MISCELLANEOUS

PAST FEW DAYS HAVE BEEN FRUITFUL FOR ME ....

Went to United Voice in PJ to review their operation and activities on behalf of a sister-in-law. UV's a self advocacy society of persons with disabilities. They believe in giving their members a voice, an independent voice in daily living and decision-making.

Some members are producing art and crafts (paintings, book marks, greeting cards) and they bake biscuits for sale.

These members are paid a salary and they learn to do a routine, they learn discipline and independence. UV truly does a GREAT and noble job.

I am 3 sleeps away from going home. I bought some shoe bags from Daiso (100 Yen shop) at The Curve. Also some compression bags to help me keep my clothing down in size/volume (but not in weight). Daiso has some great products; all priced at RM5.



I compressed (using a household vacuum cleaner suction) about 12 pieces of cloting into this.

I love wind chimes. Recently I sort of collect them when I come across them for sale.

Darren + family took me out for dinner at Bijan Bar & Restaurant, Jalan Ceylon. Bijan is sesame in Malay. It offers Malay food in a fine dining setting.

The appetizers were ok but we loved their mains. We had rendang tok ayam kampung, kerabu pucuk paku and masak lemak udang tempoyak.

I never tried tok before but it was a beautiful rendang. I have had tempoyak before but found out from Darren that it is fermented durian.

人生一个故事

这是我们老一辈人生的一个故事....

人接近死亡的时候会明白死亡不是一个抽象的槪念， 而它是生命过程之一； 也是我们共同的终点。
这是注定的， 也没有人逃得过。 在我们不久的将来， 我们也会变老或生病， 我们也要面对这个人生舞台。 即使那些想上天堂的人， 也希望能活着上天堂。
我们一生的时间真的是有限，接下来争取时间做自己想要成为的那个人吧。

Dust In The Wind Lyrics

Dust In The Wind Lyrics: Kansas

I close my eyes only for a moment and the moment's gone 

All my dreams Pass before my eyes, a curiosity

Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind
Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind

I come across this INSPIRING QUOTE recently ..... I think with a bit of balanced view it should work pretty well for most people.

Who’s in control of your life – you or the things that you want? We can get so caught up in what we have and what we’re doing that we feel obligated to things that don’t really matter. To find real meaning, look at what will be here long after you’re gone. You can leave something behind. You have a purpose to fill that will carry on after your minutes have run out. To find out what that might be, ask yourself “what do I want to be remembered for?” In the end, what you leave for others and what your life represents is all that counts. What you grasp for and hold onto doesn’t. After all, you can’t count what’s hidden inside your closed fist.

老星， 老星， Ｏｌｄ Ｍｅｍｏｒｉｅｓ， Ｏｌｄ ｆｒｉｅｎｄｓ， ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ ｎｅｗ

新加坡， 我来吔！

I HAVE PROMISED THE SINGAPORE STOBA 78ERS that I will pop into town and I am making good my promise.

I buy my coach ticket from Konsortium. It makes it that much easier that they operate out of TBS Terminal Bersepadu Selatan. I am to depart at 11am Saturday 3 September and return the next day.

The TBS is run like an airport. The signage is good, the departure lobby and gate is well organised

The coach seats are wide and the seat pitch offers plenty of room

The SAFF Hotel at 55 Keong Saik Rd, Chinatown

Love the color. Love the lamps

Love the color

Room is small (single room is 15 sq meter) but ok for one night and solo traveller like me

Ｔｈｅ　ｃｏａｃｈ　ｐｕｌｌｓ　ｉｎｔｏ　Ｇｏｌｄｅｎ　Ｍｉｌｅ　Ｔｏｗｅｒ　ｏｎ　Ｂｅａｃｈ　Ｒｄ．

The downside of the coach travel to Singapore is that the journey takes almost 6 hours from departure to when I check in to the hotel. And one has to accept that there is the customs and immigration that one has to endure crossing the border. Anyway, no venture no gain.

People's Park Complex (珍珠坊) was THE shopping complex to go to in the 1970's.

I go exploring the hotel surroundings and wanting to stretch my legs. As I expected Chinatown has a mixture of old and new buildings and is full of vigor, colors, sounds and stalls selling stuff to tourists. A lot more of the old shop lots have been renovated and renewed and are now run as commercial businesses. The air is humid, very humid. I want to get out of the sea of humanity into the comfort of the air-conditioned hotel.....

Yuet Fai picks me up and we go for dinner in Tiong Bahru. Thankfully the restaurant is air-conditioned. Old class mates and friends come to meet and enjoy each others' company. We do not drink much like the KL folks do, just some Heineken to cool us down. But nice food, great company. That's what I am there to enjoy. I really am grateful they turn up, and I have not seen Peng Chew for more than 30 years.

Do you know the way to park at Clark Quay???

Dinner at Por Kee Eating House, Blk 69 Seng Poh Lane, Tiong Bahru. Great food.

They decide to go to Clark Quay to have a look see as it is 中秋节 soon. I am not sure when it is exactly and could not be bothered to find out. Again there is a sea of humanity there. Locals and foreigners. In fact one cannot discern who the locals are and who the foreigners are exactly anymore in old Sing. I wonder what these people are doing at 11pm at Clark Quay and it is common feeling among the Singaporeans that there is nothing else to do and so ....

It is generally thought that Singapore is "over-crowded" with people with more than 5 million residents. We say our good-byes as I am bushed and I have a fairly ok night sleep after taking 2 paracetamols from Siew Wah to suppress the headache I have had for 2 days ....

