All Well's Now

Early in the morning, the tow truck came to pick up my car.  Then we go to Borneo Motors in Sin Ming.  They do a diagnostic and found it is the ignition coils.  Two coils are out.  However, the coils are replaced in a set.  Each coil costs $250.  So one thousand bucks just for parts and labour cost is separate.  I have a service contract, so get 30% discount for parts and 10% discount for labour.  Also I have 9980 points and 10,000 points equals to $100.  So in total the bill comes to $743 for the morning repair. 


The great news is we now have our car for the New Year.  Then at night, we went to AMK Ave 3 hawker center for last minute CNY shopping and there is a huge crowd of cars and one empty season carpark.  So I decided to risk it.  We hurriedly get our stuff and when we returned there is a slip on the windscreen.  $50!


Anyway, it is still a good day.

Car Giving Problem

This evening, the car engine is vibrating and shaking violently.  Three years ago, the battery conked out on the 1st Day of CNY.  So we did not have the use of our car for 1 week as Borneo Motors is closed for Spring Festival.


I am starting to worry that it is giving problems during Chinese New Year period.  Is this an omen or just my car aging.  It still has 2 years to go.

Raining Non-Stop

Last night, it rained all night until late morning.  This afternoon we had a breather and I continue to work on my drainage.  Then at 7pm, the rain starts and it just continues on and on, sometimes reducing to a drizzle.


I like the cool evening.  It is like winter in Canada.  Warm and cosy inside my home watching and listening to the rains.  It is very nice to watch snow.  Just not so nice to shovel the driveaway in the morning before going to work.

Physical Work

This afternoon, I spent a couple of hours digging up a small drain in my backyard.   Water ponding during downpour is usual and I am working on getting the water drain into a drain hole that was built when I first moved in. 


I am always reluctant to work on the house to keep it in tiptop condition.  I have this idea to improve the drainage for a couple of years now.  I even have a pipe which I left is the backyard.  Finally, today I dug out the drain and cut a slot on the side of the drain hole.  However, the slot is still high as there is a subsoil pipe buried there.  Still I think my solution is better than before.


I feel so much more accomplished when the work is done.  I still need to figure out how to make it work consistently.  I noticed over time the soil level will increase as rainwater bring silt cause the ground to rise slowly.

CNY Goodies

I am eating a lot of CNY goodies.  So my weight is gaining.  I love loveletters, almond cookies, cashew nut cookies, kueh bangkit and bak kwa.  I am happy to eat them when they are fresher.  By Chinese New Year I will be tired of eating those high cal tidbits. 


My favorite goodies stall is in AMK Ave 3 and Ave 10 hawker centre.  The bakeshop has a makeshift canvas shelter built to cater for New Year Sale.  The price is quite reasonable.  The quality is acceptable.  I no longer buy Bengawan Solo as the price is 3X more than those I bought from this stall but it does not taste 3X better.  I am happy to have a reasonable Chinese New Year Celebration.

Gardening

My wife is a houseproud person.  Since Chinese New Year is around the corner, she is busy cleaning up the house and today tackle my garden both roof and front.  I fixed the grass cutter with a new battery.  Then it is so easy to cut the grass.  Raking the cut grass is quite strenous.  I am all hot and sweaty helping her out.  In the front garden, she worked mostly alone even though technically the maintenance of outdoor is my responsibility.   She cleared the old leaves and trim the overgrown bushes.

We have a huge clay pot that our mountain fire is in splits into 3.  So we have to remove the claypot by breaking it with a hammer.  The roots are now exposed.  But the tree is standing tall as the roots have gone below the pot and into the soil.

Right now my garden look really neat and cool.

Speakers Systems

There is a bewildering number of different speakers.  I always thought the sound from MP3 players or those from internet are terrible because of the encoding.  Now with Nakamichi it sound much better.  Recently, I try out Jawbone, the sound is so fabulous.  My family loved it so much.  They thought it is comparable to French brand that was on demo in Tangs a couple weeks ago.

