It has been two weeks since my last posting. I have been kept pre-occupied with one thing after another. Unfortunately there has been two sad issues.
The first being that I have lost a good friend, who was my mentor and who encouraged me to be a pilot. I knew him more than fifty years ago. Hailing also from Ipoh, we went on a cruise to Hong Kong and Japan during the fifties, on board the P & O vessel "Chusan". We had a fantastic time on board ship and befriended many ladies. He was very much a joker, although many years my senior. He started his flying in China and finished up as a Captain in SIA. There was a very nice write up on him in the newspaper after his funeral. With a heavy heart, I now bid him a fond farewell and may God have mercy on his soul. Farewell, MS.
The second sad news was that, my friends at Dynasty, has decided to close shop after more than twenty years in the camera and audio business. They started out at the Far East Plaza and ended up at Sim Lim Square. They were doing very well at one time, being a Sony official agent. Unfortunately, there are too many unscrupulous dealers who resorted to under cutting and turned the whole thing into a cut throat business. I have been getting all my cameras and electronic equipment from them and have always been given very good deals. They are closing end of August and I shall miss them. I hope all the staff will find suitable jobs elsewhere.
So much for the sad news. My birthday has come and gone. I do not celebrate my birthdays normally, except when I was 12 years old. Why 12? That was when like all 12 year old, I received my identity card. Very important document to show that you are becoming an adult. I remember buying a new wallet for the card.
One day, I told my classmate I had received my identity card. He asked me, "Show, show!" So I took it out reverently and showed it to him. He laughed so loud and told me I looked so stupid! From that day onwards, I vowed not to show my identity card to anybody except the authorities. That idiot classmate!
I have started packing my things to move to the new place. It is a monumental task and I have thrown out a lot of things as well. Thirty years of accumulation is taking its toll now. My biggest worry will come when I finally get to the store room. Having to handle it alone, I am very worried indeed.
Renovations are going full steam now, at my new place. The tiles look nice and the place is taking shape. I went to inspect the place last evening (Friday), and found the workers still working at 6.30 pm.
I had my 'makan kaki' Denis, with me and we had a whopper Japanese dinner, just a short walk from my new place.
Although I mentioned that I do not celebrate my birthdays, I must record that my grand children turned up in full force for the evening dinner at home. I had bought a BBQ chicken and a very nice slab of pork belly, which turned out to be very crunchy and tasty. From the three kids, I received a box of cereal, a can of de-caf coffee and a box of crackers. It was very nice and we finished up with a small cake.
My son bought me lunch at a Japanese restaurant, and the whole family turned up except for the two grand children who were in school. So Emma took on the role of all three kids. When you grow old, you appreciate all these things.
Today, I was all alone and feeling lonely, I went out for lunch and to collect my battery from Sony. I ended up at the Republic and wandered around looking at food. The Korean stall attracted my attention and I sat down to a hot stone seafood mix rice. The stone bowl was really hot and the rice concoction tasted rather sweet. Quite a novelty.
And now, this lonely old man must go to sleep and get up early for Mass tomorrow morning.
Till then....
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
"And the walls came tumbling down.....!"
Finally the walls came tumbling down yesterday, Friday 4 July. Approval was given mid week.
I went in to check and found the place locked up. The workers had finished work and cleaned the place up somewhat. There are now piles of sand in the rooms, waiting for the workers to lay the cement screed, before the laying of tiles. We had chosen the tiles only on Thursday, and for the next three weeks or so, the tiles will be laid on the floor and part of the walls.
Other work services have also been scheduled. There will be two air condition compressors running for the three rooms upstairs and two rooms downstairs. I do not intend running all the air conditioners together, but will be judicious about them.
Last Monday, I brought Emma with my wife and the maid, by bus, to see the place. Emma enjoyed herself at the playground which was directly under the maisonette. She also liked climbing up and down the stairs. After that we toured the shops and ate lunch at the Food Park. By the time we had walked to the Cold Storage, Emma was tired out. I had promised her an ice cream treat, but unfortunately the shop was closed. So we had to take turns carrying her. On the bus ride home, Emma fell asleep and the maid had to carry her.
Yesterday, my friend Denis had called me, and I brought him along to show him my new place. We had dinner at the Food Park and shared a steamed fish and claypot tau fu. Quite nicely down and only cost me $21.40. We bought some curry puffs and chicken pies from a famous confectionery shop to take home. Costing $1.00 and $1.20 each respectively, they tasted good.
Today, being a Saturday, I was left alone at home. I went down to Holland Village with the intention of eating my favourite yong tau fu for lunch. At the last moment, I decided to try my friend's shop selling Ipoh hor fun. It was terrible! The soup was tasteless. I ordered the set meal of chicken hor fun with dumpling soup and a barley for $8.50. I regretted going there and spoiled my lunch. I thought of my yong tau fu, but I was already half full. So I bought from the Food Junction, a packet ayam penyet, thinking that I might consume it in case I get hungry later in the day. On the way home by bus, my son called me. He had spent the night in his friend's house. He told me he did not have lunch yet. So I gave him the ayam penyet, which is one of his favourite.
As I am writing this, I was told that we are having a family dinner tonight, which I am looking forward to. That will certainly cancel out my bad lunch. Why am I thinking about food when I should be trying to lose weight????
Till then....
I went in to check and found the place locked up. The workers had finished work and cleaned the place up somewhat. There are now piles of sand in the rooms, waiting for the workers to lay the cement screed, before the laying of tiles. We had chosen the tiles only on Thursday, and for the next three weeks or so, the tiles will be laid on the floor and part of the walls.
Other work services have also been scheduled. There will be two air condition compressors running for the three rooms upstairs and two rooms downstairs. I do not intend running all the air conditioners together, but will be judicious about them.
Last Monday, I brought Emma with my wife and the maid, by bus, to see the place. Emma enjoyed herself at the playground which was directly under the maisonette. She also liked climbing up and down the stairs. After that we toured the shops and ate lunch at the Food Park. By the time we had walked to the Cold Storage, Emma was tired out. I had promised her an ice cream treat, but unfortunately the shop was closed. So we had to take turns carrying her. On the bus ride home, Emma fell asleep and the maid had to carry her.
Yesterday, my friend Denis had called me, and I brought him along to show him my new place. We had dinner at the Food Park and shared a steamed fish and claypot tau fu. Quite nicely down and only cost me $21.40. We bought some curry puffs and chicken pies from a famous confectionery shop to take home. Costing $1.00 and $1.20 each respectively, they tasted good.
Today, being a Saturday, I was left alone at home. I went down to Holland Village with the intention of eating my favourite yong tau fu for lunch. At the last moment, I decided to try my friend's shop selling Ipoh hor fun. It was terrible! The soup was tasteless. I ordered the set meal of chicken hor fun with dumpling soup and a barley for $8.50. I regretted going there and spoiled my lunch. I thought of my yong tau fu, but I was already half full. So I bought from the Food Junction, a packet ayam penyet, thinking that I might consume it in case I get hungry later in the day. On the way home by bus, my son called me. He had spent the night in his friend's house. He told me he did not have lunch yet. So I gave him the ayam penyet, which is one of his favourite.
As I am writing this, I was told that we are having a family dinner tonight, which I am looking forward to. That will certainly cancel out my bad lunch. Why am I thinking about food when I should be trying to lose weight????
Till then....
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