Going places

It's pay day! Yeah, some of you may have collected yours last week. Still I am happy for some unfortunate will receive theirs next week. Whatever so long as the money comes in, who cares?

Aha... it's year-end school holiday too. Many of my friends are going places with their family. Guess everyone deserves a break. Please do take care when abroad. As for us, mid-year and year-end holidays are long gone. We go for Spring and Autumn holidays instead.

Complimentary tickets

I would not forget my friends in good times. They take priority for the drumming concert complimentary tickets ( original $118 ) on 6 December 2013. For those receiving my What's App?, please confirm your attendance soonest possible. Tickets are running out fast.

A question

So Kevin, you are into music? This new colleague was asking and I was puzzled. How in the world did he know? A sigh of relief when he told me about my profile in What's App? with my younger days photo holding a guitar. I coolly replied him that I was into music but no longer. There is a saying that goes like this ' Music is something that when you're happy goes into your ear and when sad goes into your heart '.

Coming festive season

At this time of the year, nothing else matters. Yeah, let's celebrate and enjoy the coming festive season namely X'mas 2013 and New Year 2014. We were there at last evening Orchard Road Light Up. Beautiful. While at Robinson @ The Heeren, we were treated to a glass of champaign. We understand that they are shifting from Centrepoint to here. How true is it? We do not know.

From their opening in Singapore to last evening, we were not given a chance to dine at Jollibee Restaurant @ Lucky Plaza. It is an American-style fast-food restaurant with Filipino-influenced dishes. Each time we passed by and tried our luck, the queue was simply long. The majority dining inside were the Pinoys. Maybe we shall have our dream fried chicken dish in Manila in the near future instead.

Night work

My first night work in a long while. It was confirmed at the last minute. Lucky my friend could not make it for the dinner appointment this evening. Coincidence? Your guess is as good as mine.

My Newton working gang has gone separate ways with all of us at different projects, both new and existing. It's a matter of time that some of us will be reunited again. Guess all of us miss our 'lao da' or immediate superior. He is one who takes responsibility and protects his staff. Well, we got to move on.

Good start

Thank goodness! I am feeling better after a weekend of discomfort. Body aching and pain with tummy upset. When I woke up this morning, it was all gone. What a good start to the week! It's a good thing that I do not need to work overtime. It suits me fine though financially at a loss. What I gain is that extra hours of rest every evening. Good health for more travelling.

Utmost respect

We visited my eldest brother Thomas this afternoon. It's been about three months since we last visited him. Prior to that, Margaret called my sister-in-law Jeanette and understand that he was not in his best of health. We went to Orchard Road to get his favourite Hokkaido milk.

When we reached there, Jeanette said he had guessed we had just returned from overseas. He was in his room resting and his maid brought him out. Phew! Brothers reunited. He looked sick but as we chat further, he was back to his normal self. His mind was sharp when we talked about going places especially his bringing my late parents to China, Thailand and many more. Though handicap now, he has not forgotten those in need of attention like my second brother Roger. I told him that we would be visiting Roger next week and that eased him a little. It's never easy to be the eldest and he is one who deserves the utmost respect.  

Our visit had brighten his day and I hope to visit him more often.

Jaw correction

A rainy Saturday night. Pretty quiet with the English Premier League matches taking a break. The best thing to do is to do nothing and idle around. In fact I do not know what am I writing too. Just type whatever comes to me.

Margaret and I  went to visit Jared who had a major operation to have his jaw corrected. The poor boy has to live with liquid food at this moment. For he is young, I believe he would overcome this difficult period. Speedy recovery, Jared! We miss your voice.

The other side

At different stages of life, our interest changes. Music gave me the greatest joy and the deepest sorrow. It's a thing of the past. At this moment, I am in love with travelling. Yes, I know I won't be able to travel round the world but half of it would make me a happy man.

Me and Margaret had never dreamt of going Europe and our recent trip there had not only surprised ourself but many people too. So, where is our next destination? There are simply too many like Moscow, St Petersburg, Scandinavia, etc. Maybe we should go Western United States next. Reason being the extra long journey flight and we should be able to take it. Gosh! It's the other side of the Earth. Cannot imagine.

Haikou Street Market

OMG! The street market in Haikou reminds me of my childhood days in the 60s'. Hock Lam Street, that's where Funan Centre sits on today. Though filthy and smelly, me and Margaret walked through the street enjoying the sight and sound of this buzzing market. For me, it's just like homecoming. No wonder the place looked so familiar.

