Gardens at the Bay

The Gardens at the Bay looks nice.  It is now officially open but there is an entrance fee.  I guess there will be many areas that is free.  The pictures look nice.  I must visit after all the excitement is over.  Right now, the crowd is quite large.  The F&B sounds interesting too.  Maybe it is good to get a home close by to enjoy the garden.

The government is doing a good thing to spend a billion dollar building a garden right downtown.  This is on top of opportunity cost of not selling the land for commercial or residential purpose.  This is getting the priority right! 

Mount Alvernia Hospital

Mount Alvernia Hospital is undergoing extensive renovation and rebuilding.  Looking at the changes, I believe there will be an increased in capacity.  The hospital is a missionary hospital with a chapel.  Amazingly, the hospital is business as usual with the intensive re-construction.  Maybe it is due to the construction activities, the queue in the A&E is quite short.  There are patients wheeled in on stretcher and wheel-chair.  Overall, it took about an hour from the time we arrived to payment and collecting the medication.  Not bad unlike A&E in KK hospital which normally takes about 3 hours.

After consulting the doctor, we go to Adams Road hawker since it is the only way to exit the hospital.  We had breakfast earlier, prawn noodles in Upper Thomson Road where the famous Ampang Yong Tau Foo is.  So we do the take-away for No. 1 Nasi Lemak.  This is one of our favorite Nasi Lemak.  The queue is short but the wait is fairly long for mid-morning.  B1 and B3 enjoyed wonderful nasi lemak lunch at home.  The meal for 4 of us cost $12.50.  Not bad.  We have to supplement with fruits - mangoes and Barnfield oranges.

Thinking Through Writing

This book is cited by Janadas Devan as a good book on writing.  Janadas is one of the best writer in Straits Times.  I always enjoyed his columns.  He always write about language and is very lucid.  It is fun reading his articles.   I feel enlightened.  So I will get this book from Amazon.com.

Corruptions and Scandals

I noticed recently we have plenty of sex scandals and corruption cases.  I am sure human behaviour has not change since time immemorial.  So why suddenly it is news galore.  Did our CPIB branch get a wake-up call?  Is it a new head has been appointed?  As you know new broom sweeps clean.  Or is this a distraction create by our political masters?  During Roman times, when times are bad and population restless, gladiator fights are used as a distraction(at least this is what the movies say).

The popularity has dropped to a all time low in the last General Election.  Then a few months later, Sex with underage prostitute and more than 40 men charged, then high level corruption again Sex as the payment to gain favors, corrupted chefs charged, corruption in SPH, now hotest case City Harvest $23 millions to fund Sun Ho's music career. 

This is wild speculation...Our country is famous for being dull, boring and nothing unexpected ever happen.  Suddenly, a slew of corruption cases?  What is happening?  What is the change that cause all this?  I am sure people behaviours do not change so quickly.

So all this undercurrent and beneath the surface suddenly all showed up and all the closets opened and skeletons fall out.  Bet many people are shaking in their pants...  The key question is WHY is it happening now?

Wondering

I wonder I wonder
My life is a success
Or can it be more successful
I wonder I wonder
Why did I not start my own
Why not be foolish or brave
Do something that may become great
Or become an utter failure
I wonder I wonder
What will I be if I try
What can I be if I tried
I wonder I wonder
Does Money buys Happiness
Or Freedom from Worries
I wonder
Is my family the best they can be
Or happy as can be
I wonder I wonder
Why do I wonder
Why do I ponder
Why can't I be happy-go-lucky
I wonder
Why life is Up and Down
Why Yin must have Yang
I wonder and wonder.

Young Couple

I met a young couple this morning.  They are starting up their own business.  The wife is on maternity leave with the birth of their 2nd girl.  The older girl is about 18 months.  This young couple is enterprising and working through to set up their business.  Both of them work for pharma companies, Schering Plough and GSK. 

I am envious of them.  They are young and they took the plunge.  It is difficult but they are taking one step at a time.  I know all the requirements and how to set up the business but I have procrastinated and procrastinated.  I am supporting this young couple whom many have ignored as I spent time listening to them and working through.  Maybe they will be successful in future.

Poems

Tonight, during dinner, B3 mentioned about eating Soon Hock in a resturant.  He start to describe where this resturant was as Mummy could not believe we will ever eat fish in a resturant.  He says there is a Cold Storage, it was on Father's Day that we ate that meal.  He has amazing memory.  Next when he saw the swiss rolls B1 and I bought from Kandahar Road, he start to describe the color of the door and that there is a glass on the window. He is correct.  The old style window is the only that has glass on the row of shops.  He is very observant and has excellent memory.  After I confirmed that he was correct, mum starts to believe what he said about eating the Soon Hock. 

