Programming Self Taught

No really self taught.  Self taught is from books.  Now I have internet, youtube and search engine.  Still it can be challenging as there is no experienced person to ask questions and get instructions to solve the issue.  I have go search and look for answers.  It is quite tedious and running through the video and internet takes a lot of time.  Have to go through irrelevant info.  It is frustratingly slow and painful.

Slow but Progress - Programming Self Taught

I am facing obstacles after obstacles in learning how to program.  My boy finally asked me to go to Harvard website and follow the course.  I am too impatient.  I may have to learn from an instructor as it is quite difficult to learn from books.


Anyway, it is the next big thing and I want to participate just for the fun of it.

Long Long Wait to Ta Po

We sent B2 to Yishun for duty and went to Chong Pang to check out the durians.  It is still very expensive and quality quite poor.  The durians are at $15/kg.  So we decided to go AMK to see if this is better or more reasonable priced durians.  Per kg in AMK Ave 1 and Ave 10 is at $22/kg!!!  We were shocked and decided it is not to pay the huge price for small craving.

So we check with B3 and B1 if they want any food.  B3 said he wanted chicken chop and B1 whatever.  The wait for the takeaway is half an hour as the order taker estimated.  FHM or fried hokkien mee is also half an hour wait.  The hawkers are doing a roaring business!

Durian Season is Starting

The price of durians is quite high.  The small durians are going for $20 for 3.  The fruit vendors in Yishun are making tons of money!  I think their durians price is not so competitive.  Window shopping is free.  I may have to check my regular durian vendor to see if he is selling yet.  But last year, I was disappointed as many seeds were not edible even though I paid by kg.

Probiotics

I might have a bad reaction to zhajiang mian in Bugis MOF yesterday.  I have to go toilet immediately after my meal and continue to go even when I am at home.  My wife insist I have to take the Probiotic 50billions per pills.  I took one but she insisted I have to take at least 2.  So before going to bed I pop in another two.  I must say I feel so much better today.  Probiotics does work wonder for diahorrea.  I am glad we have a good supply at home.

Back in Pink of Health

Seems like I am feeling better.  Today, I feel like cycling for a longer distance.  So I know I must be much better instead of feeling tired and aching all over.  I still have low back pain but the urge to go for a super long ride is there.  I am happy to in the pink!!

Stock Market Yo-yo

I was starting to be happy that some of my stock are recovering in value and now it is dropping again.  Trump is causing the yo-yo movement.  Asia is supposed to be stronger but still follows the US markets.  Oil price is weakening and oil and bank stocks are severely affected the Ezra bankruptcy.  Sigh!  My heart is also like a yo-yo.

Longer to Recover

It seems like it does take longer to recover after exercise.  Yet there are old men who are very fit and can exercise well.  Maybe I am not exercising correctly and not rotating the different types of exercise.  I just do the routines every time and then it seem to take long time to recover.  Unlike before, I used to run and then the aches recover fairly quickly and then I can go further. 


I am aching all over after yesterday's sit-ups and cycling.  I think it is age catching up.

Chong Pang Market

The jackfruit there is most competitive in price.  $5 for two packs which is almost 1kg.  It is supposed to be 1kg but most time it is about 800 to 900 grams.  Even at this weight, the price is more competitive than other wet markets.  The Australian peaches are in season.  Large peach at $10 for 3.  The rainbow mangoes aka elephant tusks mangoes are at 10 for $5.  So I bought a good supply of fruits this morning.  On the competing stall which is the shop beside the bakery, the Australian broccoli is at $1.80 for 2 heads.  The broccoli taste quite good.

The cooked food stalls are also pretty good.  The braised duck always has a long queue and my favorite bak chor mee is the stall next to coffestall opposite the toilets.  The lor mee is pretty good.  I like Chong Pang.  

Unhealthy Hawker Food

We have been eating out a lot.  Many times at hawker centers.  Our latest fav hawker center is Ci Yuan in Hougang.  We tried many stalls now.  Almost every stall used excessive amount of MSG and soya sauce.  The food is usually too salty.  We cook at home and can tell the difference right away.  Even when we request for no MSG and low salt, we feels very thirsty immediately after our meals.  No wonder there are so many health issues with our population.  Most of us eat out.  Some do cook organic after being diagnosed with cancer.  Most continue current lifestyle. 


Our hawker food is the root cause of our ill health.  Choosing healthy food is difficult in a hawker center.  They are all high in carbo, sodium and cooking oil.

Seng Kang Library

I was driving to Seletar Mall for dinner but there is a queue to get into the carpark.  So I decided to drive onwards to CompassOne.  The carpark is a lot bigger and there is no queue.  We looked around for a place to have dinner.  The Chinese resturants have long queues.  We decided on our regular favorite, Gurney Drive.  The food is good, I do not know why it is not so popular.  Maybe it is just glorified Penang hawker food.

