Peace at last.

Made the absolutely right decision. Big rock off my chest. Peace at last.

I’m happy being bored and lonely, boredom and loneliness are not depressive …

 

February’s Ukulele Meetup came and went. The new ensemble piece was “Always With You”, a lovely theme song from the Japanese Animation “Spirited Away”. Nice.

 

Gab’s 1^st weekend book-out came and went. Glad that he is doing well, and glad that now I’ve something to look forward to every weekend !

 

Chinese New Year came and went. Generally very usual. The unusual part is I managed to slow down my eating J. They next gathering will be on 7^th March Saturday, at Khoy’s Pasir Ris home.

Nao and IZ are in their rooms. Ling is in front of the TV. Gab is in BMTC ...

 

 

I am fighting boredom and loneliness. This is hard, since I’m also trying to diet at the same time. Sometime, I feel like gorging down a good dinner, and regret later J.

 

It is the ukulele meetup this weekend !  can’t wait for the new songs to practise with. In the meantime, I practise playing “Red River Valley” and “Greensleeves” without looking at the song sheets.

 

I play less weiqi now, off-form. Still playing Texas hold’them Poker and thinking about my aquarium …

I've gone back to the semi-GI look, felt the wind in my hair as I rode out for coffee.

Haiz, bored, time to pick up my camera again ...

Stocktake …

 

Gabriel has done well in Badminton and Weiqi for Hwa Chong Institution. He will join the army in February.

 

Naomi has done well in Softball, A-Div Champs and National Youth Team. She will sit for her A-Level Exams under RVHS’s Integrated-Program at the end of this year.

 

Isaac has done well in the National Schools Gymnastics. He has gotten into Hwa Chong Institution, Mathematic-Talents Class.

 

Ling Ling is enjoying her shopping and K-drama.

 

I go for coffee at the coffee-shop often. While there, my activities include reading newspapers, general-idling, and practising the ukulele. It gets boring when I run out of new songs to practise with. As such, I look forward to the monthly ukulele-meetups when new songs and ensemble pieces will be introduced.

 

 

For exercise, I swim 1km (23mins) everyday. Only bad-weather can stop me. Therefore, I always pray for bad-weather. After swims, I may go to Pa’s house to eat Ma’s cooking, talks to my extended-family members and play with the nephews.

 

 

When Isaac is not hogging the laptop, I play weiqi on the internet. I can’t play too much weiqi though. If I do, I will tire, think less, make mistakes and lose games which I’m not supposed to lose.

 

 

My aquarium has always been a part of me. I feed my fishes and tend to my java-moss once a day. They are all growing well. I kick-back and enjoy looking at them. I intend to add a pair of Altum Angels to the aquarium soon.

 

 

I try to read more but I’m very choosy, can’t find interesting books most times. When I really have absolutely nothing to read or do, I play Texas Hold’em Poker on my iPad. Cheers.

 

Depression & Life in Singapore

It has been 4 years since my first episode of Depression, the Depression which brought about the premature end to my Shanghai adventure. Returning from Shanghai to Singapore was the right thing to do. It is much easier to handle Depression with family and friends around.

The hospitals in Singapore were a big part of my journey of recovery from Depression. I was warded once in SGH and thrice in IMH. Those hospital-stays were very helpful; as I learned more about Depression, the wonderful people who suffer from various forms of it, and the ways to overcome the illness.

Depression is nausea, hot-flush, insomnia, and rapid bowel-movements. It is also the lost of mood and energy to do anything, including reading the newspapers, surfing the web, playing weiqi and the ukulele. Although it is deliberating, the experience has made me a “kinder” person who has become closer to my family.

Now that I’ve kept Depression at bay with the doctor’s medications, I hope I can tackle mid-life boredom. I’ll continue to spend more time at my hobbies : weiqi, ukulele meetups, aqua-culture, and reading. Cheers !

I'm back !

Portraits

Saturday :-

As usual, I started the day at KFC and a copy of China Daily. I must say that I am not a fan of the food at KFC nor of their coffee served in paper-cups. But it is coffee ! Talking about it, I missed the coffee in porcelain-cups back home.

That is the magazine-kiosk that I buy Weiqi Tiandi from. While some places get their Weiqi Tiandi late, that kiosk gets theirs on the day of its publication !

my water-supplier

I had my simple dinner here. Beehoon fried with egg and cabbage costs $1. William is right, the fried beehoon at such Sha Xian Xiao Chi is like those at home.

