoping to SarawakKoloMee@LinYuMei HaigRoadMarket&FoodCentre for breakfast, but it was not to be as the stall was not opened. No worries, cloudy sky made it possible for a stroll on JooChiatRd (one of my favourite roads here in SIN to walk) to HjhMaimunahRestaurant which is usually crowded whenever I pass by, but today there were not so many ppl yet. The food was inviting, but by now was not hungry – periwinkles looked tempting but after the last experience when I had to fly back after a bad incident of food poisoning of these in KCH, am careful nowadays!

Another nicely restored perankan-type-house. Did not ever know that GreenCoffee existed. By the time I got to KỳAnhQuán/VietnameseRestaurant, the sun appeared, got a refreshing cold AssamDrink there+some spring-rolls to takeaway and headed to the bus-stop.

31May2022: WorldOmeter of COVID-19 deaths are as follow:

26 May 2022: Most Beautiful Public Restroom

Sun: train your mind to see the the bigger pictures with different angles so as to be more aware of circumstances&situations and of ppl with their actions&words. Some ppl&situations are not what you sometimes believe or perceive them to be, or perhaps age has to do with my present cyniciam, hahaha! Find own your balance otherwise your brains will fall out if you are too open-minded, lol.

Life is not an easy matter…. You cannot live through it without falling into frustration and cynicism unless you have before you a great idea which raises you above personal misery, above weakness, above all kinds of perfidy and baseness – LeonTrotsky

Mon: a link so true to Norway ie that it is not possible to do just one trip when visiting – must be having a NorwayWithdrawal to be searching for a good site! It is really one of the most beautiful countries I have been, lived&worked in and according to this video, it is where the most beautiful public restrooms is located! Made of frosted glass and concrete, in quintessential minimalist design, the structure seems to glow in the dark as the glass is lit at night. In the daytime, the facility offers just about the most breathtaking view you could hope to enjoy while relieving yourself.

Ureddplassen along the road in the Helgelandskysten area, this rest-area gets its name from the WWII memorial located at the site. The monument commemorates the Norwegian submarine Uredd=fearless that sank during the war, causing 42 sailors to lose their lives. Have not been there yet, but this bucket, (hahaha) is on my bucket-list when&if I am ever in N Norway again!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYhuf4fHHzY

Tue: at CC to help out and to get grandniece Kiera her first pair of climbing shoesS$99 – LaSportivaTarantula. Climbing is popular with the younger generation, was not that long ago that I was at CC getting a pair of climbing-shoes for grandnephew Darryl. Lunched@OwlsBrew, but forgot to tell them to not have the chilli in our thin-crust-pizza!

Wed: welcome back to SIN and tkx for the visit dear beautiful niece Yasmine&Andrew. Belated Bday (23May) gift to her+wishes for them to enjoy their stay, take good care to be healthy&safe and all the best for everything ahead. A lovely wet afternoon cooling down the evening temps for a goodnight sleep.

Thu: have always wanted a small stone-bench or chair! Thought this came in 3pieces, but how wrong can I be, this one is cemented into a single piece. ChrisT managed to get it transported from a 3storey heritage-house to a HDBblock – thankful for this gift and grateful to the help for getting it outside my 4-walls. Now fitting perfectly here, an ideal seat for getting on&off shoes – also be assured that no one will be able to steal it, hahaha!

Stone furniture brings back fun childhood memories where all our outdoor furniture were made of stone as far as I can remember! Pix of me (1952-53) on a stone-bench with bro Leslie by another stone bench in the background! Will search for more…

Tkx to Iyas for showing his new pad on the 44floor – interior fittings&furnishing tastefully done. Good to be able to get some tips if I need to redo my place.

Such a good idea for a toilet with integrated hand basin for my next new toilet, and maybe a small bathtub or (standup or walkin-tub/pix downloaded) to relax those overused stretched muscles.

21 May 2022 – Flu+PCV13 Shots

Tue: being the first appt is the best way to go@SGH. Got my breakfast, breathing tests, consultation with follow-ups appts+paper work including 2shots (flu+PCV13) all done by 1100hrs.

Nice crochet-flower-art by KnotsWithLoveFHG, Carnations, OrchidsToSunflowers, in appreciation of SGHstaff. Just as I was admiring these, DaisyC messaged to let me know that she managed to get fresh milkfish and if I would like to lunch with her? Anyone who knows me also know that I cannot resist fresh fish&seafood, hahaha!

