Grandma passed away on the early morning hours on Monday, 14 August 2017. She was 95 this year.
I could clearly remember that as Iris and I were first awoken by her iPad mini's incoming call rings. Initially, I tried to brushed off the distraction by shoving the tablet into her face, before we were confronted with an unknown hand phone number. Out of curiosity, I checked my handphone as per my usual habit, and saw a list of familiar unanswered calls. They were from my Aunt Gek and my cousin Dionna.
Before long, that small innocent device on my palm rang. It was from Aunt Gek. I picked up her call and greeted her in an unpolished raw voice. "Hello, Aunt Gek."
"Hi James."
"Sorry to call you so late," she said. That was her usual apologetic yet polite way of greeting.
"The hospital just called. Grandma is not making it. You want to make a trip down immediately?"
I went into a state of shock. Iris, who was looking at me, probably overheard our conversation and stared into me with her sympathic eyes.
"Ok, I'll rush down now," I replied.
"Can you call your parents also? I called them but cannot get them," she asked.
"Sure, I'll call them," and I hung up after recovering and composing myself.
I searched through my handphone's contact list and called my dad almost immediately. No reply. He must be sleeping and left his handphone in the living room, I thought. I searched through my dad's contact profile again and dialed home instead. The phone began to ring. Within a minute, my dad picked up the call.
"Pa, Aunt Gek just called. The hospital just called and said ah ma is not making it. We need to rush to the hospital now," I said in an unhurried voice.
"Ok, can you come and pick ma and me up," he asked. "Sure, I'll come over in half an hour. See you downstairs," I replied, before hanging up the phone call.
I composed myself, got out of my bed, and I asked Iris if she should like to go hospital with me. Yes, she said. So we changed in an unfashioned manner and without hesitation, and collected our car in the multi storey carpark. I sped almost every kilometre of my journey from Buangkok to Sembawang where my parents lived, mindful of the hidden traffic speed cameras and the occasional road blocks. Thankfully, I was not picked and there were no road blocks.
Pa and Ma were patiently waiting at the deck of their housing block when we arrived about 20 minutes. The time was around 1.20am, I vividly remembered. I sped through the traffic again, clocking almost a record speed of 120km/hr, the fastest in my short 5 years of driving on Singapore roads. Pa asked me to slow down and not to rush, but for the first time probably in our relationship, I could not listen to him. Ah Ma is leaving us, I need to see her for the last time, I thought to myself.
I alighted Pa, Ma, and Iris when we reached Tan Tock Seng Hospital at around 1.40am. Finding a car lot was not a hassle, but finding my way out of the basement carpark proved a bit daunting. I rushed to the reception cum security counter, shouted to them "Ward 7B, Bed 43!"
The security lady was understanding. The gantry barrier to the lifts was almost immediately lifted, and I took the lift to the ward.
A crowd was already forming at Ward 7B. Aunt Gek, the rest of the aunties and their spouses, Pa, Ma, Iris and my sister Fann were already there. And I saw a curtain that was already drawn around grandma's bed.
I rushed over and went through the crowd to my grandma. I called out to her gently and said, "Grandma, it's me. It's James," and I gently rubbed her left hand. It was getting cold.
Tears began to fall down my cheeks as I tried to hold back. I could not.
I sobbed silently. The time has finally come for me to say my final goodbye and feel my grandma for the last time.
We waited for a few more relatives to come say their goodbyes and see grandma for the last time.
We tried in vain also to reach a few other cousins, like Jernice, who was not reachable. Aunt Gam (the fourth child of my grandma) was also not there as we heard she was sick.
Quiet conversations began to take place in small groups among us. Shortly after, the attending doctor came by and reported to us the ordeal:
The time was around 1am. The nurse on her hourly rounds checked on grandma, but found her pulse very weak. She alerted the attending doctor, who told her to immediately notify my Aunt Gek. That was when all the wee hours calls took place. In the meantime, at around 1.27am, the attending doctor checked on my grandma again, and that was where she found her pulse flat.
Grandma's death was then certified to be at 1.27am. Cause of death was due to kidney failure last stage.
And thus, very likely when we were all there, grandma has already breathed her last without seeing most of us. But scientifically, we thought that her brain was probably still active even when the heart has stopped pumping. Aunty Choo even thought that she saw tears flowing down grandma's eyes when she was beside her.
But the fact remained: grandma has passed on.
The following few hours seemed long and grim. We waited for the doctor to give us the certificate of death, while we arranged for the undertaker to come collect grandma's body. Meanwhile, we cleared out grandma's belongings at the bed and we set aside another set of clothes for grandma after the undertaker has cleaned her up.
The hours passed by slowly, and painfully.
Dad went on to collect the certificate, and after some instructions from the hospital staff, we went on to claim her body. There was another Malay family at the waiting area, and within a while we met Jason's father-in-law who was in the undertaker business.
After Dad signed all the necessary documents at the counter, we were ushered into a small room where grandma was dressed in her home clothes but wrapped in a white plastic sheet. My heart sank when I saw how she was treated.
The undertaker, Meng, went through some traditions with us which included telling grandma that she would be going to Toa Payoh to be dressed up, in what they believed would call the spirit along with the body.
Then they loaded grandma up in what seems to be a careless transfer, that I almost call out to the bearers to be gentle with my grandma. And the Toyota Hiace van was shut. I couldn't see grandma for that moment from then on.
We were told to be ready at Block 533 Hougang Avenue 8 by 10am the next day, where grandma would come back, dressed and beautified for one last time.
We quietly made arrangements to ferry the aunties and uncles who were there. I drove Aunt Gek, her husband, Dionna, and the maid, Angel, back. But the ride was unusually quiet for all of us as we were individually trying to process and begin the grief of losing our beloved grandma. In the unearthly hours, I made a long detour back home too.
We dropped off Aunt Gek and her family, and Iris and I decided to have an early breakfast at nearly 5am. We haven't quite slept a bit, and after making all the necessary leave arrangements, we could only finish a simple Teochew fishball noodles before making our way back home for a quick rest.
Our Greece Trip (03 to 09 Aug 2017)
3 Aug (Thu)
We survived the ordeal of an 11-hour budget airline flight from Singapore to Athens, Greece, arriving around 9am in the morning. Having started our flight in Singapore time 2am, our body clock struggled to come to terms with a 5-hour longer day time. Not to mentioned, we were slightly deprived of sleep and water (and semi professional airline service).
All these deprivation was short lived as we landed onto the beautiful Athens. Greece greeted us with their paced command of English, as we checked out of the international airport and headed towards the domestic departure to our first destination--Santorini. Our first impression of Athens International airport was a little disappointing, as we thought the Bangkok International airport was far more impressive.
Nonetheless, the flight to Santorini was surprising fast, with the flight less than 45 mins. However, the airport was least impressive and as soon as we collected our luggage, we hurried our way to the taxi queue and headed to our hotel at Imerovigli, a town in between the famous Oia and Fira. We lugged our luggage down a steep flight of steps and entered our hotel room which looked like the traditional Greek home.
Soon, we walked our way to Fira which took us an hour. We were caught on many occasions the beautiful sight of the Santorini white and blue buildings, including the famed blue dome churches. We took the challenge and rode the bus to Oia, whose journey took us down the steep and winding mountaneous road.
We initially was a little lost at the Oia village, but soon enough we found ourselves walking alongside other tourists, stopping by frequently to snap a photo of the beautiful and amazing landscape. We were lucky to find a bar with a roof top view and treated ourselves to a nice meatballs and fried calamari dinner with a good glass of white wine.
Our legs could not hold up any further as the skies begun to turn darker. We took the same bus route back to our town and treated ourselves to a nice, homely Greek apartment room by the cliff and called it a day.
