What a breeze!

 I went to Johore Bahru yesterday.  The cross-border traffic has become significantly less,  Plus I just use the QR code for immigration. So it is quite convenient and faster.  When I returned home, I boarded the same bus that I alighted at Woodland Checkpoints!!!  My first time:)

I also explore further taking bus T33 to Bukit Indah.  The food is quite good.  Lunch was nasi bryani just at the bus stop.

I also bought Korean Chicken home.  It is really quite good.  What a nice trip!  Pictures of the menu and resturant below:

Healthy Food and Drink Intake

 I have been welcoming my sisters and their families for many years now. In the last few years, I noticed that the soda consumed is decreasing. This year, no one took any soda at all. The kids have grown up, and many have kids of their own. Only two Pepsi cans were open this year, and my boys and I drank them.

The guests drink only water.  I cooked 3 cups of rice and only a bit was eaten.  All just ate the chicken and cabbage.

Next year, I have to cook less rice.  In fact, I noticed only my boys ate the rice and their consumption was quite little.  More than half the rice was not eaten.

Also I am getting more ang pows.  My eldest sisters 2 girls both gave me angpows.  My baby sister's son gave me an angpow too.

I am starting to receive angpows!!!  The first to give me was Prisca.  She has given me angpows for a couple of years now.  This year, I received from Dawn and Sean.  My nieces and nephew have grown and are now adults.  I am getting old....

Geylang Serai Market

 We decided to go Geylang Serai Market to buy prawns.  We purchased 3 kgs at $12/kg.  Sotong sold out by the time we went down after our breakfast.  So we decided to buy beef brisket and beef tendon to braise.  Then we get a large fresh chicken for $11.50.  The market was extremely crowded with loads of foreign workers.  The freshest seafood at the best price!

After that we went to Fairprice to look for organic carrots.  No joy.   I bought 3 heads of cabbages for our vegetable dish.  Cabbage is best for Chinese New Year as we can keep it for a longer period of time.  I also have to prepare some food for my sisters and their family when they come on Day 1 CNY.  Tomorrow, I will buy frozen chicken to braise for my guests during CNY.

I guess I am as ready as can be to welcome the new year.

Dental Treatment Costs

 A quick search on Google on dental costs has shown a dramatic price increase!!!  I am totally shocked!!  A simple filling used to cost $80 now can cost up to $400 now.  This is crazy.  Price increase has escalated astronomically in the last few years.  Luckily, I am getting treated by my boy in school.  Cost is more affordable.  My last filling was $8.70!

Tomorrow I have to go for Dental again

 I have an appointment to see my boy boy tomorrow morning. This time, he will repair my front right incisor, which the work was done earlier. So the fix will be finished, and then I may need fillings on other teeth as well.

As I write, I recall the implant cost which I was charged $500 more than what the dentist agreed to charge after I used the medisave.  So it is important not to trust the dentist or clinic to leave them to charge you when treatment is done.

Hand me down Apple

 My wife bought a new iMac, which was passed on to me. I am not familiar with Apple's system, so it is hard to use it. Also, my current system is Windows-based, so it takes time to figure out the mouse and the different ways to operate it, and simple things like changing the screen size take time to figure out.

The good thing is I get to use the dvd player.  So now I can watch dvd again.  

2nd Sweetheart

 My second sweetheart arrived on Dec 5 at 2:57 a.m. She is good and healthy. Now, with two girls, it will be busier. We are happy, and Mum is doing fine as well.  We are clearing up our home to accommodate 2 babies.  Big baby is doing well with her potty training.  Now the newborn will require intensive care until she can sleep through the night.  

Dental Treatment

 I had dental treatment by my baby yesterday.  He is in his third year.  I had this chip in my front tooth and need to be fixed.  While waiting for my appointment with him in the two weeks period, my tooth my pre molar cracked while I was crunching on peanuts.  So I thought I have two problems for him to fix.

He did his presentation and I had to go for full mouth x-rays.  More problems surface.  Now, I may need 10 visits and total cost more than $400.  Once the supervising dentist approved his plan, he did a scaling for me.  Like all scaling, I had a few teeth that were extremely painful.  He avoided those teeth.  Overall, it is still fine as my boy take the feedback well and stopped cleaning on those teeth.  It is an ordeal not knowing when the pain will hit.  I am so glad to be treated by my boy as he can also get credit for treating me and I get treat at a subsidised cost.

The hard part for student treatment is the long waiting time.  The student has to present the case for the Prof to approve.  After that, every step needs approval and signature.  Hence it is long wait.  The cracked tooth may not be able to save.  If it can be save, I need to do a root canal.

Anyway, the good thing is I can help my boy with so many of his requirements.  The bad thing is my teeth treatment is going to take a long time and many sessions.  So scary to visit dentist.  However, I am in good hands with my baby!

Pizza Hut's Latest Products

 The cheesy pockets pizza is Pizza Hut's latest products.  They were giving out samples after my lunch.  Never give freebies especially food taste a pass, I tried and it was pretty good.  The price is $36 per regular pizza.  One for one deal makes it $18 each.  Still pretty dear considering for $9.80 KFC has a one for one meal.  Meal for 2 under $10 vs $36.

Now, there is a 11.11 deal.  So the new pizza is at $11.11.  I may have lunch at Pizza Hut today!

Surprise visit from ex-colleague

 I had a surprise my ex-colleague was in Singapore and wanted to meet up.  She has really good survival skills.  The company we worked for first bought out her company.  Now the company has been sold to another company.  Through thick and thin and she outsurvived a nasty female boss from China most recently.  I am glad to hear her nasty boss was fired for doing unethical and probably illegal transactions in the company.

I am happy to catch up and update each other.  We chatted over Chinese dinner.  Now we no longer can eat lot.  So we had food from Chinese resturant in the hotel.  The food is pretty good and hotel guests have 40% discount.  So it is quite a good deal.  The resturant is not too busy.  I guess the resturant is not well known even though the food is good.  I think the price is pretty steep without the discount.

We ordered a bottle of Sake.  I drank a small cup.  I am no drinker, so I feel a little funny after drinking the alcohol.  I was a little worried driving back home.  However, I was used to driving when I was having jetlag.  So I just relax and drive the old man's way...careful and take it easy.

