Diary of K

3 Gratitudes Again

2012-02-13T21:15:00.002+08:00

It is a long and tiring day. I go to the reporting center to report on the accident. The center advise to contact the witness and get a written report. According to them, many witnesses back out. I tried to call the witness and she did not pick up my call. Maybe she is busy. So I sms to her at about lunchtime and until now she has not replied.

I wonder about karma. I wonder about city life where people are afraid of getting involved or does not care about victims. Does living in the city make people more self-centred and unwilling to help strangers? Why is Singapore such a cold hearted place? Will Singapore be able to become a Gracious Society as outlined by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong? I shall not delve on unhappy thoughts anymore...let's move on to the 3 gratitudes for the day.

1. In bringing B2 for his haircut at My Village in Serangoon Gardens, I met my brother who was there to eat his lunch. He invited me to dim sum lunch with him and his 3 girls tomorrow. I am happy to see him healthier than before and his relationship with his daughters improved drastically.

2. Simple pleasures. I enjoyed grocery shopping with B2. He had a Ramly Burger and he observed the huge amount of margarine used to cook the burger. After getting the burger, he told me he is not going eat Ramly Burger again. It is so unhealthy. I am happy to hear B2 observing how unhealthy his favorite food is.

3. Family. We ate dinner together and have good conversations during dinners. It is a great family tradition and foster closeness and strong relationship with our boys.

3 Things to be Grateful for

2012-02-12T21:45:00.002+08:00

It is another sad day for Whitney Houston passed on. I loved her singing and songs. She has gone to a better place.

So it is hard to think of things to be grateful for. Yet it is paramount to continue the exercise so that I am on my way to happiness.

1. I start to read current bestseller "The Happiness Project". The writer is a lawyer who pursue her passion of becoming a writer. The first chapter is quite interesting.

2. B3 gave B1 a good feedback. B1 is nice to B3 when his friends are around and still continues to be nice to B3 after the friends have left.

3. B2 surgical wound is healing. There are two pimples growing in the wound. So he may have to get them remove in the hospital. B2 is going out and meeting his friends. So he is recovering well.

4. I had breakfast with a friend from Malaysia. He showed me his hobby farm where he has durians, mangosteen, yellow and red rambutans and longans. We had a good chat and toy around some business ideas. He was to invest in Australia and Britain.

When I write about all these positive events, I feels better.

Do You Know This Man-in-White?

2012-02-12T05:19:00.003+08:00

Here is a picture of the man who where a white colour T-shirt. Do you know him??

Click on the picture to enlarge. The sand colour Toyota is his car.

Abuse of Power and Position

2012-02-11T20:57:00.004+08:00

Come to think of it, DP, the driver who whack into my car must have called to get advice. This may be the reason for him to go on the offensive after talking on the phone for so long after he hit me. Senior person who work for Government has no principle and take advantage of a regular citzen just to save money and face for the damage he inflicted while distracted on the phone while he was driving.

The neticitzens are right! No wonder there are so many grievances on the ground. I am so sorry for the citzens who are not fairly treated or mistreated.

Whacked in the Car Park

2012-02-11T15:28:00.002+08:00

A Toyota Camry reversed into my car while I was trying to get into a shady carpark. I horned and horned to stop him from reversing into my car. He damaged my bumper. He stays on the phone for so long and claimed I reversed into him. DP works for the government. Not only did he not admitted or apologise for knocking into my car. He insisted he did not see me and I am the one who reversed into him.

I am shocked by the other driver's behaviour. The man who damaged my car works for the government in the finance capacity. It is a minor bump on the bumper of my car. I expected him to apologise and offer to pay for the damage. Instead he keep insisting I am at fault.

Many times when I read in the internet about the negative comments about our government, I thought some comments were extreme and maybe even prejudice. Now that I have personal experience, I can see why. I shall call this driver, DP. He is a senior person in a large government organisation. I would expect integrity and courtesy. Instead I received a arrogant attitude when he made me wait for more than 10 mins in the hot sun while he talks on the phone. Then he come out to make accusations instead of admitting fault. After that he find ways to finger point at me.

We called the police to resolve this dispute. Now I understand why our government is perceived negatively. With this kind of man in the organisation, it is clear the attitude is you are in the wrong no matter what. I know this is just one example but it is personal and real. Others must have similar encounters or experience when they have contacts with some people who worked for the government.

It is a sad day for me.

3 More Gratitudes

2012-02-11T11:43:00.002+08:00

What am I grateful for?

1. Blue Sky and White Clouds. Fine weather today.

2. Morning breakfast in Upper Bukit Timah. It is very nostalgic. Coffeeshop is like in the 60s.

3. A friend from Malaysia called up. Will have breakfast with him tomorrow.

B2's Birthday and Nuts about Nuts

2012-02-10T21:09:00.002+08:00

Ever since we bought nuts from the wholesale center at wholesale price, we have been making regular patronage there. Half a kg of cashews lasted only a few days at home. We replenished Macadamia nuts, cashews nuts, roasted pumkins seeds again this afternoon. We evaluated birdnests as well. I like birdnest dessert. It is best double-boiled with rock sugar. However, the price although is cheaper at the wholesale center is still high. My wife is a bargain hunter. She is doing research on this area before we buy the birdnests.

We bought two pairs of school shoes for B3 using Mummy's feet as a guide unfortunately both pairs are too small and we will have to make another trip to Rochor Center to change the shoes.

B1 has duty today. So I will go to camp tomorrow morning to pick him up. We had fried noodles and leftovers for dinner. Dessert is home-made tiramisu for it is B2's birthday today. It is quite a good day.

3 Gratitudes

2012-02-10T12:55:00.003+08:00

I read watch the video. It is 3 new graditudes every day for 21 days and journaling 1 positive experience everyday.

My 3 gratitudes for today:

1. I am healthy
2. I have a good family
3. I lived in a nice neighbourhood.

Random act of kindness

My wife and I was waiting the pedestrian crossing for the Green Man signal for us to cross. When it turned green many other pedestrians have started off earlier than us as there were no cars before the signal change. There is a senior man pushing his bicycle to cross and the load at the back of his bicycle fell and many items fell onto the road. My wife and I went to help him. We hold the bicycle steady while he pick up his items. There was a huge hammer and other tools. It took him a while to recover and he keep repeating "It's okay, I can handle it." We see it is not possible for him to hold steady his bike and retrieve the items. We helped him crossed the road as the Red Man comes on. After crossing, we moved on leaving him to secure his load to the back of his bicycle. It felt good to help even though it is just a small act.

The Happy Secret to Better Work

2012-02-09T21:23:00.001+08:00

Watch this video. It is humorous and educational. I like it!

Journal Keeping aka Blogging

2012-02-09T15:00:00.002+08:00

In TED, there is a talk on Happiness and the speaker recommended keeping a journal to record 3 things to be grateful about every day. In 30 days, all test subjects were measurably happier. I know I do try to blog about it and then lose steam.

I like to re-start and see if I can sustain the habit of writing what I should be thankful about for the day.

1. This morning, I have a beautiful ride on my hybrid Sanyo bike all the way from Yio Chu Kang to Pasir Ris Park. I may try to go further next time to Bedok PCN.

2. B2, Mummy and I went to Goddess of Mercy temple in Queens Street to pray and donate. We feel better to visit this temple regularly.

3. We had Bak Kut Teh (pork rib soup) which is quite popular in the coffeeshop in Rochor flats.

B2's open wound from his surgery is improving day by day. I have decided to change his dressings myself rather than to queue in the Polyclinic. We need not spend time waiting and it is also a lot more cost effective.

There are many things to be thankful about. I am surprised that it is easy to list out. I will keep at this for the next 29 days.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2012-02-08T21:37:00.004+08:00

I decided to watch dvd in the evening to pass time and pick The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which B1 requested and watched a long time ago. He says it was interesting. I did not have time nor the inclination until today.

The movie is actually quite interesting. Born old and then grow younger. The reverse aging process. It is quite thought provoking. How life events will be different. Young girl become lover and then mother of his daughter. The story begin with a dying woman and the daughter reading a diary for her. All the memobilia of the past, photos were uncovered by the daughter. She is surprised to find out that she is actually the daughter of Benjamin Button.

It is a love story unfolding and narrated in a unique plot. I like this movie.

Early to Rise

2012-02-07T07:07:00.002+08:00

B3 is sleep late and wake up early to take the school bus to school. I will need to get him to sleep earlier. He was practising his Chinese listening and writing for the test the next day. He is now more motivated to learn his Chinese. There is a change in his attitude even though his Chinese is still weak. I hope he can keep up and improve for PSLE.

Mummy will wake up at 5am to cook breakfast and recess for him. This was started a year ago for B2 and B3. Both enjoys taking food to school. They not only save their recess allowance, they get mum's cooking and nutritious food.

B3 board the school bus at 6am. After that, I will go to the wet market and hawker centre in Ang Mo Kio to drink tea and read the newspapers if available. This is going to be my morning routine for the next two years.