I, of course, could not remember anything about the dinner in the resturant.  So I turned to my trusty blog.  And indeed I did write about our meal on last year.  Reading my past entries bring up a lot of memories.  I also write several poems which I did not even remember!!  I read the poems and wonder if I copied the poems from somewhere.  The words rhymes like nursery rhymes anyway.  It is fun to read.  I feel like a kid playing with words...

Full Moon

Big and round,
Shiny and bright
Moon may and moon might
Make my wish come true tonight

I wish I may and I wish I might
The wish I wish be true at night

What do I wish
What do I like
Everyone is happy
Everyone is bright
Work is busy
And work is light
Reward is fair
Recognition is right.

Fishing at PCN

B1 is keen on fishing after a couple of sessions of prawn fishing.  He has to pay $33 each time to fish for 3 hours.  Prawn fishing is sure catch as the prawns are always hungry and biting.  Also when the crowd is big, more prawns are release to increase the excitement of everyone pulling up live prawns.  Paying $33 each time is a little expensive and when B1 saw plenty of people fishing at the PCN, he became interested as it will be free except for the equipment.  In prawn fishing, the rod and baits are supplied.

We had an old fishing rod.  Actually, we have a few in Canada.  I am not sure what happened to those rods.  We may have given them away as it will be too hot to fish in Singapore.  B1 fished in a few spots before achieving success near Seletar Spring.  There are plenty of voracious "Japanese fishes".  They just swallow the bait and hook!  The hook is quite deep inside the mouth and hard to remove.

Yesterday, in an attempt to catch bigger fish, B1 and B3 caught a big terrappin.  I was summoned to help but too late the line breaks.  It was my intent to unhook the terrappin and releasing it back.  Now the terrappin has a hook permanently on its mouth.  I hope it does not cause too much problem for the terrappin.

Monday Blues!

This morning, I noticed the B2's bicycle' mudguard is loose and the bolts and nuts holding it in place is rusty.  B2 suggested to use electrical tape to increase the girth of the tube holding the saddle.  I told him he always think of using tapes to solve problems and this is not going to work.  It is cause problems to the saddle and prevent the height adjustments once masking tape or electrical tape is used.  He was upset because he thought I did not understand that he says electrical tape which is stronger than masking tape.  Anyway, he got upset and make sacastic remarks about our conversation.  When we reached his school, he just go off and refused to say goodbye and wave goodbye.  What a lousy start for Monday morning and to the week!

Great Sunday

My mum goes home to Canada this morning.  She is going to make a stop in Hong Kong to visit her younger sister for a couple of days.  It is a short stay this time and I think she is happy to go back home.  Now, she has 3 granddaughters married.  Next thing to look forward to is great grandchild.  My nieces are not that young.  I believe they are in the thirties but non seems to be in a hurry to start a family.

At the airport, my eldest sister and youngest sister were there.  My brother drop by as well.  Only my 2nd sister is missing.  Non of her kids showed up as well.  My wife and three boys are in the airport.  After sending their grandma, we went to Bedok hawker center for breakfast.  B2 and B1 went to a pool place to play pool at noon to using groupon.  However, the groupon says it starts on July 1.  So they have to spent time together with us in Plaza Singapura.  I had tea and read Sunday Times in Toastbox.  B2 had his favorite mee siam and B3 have mee rebus.  All three boys had some of the designer bread from BreadTalk.  The cost of snacking is about $20.  Even then it is not filling.

In the afternoon, everyone took a nap except B3.  B3 is very active even though he slept at 1am last night and woke up at 7am this morning to go to the airport.  In the late afternoon, I show B1 how to fish with a fishing pole.  I have to show him how to tie the weight and the hook.  We tried several spots but not luck.  So he finally go by himself to spot where we saw several anglers.  He caught 3 "Japanese" fish.  He is so excited.  He is keep saying it is so easy that it is no longer fun.

I have sore throat and stuffy nose and nursing a congestive headache.  So it is not so good.  I cooked up the beef we bought from Foodie Market Place and bbq a soba fish.  We had good dinner and good conversation with our boys.  Dinner time is a good way to pass our values to them.  Yes, it is indeed a good day!

Foodie Market Place in Tiong Bahru

B1 finished his work in the camp early.  We pick him up and wonder where to go (we were having cabin fever).  B1 suggested to go to Foodie Market Place as he like to get the food because the price is lower.  It is late in the afternoon, after 4pm.  There were plenty of car parks.  Maybe because of the timing because when we were done with our shopping, the carpark is full.

