Jhony & Tresia's Wedding

It was wedding, Indonesian Style. With Kong-Kong & Poh-Poh (+Tai Ku and Albert's family), the dozen of us represented the Singapore "Tjoeng" delegation to atttend Jhony & Tresia's wedding on Sun, 28 Dec 08. Held at the Pacific Palace at Jodoh, Batam, we experience the traditional tea ceremony followed by the wedding dinner (Indonesian Style !!). What made the dinner different was the number of volunteers who proceeded upstage to sing for the Bride & Groom. In turn, they received Red Packets for their effort. Some were also accompanied by dancers (also volunteers). There was also the on-stage toasting where all the "ranks & files" were summoned up-stage for the traditional 3x Yam-Seng !!! It sure was quite a challenge matching names, with "relatives' title" in the midst of Indonesian English and Bangka lingo.

Prior to leaving the island of Batam, had an hour of foot reflex followed by a Korean meal at the Sa Rang Bang Restaurant at Harmoni Hotel. On the whole, it was an unique experience for all of us.

Annual get together " Tan Sim Boh"

It was time for the annual meet-up at Godparent's place. Armed with otak-otak from Tg Pinang and a large box of cherries from Tiong Baru, the family arrived in time for home-cooked food and meet up with the god family.

2 out of the 3 newly recruited "elf" from the 50th anniversary were there too, with Mary-Ann's family from Aussieland. Max was of course delighted to have everyone back though his eye-sight is not as good as before (PS : Max is the dog !!! See direction of Sylvia's finger !!!) Irene too brought her friend along (Irene Toh) to join in the party, so it looks like the gathering has grown ... (...and yes, there are now too of them !!! 2 x IRENEs).

A pleasant evening, to catch up and enjoy each other's company. A collection was also made to spare a thought for the poor. Whatever that was collected was handed over to Fr Lau ... to be forwarded to where it is most needed.

It's another X'mas .... !!! (for the record !!)

Spot Fracture

Grandma was having a swollen foot for about 2 weeks. What was first thought to be sprain did not get better after a while. This was where mobile phones with camera features came in useful. Took a picture of the swollen foot (near the ankle area) and showed it to the family doctor. On his advice, she was sent to the Alexandra Hospital A&E on Christmas Eve for X-ray/assessment. X-ray showed signs of spot fractures at two lcoation on her right foot, just before her ankle. She was then immobilised to restraint further movement and was warded for further observations, in case of complications. (Ward 10 Bed 40). What a way to celebrate Christmas Eve !!!

Perth re-union

Christmas joy is in the air and what better time it is for those who had just returned home from Perth to celebrate the festive season. Whilst it was a X'mas gathering mainly for those who stayed at the St Thomas More College (STMC), the parents who were there in Jul 08 also had their fun having their re-union over freshly baked turkey, roasted ham, "tau-gay-less" bee hoon, wine and whipped cream strawberries. Beatrice did all the coordination and we just have to bring some food to share in the potluck gathering. On the whole, it was simply fun and merry making.

(PS : The parents were noisier than the younger ones !!!)

R&J's 25th Anniversary

Richard & Julie celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary on 6 Dec 08 (actual day is 10 Dec 08 ... but, but, but then ... many will not be available to join in the celebration). Together with Aloysius, Quee Hak, Henry, May & George ... we got the couple a pair of Goldfish, in a frosted glass frame from RSIS. Music was provided by The Los Pintos, a popular group that sang many oldies (on requests, ranging from Malay, Spainish, Indonesian and even Chinese favourites). Richard even sang with them. (He did practiced a fair bit !!!)

As the couple cut their Anniversary cake, all joined in to wish them the very best and many more years to come.

The get-together was organised by Avril, with her brother and family members and was held at FRIENDS ... (whereas, for gathering of good friends !!!).