NTUC Finest

2012-02-06T22:27:00.002+08:00

NTUC Fairprice has latest concept kind of copying Cold Storage with "fine food" i.e. Organic vegetables and animal products. Also more choice of European fare like cheese and more exqusite bread other than the regular Fairprice square loaf. I like to window shop and enjoys oogling at the finer things in life.

I bought instant organic oats from Canada. It is quite tasty and good for fibre. There are so many food I would like to try. However, I need to watch my weight and have to pass so many temptations. Can See, Cannot Touch! Sigh....

Full Moon and Crazy Weather

2012-02-05T21:45:00.002+08:00

Tomorrow is Chap Goh Mei, or 15th day and last day of Chinese New Year. The moon is full and very bright. The light is so bright that it cast a gigantic halo in the night sky.

The freak weather in Europe is freezing people to death. Heavy snow and record low temperature reaching -38 degree celsius reported. Some 260 people has died so far. Scientists say the record low is due to Arctic warming and sending bitter cold air south.

What A Day!

2012-02-04T19:42:00.002+08:00

Up early in the morning...6am and rush to hospital and look for my boy. No one at the reception in Day Surgery which is in Level 3 of Medical Centre in TTSH. Go to the visitor registration to find the security guard. After calling day surgery to look for my boy, the security guard sends me back with a instruction. Use the intercom.

When I get back, I saw the intercom and guess what!....there is an instruction just above the intercom. It read "Please use intercom from 7pm to 7am". When in a state of agitation, I did not look and read sign. Once I cannot open the door, I just look for a live person to help. It is natural and therefore, technology and signs will never replace the human touch.

After bringing B2 home, he wanted to shower. So I wrapped him up with the saran wrap for him to keep his wound dry. Unfortunately, it start to bleed while he was showering. We have to go to AMK Polyclinic to get his wound dressed. It was a huge queue. B1 followed along to see the doctor as well and has to wait for more than an hour just to register. After registration, he has to wait for 1 to 2 hours before the doctor can see him. B1 gave up. Meanwhile, I send B2 back home to rest.

I was so exhausted I fell asleep on the sofa! It is rare I nap on the living room.

Gallstone and Pilonidal Cyst

2012-02-03T22:19:00.002+08:00

My elder sister just had her gallbladder removed as there is a stone the size of olive inside. B2 is in the hospital to have his pilonidal cyst removed as well. I wonder if it is a coincident that both are the 2nd kid in the family. Poor B2 has been waiting in Tan Tock Seng Hospital since this afternoon. He is supposed to go in at 6pm but was still waiting outside the operating theatre at 9pm. My poor boy must be starving as he is not allowed to eat prior to surgery.

Morphine

2012-02-02T08:28:00.002+08:00

AM Live! topic of the morning is on Pain. Many misconceptions about painkillers. A/P Cynthia Goh cite patients saying "Oh, his uncle or aunt died just after taking morphine. So associating the death with morphine." Nothing is further from the truth. The patient succumb to cancer and not morphine.

Morphine is a cost effective painkiller. A documentary on Palliative Care estimates 600 millions endure untreated pain because of lack of access to opiates.

Morphine is a misunderstood opiates. It is a controlled drug and abused by drug addicts.

World Cancer Day is this Saturday, 4 February 2012. Watch vignettes at www.lifebeforedeath.com

Reading Again

2012-02-01T19:47:00.002+08:00

I am doing more reading especially after buying so many books in Page One. I am currently on 23 Things They Don't Tell You about Capitalism. It is an interesting twist to all the news and articles published in the papers as well as turning conventional economic theory on its head.

The first thing is on the fallacy of free trade which all the rich countries are promoting. They actually become rich by protecting their industries until they become strong and competitive globally. The author Ha-Joon Chang is a Professor of Economic in Cambridge is excellent in expounding the truth or maybe the hypocritical behaviour of developed countries like US or Britain...

Jobless in America

2012-01-31T16:23:00.002+08:00

Yesterday and today, Straits Times published a two part series on Manufacturing Woes in US. Steve Jobs, running the most successful technology company probably in the world was asked by President Obama "What would it take to make iPhones in United States?"

Steve Jobs responded "Those jobs are not coming back!" A quote from a former high rank Apple executive on Tim Cook, current CEO of Apple and an operations expert is the focus on Asia came down to two things...factories in Asia can scale up and down faster and Asian supply chains have supassed what's in the US.

The sub-story is Steve Jobs wanted a scratch-proof glass screen and he got one - super-fast! In less than 6 weeks. The glass screen arrived in the middle of the night and the managers woke up thousands of workers, put on their uniforms, get a couple of biscults and hot tea and the production just run. Within three months Apple sold a million iPhones.

Part 2 of the ariicle published today has the following headline "What an American engineer can't do" It is a compare and contrast. The engineer in US quoted "I wanted family time. We were told we would have to do 12-hours days and come in on Saturdays. I had a family. I wanted to see my kids play soccer."

Meanwhile, a project manager in Shenzhen, China who work for contract manufacturer for Apple said "There are lots of jobs. Especially in Shenzhen!"

Looks like we are in the right part of the world at this moment in time. Of course, in Shenzhen will be better.

Chinese Tuition

2012-01-30T21:58:00.002+08:00

B3 has his first Chinese tuition today. It is in Sengkang taught by a Mainland Chinese Teacher. The tuition teacher want to see us after lesson. I was a little concerned why she wanted to talk to us. Usually, it is not going to be good. The assessment from the teacher after his first lesson? Weak, Very Weak!

So B3 will have a lot of work to do for his Chinese. We will need to give him more support as he is very stressed by the lesson.

Meanwhile, B2 has been posted to Nanyang Poly for Accounting course. I think he has decided not to appeal to go to Nanyang JC. We will let it be. He is also negotiating to be a Robotics Instructor as his part-time job.

B1 has a day off and just reported back to camp.

Watertown

2012-01-29T20:25:00.002+08:00

Finally, I decided to check out the Watertown project in Punggol Water Park since it is attracting so much publicity. The showflat is hot! It is like a festival going on. Plenty of cars parked and the showflat is so full of people. 600 units have been reported to be sold. The price is incredibly high. More than S$1,000 per square feet. I am not sure if the price will continue to go up. Obviously, many people are optimistic about this place.

The marketing folks in Far East Organization did an excellent job. The publicity in Straits Times help propell the sales. There is a shopping mall at the lower floor. Many swimming pools but not much greenery. The tennis court is on the roof top!

I think this project is overpriced!

Great Deal at Page One

2012-01-29T15:48:00.002+08:00

Every book is going at 50% discount in Page One. The bookstore will close Feb 19. It is going to be a sad day as it marked the demise of the 2nd megabookstore in Singapore. Only Kinokuniya is left standing. I hope Kino stay around for a long time. Otherwise I will not have any place to pass my time in the shopping mall.

My family and I bought a lot of books. At half price it is hard to resist. I am glad to get a bunch of books, never mind I may not have a chance to really read them cover to cover. However, they are good reference. They are the wise men for my counsel whenever I need them.

Voyage de la Vie

2012-01-28T23:11:00.002+08:00

We got free tickets to this circus spectacular at Resort World Sentosa. The show was amazing acrobatics and death-defying acts. It is very exciting and full of surprises. The females acrobats can bend their spine backward until it formed a "U". They are also very strong and did a lot of the acts without safety harness or nets below.

I have read a lot of this circus in management and leadership book. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and show. This circus started in Montreal with a group of buskers and coming up with a new concept instead of the usual dog and pony plus clown show. I am impressed by the extravaganza. Yes, enjoying the show and experiencing the wonders and the creativity of difficult acrobatics weave into a story bring to life all the citations in the business books I had read.

Nice Surprise

2012-01-27T20:44:00.002+08:00

This morning, I received Chinese New Year greetings from two ex-colleagues. Thanks, TK and HK! I was pleasantly surprised by their spontaneous greetings. I do missed working with them. However, one can only look forward to the new and exciting chapters of life.

Chinese New Year is a time to renew relations and family. While Ang Pows (lucky packets) is important, I enjoyed the opportunities to catch up and get updated on all my nieces and nephews. It also give my brother and sisters a chance to get updated on my boys as well.

My neighbours have big parties. So plenty of YAMMMMM SENG! and HUAT AH!!! Chinese are obsessed with wealth. Yam Seng is bottoms up. Huat Ah! means sudden wealth. Money makes the world go round...

A Brief History of the Future

2012-01-27T12:20:00.003+08:00

The sun is out in full force. White clouds billowing in cerulean blue sky. Punggol Water Park is quiet with a few workers doing maintenance work. Watertown showroom has a number of cars parked, so must be attracting a lot of interested buyers for the apartment.

I am just letting time pass by and reading about the future by a French econmist and historian Jacques Attali. He predicted the decline of countries and states, demise of nuclear family and the lifetime employment. It will be transient relationships at work, in business and interpersonal.

The future certainly looked more and more different from the present and the past. The population will shift from rural to the cities. The force of change is great and will continue at an accelerated pace. To the future...here we come.

