2015 Closing

2015 is coming to a close.  It is one of the toughest year for many.  My stocks did not fare well at all.  Lost about 70% of its value.  It is very shocking.  Looking on the bright side, I am happy I have a good job and good bonus.  I am healthy and all my family is doing well.  My mum is doing well in Toronto.  We are a blessed family.  B1 enjoys and still enjoying his trip in Toronto.  B2 is happy with his National Service and B3 is just happy learning baking and watching videos all day long.

As for me, I am happy to cycle to Punggol Point, catch some fishes to feed my goldfishes and arowana.  I also enjoys watching the mullets swim about and looking out for the mudskipper.  It is simple joys of having meals with wife and boys.

Let's welcome 2016 and may the new year bring new hope and joys to the world.

Media Corp Shooting in Punggol Jetty

It is late afternoon and the sun is hot.  Media Corp has all the cameras setup and Shaun Chen with an actress waiting to shoot a scene.  They occupy a big corner of where the fishermen usually occupy.  So the fishermen have to fish in another corner.  It is just a waiting game.  I managed to catch some fishes in the jetty but due to the incovenience, I moved to the beach instead.  The actor and actress are not friendly or happy.  The cameraman and other support staff are there.  It is just a waiting game.  I am not sure if acting is a good career.  It is good money if you become famous.

The water is much cleaner but the fishes are there but not plentiful.  My arowana and goldfishes have a good meal anyway.  I am glad I caught a lot of smaller fishes for the mudskipper.

Snowman

B1 is very lucky!  It was snowing heavily in the middle of the night his time.  He will be coming home next week.  He managed to make a snowman!

Spizza 1 for 1

Apparently, there is an apps with dining deals.  B1 told his brothers and we went to Spizza in Jalan Kayu for dinner.  The one for one deal is pretty good.  We had four mains and cost us under $60.  My boys are big eaters and so the 4 mains is just enough.  Spizza is pretty good although I like Modesto better.  Modesto's is in Orchard and Spizza is conveniently nearby.

I am also happy to report the mudskipper is still around.  So far, all of them ran away.  I am pretty happy this fish is sticking around in the aquarium.

Sunday at Orchard

It is a beautiful day!  No rain, so everyone is out and about.  We went to Orchard Road hang around.  Takashimaya, Isetan and Lucky.  All are busy.  So business seems good if everyone is buying.  We lunch at So Pho in Paragon.  The hams are 30% discount.  Have not reach the 50% yet for me to open up my wallet.  I am not sure if I will even buy as I do not have any upcoming party and one pork leg will be too much for my small family.

Orchard Road is still quite festive and I like the feel and the buzz.  It is fine just to people watch and enjoy a drink.  My favorite is tea.

Boxing Day

B1 is excited about the Boxing Day Sales in Canada.  He stayed with his Grandma and was up early at 7am and see a huge crowd waiting for the big sale.  He has been sleeping late and waking up very late.  He has finished his classes and now just enjoying a relax time there.  Most of his friends are leaving or had left.  He is ok to stay there as he has grandma.  Grandma is also happy to have his company.

Here at home, we went to try the Fried Hokkien Mee by ex-convict.  Although, I read that before I did not think of trying.  But Friday's Life Food Editor Tan Hsueh Yun wrote about Hokkien Mee in Claypot.  I am a sucker for Claypot anything - claypot rice, claypot toufu, claypot mee, claypot laksa... and now claypot hokkien mee.  The hokkien mee stall is beside Ocean chap chye png stall in Lorong 4 Toa Payoh.  The wait is pretty long even though we were the first few to order.  The regular hokkien mee is served faster. 

I still like the hokkien mee and will go back for more in future.

Good Deed

Yesterday and today, we are busy accompanying relatives from my wife's side to see Chinese sinseh and tieh da(chiropractor).  It feels good to see two oldies get better after the tieh da.  They thought they had joint problem.  Actually, it was misaligned and the tieh da align back their bones and muscles and immediately they have pain relief.  Chinese tieh ta or art of manipulation is pretty amazing!

Staying Home

It is Christmas Eve and B3 was in ABC Cooking Studio for his class at night.  At first, I thought of going to pick him up and then Mummy reminded me that it is Christmas Eve and I change my mind right away.  Very effective way of dousing my fatherly instinct.  Orchard Road will be so crowded.  It is good decision not to join the madding crowd and stay at home for TV drama. 