Before driving out, I remember the hotel has complimentary carpark.  So I went back to the concierge and manage to get a complimentary pass for the carpark.

We had a good evening.

Interesting and Crowded Malay Resturant

 We cross the border to eat.  B3 and wife joined.  Wife is complaining about the heat and refuses to take a short walk outside the mall.  It is very tough when she keeps saying she was lied to that we will take Grab to Aeon Tebrau.  I have a fluid plan.  The key objective is to explore JB Sentral thoroughly before venturing outside Sentral.  B3 wanted to try Haidilao.  He thinks it is cheap.  Mummy does not like the idea as he was very sick before eating steamboat.  Plus the Haidilao in JB is quite expensive.  We cross over from Komtar to check it out anyway.  There were other resturants.  One is a Malay Resturant which is well patronized.  All Malay patrons.  I saw the menu and like it.  So I asked if B3 and mummy game.  They both are.  However, the wait is 40 mins.  We decided to take a drink and wait.  40mins later there were still no seats.  We decided to wait outside.  We have our table about 2pm.  

We order the fish curry, beef rendang, prawn fritters and tahu tempeh.  Prawn fritters was delicious.  Of course, we were starving, so everything was good.  The beef tastes good but the texture is tough. The rice serving below is for 1 person and it is huge!!  We will definitely go back to eat there again!

Running nose and diarrhoea

 My sweetheart girl has running nose and diarrhoea since last weekend.  She is such a poor thing.  She has no appetite to eat.  Luckily her weight remains steady.  This is because she drank 3 to 4 bottles of milk.

My poor girl pooed this morning and during her afternoon nap.  So Yeye has a rough time cleaning up and washing her clothing and my own clothing as well.   The good thing is that she is not cranky and is still behaving well.  

She is a joyful girl and giggled happily when tickled.  She now can call mamah.  Today, her first word bowl.  She is developing fast.  Although I am tired when she made a mess due to the diarrhoea, I am still happy to look after her.  When she is not well, she will always look for me as I can comfort her.

By the way, I have caught her bug and now have diarrhoea too.

Backpacking Tour

 I am now looking at dream of backpacking when I first travel for work.  In Europe, I see a lot of young adult i.e. university students age travelling on backpack.  Now I am googling and found I could also take train all the way to Bangkok and further.  It seems interesting and I may set out for adventure.  The youtrip makes it easy to transfer money as long as there is internet.  Simba also have roaming at a reasonable price.  So I should start to get out of my comfort zone and live life!

Day Trip By Bus to JB Sentral

 Going to JB by public transport is easy.  Time taken is about the same as by road but less tiring.  Best of all , total cost is $0.99 for seniors.  The passport process is streamlined.  Now we can use the automated lane to go through immigration.  So it is quite fast.  In future, it will be even easier with RTS.  For now, I need to find out how to take public bus from JB Sentral to Aeon or Southkey Mall.  Taking Grab is pretty cost effective as well.

Going to JB Sentral is also travelling back in time and visiting the memory lane.  The City Square Mall is old and still the same.  I also like Meng Meng Charsiew and Ya Wang roast duck.  The coffeeshop like Oldtown and Hock Kee Kopitiam.  There is also KFC which my friend said tastes different and better.

Next will be to take public bus to KL...

Johore Bahru, a town to explore

 Johore is developing fast. There are new buildings, yet plenty of old remains. So it is really great to renew old memories and relive the good old days. :) The exchange makes it favourable to enjoy better food at a reasonable price, especially fish dishes.

The pasar malam is a great memory lane.  I enjoyed the crowd and old style traditional food.  I need to visit a few more time to finish trying out all the different type of food available.  

It is quite easy to travel there by bus. Plenty of retirees do take public transport, so it is pretty cool, although a little tiring. But driving was worse before the VEP. Now, it is okay because the confusion is not over yet.  So driving over takes from more than one hour to now about half an hour.  Returning is about the same.

 I really enjoy the charsiew at half the price of Singapore.  Fish is fresh and not fishy at all.  All the spots we go are shopping malls and I enjoy the kopitiam coffee and tea.

Reflections

 My young adult boys and I are not getting along well.  My boys are either critical, B1 or just plainly defiant, B2.  I am opinionated and also hate to be lied to.  Maybe, I was lied to but I suffered no fools and refused to accept excuses.  I may need to be more tolerant and forgiving of myself and my boys.  

Otherwise, I may live a lonely life.  So I have to change my ways.  I have to be grateful for what I have earned so far.  Another thing is I need to enjoy taking cheap vacation in JB.  

I just returned from JB after spending one night there.  I stayed in KSL and visited the pasar malam,  It is lots of memories of the good old days.  I am grateful to be able to spend time there.

Sigh!  I really think I must close both eyes...

We ate We sightsee We pick We shop We home

 In Hokkaido, we ate seafood or rather my family ate seafood as I am not a seafood fan.  They had sashimi, crab and I had grilled dried fish.  We also ate the vegetarian soba.  Lots of resturants are run by one person.  So the wait is long.  We have to queue for long time and wait for our food for long time.  So unlike the omo hawkers here.  Japan is slow food.  

Sightseeing lots of wonderful sights - seaviews, rocks formation, clear water, Yotei mountain, giant plants and insects.

2X Mosquito 

We pick fruits.  It is hard to get sweet fruits.  Most are already been picked.  Still it is fun to take pictures...

Beehive for pollinating the flowers

Peckman Pear

Apple

My harvest

Shopping is done by B3 and Wife.  B3 went to a supermarket and get all the cheese, milk powder and snacks.  We checked in all the groceries.

The way home is tough because we have a 6 hours layover.  We were stuck at Pudong old terminal and forgot to check which gate we are supposed to be in.  Finally, we went to gate 135.  There are only duty free and a few resturants in Pudong.

We landed in Changi Airport at 450am.  Mummy feels nauseous and we had to rest in airport for a bit before taking the cab.