What a Short New Year!

2012-01-25T21:58:00.002+08:00

This morning, B3 go to school. We were up early. Mum was up at 5am and I got up 10 to 6. We send B3 to his school bus and then go to the market for teh halia. It is a regular work day. Back to school. B1 has the day off and we just sent him to his camp. B2 was just doing his computer stuff as usual.

I do not know if more relatives will be visiting this weekend. My neighbour has lots of visitors tonight. I think it is all his staff. It is quite noisy and plenty of laughters. They are having a good time!

Many factories are still closed. The stock market is improving. I wonder if the economy will stablise and improve.

Day 2

2012-01-24T21:50:00.002+08:00

My brother came with his three daughters. They came over at 11am. So we invited them for lunch as well. They were hungry and we have to scramble to scale up the dishes so that we can accomodate twice the headcount of what we are prepared for. We had braised duck, braised mushrooms with gluten and mexican abalone, chicken soup and the leftover Peng Cai.

After lunch, we have steamed sponge cake which my wife made yesterday and I peeled oranges for everyone. I enjoyed having them over. It was good to see them. My brother health has improved. The scar from his open heart is thin and healed well. It is obvious the surgeon is very good. The scars on his leg where the vein was harvested did not heal as well. This must have been done by a trainee surgeon who is training to be an open-heart surgeon.

My second niece found a job and will be starting work tomorrow. I am very happy to get this update. She will be responsible for accounts and HR function.

Pai Nee

2012-01-23T18:27:00.002+08:00

Pai Nee is visiting and pay respects in Hokkien. My good friend asked me this morning if I was going to Pai Nee... I like to blog our tradition..

We all dressed up in the morning and our boys will Pai Nee with us first and get their first Ang Pow. Then we prayed to Laughing Buddha and sets off to the boys' grandparents to pai nee. There we will eat our first meal which is vegetarian. My boys will get lots of ang pows as their aunts and uncles will be there as well. My father-in-law is the eldest in the family. So he will also get other visitors like his younger brother's wife, her son, daugher-in-law and two grandsons.

After plenty of chit-chats and I have to nag at my wife to go home. Everytime she is at her mum's place, she is very reluctant to leave. She will keep talking and talking and talking to her sisters. We finally head home past 1pm. Once we reached, we have to prepare to host my sisters and their kids. I cut up a water melon and my wife cook chicken soup and warm up all the cakes she baked yesterday. She is happy they enjoyed the cakes.

Gong Si Fa Cai

2012-01-23T07:13:00.003+08:00

I wish all my readers Prosperity, Happiness and Longevity. May the year of Water Dragon bring more water(money) to you and your family. May your business continues to grow and may your kids do well in the examinations. May you and your family be safe and healthy.

Welcome, the Year of Water Dragon...

Peng Cai

2012-01-22T19:44:00.004+08:00

Reunion dinner. Luckily, B1's duty was yesterday. I went to pick him at 6:30am. He was lucky. The Indian who took over his duty came at 7am as promised. So after handover and changing to civy, he was out by 7:30am. We reached home in good time by 8am. I had to wait for him at a coffeeshop just after Chestnut Drive for about half an hour.

Back home, we go to NTUC to buy groceries for Chu Yi and Chu Er (Day 1 and Day 2) of Chinese New Year. My sisters and their daughters and sons will be visiting us on Chu Yi afternoon. My brother and his daughters will be come on the morning of Chu Er.

We had our reunion dinner, just our three boys and us. We had Peng Cai from a resturant in Smith Street. It is the first time for us to try out this dish and it was excellent. Just one claypot dish and it is a complete meal for 5. The food is all cooked and quick frozen. All we have to do is to heat the sauce and add it to the pot and then put the pot on low heat and serve. It takes a long time to thaw and heat the food mind you but it is worth it! We bought this Peng Cai in Takashimaya basement two. It was kind of expensive. But I thought it is about time to try something new instead of the traditonal steamboat. I am glad we tried. The food was great. There are abalone, chicken wings, braised pork belly, fish maw, sea cucumber, prawns, lotus root and plenty of cabbage. The only thing is the claypot cracked and we have to throw it away after our meal. I think I will get this dish again for future reunion dinners.

Money does buy happiness...

Vegetarian Reunion

2012-01-22T08:17:00.003+08:00

Last night, we had our reunion dinner with my in-laws. My parent-in-laws are vegetarian, we had a vegetarian Yusheng and a vegetarian steamboat. All the siblings gather around the dining table to talk. My wife is the key speaker. She is better than "Lee Tai Shaw" the Famous Story Teller of Reddifusion of yore days.... Her siblings were very attentive as she regale tales of her friends stories. She had them in stitches on the dirty and smelly toilets. She tell them in such a comical and expressive way that everyone could not help but laugh.

I am thinking she may become a successful standup comic. Meanwhile, I was tucking in freshly fried cashew nuts, durians from Paya Lebar, boiled vegetables and a wide range of vegetarian "I don't what". There are mock everything but I have no idea what is the ingredient. It could be beans or gluten or some mysterious foodstuff.

All Night Long

2012-01-20T21:10:00.003+08:00

Tonight is the night. The night for all the market vendors to sell throughout the night. By tomorrow morning, everything will be closed. Sunday is New Year's eve. Most hawkers and market vendors will be closed for a few days. My boys are excited to explore. So I will bring them out just to soak in the atmosphere...

Boy Hurt

2012-01-19T20:28:00.002+08:00

Three boys were cycling along the PCN when one of the fell from his bicycle and hurt himself. Worse is he fell on exactly the same way as he previously injured himself. So the whole flesh on his knee was torn off and the bone was showing. He was bleeding but no artery was cut. He must be in deep pain. I wipe off the river of blood on his calf with dead leaves as we do not have any tissue paper. We brought him to the Community Center where he seek help there.

It is a long time since I see an exposed living bone. I feel sorry for this boy.

Capital FM95.8

2012-01-18T20:13:00.002+08:00

Capital FM is really good at putting Chinese New Year's festive mood in my car. The non-stop CNY songs and music lift my spirits and mood. The year of Dragon will be soon upon us. It is a good start with stock market up although it is the tail end of Rabbit year.

Capital FM95.8 has stories in Chinese and news in all the different dialects. It is a very traditional kind of radio. Reminds me of Rediffusion of the good old days. Listening to Chinese radio, I hope will improve my mandarin. Language is the tool of trade and for effective communication. Continous learning and development is vital in keeping us competitive in a fast changing world.

Park Connector Along AMK Ave 5

2012-01-16T21:03:00.003+08:00

Instead of usually driving to drink my teh halia, I decided to go green and ride my bike there instead. Maybe the traffic is light, I find riding to wet market/hawker center not too bad. I remember breathing the exhaust fumes from all the vehicles especially the foul smelly diesel fumes from the heavy vehicles.

Teh halia and thosai is what I had, costing a grand total of S$2. It is very rich and unhealthy. I did not feel so guilty this time as I expends calories to consuming this extremely unhealthy diet.

I think I can do more to save the Earth by cycling more often to get my teh halia fix.

Madness at Fairprice

2012-01-15T21:09:00.002+08:00

It is like the world is going to end. Everyone decended to NTUC Fairprice. It is impossible to move about. The buying frenzy for Chinese New Year is on. Next weekend, we will be welcoming the Year of Dragon. Cars are just flowing in and out of the basement carpark in Ang Mo Kio Hub. The mood is just buy, buy and buy. There are so many customers that we are knocking into each other. As for us, we are stocking up on sodas as well as frozen food. Our freezer is running out of space! We change our fridge from the one we bought and used in Canada, Maytag to Mitsubishi Folio. The Japanese refrigerator has plenty of features but lack the spacious Maytag has.

I just read in today's Sunday Times plenty of supermarkets are open during day 1 of CNY. So it may not be necessary to stock up too much food. The population did not increase but everyone is purchasing as if there is no tomorrow. So where would the excess food go to? I am afraid a lot may go to waste. This is not earth friendly practice.

Noisy Party

2012-01-15T00:02:00.002+08:00

My neighbour did not have party for many years and tonight they are having a party and it is still going on! It is so noisy that I woke up and cannot fall back asleep.

They must be celebrating a good year!

Greenwich is Open!

2012-01-13T22:41:00.003+08:00

All three boys are home and still active and lively now. They are like owls refusing to go to bed. I am having a hard time nagging and giving threats. It is an energy sapping exercise. Fatherhood is one of the toughest job. Tomorrow all of them have activities. B2 is SOT bridging course and B1 is NUS tea session for liberal arts course.

Greenwich commercial center is open now. The Christmas lights on the trees and food court Seletar Kopi bright and busy make quite exciting to explore. B3 insisted we go, however the carpark was full and we have to go again by cycling. There are going to be a number of resturants like BBQ Chicken, Empire State, Paradise Inn and another 3 or 4 more which is hard for me to recall. Cold Storage is handy but a little expensive. The carpark has limited parking space. Maybe once it starts to charge parking fees, the cars will not stay so long.