Lanterns on a float in the Singapore River

Dreaming .....

7.30am I awake and the religious chimes also sound in an Indian temple about 50m from the hotel. Aiyah. Lucky I am getting up anyway. Old friends Sow Hon and Wai Har are coming to have breakfast with me.

I get ready and have a cup of coffee across the road from the hotel in an old style coffee shop, waiting for them to arrive. One young bloke comes in for his coffee, eggs and toasts. He parks his bike nearby and places his helmet on the table. His eyes dart around looking at me, at the other older folks there having their coffee and their yarn. He looks around and takes his time eating his breakfast. What's he thinking? I am wondering. 8 o'clock in the morning, a young bloke, has his brekkie in a old man's joint. Surely he enjoys being in the old part of new Singapore?I am also thinking, hey this is pretty peaceful and predicable sort of scene when people grow older, huh?

SH and WH arrive and in "old Sow Hon's style" he has no idea where to go for breakfast; and he tells me most food courts are not opened yet, those with good food has a long queue and those without queues are not worth going for. HUH???!!! on top of that it is difficult to get ａ　parking spot　ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ　ｔｈｅｒｅ　ａｒｅ　ｓｏ　ｍａｎｙ　ｐｅｏｐｌｅ　ｉｎ　Ｓｉｎｇａｐｏｒｅ　ｎｏｗａｄａｙｓ. DOUBLE　ＨＵＨ？？？！！！We end up having brekies at NUS　Ａｌｕｍｎｉ　Ｇｕｉｌｄ！　Ｈｕｈ？　Ｐｏｒｉｄｇｅ，　ｓａｎｄｗｉｃｈｅｓ　ａｎｄ　ｂｉｇ　ｂｒｅｋｆａｓｔ．　ＯＭＧ．　Ｐｏｏｒ　ｄｅｐｒｉｖｅｄ　ＳＨ．

Ｉ　ｃａｎｎｏｔ　ｈｅｌｐ　ｂｕｔ　ｄｉｇ　ｉｎｔｏ　ｈｉｍ．　Ｔｈｉｓ　ｉｓ　ｓｏ　ｔｙｐｉｃａｌ　ｏｆ　ＳＨ．

Ｉ　ｃａｔｃｈ　ｕｐ　ｌａｔｅｒ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｍｙ　ｂｒｏ　Ｎｉｃｋ　ａｎｄ　ｓｉｓｔｅｒ－ｉｎ－ｌａｗ　ＷＰ　ｐｌｕｓ　ｈｅｒ　ｂｒｏｔｈｅｒ ａｎｄ　ｓｉｓｔｅｒ　ｆｏｒ　ｌｕｎｃｈ　ａｔ　ｎｅａｒｂｙ　Ｉ　ｄｏｎ＇ｔ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｗｈｅｒｅ．　I didn't notice the name of the restaurant even. Ｌｕｎｃｈ　ｉｓ　ｏｋ。　Ｔｈｏｕｇｈｔ　ｉｔ　ｓｈｏｕｌｄ　ｂｅ　ｂｅｔｔｅｒ　ｂｕｔ　ｔｕｒｎｓ　ｏｕｔ　the dishes ｆａｌｌｉｎｇ　ｕｎｄｅｒ　ｔｈｅ　ｍａｒｋ．　Ｂｕｔ　ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｃｏｍｐａｎｙ　ｔｈａｔ　ｃｏｕｎｔｓ．　ｓａｍｅ　ｗｉｔｈ　ＳＨ　ａｎｄ　ＷＨ　ａｎｄ　ｍｙ　ｏｌｄ　ｍａｔｅｓ　ｂａｃｋ　ｉｎ　Ｓａｍ　Ｔｅｔ．

I am back in Beach Rd and get on the 3pm Sri Maju coach. Ｔｈｅ　ｊｏｕｒｎｅｙ　ｂａｃｋ　ｔｏ　ＫＬ　ｔａｋｅｓ　ａｂｏｕｔ　５１／２　ｈｏｕｒｓ．　Ｕｎｅｖｅｎｔｆｕｌ　ｅｘｃｅｐｔ　ａ　ｌｏｎｇ　ａｎｄ　ｔｉｒｉｎｇ day. It's dawned on me ..... Ｉ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｍｅｎｔａｌｌｙ　Ｉ　ａｍ　ｒｅａｄｙ　ｔｏ　ｇｏ　ｂａｃｋ　ｔｏ　Ｍｅｌｂｏｕｒｎｅ　ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ｗａｎｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｒｅｍａｉｎｉｎｇ　ｄａｙｓ　ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ｍｙ　ｄｅｐａｒｔｕｒｅ　ｔｏ　ｇｏ　ｐａｓｔ　ｑｕｉｃｋｌｙ　ｓｏ　Ｉ　ｃａｎ　ｇｅｔ　ｏｎ　ｂａｃｋ　．．．．．　ｉｔ　ｉｓ　ｌｉｋｅ　Ｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ｂｅｅｎ　ａｗａｙ　ｆｏｒ　ａ　ｌｏｎｇ，　ｌｏｎｇ　ｔｉｍｅ　ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ａｍ　ｍｉｓｓｉｎｇ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｍｉｌｉａｒｉｔｙ　ａｎｄ　ｍｙ　ｆａｍｉｌｙ　．．．．