The French speaker was impressive.  The shape is like a comma with a straight tail.  It is interesting to see the speaker moving in and out.  Sound is quite good, actually very good.  Whole family went into the demo room to listen.  Then they hear the Jawbone and is very impressed!  They felt the Jawbone sound quality is comparable.  I love the sound as well.  The bass is solid.  So when it plays the MP3 music or Youtube, it actually sound heavenly.  No need for expensive high fidelity recordings and players.  The speakers alone do the heavy lifting.

Outing with MIL

Mother-in-law is not allowed to go to office.  So she asked her girls to accompany her for CNY shopping.  She was looking for new Polo shirts for my FIL or father-in-law.  His Polo Tees must have pockets.  He needed the pocket to put his glasses and cash.  He is very old style, always carry a wad of cash.

MIL is happy to have her baby girl and 2nd daughter to keep her company for shopping.  I left them and went to buy a battery for my grass cutter.  It works well.  I am very happy to spend $20 to fix it.  I also spend $135 for a cctv camera.  I feel quite productive to fix up 2 things in the house and cut the grass on my roof garden.

I have not been fishing for some time.  It is fine as my arowana gets big meal each time I go.  Sometimes too much food.

Westgate Mall

We send B3 to Choa Chu Kang Stadium for his competition.  Then go to Westgate Mall to pass time.  B1 and my wife tried the Mak's Wanton noodle.  They think it is ok.  It is one of the most expensive noodle but today we just order one noodle each and so cost only $27.  But an hour later we have to eat again.  This time in Crystal Jade for time dim sum.

Westgate is a pretty good mall to past time.  Also B3 is done at about 2pm and so it worked out well.  Isetan Supermart also offers different variety of groceries.  We have a good day of outing.

London Fat Duck in Waterway Point

Today is a busy day for my boys.  B1 went to camp to build the props for a school play.  B3 has to collect newspapers around Bishan estate in their annual old newspaper drive.  B2 was sleeping to recover from his night duty.  He is not performing to his optimum recently due to lack of sleep.  Motherr-in-law was bored and asked her daughter to go mall crawling with her.

We were in Waterway Point.  I fell in with London Fat Duck when I first tried during the first week of opening in Scott.  Since I am waiting alone, I decided to wait and have some light snacks.  I ordered the black pepper duck bun and pork belly char siew.  The black pepper duck was so spicy.  I cannot take the duck at all.  The meat could be anything.  The char siew standard is terrible too.  No wonder now there is no queue.

After eating, the waitress asked for my feedback and I gave her my honest opinion.  I also told her my wife think it is terrible.  Now I agree with her.  Although I fell in love with the resturant in Scott, I am not coming back to this resturant.

Enjoyable But Tiring Day

I have a good day!  My morning starts with a filtered coffee.  Then I drop B1 and Mummy off in Bishan at about 9am and head to office.  I worked in the office and then off to a meeting with customer.  We had lunch in a canteen in Penjuru Close.  The food is surprising good.  It is easy, just follow the longest queue.  Malay food stall.  Deep fried chicken in red sauce.  It is tomato and not chilli.  I had cucumber pickle salad and brinjal.  The meal cost me $5.  A little pricey in a canteen but good value.  I will go back there to eat again.


In the afternoon, I go to Orchard to pick my wife up.  She enjoyed herself shopping for her flip flop slippers with 20% discount from Metro.  I enjoys encouraging her to buy.  She loves to shop.  I on the other hand want to save the Earth and have a small footprint.


We had a break in the basement of Tang's.  Ah Kun tea with Penang Fried Kway Teow.  It is nice to have a break with my companion.

New Tool New Skill Dramatic Productivity Increased

I have been using a scoop net for many years.  It is getting more and more challenging to catch the small fishes I used to catch.  Maybe the fishes are less.  I feel my reflexes are slowing down as well.  I could not move fast enough and the fishes escape.  With the scoop net, I have to spend sometimes an hour as I have to wait for the school to swim near me to within reach of my net.