4 Aug (Fri)
We woke up this morning, ready for a good Greek breakfast to start our day. We were not disappointed as the hotel had a good spread of their breakfast and with a breath taking view, we shuddered to think of the challenge of steep steps and a heavy suitcase. True enough, I was almost breathless carrying the heavy suitcase up the steps and out onto the small alley to catch a taxi to the airport.
Our domestic transfer today was a tad disappointing with flight delay and a cramped waiting hall. Much to our surprise, we were issued the first two seats of the aircraft at Seats 1A and 1B. We enjoyed the extra leg room and again, within an hour we arrived back at Athens.
We were greeted heartily by our taxi driver who chatted with us as he drove us to our hotel along Ermou Street. Within a short while of setting down, we changed into casual clothing and headed down to the shopping district, Ermou Street.
Ermou Street was wisely closed for pedestrians and it was a breeze walking down the street that featured Sara, Mango, H&M, etc. Having missed our lunch, we scoured around and found an exciting shop that sells gyros which are essentially Greek wraps. And on mine, the chicken gyros did not disappoint and we soon found the energy to make our way to the flea market.
As we walked by, it was not difficult to notice some old abandoned buildings scribbled with graffiti. Occasional beggars littered the streets, while old men sat around yaking away the afternoon. We found the Monastiraki flea market but we were a little too late for the day's business. We wandered our way past the Hadrian Library toward the Temple of the Olympian Zeus.
We walked as we usually do, and managed to reach the Syntagma Square and caught the changing of guards at the hour. By then, our legs were aching for a rest and our stomachs grouching for food. We stopped by a Greek restaurant for a burger meal but alas, it could not beat our late lunch of Gyros chicken.
5 Aug (Sat)
We started the day at 6pm as we needed to arrive at the New Hotel by 8.15am with our luggage. The breakfast at our budget hotel was so-so, offering nothing more than some toasted bread, cereal and processed meat. Our hotel room was even more surprising: it was so old that we didn't know how to use the lift (it could only fetch 3 pax at any one time) and we could only find 1 free power socket for our electronics charging.
By 8am we made our way to the New Hotel. We were given a scare when by 8.35am we had no sight of our tour guide nor the coach. We panicked and tried calling and emailing he tour agency. Finally by nearly 9am the tour guide (or rather, the assistant) found us and we made our way out of Athens.
The journey to Delphi was by no means easy. The coach went up and round the mountaneous regions. Before lunch, we saw the ruins at Delphi under the scorching sun before we made the 5-hour journey to Meteora. Nearing 7pm after 2 coffee breaks, we arrived at Kalambaka and spent the night there at the isolated hotel.
6 Aug (Sun)
The day started at 8.15am for us again as we made the first road out to the nearby Meteora monasteries. The windy road up was quickly forgotten as we were gradually captured by the beauty of these monasteries resting at the edge of the cliff. We first reached the Varlaam monoastery for the monks, before going to the nearby monast ran by nuns only.
We were so quickly captured by the beauty and engineering feats of these monasteries, from how they were built so closely to the edge of the cliff to the beauty of the reflections (or drawings on the walls) inside the building itself. It was spectacular and definitely breathtaking.
Soon after an authentic Greek cuisine lunch, we made our 5-hour journey back to Athens, stopping by twice for coffee breaks and arriving in Athens around 6.30pm. We headed to our air bnb host who gave us a good introduction to the city before Iris and I took a walk to the Panathenaic Stadium and had our dinner at the heart of Adrianou Street where pubs and shops congregate.
7 Aug (Mon)
This is our last morning before we would fly out tomorrow out of Athens. Our itinerary was to explore the Acropolis of Athens which included the Parthenon, Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena. From there, we took a downhill walk to the Acropolis Museum which was amazing.
We strolled our way back at the familiar Adrianou Street into Ermou Street where we had our all-delicious gyros chicken wrap and fried feta cheese again. Shopping begun then for Iris and strolling through the scotching sun, she nonetheless had a few success without hurting much purse.
Unbearable under the hot sun and shopping bags, we decided to head back to our Airbnb apartment for a short rest. With mainly the local produce such as olive oils and baglava, we lugged our trophies back and rested our tired feet.
Before long we took out again to the streets looking for the best restaurant with a good roof top garden view. By then, my feet was sored from the walk to the flea market which we were told Hotel 360 and A for Athens Hotel offered the best roof top garden view.
Dinner was however at a more humble local Greek cuisine restaurant where we tried their fried feta fish, mixed grill and grilled fish. The dinner didn't come cheap in comparison with the other meals but was nonetheless satisfying.
8 Aug (Tue)
We packed our luggages and were all ready to head to the airport. From our Airbnb apartment, we dragged our luggages to less than a 10-minute walk to the Syntagma square where we paid €6 per pax for a 1-hour ride to the airport. The journey was quite smooth, with a few stops to pick up other passengers.
The airport was not to world class standard yet. We were a bit lost differentiating between the domestic and international flights customs check. Shopping wise, there were not many options so we grabbed a quick bite at McDonald's and headed to our gate. Oh mine, the gate was yet to be opened but the passengers flooded the waiting area.
Our Greece Travel Overview
1) Weather was hotter than expected for the summer. It was about 35 degrees and higher during the day. Bring along sun block, hats and caps, sunglasses and light, casual clothing, and sandals for easy walking.
2) Water is essential there. But the best part of it is that you can easily get bottled mineral water at the many executive kiosk (we called them mini marts) at a standard €0.50 per 500ml bottle.
3) Greeks are friendly and speaks good English. But expect them to go about their daily activities at their own pace. Most Greeks smoke as well, but their cigarettes aren't of a strong after-taste as others. In other words, they are bearable.
4) Coffee cafes are almost every where. The common chains, Coffee Island and Everest, offer good coffee at an affordable price.
5) Data SIM card wasn't as easily available all around. This is the same with their trash bins. So good to have a travel data sim router instead, if you prefer.
6) Toilets have limited cubicles. Be prepared to wait in queue.
7) Greek food is of a standard in Athens. So they don't really have "best of the best" but of course they do have TripAdvisor recommendations but it comes at a price.
8) Athens is generally safe, even as you walk at night. Graffiti is a common sight but avoid certain streets outside of the main counties like Syntagma Square, Plaka, etc.
9) Daylight is a lot longer than night in the summer. Expect the sun to rise after 6am and sets only after 8.30pm.
10) Greek cuisine can be generally "saltier". Common ones are gyros (wraps with chicken, beef or pork slices, sauces, veggies and French fries), souvlaki (meat skewers), moussaka (lasagna-like with beef, potatoes and egg plants).
We survived the ordeal of an 11-hour budget airline flight from Singapore to Athens, Greece, arriving around 9am in the morning. Having started our flight in Singapore time 2am, our body clock struggled to come to terms with a 5-hour longer day time. Not to mentioned, we were slightly deprived of sleep and water (and semi professional airline service).
All these deprivation was short lived as we landed onto the beautiful Athens. Greece greeted us with their paced command of English, as we checked out of the international airport and headed towards the domestic departure to our first destination--Santorini. Our first impression of Athens International airport was a little disappointing, as we thought the Bangkok International airport was far more impressive.
Nonetheless, the flight to Santorini was surprising fast, with the flight less than 45 mins. However, the airport was least impressive and as soon as we collected our luggage, we hurried our way to the taxi queue and headed to our hotel at Imerovigli, a town in between the famous Oia and Fira. We lugged our luggage down a steep flight of steps and entered our hotel room which looked like the traditional Greek home.
Soon, we walked our way to Fira which took us an hour. We were caught on many occasions the beautiful sight of the Santorini white and blue buildings, including the famed blue dome churches. We took the challenge and rode the bus to Oia, whose journey took us down the steep and winding mountaneous road.