My wife brought her relative to see a Chinese Sinseh in the evening.  I managed to pass my time productively.  I got myself a haircut, bought a Philip light bulb which seem rare as I had to go to many light shops and replenish my olive oil for the kitchen.  I consider this is a great Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas to all of us.

Mudskipper

My Mudskipper

The Day Before Christmas Eve

My electric assist bike from Sanyo is totally rusty from sea water.  I transport the fishes I caught in a plastic bottle and they spills the sea water when I hit bumps.  The drive chain has fused in some area.  I tried to use WD 40 it helps but now it is easy for the chain to come off.  Because there is a cover, it is impossible to fix back.  So I had walk back home pushing my disabled bike. 

I spent a couple of hours trying to fix the chain.  I had to remove the cover which was fine but the anchoring screw is corroded.  So I tried hammering the screw after WD40 and it still did not work.  Finally, I cut it using a hacksaw which I bought from a makeshift stall in front of ACE Hardware in 1 Utama.  This hacksaw is wonderful.  It has a diamond file.  I must say it is good to have to right tool to work with.

In the evening, I decided to check how much it cost to replace the chain at the bikeshop in Sengkang Swimming Pool.  It costs only $18 and the guy who replaces my chain is an expert.  He did in half an hour.  So I have a new chain and now my bike works like new!

Mud Skipper

Mudskippers are not so common at Punggol Beach.  If it is drizzling, then there are usually one or two.  There are big mudskippers at private jetty which I had seen before.  This afternoon, I was lucky to catch a good size mudskipper.  I think the mudskipper may escape from my fish tank as they usually do.  So I took a video as a record. The mudskipper is about 2" long.  Pretty good size.  I cannot get my phone to sync with my computer now.  So I will have post the video another time.

Claypot Rice for Lunch, Claypot Rice for Dinner

B2 and B3 needed a haircut and Snip Avenue haircut costs only $3.80 per cut and if you buy 10, you get two free.  So we go to AMK Central for lunch so that B3 can have his haircut after.  We decided to eat claypot rice which is in the coffeeshop along Ave 6.  We ordered a pot for 3 which cost $18 and two soups, one bak kut and the other stomach and liver.  The rice is pretty good.  However, some of the chicken pieces were undercooked and we have to leave it. 

We liked the rice alot, so we decided to cook our own for dinner.  We went to the NTUC nearby to buy sausages and waxed pork belly.  We used our rice cooker and when our rice is almost cooked, marinated chicken, sliced waxed and sausages were put on top of the rice.  It is so easy to make and all we have to do is to add black sauce and olive oil.  So it is very healthy too.  Or healthier than the lunch version.

After dinner, we put all the dishes into the dishwasher.  The dishwasher is a great help!

Not So Worried

I guess I have reach maturity and detachment.  I wished I did get out of the stock market.  Although I did not and have a huge paper loss, I did not feel so bad.  Before, I would have tighten my belt.  Instead, I continue to spend and justify my spending with the fact I lost a lot more in the stock market.  Today, I spend more than $2K for B3 to take master cooking course in ABC.  Yes, ABC!  ABC is a Japanese company that conduct cooking class.  All material provided.  B3 loves baking and he loves Japanese dessert.  So ABC is enjoyable for him.  Mummy felt that it was too much to pay but I asked her about his tuition cost.  For only 1 subject he is taking now, we pay almost $4K annually.  We do not bat an eye when it comes to academic tuition.  But everything else is simply too expensive.  So we are typical Chinese who just pay economous amount of money just so our boys can keep up with the exams pressure.

I am a little worried but unlike in my younger days, I was so stressed up by this kind of financial stress.  My wife always remind ourselves that if we know we are going to be ok today why did we worry and stress ourselves so much in the past.  Today, with the financial stress, we take it better as we know in future it will improve.  The other reason may be our boys are grown and will no longer need as much money to support.  B1 and B2 should be earning in a couple of years.  So it is easier to be detach and not worry so much about money.

Raining All Day Long

Heavy clouds hang on the laden sky.  Rain comes and go.  Weather is nice and cool.  But no outdoor activities.  I tried to cycle to Punggol Point but have to turn back half way through as the rain started and then became quite heavy.  So my arowana ate the dough part of the baos I had for my dinner.  My goldfishes love the dough very much.  They do not like the small fishes as much as the arowana. 

