As time does by....

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....