We initially was a little lost at the Oia village, but soon enough we found ourselves walking alongside other tourists, stopping by frequently to snap a photo of the beautiful and amazing landscape. We were lucky to find a bar with a roof top view and treated ourselves to a nice meatballs and fried calamari dinner with a good glass of white wine.
Our legs could not hold up any further as the skies begun to turn darker. We took the same bus route back to our town and treated ourselves to a nice, homely Greek apartment room by the cliff and called it a day.
4 Aug (Fri)
We woke up this morning, ready for a good Greek breakfast to start our day. We were not disappointed as the hotel had a good spread of their breakfast and with a breath taking view, we shuddered to think of the challenge of steep steps and a heavy suitcase. True enough, I was almost breathless carrying the heavy suitcase up the steps and out onto the small alley to catch a taxi to the airport.
Our domestic transfer today was a tad disappointing with flight delay and a cramped waiting hall. Much to our surprise, we were issued the first two seats of the aircraft at Seats 1A and 1B. We enjoyed the extra leg room and again, within an hour we arrived back at Athens.
We were greeted heartily by our taxi driver who chatted with us as he drove us to our hotel along Ermou Street. Within a short while of setting down, we changed into casual clothing and headed down to the shopping district, Ermou Street.
Ermou Street was wisely closed for pedestrians and it was a breeze walking down the street that featured Sara, Mango, H&M, etc. Having missed our lunch, we scoured around and found an exciting shop that sells gyros which are essentially Greek wraps. And on mine, the chicken gyros did not disappoint and we soon found the energy to make our way to the flea market.
As we walked by, it was not difficult to notice some old abandoned buildings scribbled with graffiti. Occasional beggars littered the streets, while old men sat around yaking away the afternoon. We found the Monastiraki flea market but we were a little too late for the day's business. We wandered our way past the Hadrian Library toward the Temple of the Olympian Zeus.
We walked as we usually do, and managed to reach the Syntagma Square and caught the changing of guards at the hour. By then, our legs were aching for a rest and our stomachs grouching for food. We stopped by a Greek restaurant for a burger meal but alas, it could not beat our late lunch of Gyros chicken.
5 Aug (Sat)
We started the day at 6pm as we needed to arrive at the New Hotel by 8.15am with our luggage. The breakfast at our budget hotel was so-so, offering nothing more than some toasted bread, cereal and processed meat. Our hotel room was even more surprising: it was so old that we didn't know how to use the lift (it could only fetch 3 pax at any one time) and we could only find 1 free power socket for our electronics charging.
By 8am we made our way to the New Hotel. We were given a scare when by 8.35am we had no sight of our tour guide nor the coach. We panicked and tried calling and emailing he tour agency. Finally by nearly 9am the tour guide (or rather, the assistant) found us and we made our way out of Athens.
The journey to Delphi was by no means easy. The coach went up and round the mountaneous regions. Before lunch, we saw the ruins at Delphi under the scorching sun before we made the 5-hour journey to Meteora. Nearing 7pm after 2 coffee breaks, we arrived at Kalambaka and spent the night there at the isolated hotel.
6 Aug (Sun)
The day started at 8.15am for us again as we made the first road out to the nearby Meteora monasteries. The windy road up was quickly forgotten as we were gradually captured by the beauty of these monasteries resting at the edge of the cliff. We first reached the Varlaam monoastery for the monks, before going to the nearby monast ran by nuns only.
We were so quickly captured by the beauty and engineering feats of these monasteries, from how they were built so closely to the edge of the cliff to the beauty of the reflections (or drawings on the walls) inside the building itself. It was spectacular and definitely breathtaking.
Soon after an authentic Greek cuisine lunch, we made our 5-hour journey back to Athens, stopping by twice for coffee breaks and arriving in Athens around 6.30pm. We headed to our air bnb host who gave us a good introduction to the city before Iris and I took a walk to the Panathenaic Stadium and had our dinner at the heart of Adrianou Street where pubs and shops congregate.
7 Aug (Mon)
This is our last morning before we would fly out tomorrow out of Athens. Our itinerary was to explore the Acropolis of Athens which included the Parthenon, Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena. From there, we took a downhill walk to the Acropolis Museum which was amazing.
We strolled our way back at the familiar Adrianou Street into Ermou Street where we had our all-delicious gyros chicken wrap and fried feta cheese again. Shopping begun then for Iris and strolling through the scotching sun, she nonetheless had a few success without hurting much purse.
Unbearable under the hot sun and shopping bags, we decided to head back to our Airbnb apartment for a short rest. With mainly the local produce such as olive oils and baglava, we lugged our trophies back and rested our tired feet.
Before long we took out again to the streets looking for the best restaurant with a good roof top garden view. By then, my feet was sored from the walk to the flea market which we were told Hotel 360 and A for Athens Hotel offered the best roof top garden view.
Dinner was however at a more humble local Greek cuisine restaurant where we tried their fried feta fish, mixed grill and grilled fish. The dinner didn't come cheap in comparison with the other meals but was nonetheless satisfying.
8 Aug (Tue)
We packed our luggages and were all ready to head to the airport. From our Airbnb apartment, we dragged our luggages to less than a 10-minute walk to the Syntagma square where we paid €6 per pax for a 1-hour ride to the airport. The journey was quite smooth, with a few stops to pick up other passengers.
The airport was not to world class standard yet. We were a bit lost differentiating between the domestic and international flights customs check. Shopping wise, there were not many options so we grabbed a quick bite at McDonald's and headed to our gate. Oh mine, the gate was yet to be opened but the passengers flooded the waiting area.
Our Greece Travel Overview
1) Weather was hotter than expected for the summer. It was about 35 degrees and higher during the day. Bring along sun block, hats and caps, sunglasses and light, casual clothing, and sandals for easy walking.
2) Water is essential there. But the best part of it is that you can easily get bottled mineral water at the many executive kiosk (we called them mini marts) at a standard €0.50 per 500ml bottle.
3) Greeks are friendly and speaks good English. But expect them to go about their daily activities at their own pace. Most Greeks smoke as well, but their cigarettes aren't of a strong after-taste as others. In other words, they are bearable.
4) Coffee cafes are almost every where. The common chains, Coffee Island and Everest, offer good coffee at an affordable price.
5) Data SIM card wasn't as easily available all around. This is the same with their trash bins. So good to have a travel data sim router instead, if you prefer.
6) Toilets have limited cubicles. Be prepared to wait in queue.
7) Greek food is of a standard in Athens. So they don't really have "best of the best" but of course they do have TripAdvisor recommendations but it comes at a price.
8) Athens is generally safe, even as you walk at night. Graffiti is a common sight but avoid certain streets outside of the main counties like Syntagma Square, Plaka, etc.
9) Daylight is a lot longer than night in the summer. Expect the sun to rise after 6am and sets only after 8.30pm.
10) Greek cuisine can be generally "saltier". Common ones are gyros (wraps with chicken, beef or pork slices, sauces, veggies and French fries), souvlaki (meat skewers), moussaka (lasagna-like with beef, potatoes and egg plants).
A Valentine's Day Post
Today is 14th February 2017, Valentine's Day.
To the young and single, it is a day where you shower the ones you love with gifts and presents. To the happily married ones, it is nonetheless a time to rekindle your love for each other, with or without gifts. Iris and I have talked about this, and I am glad that she understood the extravagant spending, over hyped special occasion is not for everyone, us included.
Valentine should not be celebrated only on 14th Feb. It should be celebrated every day of our lives, as long as we live and breath with our loved ones. Every day and every hour spent with them is an opportunity to love and cherish the ones we love, before and after the sacred marriage vows.
True, on Valentine's Day, we see on the streets couples with a bouquet of flowers in their hands, Facebook posts of gifts and presents from their loved ones, and it is not hard to think if you have been missed out by your loved ones. Yet at the same time you cringed hard wondering if your partner has given to the pressure of buying a bouquet or a expensive gift just like the rest of the world.
