Changi Airport at 6am

Home Sweet Home touching down at dawn. It was a hectic week going to three city in 3 days. Mumbai - Monday, Bangalore - Tuesday and Chennai - Wednesday. It is just going from airport to hotel to meeting to airport to hotel to meeting to ...

India made lots of progress since I made my first visit in 1984. The airports has improved. The best airport is Bangalore. The terminal and buildings are big, bright and airy. The security process is efficient and the highway well is like a real highway.

Mutton nasi bryani is excellent but two meals is enough for me. I enjoyed the food in India but they are spicy and heavy.

I had fishball noodle after I landed. Mmmm, taste of home.

Memories of India Trip

Last night, I did not write as I was flying out in the evening. Travelling to India is alway late. I have no idea why the flights to India usually land near to midnight local time. I have vivid memories of my first trip to India. In fact it is the first time I flew out of Singapore. I did not fly until I am working. Then in two years after my first flight, I have circle the globe visiting both America and Europe. I had plenty of stories to share during our idle time in the Reservist training aka In-Camp Training.

Anyway, back to my first impression of India. Something I could never forget is the cutting of grass in garden in the hotel. It is an amazing to see three men pulling a lawnmover and one man guiding it. Machine totally powered by man! It is also the first time I see a squirrel and the sparrows looks different too. I remember buying an Aerogramme and writing letters back to my office. Aerogramme is the cheapest form of sending letters during that time. It is a pre-cut blue paper which postage is pre-paid and you can write all you want on the paper but no enclosure allowed. This aerogramme can be mailed to anywhere in the world.

Now I am in Mumbai. The place is bustling with people and activities. It seems like the place is forever under contruction and always dusty. I must say staying in a hotel in a newly developed area is way better than the hotel right beside the airport. It has plenty of green and the hotel is so much more inhabitable.

Pleasant Surprise

I have a nice surprise this morning. An old friend from Canada wrote to me. I am very happy to get news update from him. He has two boys and they are growing up. His wife is doing business and looking after the boys.

He sends me a link to an article on Tim Horton who serves my favorite coffee when I was living in Canada. I love the taste of Tim Horton's coffee and will always get one when I am in the mall. I also visited Tim Hortons standalone resturant in Oakville where I lived just for a cuppa. Tim Horton sells coffee at an affordable price like Ah Kun or Toastbox.

I have this tea and coffee drinking habit since I started working. A cuppa cost 50cents in the coffee shop. Then I relocated to live in Canada. Starbucks costs $5 or $6 Canadian which is a lot of money since every Canadian dollar is worth 1.76 SinDollar. Tim Hortons is affordable costing below C$2. The coffee tastes great too. I love it.

If you are interested to know more about Tim Horton, click hereTim Hortons

Feels Good

My eldest boy, B1 is suffering from sore throat and diarrhea. We ran out of medications and have to go to a pharmacy to replenish our supplies. Instead of driving, we cycled to Guardian in CompassPoint Mall. The pharmacist was out and will be back 45min later. So we look for an alternate pharmacy. Watson has a pharmacy but the pharmacist is off-duty.

We have to wait. I realised cycling not only offer good exercise and save the environment, parking is free. So I need not worry about carpark charges no matter how long I stay in the mall. It is a good feeling:)

Fluffy - Our Latest Family Member

Chariots of the Gods

It is interesting as the author explores the evidences that "God" may be spacemen or aliens that visited the earth. The Map of Reis dates back to 1st century AD and show the Antaractica which was only "discovered" in the 19th century.

I like this genre of documentary as I find it educational to learn about the history of the earth. There are so many mysteries and our human mind is so limited.

Guests Drop In

We are getting guests coming to our house to visit and play with our latest family member. Fluffy is getting loads of attention. He is very cute and adorable. Yesterday, B2's classmate was here and today, B1's schoolmate and good friend. We are enjoying the attention as well. I am happy to get guests and visitors coming to our home. Maybe it is the kampung boy in me.