Back to London

I could still recalled my very first trip to the United Kingdom (UK) in March 1986 (gosh !!! that some 26 years ago) for my first ever overseas course as a young (yes young !!!) CAPTAIN for the International Principal Warfare (IPWO) Course at Portsmouth. Was then, somewhat disappointed when I was first greeted by the subway, they call the "Underground". Recalled seeing a couple of hugh rats running on the train tracks (probably wearing ear plugs !!!) and litter was everywhere. What happened to my image / expectation of the capital of the British Empire ?

Over the months, the British lifestyle started to sink in. Gloomy weather, not-so-tasty food, tea at 4:00 pm and people standing at the pub was what GB was all about. Like all foreigners, had to see the changing of the guards, walk along the River Thames, view the London Bridge and of course meet Big Ben. The big clock tower that stands tall in the city had remained the landmark that I associate London with.

After leaving for home (sunny Singapore) after the course, never dreamt that I would be back again. In fact, after the inaugural trip, was back to London 5 more times, making this the 7th times that I've returned.... and with each trip, a call to Big Ben seem to be a ritual ; a MUST !!!
Whilst somethings have changed, such as newer buildings, clearner Subway Stations, lots of security cameras, modern buses and travelling with the Oyster Card system .... some things are still the same ... The weather for one. (Quite hard to image London with good weather ... always wet and gloomy). The crowd is just as "plentiful" and the queue for anything remains l-o-n-g !!!!. Oh yes .... there's more British Pounds to the Singapore Dollar now compare to my first trip. It used to be £1.00 : S$5.20, now, its £1.00 to S$2.23. The usual Black London Cab has turned colour too. Took a pink one from the airport to the hotel.

Was informed that the Mayor of London recently opened a brand new mall, known as the "WESTFIELD" Mall (off Shepherd Bush Station, Central Line). It's about 5-6 times of VivoCity. It's a much welcomed, brand new shopping experience. Enjoyed the space (not necessary lesser crowd) and the cold 2-6 degree C temperature. Whilst recalling things, had to do some reality checks from time to time that the primary purpose of the trip was to attend the IMO 85th MSC Meeting. Had to mixed business with some "walking around aimlessly, pleasure !!". It was a "nice to be back" feeling... but not for too long. especially when it threatened to rain, every other hour.

Sarah is home ...

YEs, Sarah is back, after some 5 months in the wilderness (not so, but wilderness sounds more exciting !!!). Having done all the last "to do list" before leaving Perth, like running to catch the last SALES in Town, catch the last Perth sun before it sets on 22 Nov 08 (by the beach !!), etc. Returned with 2 bags (stretched to the seams), weighing some 41 kg ... she's finally back (for the time being). SQ 226 landed slightly earlier at T3 (probably assisted by the extra weight ... of the bags !!!). First thing to be done ... off to the PRATA SHOP !!!

Bonjour !!! My can-can trip !!!

Arrived here in the wee hours of the morning after a 13 hr flight. Overdosed of interruppted ZZzzz in the upright position. (Surprisingly, managed to sleep a little, here & there !!) After clearing immigration, had a challenging time trying to get from the airport to the hotel. Comparing French signposts with a piece of English map and asking for directions from English speaking French was by itself an adventure. Finally managed to arrive at the hotel about 3 hours from touch down ... all in all, about 16 hrs of travelling.
Stayed at the "Mecure Paris Suffren Tour Eiffel", which is a stone throw from the Eiffel Tower and almost next to the International Energy Agency (IEA) where I'll be having my meeting / presentation. Of course, being in the heart of the country's landmark, its a hotspot magnet for tourists and prices of everything else is equally on the high end. (Eg : A side stall for a Hot Dog is 5 Euro ... about S$10. The hot dog is about a foot long ... using the entire lenght of a French loaf).
After catching some 2.5 hrs of peaceful "horizontal" recovery sleep, had the later half of the afternoon to discover the vicinity of the Tower / Hotel. Nice cool walks. Temperature was about 8 deg C (in daylight hours; went down to about 3-5 deg C in the night. Sunset was at about 5:30pm). Looks like thats all the time that I'll have to look around cos the meeting starts tomorrow and I'll be off the next day catching the first flight out of the French capital.
In the meantime, enjoy the temperature and see the tower ... by Day, by Night and when it is lighter up !!!