Memories of Hokkaido

 

Hokkaido Experience

 The flights we took transit in Pudong, Shanghai.  The red eye flights took a toll on all of us.  We were tired and nauseous. Pudong to New Chitose is about 3 hours.  We took a train to Otaru.  Otaru is a small town.  We spent 4 nights and rent a car to go to the farm for fruit picking.  After fuit picking we drove along the seaside and imbibed the wonderful ocean view.  Stopped at several old ports to take pictures.

The food is mostly seafood.  So I have beers, coffee, peanuts and potato chips instead. I actually gained 2 kilos.  The best hotel we stayed in was Ki Niseko in Kutchan.  The hotel is right beside the ski lift and has wonderful view of the Yotei mountain.

Our last stop is Sapporo where we did a bit of shopping.  Mostly buying cheese and snacks by B3.

Hokkaido seems a lot more expensive than Nagano and the exchange rate to yen has went up by 9% making everything a lot more expensive.

Hokkaido

 My eldest found a good deal on airtickets.  So we are going to Hokkaido.  The airfare is less than $500!!  But hotels are still expensive.  We will have to pay $2,000 for 8 hotel nights for 3. But I am looking forward to the trip.  Fall time is harvest season.  So we will look for farms to pick fruits and spend the day there.  Lot of nature in Hokkaido, my kind of holiday.  

We are happy to go for short holidays and live life.

Enjoy Cooking

 Cooking is an enjoyable pastime.  Experimenting is fun when the end product is enjoyed by the people who consumed it.  With life normal, it is back to eating out and looking for different food at different places or hawker centers.  

I missed cooking.  I love to barbeque for my boys when they were growing up.  Then, my wife make me go cooking class with her.  I now can do baking and also cooking from internet and recipe book is so easy once I took the cooking lessons.

I missed cooking and thinking of inviting some friends over to taste my cooking.

B3 Gets Upset

 Last Sunday, we had a family dinner with our 3 boys.  I asked B3 to help in cleaning some of the dishes.  He got upset and reminds me of him clearing the garbage every night.  Now he is sulking and refuses to clear the garbage.  I had been reminding him to set up the new garbage bag properly but he refuses.  He just put in a fresh garbage bag into the container without pulling the edges over.

I feel unappreciated when I pick him up or send him to the train stations everyday.  Make his meals or buy for him.  These little things are taken for granted.  Small little chores are a gigantic deal for him.  Sigh!

What I ate in Tokyo

 

Blueberries, Peaches and Grapes

 

Hakuba Ski Resort in Summer

 

Rainy Day in the Park

 

Nagano, A Beautiful Place

 Back for our Japan Trip for a week.  Time to collect my experience.  This is the first time I drove in a vacation.  The rental car was Alphard as we had 5 adults and a baby with loads of luggage.  We landed in Narita and then took a ride from the rental company to pickup our car.  We were given a tiny van.  So my wife decides to upgrade.  It was a good decision to drive the Alphard.  Plenty of room especially with a baby.

B3 planned the trip to Nagano.  We went to parks, Kamikochi, Peach farm, Blueberries farm and taste the best Tonkatsu in Japan.  I really enjoyed this trip and wonder why I did not drive whenever I went for vacations with the family.  I love Nagano!!  This air is clean, the stores are like in Canada big boxes and resturants are individual buildings with carparks lots.  It is exactly like living in Canada/US.  I am feeling like back home in Canada.  The produces in the supermarkets are fresh and price is low compared to Singapore.  The meats are very fresh and processed for ease of use.  Best of all prices are extremely low!  I am very excited  if I can live here for long long time!

Tokyo is the same, lucky my family book the hotel in the same neighbourhood as where I usually stay for work i.e. Akasaka.  So I am quite happy to visit all the resturants I used to go.

Yes, this trip was fabulous.

Japan Here I Come

 It's been a long time since I traveled.  Today, we will be flying off to Japan.  Now the yen is weak vs Singapore.  So the trip will be less costly than before.  B3 wanted this trip for his school holiday.  He has planned the itinerary.  I am totally not involved other than driving the vehicle to Nagano and then to Tokyo.  Our granddaughter and daughter-in-law are coming along too.  So it will be a big family trip.  Unfortunately, B1 cannot make it. 

It is nice to get a change in scenery.

So Nice to See our Baby Girl Growing Up

We just received a video of our granddaughter.  She is wearing her pink shoes and is cruising well.  A couple of scary moments where she almost lost her balance.  She recovers her balance and continues to cruise.  It is quite thrilling to see our little girl growing up.

I loved to watch videos of her.  She is so happy.  She loved to eat our food, bath time is great joy and play in the swimming pool.

Next Sunday Nagano, Here we Come

 We are going to Nagano next Sunday!  We have not booked our hotel yet.  Now, we have to book our hotel and van.  We will need to confirm everything before we leave.  I am flexible.  But my wife is picky and has loads of requirements for hotels.  Must have good reviews, clean toilets, near amenities, near public transport yadee yada.

Me?  Best price wins:)

Nagano

 We are planning a trip to Nagano, the Alps of Japan.  We have to figure out how to get there and also decide on the itinerary.  My youngest is the one who suggested this trip and going to Nagano.  So we are letting him take the lead.  We have booked our hotels and air tickets to Tokyo.  The Nagano sector is still open.  I am looking forward to visiting Japan soon.

My Poor Baby

 Last night, my baby woke up just before midnight crying.  Her throat was gurgling.  So I should have anticipated that she may vomit but did not.  So when she vomits, our bedroom is in a mess.  I have to bathe her and wash her hair.  My poor baby was not feeling well.  The good thing is after washing her and myself up, she is fine to fall back asleep.  However, this morning at 6am, I woke up to relieve myself and she sat up.  My sweetheart is a light sleeper.  I also wonder if the switch in bedroom is causing her some stress.

TGIF

 Friday's.  I missed this resturant.  They closed down unfortunately.  The other American chains I like are Chilis and Tony Romas.  The Tony Romas across the border do not serve Pork Ribs.  Tony Romas have good potato skins.  Chilis have good ribs too.

I have stopped travelling.  Otherwise, I will go to Friday's in Tokyo and Seoul every time I travel there.  I loves the fajitas in Chilis.  The nice warm pancakes with sizzling beef and chicken topped with sliced onions and bell peppers.  

Reminiscing the good old days...

