Fishes are Back!

The fishes are coming back to Punggol Beach.  It is more than 4 weeks since the pollution.  The King Tides help clear the water and slowly the fishes are coming back.  This morning, I caught ikan bilis and yellow fins fishes.  It is different from the mullet that is first to recover and come back to the beach.

There is a big team of cleaners different from the regulars clearing up the rubbish.  They are more effective and do real work.

Beautiful Orchard

We decided to see the lights in Orchard and it is indeed a beautiful sight.  Lots and lot of pedestrians.  Plenty of buskers at the ION side.  So it is good entertainment.  We just walked along the pedestrian walkway which is over the canal.  I doubt most people know they are walking on top of a canal as it was covered more than 40years ago.  Orchard Road was a dried up river which was why it always flooded during the rainy season years ago until the Stamford Canal was deepen.

The weather is cool and with beautiful lighting, it is a relaxing walk.  The mynah birds will chirping noisily on the trees.  I wonder how the birds can sleep in so much lights.  Maybe this is why they are chirping away at 9pm.

King Tides - A blessing and a curse

The water at Punggol is so much cleaner due to the King tides, so all the fishes are coming back.  This morning, I had a good catch.  Plenty of small fishes translating to feast for my arowana. I am very happy with the catch and I have put some of the fishes in the main pond for another fish to eat.  I caught a rather big mullet and put it in my aquarium.

However, the King tides also bring a lot of garbage from Malaysia.  Plenty of discarded plastic bottles, plastic bags, disposable cups and natural waste like big branches, twigs and leaves.  So the Punggol beach is like a garbage dump now.  The cleaners are not motivated to clear the rubbish.  They just do a little and leave the rest.  It is really bad attitude and poor work ethics.

Black Friday

It is Black Friday today.  B1 is joining the crazy crowds in Toronto and looking for bargains.  At home, Tangs and a couple other big departmental stores have discount.  We went to buy a Miele dishwasher which is "essential" for any home.  Due to the rebate which we have to spend in Tangs, we bought a bread making machine, one with a smaller footprint than our current Sanyo.

Thai Tea Home-made

I love the strong flavors of Thai tea.  Coffee World in Bangkok is my favorite.  The tea and coffee are strong and flavorful.  Of course also sinful as the sugar level is high. I tried to make my own using the recipes I found in the net.  None works as the taste is different.  Then one day I stumbled on a blog which mentioned Thai tea leaves are available.  So I went to Golden Mile Complex to look for the tea leaves in the Thai supermarket.  It costs only $5.50 a pack.  What a steal I thought!  One cup of Thai tea cost $2 to $3. 

After purchasing, I wonder about at the ground level of Golden Mile and found the same tea leaves in the shops.  Cost only $5!!  I had paid 10% more.  Moreover, the shop has premium leaves in packet form unlike the supermarket who sells the premium in tin cans which is very dear.  Also the shop has Thai Green tea.  So I must try it next time.

King Tides

The water is so high that it almost reach the walkway of the Punggol Jetty.  It is quite interesting and look a little scary.  It is a preview of the global warming and sea level rise.  But King Tides is a natural phenomenon.  It occurs when the moon, sun and the earth are in alignment causing the gravitational pull to accentuate the tides.  Low tide will be extremely low this afternoon.  The high tide is at 11am today.

Kway Chap and Boon Tong Kee

I love kway chap or braised pig innards.  So when I saw in the blogs that there is a very good kway chap in AMK, I must try it!  So lunch time is kway chap time.  It is in a coffeeshop at block 232.  I was early, at about 11am.  The queue is pretty short.  Most of the patrons in the coffeeshop were eating kway chap even though there are other stalls.

Boon Tong Kee was directly opposite.  I have not eaten Boon Tong Kee for more than 15 years.  When I was working in Kallang Pudding Road, I had team celebration in this resturant as the staff like the chicken.  My wife loved the chicken and the gizzard.  It is rare for her to keep praising any food.  This is one of the rare time she is so positive about the resturant.

Home is Quiet

B1 and B3 are in Toronto.  They are enjoying winter there.  Apparently, it is not so cold this winter as I met some Canadians while buying tea from Ah Kun in Takashimaya.  They were surprised I told them first snow expected tomorrow.  So I explained to them my boys are there now.

B2 is on duty tonight.  And tomorrow he will be leaving for holiday in Hong Kong.  So our home will be very quiet, just me and my wife.  Now it is like me going on holiday with my wife since no boys are at home.

I misses my boys while I am glad they are independent and travelling the world.  I am also glad we no longer have a maid.  It is peaceful and quiet.