Greenwich will become vibrant at night.

Nuts!

2012-01-12T21:08:00.004+08:00

We ran out of nuts. Yes, nuts! Two weeks ago, I was at the wholesale center and bought macadamia nuts, cashews nuts, almonds and pistachios. The price is so much better than the supermarkets. I bought half a kg each and my boys enjoyed the nuts and munch them up quickly.

Today, I went to replenish the nuts. B1 saw the nuts when he came home and request to open the cashew nuts so that he can eat them right away. He enjoys the nuts and B2 joins him to munch and soon the cashews are running low. I am glad my family gets to enjoy premium nuts at wholesale prices.

The only nutty issue is our teeth will be worn down more as most of my enamel in my molars are worn down as my dentist observed.

JC or Poly?

2012-01-11T20:19:00.002+08:00

It is a mad scramble to visit many JCs and Poly. Understand the courses they offer and the cutoff points requirements. My sister is doing the same thing. She is going to all the different JCs even though her son did well and will definitely enter Anderson Junior College.

Meanwhile, B2 at a higher score or poorer results has less options. He is now making a difficult choice of JC or Poly. JC means he will go on to an University and become a graduate. Poly will mean Diploma which mean less prestige and lower earning power. There are more entreprenuers from Poly as it is a practice-oriented education. Poly is good for people who are not so academically inclined.

The pendulum keeping swinging between poly and jc for B2. Before the "O" level results were out, he was keen on Poly. Then he thinks he want to go to JC. Now, this evening, he think it is poly again. So we shall see. Friday is the D day...

English Prounciation Course

2012-01-10T22:06:00.002+08:00

My wife and I are attending an English prounciation course by Norman Lim. Norman was a news reader with Mediacorp. The course is on Tue evening for an hour and half and runs for 8 weeks. The class size is small and there are 40 sounds to learn. So many rules that it is a challenging to remember them.

However, it is enjoyable and Norman is not only a good speaker, he is a good teacher. His demeanor is good. The students are not embarrass and works hard to do repeat the correct sounds. He reads first and we follow as a group and then read individually. So we get individual attention.

I learned the correct pronouciation of some words and ways to continue my learning. It is fun!

D-Day

2012-01-09T20:57:00.002+08:00

B2 has his "O" level results today. He did not do too well. He has raw score of 15. So he has a lot less options although he does qualify for JC. Mum is helping him to make the best decision. He will have to find a course that will use his strengths. He does not stay focused on Maths and Physics well. We are disappointed but will move on to decide what on his future course rather than dwell on the poor showing.

His cousin did far better with 10points for raw score. Anyway, life goes on and we have to make do with the cards we are dealt with.

Beautiful Sunday

2012-01-08T22:42:00.003+08:00

It is just a normal Sunday. So why is it beautiful? I was up at 6am and cycle aimlessly for a while and return home to make Italian coffee and read Sunday Times at the poolside. B1 went to meet his girlfriend at 8:30am while the rest of the family sleeps in. B3 and I cycled to Compasspoint for him to check out the toys.

We warm up last night fried beehoon for lunch and have to wake B2 up!! He slept past 12pm! It is like he is still on Italy's time. After lunch, the boys and I go shopping for .... underwear! Metro has 20% and we want to take advantage of the discount. My flipflop broke as well and so I get a replacement. Flipflop is stingy with discount. Only a dirty green colour has 20% while the rest are at 10%. I am not particular over colour and pick value to colour choice. So we have to go to Metro in City Square Mall to buy as it has the right size.

Since my favorite North Indian stall is there, we bought masala chicken and tandoori chicken with 2 naans for dinner. B1 has a ride from his friend back to camp. So we use the time we save to go to Takashimaya to buy Pen Chai at 10% discount.

Sony has a few computers on clearance sale and we bought at laptop at $400 discount. With staid normality, I feel today is beautiful.

Very Festive at Hougang Mall

2012-01-07T21:59:00.002+08:00

Crowds throng the makeshift stalls. CNY goodies, decorations, apparels and fast food are favorites. Hougang mall is full of people too. The atmosphere is vibrant and new year melodies from the CD and Video stalls add to the festive air.

On the news, the temp stall operators interviewed says that their takings or sales has increased between 20% to 50%. So the economy may not be as bad as we think. The increased in sales may also be due to price increase as prices have gone up substantially.

Confidence is high with people opening their wallets. At the same time, the Buddhist Lodge gave our $670,000 in ang pows, the highest since 1947 when the annual ang pows for the needy started. There are more poor as well.

Up at 3 am!

2012-01-07T05:51:00.002+08:00

I received a call at 3;11am in the morning. I tried calling back the number and it is engaged. This call wakes me up and I could not go back to sleep anymore. I have this peculiar issue of inability to fall back to sleep once I am interrupted or waken up. I always envy my wife who just fall back to sleep easily. It may be a woman's physiology i.e. waking up frequently in the night during pregnancy or waking up to feed the baby. It could also be training by her mum. Sleeping seems to be her siblings' hobby and pastime.

B2 was looked after by maternal grandma and he does sleep a lot. My mother-in-law every time she see the boys when they were young is repeating the mantra - go to sleep. Asking my boys to sleep while they are actively running around is so important to her. She would keep repeating over and over like a hypnotic chants. B2 until today still sleeps a lot more than B1 or B3. B1 and B3 were look after by use when they were baby and did not get the training "Po Po" gave.

Since I could not sleep, I decided to go to the 24 hours Koufu in Fernvale to drink tea and read yesterday's papers. There are a few customers there! Seems like there are quite a few people who have insomnia! I like coffee shops. They are place of social gathering of strangers. I bought a cup of teh (tea with condensed milk) and "rent" a place for a few mins. It is good to have company even though we do not talk to each other. Also the tv is on and it is very comforting...

Chinese New Year's Goodies

2012-01-06T22:07:00.003+08:00

My wife and I go to Takashimaya to buy CNY Goodies. We bought Pineapple tarts - her favorite, love letter, kueh bangkit and almond cookies. The basement 2 hall is doing brisk business! There are so many samples and it is fantastic to taste all the different products. It is heaty and very filling. So not good for the waistline.

It also has been a long time since I have been to the library. This afternoon, I borrowed 3 audibooks - Brain rules, Napolean Hill's Golden Rules and The Science of Personal Achievement by Napolean Hill.

Cool and Dry

2012-01-05T21:31:00.002+08:00

I was cycling in the PCN at about 7pm. The temperature is cool and it is nice to exercise in this kind of weather. It also remind me of the time when El Nino is in effect. I used to visit Bedok Reservoir to learn how to fly wind soarers. It is very breezy and the wind blowing up the slope makes it a great site for flying gliders. It is silent and actually very enjoyable. No propellers, motor or engine required. Just use the wind to fly. I wished I learn how to fly effectively. I had only a few successful flights. My landings were horrible. I actually built a "Gentle Lady" which is suitable for beginners as it is just like a jigsaw puzzle. However, I still need an expert to help me cover the wings and do the washout. The washout makes the plane stable. The wing covering using heat shrink colourful plastics is a little challenging for beginners.

Anyway, the winds will change direction in Feb and the sloping soaring season will be over. Enjoy the cool wind for a few more weeks....

Pasir Ris Industrial Park

2012-01-04T21:33:00.002+08:00

This morning, instead of cycling along the PCN all the way, I decided to exit into Pasir Ris Farmway. There are plenty of fish farms. There is a farm that I go in to explore. The sign outside says it is a Koi farm but I could only live prawns and food fishes. Live prawns for $18 per kg. I checked in Sheng Siong and it is $19.80 per kg. So the price different is not much.

The Commando Camp is there as well.

Dry, Very Dry

2012-01-03T18:21:00.002+08:00

It looked like it is going to rain. Heavy dark and ominous clouds come and go. The last few days have been dry. My fish pond is drying out! I will need to replenish with tap water. I was waiting for the rain to come in order to save on tap water. I noticed a lot of my plants need watering too.

The weather pattern is quite drastic. Floods or drought. We will need to adapt continously.

Ducks

2012-01-02T21:34:00.002+08:00

It is our family "Eat ducks" day. We had Hong Kong Roast Duck for lunch. $18 for half a duck. Then we had Smoked Duck at sale price of $17 per duck. Usual price is $25. Hong Kong Roast Duck is a recommendation from my wife's colleague. It is from a coffee shop in Blk 133 Ang Mo Kio. The chef is from Hong Kong and roast it Cantonese-style. My wife likes the roast duck very much. After all, she is from the same dialect group.

Our boys enjoyed the food as well. I guess they will love ducks like their daddy. Ducks is the favorite food of Teochews and this was pass down from their grandma who is a Teochew.

Chinese Cuisine is so wonderfully diverse and different.

New Year New Beginnings

2012-01-01T21:50:00.002+08:00

It is the first day of a brand new year. There will be new beginning. I hope my niece find a job soon. She is actively looking for a finance job. My boys have given her some contacts to help if she can be in a temp position in a local bank while waiting for a fulltime job offer.

