My Family and My Thoughts

Healthy, Safe, Prosperous & Happy Chinese New Year - 2012 Dragon Year

2012-01-23T10:10:00.001+08:00

My family & I wish all of you a Healthy, Safe, Prosperous and Happy Chinese New Year in 2012 - the Dragon Year....!!!

Typically, we would have a steamboat dinner for our own reunion dinner on the eve of CNY but as Jason was hospitalised for his dengue fever to monitor his blood count and we were not sure when he could be discharged, we did not plan for it.

However, we managed to find a cosy place nearby to have our reunion dinner and we enjoyed it as the food was good and it was very quiet too.

As usual, we always have a family photo taken on the 1st day of CNY.

Dengue - Jas Discharged

2012-01-21T12:59:00.000+08:00

On Wed, Jas blood count went down to 76K and the GP referred him to be hospitalised for closer observation.

We chose to be admitted to A&E in Mt E as he went to Mt E for his right knee ACL reconstruction surgery last Sept.

His blood count dropped to 66K on Thu but crept up to 93K on Fri so he was discharged yesterday afternoon.

While he was there, the rashes became more evident and they were getting itchy too!

We are indeed very happy to be home for the coming Chinese New Year.

As reported in the papers on Thu, the outbreak is not over yet and there are now 10 dengue cases in our housing estate. NEA has issued all the houses an urgent notice on dengue awareness and the steps that we should take to manage this outbreak.

We now apply mosquito repellent and spray the house with Shelltox more often.

Anyway, we are glad that Jason is on the road to a full recovery.

So wishing all of you a HEALTHY and SAFE Chinese New Year...!

Dengue Fever

2012-01-16T22:54:00.001+08:00

The new year started with Jason having quite a bad sore throat and he recovered from it after taking some antibiotics for 5 days.

After a few days, he came down with fever and it happened to be Friday the 13th morning ....a coincidence ?

He had a very high fever, hitting 39.2 C and hovering in the 38 C range. Even after sponging him with wet towels and asking him to take a shower, the fever refused to come down. So after dinner, we decided to return to the clinic but it was closed so we went to the Raffles 7x24 clinic instead. They could not find anything wrong and the medication given seems correct so we went home.

That night, his temperature continued to hover between 38 and 39 C and he shivered quite badly when I sponged him with a few wet towels, a few times. Eventually, I gave up as I was too tired from lack of sleep... around 4am.

On Sat morning, I called the clinic and after discussing with the GP his condition and also the fact that there was at least once case of dengue fever in our area, I took Jas to the hospital lab to test for dengue fever.

After 2 hours of waiting, the GP called me and that Jas indeed has dengue fever but his blood count was still within range but at the lower end, borderline... at 156!

We have to monitor the blood count ( esp the white cells count ) daily to ensure that it did not drop below 80 else he needs to be warded and have a blood transfusion.

The blood count dropped to 120 on Sunday and it is now 121 today.... a good sign that it is going up ..we hope!

So another blood test tomorrow morning!

BTW, in between the fever, he vomited and also has diarrhoea so it was really tough on him and he did not eat well on the first 2 days. He lost 3 kg, so far!

His case is considered a mild dengue fever, according to the GP.

There is no medication to treat dengue fever other than some panadol or paracetamol to help with the headache and fever. Just need to ride it out...... sigh

We hope he wil be back to his normal self by end of this week, latest... and celebrate the Chinese New Year then!

Relections of Year 2011

2012-01-01T17:25:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year to all of you...!

Another year has flown by..... time really flies indeed..!

One year older and wiser.. I hope.... ha..ha....

First half of 2011 was not very eventful.

The family managed to go back to Penang in April for 'Cheng Beng' and my brother from Australia also joined us for the occassion.

BUT the second half of the year was not so good especially in the health aspects.

My mum-in-law fell down in July and snce then has been warded in TTSH almost once every 2 months for different ailments.

My mum did not eat well and lost weight considerably in 3Q and was sickly. So the family flew home to see her despite the fact that Jas was on crutches.

Finally, Jas twisted his right knee and had a full ACL Reconstruction keyhole surgery in September.

On a positive side, we won an iMac 27 inch PC in 3Q which we sold away and use the proceeds to buy an iPad and an iPhone 4s instead.

So what would I like to see in the new year?

I stop making new year resolution as I do not even remember what they were last year and it seems that it is not working too!

I hope 2012 will be a much more healthier and safer year for all of us.

I have also taken up Project 360, to take a photo daily and post it on the website. I started it on Christmas Day - 25 December 2011 to try out the website.

Why Project 360?

I like photography and since my iPhone has a camera and it is always with me during my waking hours, it will be great if I can take a photo daily to record my life or interest.

I am also trying out 2 iPhone apps so I have a total of 3 Project 360 in motion.

Check it out at this site for the PC version at
http://365project.org/

You may want to consider taking up PRoject 360 one day.

A very Happy New Year to you again and I wish you good health and some wealth too.... in 2012 !

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T19:13:00.000+08:00

We wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year in 2012.

