Book Exchange

It's an innovative idea indeed. For the 3rd year running, National Library Board organised book exchange event. Books that have been sitting on the book shelves collecting dust are give a new lease of life. The library issue coupons according to the number of books given. Long Queues were seen as early as 6am for the 8.30 opening, according to a volunteer. With 9 coupons between us, youngest picked 3 while I picked up "The God Of Small Things" and "The ripening sun" amongst the thousands of books that have been given up. Some came armed with huge luggages and trolley bags. Books still have a place in our home.

Mobile Etiquette

She apologised for asking me again for a phone number I had sms her weeks ago. She explained that her husband had accidentally deleted all her sms while going through her mobile. It's a norm, she continued, for her husband to fiddle and spring clean her mobile now and then. The few of us who heard were startled. Does her husband not respect her privacy? Is it right for spouse to go through each other's mobile history and text messages? I don't and I do not expect him to go through mine. What is the etiquette on this issue?

Century Egg

It's translucent, and has to be eaten with pickled ginger for that exquisite taste of the orient. Century egg served at the Yung Kee rest, at Wellington Road, Hk. Went there for it's roast goose but, was not impressed. Too oily and tough to my liking.

Walking around fragrant bay

A good way to know the place better than to mingle and walk amongst the people.

Opted for a walking tour along the little shops pack with dried seafood and chinese herbs, up and down the cobbled streets into the bustling market. The long long escalator if the legs are not up to it. A rest and it's off on the bus ride. Passing through the many dwellings situated round and round the mountain side. With an international school and a hospital to complete the picture. The bus took a good hour to reach the peak but only 30min by tram.

My trip to HongKong. The visit would not be complete without a ride on the StarFerry and a visit to Poh Lin Temple.

Blood Orange

It's flesh, a deep crimson red, looks and taste like orange. This unique colour is from the chemical anthocyanins, uncommon in citrus fruits, with the blood orange being one of the exceptions. Powerful flavonoid pigments that exist in red and purple fruits and vegetables. Make a nice change from eating orange orange. Found these juicy oranges at Cold Storage.

Physalis

When mum first saw this fruit, her mind went back to the times when she was a youngster exploring her family's rubbler plantation in Pahang. Picking up berries and mushrooms grown in and round the plantation. In mandarin it's "lau shou la tong kwa" (the melon dragged by the mouse) according to her, or locally known as "leletup" by the malays. I too, remember picking these berries normally grown by the wayside These are the local berries that have gone missing in keeping with development. Has it gone extinct?

Winds of change

Before, most eateries would proudly state that their raw ingredients are mostly air flown direct from Japan, Now, they are frantically sourcing from everywhere but Japan. An odourless, invisible and tasteless substance that can lead to painful death has made many wary. Meantime, indulging in a piece of cheese cake made fresh from Japan weeks ago.

Hush

"Dear Ms Jeannie,
On the 10th of this month, my daughter urgently needed a pair of "proper shoes" for the her school band performance.And so we invested on a pair of HushPuppies from Isetan Nex. Indeed at S$119.00 for a pair of shoes which she will only wear for maybe a week in a year for the next 2 years seems a little pricey, but I insisted that it was for the quality that we are paying. Having a 1 1/2 in heels, I was particular about the cushioning of her arch and therefore chose HushPuppies.
My daughter called from school during practise last week to tell me that while climbing up the stairs, the heels suddenly buckle and broke. That was only her 2nd time wearing it.
I would like to know, if this is poor quality control, As I need to have it either replaced or repaired as soon as possible as the school band will be going for their SYF competition early april.
I would appreciate if you could get back to me on this matter.
Attached are some photos for your reference.

regards"

Had pondered quite awhile before penning this email sent out this morning. Will I get a favourable reply?

LunchTakeAway

Saturday lunch menu:
Tsukune rice burger for big chief, ebi rice burger for eldest, fish burger for son and chicken teriyaki burger for youngest. It's Mos burger saturday.