Rolex Service Center

 Rolex Service Center is between Lucky Plaza and Paragon.  We walked past the place numerous times.  This morning is my first time entering the service center.  My wife bought a new watch and the strap broke.  So she brought it there to get it fixed.  

There is a form to fill and then have to wait for your name to be called.  The lady that attended to us is quite nice.  She has this horrified expression that shows empathy.  She also did not need to see the receipt or warranty card.  This is pretty cool as they treat customers well.  I am quite happy with my wife's experience.

Mall Crawling

 My next door neighbour moved out after we had a protection order from the court for them to stop harassing us.  The new neighbour basically ripped out the whole house.  Last week and this week, it was so noisy with the hacking of the floor and walls.  We have to run to the malls to escape from the noise.

Since parking is expensive, we take public transport to go to the different malls.  Today, we went to Lucky Plaza, Paragon and lunch at the basement of Lucky Plaza.  Yesterday, we were at Waterway Point and CompassOne.

The good thing about mall crawling is the aircon is free as the weather is extremely hot.  Eating out at the mall is quite expensive.  Due to weather, my wife is very resistant to eating at any hawker center.  I am looking forward to the noisy environment stopping and staying at home with my computer!!

Beautiful Monday

 It is usually beautiful Sunday.  I feel Monday is beautiful too.  It is the start of work week.  My little baby is sleeping with grandma.  Baby was awake early.  Her diaper was wet and leaking.  I changed her diaper and made milk for her before sending B3 to NEX where Serangoon MRT station.  I return home quickly as I am worried that baby is up and about disrupting her grandma's beauty sleep.  The good thing is baby is back sleeping.  So sweet!!

Pleasant Surprise!

 My good friend who taught how to blog, Boh Tong, the Great Blogger on Airlines stories has dropped by and left a comment for me!  Thanks a bunch, BT!!  BT now lives in Fukuoka with his beautiful Japanese wife.

Figuring out Dinner for Sunday

 I may roast a big Chicken, 1.4kg from Cold Storage.  It will be easy as I can put it in the oven or use the BBQ stove.  Then I just need to get a salad or boiled vegetables.  The other possibility is to get seafood from Geyland Serai Market and have boiled prawns.  The Cantonese style is simple.  Just boil the prawn and have dark soya sauce dip.

Tiong Bahru Bakery Deal

 On April's Fool Day, Tiong Bahru Bakery(TBB) had a deal.  For every bread purchased, you get a free drink.  We were at Tang's.  B3, our youngest boy was with us and we bought 4 breads.  For every bread purchased, we get a card that allows us to purchase 3 more times the bread with a free drink.  Yesterday, we used up one card and today we also had a drink in TBB Waterway Point.  

We have 5 more breads with free drinks left for April month!

Family Dinner Tomorrow

 B1 cycled home this evening.  B2 was around, so I reminded them of dinner on Sunday.  But B1 wanted dinner tomorrow instead.  I will cook up the 2nd tomahawk with french fries.  Will have to get some green.  I am thinking about whether to get some seafood from Geylang Serai market.

Geyland Serai has the freshest seafood at a fantastic price.

Weighing a baby - 10kg

 I have a bathroom scale which I use to weigh myself every day.  It is a good feedback system.  But I still eat too much.  I am overweight.  Forget about this rant.

When the baby was back, I decided to weigh her.  So I weigh myself.  The scale read 88kg.  There is a decimal point which now I have forgotten.  I then carry her and stand on the scale again.  This time it read 98kg to the same decimal point i.e. 88.7 to 98.7.  So my baby weighs 10.0 kg on April 2, 2024.  She is 11 months now.  

Baby will be home today

 We are looking forward to seeing our baby today after a 10-day break.  She was in Japan and had a great time with her parents getting soft toys and enjoying the Japanese cuisine.  She also had pictures taken with sakura in bloom.  Great to see our baby enjoying herself.

Meanwhile, I am looking forward to Sinpopo tomorrow for lunch.  Sinpopo has a member's day every Wednesday.  

One for One Tomahawk

 Cold Storage has this one-for-one deal for tomahawk.  Tomahawk is a piece of rib with meat attached.  The meat is thick and therefore easier to cook medium or rare.  Beef well done is tough!  However, my wife likes her beef well done.  Hence, after cooking the beef, I will have some small pieces well done.  Sometimes, I just gave her the edges.  The edges are also my favorite as it is well caramelized and full of flavors.

We will be having tomahawk for dinner tonight.  I am looking to cooking beef.  Its been a long time since I have cooked beef for dinner.

The final output of cooked Tomahawk.  The outside is medium well and the inside is medium.

Banana Trees Gone

 This morning, I decided to clear 2 banana trees.  I have not been successful in growing banana.  I had 2 trees that bear fruits twice.  So far no luck in getting the rest to fruit yet.  Maybe they do have enough nutrients.  I have fed them with vegetables and fruit scraps.  The earthworms are thriving in the soil they are in.   Yet, they are reluctant to bear fruits.  

When I was along the streets, there were plenty of banana plants bearing fruits even though they looked neglected.  Hence my laments.

The Joy of Happy Baby

 My baby is in Japan with her parents.  We get videos of her on whatsapps.  It is a joy to see her so happy.  She pumped her arms excitedly when she saw us whenever on the videocalls.  She is so amazing.  She will be one in a couple of months and she understood us on video calls!  Grandma asked who is Baby and she patted her chest.  The screen was small and voice out of a small gadget.  My heart is filled with joy just seeing her on the video!

Draw Your CPF at 70!!!

 If you have enough money, then join the CPFlife at age 70.  Interest earned in RA account from 65 to 70 remains yours.  That is if there is 200K in RA, then interest of $40K will be added to the CPFLife.  So if I do kick the bucket before 85, my beneficiary will get the money.   Additional $40k is good to have.  The article in Today explained the concept well: 

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/explainer-why-interest-retirement-accounts-not-accrued-once-cpf-life-payouts-start-and-how-much-will-your-family-get-when-you-die-2371906

Reporting Death

 My mum passed on last year.  She lived in Canada for 30 years.  We have to report her death to the Canadian Authorities.  It is not an easy task.  I asked my eldest son to report as he is best equipped to do it.  Last night, he managed to report.  He has to wait for more than 30 mins to get through.  The first time he called, the agent hung up on him.  Anyway, the good news is he managed to call through and report the death.