But sometimes we can be creative. And different.
Hence I bought Iris her favourite Awfully Chocolate truffles and a tiramisu which both of us have yet to try. (A great excuse to try out my favourite tiramisu as well, and see how nice Awfully Chocolate has made them.) The lady was surprised and clearly delighted, and it is a mission accomplished for me.
2017 so far has been fast and furious. I thought we had just celebrated the turn of a new year, and within the blink of an eye, we were fast celebrating Chinese New Year (which was at the end of January itself). Gave it another 2 weeks or so, we had arrived on 14 February 2017.
Work has not been easy for me either. While we were settling into the new year and giving ourselves a little luxury (well, we've upgraded our queen size bed to a king), we also had not much of a time to do the usual Chinese New Year spring cleaning as well. Hence we tried to tighten up our purses and refrain from unnecessary spending, except for the little pleasures and luxuries we spend on ourselves.
Yet on some items we did not try save. Iris had a fall recently we had already spend a few hundreds on TCM to get her pain going off. We worked hard and so sometimes on weekends we splurged on ourselves a little (but not going overboard with it).
And as a working couple we both faced work pressures and exhaustion. My team of six at the start of January 2016 dwindled down to four by the second half of last year, with no replacements and instead more projections on hands. In early February we would be shocked to learned that another two had tendered and hence now on ground there is only I and another team member shouldering all the workload.
With more work stresses and exhaustion, there is unfortunately sometimes a few more arguments and quarrels. Iris and I were not spared with that either.
We shouted, we screamed, and we cried. We blamed each other and bluntly pointed out on each other's faults and flaws. Iris blasted me on my time on games and I chided her for the time spent on online shopping. But at the end of the day, what was truly the source of our quarrels weren't so much on our shortcomings and flaws, but it was from the pressures and stress we faced at work. And from there, we allowed our emotions to be brought home, crossing the boundaries of work into home.
But yet we don't despair or feel dismay. Every day, we learn something new. Every journey we take, we learn something from it. With each fall, we learn to pick ourselves (and others when we encounter). We laugh at ourselves instead of frown. We choose to stay positive instead of looking at the negatives. We look at life with hope instead of desperation. With God, we take each step by faith and hope, knowing that God will lead us through no matter what the circumstances or situations may be.
We may not know what 2017 may bring us. But we know where God will lead us, as long as we walk in faith and tandem with Him. We learn to walk in balance with God and His word, and as well as every aspect of our lives. We learn to live in brokenness with God and allow Him to break and mold us. We live each day not by our own wisdom but from learning to hear the voice of God.
To the young and single, it is a day where you shower the ones you love with gifts and presents. To the happily married ones, it is nonetheless a time to rekindle your love for each other, with or without gifts. Iris and I have talked about this, and I am glad that she understood the extravagant spending, over hyped special occasion is not for everyone, us included.
Valentine should not be celebrated only on 14th Feb. It should be celebrated every day of our lives, as long as we live and breath with our loved ones. Every day and every hour spent with them is an opportunity to love and cherish the ones we love, before and after the sacred marriage vows.
True, on Valentine's Day, we see on the streets couples with a bouquet of flowers in their hands, Facebook posts of gifts and presents from their loved ones, and it is not hard to think if you have been missed out by your loved ones. Yet at the same time you cringed hard wondering if your partner has given to the pressure of buying a bouquet or a expensive gift just like the rest of the world.
But sometimes we can be creative. And different.
Hence I bought Iris her favourite Awfully Chocolate truffles and a tiramisu which both of us have yet to try. (A great excuse to try out my favourite tiramisu as well, and see how nice Awfully Chocolate has made them.) The lady was surprised and clearly delighted, and it is a mission accomplished for me.
2017 so far has been fast and furious. I thought we had just celebrated the turn of a new year, and within the blink of an eye, we were fast celebrating Chinese New Year (which was at the end of January itself). Gave it another 2 weeks or so, we had arrived on 14 February 2017.
Work has not been easy for me either. While we were settling into the new year and giving ourselves a little luxury (well, we've upgraded our queen size bed to a king), we also had not much of a time to do the usual Chinese New Year spring cleaning as well. Hence we tried to tighten up our purses and refrain from unnecessary spending, except for the little pleasures and luxuries we spend on ourselves.
Yet on some items we did not try save. Iris had a fall recently we had already spend a few hundreds on TCM to get her pain going off. We worked hard and so sometimes on weekends we splurged on ourselves a little (but not going overboard with it).
And as a working couple we both faced work pressures and exhaustion. My team of six at the start of January 2016 dwindled down to four by the second half of last year, with no replacements and instead more projections on hands. In early February we would be shocked to learned that another two had tendered and hence now on ground there is only I and another team member shouldering all the workload.
With more work stresses and exhaustion, there is unfortunately sometimes a few more arguments and quarrels. Iris and I were not spared with that either.
We shouted, we screamed, and we cried. We blamed each other and bluntly pointed out on each other's faults and flaws. Iris blasted me on my time on games and I chided her for the time spent on online shopping. But at the end of the day, what was truly the source of our quarrels weren't so much on our shortcomings and flaws, but it was from the pressures and stress we faced at work. And from there, we allowed our emotions to be brought home, crossing the boundaries of work into home.
But yet we don't despair or feel dismay. Every day, we learn something new. Every journey we take, we learn something from it. With each fall, we learn to pick ourselves (and others when we encounter). We laugh at ourselves instead of frown. We choose to stay positive instead of looking at the negatives. We look at life with hope instead of desperation. With God, we take each step by faith and hope, knowing that God will lead us through no matter what the circumstances or situations may be.
We may not know what 2017 may bring us. But we know where God will lead us, as long as we walk in faith and tandem with Him. We learn to walk in balance with God and His word, and as well as every aspect of our lives. We learn to live in brokenness with God and allow Him to break and mold us. We live each day not by our own wisdom but from learning to hear the voice of God.
Our Japan Trip (17 to 26 Nov 2016)
17 Nov 2016 (Thu)
We woke up in the wee hours of a Thursday morning to catch our 6.30am flight to Osaka, after struggling to clear my work and do our last minute packing at night. Much could be said if we had not done much planning to our itinerary as much as we had wanted. Nonetheless, the day came for us to embrace and go on our much awaited holiday trip.
We checked in at the airport as soon as we reach Terminal 2. Checking in was swift, and we collected our pocket wifi on-the-go for our data needs in Japan. As soon as we were able, we made our way to the departing gate and boarded the plane. ANA lived up to its name and the plane swiftly took off to Tokyo. The 6.5 hours flight was bearable, save for a few bum-aches, a decent meal and limited selection of movies.
We arrived in Narita quite on time, and we're quickly greeted by the courteous Japanese. Customs were a little confusing though, as we weren't informed of and given the customs declaration forms. But soon we found our way out and collected our luggage. Impressively, the Japanese was superbly organised and efficient, albeit their limited written and spoken command of the English language.
We had our first meal, ramen, at the Narita airport and had the on-the-go wifi working. Before long, we checked in the domestic flight, and boy, the customs were strict. The flight was slightly delayed and though operated by ANA, the services and plane were to be much less expected.
Again, we were greeted by wonderful and helpful Japanese and as well as the cold chilly weather. The information desk we approached directed us to the airport limousine coach which cost us ¥1,000 for 2 and 30 minutes to Shin Osaka where our hotel awaited us. Thankfully, our hotel, though small, was just a short 3-min walking distance to the train station.
Dinner was a simple but expensive Mos Burger meal, and we supplemented it with onsen (local street food but found at convenient stores). We were absolutely exhausted and we turned in as early as 10pm into the cold winter night.