B2 is waiting for his "O" level results and hopefully he can go to a JC. B1 is applying for University admission.

All the kids are growing up in various stages and starting new in the different phase.

Many economists are expecting 2012 to be a turbulent year. Economic uncertainty and weakness around the globe. The Mayan calendar ends in Dec 21, 2012. So it may be the beginning of the end... even Yahoo News has 10 different ways the world could end.

New Year Eve

2011-12-31T21:27:00.002+08:00

Today marks the end of 2011. It is a year of ups and downs like roller coaster. The stock market is down by 17%. 2012 outlook on the global economy is weak with Eurozone financial crisis and weak American economy.

I still wonder if people still make New Year's Resolutions. Anyway, it is a regular weekend for us. B1 and B3 cooked poached eggs as edible experiment. B2 went out to play pool with his friends and then B1 and B3 took a bus to Lower Pierce Reservoir to catch lobsters.

I barbeque chicken satay and chicken wings for dinner tonight. After dinner, we have watermelon for dessert and also ate Lim Chee Guan's bbq beef. It was good to have all the boys together for dinner.

Great Dinner Awesome Meal

2011-12-30T23:21:00.004+08:00

We had a total of three nieces joining us for dinner tonight. My eldest niece from my eldest sister and two older nieces from my brother. The boyfriend of my eldest niece is here as well. The highlight is Christmas Ham. It was very popular and it seems everyone likes it. It is fun to see everyone enjoying the meal.

Our boys enjoyed the mashed potatoes which our new helper cooked. She is good in making mashed potatoes. I enjoyed the preparation and serving. My niece boyfriend like the coffee I made for him. It is a little strong. I hope he can sleep tonight...

AGM

2011-12-29T22:50:00.002+08:00

We have our estate AGM this evening. This is the first time we held it in the estate. We also have a new MA or managing agent. As usual, we have an SP who is not happy with the inconvenience about his car park situation. It is interesting that he look at from his own perspective and is not happy at all.

The good thing is the developer is here and I was happy he show up to give support and explain a new by-laws we have. Overall, the meeting went well and was done in good time. We close the meeting by 10pm.

$10 For a Chicken!

2011-12-28T22:03:00.002+08:00

You can have it steamed, roasted or braised. Fernvale Point foodcourt has this deal. The rice however cost $1 per bowl unlike elsewhere it will cost only 50cents. However the chicken is a deal! The taste is not bad too. The chicken is actually quite small. Overall, it has more meat than half a chicken elsewhere. Regular chicken rice is still $2.50 per plate.

Kinokuniya has a 20% straight discount. So I bought 4 books, two for B2 and two for myself. All three boys are with us in Takashimaya today and then we have a homecooked dinner at home. It is great to have all the boys together especially when all are at home.

Maiden Dinner and Brew

2011-12-27T21:23:00.002+08:00

We had our first home-cooked dinner by new helper. Her cooking is basically stew. She has stewed pork with cubed carrot and spinach. The other dish was minced meat with tofu and the cooking is the same style. So our tofu is almost a soup. Her cooking is different from our previous helper and is quite healthy and tasted fine.

After dinner, B1 and B3 accompanied me to the 24hr NTUC Supermarket in Fernvale Point to buy coffee powder to try out the Italian coffee pot. It is the first brew and I am glad we bought the "four" cups model. Four cups is less than one mug!! I realised coffee in Italy is served in a tiny cup and in tiny quantities. Their cup size is only one-fifth a regular cup here.

Anyway, the coffee tastes fine. I am not a coffee drinker, so it will have to wait for visitors to use and enjoy the Italian coffee brew.

Awesome Ride at PCN

2011-12-26T21:05:00.003+08:00

All three boys cycled with me this evening in the PCN. B3 rode on the hybrid bicycle. We rode all the way to Punggol past the resturants before turning around. The bbq smelled heavenly. Now there is a KFC as well. The Park Connector is so crowded as it is a public holiday. Many families are out with small kids. Loads of roller bladers and cyclists. I wonder what will it be like once all the HDB flats are built. There are so many flats under construction and more areas are fenced up as we ride along the PCN indicating the building program is accelerating.

It is simply awesome just riding with all three boys. We have to ride in a single file. The ride was slightly marred by B1 being a little upset and keep riding ahead. Then B3 get upset with me for not hearing him when he want to stop to play with sand.

However, I really feel good that my 3 boys are riding together. It is best holiday experience. Way better than in Italy as B1 was missing in the trip.

Christmas Day

2011-12-26T16:23:00.003+08:00

I went to Compasspoint early in the morning to check if the Christmas hams are on sale in Cold Storage. No luck this time. The price stayed the same. So I had tea in Ah Kun as Toastbox is full. It seems like Ah Kun is not as popular as Toastbox. Toastbox has some basic food menu like mee siam, nasi lemak or mee rebus which is good for breakfast whereas Ah Kun has only kaya toast, soft boiled eggs and hot drinks.

We have Teochew porridge for lunch and then go to our favorite mall Takashimaya for
"Jalan Jalan" aka window shopping.

It seems like the wind is very strong and gusty. My door slams a couple of times and it was too quick for me to react. I have to use a heavy weight to prevent the door from slamming.

328 Laksa

2011-12-25T22:06:00.003+08:00

I was hungry for laksa and B3 like Katong laksa which is not spicy. So we drove all the way to Katong for our fix. Unfortunately, the authentic laksa is closed and we have to adjourn to 328 laksa on the opposite side of the road. 328 laksa does not taste as good as the original Katong laksa. It is also spicier and B3 has a little problem as he is not capable of eating spicy food. The flavor is mild and it is milk base rather than coconut and thus do not taste as rich.

To add insult to injury, it is priced higher than the original Katong Laksa. While it did fix my laksa craving, I would have to go back to Katong again.

Weight Down!!

2011-12-25T16:40:00.003+08:00

Finally, my weight dropped below 86kg!!! Okay, it is not really true as I weigh in after two hours of cycling. Which means plenty of fluids loss. Still, it is great feeling to see lower weight after hovering for 89kg most of this year.

I hope I can keep my weight down. It is hard since returning as I am a see-food diet person. I loved to see the food and try them.

Mmmmm!

2011-12-24T21:59:00.002+08:00

I refused the breakfast in the aircraft before landing. It is quite disorientating to leave on Friday noon and land on Saturday morning. Never mind about that. Even though I am not hungry as 8am is only 2am in Italy and my tummy should be in deep sleep, I go to AMK Ave 5's hawker center and eat a plate of fried bee hoon. It is yummily heavenly. Home at last!

Dinner is River Valley Nasi Lemak from basement of Lucky Plaza. It is really wonderful to escape from the monotony of sour tomato paste in spagetti or pizza. I can get spicy stuff and oriental flavours. It is shallow to be obsessed by food. But I am still a lowly human being with my human frailties.

It is so heavenly to be back home where my stomach can be comforted.

Lucky Malaysians and Singaporeans!

2011-12-23T11:24:00.004+08:00

I am up early. In a cold place, the first thing I will do is to boil water. It is my habit to get a hot drink early in the morning. I did the same routine in Canada when we were living there. In the last 13 days, I have been doing the same thing - boiling a pot of water for hot drinks. Usually tea and sometimes coffee.

In Singapore and Malaysia, it is so easy step out of your house and hot tea and coffee stalls are everywhere within reach in less than five mins. Okay, we drive to the hawker centres or shop lots in Malaysia. Then we get a wide variety of choice at low price - teh-o, teh, teh-c, teh tarik, teh halia, ... And if you like designer's choice for people who need ego boost and snob appeal - caffe latte, coffee americano, TWG Singapore breakfast tea and the like.

Best of all, our water tastes heavenly. In Italy, the water in all the cities I have been are hard. So is the water in North America (US and Canada). I am happy to go home soon to drink greating tasting drinks and even water. (Those who know me well knows I hardly drink water;-)).

My regular coffee stall in AMK Ave 5 hawker centre opens at 4:30am. No cafe is open for breakfast before 7am here. We have a choice of fried bee hoon, fried carrot cake, wanton mee, nasi lemak... need I go on? In Italy, breakfast is crossiants or sweet pastries. No crispy fried chicken wings or curry vegetable to go with your carbo.

As I wind down my trip to Italy, I reflect on my observations. We are incredibly lucky to live in Asia at this time. There are lot of histories and past glories in Europe - museums are everywhere celebrating and displaying the works of great artists and scientists. There is great tradition and the electric trams still worked after 100 years. This trip open my eyes to history. I am glad to see and experience history. The future is back home in Asia.

Lucky Olga

2011-12-22T15:13:00.003+08:00

I am not talking about the Ogre from Shrek. My wife was shopping for a handbag. You know the kind easily recognizable by other women and make them squeals wth delight if they are friends or green with envy if they are not.