Now everything is by snail mail.  

How to earn more than 2.5% interest in CPF!!!

 Your money in Ordinary Account in CPF earns only 2.5% per annum.  There is a safe and guaranteed way of earning for the 2.5%.  Government T-bills.   The latest T-bill closed on Thursday 14 March 2024 has a yield of 3.78%.  This is 1.28% more than CPF rate of 2.5%.

Any amount more than $20,000 in Ordinary Account can be invested in Government Securities which T bills come under.  A simple example - assuming your account has $70,000.  $70K minus $20K equals $50K.  To invest, open a CPF investment account with your bank.  Go the internet banking and in invest SGS Singapore Government Securities, click.  There will be an option to invest in multiple of $1,000.  There are options for Cash, SRS or CPF.  Click on CPF.  There is a choice of competitive or non competitive bid.  Non-competitive means you will take whatever the rate is.  Competitive is the minimum rate you are interested to invest.

The example of $50K invested will give you $320 more that CPF pay you in 6 months.  I used to think this is too much trouble.  Had I done it 30 years ago, I will earn $19,200 more assuming everything stay at the same.

While there will be up and down in T bills interest rate, it will definitely be more than 2.5% CPF is paying.

Am I happy?

 I have not been working.  So free from the stress of work and workplace politics.  Am I happy?  I am not sure.  Before stopping work, I had bought lots and lots of books to read and study.  Now I am getting rid of books.  I am slowly trying to clear up the clutter in my house.  I saw the books cost a lot of money.  Some fiction books I bought for my boys cost more than $50 each.  The books have turned yellow and spotted with brown patches.  I feel quite bad that expensive books are printed on poor quality newsprint paper.  Anyhoo, the books have aged and served their purpose.  Time to move on.

I find reading on ebook is quite difficult to stay focused for long period.  It is easy with physical book.  I remember getting the rush when I enjoyed reading and learning new stuff or even just a story.  As a growing boy, I read Enid Byton.  It feels good to read about boys and girls doing stuff.  Imagine the world of pixies and globins.  The magic faraway tree.  Or going adventure with the Famous Five.  Then the fairy tales where the kids are saved from evil stepmothers or poor girl who marry a Prince and live happily ever after.

Living free from work does not seem to be happily ever after.  It is free to fill up my time with brainless activity i.e. youtube and Tiktok.  Now even movies from Netflix are too long.  Days are quite peaceful.  Granddaughter is a joy.

The Life 2.0 begun...

Amazing Change and Development

Our baby girl is developing fast!!  First she learns to flip, then crawl.  Now she can crawl backward to go from bed to floor.  Yesterday, she understood clap.  She can also go from prone to sitting.  It is some new everyday.  It is a real joy to see her first everything!  She has 2 lower incisors.  Incredible to see her exploring her environment and picking up toys on her own.

Now I am giving her toilet training.  I am enjoying my girl so much.

Yellow Vented Bulbul

 In the morning, songbird singing gives a wonderful feeling.  

So Pictures of Food

 Bake Potato Skins

Boiled Shrimps

Mashed Potato

Great Family Time!

I want to write about the dinner we had on Sunday.  I spent the whole day cooking.  All 3 boys were back for dinner.  Reminds me of the time when we had our meals together as a family.  This time, we have 2 daughters-in-law and a granddaughter.  Our table can fit 6 chairs and we add a stool.  

The potato skins were a popular appetizer.  I have bbq pork belly, grilled shitake mushroom and grilled beef balls.  The boiled prawns and boiled sotong were great for the womanfolks.  I used the water to boil the seafood to cook the veg.  Chinese cabbage did not go well.  I have to figure out different veg next time.

Although I bought the ingredient to make chendol.  Only B2 requested.  So I did not make it.  I cut watermelon instead.  

During dinner, we had conversations about childcare for our baby girl, work, business and school.  Its been a long time since we had warm dinner.  It is a great way to stay grounded and updated on the lives of our boys. 

We are thankful and love them so much.

Rain Rain on Sunday Morning

A wet morning to the wet market.  Pork belly 1kg $20.  Shitake mushroom $1.20/100g.  I had $3 worth.  Holland potatoes was $1.60/600gram.  So it is time for Fairprice where the same potatoes go for $1.65/kg.  I also get coconut milk and chendol for desserts.  Watermelon is $4 for small size.  So into the basket it goes.  Now I am ready for dinner tonight.  hooray!!

Menu for Tomorrow

 I am thinking of drawing a menu so that when I do the grocery tomorrow morning, I will be able to get the right supplies.  I am struggling with dessert.  Usually, we have fruits.  So maybe I should get some fruit.

Potato Skins

Salad?

Mashed Potatoes (from potato skin)

Pork Belly

Chicken?

Beef Balls

Seasonal Fruit

Sunday Dinner

 I am an empty nester.  Two boys are married and the baby is boarding in school.  It is time for a regular get together.  So I want to have regular meal with my boys on Sunday evening.  It will be a good time to get together and just have family time.  

I will think of a menu.  For tomorrow, I think I will do a charcoal bbq.  It has been a while since I bbq.  The rainy season is over.  So good time to try out again.  I will prepare potatoes skins for appetizer and salad.  Also have to figure out what meat to bbq.  May be I will prepare mash potatoes as well.

It is back to the old days when my boys ate homecooked barbecue regularly.

Fell of the Bed. Head bruised!!

 Last night, my granddaughter fell off the bed and was bruised on the forehead and both sides of the head.  It broke our hearts.  She was left on the bed by her father, our 2nd son.  He goes into the toilet to wash his hands and she falls.

We are furious with him as he does not understand the baby is growing fast and will be able to move.  Only yesterday morning we sent the videos of the baby starting to crawl.  Hopefully, he learns his lesson and watches her like a hawk.

This morning my granddaughter was quiet and clingy.  Seems like she is still recovering from the shock.  We were too and did not make her laugh as usual.  By afternoon, she warms up and we also relaxed and started to make her laugh happily.