Now I have the new tool, cast net, I have to acquire new skill.  The skill of throwing the net so that it opens up.  It is so much easier to learn new skills nowaday.  Before, I would have gone to the library or Kinokuniya and get a few books with how-to instructions and practise.  Many mistakes and futile efforts with re-reading the instructions over and over again until I learn the skill of throwing the cast net.  Today, it is different.  Go to Youtube and lots of different way of throwing the cast net for beginners.  Each video is only two to three minutes and I can try right away.

This morning after a few throws with nothing, I had one that caught the fishes.  One cast is enough more than 10 good size fishes are in the net.  Shake them off and then pull or push out those stuck in the net and my mission is completed.  So much faster, easier and more productive.

All have I have to do is acquire new tool and new skill to use the tool properly.  This sounds like what Manpower Minister preach to us.

Making Good Soup

I think I know the secret of good soup.  First, must clean the bones with salt.  Then boil the bones for 10 mins and washed the pot and bones with cold water.  Add filtered water and boil for many hours.  I boiled the bones over a two day period with rest at night as I do not wish to watch the heat and the pot.

Add freshly ground pepper while the soup is simmering.  It will remove the porky smell.  After the bone marrow has been thoroughly extracted, off heat and wait for the soup to cool.  Remove the bones and filter the soup.  Store the soup base in the fridge.  The soup will jell up and it is quite solid. 

To make the soup, just dilute the jelly with equal portion of water and bring to a boil.  Add any ingredient you like.  I love tau pok, fish balls, fried tau kee stuffed with fish meat or abalone, fresh prawn, cuttlefish and sliced fish fillet. 

I am still a little boy preferring fishball rather than real fish fillet which my wife prefers.

Water is Really Cleaner

Today, the water in Punggol Point is much cleaner now.  It is still oily and I have to wash my feet with soap a couple of times.  I still manage to catch some small fishes and even baby fishes.  So the sea life is back.  No fishermen around except for one staunch and hardy guy.  He is also someone I talk to as well.  It is good that we can recover quickly.

The NEA guy is there as well.  Probably to evaluate the water and beach condition.

Busy Day

Our friends whom we go together to KL came for dinner today.  He brought his grass fed ribeye steaks.  I thawed, seasoned and bbq them for him.


Early in the morning, I brought B2 to work.  Then go to Chong Pang for groceries.  I bought jackfruits, lala and 1 kg of small squids.  The 2 color corns were on sale for $1 each and I bought 3 for bbq.  Then I called my in-laws to breakfast with them.  They had one grandson with them.  Now Po Po and Gong Gong have company on the weekends.

So Much Fun with Cast Net

Now with my cast net, I can catch many fishes at one go.  So it is pretty fun.  I enjoy the fact in one throw it is sufficient for me and my arowana.  My arowana now can eat alot.  At one go, more than 3 fairly big fishes.  It is quite amazing to see its appetite.  I think it can grow to the size in River Safari.  Although I did not go to River Safari, B1 and B3 told me their experience and the size of the arowana and alligator gar.  So it will be amazing size in time to come.

Mid Valley Mall for New Year's Eve

B1 and B3 was with us in Mid Valley Mall over the new year.  We drove on Saturday morning at 5:30am and cross the border slightly past 7am.  Drove to somewhere in Johore for Bak Kut Teh and drove all the way to Mid Valley Mall.  This is the first time I drove to KL.  We reached Mid Valley about 1pm.

Lunch was at Little Penang.  We had fried kway teow, otah and Penang Rojak.  Penang Rojak is too sweet and no more crispy cuttlefish bits.

I always wanted my family to be in Mid Valley so that we can spend time together.  This is the 2nd time we are there.  First time was about 10 years ago and the boys were very young at that time.  This time around, they go on their own to shop and play games.

On Sunday, New Year's Day, I went with B1 and B3 to downtown KL.  It was fun to explore Bukit Bintang, Sentral Market, Chinatown in Petaling Street and Bejaya Times Square.  We bought 1 dozen Krispy Kreme and free 6 for RM24.  Price is more affordable in KL.  For this price, we can only get 2 and half donuts!!

I like to drive up again.  It is so much fun just to spend time and buy things and food at much reasonable price.  I love downtown as well.  It is great just to walk about.