New @ Nex

Did not understand, "Hundreds waited patiently for the doors to open at the new library @ Nex last friday" reported in the news. Not only school students but from all walks of life. I now know why. Visited the library this morning and I'm impressed. Just love the scent of the books. Everyone of them, brand new. With a tasteful interior design, One would think, they are in Borders or Kinokuniya.

A cinema, a library, shimbashi soba, Four leave bakery, Cold storage, Isetan..... looks like I'll be spending more time at Nex.

Picture by rambling Librarian

Destruction Wave

They are safe. My japanese friends, one in Osaka. The other in Yokohama wrote this:

"I was walking toward the bank when the earthquake occurred. I would not walk straight and waited it stopped. Although I kept walking, several quakes occurred. The electricity was cut, the bank was dark and ATM did not work. The traffic light was off. When I got back home, my daughter was home alone so scared, but prepared evacuation with backpack full of warm clothes, drinks and snacks. We did not have to leave home, stayed home with flash lights and candles without electricity even till dark. The only information we could get was from the radio powered by (my) hand. Because all the trains stopped, my son had to come home on foot. When the electricity got back on and watched TV, we were horrified what had been happened in Tohoku Area... "

We may have the most sophisticated equipments but mother nature is still unpredictable.

Going solo

Last month Eldest travelled alone up north to spent a week with Aunt, Son and his secondary school buddies went on a short holiday to a higland resort in Pahang. Tomorrow youngest will be going on a 4 days an immersion programme to HongKong with her school. One by one my brood is going solo.

Liam, Unknown?

Unknown, Liam Neeson is no Matt Damon nor Pierce Brosnan but he sure has character. A movie with a refreshing twist to the ending. Totally kept me mesmerised for 119 minutes. Fast pace action packed with no time for a breather.

Went to the shaw cinema at Nex last evening as hubby wanted to watch this on the big screen for a greater sound and visual impact. And it did. At some point I just had to shut my eyes to avoid the cars and buildings seemingly crashing towards me.

Oil crisis

All the chaos and bloodshed in the middle east is affecting us surely but slowly. At the petrol counter this morning, even my regular cashier lady, prepared me. The petrol bill came up to nearly $S100. As at 3 March, Shell 95 is now at S$2.077. Already the food bill is on the rise. Is there a sliver lining to all this?

Short n Sweet

Imagine my shock when he announced that he's ready to go at 63. Retire? No, to meet his maker, he corrected me. At 48 driving home one night very drunk he crashed through hundreds of flowerpots at the flowerpot expressway, and survived. Believing he was given a 2nd chance, he mended his ways. Was introduced to the lord. Quit his lucrative paying job to settle for a less pay, less stressful but meaningful profession. Always helping, always improving the lives of others. His reason is simple, rather a shorter life span full of zest and meaning than one of suffering and hopelessness. He has a good 6 years to target. Reminded me of Paul McCartney's song "When I'm 64"

Body Language

Mum accidentally kicked her big toe against the leg of a chair. Just one of those accidents when in a hurry and a furry you walked into the table or chair. 10 days later when the swell and the nagging pain did not subside, did she see the doctor. This morning An x-ray was done and mum ended up going home with bandaged on her right big toe. A hairline fracture was seen and a bandage was necessary to restrict it's movement. Take nothing for granted after the age of 70. Be aware of any nagging discomfort, aches and pains. It's the body sending SOS.

MondaySights

This naughty lion did nothing but leaving trails of peels and puddles of 'gold' as he slumps all over, when he should be prancing around.

Personal Touch

Cookies were what she wanted to give her friends on monday. Youngest Spent saturday night baking for friends she spent nearly all her waking hours with. Thought this is a sincere gesture.

Rabbit habit

Pet rabbits are much easier to keep than dogs but do you know:

Rabbits need minimal cleaning Provided they are potty trained!

Rabbits are odourless Unless the potty is cleared daily off the soiled bedding and poo poos

Rabbits hardly make a sound but, Call and cajole as you might, they will only respond at their own time.

Rabbits should never be treated as a eat and poo pet. It's an animal with limbs, therefore need space to hop and explore.