Manga Craze

 Recently, I have been escaping to manga comics in Youtube.  The storyline is pretty standard.  Office worker, no university degree make good.  Girlfriend stolen by boss or colleague.  Then after a few years, the guy became rich or had a successful company.  The ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend will make disparaging remarks. The the protagonist will be revealed as the CEO or successful games producer.  The girlfriend will change their mind and want the protagonist back but another girl will be telling the ex off.

The plot of the manga comics is very simple and the themes are all similar.  Watching them is a brain dead activity.  An entertaining way of passing time for now.  Once I am tired of my manga craze, I will have to seek new avenue to past time.

Nyonya Resturant Sinpopo in Tangs

 Today there is a one for one deal in Sinpopo.  So we will go check it out.  The food in Sinpopo is quite nice but pricey.  So if there is a deal, we will take since it is better value.  I like the resturant as there is a nursing room nearby.  So it is convenient to spend time there with my granddaughter.  Just order one item.  If it is drink, cost is about $10.  Any food item will cost about $20.  It is like paying rental for the ambience and I can just enjoy the company of my sweetheart.  The nursing room nearby makes it stress free.

Chinese New Year Upon Us

 In 2 days, it will be CNY eve.  I am still thinking of dinner plans.  My wife commanded that we do steamboat.  So now I have to get the items.  I loved the fishballs and beancurd skin.  However, my wife believes in real fish and real meat (instead of meatballs).  My plan is to buy fresh food from Geylang Serai market.  The seafood there is fresh and at a good price.  My fridge and freezer are all cluttered up with stuff.  So we will have to clear up the fridge to store the new year groceries.

Now I have 2 married sons.  This year the dinner will be bigger.  Instead of our usual 5, we have 7 adults and a baby.  My family has grown and shrunk.  The married boys are out of the house.  So usually only 3 sleep in the home, my wife, granddaughter, and I.  On weekends, our baby boy is home replacing our granddaughter.

We are empty nester:(

Kobo e-reader Lost

 I am very sad I lost my beloved e-reader.  It is a Kobo 8.3 inch.  It is nice to read at the poolside as the ambident light is strong and the surface does not reflect light like iPad or laptop.  I must have left it at the swimming and totally forgot about it.

I thought of getting a replacement but this size is no longer available.

Stupid Me!!

 Yesterday, I was walking into AMK Hub Fairprice.  A little boy was trying to ring the bell.  Impulsively I went to life him up to let him ring the bell.  He jumped up as I was lifting him.  This sudden movement made me use my strength suddenly.  Now I think I have injured my surgical wound and may have cause possible hernia.  

I was incredibly stupid.  It is a fraction of a moment.  I did not feel good and looked for my back brace to wear.  This morning I feel pain in my right abdomen when I have to shift position.  I am really really stupid. 

Cholecystitis

 I had pain in my abdomen just below the ribcage.  I thought it may be kidney stones.  So when I went to the doctor to get a referral, she pressed my abdomen and asked me to go to A&E right away.  She suspects it may be cholecystis.  I checked in A&E the next day and blood tests shows negative.  Then the doctors decided to do CT scan and found a 3.2cm gallstone was blocking the bile duct.  They suggest emergency surgery and my gallstone was taken out right away.

JB again on 22nd Nov

 We decided to drive up to JB on our own.  I put on Google and found that Google Map keeps sending us around.  I should have read the signs on the road instead.  We keep seeing the custom immigration but Google Map keep directing us away.  It is immensely frustrating to be so near yet so far especially when we can see the queues but unable to join since we are on the different direction.

My wife decided to download Waze and it is so much better.  To get over to JB, the wait is almost 2 hours.  Once we crossed the borders, it was a breeze.  I think due to the delay in the causeway, it may be better to spend more time there instead of a day trip.  The day trip insurance is $16 per person.  Toll charges is RM22 and S$2.50.  So it costs about $42 just to get over there.  

We bought durians. 3 pieces for RM100.  It may be slightly cheaper but not much.  My wife did her hair and price there is a lot more competitive.  We had lunch at Meng Meng.  The food is very good and great value for fish dish and roast meat.  We also have tea i.e. coconut tarts and coffee at Nam Heong.  It is quite a nice experience.

The Joy of Babysitting

 I have mentioned about my granddaughter.  She is growing up fast!  Yesterday, she sat on a baby chair that the father i.e. my son bought and assembled from China!  Ikea will not have to be more competitive.  

Today, my granddaughter went out together with her daddy mummy to meet friends.  She is now sitting on a baby chair in a resturant.  She is strong enough to sit on a baby chair without fussiness.  Everyday is a joy to see her progress in her development.

For us, the most important development was to be able to sleep through the night.  She did that 2 months ago.  Yes, our baby girl is sleeping between grandpa and grandma for 5 nights a week.

When she wakes up, she will be smiling and kicking her legs happily.  The joy to see her so happy is indescribable.   

Thinking of JB

 The ringgit keeps weakening making it more attractive to go over to visit JB again.  The food there is nice and excellent value.  I am also thinking to get durian there.  The last time we were there, plenty of retirees are there eating and passing time.  The resturants food of the good quality and far better value than at home.  However, we have to spend the time to travel and also pay tolls.

There are plenty of kopitiam like Toastbox which also sell food.  Coffeeshop food at food court prices.  The egg tarts and roast meat are pretty mean.  So it is quite enjoyable to pay half the price for high quality meals.

JB Trip

 My friend invited me to JB with a group of schoolmates yesterday.  The goal is to look at the investment of the properties in JBCC or Johore Baru City Center. 

Then we have an eating tour.  We had lunch at Pa Wang Duck which is roast duck with dishes.  The food is very good and costs only RM300 for 8 people.  After lunch, we went for a durian feast.  Red prawns and a brand from Muar.  The durians are pretty good.  We had karaoke.  Our Hainanese schoolmates sang well.  They sang in Hokkien, Cantonese, English, and Mandarin.

Then we had coffee and egg tarts.  I bought Famous Amos cookies which my boys like.  The cookies are finished today!!!  I bought a total of 600 grams.

I had a good time and it was nice to meet up with old schoolmates and hangout.