While the food seems cheap, we spend $100.  The quantity is less than our usual supermarket.  The beef is expensive - 4 slices half an inch thick cost a total of $40.  I also bought Buffalo Wings Sauce which cost $6.80.  It is the only place I know that sells Buffalo Wings Sauce.  We bought a bunch of frozen stuff like minced pork, bacon, french fries and chocolate eclairs.  It is nice to shop in a place with different offerings.

Dinner is leftovers from lunch(prawn noodles), brown rice with oxtail soup and curry chicken from yesterday's dinner.  The oxtail soup is very good.  Yes, frozen oxtail soup from Foodie MP. The price seems reasonable at $8.90, I think.

After dinner, we cycle at the PCN as a family.  All three boys riding on their own and mummy is my pillion rider on the electric-assisted bike.  It was a good evening...

Will I leave the World a Better Place?

It is a question I have rarely pondered on.  I loved Mother Earth.  I loved my family.  I loved my work.  I loved my home.  And I loved my Environmentally Friendly runabout.

One of the key indicators of positive impact of the life is whether one left the place better than when one arrived.  If you go camping and the place is a mess you arrived, you set up camp, cleared the rubbish and clean up after your stay and leave, then clearly you have left the place better then when you first arrived.  This is easy and simple.  The evidence is clear - you can take a picture of before and after. 

However, in life, it is not so simple.  We have our parents, our spouse, our kids and grandchildren (I am a little presumptuous in assuming a regular family unit).  How do I measure if I have left the world a better place?  Did my mum has a better life because she gave birth to me?  Did my siblings gained any thing from my existence and having me as a brother?  Did my wife get a better life by marrying me?  Did my kids grew up and make positive impact in society?  Did I make them better?  Did I help the society at large i.e. poor, downtrodden or simply people who needed help along the way?

There are many questions.  In the news, there are always everyday heros.  Stories of someone going to Mongolia or any third world country and living and helping the society there.  An ex-Microsoft executive who left a well-paying job to give the world a light.  A chef who go to Sri Lanka to teach and help a group of youngsters to learn a skill to earn a living.  Many examples... yet as I reflect my life, I just work, read, bring my kids to tuition and share our family values...I am not sure if I will leave the world a better place.  Of course, if my three boys did something significant like becoming a famous doctor or surgeon, world renowned economist or scientist or even Prime Minister, I may be able to claim I have left the world a better place through my boys.  Without me, there will be no them and hence...!!  Warped logic! 

Personally, I am happy to reduce my carbon footprint through using Prius, harvesting solar energy(40 watts is nothing to sneeze about), teaching my boys to reduce their carbon footprints.   Is the world better because I existed?  This is a question I could never have an answer.

Food Obsession

I have no idea why.  I seems to be obsessed by food.  I keep thinking about food all the time.  When I am hungry, I think of food.  When I am full, I think of my next meal.  It is hard to decide what type of food.  If it is Chinese, which ethnic group or Japanese - tonkatsu or tempura, Indian rojak or nasi bryani, local - yong tau foo, fishball noodle, braised duck, and more.  Life seems to be about food all the time.

B1 is in a deal stage.  He is always look for deals from groupons or 1 for 1 in resturants.  B2 and B3 does not care what they eat except they must be good food.  It is hard to keep slim and trim...

Get Together with My Brother's Family

Mum is leaving next week.  So I organized dinner so that she has a chance to meet and get together with my brother's daughters and his wife.  My sisters' daughters could not make it.  Two older girls came with their father.

My brother was amazing!  He remembered the date of our dinner which I told him during one of the niece's wedding a few weeks ago.  I did not remind him although I did remind my nieces through what's apps.  He bought chicken and sam hor - fried hor fun with sliced fish and beansprouts.  It is his first time thinking and buying food like potluck. 

I was busy in the morning buying ingredients to make laksa.  Laksa is easy with make with the kit from Prima Deli. 

I just have to buy the following:

- Beehoon (1.5kg pk)
- Beansprouts
- Tau pok (aka fried beancurd)
-  Prawns
-  Fish Cake (from Tiong Bahru)

The boys went prawn fishing in Punggol in the afternoon.  They were quite excited and happy to get good catch as the crowd was huge and the vendor put in a lot of live prawns into the pond when there are a lot of fishing rods.  It is good fun.  B2 and his girlfriend did not have the patience and went to eat at Popeye's.  B1 and B3 fished together and had a good time.