Rinacenter is a departmental store like Takashimaya. All the major brands are there. Handbags or leather goods of any kind is not my cup of tea. So B2 and B3 stick with me to walk around for exercie and window shop. We ran out of places to go and went to the handbag store. The Wife was standing there patiently waiting for someone to the get the price of a bag. Finally, she asked a Chinese salegirl for the price. She did gave the price but snub my wife with "I am busy! Please wait!!!" I did not like this kind of attitude. So when another girl was free, I asked her to serve The Wife. She did so and was helpful to show different models and sizes. With my help, she decides on the model she wanted and the sales was closed in less than 10 min. Meanwhile the Chinese salesgirl was done with her prospect and watching from side.

We went to other level of Rinacenter to enjoy more window shopping. Not that we enjoy shopping so much. It is below freezing outside and it is so much nicer to be warm than to have our butts frozen. When we return to the hotel, I was pooped and go to bed early. B2 accompanies mummy to the stores again. They ended up in the same store and buy from the same girl. She is so lucky to chalk up good sales from one customer. She is so happy and gave her name, Olga to my wife so that we can look for her whenever we are there.

My First Souvenir

2011-12-21T09:41:00.003+08:00

Milan is the only city where there is a departmental store. All the major brands are housed there. At the basement, the floor is dedicated to design. Many small sections with each company displaying items of unique design. Everyday things are transformed in art pieces - cups, candle holders, bowls, pencils, pens and many other things. Nespresso is very busy. Plenty of customers buying coffee and coffee makers. The tiny cofffeemaker with the individual capsules look like modern art.

I like this section and will bring my boys there tomorrow so that they can experience how a 10¢ pencil or 30¢ pen can be transformed into one that cost a few dollars. It is low cost art but high value regular items. The premium is huge and profit margin high. But the volume will be low. It is the way of the future. We will the trending towards a world of what use to be - craftmen and artisans.

The award winning coffeemaker which I had earlier is also here. My wife saw a stainless steel model which is induction compatible. She like it a lot and insist we should buy it. A two cups model cost €43 and a four cups model cost €45. So guess which model is my first souvenir from Italy?

Very Comforting in Milan

2011-12-20T10:06:00.004+08:00

Milan is a big city. The streets are busy with cars and electic trams. Traffic lights control the flow of the traffic and pedestrian. The metro has many lines and the atmosphere and energy level is high. My wife has one word to describe this city - vibrant!

Milan is like a city in Asia, very busy and full of energy and movement. It is always in motion. Best of all things are in working condition. No broken lights or non-functioning escalators which are quite common in Rome. Milan also safer than Rome. Maybe because we see less beggars and shady characters. Also the street vendors have a merchant feel about them whereas in Rome the street vendors are tough looking.

Onwards to Milan

2011-12-20T09:48:00.002+08:00

We are on our last leg of our trip in Italy. We will checkout and take a train to Milan this morning. This is one of the longest holiday trip we have taken. I am so glad to eat fried rice and fried spagetti yesterday. We ate at Tianjin resturant right beside Rialto water bus stop. Actually our hotel is also at this stop. It is vey near to the stop once you know the place. However, it is very easy to wander around and around as the street names are unfamiliar and not easy to find. We went roundabout a few times before we managed to locate our apartment.

Venice is interesting as it is the only city in the world to use solely water as a means of transportation. The garbage is cleared by trollery and transferre to a boat. Construction material like stones are also transoort on a boat with a built-in mechanical arm with claws. Simple routine tasks become fascinating because it is the first time to see a garbage boat or a contruction boat.

Freezing Cold

2011-12-19T18:09:00.002+08:00

Temperature is below freezing. So it not so fun to walk with cold feet and frozen ears. It is not a good time to come to Italy in winter. Rome and Florence were raining when we were there. In Venice it is freezing temperature. The trip is good to experience Italian culture and food. But unfriendly weather makes the experience less fun. Venice is still a great place to visit with lots of local artists. There are lots of glass sculptures and the price of some are quite reasonable.

Award Winning Italian Coffee Maker

2011-12-19T10:28:00.006+08:00

I was browsing through some design books to get inspiration for new ideas. In the book Top 100 Designs, an interesting looking coffeemaker was featured. Then while watching news on global warming where scientists in Antarctica are finding new evidence, one of the scientist was making coffee with the same coffeemaker. This coffeemaker is in every apartment we stayed. Only in Venice coffee powder is supplied. So I have a chance to try out the operation:-) It is quite simple.

I have taken a few pictures to show you....

Interesting Venice

2011-12-19T01:35:00.003+08:00

We took the train from Florence to Venice early in the morning. On arrival, we have to take a water bus for two stops. It costs €6.50 per head. Pretty expensive for a short distance. But walking with lugguage will be extremely challenging as the will be many bridges to climb and cross.

There are no motor vehicles in Venice. No bicycles, no motorbikes, no scooters or cars, so the walkways are really for walking. It is incredible after Rome and Florence where walkways are full of people walking and motorised vehicles will keep coming from behind you. In Venice just avoid other people. The walkways are really narrow and can make it challenging. But no stress of "CAR!!!" from my boys or my wife. It is also interesting to ride the water bus.

The views are very interesting. The apartment we are staying is was built in16th century or 400 years ago. The apartment we stayed in Florence is 500 years old! Old buildings can have problems. We were told our apartment is more than 500 years old when we complained about the smell of one of the toilets. Now I know frangrance industry is thriving in Europe.

Getting lost in Venice is quite easy as there are many deadends as well as convoluting that we find that we are walking in circle all the time. Weather is cold with temperature dropping below zero. So dressing warmly makes it easier to stay out. I will recommend Venice the city to visit.

Giant Mosquito!

2011-12-18T11:30:00.003+08:00

There was a huge flying insect in the living room after we checked in. B3 tried to catch it by hand but he let go when he touches it as he felt disgusted. My wife says it is a mosquito, I disagree thinking it is far too big to be a mosquito. I was reading in the bed room and the same type of insect was flying right in front of me. I decided to get rid of the irritant and managed to smack it against the bed. A huge smear of blood appeared. It was indeed a mosquito. This mosquito is 10X the size of those in Singapore!

As I was writing, it is hard to believe this myself. The bed cover on the divan has not been changed. So I decided to take a photo with my finger pointing on the blood smear for size comparison.

Sunny Saturday

2011-12-18T02:00:00.002+08:00

Today is our last day in Florence. Luckily it is sunny unlike previous 3 days. Everyone is like us enjoying the day out. It is so crowded in the streets. Plenty of tour groups from mainland China. We passed the day shopping and enjoying the sights. Went into a Cathedral to pray with my boys. We have a good day.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

2011-12-17T08:35:00.002+08:00

We rented a car with driver to bring us to the world famous leaning tower. Considering it status, it is hard to find. Our driver has to call a few times to get the road name so that he can punch it into the GPS. The tower is actually quite short. It was supposed to be part of the cathedral. The impressive thing is it is restored and looked so new and fresh. We went into the cathedral to pray and adjourned to the outlet mall.

The wind was gusty and strong. It is raining and not many shoppers are about. We see a few foreign shoppers around. They are in groups. Their mannerisms are so unmistakably Singaporean. Like my French neighbour says, we are obsessed with shopping! Only Singaporeans would shop in this weather.

The buildings in Italy are very unfriendly to pedestrians. They are either no overhang or so small that it offers no protection from the rain. The malls are a series of shop lots and you have to walk out each time you move from shop to shop. So shoppers have to get wet if it is raining. Italians do not believe in communal good. Cities in Asia are built differently. While the shops are individual, they are house in a building that protect you from the elements. Another observation. The amenities are scant. Very few toilets or eateries. The food choices is limited to only Italian food. Gelato and pizza everywhere. Even the ubiquitious McDonald is rare. No fried stuff. So it is heallthy living in Italy!

Strikes

2011-12-16T09:53:00.002+08:00

Yesterday, there is bus strike and today, train strike. Living in Singapore for so long, it is easy to forget strikes is illegal or not encouraged as the head of the unions is a cabinet minister. There are plenty of tourists whose itinenaries are disrupted. Most are going to the outlet malls. So the strikes are damaging the local shops and businesses.

The people manning the Florence bus station are very unfriendly and rude in their response to our queries. Italy is a country unfriendly to non-Italian. There very few signs in English or any other language. Some men are confrontional. The coffee is cheap and good. Some pizza taste heavenly. As I pen down my impression, I can understand why Singapore as a country is highly rated. Without comparsion, it is easy to complain and focus on shortcomings. I would say Italy is not a country I like to experience living in.

Chinese Food

2011-12-16T02:47:00.002+08:00

We have our first Chinese meal today. The food is quite cold and look unappealing. It is good to have stirfry, fried rice and fried spagetti. The meat dish is very salty. The sausages we cooked from the supermarket whether in Rome or Florence are salty. It must be Italian taste to have salty meat dish.

What Do U Think?

2011-12-15T12:42:00.002+08:00

What do you think of the kitchen? There are two electric cookers, coffee maker and a combination oven. It is good to feed hungry boys at a reasonable cost!