Little India Market

The teh halia in Little India is quite good.  There are a few stalls and most have good standard.  The market sells beef and mutton which is quite strong in odour.  Plus the spices of Indian cooking, my clothing smells of Little India every time I was there even for a short while.  The food is quite good and reasonable in price.  I bought curry chicken noodle for B2 and he likes it.  I tried the crispy dosai but do not think it is that fantastic.  Far inferior compared to Raj.

There is a Teochew pow stall which sell miniature pow which is interesting.  The pow is bite size and cost 60cents each.  If not for the smell, I would be there more often.  For now once a week is good enough!

Eating Spree

I was in Xiamen from Monday to Thursday.  When I reached home, I ate beehoon soto and satay.  Not satisfied, I had tau suan.  When I reached home, I ate vegetable cracker.  I am so hungry for local taste.  The food in Xiamen was pretty good as my boss has similar taste to me.  He would order meat, stir-fried fresh green, soup and organ meat.  So I ate well there. 

We spent our days in a factory and lunch at the canteen.  I am the typical kaypoh.  I checked out what the staff eat.  They have 3 dishes and huge pile.  Yet they are all very skinny.  The dishes are mainly vegetables with a little meat and mostly bones.  Yes, you read correctly.  The so-called meat dishes are more bones than meat!

It is quite healthy and I did not bring my medication for high pressure on purpose.  I am surprise my blood pressure is normal without medication when I measured last night.  So there is really something about diet.

No Blogging Next Week

I am travelling to China tomorrow.  So will be out of action until Thursday unless China has lifted the ban on blogs.

It has been a while since I travel.  I enjoys travelling.  I also enjoys not-travelling.  So I must be I am happy with which ever way it is.

Today is a good day.  We talked to B1 and B3 on whatsapps.  It is so convenient and it is free.  My calls to Canada is free anyway as I paid $10 per month for this privilege.  B3 seems to have adapted well.  I am glad he has enough warm clothing to wear.  B1 is happy with the extra heat thermal vest and long john from Uniqlo.  We are happy it helps.

Horrible News

I could not believe my ears when I first heard the news.  I thought it was just a bomb threat in the stadium which President Hollande was watching the friendly match between France and Germany.  The report says the stadium was evaluated and everyone was singing the French National Anthem.  It was a stirring moment.  Later, news announced number of dead at 120 and people was gathered together and shot.  The stadium, the concert and resturants were attacked and the attackers are suicide bombers as well.  8 attackers killed 127 as the latest news report in and scores injured.  This is abdominable act of mass killings of innocent people.

Happiness is...

1.  Big Kor Kor went to airport an hour early to wait for his baby brother
2.  My baby arrives Toronto all by himself safe and sound
3.  My boys keep in touch with us all the way
4.  They reach their grandma's home and dinner is waiting for them even though grandma is not home
5.  Mum is happy with the small gifts that her grandson brought to her
6.  Elder brother, B2 is happy his brother arrived and has all his things
7.  Bursting with pride that my boy travel at so far at young age while I, daddy first trip out of Singapore is at the age of 23 to KL on a rented car
8.  My waistline has reduced back One inch in 3 days i.e. losing 1kg
9.  Nice cool weather with clean air
10.  Just being happy

My Brave Boy

My wife and I sent our baby off to airport.  He is only 14 and travelling alone in a 26 hours trip to Toronto.  I am very happy to get his report that he arrived in Hong Kong and got to the gate.  It will be 8pm Toronto when he lands.  This mean 9am we will be waiting anxiously for our eldest boy to report in.  I am glad he is brave to take on the trip by himself. 

Yes, my baby has grown!

Back from Chiangmai and Off to Toronto

B3 came home yesterday afternoon at about quarter past fou from his school training trip.  Tomorrow morning, he is off to airport again for his trip to Toronto.  He is so caught up with watching video all day today.  Now he is just packing for the trip.

My 14 year old is doing globe trotting on his own.  Good thing is his eldest brother will be there to pick him up.  It is so exciting and at the same time worried for him in such a long trip.

Yesterday, Blog. Today Straits Times.

Home Alone

Now that I am home alone, there is an automatic desire to reflect and think about life in general and about my boys.  What am I going to do for my next phase.  Work is enjoyable and fulfilling especially since it is no longer necessary to get best performance review. 

It is important for my boys enjoy doing well in the work and career.  With the changing world of work, I worry for them.  Full time employment is getting less and less globally.  So professionals like lawyers, accountants and doctors have guaranteed work.  Civil Service is still an iron rice bowl.  All other jobs are getting change everyday.  Old jobs disappears and new jobs appears.  The only constant is change.

