Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Learning Programming

B1 told me about his problem with his IT module.  I got interested as the program is free to install on the internet.  It is also Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.  So I am taking baby steps to learn programing again.  It is not easy as I have to figure out how to install into my computer.  I find it is easier with the youtube videos.  It seems like not so easy to program even though I copied exactly as in the video.  So something is not right.


Anyway, this is exciting as I am learning a totally new language and taking steps to learn data mining.  I hope I can sustain interest to learn the basics of Python.

Comfort Place

The wet market is ho hum of daily life.  The butchers are cutting out their pig and sorting out the different cuts.  The poultry stalls are wet and chickens lay out neatly.  Vegetable sellers are bundling out the vegetable so that the price is $1, $2 or $3 making it a quick sale rather the weighing out each purchase.  Beside the wet market is the hawker center.  Cooked food vendors are busy serving.

After sending my boy to school, I like to go to the hawker center and have a cup of tea.  I just sit and absorb in the ongoing scene.  Somehow, I find it comforting to be in a busy, noisy, messy and a little dirty hawker center.  In Canada, the first thing I do when I wake up is to boil water and make myself a cup of tea.  But I do not have the luxury of going to a market.  I have to sit in my own dining room or kitchen and it is me and myself.  Sometimes, I will go to a Tim Hortons which has great coffee at a reasonable price i.e. similar to our kopitiam.  In Canada, no savory breakfast.  Only sweet stuff like donuts or muffins at reasonable price.  Savory breakfast is sandwich at $4 or $5.  Who wants to pay so much for two slices of bread with something in-between?

Hawker/street food is a great Asian invention.  The variety, taste and choice are much better than the Western countries.  I enjoys our simple hawker place where food and price are reasonable.

Friday, February 24, 2017

Thomson Plaza

We did not go to Thomson Plaza for a long time.  We use to frequent Thomson Plaza as we have our boys there for tuition.  So I decide to go there for lunch.  Plenty of changes.  Now, there are more F&B outlets like other shopping malls.  Popular, NTUC Fairprice, Sushi Tei are still there.  There are new shops and the tuition centers were moved to a corner.  Coriander Cafe which is a zhichar cafetaria is still there and quite popular.  There is a new Japanese sushi resturant that is very popular with a super long queue. 

The watch shop beside Popular is gone and now it is a Chinese Medicine shop.  So Thomson Plaza is pretty lively during lunch time.  I think it is pretty good place to visit once in a while.

All Clear!

I went to see my classmate.  It is all clear.  I was having UTI.  This recurring UTI is after my kidney stone blasting using ESWL.  The bacteria is drug resistant and requires Bactrium at high dose and for 2 weeks instead of the usual 1 week.  Now the bacteria may be dormant and may come back anytime.  I am glad antibiotics works!


It is dangerous to have kidney infections as it is liable to shutdown. However, as we grow older, it is much harder to treat. So I am glad I have friends whom I can talk to.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

A Week without Blogging

It is hard to write.  I have a boring life.  I also do not know what topic or specialty to blog about.  Many blog on food or places to go.  I like to just talk about my books or work.  Now I do not read as much as before.  It is so much easier to whatsapp and youtube.  My attention span is short and getting shorter.


Writing take thinking and thinking is so much effort compared to searching for videos to watch.  Better still, youtube recommends more similar videos.  No efforts needed to expand your interest.  To get some momentum back, I start to read newspapers again.  I read the analysis and guest writers.  Newspaper articles are easy read.  It is short.  Books are much harder to sustain interest.  So reading fiction is the way to go. 


What did I do for the week?  I look back and try to recall.  It was just routine - work, meals and exercise.  Today, I swam.  Most of the time, cycling is norm.  I enjoys the PCN and Punggol seaside.  I noticed Malay families still do picnic  But other races don't. 


Many fishermen have abandon fishing in Punggol Jetty.  The catch was dismal.  Using net, I am able to catch enough fishes for my arowana.  Otherwise, I will have problem as the small fishes have also diminish.