I also bought a mango cake from Prima Deli.  It has been maybe 10 years since I ate the mango cake.  I loved the cake and had it for birthday once (yes, probably more than 10 years ago).  I usually changed my mind about buying the cake after I heard the price.  Just my stingy instinct kicking in.  This time, I bought the cake since I have guests.  It is a funny thing.  I do not mind to spend on kids, nieces or even friends.  I gave $5,000 once to a friend who was going through difficult times.  It is a straight gift.  I told him not to worry about paying back.  Today, he is doing okay as a real estate agent.

Foodie Marketplace

B1, my eldest boy "discovers" this Foodie Marketplace when he walked from Outram MRT to Tiong Bahru Bakery.  B1 like to try out new food places recommended in the Sunday Times.  Tiong Bahru Bakery was reported to have the best croissant in Singapore.  He is quite impressed and always will patronize this shop whenever we are in Tiong Bahru.  The bread is rather pricey.  Once we paid more than $30 for a few pieces of the bread. 

The Foodie Marketplace is a small store but it has more unique offerrings.  The beef is more competitive in price than Cold Storage or NTUC Fairprice.  The potato chips are less expensive than the supermarkets and tasted good.  There are cheese and Buffalo Wings Sauce.  Buffalo Wings Sauce will be my next purchase.

Today, we bought potato chips, ribeye steaks, sundried tomatoes, anchovies, frozen sausages, frozen french fries and frozen potatoes wedges.  We cooked the ribeye steaks and sausages for dinner.  My boys like them.  The fries are good too.  We will be going back to Foodie Market again.  The prices are more competitive and food is good.

Indonesian Maids

Indonesia allows its citizens to work in Malaysia as maids again.  However, they are allowed to do only one of the four following duties: household chores, looking after children, looking after elderly or cooking.  They are to be paid RM700 or more.  It is interesting.  In Indonesia, the maids actually do only one duty.  However, they are paid a lot less.  So to work in Malaysia, they are to be paid 5 or 6 times more for the same amount of work.

Today, the papers say it is a misunderstanding on the use of language. There is no requirements for Malaysia to make sure their Indonesian maids work on one duty only.  I know in Indonesia, the rich and middle class have an army of servants to service their household.  Some kids have their own chauffeurs too.  Due to the currency and value of earnings, all maids despite the low pay in the countries they work in, actually has high spending power back at home country.  This is like arbitrage pulling in people from low wage countries to high wage countries.

Searing Heat

The weather is hot today.  My plants are all thirsty and I gave them extra watering in the afternoon.  Normally, they are watered in the morning and evening.  My solar system works well.  I left the 12V fan ON all day and in the afternoon, there are enough power direct from the solar panels. 

The fan draws 1.5 amperes and when the sun is out in full force, the solar panels pump out 1.6 amperes.  So there is leftover to charge the storage battery.

So when the sun is out, it is also powering my cooling fan.  This work out well.

12V Fan

I have been hunting around looking for car accessories shops.  I went to Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2, Sin Ming and finally found the fan in First Centre five minutes from my home.  It is like the proverbial searching high and low, searching far and it is right under my nose.

The 12V fan is S$28.  I have to negotiate hard.  The vendor wanted $35 and then dropped to $30.  I asked for $25 and he refused.  Finally, I gave $28 and we had a deal.  I am glad to be able to finally use the power of the sun at home.

Thinking Fast and Slow

I started reading this book.  It is quite interesting on the bias of our thinking.  The author is a Nobel prize winner for his research into how we make decisions.  Having the benefits of hindsight, we tends to think our reasonings are sound and stick to them even though they may be wrong.  The simple example is this.  A man who is an introvert, enjoying reading.  What is the likely vocation he will be - librarian or farmer?  Most if not all will pick librarian.  However, statistic is for every 1 librarian there will be 10 farmer.  So our man is more likely to be a farmer than a library.  Everyone needs to be working on a job, right?  Hence the flaw in our thinking as we do not take into account statistics.

Cold Dishes - Cucumber and Tofu

Everytime in China, for every meal, I will request for the cold dish - lightly pickled cucumber.  I really enjoy the crunchy juicy treat.  Now, I can make my own at home.  Even my wife likes it.  It is so easy to make once I know how.  It is a number of tries to perfect this dish.  B1's girlfriend was liked some of the cold dishes I made.  She asked her mum to get the ingredients and try to make them at home too.  The cold tofu is really to do as you can have prepack tofu in the fridge.