OutramMRT-NE-PurpleLine3 to DhobyGhaut, quite an underground system, must have looked lost as some kind lady directed me to PlazaSIN where I picked up a house-warming plant+snack and still managed to connect with NS24-RedLine to YioCunKang.

The barricades+construction got me confused and here I asked a young man for directions and was impressed&touched that he not only gave me directions, but walked me (10-15mins) to Daisy’s lovely newly renovated pad – calming&nice minimalist feeling&style.

Thank you for yummy lunch and what a beautiful peranakan-tiled wall.

Today is the National Day & a public holiday in Norway Happy 17May to those celebrating&marking the day when the Norwegian Constitution was signed in Eidsvoll/Norway on 17May1814. Pleased&delighted to see that #6+family&friends had a nice 17May celebrations in Norway with perfect blue sky thru-out the whole country.

Wed&Thu: what a bright-brillant-full-moon for this early morning wake-up greeting after flu+PCV13 shots yesterday@SGH. Had a good 8+hrs sleep, now to take it easy today&tomorrow.

Fri: Its been a long time ago since last stepped foot in an orchid farm. Tkx to Wendy & AhHong for this lovely morning where it was a breath of fresh air to be amongst these beautiful Dendrobiums, Renantheras+many more species orchids@NeoCheng SoonFarm/30LimChuKangLane5. Nice to be able to catch up with AhHong who remembers those days where we were setting up for the shows – good to see him with a cheerful smiley disposition.

And tkx to Wendy for dessert@PoisonIvyBistro/Bollywood. Appreciations to Ivy&HoSeng – the concept of BollywoodVeggies started~20yrs ago when I was working for NetBallSIN. Such a good idea then, and still is to have a part of SIN to connect to what was! PoisonIvy is where you can taste some delicious local delight filling with nostalgic memories!

Tkx to Chris for Japanese dinner@Chikuyotei/Intercontinental and for introducing GrilledStingrayFins – they are delicious with the mayo, tasted like NorwegianDriedFish/tørr fisk but the mayo did make it taste differently must try that with the tørr fisk in future!

And also tkx to Les&Ivy for Jazz&Cocktails@Idlewild/Intercontinental – pleasant voice&sight! of GreggAuthur from Australia. Nice meeting Jan who grew up in Alaska, a young active sporty lady who will be doing an island-round cyclying tomorrow morning – good for her. Left 2230hrs, was tired after a morning in the sun at the farms+long MRT&bus rides.

Sat: had a good night sleep, now ready to deal with another day, not really! and tomorrow too will be another day! Wonder if it is the side-effects of the 2shots+the heat&humidity??

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense – Ralph Waldo Emerson

16 May 2022: Teamwork Lessons

Thu: one of my favourites https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jop2I5u2F3U – a meaningful&profound message without saying anything especially in today’s world circumstances&stituations! To all in Finland&Sweden+other countries who are feeling threatened by the stronger&super powers, including where I am today, stay united&strong. Hoping&praying that peace&love be with us all. Tkx to Robert for the share, was searching for it – and as he said  the only Motivational propaganda I take.

It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) that those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed – Charles Darwin

Fri: TGIF – a good weekend to all, especially to paraskevidekatriahobics. Paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia both are defined as the fear of Friday the 13th, and like all superstitions, etc the only thing we may have to fear is fear itself.

Sat: made some salad for staff@CC as their kitchen is out of action until next month. Appreciations to Calvin, Sam & Wendy’s good company for last night’s Vietnamese dinner at MrsPhoHouse/RangoonRd despite of too salty food and poor service – should have taken it as a sign when there were only a few tables of ppl there! Would NOT recommend this location, had better meals at the BeachRd location. Tkx to Wendy for the ride back to the East and for the chat.

Sun: Happy Vesak Day to all celebrating&marking the day. Somehow this downloaded pix is smoothing to my eyes, just added the orange text to fit the day! Chatting with both daughters in USA&Norway early hours this morning – delighted and looking forward to US arrivals on Wed13Jul. Have been now informed&updated that #3 will also be visiting, the only one of my 6grandchildren who is born in SIN and now he is at last getting to visit his birth-country since his birth in 2006.