Rabbits diet are simple, hay and grass pellet with occasional raw carrots and apples But while hopping around the house, they do chew on wires, Books and such.

Rabbits are Like dogs, need annual checkup and their nails clipped.

Something Sweet

Starting the lunar new year with something sweet. My version of eight treasure dessert.

Ingredients

Dried longan and pitted chinese red dates

Boiled together with

rock sugar and chopped crystalised winter melon

Simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile

soak and boil separately

white fungus, sterculia seed,barley,gingko nuts and sago.

Add all the boiled ingredients into the sweet longan syrup. Pop the dessert into the fridge and serve cold. Oh so refreshing!

Tossing to a Good Year

All gathers for the toss, where chopsticks clashes and shreds of salad flings high up, tossing and mixing for another good year ahead.

BunnyYear

Lunar new year is just round the corner, but on home front, youngest spent the weekend finishing her tons of homework, band practise (for SYF this year) studying for her test this week while, son is trying to finish his written project and eldest, rescheduling her tutorials which she will not be attending on tuesday evening. Somehow, the festival mood is missing this year. The continuous rain for the last 2 days also did not help. Skipped chinatown visit this year. Will be driving up north tomorrow evening. Praying hard, it would be a good day to drive, with minimal traffic congestion. A Healthy And Peaceful Lunar New Year To All.

BunnyTeeth

First visit, 4 teeth removed. Left top and bottom molar, Left top and bottom premolar.

2nd visit, 4 teeth removed. Right top and bottom molar, right top and bottom premolar.

3rd visit, cavities found and fixed.

Girlfriend's daughter, putting up with the(excruciating?)pain and discomfort(and hunger?), all for the preparation of bracing her teeth. Aesthetic reason. All within the last 3 weeks. And the braces are not even fixed yet. Surviving on milk shake and campbell soup. And I'm still trying to keep the wisdom teeth till the last possible moment as my top wisdom teeth,not aligned with the bottom, will eventually bite onto my gums.

As the ice melts...

On the radio this morning this piece of news tugs the heartstring:

"In a remarkable feat of endurance, a polar bear has been tracked swimming for nine days continuously in a desperate bid to reach new ice floes, covering 426 miles in the process.
The bears are excellent swimmers and are known to travel long distances in search of seals. But scientists working for the US Geological Survey, who logged the animal's plight using a GPS tracking collar, said the animal's exertions were exceptional – and further evidence of the extent to which the melting of the bears' natural habitat due to global warming is threatening their very existence". The Independent

GingerTea

Into boiling water A knob of ginger, smashed. Two stalks of lemongrass, bruised. Turn the fire off. Steep for a few minutes. Honey to taste. A hot cup of lemongrass ginger tea to keep the flu bug away. It's into pandemic level here in recent week. Eldest just returned home last night with a sniffle.

5 Week Month?

Check the calendar this month, it's a windfall of 5 weekends!

Check your Cheque

Three cheques stapled together were dropped into the cheque box in Hougang s'pore. One week later, on checking, over the phone, the bank confirmed that these cheques had not been cleared as they were never dropped. Employee insisted he did. Decided not to push the issued with neither the bank nor the personnel as, we had no proof and also employee had just joined not too long. No official letter/email was written. After profuse apologizing, Two companies, reissued the cheque, while the 3rd kicked up a fuss, charged us S$30 for the cancelled cheque and made us wait 2 months (we now know who we should Not be doing favours to!) This happened in Sept 2010.

Alls well and forgotten until last week, a letter from the bank came. Two bounced cheques. On checking, these were the missing cheques. According to the bank,(over the phone again) these cheques were deposited in Tampines the previous week. The 3rd cheque in fact cleared.

Question: How did the cheques ended up in Tampines 4 months later?

How should the situation be dealt with in future?

The bank made no apologies, as it was not their fault. They were just doing their job. So how safe is dropped cheque system? Should we have push the issued and check the camera? The cheques must have gotten lost in transit and was found much later. As they bear no deposit date, and still valid, it when through the system.

Mothers know best?