Today, I bought two large can of Greenlip Abalone.  When I first tried it, it was very good and then it disappeared for many years.  This year, I got lucky to see they are back on the shelves.  I lost so much money in stock market that treating myself nicer is far cheaper.  Sigh!  The key is to get out when we are ahead.  I follow Warren Buffett wise advice of buying and keeping it forever.  Wrong advice!

Model Planes

I bought model planes but did not fly them.  They have been in storage and I had moved them from Singapore to Canada and back to Singapore.  They were sitting in the cupboard in our boys' study room.  I had to move out all the planes to make room for B1 who will be occupy his own room.  I wasted my money buying planes and not flying them.  It is my childhood dream to fly model planes and I did fly a bit when our boys were very young.  After that, I did not fly although I had the planes.  I am worried about crashing the planes and I do not know how to repair them.  So it was an expensive hobby and I am a thrifty man.  Today, I looked at all my stock, I have wasted my money as the planes were in storage.  I should have flown them and even if I crashed all of them, at least I experienced flying.  I am more of a collector than a flyer, sigh~

Neighbour Moving Back Home

My new Australian neighbour was here for about 7 months.  Today, the Santa Fe came in to pack for them.  They are moving back home.  He worked for Nokia which was acquired by Microsoft.  Unfortunately, for him Microsoft decided to lay off 25,000 staff from Nokia.  He has been living in Finland, China and couple other countries before coming to Singapore.  He is a nice neighbour and I am sorry to see him leaving.  He said he tried looking for another job in Singapore but the job market in his word is "dismal".  He is a little worried about going back to Australia as the job market there is not good either.  He is just going back to his hometown, Adelaide.  It is a nice city to live in but no big job.

He said another neighbour is also looking for job in the pharmaceutical industry.  It is better for him as there are a number of pharma companies investing in Singapore.  We had 4 French expatriate families leaving our estate and replace by now a Canadian and an Australian.  Now one is leaving and the other is looking for job.  The global economy is bad.

Enjoying Life with Boh Tong's Diary

I learn blogging from BT.  He morphed into a successful blogger after retiring as a Cabin Crew Executive.  He is a consumate storyteller.  Recently, he started a diary like me.  Unlike me, I write about my daily routine to capture a thread of my life so that I can review in future if my memory fails me, BT write about food he ate or cooked and illustrate them with beautiful photos.

It is clear that he is having a good time enjoying nice meals wherever he goes.  The meals cost range can up to $50/head.  As I read his diary, I feel he is living life.  I am the same way.  I sometime worry I am paying too much for my regular meals e.g. Coca or Ma Maison.  When I see my friend, BT is having similar meals, I do not feel so spendthrift and that I should also pamper myself and my family.  For homecooked meals, it is nice to enjoy good cuts of beef or scallops or Alaskan crabs.  So yes, BT is enjoying life and so am I!

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh

Long queues everyday since Seletar first started operation at this Pork Bone Soup Resturant.  Only recently, most people has tried and their fill of bak kut teh that the queue is no longer a queue.  So I went there for dinner tonight at about 6pm.  No queue at all.  Although when we finished our meal at about 6:45pm, there is a short queue.  The soup is a little too peppery.  The salt vegetable is quite salty compared to other stalls.  Overall, I do not know why it is so popular other that it is the only bak kut teh resturant in Sengkang.  The Tiong Bahru bak kut teh is way better.

Bread for Dinner

We have this new bread machine and when we returned home from lunch, my wife try out a new recipe for bread using the organic stuff B3 brought back from Canada.  It is pretty good as there are organic chia seeds and organic raisins.  We just make hard boiled eggs and mashed it up with mayo.  It is simple but pretty good meal.

Coca Steamboat

B3 has sore throat and I have sore throat.  So we decided to go to Coca Thai Steamboat for lunch.  We had the buffet.  The price is now $27++ not including drinks.  The food is quite good although the premium items are not available in buffet.  I always enjoys the balls rather than expensive items like fish fillet or cuttlefish.  I loved the fish glue.  We had a good time today.  After lunch, we had a short walk along Orchard Road but has to get back inside as it started to pour. 

The weather is gloomy, cool and wet.  Reminds me of living in Toronto except it is at zero right now.  I love the seasons.  Christmas is a nice time especially in the home beside the fireplace.