Good news!

 I am now officially a Grandpa!!  My granddaughter was born 4 months ago on May 3rd.  She is the most beautiful girl in the world.  She is very sweet and adorable.  I enjoys looking after her even though it can be tiring and exhausting.  I am so lucky:)

Court Update!

 It is more than 2 years since I last written on my blog.  I was distracted by a court case with my neighbour.  The good thing is the court case is over.  I have protection from my neighbour.  Now they have put up their house for sale.  If they had done so earlier, we would not have to go to court.  

Audition

 I went for audition for 2 commercials yesterday.  I do not know how I perform.  Hopefully, I can get a gig.

Exercise

 I am going to exercise more regularly.  The appointment for cardiologist is in April.  I asked the doctor how to prevent a repeat of heart racing, but she says there is no physical factors found based on the tests done.  My heart attack marker troponin T, went up after 2 hours but came down after another 4 hours.  So it is safe to discharge me.

Palpation

 Yesterday evening while driving to Yishun, I feel my heart is racing.  I come to a carpark and rest.  Take many deep breaths to calm my heart to no avail.  My skin was cold and clammy.  I was having cold sweat.  I decided to go straight to A&E in Sengkang.  I checked in.  No doctor come and see me.  But blood tests were ordered.

At about 1130 pm, I spoke to the Prof.  He asked about my med history and additional information cause my case to have higher risk factors.  So I was warded for the night  for another blood test.

Nothing imminent.  So have to see Cardiologist.

Graduation

We had a graduation ceremony on March 1.  There are two classes in NUS.  Advanced Manufacturing and Building Engineeing.  Now our studies is over.  I received a prize!  A Certificate for  Friend of the Class.  Stood up for the class and gave feedback.  My classmates are kind.

T

Catherine Wood

 The superstar Fund Manager for Technology Stocks.  According to my niece, she has the midas touch.  Any stock she chooses, it will give good returns.  Now I will be watching her as her focus is on new fangle technology stock.

Stock Market

 My niece is working for Amazon.  Her sign on bonus is 100 Amazon shares.  It was worth $150K at the time of signing.  Now, it is worth $320K USD!!!  It is amazing.  She is doing well.  Her pay should be sky high even though she did not say.

She is telling us about call and put to make kopi money.  Seems a good way to earn some income.  She is in a totally different market.  She plays with technology stock and it is very volatile.  Her stories are very interesting.  We need to get our feet wet.  It is quite exciting but maybe the excitement is not for us.  The stock are quite mysterious and the price can go up by a lot and also down by a lot i.e 100% up or more and then down by 70%.

Maddening Drilling Noise

 I am having headaches.  The renovation next door is driving us crazy.  We have to get out of the our home to keep our sanity.  The drilling is random.  Worse is the vibrations are amplified through the concrete wall.  So we get both noise and vibration.  I am getting headaches and feeling exhausted.  I also have to do my school work and this quite challenging.  Sigh!  It will be another 3 months of sheer torture.

Wonderful brunch

 There are 6 of us.  We had a wonderful brunch.  Plenty of food and we continue with a beer in Prive at Paragon.  Belgium white beer was very nice.  I love it!  But I am not a drinker, so I drank half a pint.

I am very happy with the company.  We had good conversation and great time together.

Brunch at Minang

 We have a small group with our schoolmates for hawker meals.  Today, it is Minang, Indonesian food in Lucky Plaza.  Minang food quality is quite good but pricey.  We take turns to host.  My friends are quite generous.

I am looking forward to the meal.

Renovation Next Door

 The house next door was sold.  The new owner is making extensive renovation.  My balcony glass cracked and needs to be replace.  Tiny glass shards are all over my balcony.  The noise by the drilling and jackhammer is deafening and it is impossible to stay home.  The vibration is so bad that the other unit next door on the opposite side has it wall crack and water seeping in.  

While it is exciting to move into a new house, sometimes the contractor you choose can cause problem to houses beside.  I hope no further damages to our houses.

Nyquist and Bode

 My head has been filled with hifi maths.  Abstract and impossible to understand.  So depressing.  This is the final module.  I will be glad when this is over.  Then we have a month long project to do.  After that it is end of course...

Nice and Cool

 The weather is very nice and cool.  This morning the drizzle was very fine.  Feel like fall time in Canada.  I like this kind of weather.  It reminds me of home in another country.  Fall colours are beautiful.  Temperature drops lower and lower daily.  Day becomes shorter and shorter.  Then flurries and snow.  Yes, it is a beautiful sight!  I love it.  But driving is not so fun in winter.  Also have to clear snow on the pathway and driveway.

But cold outside, and warm inside with a gas fireplace, it is quite nice.  I love living in like the story books I grew up with...

Progress!

 Yesterday, I completed another course.  Did the quiz and project presentation.  Overall, we did well.  Very euphoric even though I still feel short of learning to my satisfaction.  It is nice to have team mates and discussion with different people.

I have one classmate who does Forex trading and his project is Forex forecast.  It is quite impressive what he has done.  Only problem is his conclusion is right now it is still lagging.  So he is working to find a way so that he can make money with data analytics.

Taking Classes

 I am now going for classes to "retool" under the govt initiative.  Our govt does not believe in handouts.  You have to work for it or study for it.  The economy is contracting and many jobs are gone.  So now the govt has schemes of internship where the company pays $500 and gov pays $2,000.  I may have my numbers wrong.  The program is to help create jobs.

Another program is "re skilling".  Gov will pay for the course fees and you have to take the classes seriously.  That is, there must be an assessment and attendance.  Jobs NOT INCLUDED.  It is a good way to pastime.

I am learning Excel and some Data Analytics.  I tried self learning and it was difficult.  Now I am making a little progress.  However, it is still tough going...

Journal on Contribution and Gratitude

 Learn to appreciate small things in my life.

Stop worrying about inconsequential matters

Slow down on snacks and other unhealthy food

Start exercising more.

Gratitude

 A letter of Gratitude increases happiness.  

So, I am writing this note and publishing in my blog.  