24th Anniversary lunch

It's aleady 24 years and deciding where to go for the Anniversary Lunch was by itself a major exercise. Headed for Keppel Marina, only to find that the main restaurant was closed for a "Private Function". Plan B was up to the Jewel Box at Mt Faber. Not much selection there and it was threatening to rain, so headed for the next best sheltered place ... VivoCity. Spolit for choice, we finally narrowed down to either a German meal (in time for the Okotber Fest !!) or an all meat Brazilian meal. (None of the above was chosen !!!). Finally settled for a Japanese/Korean fusion meal at TAJIMAYA YAKINIKU (#01-102).
Had the top of the range WAYGU BEEF, self BBQed with the tradition Korean rice/vegetable + pepper sauce mixed, complete with seafood and tempura. On the whole, not too bad, but had to complete the meal with a TOAST BOX - Kopi O !!!

6.6 km Nautical Run

After weeks of anxiety (at least for one member of the team.... ME !!), the Nautical 6.6 km run finally took off on the Friday morning of 10 Oct 08 at the East Coast Park. With some thousand odd participants from the Maritime Community, the charity run/walk at 0815 hrs raise some S$330,000 for the President Charity / SPH Pocket Money Fund for needy children. Donned in "Scarlet Red" T-shirts (in the seas of Blue T-shrts), the ISC Team carried on the run under the heat of the morning sun. Though it was a team event, many were at their "own time/own pace" mode. On the whole, a pleasant morning run with foot reflex scheduled for the afternoon (part of damage control procedure !!!). Final assessment : Survived the run !!!

Grandma is 86

It's Hari Raya and Grandma is at the Orange Valley Nursing Home cos Aunty Reena is back in Surabaya for 2 weeks to visit her family for the festive period. Armed with plastic plates, fork & spoons, a Pandan-Kaya Cake was the highlight when we visited Grandma at the home. Co-incidentally, the cake was Green in colour, the colour of Hari Raya. With a borrowed lighter, the candles were lit and Grandma had a private candle blowing session. Clarissa-Anne and Aaron-James sang her a birthday song and she happily blew the candles. The cake was then shared among all the rest of the residents of the 5th Floor, including the helpers and nurses. Some of the residents there were pleasantly surprised with the extra dessert whilst one of the resident slow but eventually finished the cake (inclusive of the crumbs !!! Must have been yummy !!!)

It was just a simple session to mark Grandma's 86th birthday.

An F1 experience

Whilst it was difficult to appreciate the full excitement of the Formula One (F1) race, it was by itself an adventure to be part of the hostorical night race. To a totally non F1 fan, watching cars zoom by was not really that exciting. Can't even apprecaite why the crowd was clapping when some results were flashed across the screen. However, seating at the grandstand (opposite City Hall), under the heat of the evening sun, hearing the noise of the roaring engines and getting a jiff of the fume in the air was by itself a different experience. Watching the F1 cars going by was certainly different from watching the porche practise run. One was going almost 250++ km/h vs the porshe at probably half the speed. One distinct difference was the noise level and the other, the opportunity for photo shoot. (The f1 cars were just too fast for the fingers to press the shutter release !!!) At the end of the evening, the one thing that stayed virtually in the mind was an accident where one of the F1 car crashed into a barrier, fairly closed to where we were supposed to have our dinner. Furtunately, the driver go off unscratched and we had our dinner. It was a night race, but with all the floodlights, it was almost like daylight conditions.

Live from City Hall

Can't believe that we actually headed to City Hall to catch a glimpse of the historical 1st F1 Night Race. The final practice run is about to start. Out comes the ear plugs and they OFF !! Noisy lots of drivers.