Crystal Skull

Cooped up all day working hard for a living, I need a break for fresh air, cool airconditioned air of library. I went to Bishan Library after dinner just to relieve my cabin fever. On the display table, UFO and other phenomenon. One of the books that attracted my attention is on Crystal Skull. The topic on Talking Skull caught my attention. I thought the Crystal Skull actually talk. It is someone who when to see the Crystal Skull went into a trance and started to speak in a different voice. The Crystal Skull is a thought form from advanced civilisation more than 17,000 years ago. It is the Mayan civilisation.

The earth will undergo some disaster. It is unfolding as we speak. So far, I think the Earth is still normal and life is business as usual.

Our Latest Addition to the Family

A couple mornings ago, B2 was walking to school as usual when he spotted a movement on the field. He took a closer look and found it is a rabbit. It is quite exciting as it looks like it has been abandoned. He called home and asked me to help. I went over and catch the rabbit and brought it home.

We send it to the vet for examination yesterday. Looks like vet is good business. There are lots of dog owners waiting in line. Anyway, the rabbit is healthy and well. It is a young male adult. The first few days, the rabbit is quite homely. He stayed in the front yard and not venturing out of the gate. This evening, he escaped! The whole family search for him high and low. And found that he is in the neighbour's front yard. Our neighbour's maids help us capture the rabbit and returned to us.

I put a low barrier on the front yard and he escape again. He is getting adventurous and frisky. So we have to put him in a shower inside the house to prevent him from hopping away again.

Mother-in-law's Birthday

We celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday with a Vegetarian Dinner in Ang Mo Kio Blk 226. The food is surprising tasty...I am not a big fan of vegetarian meal. The stall is in the hawker center. It is like a typical Zhi Char or resturant style cooking in a humble location. Not only the food is excellent, the price is value for money. It cost us on $10 per head. It is excellent value even though we have 3 small boys out of 10. Drinks are separate at typical coffeeshop prices.

My wife's family is quite happy with the meal. We are delighted to give a treat to everyone. It is very nice to go for a meal with the extended family.

Bird Park

Nowadays, there are so many varieties of birds in my neighbourhood that I feel I am living in a bird park except there are no bill board to describe the sights and sounds of the different birds. The variety of birds calls in the morning has increased. It is also interesting to sight birds I have never seen flying around wild all my life growing up in Singapore such as woodpecker, hummingbird, parrots, sunbirds, Philippine starling, black naped oriole, Richards pipits, barn swallows and a couple others which I cannot find in my "A Guide to Common Birds of Singapore". This booklet is published by Science Center and BP.

Growing up, the few birds I typically encountered are common sparrows, mynahs and crows. The recent profusion in different varieties of birds coincide with the opening of SengKang Gardens and the Park Connector Network.

NParks is bringing nature to my home.

Man At Work

It is a busy end to my week. So much to do just before the weekend. I am so glad the weekend is here. Tomorrow is busy with tuition and more tuition.

I was thinking in the car today. I think it is fine to move on to the next realm once work life is over. It is like expiry of useful life. I know it is terrible to think like this. Work gives meaning, stress and a reason to be alive. I think MM Lee is very right. We should work till we die. Work also provide other benefits. Marriott Vacation Club called me persistently. I told her to stop calling me until I am retired. She says the offer is not valid if I am retired. It is interesting a Vacation Club offer me something when I am busy and do not have time to go vacation. When I have time to go vacation, the offer is no longer valid. Sounds like the bank who lends you an umbrella when it is sunny and takes it away when it rains.

I think I will find new work like reducing hunger in the poor families, getting lights to the lesser developed countries, promote green and earth-friendly products and services.



So retire to enjoy life? I believe in work to enjoy life.

