2016 Coming to a Close

This year is soon over.  I am hopeful for the next year to be a better year.  I love my Almanac for next year.  Things are looking up for my classmates and me.  A lot of my classmates are enjoying their lives.  Most of them have kids at the same age as mine.  It is the year of Change.  The year of poor economy for many countries.  Then Britain exit EU and Trump won by American First.  The pendulum is now swinging back from Globalisation.


China is very assertive.  I read Lobsang Rampa many many years ago.  He says the Eagle and the Bear will cooperate to deal with the Dragon.  So maybe in a few years this will happen as China is getting from assertive to aggressive.


I hope the new year brings new hope and new joys.  I wish our home, Singapore will get better.

Many are on Holiday

Many of my colleagues are on holiday.  They are enjoying themselves oversea.  The Europe side has plant shutdown.  So it is difficult here as many orders need to be delivered before Dec 31st.  We have our challenges.  However, it is still holiday mood.  Unfortunately most of the mall and supermarts are switching over the Chinese New Year.  I missed Christmas Spirit.  I like it to last until new year.  But it seems not.  It is not so fun when CNY and Christmas are close.  Then the switchover happens right after Christmas and we cannot get the festive mood longer. 


CNY is also festive but very different in feel.  I like to enjoy both cultures and savor for as long as possible.

Bone-in Ham Celebration

We celebration Christmas Eve with a Bone-in Ham from Cold Storage.  It is 6 kgs and cost $99.  The ham was put in 3 bags and when we reached home, all 3 bags have a hole!  We cooked the ham and ate a wee bit for dinner and then carved the rest out in chunks and save them in the freezer.  We always had a Turkey or Ham in Canada for Christmas.  My company always gave employees a choice and the most senior executive will be giving them out.  Yes, executive means top management and not clerk in Singapore Malaysia context.


Lunch is ham porridge and dinner will be ham pasta.

Akashi Japanese Resturant Paragon

B1 always intrigued by Akashi every time we go to Tambuah Mas for meals.  Tambuah is reasonable in price and Akashi is exobitant in contrast.  It seems popular, so today when he suggested wee decided to try.  He had sashimi, mummy ordered tempura set and I go for unagi don.  I also ordered grilled mutton.  Mummy feels the food is better than Tampopo.  B1 likes the food as well.  I think it is ok.  I prefers Tampopo.  But I only eat cooked food.  So do not know the freshness level of the serving.

My unagi don cost $24.  Then after the meal, we walk past the gyoza resturant which is also by Akashi, there is a big banner that pronouned Unagi Don $14.  I feel a little cheated.

Ipoh Hor Fun - Compass One

At level 1 there is a stall that sell Ipoh hor fun and other Ipoh dishes.  It is right beside Encik Tan.  The price is quite high at $6 to $7 per bowl and you can get additional hot coffee or tea for 80cents.  The food is quite good.  Dinner for 4 is $35 plus change.  I thought it is pretty expensive especially since it is self service.  Gurney Drive is better value for slightly higher price we get service.


It is back to school time.  Popular is so busy.  Lots of kids with their parents buying supplies.  It is good to eat dinner in a mall especially since it was pouring outside.

Christmas Mood

Everyone is sending out emails for Christmas.  I am glad to have the long weekend after a long week.  So will go for good dinner tonight.  Maybe walk around Orchard for Christmas feel.  I love Christmas.  But this year we do not have the Christmas tree as we threw away the tree we brought from Canada.  The feel at home is quite regular.


The movies channels in Singtel is free again.  But all old movies.  I like internet movies as they are newer and the serials are also interesting.


Fishing has not been good, so I need to look for a net to help land some fishes.

Drinking Plenty of Water

After getting so sick during the time when my kidney stones were blasted in oblivion, I am now drinking plenty of water.  I used to be proud that I do not drink water.  Only tea or soda pops.  Now I learn my lesson.  However, my urine tests still show presence of microcrystals.  This is no good.  It mean a matter of time that kidney stones will form again.  Anyway, I will keep myself well hydrated and hopefully it will take longer time for the stones to form.


Drinking water makes me wake up in the middle of the night.  It is a bother. 

Voracious Eaters

I had more than 10 bettas in my pond as most fishes did not survive.  So bettas or fighting fish as they are better known as are far tougher and tolerant of poor water condition like dissolved oxygen or toxic water. 


When I put in a bag of goldfishes, all my bettas died.  I checked with the aquarium shop and he says they should be tolerant of each other.  I also noticed they co-exist well.  So I think it must be goldfishes are voracious eaters and my bettas died of hunger after a few days as the goldfishes must have eaten up all the food.


I can see the goldfish are always foraging for food whereas the bettas are quiet.

Poisonous Pond

I have been buying a lot of small fishes to put in my pond and all disappeared after a couple of days.  Finally, I decided the drain the water.  I forgot that I pull out the drain outlet and left home for office.  So the water is almost completely drain.  My poor arowana was very uncomfortable for a few hours as the water was only 3 or 4 cm high.  Luckily, my family noticed and B1 fixed back the outlet and added tap water.  So now the recent batch of goldfishes are surviving well.