18 Nov 2016 (Fri)
Iris and I were just too tired to wake up early. We've discovered the day started early for Osaka and guessed it was a shorter day time for Japan. Our day started with redeeming the JR pass for Kansai West Area and onigiri (Japanese rice cubes) bought at the local 7-11 convenience store. We were a little lost trying to figure out how to use and where to board the trains, but after a few minutes we were on our way to our first destination--Kobe Sannomiya.
Kobe is where you will find the famous beef, and our hunt for a popular steak restaurant brought us to Steak Land, where we've discovered they were so famous they had the whole building and a couple of branches all within walking distance. Of course, our ¥7,760 lunch (about S$100) didn't disappoint us, with the kobe steak (200g) totally tender, chewable, juicy and sweet.
Next stop was Himeiji, where we would find ourselves racing against time to reach Himeiji Castle before the closing time at 4pm. The white beauty stood with its grandeur, welcoming us despite one hour to the day's closure. We climbed our way up to the highest point (seven floors high) and were treated to a rare, spectacular scenery of the Himeiji area.
Naturally, our legs brought us down the main keep of the castle faster than we went up. We strolled the streets of Himeiji and went to Daiso, Piole (their local Takashimaya) before making our way back to Shin Osaka. And as expected, the day was turning dark at 4.30pm, before the weather dropped to about 13-14 degrees.
19 Nov 2016 (Sat)
We lazily begun our day checking out of the hotel at Shin Osaka and making our way to the train station. We tried the famous takoyaki and figured out with a bit of fuss our way to Namba station. Their train station lines, to my amazement, was so complex and slightly complicated that it took us a couple of flight of stairs trying to figure out which platform we out to go to. Not to mention that these train stations did not have any escalators.
After a while of figuring out, we finally reached JR Namba and thanks to our a good sense of orientation, we got to our Air BnB apartment which was double the size of our hotel at Shin Osaka. But that definitely came without a bit of fanfare--we literally walked around the building before getting to the right unit number! Once there, however, we were an hour too early so we settle for a nice cozy meal at a local restaurant (which featured automated payment system) and hung around there until our room was ready.
Our Air BnB room really surprised us. It featured double beds, had a mini bath tub, a separate toilet, washing machine, microwave, etc. The only downside was a lack of TV, interesting shops, and a 700m-walk to the nearest JR Namba station. Nonetheless, we were still very pleased with our apartment and the hassle-free access into the otherwise condo-like apartment building.
Without much ado after our checking in, we made our way to the fame Dontonburi area, a street shopping and eating heaven for all. Naturally, it did not disappoint. Our first walk about let us to the 3-floors high Starbucks with ample seats that even on a weekends you could find a seat to rest your tired legs without much of a difficulty.
We walked further down the street and saw much more, from cosmetics stores to eateries and convenience stores. Of course, we tried the popular okonomiyaki and yaki-soba which satisfied our appetites. Not to be contented, we walked to the recommended BIC Camera mall which featured almost every available electronics and electrical appliance. We literally had our hands on a pair of G-Shock watches for a discounted price.
Our last stop for the day was an unforgettable dessert at the Pablo cheese tart. The take-away queue was never ending and we chose to rest our achy legs and indulge in a melting cheesecake. This was probably the highlight and absolutely satisfying dessert we had of all times! It was amazing!
We made our back back to our Air BnB apartment which was about a kilometre away, and spent a couple of minutes to get the water heater going (that was quite amusing--we almost searched every corner of the apartment including the distribution board!). Exhausted, we bathed and wasted no time and turned in for the night. Day achieved, next exciting day coming up.
20 Nov 2016 (Sun)
Today was one of the rare mornings we woke up as early as 7am. We had our on-the-go breakfast at the Family Mart, another version of their 7-11 outlet. But food wise, we favoured the latter for their selection and quality. But nonetheless, most of these convenience stores had window counter seats where you could rest, relax, have a quick bite and also recharge your handphone!
We soon made our way to Inari Station via transfer at Kyoto Station. Kyoto is another prefecture which is largely different from Osaka. It breathes of a strong cultural heritage and ageing landscape. Inari station is where it houses the famous Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine. Unaware, we begun our journey up, which turned into a mountainous trek up Mount Inari. 3/4 up, which is about 40 floors up, our aching legs could no longer bring us another further and we trekked down to a small food street that featured interesting menus.
Our next stop was Nishiki market in the north-eastern part of Kyoto. We were awed by the landscape and cooling weather, and before long we reached this stretch of streets which reminded us of Orchard Road. Famished and tired from the long walk at the Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine, we took shelter at the Ichiran ramen store, before standing in queue for a good 20 minutes. Needless to say, the popular ramen did not disappoint and we left with a satisfied appetite and a full stomach.
At the end, we decided to give up looking for Nishiki market and head back to Osaka station instead. By then, we had realized that the JR Pass we bought for us in the Kansai Area had only served us for a good area, while some harder to reach areas served by Midosuji and other lines had to be assessed by other line tickets.
So we took the Kyoto line to bring us back to Osaka, while surviving the long train ride on our feets in a packed peak period train carriage. We reached Osaka nearly exhausted and went to Daimaru for a quick shopping buy and strolled the alleys behind the shopping malls. And boy, we found a ramen stall serving great food at local prices and that soon became our dinner.
Our last pit stop for the day was Dotonburi (though we were there only the day before). However, this time round we took the train from Umeda and Shinsaibashi. Only there did we discover that the Dotonburi shopping stretch begun at Shinsaibashi. We walked, we shopped and ended up at this comic portrait shop where we had our portraits drawn into a comic-like colour sketch.
Back at the apartment, it was only then that I discovered the extent of the Mount Inari climb--a big blister the size of a 5-cent coin on my toe! That explained why my left foot was hurting so badly after the mountainous trek.
So far, we had been enjoying our Air BnB apartment. It had allowed us to sleep spaciously and as well as to do our laundry so that really lightens our load. We have another 2 more days in Namba, Osaka, before we leave for Tokyo via Shinkansen (bullet trains) on the coming Tuesday.
21 Nov 2016 (Mon)
The day begun slightly later for us. As usual, we could not drag ourselves out from the comfortable bed. We decided that we would take another route to try get some breakfast at the Aeon supermarket, and that did not disappoint. There was a huge selection from pastry, confectionery, sandwiches to sushi, grilled, and deep fried. There was even an eat-in cafe area for you to have your breakfast and recharge!
We took the JR line to Nara where we were warmed by the chilling weather. The streets of Nara towards Nara Park was so different--it was surreal, clean and peaceful, quite unlike other places in Japan we had been to. Feeding the deers was definitely an experience for Iris, while I was busy fending myself off from the poos the deers left on the grass!
We walked the streets from Nara Park back to the station, and again, we chanced upon another local restaurant that served decent udon and oden which cost us reasonable. From there, we struggled against the cold weather and took a ride to Osakako where the highly recommended Osaka Aquarium was. The ride was a bit long so we took time for a short nap in between.
The Osaka Aquarium definitely did not disappoint as there was a huge display of big fishes like the whole to small ones like the anchovies. The only downside was that the aquarium was circularly built, so we had to go round and round it to get to the lower floors. And some of the aquariums seemed too small for the faster, bigger fishes. Funnily, after the exhibit we sure felt a bit hungry for a sushi / sashimi dinner.
We made our way back to Osakako station, by then it had begun to drizzle. The weather forecast for our next destination, Tokyo, which we would be leaving for the following day, was expected to drop further to near zero degrees. Nonetheless, we made no hesitation to troll through the Dotonburi Street for one last time before we leave Osaka for Tokyo.
Our sushi / sashimi dinner did not materialise until near 10pm where we walked back from Dotonburi to our area where the popular Kura Sushi was. However, we were taken aback by the long queue (which estimated about 45 mins to our turn), so we headed off to another restaurant that served us deep fried food that turned out to be rather tasty. And after which, our curiosity brought us back to Kura Sushi where we were the next in line and tried a couple plates of sushi. And boy, our dinners took us to nearly midnight before we headed back to our apartment.