We got ourselves Apple products this year; iPad2, iPhone4 and iPhone4s.....!

Christmas in Singapore - 2011

2011-12-10T23:50:00.001+08:00

We wish you a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year ...!

Here is a slide show of the christmas decorations along Orchard Road and all over Singapore too!

2011-11-29T23:23:00.001+08:00

It is now 2 months+ after Jason's knee surgery and his right knee looks normal like before, no more swelling and pain.

The keyhole surgery wounds are still evident but have healed very well.

You can see the previous post that was done in Oct and you can see that the right knee was still swollen and looked more rounded; at http://pcwthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/10/jason-knee-surgery-progress.html

Jason is still undergong physiotherapy sessions, twice a week to strenghten his knee and just started to do some light jogging only. At least another 3 months of therapy is required.

Hole-In-One

2011-11-18T11:12:00.001+08:00

Congratulations to our friend, Kui Hwa, for making her hole-in-one on 16 Oct 2011 LNGCC Master Course - Hole#17 !

What Are the Odds of Making a Hole-In-One?

In 1999, Golf Digest reported, "One insurance company puts a PGA Tour pro's chances at 1 in 3,756 and an amateur's at 1 in 12,750."

Penang Food in Singapore

2011-11-05T00:35:00.000+08:00

Being a Penang Boy at heart though a Singaporean now, I always miss my Pg food and will always check out what is available here.

Otherwise, whenever I am back in Pg to visit my parents on a quarterly basis, I will be eating out for almost all my meals........ha....ha...

I recently lunched at this restaurant, Gurney Drive, in Suntec City basement and found that the Pg food are close or even the same as that sold in Penang itself. Importantly, the prices are reasonable too compared to another restaurant that I tried out here.

Check it out at this website :
http://www.gurneydrive.com.sg/mainall.htm

The food that I ordered for our lunch was :

- Char Koay Tewo
- Hokkien Prawn Mee
- Assam Laksa
- Lombak
- Rojak
- Chendol
- Ice Teh
- Ice Kopi

So please check it out and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

BTW, it was full house with a short queue during the peak lunch hour......

Your Penang Boy

iPhone 4s - I Bought It...!

2011-10-28T22:43:00.004+08:00

I managed to buy the iPhone 4s this morning without having to queue overnight or even more than 15 minutes...!

I was initially waiting for the launch of iPhone 4s and hoping that the prices for iPhone 4 would drop.... but the Telco are smart and they are offering iPhone 4 8GB at about S$400, which is not a drop in price but offering a small capacity iPhone at a seemingly cheaper price!

I bought an iPhone 4 16GB for Jason, at S$500 ( with contract of S$38 per month for 2 years ) in early Sept 2011.

As such, I decided to buy the iPhone 4s 16GB at S$498 and re-contract my mobile plan ( good timing...eh! ).

But knowing that my son will get the best out of the iPhone as I am a simple user and guided by him on such technology, I am going to swop mobile with him. I will take his iPhone 4 16 GB and he will take the new iPhone 4s 16GB.

Importantly, I was very lucky to have been able to buy the iPhone 4s 16GB as I just walked into the shop and hope for the best.

I managed to buy the last unit of the Black iPhone 4s with 16 GB from this telco partner shop.

To be honest, my wife and I did not expect that we could get one today as people were queuing overnight to buy one, according to the newspapers.

I was actually expecting to get one when the next round of shipment comes in.

This is sort of a win or victory for me as I hardly chase the latest model and importantly, I did not have to join a long queue and I went to the shop just before lunch time ( expecting to see a Sold Out sign instead ).

So to-date, the family has iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, iPhone 4s and an iPad 2 too......!

Jason Knee Surgery Progress

2011-10-18T23:27:00.000+08:00

Jason has his right knee ACL reconstruction surgery 1 month ago and recovering well.

He was off the crutches after our trip to Penang and now back to school which just started this Monday.

He is wearing a knee support to stabilise his knee as he is not 100% fit and he has to climb up a slope to get to his school on the top of a hill...!

Still some slight swelling around the knee and has attended 7 sessions of physiotherapy to-date to regain the strength of his muscles.

Jason's ex-Kinderland classmate, Ryan Tay, who was back from Geelong to take his NS medical tests dropped by to see him. Both of them have really grown up .....!

Video on Jason's Knee Surgery

2011-10-13T18:57:00.000+08:00

The Dr briefly went through the operation done on Jason's knee to reconstruct his torn ACL, a week after the operation by showing us the video taken during the 20 minutes procedure.

I have edited the video to 6 minutes as some of Jason's friends were keen to see it; highlights of the operation.

It is not bloody but I hope you have the stomach to see it as it can be quite gruesome .......

Another Year Older .....

2011-10-11T21:51:00.000+08:00

I just celebrated my birthday so another year older and wiser too....I hope...ha...ha...

Thanks for all the birthday greetings that came through Facebook and emails too.

Birthday lunch and cake from my sisters Sue and Wei, during my recent Penang trip.

A durian cake from my family when we were back in Singapore.

Happy Birthday.....!