Amazing B3!

My 14 year old is so independent and savy.  He knows how to find a shorter queue and get out of the immigration quickly.  So he is out before we reach arrival hall.  Then he showered and go for his dental.  After dental, he went to Learning Lab for his tuition.  Now he is eating dinner.  It is so amazing that he did not suffer any effect of travelling for 24 hours and 13 hours jetlab.  Tomorrow morning he has training for his jumps.  He is coughing and I told him to inform his coach but he is reluctant telling me that it is his last training.  However, he did not understand the danger of exercising when he is sick.  It can kills as there are several cases in the past that were in the news.

TO to HK

B3 landed in HK at about 6:30am.  I am glad he left whatapps messages.  I called him for free on whatsapp but he did not pick up.  However, he returned my call a few mins later.  The wonder of technology.  It is so much easier to stay in touch and for free. 

I had to spend $3/min to talk when I first immigrated to Canada in 1989.  Today, we have free calls through internet.

Forever Changing

I have to bring B2 to his SCDF camp as he is late for reporting.  I drive the usual route CTE to Yishun.  New flyover is operational.  So the whole landscape and signs have changed.  It is quite disorienting to drive the same highway and then suddenly instead of keeping left to get onto CTE, I have to stay right which was to go to KPE. Keeping left will now bring us to the Seletar side.  For more than 20 years, CTE did not change and with the development of Seletar Air Hub, the usual way to drive is gone.  New signs, new roads, new directions and instead of 3 lanes it is 5 or 6 lanes going in different directions!

Time Flies!

B3 just left Toronto.  He has spend 30 days with Grandma and big brother.  I am looking forward to pick him up tomorrow.  He is comfortable to travel on his own.  Yes, my baby has grown!

Pantang!

This afternoon, I felt I am on the road to recovery.  I guess I must be "pantang".  After paying the doctor's fees and getting all the medicine which I already have and was self medicating anyway other than the Promethazine(cough syrup), I get the turnaround.  It is funny, I held off seeing the doctor so as not to pay for the expense but to no avail.  Once I paid, on 2 I start feeling better!

Such is life!  Must pay the doctor to get well!!

High BP Low HR

I felt bad in the late afternoon.  Dizzy with cold clammy skin and sweating profusely.  I measured my BP and found it high at 170/100.  Heart rate at 66.  This is the first time I measured myself in this condition.  I suffered this condition before since I was young.  I did not realised it is due to high blood pressure with low heart rate.  Usually, I recovered a few hours later.  Now I am feeling much better now.  I went to the clinic in Seletar Mall.  Raffles Medical closed at 5:30pm.  There were still people waiting to see the doctor.  It must be busy as it was close to 6:30pm when I reached.  So I have to go the Healthline in Basement 1. 

The doctor was shocked by my cold hand.  He measured my blood pressure and it was still high at 170/110.  He recommended ECG but I refused as I do not have breathing difficulty the clearest indicator of Heart Attack.  However, a diabetic will not be able to feel chest pains or breathing difficulty.  So the ECG is required to be sure. 

Now I am feeling normal i.e. cold clammy condition is gone but still tired and head heavy.  I am glad this episode is over.  It is scary to get into a bad condition.

B3 is back at TO

I just called B3.  He has reached home in TO.  He has only two days left before he leave for home.  He is leaving on Wed night and will reach home Friday morning.  It will be a long flight and he has a 4 hours layover in Hong Kong.  I will be happy to have him back with us.  He has a project from B2 - baking macaroons for a friend's birthday.  So he is will be occupied once he reached home.

Meeting an Old Friend

Mike and I went back a long time.  We were classmates in Poly and then army mates in Airforce.  We became colleagues for a few months in now defunt ODS or Oriental Data Systems.  I wanted to meet Mike for lunch last Thursday.  I fell sick and had to postpone our meeting.  Today, we had lunch in Swensen. 

Mike has a daughter in Sec 1 and studying in Nanyang Girls.  She is a bright cookie in GEP program.  However in Sec 1, she is not performing to her previous level.  She still pass her exams and results are actually ok but her mum is pushing Mike hard to get the daughter to work hard.  Mike is divorced and his wife had remarried.  He has a girlfriend.  His parents requires plenty of care.  Father has dementia and mum limited mobility.  So in a way, he is struggling.  But he seems adjusting well to his circumstances.  He does not seems to be keen to find full time work.  He wants flexibility to take care of his parents.  Luckily, he has two brothers who help out in the finances for the parents.