22 Nov 2016 (Tue)
What happens when you've over stretched yourself at trekking? You would wake up with a sore calf. That's what happened to us in the morning.
Morning was a struggle with our physical limitations and last minute packing before we leave for Tokyo. We dragged our luggage from our Air BnB apartment to the nearby subway and boarded the train to Shin Osaka station. We packed some bento lunch boxes and waited patiently for our 11.20am Shinkansen bullet train to Tokyo.
Excitement filled the air as we made our way past the gantry to the platform where we stood in line with the rest of the reserved seats passengers headed towards the same destination. Business travellers, holiday couples with luggages such as us, and as well as single casual travellers boarded the clean, in-flight-like train carriages that have rightfully established the Shinkansen as a first class world transportation.
Our Shinkansen experience was a pleasant and peaceful one. Just like taking a flight, every facility is well provided for, from food and beverages, to washrooms and reclining seats (that didn't give me backache, by the way). It was so comfortable that I could seamlessly fall right asleep and awake only when I was hungry or when my wife needed to get pass me!
In what seems like only a short ride, we reached Tokyo in under 3 hours from Osaka. We dragged our luggage out into the open and was greeted by a cool breezy weather. With some experience garnered from our Osaka endeavours, we headed in the right direction to our hotel where it would be our accommodation for the next 4 evenings.
Our Tokyo hotel was much better than the one we had stayed in Osaka, though it was slightly more inconvenient. We've checked in without much of a fuss, and unpacked a little before making our way to the Snoopy Museum. Tokyo itself is much served by many different subways plying in different directions, so it took us a little while to figure out which subway line to take and which entrance we can get into.
Tokyo was more hilly than I've expected. Walking to Snoopy Museum was not a stroll in the park but a gentle climb up of the street that was probably about 20-25 degrees steep! Nonetheless, the Snoopy Museum was a little disappointing. It did feature how the cartoon strip Peanuts had evolved through the ages, but there was an apparent lack of variety of the Snoopy merchandise.
We made our way from the museum to the foot of Tokyo Tower. By then, the weather has dropped drastically to about 15 degrees Celsius. We shivered in the cold weather of the night and made our way to Tokyo Station. We were caught by surprise upon our arrival as we were mazed out by how gigantic Tokyo station itself was.
On our way back after a long and tiring day (not to mention our aching legs), we stopped by 7-11 convenience store and bought some small bites on the back to the hotel. It was such fun as having an ice cream in the cold breezy weather could be so satisfying.
23 Nov 2016 (Wed)
It was some sort of a Japanese public holiday today. The weather dropped drastically to about 9 degrees in Tokyo as well. As we made our way to Yoyogi station en route to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, we walked in the cold breezy weather and our reward is a nice paranomatic view of Tokyo itself. We spent about an hour there before we make our next stop to the Meiji Shrine.
It was quite a walk to Meiji Shrine as we had discovered. Greeted by the yellow leaves of the maple trees, we were excited to explore what was inside. About near a kilometre later, we saw huge crowds with young children with their families all in Japanese traditional costumes. Together with what seemed like load full of fruit and vegetables on display, it became more apparent that it was some sort of a harvest festival that featured children of ages three, five and seven.
We continued our long walk in the cold weather to the nearby Shibuya shopping district. Soon, we found ourselves indulging in our own shopping and I soon found myself being the carrier man for shopping bags and carriers. Not to forget, we found and tried the Nanbantei at Shibuya which cost us a hefty meal of ¥6,600+ for lunch.
Before long, we encountered the amazing Shibuya crossing where at a traffic intersection of various roads when the lights all turned red, road users from all directions made amazing crosses to their designations. It was quite a peculiar sight and was what made Shibuya famous on the Japan map.
We almost forgot about dinner until we had dessert at this pancake shop. Our late lunch at Nanbantei sustained us until then when we braved the cold and headed back to our hotel with our stomachs filled only with hot pancakes. But alas, we had some planning to do for our Disney trip tomorrow.
24 Nov 2016 (Thu)
The weather forecast the day before was snow for today as the day begin. True to the predictions, it begun snowing at about 7am in what seemed like heavy water droplets. But as we walked out into the streets, it became more apparent that it was not rain but snow.
We had been and encountered close to zero-degree weather conditions, but this day we were totally caught off guard before we set off for the trip. We left our gloves, our scarves, and our waterproof footwear back at home. So, armed with only a padded windbreaker, a padded gloves and an umbrella, we braved the wind, the snow and the chilling temperature to the nearest station that could take us to Disney Resorts.
It would really have looked like a wet morning, if not for the closer examination of the water form that rained down on you. Iris and I took a 600 metre walk to the nearest train station, one-third of us wet from waist down, and upon reaching Maihama station where the Disney Resorts are, it became more apparent that snow was upon Tokyo.
We have to yet take another train line to get to Disney Sea where we had earlier purchased our tickets. Baggage checks were strict but we had earlier hidden our onigiri lunch bites somewhere in our backpacks. Still, the cold weather was the one most torturing, with my nose beginning to feel numb.
We went around with an umbrella in hand, and most areas of attractions were beginning to be packed with queues and lines. We only managed one ride, one show, before we stopped to recover from the snow, after which we continued with another onr-hour queue for "Tower of Terror" ride (which I thought was very exhilarating).
When it was closer to 4pm, we decided that we should go as the skies were beginning to darken. We stopped by the mall there for cheese tart and waffle before we took off to Tokyo station by which the snow had begun to cease but breezy conditions continued.
We continued with some brief shopping here before having a late dinner at McDonald's. We were quite delighted with their chicken wing which cost only ¥150. After which, we put on all the outer wear we had and headed on the 2-degree Celsius temperature and took a 700-metre walk back.
25 Nov 2016 (Fri)
This was our last full day in Japan. We laze around a little late and got out only to Tsujiki station around 10am. We wondered around a little bit before we found Tsujiki fish market where it had to be the highlight of our Tokyo expedition.
Tsujiki fish market is more than the wet, fish auctioning market that is meant only for fish mongers and restaurant chefs. There are other stalls along the street sides that sells cooked food such as tamago, steamed oysters, and onigiri (really fat and gigantic) and as well as raw food like sushi. It was such a feast to the eyes, the mouth and the stomach and we had a great time there.
Reluctantly, we left Tsujiki market for Asakusa where the famous Senso-ji temple is. It was quite a beauty where the birth of Buddhism began in Japan. We were also stopped by high school students who had to practice their English with us for a couple of minutes. We bought quite a fair bit of Japanese biscuits here as well.
When it was nearer to sunset, we made our way to Shinjuku station where another amazing shopping belt awaited us. We had a couple of boo-boo incidents at the train stations such as buying the tickets for the wrong train lines, going onto the wrong platform, and boarding the wrong direction trains. Anyway, all these add to our fun experience, so we have nothing much to complain about.
In the evening, we landed at Shinjuku which seemed like another Shibuya area. Malls and speciality stores filled the streets and we were soon off to explore the area. Being our last day, we did the shopping that we could and the feasting too. We decided not to return to our hotel too late as we sure have much to pack.
Sure enough, our packing held us back until past midnight, and as with other trips, our luggages were almost filled to the brim and zip edges. Nonetheless, we felt we had yet to complete all the shopping that we would have wanted, but alas we could make another Japan trip the next time.
26 Nov 2016 (Sat)
Today was our last day of our trip. We awoke to a slow morning, interrupted by a hasty trip to the morning breakfast before resuming back to the hotel for some last minute packing.
We checked out just before our shuttle bus arrived to bring us to Tokyo Station, and while I rest at Starbucks, Iris made some last minute shopping at Daimaru before we rushed off to catch our Narita Express train.