Penang Trip 4-7 Oct 2011

2011-10-11T19:06:00.003+08:00

My family & I visited our parents in Penang and here is a slideshow of some photos taken during the trip.

Jason Recovering Well from ACL Reconstruction Surgery

2011-09-28T12:38:00.000+08:00

Jas have been recovering at home for more than a week now and progress is good.

Last Sat, we went back to the Dr clinic and his dressing were removed. Dr put some sort of medical glue over the keyhole wounds and the glue will drop off in good time, on it own.

Jas has also been using the Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) machine for his knee therapy; flexing from 0 to 100 degrees.

He has also started physiotherapy treament, twice a week for 2-3 months.

He is off painkiller but still on crutches and using the cold gel to reduce the remaining swelling on the leg.

Knee Surgery - ACL Reconstruction

2011-09-23T17:22:00.005+08:00

Jason came home with a bandaged knee after twisting it in a street soccer competition.

He said that he was running very fast, stopped and turned sideways suddenly, he heard a 'pop' sound like when you crack your knuckles.

Luckily, he got some cold ice water in a plastic bag to apply on his inured knee and stopped playing immediately.

The MRI scan showed a torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) and this ligament prevents the knee joint from slipping forward, no wonder Jas was complaining that while there were no pain and swelling, he felt something loose when he walked.

Jas was wearing a knee guard and using a walking stick until his surgery was done.

The Dr ( Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon) examined Jas legs and we were all give a very good talk on the knee joint and the ligaments. HE even did not look at the MRI but by stretching his injured leg in various directions, he was able to conclude the possible problem which was confirmed by the MRI.

We discussed the options and decided on taking his hamstring tendon to replaced the damaged ACL through keyhole surgery, scheduled for last Sat afternoon.

Jas will be on crutches for 2-3 weeks and then go for physiotherapy session for 3-6 months. HE should not be playing any sports for a year to ensure full recovery.

The surgery was a success and he stayed in the hospital for 3 days to get over the pain and learned how to use the crutches ( eg. walking and climbing the stairs as we live in a double storey terrace house ).

Today, Jas is still recovering at home with his crutches, exercise on the CPM machine and also using an ice wrap to manage the swelling on the leg.

The good news is that he is only using 1 painkiller drug instead of 3 when in the hospital.

Luckily, he is on 6 weeks end of 1st semester holidays.

Happy Birthday, Mummy Poh

2011-09-04T23:24:00.006+08:00

We celebrated Mummy Poh birthday last month and here are a couple of photos :

Jason appears taller in the photo as he was trying out his new dress shoes, bought that evening, and his puffy hair gave him some added height too....!

Happy Birthday to you, Mummy....!

Happy Teacher's Day - 1 September 2011

2011-09-02T23:31:00.004+08:00

Happy Teacher's Day to all the teachers .......!

Teaching is indeed a very noble profession and they are the ones that are guiding our children to be responsible and contributing to our societies in the future.

I noticed how a teacher can influence the students; eg I still remember during his primary school days, Jason came home one day and told me that eating too much MacDonald fries is bad for health according to his teacher. While he has not stopped eating fries but it definitely has an impact on him.

Generally, Jason looks up to all his teachers but there are a few not so good teachers that he told me about. Luckily, these few are from the old generation where they are never wrong and the rule the class with an iron fist.

I have the privilege of teaching in Temasek Poly for a year and I really enjoy my time there. I still keep in touch with a few students through Facebook, mainly.

There is always this one student that have been sending me a Happy Teacher's Day greetings for the past few years. In fact, I just received his greeting through sms just now.

I am glad that I have made a difference to him and hopefully, a few other students too.

It is not easy when you have difficult students but it is very satisfying when you can feel that you are making some contribution or a difference to the students.

So teachers out there, I salute you and keep up the good work!

David

Teeth Crowning

2011-08-31T18:34:00.002+08:00

After 4 weeks of recovery from my crown lengthening, I finally went for my 2 crowns to be done this morning.

I have done this before and this is my 3rd crowning to-date.

The price has gone up by about S$300 but my dentist was kind enough to waive it but my total bill for the 2 crowns still came up to S$2K+.

She shaved the teeth and made moulds of the teeth in order make the crowns which will be ready the following week.

I hope these will be my last crowns.....sigh

Apparently, my teeth got stained quite fast by my coffee drinking but luckily, the stains are behind the front teeth so they are not so visible when I smile.

The good news is that the staining does not cause teeth decay but the accumulation of tartar instead so I need to see her regularly to do scaling to remove them. So far, I go for scaling about once a year though she advises me to do it every 6 months.

My parents are wearing dentures but the children have better teeth as we grew up with better dental care and I am sure the grandchildren will be even exposed to better dental care at an early age.

So please take care of your teeth and you will be able to enjoy all the good food and no problem with chewing them when we grow old.

David

Dental Surgery - Crown Lengthening

2011-08-12T00:06:00.013+08:00

During my regular dental check-up, my dentist told me that she has problem putting in 2 crowns on my molar teeth as there are quite a bit filling so no original tooth to hold the crown and suggested that I consult her colleague, a Periodontist, to do crown lengthening surgery.