Sooo missing my AT-hiking-buddies this 2022-Trail-Days! Congratulations to HiHills for her PorscheTaycon fully electric in a frosted berry color – tkx to Wiggs for pix

First TrailDays attended: 2008: https://amylamsg.com/2008/05/19/damascus-va/

2016: https://amylamsg.com/2016/05/16/the-30th-annual-appalachian-trail-days/

2017: https://amylamsg.com/2017/05/22/trail-days-2-2017/

2018: https://amylamsg.com/2018/05/19/trail-days-2018/ was Bear’s final&last TrailDays, but hopefully I can be there again for 2023-Trail-Days! Has not been too easy to arrange to meet for these TrailDays being also end of the year for school events&functions for the USgrandchildren. Tkx to MoFo who made these gatherings possible by driving me there&back over the years.

Mon: enjoying this public holiday starting with breakfast with Helen at MarineTerraceMarket and a walk-about to check out the to-be MarineTerraceMRTstation – pix credits to Helen.

A stroll with Leonard between charming back-lanes

to discover KỳAnhQuán/JooChiatRd – the best roasted quails tasted, will be back to taste the other dishes! Highly recommended – a perfect wet-cool afternoon to snooze, especially when things are spinning around like the old LPs, now in hands with Leo and tkx to him for IT-help and to make sure that I did not black-out, hahaha!

11 May 2022 – Movie Breathe

Sat&Sun: Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers with loving memory to my mother Tsang MayLan(1911-1965), special thoughts my 2daughters, Linn&May (pix from 2020) who made me a proud mother are also mothers and my 3grand-daughters, Katy, Ellie&Sophie (pix from 2014) who might also become mothers, ie if I live to see their children, my great-grand-children (BrownGen). It has been 3yrs since I saw #1, 3, 4&5 and also has been 3ys ago since I have been at their school-ending-year awards&presentations ceremonies – hardly recognise #4 who has stretched and resembles her 2older sisters.

Many thx to Jeff for mailing these from #2-5, so thoughtful&sweet of them.

Mon: tkx to first-born for these recent pix of my FabulousFive in the US

and here with them on strings, would be able to form a quintet! – appreciate to receive this video from their father

Will be missing yet another school-ending year events and this will be the third year not being there Hardly recognising #4 playing the double-bass&soccer who will be a teenager next month, resembling her 2 older sisters. Looking forward for her visit in Jul – she is the only grandchild I took full care of when her mother had to be hospitalized after birth.

1st-born’s 40thBday in 2014BostonMarathon/MA, USA when we all (ie my 2daughters+6grand-daughters) met then and have not been all together since. Can only hope that we can all be together to celebrate her 50thBday in 2024.

Good Mon morning and a good week ahead to all from a tunnel vision of the East-Coast area taken from a HDB-lift landing. But when you clear&open your mind, you can have a wider vision to imagine&see a bigger picture!

Tue: tkx to DaisyC for lunch company in Chinatown. At Daiso for these 2sunflowers+leaf and what I now have to pay is S$8.56 instead of S$8 before the pricehikes. Discovered Scarlett, but have not tired these loctus root snacks yet and then could not resist these bottles (can be later used as a floor-lamp stand of piggybank) of popcorns – OK taste, most ppl here prefer the salty taste, but I do like the sweet taste.

Wed: Breathe (2017) – brillant inspiring touching movie based on the true story of Robin Cavendish who became paralyzed after contracting polio in the late 1950s – highly recommended. The topic of assisted suicide was also part of the fictional 2016 drama Me Before You — an ending that sparked some outrage due to its perceived comment on life as a quadriplegic. But Serkis — who made his directorial debut with the drama based on the parents of his Imaginarium Studios co-founder Jonathan Cavendish — stressed that Breathe‘s mutual agreement between Robin, Diana and Jonathan is the decision’s “extraordinary” element. “It’s not a selfish act; it’s kind of altruistic in a way, as it was to make life better for Diana and Jonathan, so they wouldn’t have to go through the misery of watching some very, very long, extracted, painful departing,” he explained – The Hollywood Reporter.

https://www.rotary.org/en/jonathan-cavendish-why-he-created-polio-movie-breathe

I have accepted the risk of dying, I don’t want to just survive I want to truly live