The Narita Express, operated by JR lines, did not disappoint. The experience and feel was very much similar to Shinkansen and we were able to catch a short nap after the initial hussle with other commuters on board the same carriage. Within an hour, we reached Narita Airport and checked in our baggages. We had lunch at the same ramen stall we had on our very first day landing onto Japan and soon, we were on our way to checking in.
As usual, the checking in was very strict--all electronics, odd-shaped items (even empty water bottles), jackets/coats, had to be laid in the open in a tray for the customs officers to check through. Items that were suspicious were scanned through again and this caused a huge jam at the initial check-in, and we were not any comforted when we saw the long passport customs check.
After all the necessary checks, we were left with only about half an hour to get all the desirable things. Iris got her Issey Miyake bag and we bought some very famous and popular Tokyo bananas and other edible souvenirs back for our friends and colleagues. Some how, I felt that our air plane back to Singapore was an older plane with ageing fitted facilities and seats were not as comfortable as the one I've taken 10 days ago.
These past 10 days in Japan has been very exciting. We've experienced quite a fair bit of excitement, from the sudden snow to the wonderful feast of excellent food and shopping. In comparison, Japan feels very much like Korea but a different feel overall. I would have loved Japan for the weather (less windy) and people, but Korea for its food and its shopping.
August In a Review
August is coming to an end. And so September is about come.
Some weeks back, Mum called me for help with her living room new light bulb that couldn't light up. Iris and I went on a Sunday after church and found out that the new bulb could not light up for any reason, though it is likely that the transformer had given up.
That was when it dawned on me that my parents' television had shrunk from the old 24-25" to even something smaller. For my parents who had embraced simple living and thriftiness throughout their entire lives, I was only hoping that I could enhance their lives a little. Buying a bigger television so they won't have to strain their eyes could help a little. And so I did.
Iris and I bought a new 40" Philips TV for them on a Sunday afternoon after church. We set it up for them, and went had lunch with Dad who was slightly down with a cough. Never mind that the previous day, we had a unpleasant encounter at Little India while trying to shop for a new television. Oh well, a parallel parking lot had a trolley, and while trying to park into it the trolley rolled back and dented the right passenger door.
Last Saturday we had a full day too. We went for a fertility talk at KK Women's and Children's Hospital before I had my first facial with Iris at Punggol Waterway Point.
Somehow I had trouble falling asleep almost every weekday night the entire week. It was budget preparation week for almost the entire week and they kept us up on Friday evening to standby for any changes to the submitted budget. Oh, and I did mentioned that they confirmed me after 8 months of probation?
So much for August. September is coming.
And that means Iris' birthday is coming.
Some weeks back, Mum called me for help with her living room new light bulb that couldn't light up. Iris and I went on a Sunday after church and found out that the new bulb could not light up for any reason, though it is likely that the transformer had given up.
That was when it dawned on me that my parents' television had shrunk from the old 24-25" to even something smaller. For my parents who had embraced simple living and thriftiness throughout their entire lives, I was only hoping that I could enhance their lives a little. Buying a bigger television so they won't have to strain their eyes could help a little. And so I did.
Iris and I bought a new 40" Philips TV for them on a Sunday afternoon after church. We set it up for them, and went had lunch with Dad who was slightly down with a cough. Never mind that the previous day, we had a unpleasant encounter at Little India while trying to shop for a new television. Oh well, a parallel parking lot had a trolley, and while trying to park into it the trolley rolled back and dented the right passenger door.
Last Saturday we had a full day too. We went for a fertility talk at KK Women's and Children's Hospital before I had my first facial with Iris at Punggol Waterway Point.
Somehow I had trouble falling asleep almost every weekday night the entire week. It was budget preparation week for almost the entire week and they kept us up on Friday evening to standby for any changes to the submitted budget. Oh, and I did mentioned that they confirmed me after 8 months of probation?
So much for August. September is coming.
And that means Iris' birthday is coming.
Bidding Farewell To Our Trusty Kia Picanto 1.1M Hatchback
On 22 Feb 2025, we bid farewell to our 9-year-old black Kia Picanto hatchback. Affectionally called 小黑, he was only five years old when we bought him for $19,800 (or there about). He was our first, shortly after I had passed my driving test in May 2012. Now with a year to go before he is due for scrap, we decided to trade him in and allow him to find a third owner.
小黑 has been a faithful, simple 4-door hatchback. Initially bought as a revised off-peak vehicle, I used him only to fetch Iris and myself around during the weekends and in the evenings during week days. It has brought us to places, and definitely has changed our lifestyle ever since we were only reliant on public transport until a year into our marriage when I've spent Mondays taking my driving lessons.
Being a Kia Picanto, 小黑 was not very different from the rest except for these few trademarks:
小黑 has been a faithful, simple 4-door hatchback. Initially bought as a revised off-peak vehicle, I used him only to fetch Iris and myself around during the weekends and in the evenings during week days. It has brought us to places, and definitely has changed our lifestyle ever since we were only reliant on public transport until a year into our marriage when I've spent Mondays taking my driving lessons.
Being a Kia Picanto, 小黑 was not very different from the rest except for these few trademarks:
- A rear welded spoiler (that looks like a duck tail), untypical of the common rear spoilers.
- 4 sporting rims (a larger and wider wheel size which gives more stability and smoother ride).
- 3 hoot meters (that measures water temperature, battery voltage, and gear vacuum).
Over the past 4 years, 小黑 has brought us to many places that were not easily accessible. For example, many of the cafe hot spots (i.e. Wimbly Lu), shopping malls far and away (i.e. IMM), buffet places (i.e. Punggol end), JB (i.e. KSL, City Square Mall, and other food / massage places) and of course, to church and cell group meetings.
And 小黑 has ferried not just Iris and I only. It has given rides to many other people, including our heavier friends (even to JB!), cell group members, parents, etc. It has ferried furniture (when we first moved in to our new Buangkok flat), a foldable bicycle (which I bought for Iris) and as well as baggages to JB (during our staycations there at Hotel Jen, Hotel Renaissance, or Double Tree.
小黑 was easy to maintain too. For the 4 years that I had him, I had only required annual servicing, a change of the time belt (which cost me a $1,000), 4 tyres (for a flat tyre which was also wearing out on the outside together with the rest as well), headlights and unfortunately, the rear signal light cover which I reversed and knocked it into pieces. So, maintenance cost was almost minimal, other than the $4,000-plus that I had redeemed 小黑 to convert it to a normal vehicle.
Other than that, the real plus point was that 小黑, though he has only a 30-plus litre fuel tank, it could take me 500km thereabout on a 30-litre fuel pump. For a manual car, though fuel-saving, this 500km-journey on a almost full tank is almost unmatchable and unheard off. So even though we had traded in 小黑 on 22 Feb 2016, I've kind of missed the long distance journey that it could bring me about.
So, thank you 小黑, for all the fond memories and safe rides.
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| Our last photo with 小黑. |
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| Our sexy black 小黑. |
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| The numbers don't really came up, but we love it anyway. |
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| My first bump on the side of chassis. |
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| 小黑's sexy butt. |
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| The unfortunate bump at the rear right of the bumper. |
Our Holiday Trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Iris and I came back from a short 4-days-3-nights holiday at Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was her first and my second, albeit after nearly 2 decades since my last visit to this developing country.
In all honesty, 4 days were pretty long a stay for us--2 or 3 days actually would suffice but due to the flight's schedule this was the best arrangement we could have.
Personally, this trip brought back many memories for me during my first mission trip in my then-young Christian journey. I was part of the team that was led by Jeffrey and Serene Lum to visit our Cambodian missionaries, Alvin Tan and family, who is now a full time pastor with Bartley Christian Church. The team included Pastor Joseph Lee, Lue Chong, Zhiqiang and a few young adults in the mid-1990's.