So what is crown lengthening surgery?

Crown lengthening is a common surgery. Gum tissue or bone is taken out. This exposes more of a tooth.

I rather control my own destiny than wait until the filling breaks then panic to get it done.

So I have the surgery done last week and I am recovering now. I am due back in a few days'time to have the stictches removed.

The surgery took a bit longer than expected as my gum were very fibrous ( I think lots of veins as blood kept on oozing out, according to her ) but this means it is very healthy and will recovered very fast.

Also, my jaw bone is very tough as she has to used 3 blades to grind it and they were all blunt after the procedure! She commented that this is very unlikely for Asian men but more for Westerners.

While it did not really hurt during the surgery after having the gums numbed but it is not something that I like to go through again.

As advised, I iced the area when I reached home and on the second day too so the swelling and bruising are kept to a minimu if not almost non-existence.

In 4 weeks' time after a complete recovery, I will be going back to have my 2 crowns done.

This surgery cost me S$2K+ and the crowning another S$2K+.....!

No choice as dental health is also very important.

The areas circled in black are where the stitches were put to hold the gums in place. The red lines indicates the amount of teeth exposed after cutting away some gums and grinding the jaw a bit so that the crown can sit in securely.

Monday Blues - 25 July 2011

2011-07-26T17:40:00.000+08:00

25 July 2011, a Monday, was indeed not one of my better days...!

I left home without my mobile but thought that I should be able to manage without it as my wife was with me and we were taking her mother to the TTS hospital for her doctor's appointment; a 2-3 hours event.

Everything went as expected until the taxi dropped us off at my mum-in-law's (MIL) block of flats in Toa Payoh.

We were careful to ensure that MIL took her time to get out of the taxi and was moving with her walking stick.

BUT after a few steps, she somehow switched to two hands on her walking stick in front of her.... and she lost her balance and fell on her left side.

We were behind her but it happened so fast that we were caught off guard.

We helped her up but it was obvious that she was in pain and her left elbow was badly bruised but luckily, she did not hit her head on the ground.

We wanted to send her for an x-ray to check that there was no broken bones but MIL refused and claimed that if she has any broken bones, she could not have walked back to the flat with our help.

Never argue with an old stubborn lady...sigh

We iced her hip area and I cleaned and put some iodine on her elbow wound area.

She was in pain so we gave her her pain killer medicine just obtained earlier from her Dr.

Later in the evening, we managed to convince her to go to TTS A&E to have her hip looked into as she was really in pain and having difficulty walking to the toilet.

I followed the ambulance and got off the taxi at TTS A&E car park.
A few steps later, I realised that I might have dropped my wallet after paying my fare.

My wife called NTUC Comfort and managed to get them to locate the taxi and he agreed to return to the TTS A&E car park for me to pick up my wallet.

We were impressed by their prompt service and very grateful as we were not in the mood to go to the police to report the loss of the wallet and then to call the Banks to cancel all my credit cards.. and replace my NRIC too!

I gave the taxi driver a small reward and he refused but I insisted on it.

The X-ray showed no broken bones but MIL was warded to do a MRI the following day.
By the time she was warded and we waited to meet the Dr on duty, it was almost mid-night.

What a day...... a Monday, the start of a new week too....!

David

My July 2011 Penang Trip

2011-07-19T23:30:00.000+08:00

I just returned from my trip to Penang to visit my parents and my elder sister.

I accompanied my Mum to the hospital for her twice a week Physiotherapy sessions, each lasting an average 2.5 hours and about 6 exercises.

This is the Physiotherapy centre, a separate building and entrance from the hospital proper, next to the car park at the side.

I am glad that Mum has gotten used to going for her Physio sessions and she looks forward to them. I jokingly say that it is her social club as she knows all the staff there and also a few of the other patients.

My sister with her car parked near to the Physio centre. There are no taxi running on the road in Penang so it is more convenient to have your own car especially when it is so much cheaper there compared to Singapore.

I managed to go down to Prangin Mall to do some shopping...but nothing much unless you have something in mind; eg I repaired my son's mobile as it was about S$10 cheaper there.

I also went out with my sister and my Dad separately for a meal and a movie; seeing the movie, Transformers - Dark Side of the Moon, twice as there was no other interesting movie showing then. The movie cost me less than S$3 per person...!

It was a good break from life in Singapore....ha...ha...

David

Swimming at Bedok Pool

2011-06-17T22:42:00.002+08:00

Hi,

2 years ago, my Dr suggested that I should swim since I have my bad left knee, confirmed that I have osteoarthritis (OA), and no impact sport.

I was not able to discipline myself until early this year when I met my friend, Su Tjing, who told me that he started swimming laps with his buddies. Twice or thrice a week and he feels better; eg better posture and chest muscles are more firm.

I was surprised and motivated by him and I started to swim immediately after the Chinese New Year holidays, that was around mid-Feb this year.

Going to the Bedok swimming pool alone was not very inviting but I have to do it for health reasons so I pushed myself initially.

I only managed to swim 2 - 4 laps during the first week but eventually averaging 8 laps easily.