Leonardo Da Vinci

I am watching a BBC documentary on Leonardo Da Vinci and The Secret Life of Mona Lisa. Leonardo is the greatest scientist, artist, engineer, inventor and naturalist alive. He keep prodigious notes with detailed and intricate drawings of human forms, dissections, flying machines, and other subjects. He is a self-taught polymath. My sons, B1 and B3 sat in front of the tv to join me in learning more about Leonardo Da Vinci.

The China Study

We are what we eat! The China Study is a landmark study on the diet and the link to modern diseases. The best food for us is complex carbohydrates. This reminds me of Macrobiotics - The Japanese Way of eating unprocessed cooked grains and cereals.

I am now mixing brown rice with white rice for our homecooked dinner. I am thinking to slowly switchover to more brown or other unpolished rice. As I read The China Study, it seems cancer, heart disease and other "Western" ailments can be attributed to the consumption of meats and other animals products such as cheese and eggs. Eating plants is the healthy choice.

I am an omniovre and need my meats - satay, tonkatsu, yakitori beside my veg. So it will be difficult for me to switch diet...

Fallen Tree

The tree right in front of my house fell across the road this morning. I spoke to my French neighbour and she told me the squall is only ten minutes and the destruction is quite bad. The road to my home is strewn with broken branches.

I must say NParks is quite efficent. By late afternoon the fallen tree was dismembered and another tree in danger of falling cut and remove. Kudos to NParks. I just hope no one get injured by falling trees.

Dogs' Poos

Dog's owners are a inconsiderate lot. I am sure many owners do pick up their doggy poos. Right now, the new and beautiful PCN is full of dog shit!! It is gross, dirty and disgusting. Many dog owners have been walking their dogs and letting them poos indiscriminately without picking up after them. I am sorry that our new immaculate cycling cum jogging cum walking path is not as enjoyable as before.

There should be a law for picking up after dog's nature call. We need to have citizen arrest as well to make sure it is effective. In Canada, it is called Stoop and Scoop. Dog's owners pick up after their pets. The civic behaviour of Singaporeans is still lacking in this area.

Build It and People Will Come

The PCN or Park Connector Network along the Punggol River is buzzing with joggers, cyclists and families taking walks. Looks like it is very popular or may be it is just new and Singaporeans love new places.

Cycling now takes more efforts as we now have to avoid many moving obstacles. The other negative aspect is foul smells from the water. Lots of waste get wash to the resevoir. The water is so dirty I wonder about our drinking water.

Exam Fever

Prelim exams is on for JC2. B1 is preparing feverishly. Plenty of kids are studying in McDonald. It is very competitive and pressure is high when it come to exams. Sport which is very important in Canada or US takes a backstage in Singapore. There are many benefits of sports beside exercise. Teamwork in team sport, hard work will produce improvement and hence increase performance, learning about failing and no matter how good you think you are, there are better players or faster runners. There are many lessons in sports. Unfortunately, kids in Singapore learn mostly through the academic train.

The intense pressure also make us competitive in the world stage. Our kids consistently outperform American or Canadian kids in general in standardise tests. So much so that America is importing Singapore textbooks for Maths and customising them for American audience. Carparks becomes parking lots... Siti, Osman and Chee Keong become Shirly, Oliver and Christopher.

I can see our kids have develop strong work ethics from young and have strong foundations to be successful in society and life.

Open Air Movie

Fernvale point is screening Nanny McPhee on the field right beside the Food Court. It is very interesting that we have free screening. Remind me of the olden days! Ya! It does bring nostalgia! The food court has Soccer game and an enthusiatic crowd is patronising the food and drinks. At the edge are all the foreign workers watching the game for free.

Fernvale Point has been a happening place. The 24 hours Fairprice is full of customers. Insomnia means there is a place to hang out in SengKang.