Back then, Cambodia was still very back dated and streets were loitered with naked children and occasional sights of handicapped adults were not uncommon. They would beg and ask for food, money and whatever else they could ask you for. I could still vividly remember the joy on the faces of the housekeepers who've helped kept our hotel rooms (or do you call them hostels by our standards) during our stay when we tipped them $1USD per person--they were so overjoyed!
Things have changed, and Cambodia has caught up quite a bit. No longer do you need to worry about bribing the customs officer or being over charged ridiculously for a taxi or tuk-tuk ride, or over a restaurant meal. Cambodians, given their sad and undesirable past, are still very friendly and non-intrusive group of people with a rich culture.
Well, here are 5 things I've learned from my most recent trip to Phnom Penh:
1. US Currencies Are Still Very Much Recognized
Almost two decades ago, we had to use the American currency for our daily expenses. Not much have changed nowadays, despite the Cambodians having their own currency (rate is about $1 USD to $4,000 Riel). For bigger denominations, the US notes are used while for smaller currencies (cents), the Riel is being used.
2. Cambodians Are Catching Up With Their English
In comparison to Vietnam or Thailand, the Cambodians counterparts are brushing up their English pretty quickly. Most are able to converse pretty well with tourists in simple English. We were particularly impressed with our accidental tuk-tuk driver (whom we engaged on our first outdoor tour and thereafter became our tuk-tuk driver until we depart) who spoke well and understood us in our Singapore Singlish.
3. Cambodia Dishes Taste Very Much Like Its Neighbours
Just in case you are wondering, nope we did not try the local natural delicacies such as the red tree ants, scorpions, cockroaches, silk worms etc. But we did try a couple of their local dishes such as the beef lok lak (which resembles the Thai beef basil rice) and the red curry. Their dishes are quite unlike their neighbours Thailand or Vietnam which feature contrasting and lightly-flavoured taste.
4. Phnom Penh Is Very Much City-Like In Comparison To Siam Reap
Okay, we did not really drive up to Siam Reap to visit the Angkor Wat and other temples, but our sister-in-law recently went to Siam Reap and it was a vastly different story that she's told us. Her pictures, too, painted a different perspective to life in Phnom Penh. Sadly though, they have only their one-shopping mall till date though many more are expected along the way.
5. You Can Literally Tour Phnom Penh In One Day
Yes, that is not quite an extreme statement, but given the most popular tourists attractions listed on Trip Advisor and other holiday sites, the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (a.k.a. the Killing Fields) and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (a.k.a. S21) provide a sad glimpse of their Khmer Rouge and is achievable in one morning. Similarly, the Royal Palace, National Museum and the Silver Pagoda are all clustered together and you can complete them in an afternoon.
Of course, you can tour the Central Market and the Russian Market (for the shopaholics in your group) but there is nothing much you may want to buy except for souvenirs and some counterfeits backpacks (which seems a good value for their workmanship) and sportswear.
Some reflections:
Cambodia indeed has a very sad and horrifying past during the Khmer Rouge regime. Now nearly 40 years on, Cambodians are trying very hard to move on. Nearly 2 millions lives were lost, which is around 1 in 4 of the population in Cambodia perished in this undesired regime that lasted nearly 4 years. According to reports, high ranking officials, civic servants, professionals etc., were killed and one could imagine how long it might take for a country like Cambodia to rebuild itself.
Pessimism aside, it is encouraging to see Cambodians picking themselves up--they are making English an important language of their lives, educational centres are sprouting up all around, and civilization and industrialization is becoming a part of the country. Things are looking bright and positive for Cambodia, and all fingers are crossed for this humble nation of the ASEAN countries.
In all honesty, 4 days were pretty long a stay for us--2 or 3 days actually would suffice but due to the flight's schedule this was the best arrangement we could have.
Personally, this trip brought back many memories for me during my first mission trip in my then-young Christian journey. I was part of the team that was led by Jeffrey and Serene Lum to visit our Cambodian missionaries, Alvin Tan and family, who is now a full time pastor with Bartley Christian Church. The team included Pastor Joseph Lee, Lue Chong, Zhiqiang and a few young adults in the mid-1990's.
Back then, Cambodia was still very back dated and streets were loitered with naked children and occasional sights of handicapped adults were not uncommon. They would beg and ask for food, money and whatever else they could ask you for. I could still vividly remember the joy on the faces of the housekeepers who've helped kept our hotel rooms (or do you call them hostels by our standards) during our stay when we tipped them $1USD per person--they were so overjoyed!
Things have changed, and Cambodia has caught up quite a bit. No longer do you need to worry about bribing the customs officer or being over charged ridiculously for a taxi or tuk-tuk ride, or over a restaurant meal. Cambodians, given their sad and undesirable past, are still very friendly and non-intrusive group of people with a rich culture.
Well, here are 5 things I've learned from my most recent trip to Phnom Penh:
1. US Currencies Are Still Very Much Recognized
Almost two decades ago, we had to use the American currency for our daily expenses. Not much have changed nowadays, despite the Cambodians having their own currency (rate is about $1 USD to $4,000 Riel). For bigger denominations, the US notes are used while for smaller currencies (cents), the Riel is being used.
2. Cambodians Are Catching Up With Their English
In comparison to Vietnam or Thailand, the Cambodians counterparts are brushing up their English pretty quickly. Most are able to converse pretty well with tourists in simple English. We were particularly impressed with our accidental tuk-tuk driver (whom we engaged on our first outdoor tour and thereafter became our tuk-tuk driver until we depart) who spoke well and understood us in our Singapore Singlish.
3. Cambodia Dishes Taste Very Much Like Its Neighbours
Just in case you are wondering, nope we did not try the local natural delicacies such as the red tree ants, scorpions, cockroaches, silk worms etc. But we did try a couple of their local dishes such as the beef lok lak (which resembles the Thai beef basil rice) and the red curry. Their dishes are quite unlike their neighbours Thailand or Vietnam which feature contrasting and lightly-flavoured taste.
4. Phnom Penh Is Very Much City-Like In Comparison To Siam Reap
Okay, we did not really drive up to Siam Reap to visit the Angkor Wat and other temples, but our sister-in-law recently went to Siam Reap and it was a vastly different story that she's told us. Her pictures, too, painted a different perspective to life in Phnom Penh. Sadly though, they have only their one-shopping mall till date though many more are expected along the way.
5. You Can Literally Tour Phnom Penh In One Day
Yes, that is not quite an extreme statement, but given the most popular tourists attractions listed on Trip Advisor and other holiday sites, the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center (a.k.a. the Killing Fields) and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (a.k.a. S21) provide a sad glimpse of their Khmer Rouge and is achievable in one morning. Similarly, the Royal Palace, National Museum and the Silver Pagoda are all clustered together and you can complete them in an afternoon.
Of course, you can tour the Central Market and the Russian Market (for the shopaholics in your group) but there is nothing much you may want to buy except for souvenirs and some counterfeits backpacks (which seems a good value for their workmanship) and sportswear.
Some reflections:
Cambodia indeed has a very sad and horrifying past during the Khmer Rouge regime. Now nearly 40 years on, Cambodians are trying very hard to move on. Nearly 2 millions lives were lost, which is around 1 in 4 of the population in Cambodia perished in this undesired regime that lasted nearly 4 years. According to reports, high ranking officials, civic servants, professionals etc., were killed and one could imagine how long it might take for a country like Cambodia to rebuild itself.
Pessimism aside, it is encouraging to see Cambodians picking themselves up--they are making English an important language of their lives, educational centres are sprouting up all around, and civilization and industrialization is becoming a part of the country. Things are looking bright and positive for Cambodia, and all fingers are crossed for this humble nation of the ASEAN countries.
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