My best friend is my wife.  She stick to me through thick and thin.  In sickness and in health.  Our boys are growing up well and do well in their school and work.  She deserves all the credits.  I like to make her laugh and sing my off tune songs.  Once we even tried duet.  The act of working on the duet is very rewarding.

Thank you for being my friend.

Water Melon Fresh, Water Melon Sweet!!

We harvested the water melon as the leaves have all withered.  It is quite sweet!

Harvest Time!

The brinjal plant is weighed down.  So we decides to cut the brinjal so that the plant can be relief and also the leaves will be taller.

60 Days for Watermelon to Ripen

My friend, Boh Tong said it takes 60 days or 2 months for the watermelon to ripen.  I am quite excited.  As it is in a pot, I have only one watermelon so that the plant can concentrate on this one fruit.  Hopefully, it will taste sweet.

Crash Landing - Korean Drama

My sister recommended this drama to me.  I just started to watch and it is amazing!  Funny, scary, tense and full of tender moments as well.  It is a good mix.  This is why it is so glued to the seat drama.  It is quite a roller coaster ride just watching the show.

I would say Highly Recommended.

Baby Watermelon

Nowadays, watermelons come seedless.  Seedless is nice and easy to eat.  No seeds give crunch and then taste bitter.  However, no seeds also means to grow watermelon  one has to buy seeds from the garden store.  Not too long ago, I had a watermelon with a few seeds even though it was a seedless melon.  I threw the seeds into my pot.  Some seedlings did grow.  All did not survive due to a variety of reasons - eaten by snails, burnt by too strong sun, or just simply fad away.  All except on.  Now the one is growing well.  I am very happy to see the leaves grows quite big.  It also had several female flowers before.  But the fruits cannot grow.  Now I have one baby watermelon!!  I am very happy to see this flower swelling up.  Below is the picture of the baby watermelon.  I hope it will grow big and juicy.

Baby Bird - Brown Shirk

Our micro garden has birds was chirping like very loudly.  So I look out and found a baby with 2 adult birds very excited and flustered.  I was worried about frightening the baby or rather fledging.  So I took videos from inside.  There is no sounds as I took the video from inside glass door of my house.  The baby is hidden in the dark but you can see it in the middle of the screen.  We always feel very happy to have birds building nests in our house.  Olive Back Sunbird - first-baby-olive-back-sunbird-is-out

Daddy?  Maybe Mummy

Baby is in the middle of the screen.  Use full screen to locate the baby

Grasshoppers!

I have been growing plants and vegetables for a long time now.  I always get lots of snails and will catch them at night especially after rain.  Snails are big eaters and destroys my orchids and other plants.  Recently, I managed to grow rice and discover some grasshoppers.  Since then, there are lots of holes on my brinjal plant.  I thought it might be caterpillars but could not find any.

Yesterday, as I was getting rid of tiny white flies in the sweet potato leaves, something jumps out.  On closer look I saw a tiny grasshopper in the leaf.  Then I saw another grasshopper on the brinjal leaves.  So I found the answer to all the holes in the leaves.  It was the grasshoppers.

I killed 2 or 3 by squashing them.  This morning, more grasshoppers.  It is going to be a challenge to keep my plants from eaten up.

My Friend Boh Tong is planting well in Japan

Boh Tong is growing lots of stuff in Japan.  He has a green thumb!  I am experimenting as well.  Recently, I managed to grow some rice.  They looked like grass in the beginning and suddenly the green padi appears.  It is like magic!

Young Padi Shoots

Pane Andov

Pane Andov travel in the astral dimension and give talks and wrote books about it.  He is in YouTube and wrote a book titled The Awakening Life Force Energy.  I find the subject he wrote on quite interesting.  He write things as a matter of fact on a totally invisible and different world.  Also he does not write as a deduction or quote from other sources.  He does has a recommended list.  A lot of what he write collaborate with Lobsang Rampa's writing. 

I read Lobsang Rampa in Secondary School and find it facinating.  So even though I have plenty of choice of books to read, I read Pane Andov first.  After reading, I search and him on YouTube.  However, I don't find the videos as engaging or interesting.  I loved his book and all the illustrations.

It is nice to start reading again.

Posting is Out!!!

After a teeth gnashing and incredibly challenging wait, the posting for B3 is finally out!. He did not get his first choice which is medicine.  He is quite disappointed.  He was offered TCM in NTU and scholarship in SMU IT and Law.  Both he is not so keen.  So he has accepted his 2nd choice in NUS i.e. dental school.

He had talks with his friend's sister who is currently in dental school.  I think it convince him that it is not so bad a choice.

Anxiety State

This week is the outcome of the B3's placement in University.  We are in a high anxiety state.  We prayed hard.  Some of his friends have been offered in another school.  For him, it is waiting for the last school to announce whether he gain admission or not.

Mummy is checking on Kiasu Parents website.  There are lots of comments and analysis.  Seems like other parents are also in the same high anxiety state.

Vesak Day - Full Moon

The sky is clear and moon is full.  Buddha is smiling on us.  The day is quiet and I am nursing a headache.  I have been having headaches since my DJ Stent was removed.  I am suspecting it may be cold turkey from black tea.  Although initially, I suspect it may be the ureter healing after being traumatised by the DJ stent removal.  The whole stretch of ureter will be scratch by the stent as it was being pulled out.

Panadol does not work on my headaches.  So I decided to drink Chinese tea.  It seems to help a bit.  However, I do not know how much oxalate Chinese tea contains.  Will google after finishing this entry.

We are slowly clearing up our fridge of all the old food we bought but did not get to eat.  Some we have to throw as they are expired.  I am also baking cookies for snacks.  The thing about making my own cookies is I know how much sugar it contains.  And it is a lot.  No wonder I have weight issues as cookies are my favorite snacks.

I will have to develop a lower sugar version and bake myself to have healthier snacks.

Cooped Up at Home

It has been a few weeks now.  We are all cooped up at home except for grocery or meal times to buy takeouts.  It is tough.  Luckily, we have plenty of room and space for the family.  One boy is out.  The other 2 has their own rooms.  While CB is tough, we have internet, gardening, cooking, washing up and other daily chores.  So time do pass.

Singtel TV is lousy.  So we watched Korean Soap Drama.  It is a good way to pass time.

I am also reading more.