It has now become a habit or something that I look forward to weekly, I swim at least 8 laps now twice a week in the morning.

I then walk to Bedok Central to buy lunch for my family & I unless I have to rush off for some appointment.

I am glad to say that I do feel better overall and here are some surprising results after 3 months.

I can squat properly now and I could not do so previously due to my bad left knee.

I have also lost 2 Kg in my weight.

I would like to lose more and hope I can do it in the coming months.

It only cost me S$1 for entrance to the pool and $0.20 for a locker. The bus fare for 2 stops is only $0.71 using my Ezlink card, one way.

I also meet quite a few of senior citizens, who come with a walking stick, most of them swimming laps in the deep pool and a few just casually swimming or even walking in the pool.

I am also motivated by them and I am not surprised if they do it daily too!

So my friends, I am a believer in swimming as a form of exercise now.

Well, do consider taking up swimming for your exercise and you will not regret it.

David

Smart Phone

2011-05-27T21:59:00.002+08:00

Hi,

Smart phones are getting more popular in the past year, based on the reported statistics.

I think you also need to be pretty smart to use one of these phones too.

Why?

Let me share with you some of my recent experiences on such phones.

I recently decided to download applications into my mobile smart phone by connecting it to my home network.

After doing the downloads, I turned off the connectivity but the mobile will still automatically search for the network and connect itself every few minutes.

I seek help from a mobile shop and I was told that I did turned off the connectivity so we agreed that the best solution is to set the mobile back to factory settings.

So I attempted to do it and was prompted a password to set it back to default factory settings.

Password?

I managed to call the mobile manufacturer help desk for the default password and took the opportunity to tell him my problem. He advised me to turned off the access point through another option and my problem has been solved.

Do you know that your applications continue to run when you exit from them?

We were taught by my nephews who are using iPhone 4 as they incurred high data charges when on holidays overseas and found that they were getting automatic downloads for some of the running applications!

Similarly for my mobile, not an iPhone, as I realise that the battery is running out quite fast lately.

So I wonder what other things that I need to be aware when using a smart phone..?

While I think I do not really need a smart phone but the few applications like stock market, weather, SBS Iris,..... can be useful though.

Otherwise, a mobile with the typical functions is good enough as long as it also has a 3-5MP camera besides music player and FM radio.

Well, this is the new generation where technology becomes so much part of our lives....!

Mount Kinabalu

2011-05-24T09:04:00.004+08:00

Congratulations to my neighbour, Daniel, for reaching the summit of Mount Kinabalu!

What an achievement..!

When I google about Mount Kinabalu, this is what one of the climbers said ...
"Mentally, physically and emotionally challenging! Expect to be sore for at least 3 days... Proper climbing boots a must.

Am glad we did it, but would I do it again? No! "

So Daniel, would you do it again....? Ha..ha....

Here are a few photos taken during Daniel's climb.

I definitely cannot make it with my bad knees.

However, it would be nice if I can do some hiking in Katmandu, Nepal....?

David

Lion King Musical at Marina Bay Sands

2011-05-23T15:50:00.003+08:00

We saw the Lion King Musical at Marina Bay Sands last weekend and we both agree that it is one of the best , if not the best, musical we have seen to-date.

The costumes and props were fantastic..... and of course, the singing and the storyline too!

If you have not seen a musical before, I think you should watch Lion King musical especially when it is held at Marina Bay Sands instead of Esplanade.

You can have a preview of what it is like here :

Congrats to Jon & Amy

2011-05-08T22:34:00.004+08:00

I am proud of my nephew, Jon, and my niece, Amy, who just graduated from their respective universities in Australia.

Amy graduated with a Bachelor of Agriculture and Bachelor of Law( First Class Honours) degrees.

Jon graduated with a Bachelor of Arts & Bachelor of Commerce degrees.

Congratulations again and I am sure their family are so happy and proud of them.

Uncle David

General Election 2011

2011-05-08T17:46:00.007+08:00

Wow... what an experience over the past 10 days!

Though I have voted 3 times to-date, I only feel the intensity and excitement during the recent general election.

I must also admit that I am more aware of the issues and achievements through the rallies and info made available through the Internet.

As I was coming home from my breakfast, I saw and heard PAP lorry broadcasting their thanks to the public for voting for them. Similarly, I saw WP lorry doing the same and I managed to take a photo of it.

Congratulations to PAP for being elected to form the government again and also WP for winning 6 seats in this new Parliament.
Well, I just hope that we , the citizens of Singapore, will now put our differences away and work towards a prosperous and secure nation that we will be proud of and for the future generations.

David

iPhone Hung But Recovered

2011-05-05T23:31:00.007+08:00

My dear wife's iPhone 3GS hung when I was updating the software through itunes on the PC, caused by a restart of the PC when the installation or upgrade of the software.

I pressed the button on the top to do a reset but it did not work.

I surfed the Internet to find solutions but none of them work and I dare not try some of them too, in case I made the problem worst and the shop may not want to honour the warranty.

So I went to bed and let the iPhone as it was , as it could not be switched off.