Retail is going the way of dinosaur with e-shopping at far superior value.  So retail has to remake and remodel to entertainment.  The indisputable king of retail Walmart has lost out to Amazon.com.  Life is getting interesting and challenging.  It is the best of time and worst of time.  Every period seems the same.  The prosperity period in the go-go 80's and 90's may not be repeated.  But economic cycle every 18 years and 35 years according to economists who research is quite optimistic about the future.  So it is not all doom and gloom.

Empty Nest

Tonight and tomorrow's night, we have no boys at home.  It is the first time we have no boys at home!  B2 has night duty for these two nights and B1 and B3 are out-of-town.  We will have more of these nights as B2 have rotating shifts and B3 will be going to Toronto for a month.

Our boys are growing and maturing.  They are getting independent.  I am happy they are doing well.  I have great hopes for them and they will be happy, have good careers and warm families.  I hope they have fond memories of growing up with daddy and mummy and do their best in their work, career and family. 

My wish will be always have their company before I leave this existence.  They will be filial and respectful.  They contribute well to society and do charity work or donate to the temple and charities.  Stay healthy and be safe.

Haze is Back!

Wake up to a hazy morning.  So the fires must have restarted.  On the radio, many kids affected by haze are sick in Thailand.  The haze in Indonesia are polluting and poisoning the air.  All of us will be suffering from the long term effects of breathing haze.

Early Morning Send Off

We have to get up at 6am and leave for the airport to send B3 off.  The flight is at 9:30am but due to group check-in, they need to have plenty of time in case of unforeseen circumstances.  There was a case of a kid bringing his father's passport instead of his own.

We enjoys the send off and see other parents there as well.  The flight is at 9am and he only reach the hotel at 4pm.  There must be plenty of delays travelling in a group.

B3 to Chiangmai

B3 is going for training trip to Chiangmai tomorrow morning.  The school has 3 days of training and one day of R&R.  I am glad he has exposure and will be soon be taking an independent long trip to Canada next week.  I am glad he has the opportunity to go while his eldest brother is there.  Grandma will be excited to have him for a month.

My Legacy

I am thinking of my legacy.  What will I have leaving behind.  My primary focus has been work and career for many years.  My boys are growing up.  B1 is in year 3 Law School, B2 in National Service and B3 will be Secondary 3 in the new year.

My career has gone up and down.  Mostly up, I am happy to report.  Work is like a book opening a chapter and closing it.  The company does not miss you once the chapter is closed.  I have regular gatherings with my siblings.

What will I leave behind?  Family is most important.  I am glad I spent time with my boys when they are young.  Now they are independent and in a few years setting up their own home.  I will be most happy that they are independent, responsible and earning sufficiently to provide for their families and saving enough for rainy days.

I hope they have fond memories of growing up and living well in a safe environment.  More important, the values we pass down to them on thrift, honesty, family, hardwork and others will continue and pass on to their kids.

I keep this blog as a diary for my life so that anyone who is interested can read about my daily routines, my interests and my life.

The legacy I wished I could have left behind is a business which my boys can inherit.  Unfortunately, my entreprenur skills and determination is weak.  So the material things I leave behind would photos, scientific toys, books and plenty of junk.

I hope I have positive impact on my colleagues and them having work with me improve in their career advancement.

Five Days and Counting

This is the headline in today's Straits Times.  Amazingly, the baby fishes are back!  So with the haze gone for a few days, the eggs starts to hatch and fishes are increasing in numbers.  I had a good catch this morning.  My bottle of full of the fishes.  It is nice to have good catch. 

So my arowana had a fabulous meal of live seafood.

Stomach Upset and Indian Food

I loved Indian food especially naan and tandoori.  Recently, I am sold on Raj Resturant and went there on Sunday.  I had stomach upset and running diahorrea on Sunday night.  I took two pro-biotics to balance the gut bacteria. This morning, same thing happens and I took another two pro-biotics as well as Lomotil which is a strong medication for diahorrea. 

Finally, I stopped going to the washroom.  It seems like I am unable to stomach Indian food even if it is vegetarian.  Raj has fabulous  paper thosai.  The best thosai I ever had including those in 5 stars hotel in India!

Punggol Point - Clear Water

I am very happy to see the water is clear in Punggol Point.  Finally!  There are more fishes now as well.  The only problem is plenty of floating garbage - plastic cups, plastic bags, empty rice bag and other debris.  Good thing is the water is clean and with fishes swimming about, the chemical pollution in the past few weeks are gone.  I suspected it may be due to the haze.  Haze gone, water clear and fishes back.  It may not be a coincident.