This article was published in the saturday NewstraitsTimes. Spent much time pondering thereafter. Are we still holding on to the same expectations and demands from our children? Or like the west, we, the westernly brought up and educated, want them to experience each stage of growing up. Experiences beget adaptivity and creativity. Think Einstein, Bill Gates, Zukerberg. In life nothing is certain

Can Key

With a can opener, eldest went about the task only to find out she could not pour the content out in one piece. Looked at the key stuck on the can(which was pointed out to her earlier). Pondered, then finally she understood. Lesson of the day: Opening a can of luncheon meat with a can key.

Gentleman In Truck

Flick the indicator to change lane and you'll see the true colours of the drivers. In a crawling traffic most(99%) will immediately speed up to close the however tiny the gap, the moment they spot a blinking light.

Exactly what happened when this morning as I breeze past a line of haughty drivers before a gentleman driving( Not Lexus nor Benz) a pick up truck stopped and signal me to change(as I made no effort to jam in). Indicator lights these days seems to be more of a threat than a friendly signal.

Being with family

Been up north, celebrated winter solstice(Tang Yuan) and craving turkey with the families, toasting champagne with brother(just got a promotion). Being with family/relatives at the close of a year becomes more meaningful as one grows older.

Xmas Gives

This holidays, together with her next door friend have been attending a once a week baking class (holiday distraction). Was quite a frustration upon seeing their end results not as seen at the class. Then again, it was an intermediate adult baking class. And NOT hands on. Their attention then turn to cookies. Xmas cookies. For the last two sundays, cookies have been popping out of the oven. Youngest, xmas presents for all close and dear to her. Merry Xmas!!!! Will be taking a short trip up north.

Something Wee

Excerpt

" When he felt the gum around the tooth was gaping nicely, he gripped the tooth with pliers and tried to yank it out. For some ungodly reason, my molar stuck on like the Rock of Gibraltar. The quack tried again and again without success. He seemed frustrated, if not disgusted, to the point of cursing under his breath. But my stubborn molar would not give in and come out. Then, he used a technique that could not have been in any texbook of dentistry. He broke the molar into pieces to my screams and the shivers of my mother. The quack was unstoppable. My mother pleaded with him to stop but he took no heed. I reckon he felt his reputation was at stake. He said it should be alright; to bear with him. I was asked to wash my mouth of the continuous flow of blood and spit into the spittoon so many times that I lost count. By then I was more dead than alive"

taken from page 16 of Glimpses and reflections of a past president of Singapore. Been reading this again as my bedtime book.

L for life

Plunging 12 floors into the swimming pool and survived with only bruises and discharged after two days of observation. Her time is not up yet. Cousin of mine, 46 year old mother of 3 preparing to begin hemodialysis due to kidney failure as a result of being knowingly ignorance to diabetes. A father of 2, unconscious on a Life Support machine, awaiting for a suitable heart, which all began from a slimming pill. A woman in her 50s critically ill, awaiting for a suitable liver after months of comsuming "herbal pill" to ease her pain. In this time and age, many still take life for granted.

A song N A run

Recently it's back to hitting the road again. Needed to build up cardio endurance and to heed the gentle reminder from the weighing scale. (Xmas is round the corner with CNY just a stone throw away!)Somehow, the rhytm and the beat of music makes jogging more bearable(running is never my choice of exercise) as I had both my ears plugged. Quite a tangle of wire until I was given an early xmas present. Plantronic BackBeat 903. Wireless bluetooth stereo headset that takes calls too! Neatly tucked behind both ears. Best xmas present.

Taxidermy

Using bare hands, the meat and bone is meticulously stripped off the carcass. Sawdust to absord the moisture and cotton wool and stick to bring it back to life. A behind the scene tour of the Raffles Museum of biodiversity. Youngest was uncomfortable looking at all things dead liken it to an animal morgue. When we entered the preservation room, many could not stomach the smell initially. Most animals and birds there were brought in by the public which many were found dead on expressways.

Sad Passing

Not many outside Penang may have heard of him but he made a difference. To the island and it's inhabitants. Dr Lim Chong Eu the former Chief Minister of Penang, passed on last wednesday at the ripe old age of 91.