The following morning, the iPhone ran out of battery so I started to charge it.

Apparently, this triggered some sort of reset and I was prompted to link the iPhone to itune for recovery or restoration.

I was indeed so happy and managed to get the iPhone restored with the last back-up.

It is back to working status and the latest software was updated too.

Hooray!

Lessons learned:

- When updating the software on the iPhone thro' itunes on the PC, do not multi-task so as to interrupt the software upgrade process

- Backup your iPhone thro' itunes on your PC ( a few of my friends do not sync their iPhones with itunes on their PC or do not know how )

One interesting thing that I observed from this incident.... I put my wife sim card into an old Sony Ericssion mobile while I was trying to solve the problem and she struggling with it as she is so used to the finger touch interface on the iPhone...ha....ha....

I have used other smart phone and I must admit that iPhone is in a class of its own.

I should consider getting an iPhone 4 when my mobile contract expires at the end of this year....

David

My 2nd Election Rally

2011-05-01T23:03:00.009+08:00

Since I attended last night rally by the opposition party, I thought I should also go to the one by PAP since it is held at the same venue, near my home.

Just to compare the atmosphere and get a feel of the rally by different parties.
It was definitely not as crowded as last night rally by the opposition party.

Only the grandstand and most of the terrace are filled up with people. The platform was in front of the grandstand.

Partly, we were there as one of the speakers is a brother of our friend and we wanted to see how well he can delivered his speech. I was impressed by his perfromance, good for him!

Enough of rally for this election since I can catch all of them on the Internet, i the comfort of my home especially now that I have an idea of how the atmosphere and crowd response are in these rallies.

David

Singapore Election Rally 2011

2011-05-01T00:10:00.011+08:00

Hi,

My family and I attended our 1st election rally just a few hours ago.

We were motivated by the fact that there is always an unusual crowd in opposition rally and we wanted to experience the atmosphere and excitement that we read in the papers and on the Internet too.

Also, the rally by WP is held at Bedok stadium which is near to our home.

Though it started at 7pm but we only left our home around 7:30pm and there was traffic jam along the way and many people walking along the pavement towards the stadium.

We decided to stop one bus stop earlier and walked to the stadium as the traffic jam was pretty bad. However, we found out that there was a car accident just near the entrance of the stadium and it was causing the jam.

Upon arrival at the stadium, we thought that we may not be allowed to get in as there was a huge crowd but we managed to slowly get in through a small entrance.

Wow....! The grandstand and terrace were full with people already and people were standing on the track and field too.

We managed to slowly make our way to almost the centre of the field so that we can hear clearer from the loudspeakers.

Amazing crowd! I have never seen so many people in a stadium before!

If only this is an S League soccer game....ha..ha....

The contents of the speeches were really nothing new as I have read them in the papers and on the Internet but hearing it delivered in person, can indeed stirred up the people emotions as can be seen by their shouting and waving the opposition flags in acknowledgement of the the speeches made.

We slowly made our way out of the stadium before the last speaker as we do not want to be caught in a human jam and also, we have yet to get our dinner. It was around 9:30pm and we have stayed longer than planned.

What an atmosphere indeed..!

Good-nite,

David

How I Look Like As A Student

2011-04-25T15:35:00.006+08:00

I was clearing my drawers and found my student cards ... good old days as an overseas student in Melbourne.

Here they are and try to contain your laughter......ha....ha....

First Year at RMIT - 1976, I think this is the longest hair I had.... looks like a poodle dog....?

Second Year at RMIT - 1977, more clean cut...?

Back to long hair again...must be the cold weather there...ha...ha......

Those were the days....... sweet memories.....

David

Cheng Beng in Spore - 2011

2011-04-22T23:26:00.004+08:00

We went for Cheng Beng in Spore to pay respects to my father-in-law in the temple in Bishan area.

The temple is much bigger and better organised than the one we went to in Penang;eg. more spacious and tables including parking space too.

Trip to Penang - Cheng Beng April 2011

2011-04-13T17:37:00.003+08:00

My family and I flew back to Penang to visit my parents and also for Cheng Beng.

It was the first time that Jas went for Cheng Beng in Penang so it should have been a good experience for him.

I also managed to catch up with brother Charles, who was also back for a visit from Melbourne, and our cousins from Taiping too.

Here are photos taken during the trip :

David

Happy 18th Birthday, Jason!

2011-03-23T23:39:00.007+08:00

Time flies and Jason just celebrated his 18th birthday last week.

Glad he loves his new soccer boots.

Happy 18th Birthday to you, Jason....!

Loves,

Mummy & Daddy Poh

River Hong Bao 2011

2011-02-22T17:57:00.002+08:00

One of the highlights of Chinese New Year is the River Hong Bao which was held on the floating platform in Esplanade.

Here is a slideshow of some photos taken during my visit there :

David

Hibiscus

2011-02-07T17:44:00.005+08:00

On the 3rd day of Chinese New Year, our hibiscus flowers bloomed .......!

We have to put up a fence around the garden so that Jack does not have access to the hibiscus flowers as he jsut loves to eat them.....ha....ha....