A week has gone quickly and I am looking to writing regularly.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Cure for Backaches - Amazing Result!!

I just do a couple of the basic Pilates exercise.  My backaches disappears just like magic,  I must have discipline to keep a regular schedule and make it a habit.  My problem is once my backache disappear, after a while I stop exercising and then the backache will come back to haunt me.

One of the basic exercise is lay flat on the floor like planking.  Stretch out your hands and lift your head and legs up like Superman flying and hold for as long as possible.  Once I can hold for more than 30 seconds, backache is gone!!

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Random Rambling

Sometimes I ponder over this profound question. What is the meaning of life?


I was fairly happy stock market is going back up although not to the level where I can recover my losses but today it just went down.  It may go down some more. 


Why do we need money to live?  How nice if we can just go on without money, power or fame.  It is quite easy for some to make money and difficult for others.  Some make a pittance and a few make millions or even billions.  I am not depressed nor desperate.  But I do get into a philosophical mood and have questions that cannot be answered easily.


My philosophy in living is spends less than I earn.  Have simple needs.  No branded stuff or expensive wheels.  Be happy with what I have.  Live well and enjoy my food!  That is live to eat! 

Monday, February 13, 2017

Snowstorm in Toronto

I was watching the news on the snowstorm in New England, US and decide to call mum to check if Toronto has snowstorm as well.  She confirmed that the snow is piled up high there as well.  I remember that every time heavy snow in eastern US, it affects TO as well.  I will be most happy to enjoy snowstorm if I am not working.  It will be a huge challenge to go to work in snowstorm.  I did that before and it was exhausting.


First have to shovel snow before the car can come out of the garage.  Then the highway will be extremely slow and full of stalled cars and accidents galore.  Then on returning home have to shovel the snow again before entering the garage.  If you don't shovel, it will be very difficult to shovel.  Usually, snow will stay for a few weeks at this time of year.

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Suntec City

Suntec City has changed a lot since the last revamp.  There are more resturants and less shopping.  There are no big stores anymore.  Harvey Norman, Carrefour used to occupy huge floor space.  Now, all the stores are a fraction of the size of yesteryear.  Giant is the anchor tenant instead of Carefour and occupy only half of what Carrefour had. 


Restaurant choices are so much better.  Food Republic is the expensive foodcourt left.  So after dining, it is hard to spend more time there as the shopping is not like before.  The crowd is not as big as before too.  I guess there are too many competition and the economy is not doing well.  Also more and more are buying through internet.  The savings after delivery charge can be substantial.  All from the convenience of clicking.

Wednesday, February 08, 2017

Pilates

My appointment with neurologist today is to help eliminate pain at my right joint.  The weakness of my right leg is gone now.  It is much stronger as I cycle everyday.  The surgeon cannot offer me any better treatment other than cutting me up.  I definitely do not wish to have any of my nerves touched. 


So he recommends Pilates.  Once I can hold the position for 5 mins, then the core muscles will be strong enough and I will solve my backaches.


I will try it out.

Monday, February 06, 2017

Chinese New Year is winding down

More and more are getting back to work especially in China where most start work only today.  We have a few more days.  Birthday for all is over, praying to Heavenly God was on Saturday night.  I am counting down to Chap Goh Mei.  It will be celebration and feasting.  Then back to routine ho-hum.


I am getting lazy in writing.  I vowed to write every evening but nowadays, I am quite erratic.  It is easy to miss writing during holiday season.  I think I am no longer working like crazy unlike before.  I need not check endlessly for emails and think about strategy all the time.  So in a way I am on the road to retirement.

Wednesday, February 01, 2017

Many Visitors

I have not been blogging last week.  Busy hosting visitors and also visiting my in-laws and eldest sister.  My boys are much better at being a host.  They can entertain their cousins while the adults talk.  We will have to prepare adhoc meal for out guests.  It is quite a challenge as we were not prepared to cook.  Somehow my wife managed to whip up good nutritious meals for our visitors.