Published from iPhone (live from City Hall)

Grandma @ Orange Valley

As Reena's has completed her two years contracted, she took two weeks of leave to return to her Surabaya Home to see her family. Grandma thus have to be temporary housed for the period that she is away. Her previous venue at Ling Kwang Home, no longer accommodate short term stay, thus, she has moved to ORANGE VALLEY Nursing Home @ Cementi for her temporary stay. Visiting Grandma before her departure on Saturday morning, she brought along her favourite pillow to keep her company during her absence. A cheerful Grandma wished her well before she departed.

Unstable dinner

A last minute detour after a drive through the new KPE ended at the Marina South Jetty. Boarded the SANTA FE, a riverboat restaurant which serve Mexican food. (Boat was berthed alongside the outer-most pier). Being on a flat bottom boat, it rolled a fair bit making the meal a rather "unstable one". However, once the food was served, the roll was just in the mind. A pleasant shipboard environment, though a little unstable.

Visiting Sarah-Marie

Whilst Dad is on the way back from Seoul, Mom and Clarissa-Anne were heading South for Perth to visit elder sister, Sarah-Marie. Aaron-James who is left behind with only one parent in the vicinity (for 2 weeks) at any one time was having a ball. He was daily at the CC's study rooms till late in the evening. He even asked to be awakened in the early morning so that he could go for a run. (Hmmm !!!! there must be more to the study room routine !!!) Anyway, the adventure down south took the Mother and daughters team to "distant places" (away from Perth City). They visited a cave, cycled on a remote island, visited wild life and ate goodness knows what. They also met up with Alice (our friend from Singapore) and Mike (our Aussie friend from Perth) who were both great company. Mike knew the way around so they had some great time, sight-seeing. Had a strange feeling that Mike had some "liking" for my GPS.... or rather, the female voice of my GPS that he fondly name it (the GPS) as MONICA. Looks like now, I'll have to travel around with MONICA from time-to-time !!!

Half Day City Tour

Courtesy of our Korean host, some of the remaining delegates (whose flight schedule permits), were extended a half day, City Tour, which brought us to the ancient city in the heart of Seoul. Views of the mansion that Kings and Queens once dwelled and the scenic view within the protective walls of the imperial palace.

We also witnessed the changing of the imperial guards (the traditional way). Donned in costumes of yester-years, the in-coming and out-going gurads performed a ceremonial handing/taking over. Those who are game may also rent traditional costume to join in the fun. An office staff (Seow Fong) and a Thai delegate sportingly took the challenge to be dressed up to join in the fun. Suddenly, they became celebraties. Everyone wanted to shot with them.

Though it was a hot day, all had fun. The day ended with 30 minutes of intensive shopping for little items before calling it a day.

The Tjoeng Family

Grand parents with 8 grand children in a snap-shot in August 2008 . from the oldest .... Sarah-Marie, Aaron-James, Clarissa-Anne, Matthew, Benedict, Ashley, Zachery & Timothy.

Well, the parents were not left out. So, with 4 families (2 x TJOENGs and 2 x TEOs ...) another snap-shot for the family album.

3rd time in KimChi-Land

This one week in Seoul (25-30 Aug 08) was my 3rd time there. Each visit had its own unique experience. With a little more time in hand, managed to walk a good 10 km over some 5 hours, browsing the many shops and street corners. Reading Korean remains a challenge. With lots of "+" and "o", it was more of landmark recognition, pictures and some guess work. After wondering aimlessly, looking for lunch, we simply ordered what the next table was going to have and prayed like anything that it would be eatible. On the next day, our Korean friend brought us for a "self-cooked" Squid, Vegetables and KimChi fried rice meal. Had to do our own frying of the rice so I guess, we can't complain if its not too good. On the whole, it was a good "See-food" experience for we had absolutely no idea what we were ordering/eating.

Sarah is missing !!!

It was one of the usual "any reason, is a good reason" to get together for a meal. The time it was "poh-poh" birthday and it was celebrated at an Indonesian Restaurant ... The "Tambuah Mas" at Tanglin Shopping Centre. Only difference this time is Aaron-James is now the "oldest", for the elder sister, Sarh-Marie is away at Aussieland. Forming the all cousins table at one side, whilst the parents formed the other. As all the cousins sang the good old birthday song ... in English, Chinese & Malay, our thoughts remains with Sarah, as all happily dug in ... inclusive of her share of yummy Indonesian delight.