After dinner, we drop by the newly opened SengKang Library.  It is very crowded.  The books are mostly new.  I find myself looking at the backcover looking for price!  Yeah, even my wife said it is like going to Kinokuniya.  It is fun to borrow new books!  Fantastic, fabulous and really enjoyable:):)

Not writing!

I have not been blogging regularly.  I may be suffering from laziness.  I do not sit long enough on my computer to log my day!  The days are passing by.  Some times work is busy sometimes not.

I met an ex-colleague who recently retired.  She says she is having a hard time keeping occupied as her husband is still working.   I will miss working as well.  I enjoys solving problems and interacting with colleagues.  I should get more hobbies and work on projects e.g. gardening and landscaping my tiny garden.  Maybe growing vegetables and getting featured on Sunday Times!!  Dreams keep us alive...

Ci Yuan Hawker Center and Community Center

Ci Yuan CC is in Hougang.  The CC has a hawker center at ground level.  It is a good concept.  The food prices are reasonable and carpark is underground.  More stalls are opened at night.  The tables and seats are quite clean.  The payment is by cash and the hawker do not need to touch the money.  So it quite hygienic.

My wife do not like to go to hawker centers as the environment can be quite filthy.  A lot of time, the seats have sauces on them.  Ci Yuan is the only hawker center she suggest going regularly.  The lobby of the lifts is airconditioned.  There are "famous" hawkers as well such as ABC Fatty's Char Siew, Orchard carpark fried kway teow and Fishball noodles.  The fishballs noodle is quite tasty but has too much MSG.  I was very thirsty after eating a bowl of mee kia dry.

I also like the dessert stall.  The chendol has standard and is as good as the Penang Culture in Compass One at a fraction of the price!

Yes, Ci Yuan has become our regular haunt now.

Spicy Mee Siam!

I am sweating profusely as I type this blog.  I just ate Mee Siam in Seletar Mall foodcourt.  The gravy is spicy and I ate the raw green chilli as well.  My stomach is burning.  I do not eat spicy and my tolerance level is low.   The taste is quite good actual but spice level is too high for me. 


If you like hot and spicy, try the Nasi Padang stall. 

Down with Flu

I think I have flu.  My throat is sore, my bones are aching and I have bloody mucus when I cough out.  I feel tired and lethargic.  So will take it easy the next few days. I believe I was infected a few days ago and I was having sore throat for some time.  Now the flu is hitting me hard.

Over the weekend, I bought soil and compost for my trees and shrub.  I also bought organic fertilizer to help my plants to grow stronger and bigger.  So I re-pot my jasmine tree and starfruit.  When the pot is small, the plant dries up easily especially since the weather is very hot now.  Hopefully, my plants can grow stronger.  Gardening is very therapeutic.  The sense of accomplishment in dirty my hands is a positive feeling.

"O" Level Stress

Today is the Parent Teacher Meeting for our B3.  We have to meet two teachers.  It is the usual way.  Meeting the teachers means bad news.  For B3, it is languages.  Both Chinese and surprisingly English as well.  Chinese teacher is quite pleased with his efforts.  She praised him for his attitude and putting in time and energy on the work.  He also submits his work on time.

English is a different story.  His vocabulary is weak and hence he is not able to express himself well.  The lack of reading shows up.  The teacher was not open to our suggestions.  It is worrying as L1 or language 1 is compulsory in the calculation for admission to JCs.  I do not know how he can work toward improving his English to A1 if he wants to go to a good JC.

It is going to be sleepless nights for daddy.

Aquarium Filter vs Pond Filter

I did not know there are two types of filters.  One is for pond and the other for aquarium.  The aquarium filter has a built-in pump.  So no unsightly pump in the tank.  The pond filter need a pump in the pond.  Filters are expensive.  The first one I bought was for pond by Laguna and it is more than $400.  Yesterday, I bought a aquarium pump and it is $220.  The filter has an important function of clearing up the water and processing the waste of the fishes.  I am installing the filter as my tank is outside with strong sunlight and the algae grows and turn the water into green opaque liquid.  I am in the process of make the water clear again. 

Peking Duck Deal in Crystal Jade Taka

I want to check out if Kino expanded section has been opened in Takashimaya.  So I went there and unfortunately, it will only be opened tomorrow.  The bookshelves are better stocked with selection broadened.  So it is more interesting to browse.  I like it when there are lots of books especially new books.  Library gives a different feel.  I was very happy when I first visited Barnes and Noble as well as Borders in US.  The selection was simply amazing.  In Canada, there were only small stores chains.  Then Chapter opens with superstore and have Starbucks in the store with a fireplace.  It was very nice to spend time there.  Then Amazon killed all 3 of the bookstores and now I have no place to visit in US or Canada.  We are lucky Kino is still doing well and expanding.  I loved the bookstore and browsing there is an adventure.  Now with all the shelves reshuffled, it is quite interesting to explore again. 