Night Scene Outside Our Apartment

2011-12-15T12:37:00.002+08:00

Florence

2011-12-15T08:49:00.004+08:00

I like Florence! The water is soft compared to Rome(my tea did not turn black). Book shops are everywhere! It is a place of learning. The Medici family lived here. Medici was and probably to today a wealthy family who sponsored innovation and art during the renaissance. The city is smaller than the small city of Rome. It seems to me, at least, Rome is small relative to the Asian ones I frequent.

The church is really interesting with all the sculptures and paintings. I am staying right beside the Dome which is a huge church. It is a two room apartment and 40% cheaper than our apartment in Rome. We stayed in apartments that come with kitchen as much as we can so that we can save on meals. We have more homecooked meals than resturant meals so far. All the space in apartments are far bigger than hotels. It is good as I am usually up before my boys and will not disturb them.

Asians tourists are in abundance in here. A family was walking by me while I wait for my wife who is doing price checks. The adults were speaking Cantonese among themselves. My first thought was "ah! Hong Kong" Then they swiched to Mandarin to the kids. They are from Malaysia,probably KL since Cantonese is the dominant dialect there.

It rained yesterday. So we were all wet. We tried the pizza here. It was tastier in Rome.

Freezing!

2011-12-14T10:43:00.003+08:00

The temperature in Rome dropped significantly. Everyone was dressed warmly. Running out of sights to see, we did window shopping along Via Cordotti, the Orchard Road of Rome. The shops were full of Asians, Chinese from China dominates, some from Taiwan and a sprinkling from Singapore.

We had lunch in AL 34, an Italian Resturant. The waiter was from Bangladesh. He studied in the University here and stayed on for 22 years. My boys asked why is a graduate a waiter the moment we left the resturant. I have no answer for this question. The waiter told us this resturant is quite famous. Usually it is full at lunch time. The Americans and Europeans from other countries stopped coming. When we were having lunch only three or four tables were occupied. This is an indicator of poor economic situation US and EU are in. I hope the governments solved their problems.

Asia is the region of growth and prospersity.

Out of Things To-Do

2011-12-13T22:09:00.002+08:00

Rome is quite a small city. We run out of things to do, so we visit St. Peter's Square again. The Catholic Church is a huge organisation. The Vatican is a gigantic fortress. The museum is full of artifacts including Egyptian mummy. St. Peter Church is enormous and full of religous sculpture and paintings. The paintings are very realistic and colours are brilliant. Maybe the maintenance is good, many sculptures have cracks and are restored. Some of the heads are replaced.

Italian men are quite aggressive. They seems to be easily triggered and raring for a fight. Smokers are everywhere. Retail sales are usually foreign women including Chinese and Philipinos. Many Indians and Bangladeshi are vendors on the street selling roasted chestnuts, magazines or knick knacks.

We tried to check out early to go to Florence but have to pay for one night penalty. So we stay on and change our train schedule instead. Until now I have not adjusted to Roman time yet. I am feeling sleepy now...

Rome con't

2011-12-12T07:51:00.005+08:00

The roads in the city are paved with stones, the steps are carved from stone, the old crumbling buildings are built using stone technology, The old technology of Europe is stone and well developed. In China, the only place I see so many stones is The Great Wall. The columns in front of historical buildings were carved from stone. At the colosseo(where the gladiators fight to their deaths), we can see the some of the storage areas for repair works. We noticed the old parts were solid stones. However, some of the columns have small square tubes embedded lengthwise. The repairs must be done with faux stones.

The roads are narrow and the pedestrian walkways narrower. No green at all, at a birdeyes view, it is a long narrow canal between two rows of buildings. The police drive electric cars and there are plenty of electric cars in Rome, so Italy is way ahead in conservation of Mother Earth. Another interesting car is a tiny two seater that can be park crosswise on a parking lot. Young women are garbage collectors, B2 noticed garbage are not smelly and a lot cleaner than back home.

We took the Metro and each journey cost 1 euro. 10 years old child is free. So travel on public tansit is quite reasonable. The system is same as Toronto. The journey can be mixed with train, bus or electric tram within 75mins.

When the day breaks, we will be going to the Vatican city. My friend from Thailand told me just before I left she would loved to see the Vatican. I am looking to visit one of the holiest city in the world.

Sleepless in Roma

2011-12-11T11:48:00.007+08:00

4:51am. We had our homecooked meal of sausage and pasta and soup. We are trying to find ways to occupy ourselves productively. There was a round table interview of nobel prize winners. It is quite interesting. I like one economic nobel laureate who said at home nobody care about price -his wife, his kids and his maid. I understand this too well. The Nobel prize winning theory does not matter at home. It is daily activities of living. Food on the table, homework, tv programmes, sports, friends and everything else.

Glad!

2011-12-11T05:48:00.003+08:00

10:50pm or 5:50am Singapore time. I was up for an hour now and was unable to go back to sleep. It's blogging time!

I am glad we did not take packaged tour. I can sleep when I am tired instead of following a tight schedule. My boys slept together in our room as they are not used to alone in a strange place. B1 was sleeping alone back home. B2 keeps repeating if "big gor gor" is here, the dinner mummy cooked will be just nice, if big gor gor is here, it will be so much fun, if big gor gor is here, we can have better value for the hotel, if big gor gor is here, ...

All of us missed "big gor gor" or big brother. The good thing about travelling to Europe is time difference is only 7 hours. So there is a window where we are wide awake and active. The other reason why I am glad we did not take package tour is our boys especially B3 is has short attention span. He get bored with touristy activities.

There were a few old cathedrals that we went in to see and since they are place of worship, we pray for safe and secure future. It is amazing that man build such gigantic structures in olden times with stones and primitive tools. They are great feats of engineering. one dome has a skylight. The glass cover itself is amazing and putting it in place and securing it won my admiration of our forefathers. The artwork and sculptures are life-like. No wonder Italians are known for their design and creativity. They started a few hundreds years ago!

Rome

2011-12-10T06:59:00.004+08:00

The flight was delayed leaving the airport. The aircraft had issues with turning off the cabin lights. It took an hour and 40 minutes before the plane finally takes off. All the ground crews were on standby at the gate in case the flight was cancelled. They have to help look for other flights to put the passengers in. Luckily, most passengers were sleeping. So the distress level for the cabin crews is low. Only an ang mo toddler seating directly behind my row was restless. I was too tired and sleepy to be disturbed.

We gained some time and landed about an hour behind schedule in Rome. Our hotel is right in Roma square. On the way to the hotel we passed some of the historical sites. It is history lessons coming alive! Just like the movie gradiator, the columns, walls, arches are still there except they are ancient and standing proud but in need of repairs. It is very impressive. Our hotel is right beside the Spanish steps. I feel like resident looking out at all the tourists. It is 11:20pm now and there are still a number of people outside and enjoying the steps. The history must be very meaningful to attract so many people.

We walked around the shops in the morning. All the brands are congregated here like ground level in Takashimaya or Ion, only difference is they are in individual shops. The roads are paved with cobbled stones. It is incredible that cars, motorbikes and delivery vehicles jostle for space and managed to keep moving.

I am beginning to like Italy. I had misgivings reading about pickpockets, things stolen in hotel rooms, horror stories from everyone when we told them we are going to Italy. It is a good start. I hope we do not have any unpleasant counters for the rest of our trip.

All Ready

2011-12-08T20:23:00.004+08:00

The boys are getting ready now. We are getting prepared for the cold weather and also worrying about pickpockets and being fleeced. Sigh! It is not a good country to visit if crime is so high. No wonder the government have problems. Yet, we also heard from many who have went there say it is a very nice place. I guess there are a lot of history. It is a place of the renaissance and great leap in learning.

It is good that B2 and B3 experience the country first hand. We wished B1 is with us as we usually travel as a family. Now that B1 is growing up, it is getting more difficult. Soon our boys will be all grown. Such is the chapters of life. We have to keep moving in the lifecycle.

Italy, Here We Come

2011-12-08T10:22:00.002+08:00

We are finally going to Italy. It took a long time to plan and get ready for this holiday as my points were expiring. My wife did everything from booking the seats, hotels to local transfer from airport to hotel. As usual, I did not do any of the logistics except packing my own bags.

There are so many horror stories in the internet as well as from friends about tourists being fleeced. I hope we do not encounter unpleasant experience while we are there.

Perennial Weight Issue

2011-12-07T22:15:00.002+08:00

I often talk about my weight in the blog. It is very hard to bring it down. I do lots of exercise but it simply refuses to go down. On Monday, it dropped by 2kgs in a single day! Today is Wednesday and I am still down by the same 2kgs. It is amazing what dramatic stress can do the weight management.

I hope to keep my weight down. I have seen several male friends who lost weight due to sickness or go for liposuction gain their tummy back after a couple of years (likely less;). I hope I can keep my weight at a healthy level. Overweight bring a host of health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes and lack of energy. So we have take care of ourselves and our bodies.