Amorphophallus titanum

If time permits, do visit the singapore botanic garden this weekend to see this rare event. The Amorphophallus titanum Flower. Was there last week but alas it has yet to bloom fully in all it's glory and stink!

Placebo

Youngest bought this for her sister. Knows sister well, for during these last few weeks, eldest have been burning the midnight oil. It's the exam time for her. Sometimes all that is needed is a little sweet placebo to do the trick.

XboX

At a mall last weekend for dinner when by chance it coincide with the launch of the latest techno gadget of getting butts off sofa. 6 to 16 year olds jumping, running and dancing in front of the screen wireless. The catch Phrase: you are the controller. Xbox360Kinect. A dance routine for eldest to sweat it out and to recharge for another session of mugging, son would definately need some good jumps and punches to perk his lethargic day and youngest will be occupied this holidays with all the fitness games(hopefully).

That was last weekend. Youngest had so much fun bowling and volleyball, she had to give monday a rest. Her hands were too sore to hold up her trumpet for band practice that morning.

100 1/80 5/3 Click!

ISO, shutter speed, aperture. All the adjustments before a perfect shot came be taken. A 3 day crash course on Basic Photography using a DSLR. So much to learn and so much patience crawling on all fours at the botanic garden guided by the Professionals. Am I ready to lug around a 800g around my neck wherever I go? Or be contented and frustrated(when it comes to night shots) with the compact canon IXUS?

Cockcroach n Herbs

In her quest for the perfect shot, she missed a step and fell. One look by the elderly sinseh , (somewhere in ChaoYang, Swatow) she was whisked off for an x-ray. A hair line fracture on the anklebone. Bandaged in herbal medication pack and two weeks supplies of brewing concoction of everything natural, to be drunk twice a day. This tu die chong, wingless cockcroach is said to Invigorate the Blood and Dispel Blood Stasis and to assist in bone healing. Her ankle is healing well, no pain as she hobbles around with NO cast.

Of Mother & Daughter

Published in the new straits times. Each time I read this, I get a lump in my throat.
QUOTE