Its already 10 years in GRO

It didn't seem too long ago when Kensington Park Management Committee asked for representatives to be in the Serangoon Neighbourhood Committee (SNC). Together with Randy Sng, we were both "volunteered" to be the liaision between the two committees. Bryan Lincoln, then SNC Chairman, certainly spared no efforts in bringing us in. Unknown to us then (as least to me), it was to be a volunteer in Grassroots Organisations (GRO). Had adhoc projects ranging from Serangoon Swing 2000, Serangoon Estate Upgrade Programme (EUP), CSSP, Financial Planning Seminars, Anti-Dengue Task Force, Retreat in Bangkok, National Day Dinner and goodness knows what came our way ... but it all contributed to 10 years of "volunteered" service. Was somehow in CCC, along the way. Made some good friends along the way, (also inevitably, loss some in the process) and had different experience in working with limited budget, uncertain support and with many whose agenda are somewhat different..... totally different from the structured organisation that I used to know !!!.

Friends from Down Under !!!

In the short 10 days at Perth, came to realised that there were lots of Singaporeans who are either living there or are working there. It was like a home away from home where Singaporeans are meeting in the streets, at supermarkets, at the golf course, etc.
Had the pleasure of meeting Dr Philip Bay and William at the Whaleback Public Golf Course where I was introduced to "air-conditioned" environment golf game. The cool atmosphere was simply wonderful despite the fact that it was a walking course without buggy nor caddies. Was also introduced to good local chinese food, such as Fish Wing bee hoon and ice cream waffles.
Also visited the home of Marisa (Angel's parents). Nice cosy place, nicely stored up and most importantly ... warm.
Also met their "kakis" who enjoyed ocassional gatherings over glasses of wine and chit-chats. Good fun and enjoyable company.
Before leaving for the airport, also met up with Dominic and Helen from the St Francis Xavier Church, as well as Patricia Cheng. Had a meal of local Singaproe Hawker Food ... Char Kuah Teow, Wanton Noodles and Chicken Curry Rice. There is also an outlet known as "Singapore Hawker Food". How to loose weight like that !!!

Have an enjoyable Aussie experience !!!

As the parents packed and make their way back to Singapore, the 5 girls are left to enjoy Uni-life and what Perth has to offer. To all of them .... Have a good and frutiful experience.
Take care !!!

Cold, Wet & Windy @ Fremantle

The day start off sunny but it was short lived. Whilst enroute to Fremantle, the wind started to blow and an overcast with dark rain clouds quickly moved in. Within half an hour, it was dark skys, heavy raindrops and cold wind. Could even feel the car been pushed by the wind as we jourveyed towards Fremantle. By the time, we parked the car at the Marina, it was pouring. Visibility was down and it was brrrr !!! (cold !!) The call for the the Fremantle "Fish & Chips" was certainly loud and off we went, braving the weather to gobble away the traditionally wrapped goodies. Whilst waiting for the food, the smell of batter and potato wedges was by itself ... "shiok liao !!!" Fortunately, the hot warm meal also bought us time for the rain to ease-off and gave way to some peek of sunshine. That gave us, some time to wonder around town and head for the local fish market. More like a flea market with lots of odds & ends. Even fruits looked good (see pic) Bargain items such as hand gloves, scaves and hats were hot selling items, especially for those who were poorly equipped to meet such freezing weather. As the cold wind builds up, it was also time for some yummy Ice Creamery from COLD ROCK. (It was Cold but nice !!!). It was a quick dart around from shop to shop, to grabbed whatever that was needed and head for the car before it gets wet again. Sarah-Marie's KPI was to get hold of a branded "slipper" for ... "you know who". (No points for guessing correctly... and gues who has to bring it back to Singapore ... "special delivery service" !!! It was already decided liao !!!) By the time the engine was started ... we could feel the wind blowing through the clothes. Time to return home.... err... to the college !!