Sunday :-

Few people are at the park because it is raining and is therefore quite cold. Breakfast is KFC, lunch is a sausage bun and a black-sesame bun from a bakery, afternoon is TV.

For dinner, I went to try 鲜肉汤包@老盛昌. When the order arrived, I realized that it is 小笼包 !

There is a strike by the contract-workers because they didn't get annual-bonus, which is not their entitlement in the 1st place. The HR should be able to settle it easily.

The weather is dry. Luckily, I have a humidifier, which I bought from Carefour @ Biyun when I just came here.

For ths 1st time, it was hot ! Some to keep the winter jacket and bring out just the wind-breaker.

I had 2 Shao Mais (@ 20 cents ) this morning. Other than having the same skin, it is rather different from Singapore's ...

* bigger.
* the filling is glutinous rice instead of meat.

It is nice though. Now I have an additional breakfast option.

The customer will visit from 1st to 13th Apr. I can to go to the Singapore Day after all :-)

You guys already knew I can't have the April home trip anymore, customer is visiting. Now I plan the home trip for 30/Apr-4/May, to coincide with Labour Day.


I'll be busy for the next 2 weeks (including weekends) when the customer is here. I wish it will end in time for me to go to the Singapore Day @ Shanghai Century Park on 16th Apr. I'll tell you guys about it if I go. I can expect Singapore food and celebrities there :-).


I went for my second haircut today.

Walk round the lake in Jin Qiao (Golden Bridge) Park today. Saw people fishing ...

Then, I went home to work on my laptop.

After that, I went to gym for the 1st time. I expect my muscles to ache for the next 2 days, which is good ...

Views of Pudong Xin Qu ...

I went to KFC again, for breakfast. Why ? It is the nearest place that serves coffee ! Chinese shops do not have coffee :-(  I had coffee, a chicken burger and a dough fritter for $2.50. Oh yes, and China Daily for 30 cents.

The Shanghai Science and Technology place ... I'll be there ...

Sunny and comfortable, and a long workday for me :-)

The good and the bad about taking a bath in winter ...
* The water is heated.
* The bath lotion is not.

The bad about my residential area ...
* Too old.
* Smoking in lifts, spitting in public.
* Too many pet dogs and their poo on grass.

The good about living & working in SH …
* Many challenges, many things to learn.
* Power-up my Chinese and Mandarin.
* Temporarily a 无车阶级上班族. Quite fun.
* Can watch live sports free-to-air.
   In Singapore, I would've to pay SCV or MIO.

My heart goes out to the people of Japan and Libya. Hang-in there, persevere, 疾风知劲草. Time changes things. It may even be 沧海桑田 … 阿.

Life depends on little decisions made at crossroads. This is the land of the dragon. I am glad that our homeland has done well in the past few years. It just needs to work on being more graceful; no littering, no spitting in public, no unruly behavior, more polite and courteous, etc.

In this Middle Kindom, I get to go behind-the-scenes to see how the technology company with the highest market-capitalization work to churn out the most popular electronics products in the world.

Let me tell you why I don't eat breakfast at 1st Restaurant anymore ...
* it is hard to describe but it is far from being a place you want to spend time, any more than necessary, in.
* the sunny-side-up is cold.
* the soya bean milk is "no big deal".
I just buy and take-away 2 meat baos (2 x 20 cents).

I visited Wen Feng Mall on the weekend. It reminded me of a smaller version of IMM, just a little ...

The rain will bring the temperature down to below 10 for the next 3~4 days :-(

Yahoo Singapore ... my daily dose of home news.

My favorite words is "Integrity". Now,I added another very important word, "Perseverence".

Some mornings & evenings are cold, somtimes it drizzles, some days are really windy ... However, today is almost perfect ...

I found out today that Healthway Shanghai charges $100 for consultation. That's 5 time more than in Singapore !  Are they ripping off expatriates and insurance companies ?

All England Badminton 2011

I was impressed by Lee Chong Wei's physique and skills when he demolished Chen Long in the semi-final. Therefore, I just have to see the final match-up between this Malaysian Natioanl Treasure and the China Super Lin (Lin Dan) ...

In Sunday night's final, I watch the 1st set "live" when Lee Chong Wei beat Lin Dan 21-17. Thereafter, I went to bed because I thought sleep is more important for a busy Monday ahead. Today morning, I found out that Lee Chong Wei has won the match and championship 21-17, 21-17 ...

I spent 3 hours at KFC (@ Chang Dao Rd) today from 10am to 1pm. It doesn't have the nice sofa like Starbuck's, but it still provided my morning fix.