I put in a some fighting fishes and they are quite hardy surviving the poisonous water.  I suspect the water in the pond is contaminated by flogging done regularly in my estate.  The arowana is going blind and I always thought it is the sunlight.  Now I suspect it may be the insecticide use by our pest control.

New Staff

I am glad our new staff is here.  I am busy training him and doing a lot of work with him.  He is quite good at looking for things and figuring out what to do.  I am glad my first choice came to work for us.  My other colleagues prefer another candidate who is more mature and senior in position.  To ease talking about my new colleague, I will call him "Steve" (not his real name).  I like Steve's can-do attitude.  He is willing to learn and easy to coach.  I have him for two days now.  Tomorrow he will be on his own and I have given him the list of things to do.  I am glad he just pick up stuff and work on them.  He has initiative and will be a good asset.

Hillman Resturant

I had wanted to lunch with my eldest sister for some time now.  Initially was set for my birthday in July.  Then B2 was on duty.  After that I had kidney stones removal which makes me sick for almost 6 weeks.  Now that I am clear, fit and healthy, it is good to catch up with her again.  She brought along her eldest daughter and granddaughter.  I am glad to see my niece and grandniece.  We had a wonderful meal. 


After lunch, we went to Fairprice and B3 bought pumpkins, carrots and celery to make soup.  My sister commented that the ingredient cost is more than eating out!  I told her it ok to eat organic.  Other family in the opposite aisle bought loads of organic veg as well.  The raw materials cost more than $20!


My wife went to buy vegetarian food for her father who is still in the hospital.  Lohan stir fry.  It took a long time.  My father-in-law enjoys his dinner very much.


Our dinner was homemade pumpkin soup by B3.  It is quite good.  He is a good cook indeed!

Beautiful Saturday

Early in the morning, customer was calling.  I have to go to office to check on stock and wait for the customer to come and pick up the goods.  Luckily, we have stock.  So customer is very happy to pay cash upfront to collect the goods.  I am very happy to make them happy.  I get a kick out of this.  Then I called my colleague and give him the good news.  He thought I was asking him to work.  I just want to make him happy.  He is too engrossed about his next meeting.


After sending the goods, I went to SGH to visit my father-in-law.  He is so much better and hungry.  He is very picky yet his choices are limited as he can eat only vegetarian.  We had lunch in Chinatown.  Braised chicken with gizzard, dumpling soup and boiled vegetable in oyster sauce...  After lunch, we stroll the main Chinatown and bought veg lunch for my mother-in-law.  B1 and B3 is very happy to try out ice-cream cone.  Durian and Vanilla flavor.  We have a good day.  Dinner is the braised meat, intestines and hard boiled eggs at AMK Ave 1.  We bought a pack of goldfishes and guppies for our pond.  Guppies are food for the alligator gar.

Father-in-Law Cyst Removal

My father-in-law is in SGH for removal of a gigantic cyst on his right shoulder this morning.  SGH is fairly good in making sure he gets a bed and check on his pacemaker before he go for his operations.  He is quite lucid and worry about his only son when he wakes up.  His son is in the mid-forties and works in the same company.  He worries the company will not last a year if he is gone.  I told him not to worry.  There is jobs like Uber driver.  I doubt he understand.  A father will never stop worrying for a son that he did not teach independence.


Father-in-law is a tough man.  He has slogged his whole life raising 6 kids.  He loved his only son very much.  He is in twilight years and still worry for his son.  It is so sad.  He should be enjoying the golden years and let his son take care of himself.

Alligator Gar

B3 is very fascinated by Alligator Gar which is an ancient looking freshwater fish.  It eats live fishes and can grow to very big size.  We had a few before and they all died after a few days.  This time, we put in corals to stabilise the water.  Today, we bought small feeder guppies.  The alligator gar at 4 right away.  B3 is very happy believing this time he will be successful in growing his alligator gar.  It will be competing with the arowana for live seafood in future.

Feeling Good

I had a busy week under lots of pressure.  It is office requiring lots and lots of attention.  Good thing is we are making progress.  I am very happy to report we are getting people in and soon the pressure will be spread around.


My wife is my PA or personal assistant.  So it is good.  She is very detailed and make sure all the "t"s are crossed and "i" dotted.  With her help I can conquer any crisis.

Sea Cucumbers from Korea

My wife asked me to buy sea cucumber.  I asked the concierge and guess what! Namdemoon is walking distance from the hotel.  So I wander about to check it out.  There is a Chinese grocery store and indeed the boss was weighing and packing the dried sea cucumbers.  The price was pretty good.  So I bought 2 packs of 600gms which is one catty in the old measurement.  The sea cucumbers are huge when they re-hydrates.  So The Wife is pretty happy with the purchase.  Today, we ate some for dinner.  It is very tough.  So she need to braise them instead of quick boil.