David

CNY - Family Photo 2011

2011-02-04T22:50:00.003+08:00

Our annual family photo taken on the first day of Chinese New Year.

Wishing You a Happy & Properous

Chinese New Year..!

Chinese New Year - Reunion Dinner 2011

2011-02-04T22:41:00.005+08:00

We have a simple steamboat dinner for our own reunion dinner at our own home on the eve of Chinese New Year.

A weekend ago, we have another reunion lunch with my spouse's relatives at my mother-in-law's home. It was a pot luck arrangement.

Here is a photo of Jason catching up with his 2 cousins during the re-union lunch.

David

Silver Wedding Anniversary

2011-01-31T16:08:00.002+08:00

My wife and I just celebrated 25 years of marriage, a Silver Wedding Anniversary!

25 years ago, we were a happy go lucky and career minded young couple.

Now, happily married with one teenage son and an old beagle dog......ha..ha..

We started our marriage life in a condominium and now living in an intermediate terrace house.

Naturally, marraige life has its ups and downs and all sort of challenges too but we manage to survive all of them and we are pretty happy with our life today.

Though recently, the newspaper reported that many married copules said that given a second chance, they would not have married their current spouse.

Well, I will marry my current spouse without any doubts or second thoughts..!

So a Happy Silver Wedding Anniversary to My WIFE & I..!

David

Happy New Year - 2011

2011-01-26T15:52:00.002+08:00

A decade just flew by and time really flies......!

In the last 10 ten years, I saw my only son graduated from Primary school to secondary school and now in Polytechnic for a 3 years diploma course.

I was retrenched after working for 18 years in a local bank but managed to continue working a few more jobs before I retired from the commercial sector.

I explored opportunities in the Internet world and made some small money so the business model is proven and I will continue pursuing it in the coming years.

I am happy that I managed to work as a Lecturer in Temasek Polytechnic as it was my ambition to teach and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I am also glad that I fulfilled my parents wishes or requests. I took my father to visit China and I organised a one big family reunion with my immediate relatives in Penang; commissioned a photographer to take lots of family photos during the gathering in the hotel.

My dear wife also retired recently and has found an exciting life outside work with her new found girlfriends and her hobbies like gardening and calligraphy writing.

We are happy and we also managed to survive without having a maid for a year already.

Jean returned to Philippines after working for us for 12 years and I must give her some credit for helping us bring up Jason too especially during the early childhood days.

Jack, our Beagle, is still going strong and is going to be 13 this year.

Well, I think I could not ask for more other than good health and safety for the family in the coming years.

Wishing All of You A Very Happy New Year in 2011......!

David

My Christmas Photos

2010-12-27T00:45:00.004+08:00

Merry Christmas to all of you again....

Here are some photos taken during Christmas Day.

Our Christmas Tree has shrunk in size and no lights....

econimical size....ha..ha....

But we still got our presents....!

Jack chewing on his special Christmas treat

with a party hat too.....!

Hope you enjoyed your Christmas like we did...!

David

Christmas Lights in Orchard Road, Singapore

2010-12-22T23:27:00.002+08:00

Frommer, a US based travel guidebook, has nominated Singapore as one of the top 10 holiday lights in the world.

I have a short video and some still photos taken of the Christmas lights in Orchard Road last week. You should see it yourself by taking a stroll with your love ones.

Merry Christmas..!

David

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-18T23:48:00.005+08:00

We went to Orchard Road to enjoy the Christmas lights and I took many photos with my new DSLR camera too.

I am in the midst of post-processing the photos and will share with you in a few days' time... watch out for it in this blog.

My family & I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in 2011....

Blood Donation

2010-11-19T10:54:00.006+08:00

During the recent blood donation drive held at Singapore Polytechnic, Jas decided to donate his blood for a good cause.

We are proud of him.

I tried to donate my blood when we held a blood donation drive in my previous company but I was on medication for my high cholesterol condition so I was not accepted as a donor.

SO I am glad Jas did it ....

They gave him a certificate as a small token of appreciation and 2 weeks supply of iron tablets.

David

Visit to SkyPark, Marina Bay Sands

2010-11-02T15:15:00.003+08:00

TC, our friend from Geelong was on a business trip and was staying a few nights at the Marina Bay Sands hotel.

He took us up to the SkyPark on 57th floor where there is the hotel swimming pool and a fantastic view of Singapore city.

Here is a slide show of the photos taken from SkyPark that afternoon:

Public can purchase tickets to go up to the SkyPark.

For details, pls visit http://www.marinabaysands.com/SandsSkypark/Sands_Sky_Park.aspx

David

Penang Trip - Oct 2010

2010-10-27T16:34:00.002+08:00

Visited my parents and Sue in Penang last week.

Celebrated my father's 83rd birthday on 19 Oct too.

Here is a slideshow of a few photos taken during the trip :

Besides taking my parents to the hospital for their appointments, I managed to catch a movie with Sue, and some shopping at Prangin Mall. Not forgetting to mentioned that I ate the local delights like Hokkien Mee, Koay Teow Thng and Char Koay Teow.