By Lee Wei Ling
Oct 31, 2010 Mourning my mother

When it comes to our mother-daughter bond, emotion triumphs over logic

My mother Kwa Geok Choo was born on Dec 21, 1920. She came from a family with genes for longevity. Her father died at 89 years old and her mother at 87. Her eldest sister is still alive at 95. My mother, or Mama as I called her, was always health-conscious. She was strict with her diet, eating mainly fish, tofu, vegetables, fruits and unpolished rice. Her cholesterol level was low and her blood pressure was normal. She exercised almost daily, swimming and sometimes taking walks. Sept 16, 2003 was my father Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's 80th birthday. It was a joyous occasion, with no storm clouds in sight. But five weeks later, while accompanying my father to London, Mama had a stroke on Oct 25. It was caused by bleeding into the brain because her blood vessels had become fragile with age. Fortunately, the bleed occurred on the right side of her brain so her speech was unaffected. But she could not see what was in her left visual field. She was flown back to Singapore on Oct 31. As it so happened, my father had already planned to have a prostate operation in November. So they were both admitted to Singapore General Hospital in adjacent rooms, with a sliding door between them so they could keep each other company. The day after she was admitted, the late Dr Balaji Sadasivan, then still practising medicine, dropped by to discuss her case with my father. Papa asked Dr Balaji: 'Will she be able to attend social functions as well as travel with me? If she cannot, her life would be miserable.' The discussion was supposed to have been between Dr Balaji and Papa. But a group of doctors who had just seen my father were nearby and listened to the discussion intently. They got a lesson on marital life that I hoped they would always remember. My father was then 80 years old and my mother 82. Their hair was all white and they looked very different from the handsome couple they once were. But they continued to love each other, through sickness and in health, richer or poorer, for better or worse, so long as they both lived. Mama's rehabilitation programme was intensive, and there were times when she felt tired and disheartened. But the therapists soon found a way to get her to try harder. When they told her that my father was coming to see her do her exercises, she would immediately put in more effort. Both my parents were discharged from hospital on Nov 26. Mama's only residual disability was the tendency to neglect the left side of her body. So Papa would sit on her left side at the dining table so as to be able to prompt her to eat the food on the left side of her plate. Though she recovered well from her 2003 stroke, her doctors and I knew that the blood vessels in her brain were fragile and there was a high chance of another bleed. We decided not to tell my parents about this as it would only cause them worry and there was nothing we could do to prevent another bleed. We felt they should enjoy life rather than worry about something none of us could control. They continued to travel. Prior to her stroke, she would pack his things for him. Now, he tried to pack his things himself. But he would find it difficult to close his luggage bag after he had done packing. In the end, his security officers helped him pack. Prior to the stroke, she would never leave the hotel until he had left for his appointments. She did this in case he needed a particular tie or shirt. In fact, she had always set out what was appropriate for him to wear. After the stroke, she was unable to do this. Still, he wanted her to travel with him. This was because after a hard day's work he could talk to her about his day. The bond between them was as close as ever. Mama was a voracious reader before the stroke. Now, her left visual field defect made reading difficult. But she persisted, using rulers to help her keep her place on the page. Papa was convinced that exercise would be good for her. But after the stroke, she seemed sensitive to cold. So we had several wetsuits tailor-made for her in bright, cheerful colours. When they travelled, Papa would always choose hotels with swimming pools. On one occasion, she wanted to rest rather than swim. 'Today is a public holiday in Singapore,' she said to him. 'Can't I take a rest from swimming?' But he persuaded her to go for her swim. As they both aged, their fitness and agility deteriorated, and aches and pains became part of their daily life. But they both put up with the difficulties stoically, grateful to have each other's company. On May 12, 2008, I was on medical leave and napping in my room at home. A security officer came to call me because Mama had fallen from her chair as she was having breakfast. I took one look at her and realised that the left side of her body was paralysed. Without waiting for an ambulance, we drove her to the National Neuroscience Institute at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. I was hoping the stroke was due to an occlusion of a blood vessel, in which case a clot buster could be used and she could recover. Unfortunately, the CT scan showed a bleed into her right brain. I called Papa and my brothers to come to the hospital. I knew there was no chance of a good outcome, but I wanted my family to hear it from the doctors. From then till her death earlier this month, I watched my mother suffer. By last year, she did not seem aware of the people around her. She responded almost exclusively to my father's voice and would keep awake for him to come talk to her late at night. After seeing her suffer despite the best nursing care we could give her, my logical mind told me that death would be kinder than the life she was living. So I was confident I could control my emotions when she actually passed away. But when it came to my turn to speak at her funeral, my voice broke and at one point I had to cover my face as it was twisted with anguish. I was ashamed of myself. Emotion had supplanted logic as I remembered Mama. Over the last week, two natural disasters occurred in Indonesia, killing thousands and making many more homeless. I read about the disasters in the newspaper and thought to myself that these people suffered more than I did. But still, my mother, who had enjoyed 87 years of happy life, remained the dominant thought in my mind. I am totally illogical and much too emotional. I had thought I could face any misfortune or tragedy, but I was wrong. The mother- daughter bond is too strong and it goes beyond logic.

Working life

Working till 68?(The Singapore government may increase retirement age) And why not? I know of one whose sole purpose for getting up in the morning, is to go to work. Comes home have dinner, sits in front of the telly, goes to bed, wakes up the next morning and cycle repeats. Upon retirement at 65, still healthy and hearty, he was at a lost as to what he should do next. Slowly a little discomfort, a little pain a little soreness creeps into the body.

These are individuals whose entire life evolves around work.

I know of a doctor in his late 60s who intend to work till his faculty fails him.

Siput Siput

It's siput I used to find on the beaches of Penang. Digging the wet sand as the waves come in. In Bintan, youngest picked them during our early morning stroll along the beach in Bintan. Blanched it in hot boiling water and presto, fresh seafood.

Fox, Micheal J

Still the best trilogy which I never get tired of watching now and then. "Back to the future" Produced some 25 years ago.