Exploring bookstore makes me hungry.  So since Tampopo has no deal, we hopped opposite to Crystal Jade.  I was thinking of dim sum but the Peking Duck deal was pretty good at $39.90 per bird.  Add 2 water and two towels plus plus i.e. plus 10 plus 7, total comes to close to $50.  It is nice to enjoy premium food.  I am glad I can enjoy spending my hard earned money.

Peach Garden in Thomson Plaza

We were not too hungry during lunch and so decide to eat dim sum.  The Chinese resturant in Thomson Plaza is now occupied by Peach Garden.  I remember going to Peach Garden in Novena Hotel.  It was very good but also very expensive.  Today, in Thomson Plaza, the price is still high but not exorbitant.  The food quality is also not as good.

I think the dim sum in Hua Ting is still the best.  It is quite expensive but the taste is good.  I loved to eat there.  We have not been there since the Champagne Lunch is not available.  Champagne Lunch is good for my boys who can eat a lot if the food is good.  It is good value.  My wife and I on the other hand have limited stomach space and it is not good value.  So we like to bring our boys together so that they can eat our share!

Shu Vegetarian

Sunset Grill left Jalan Kayu and in its place is Shu Vegetarian.  My father-in-law's birthday meal even though his birthday was a couple days ago.  The food in Shu Vegetarian is not bad.  The Lo Han Zai is raved by my brother-in-law.  He paid for the meal.  So I do not know whether it is a good deal or not.  I read the reviews in the net and many rave it is good value and good taste.  I must say I ate a lot in this restaurant.  So it is pretty good.

Rare Luxury

This morning, I woke up late.  Usually, I send my boys to school or to work.  B2 has duty this morning but I was deep asleep.  So he did not wake me up.  I am glad to sleep till the sun is up.   My mornings are dark, fast and furious.  Then I go to the hawker center for my usual cup of tea or coffee or yin yang i.e. coffee mixed with tea.  I just like to soak into the atmosphere of wet market.  Sitting and just observing the busy activities of the hawkers and people having their breakfast.

I have a lunch appointment with my father-in-law.  So it will be a vegetarian meal just to spend some time with him.  He is undergo radio therapy treatment for a cancerous lump.  He will get well.

Lazy Day

Early in the morning, we have to send B3 to Kallang Practise Track for his competition.  We then go to Old Airport Road Hawker Center for breakfast.  The coffee stall had a long queue.  I think it is the price.  The toast set which is the same as Ah Kun or Toastbox for $5.40 per set cost only $3.  The coffee is pretty good.  The eggs are done well.  We also ate Lor Mee but on the one with long queue.  Last week, we ate that stall and it is not so good especially the gravy is too thick.  This morning, we had the Tiong Bahru Lor Mee. The fish filet is deep fried and cut in large pieces.  Whereas the stall with long queue has only fish flakes.

Since we had heavy breakfast, we were not ready hungry until about half past one.  So I called Nanbantei yakatori if they have seats.  Usually, on Saturday it is hard to get a place there.  This time we get the ok for 2pm but she will only reserve the seats for 5 mins.  The last order is 2:15pm and they closed at 2:30pm.  The meal for 4 cost us $80 which is quite dear considering we took set lunch and add chicken wings and a cheesy something which B2 ordered.

I was lazing around and killing time flipping tv programs.  We warmed up our leftover pasta and then adjourn to AMK Central for Korean Fried Chicken in the coffeeshop next to Djitsun Mall.

This is a good day of rest.

A Busy Friday

My colleague resigned in Jan and only today, it is announced as his replacement has been confirmed.  The new colleague is a Brit based in Dubai.  He will be transferring to Singapore even though our Malaysian office is much bigger. 


We are under cost cutting but then the company does this.  It is obvious cost cutting is for the minions and the elites continues to enjoy their luxurious lifestyle.  This is what happen when the boss is a European.  He is transferring all the expensive heads from Europe to Asia.

Programming is Challenging

Python is supposed to be easy.  I am having trouble.  I can do the simple operations but once I try to copy slightly more advanced instruction, I get into errors.  It is taking much time to figure out why the instructions do not work as stated in the book.

This is where video is superior.  I go to Youtube and the error will pop out and then there will be a fix by the presenter.  Whereas in the book, I have to search high and low in different part of the book to see where go wrong.

But there are some good recommendations in the books on websites to go.  The google search may not get you the same sites.