JCO - Bugis Junction

Hari Raya Holiday and B1, the eldest has tuition in North Bridge Road. So B3 and I after checking out if there is any good books in Kino which offers 20% discount and there were none, we went to Toys section to check out Mighty Beans. B3 is a big fan of Mighty Beans now. It is just a ball bearing in a short plastic tube. We did not buy anything and adjourn to JCO, a donut chain to read and have a cuppa.

I decided on hot chocolate so that I can share with my boy. A regular cost S$5 and comes with a free donut. The sofa seat in JCO is a lot more comfortable than Ah Kun's. We sat there and I read the Reader's Digest while B3 play games with the iPhone. The place was quite empty at half past eleven. By 12:30pm, many teenagers and young adults fill up all the empty seats. I do not frequent this place as it is quite pricey in my opinion unless I need to spend a few hours in relative comfort. Maybe the kids are doing the same. It is relatively cheap and good value if you are going to spend time hanging out and chatting with friends, then $5 for a few hours is good value. Ah Kun attracts the more mature customers at the price of $1.50 per cuppa. Ah Kun also makes it table and stools extremely small to make it uncomfortable anyone to stay for too long. This will generate higher turns and increase revenue.

JCO donut place is position lower price than Starbucks or Coffee Bean. I did not try their latte and do not know the taste. Maybe next time.

Crowds Everywhere

In sore need of exercise and in the interest of weight reduction, I cycled to Compass Point after dinner. The place is buzzing. The SengKang community center was very busy as well. This reminds me of Friday evening in Shanghai's People's Square or in the Bu Shin Jie (Walking Road). It is just filled with people from all walks of life.

It is Hari Raya's Eve. Since it is not a work day tomorrow, everyone want to pass time at the mall. On the way home, youths are just finished their basketball games opposite the swimming complex. Everyone is happy and chatting away. Look like our economy is going strong.

Another Routine Day

It is just routine stuff - work, exercise, eat, work, dinner and watch news. I am still mulling over a new bicycle. What bicycle should I buy? There are so many type of bicycles that it is a bewildering to trying to understand the scope of getting a new bicycle. It was so much simpler as a beginner. Just price and easy to ride. Now price is secondary consideration. Performance and suitability for my exercise and recreational needs.

Routine stuff is good. It is comfortable. Another day has passed...

Static Generator

Today, we build a Static Generator. I wonder if it will work as I smear the static rotor with lubricant. The problem with trying to create static in our humid atmosphere is next to impossible as the humidity will bleed any static that gets generated. So now I am waiting for the aircond to be turned on and when the humidity in the room is lower, we will try out our experiment.

Fighting Weight Gains

Something must have changed. My weight goes up easily on every trip and hard to get down. My metabolism must be slowing down. Why is it when we have great metabolism, we do not get good delicious fine food. We can have good food, our metabolism does not allow us to enjoy them.

I am cycling and swimming like mad but it is making little headway as the calories get retained and waistline increase.

Warnings of the Earth Shift?

Royal floods in Pakistan - millions affected. Extinct Volcano erupting in Indonesia - Scientists redefine "extinct" since volcano can erupt after no activity for 400 years. Earthquake in ChristChurch New Zealand - Worst Earthquake since 1930.

Natural catastrophes are increasing in intensity and breaking new highs in terms of magnitude. Is this symptons of global warmings or warning signs of impending polar shifts as described by psychics?

Bird's Eye View of Shanghai

No Blogging in China

I was in Shanghai since Wed and is unable to update my blog as China do not allowing blogging. The internet control is terrible. The blanket restrictions prevent visitors and foreigners from updating their personal blogs as well.

Shanghai is quite warm. I observed the women are there are noticeably fatter. Looks like it is a matter of time that weight control and diet will be a huge industry in Shanghai. It will be a good business to be in. On Friday evening, everywhere is just full of people. It is impossible to walk without some men rubbing their sweaty bodies against you. It is a terrible habit the men there have. I felt so dirty after a few body contacts. The men just push past and do not bother to look for gaps or ask me to get out of their way. It is ungracious behaviour.