6 hrs of Starbucks

Stayed in Starbucks (@ Xin Jin Qiao Rd) from 10am to 4pm. Nice coffee, sofa, environment, ...

The weather reached 15 deg C today. I finally could walk outside in only a t-shirt. I'll tell you when the weather reached 15, 20, 25, and finally 30 deg C.

Lots of work to complete on Moday. Therefore, I did some today ... tabulated the quantity of jigs and fixtures.

This week, the temperature in the day has exceeded 10 deg C. I can't wait for it to reach Singapore's wonderfully hot weather temperature.

I ate a satay on Monday night and upsetted my stomach. It became better only today.

Outside my apartment today, I took the picture of this "Machine" with my iPhone-3GS.

I drink these almost everyday ...
Breakfast : Soya Milk
Morning BREAK : coffee 3-in-1
Rest of Day : Water (lots of it)
Dinner : Soup
Supper : Milo

Isaac's 9th Birthday, 2011

I went out for a simple dinner of fried eggs and inions, and for a telephone cable for use in the office. Then, I rush back for Isaac's 9th Birthday.

Everyone was there. We took some pictures. It was great !

I’ve already been in Shanghai for a month. There have been ups and downs …

Yesterday’s haircut kept my hair short and neat. However, more than that, it has the sublime effect of signaling to me that normalcy has begun.

Naomi, thanks.

Thanks to Naomi, I can see you guys now. I feel so much better when I see you guys doing fine. Seeing the hamsters also brightened my day :-).

I just watched Liverpool beat Manchester United 3-1, live !  Now, my favorite Arsenal has a great chance at the League (EPL) title.

The weather has really turned better, except for the occasional wind and rain. Today, the rain brought gloom and my reluctance to go out any more than neccessary. I went for my neccessary haicut ($1.55).


It ended with me just going stretches, crunches, and pushups in the apartment.

I am thanking my family for sending the board and stones to me. It brought me great comfort.

This is a picture after 86 moves.

Things that I missed :-
* hot whether
* teh tarik
* butter toasts
* morning newspapers

I also surely missed the 200MHz HD 3D TV and the company of LL, Gab, Nao, & Zac.

Most restaurants here are not adequately heated, requiring patrons to dine with their winter jackets put on. This is something which I'm not used to.

After a long hiatus ...

I'm back from http://blog.sina.com.cn/lyinsh.

2011 New Year Wish

I wish for the answer to : How to get an un-ending supply of business leads ?

Can't wait to visit 4 fish-farms.

Wow !  ...

C-House

A Great Day !

Chilean Phoenix delivered 33.

Myopic Jeffrey & unabashed Peng Siong apologised.

Adoption of 10 golden rules.
Take your camera everywhere you go.
Use it any time – day and night.
Lomography is not an interference in your life, but part of it.
Try the shot from the hip.
Approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible.
Don’t think (william firebrace).
Be fast.
You don’t have to know beforehand what you captured on film.
Afterwards either.
Don’t worry about any rules.

Sungei Buloh Wetland, Singapore

Egrets !

The Golden Web Weaver.

The Batik Golden Orb Weaver.

A Male piggybacking on the female.



Spirals

Mid-Autumn 2010, year of the Tiger.

十决

贪不得胜
入界宜缓
攻彼顾我
弃子争先
舍小就大
逢危须弃
慎勿轻速
动须相应
彼强自保
势孤取和

Scene from weekday breakfast

   Teddy, Henz, Kerrine, XiaoChun, were here before ...

Looking up from my Sunday afternoon papers.

Walking across Bugis Street ...

Amano Takashi's Nature Aquarium

Not his best but certainly his biggest.

20 minutes a day ...

钱是用来消灾的。
灾是拿来学习的。
学习是自我提升。
自我提升就不用再讲了。

LIFE GOES BACK TO NORMAL

Made the prudent decision today.

Missing the China Trip could've been worst.

Blessings

TODAY IS A DAY OF BLESSINGS BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORST.
NO HARDSHIP, NO REWARD.
OK, 塞翁失马，焉知非福. RECOVER, PERSEVERE, HAVE THE LAST LAUGH.
MY HEROES HAVE PATIENCE. I'M PROUD OF THEM.

House in Australia ...

Skyrocking property prices.

Things That I Like To Do

Make models of zoos and war machines.
Create habitats and sustainable ecosystems (eg aquarium).

The Dark-Knight visits Summerdale.

Laemthong

A beautiful apartment in Amazing Thailand.

A view of the pool from the balcony.

The picture of the room was lost.