It is good just to catch up and talk about old times and old friends.

Festive Air in AMK Hub

The Christmas Carols in the carpark and in the malls are loud and music enchanting.  I loved Christmas.  I fall in love with Christmas while living in Canada.  We have the longest stretch of public holidays.  Usually a week or more.  Any working days in between will be "off-in-lieu" meaning we will come back on a Saturday or Sunday to do inventory.  It is a win-win situation for employer and employees.  I also loved the summer hours where we worked extra hour each day and then have Friday half day or alternate Fridays off.  No meetings are allowed on Fridays.  For senior level, it is practically every Friday off as our meetings run late on weekdays.

AMK hub is very crowded and the mood is jubilant.  People are buying like no tomorrow.  We also bought rice, cooking oil and some canned food for the Boys' Brigade.  It feels good to give.  I enjoy the wonderful feelings.

Family Day

My sisters and their kids are here for dinner.  I bbq pork belly and chicken thighs.  I also bought pork sausages in Cold Storage that was going at 50% since it is expiring.  The food was were received!    I am happy.  We steamed broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage.  Taste quite sweet!  Steamed vegetables are easy and tasty!  I also made organic cucumber salad and fresh cucumber sticks.  We no longer has maid, so other than the mains, we have disposable plates.  It is quick and easy to clear and disposed.  Still there are pretty much washing of the dishes.  All the temporary dishes for cooking, all the cooked food, chopping board, knives, forks, etc, etc.

I am so glad we had this dinner.  It is so nice that two married nieces are pregnant and delivering Feb and Mar next year.

Montreal

B1 and B3 are on the way to Montreal.  They did not say and luckily I called and got informed they are taking midnight bus which is our 1pm.  The winter is warm this year, so no freezing rain or snowstorm.  Seems like Canada is having mild winter this year.  B3 missed out on snowstorms.  He saw some flurries but snow did not stay long.

Just received news that they arrived and having breakfast.

Sick!

I was so sick this morning.  I woke up at 4am and could not go back to sleep.  My throat is sore and tickles.  So I took two Codipront and 3 Tyernol regular strengths.  After that I felt so sick with cold sweat.  So I lie on the bed for a couple of hours.  When I wake up, I was still feeling wobbly.  By late afternoon, I recovered and feels much better.

Although not strong as a horse, I am feeling pretty normal. It is terrible to feel sick.  I am glad my appetite is back by dinner time.

One Boy is Home

Yesterday, B2 came home after a week in Hong Kong.  He enjoyed his trip there.  He queued and bought Jenny's cookies.  Take rides in Disneyland and generally sightsee.  He make all his own arrangements - hotel, flight and local itineraries.  I am proud of him.  I am looking forward to B3 coming home next Friday. 

Enlarged Prostate

This morning, I went to SGH to accompany an elderly man for his checkup.  He has to go to Urology department and need to drink lots of water to pass urine before seeing the doctor.  The nurse was pretty adamant for him to hold as long as possible and to pass out at least 100 ml of urine.  So when he insisted he is ready, he only pass out 33ml.  So the nurse wanted to redo the test but a more senior nurse intervene and said she will pass the test result to the doctor.  The doctor saw him and explained that he has enlarged prostate which is common in elderly man.  So there is nothing to worry.  He just need to pass urine whenever there is an urge.

The good thing with the internet is it is so easy to do research and found that all men will have enlarged prostate at the age of 80.  The only way to reduce it is surgery. 

No Maid

We have no boys at home and no maid for a week.  So it is like when we were first married.  Still the housekeeping work is plenty and neverending.  The good thing is without our boys, our home did not become messy and the floor stays clean.  We will have B2 home tomorrow and B3 next Friday.  So we will see how it go. 

Right now our plan is the boys do self-service that is they have wash their own clothing.  We have a new dishwasher in today and hopefully, that helps.  We have two washing machines and a dryer.  B1 and B3 are using them in Toronto right now.  So we plan for them to continue this behaviour when they are back home. 

I also think it is good character building.  Afterall, I did my own laundry when I first started working.  My mum was busy with her store which she operates from 8am to 9pm everyday.  She only rest on Chinese New Year for two days.