 

An unexpected itinerary

Goodbye Hainan, hello Singapore! It's nice to be back. A relaxing trip with an unexpected Act of God, Typhoon Haiyan. A first-hand experience for Margaret and the aftermath of it was devastating. Power and water supply were cut off, trees uprooted, broken branches, signboard collapsed, flooding in many areas. All shops closed. Our original eating place was a distance away and they were closed. Luckily, we had our dinner in our hotel's restaurant with limited food. No complain for there was another tour group searching for another restaurant as ours was fully booked.

Because of the typhoon, we had to give Nanshan Guangyin a miss. Not a big deal for Buddha is in  my heart. I believe in fate and the calling is Guangyin Bodhisattva wanted us to witness, experience and know the hardship what this natural disaster can bring. Oh yes, there were water seepage through our window in our hotel room too. Aside from this day, the rest of the trip went on smoothly.

Here are the other photographs taken:

The birds are real and heavy

Margaret and the proud Ostrich

Minority village

Their way to welcome you

Birthday greetings

Wow! Birthday greetings not only from Singapore but USA too. Surprise greetings were from those I have lost contact for a number of years. Yeah, so nice to hear from them. There are so many people to thank and I wish to start from my wife and children. Actually I was asleep and my son came into my room to wish me at the stroke of  midnight. For the record, the first to wish me on Facebook was Smily's darling Sheryl Koh. Yeah, give me a five.

Special thanks to my beloved sister Jessie Ng for remembering my day year after year. Greetings received were not only from Facebook but SMS, What's App and a kiss on the cheek from my dearest wife. Like what I wrote on FB, you beautiful and God loving people makes my day extra special. Once again from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much.

P.S. A special present from my favourite football club Arsenal FC. They beat Borussia Dortmund  by a goal in the UEFA Champions League in Germany. Yes, Go Gunners Go!!!

Frog Party at 75?

Ladies and Gentlemen, in another few hours I will be 54 years old. OMG! Am I really that old? Whatever, let me wish myself  'A Happy Birthday'. Stay healthy is my priority. May it be so.

It's fearful to think of me reaching 50s' when I was in my 30s'. Now that I have arrived, it's not as bad as I imagine it to be. Of course, my lifestyle and everyday movement have slow down. My body ache often and even doing housework is a problem at times. The good thing is my children have grown up but as a father, I still worry for them. Many times I felt they lost direction. Still, I am proud that they are trying to better themselves. And they better do.

A good friend asked whether we would be still having Frog Party when we reach 75. I should have reply him with 'Will the cook retire and close the stall by then?' Maybe at that time we will be having problem attending gatherings too. Let's live day by day and enjoy every beautiful moment. God bless.

Hair cut short

 

The Apps has been silent since my three days leave ended. The excitement of meeting up is gone. It's my third day of work at my new workplace with new colleagues. The challenge over here is to write report and create progress photographs with caption using Microsoft Excel and convert it to PDF. OMG! I am an IT idiot. Somehow God has sent a very patient 'teacher' to guide me. Definitely, I am not going to let anybody down including myself.

Back to the basic with helmet on at my workplace. I had my hair cut short last weekend. So when I post my Hainan Island photo next week, you will see a neat and younger me. My wife said I look ugly with long hair and I couldn't disagree especially with the recent Malacca photographs. The youth is gone but life goes on. Sigh...
  

Hoilday again?

Yes, me and Margaret are flying off to Hainan Island (China) this Friday for a five days tour. We got this free land tour from our earlier Europe trip. At the same time, I have to clear my annual leave before the year ends. Who the heck cares so long as we are healthy to travel and spend within our means. Let us pray for more good and healthy years to come. Cheers!

Fyn's 2013 birthday

We celebrated Fyn's birthday at Cha Cha Cha, a Mexican Restaurant at Holland Village. The menu was foreign to us. To play safe, I ordered a combo which consist of all the best. OMG! It's never easy to remember the dishes / food name. Forget it, I am too old to learn another language. Overall, the food tasted a little Indian. In all honesty, I enjoyed the food. All in all, it's a new experience for me and Margaret. Thanks to the birthday girl for proposing this restaurant. Once again, Happy Birthday!


                                   The Mexican Food

 

Brought forward

It's the eve of Deepavali. Here's wishing all Hindus an advance 'Happy Deepavali'. If not for my wife reminding me of the date changed, I would be reporting for work tomorrow. My calendar shows it is on Sunday 3 November 2013 and Monday is a holiday.

Tomorrow is All Souls Day too. May I join the Catholics for a prayer. Blessed are the departed soul. May it be so.