My Japanese Colleague Life Events

2011-12-07T22:11:00.003+08:00

My colleague based in Japan informed me of the sad news his step-father passed away yesterday after a long fight with lung cancer in Osaka. He has lead a good and happy life. I am very sorry for his widow, my colleague's mother. She will now be alone at home. Her life companion is gone. I have met her once in Australia. She is a very sweet lady and learned English so that she can communicate with the rest of us. I hope she stay strong.

At the same time his step-daughter is in Yokohama giving birth to a baby. Such is the cycle of life. Old life moved on and new life come in.

Lunch with Eldest Sister

2011-12-07T17:44:00.002+08:00

I had lunch with my eldest sister. We go to Teochew club that has a Teochew resturant. There are not many Teochew resturants in Singapore. The food is quite good. The traditional favorites - cold crab, braised duck, sauteed string beans, cold chicken and pork belly with bittergourd in claypot. The food is quite delicious and tasty.

After lunch, we spend the time chatting and catching up on all the kids activities. My nieces are busying with their work and career. Two nephews finished "O" and "A" and waiting for their results. B2 is waiting for his "O" level results as well. So our kids are all growing up. Soon we may be discussing grandchildren!

Dead Quiet

2011-12-06T04:50:00.002+08:00

It is early in the morning. My place is so quiet that the sound of water fountains in my neighbours' home can be heard clearly. It reminds me of the time when we went tobogganing in Switzerland. The mountain was extremely quiet to a point it is eerie silence.

Here in the dead of night, the fountain bubbling can be heard clearly. In a distance, a dog was barking. The sky is quite clear, so the stars are visible. Unfortunately, no UFO which is something I always hope see in the sky. I am a believer of occult and UFOs even though I learn a lot about mainstream science. No matter how great science is, it is not going to be able to cover a lot of what we have yet to understand. Hence I keep an open mind about the occult and paranormal. One year from now on Dec 21, 2012, the Mayan calendar ended. Will there be an earth shattering event? I doubt so. However, I do believe mankind will change. According to Lobsang Rampa, mankind will become more spiritual and kind. I hope so...

Mindfulness

2011-12-05T20:03:00.002+08:00

I have a book on Mindfulness. It is something I need to practice to maintain mental balance. LKY publicly mentioned meditation helps calm him and deal with difficult issues. He is a man of huge stature and dealt with very difficult and intractable issues of nation building and politics.

I will need to emulate and learn meditation so that I can follow the path of peace. Life is full of ups and downs and when we fall, we have to pick ourselves up. Mindfulness is one way of increasing stability to our life.

It is a nice and sunny day today. Weather is good for cycling for exercise. The PCN is a great place to enjoy nature even though it is man-made nature.

No Car Park Anywhere

2011-12-04T22:33:00.002+08:00

Yesterday, we have to skip Compasspoint for dinner as there is a long queue getting into the carpark. So this evening, I thought we will go to Orchard away from all the suburban malls which will be crowded and impossible to get in. Guess what, it seems everyone else has the same idea. Carparks in ION and Takashimaya. Since all sheltered areas are crowded and the rain is now a drizzle, we go to open air hawker center. Newton is the nearest and it is crowded. I was surprised and should not be as most shopping malls carpark are closed and cars are refused entry.

Car population in Singapore must be at an all time high. All carparks can be full at the same time. It is incredible!

Rain Rain

2011-12-03T21:07:00.002+08:00

Rain Rain Go Away, Come Again Another Day. Rain Rain Go Away, Little Children Want to Play...

The lyrics of nursery rhymes that I feel like singing after it rained all day today.

We have a regular day of meals out and walking the malls. It is so boring in Singapore.

Great Dinner

2011-12-02T22:26:00.003+08:00

All three boys are at home and we went eat at a Japanese resturant. The boys are quite excited by the new experience. Bbq using charcoal. I like it when the boys chatted away among themselves. The Wife was feeling sick from the roti prata earlier in the morning. She had smecta, powder to soothe the stomach. After dinner, I finished up with kaya butter toast from Ah Kun. I do have a weakness for kaya toast.

At home. it is very interesting to be watching TV and then the rain become heavy and started to pour after drizzling all evening. The rain just does not want to stop. It is nice and cool.

Wet Dreary Morning

2011-12-02T10:01:00.003+08:00

It is a gray, wet and dreary morning. Best time to sleep in. The air is cool and the pitter patter sound of raindrops falling is mesmerising. Time to get back to work! What an anticlimax!

It is back to reality. Monthend and reports are in and reports are due. It is going to be a busy weekend. My boss is coming to town over the weekend. Kind of short notice for a 12,000 miles trip. But hey! he is the boss! He has priority.

I just need to standby for the weekend and then off I go to a long holiday and return for Christmas.

Old Malaya Cafe

2011-12-01T21:50:00.002+08:00

This kopitiam is retro although price is not. The hot drinks are priced very reasonably and competitive to Ah Kun or Toastbox with a place to sit. So it is a good to "rent" a seat to read.

Our family had dinner there tonight with B1's girlfriend. We tried almost everything in the menu - chicken rice ball, Ipoh Hor Fun, Hor Fun with egg gravy, Penang Prawn Noodle, Penang Assam Laksa and Popiah. I would also recommend the Trucker's Chendol. It is a little on the sweet side but B2 loves it. B2 does not has a sweet tooth, so the taste must be good. Can drinks are a little pricey at $2/can.

The food tastes very much like local hawker fare rather than Penang's hawkers. I like the way the dishes are named. Gave me the atmosphere that I am in Malaysia, where I truly enjoys the delicious hawker food.

Buckaroos

2011-11-30T20:34:00.002+08:00

Finally, I get the chance to bring my boys to Buckaroos. Buckaroos is closed on Tuesday and is only open for dinner from 4pm to 10pm clearly stated on the cover of the menu. I tried the buffalo wings at level 1. It is tangy and tasted like how it is like in US. We had the soup that is served in a loaf of bread that has been toasted warm and crusty. I also order a full slab of backribs. The ribs is tough and disappointing. It is definitely not the fall off the bones type. For dessert, we tried tiramisu with ice cream. The tiramisu is frozen and tasted more like ice cream.

I agree with the comments on the internet. The buffalo wings are still the best and authentic.

Different

2011-11-30T09:10:00.002+08:00

Youngme Moon is a Professor of Marketing in Harvard Business School. Her course is very popular and she teaches both undergrads and MBA students. The book, Different is highly readable i.e. easy to read and digest. Renegade brands like Apple, Birkenstock, Harley Davidson, Red Bull or Marmite do things differently. Bold, daring to be different. They are not in the chase to be more similar to their competitors adding more features. This is why they are successful as Prof Moon argued.

Different can be wildly successful as Dove decided to veer away from the supermodel look of her competitor. You can type Youngme Moon on the internet and find some of her presentation. They are quite interesting and different.

Buffalo Wings and Buckaroos

2011-11-28T22:24:00.002+08:00

Yahoo! news featured food on Sembawang Road. I tried the Malay/Thai Muslim food in a small row of shophouses right beside Sembawang Shopping Center. The food is just so-so. Lunch for 3 cost $20. We had two plates of bryani rice, one mutton steak with bone, dry curry chicken, 2 omelettes and 2 deep fried potato cutlets. Only two drinks - a Pepsi and a teh halia tarik.

I will be trying out Buckaroos next. It has rave reviews in hungrygowhere.com. Also I like buffalo wings and also on the menu is my favorite bbq back ribs. So I can't wait. Buckaroos only opens in the evenings and closed on Tuesday. Hopefully, I get the chance to try it sometime this week.

Slow in Suntec City

2011-11-28T22:02:00.002+08:00

No maid. No homecooked meal. So we must eat out. We decided to have our dinner in Suntec City. First my big surprise! There were plenty of carparks. Green indicators were everywhere including covets spots near the entrances to the mall. We surveyed the food court and B3 wanted to eat yong tau, so we decided eat there instead of one of the resturants around fountain of fortune. So many empty seats on the food court. I felt a little peculiar that it is so easy to get seats. No "chopping" or reserving seats required. I wonder if the news on Sunday Times that resturants are having a hard time getting staff for Christmas and New Year is accurate. Maybe it is Monday, maybe it is evening and most people eat at home or maybe the economy is not so good and Singaporeans are eating-in to save money.

A few resturants I passed like Baker's Inn was completely empty. So Monday evening is not a good day for resturant business.

Katong Laksa

2011-11-27T17:20:00.004+08:00

While waiting for B3's piano lesson, we go to Roxy Square for the original Katong Laksa. It is the best laksa in Singapore. I remembered bringing all my team members from Malaysia office to try the Singapore experience a few years ago.

Katong Laksa has been around for the last 50 years. Now, the daughter is running the stall. The taste is still excellent. As a boy in kindergarden, I remember eating Katong Laksa and Katong curry puffs before moving forward to Changi beach. It was more than two hours ride from Queenstown to Katong as the expressways of today has not been built.

Katong Laksa is our living history and culture. My boys like to eat Katong Laksa especially B3. B3 loved it because it is not spicy.

After breakfast, we bought 4 bowls to take home for dinner since B3 loved this laksa as well.