I must say that the bus system has improved esp the interchange at Komtar where the bus routes are displayed together with a huge LCD panel indicating when the buses are arriving. I am impressed indeed.

David

Happy Birthday to ME again!

2010-10-09T23:56:00.005+08:00

I just turned 53 and so far, so good...ha...ha......

Here is a photo of me with my family and my durian cake!

We have a very good lunch at a Chinese restaturant and I overate, I think.......!

Then we ate at a Thai restaurant in the evening before proceeding to see The Hosan Leong show at the Drama Centre at National Library Building, and I laughed until I cried.

Our local funny man poking fun at our daily life in Singapore...ha...ha.....

Well, I am happy where I am today and glad to have a great family with me here, including Jack my Beagle.

So once again, a very Happy Birthday to ME....... and thanks to the few who remember it and sent their birthday wishes.......

Good-nite!

Mid-Autumn Mooncake Festival by The River

2010-10-03T11:51:00.000+08:00

Lanterns of the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals were displayed along the Singapore River at Clarke Quay during this period.

I went to the festival and took along my new Canon DSLR digital camera to take some photos of the lanterns.

Here is a slideshow of the photos:

Lai Meng & I also enjoyed buying the varities of mooncake on sale during this period, especially the durain mooncake....!

David

Singapore 2010 F1 Night Race

2010-09-30T17:03:00.003+08:00

This is the 3rd year that Singapore is hosting the F1 Night Race, the only night race in the world!

I managed to follow the practice, qualifying rounds and the final race itself 'live' on MediaCorp HD TV5.

It would have been nice if I could be on site too but then it is easier to follow the race on TV to get the overall picture on how the race is being run.

But to hear the F1 racing car engine roaring along the race track is also so exhilarating too!

It was a very exciting race and there was a few crashes including a racing car on fire at the end of the race.

The attempt by Lewis to overtake Webber turned into a disaster for Lewis as he was knocked out of the race.

I managed to get some stills off the TV and put them into a slideshow for those who may have missed the F1 race.

I am looking forward to 2011 F1 Night Race in Singapore....

David

Calligraphy Exhibition

2010-09-19T23:59:00.004+08:00

Lai Meng participated in her Calligraphy School exhibition in Sep 2010.

She submitted her writing, framed into a scroll, for display in the recent exhibition.

Congratulations to Lai Meng for her achievement after one year of lessons in calligraphy.

Here is a slideshow of the exhibition :

We are proud of you...!

Birthday Lunch

2010-09-07T21:41:00.003+08:00

One of those rare occassions that we managed to get Lai Meng's Mum out for lunch to celebrate LM's recent birthday.

Jas happened to be available too as it was the YOG school break then.

Happy Birthday, Mummy Poh!

2010-08-26T22:32:00.007+08:00

We celebrated Mummy Poh's birthday yesterday with a lunch at a Chinese restaurant and then with a birthday cake in the evening.

Mummy and her 2 boys......!

Happy Birthday and have a fabulous year ahead........!

Loves,

Jas & Daddy Poh

Youth Olympic Games (YOG) 2010

2010-08-22T16:48:00.006+08:00

Singapore is now hosting the 1st Youth Olympic Games (YOG) 2010.

We purchased tickets to watch the Badminton semi-finals held at Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Here is a slideshow of the few photos I took that day:

Glad that we could experience the YOG event instead of watching it on TV only.

For more information on the games, pls visit the website :

http://www.singapore2010.sg/public/sg2010/en.html

You may want to listen and watch the video on the YOG Theme Song too at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHrnaGJ8ckg

Highlights of NDP 2010

2010-08-13T23:35:00.006+08:00

This year NDP was special to us as Jas volunteered to be one of the 600 Motivators for the parade and we manged to get tickets to attend one of the few rehearsals of the parade too.

I managed to record some highlights of the parade from Channel 5 of MediaCorp and I would like to share them with you.

The opening with the motivators welcoming the hosts for the parade:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0zgYp1zlD8

The aerial display :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd32dd9eAuM

The 1998 NDP theme song, Home, written by Dick Lee and sung by Kit Chan :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AiYnZKqEpo

The Singapore pledge, One Voice at 20:10, and anthem :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpAV15MAPBM

This year theme song, A Song For Singapore, written and sung by Corrinne May ( recorded in HD too ):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtyjrIv-njM&NR=1

Finally, the NDP fireworks :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEeT7JmVarE

My family and I are indeed proud to be SINGAPOREANS...!

Happy 45th Birthday, Singapore....!

Penang Trip - July 2010

2010-08-01T13:17:00.007+08:00

Hi,

I just visited my parents and sister in Penang.

Here is a slideshow of some photos taken during the trip :

( If there is a display of Super Poke Pets at the bottom of the screen, pls click on the 'X' to get rid of it else it will hinder the full picture. )

I am glad that I managed to eat some durians this trip!

My next trip will be in October 2010.

Happy 45th Birthday, Singapore!

2010-07-25T18:19:00.004+08:00

We were so excited to be able to attend one of the National Day Parade rehearsals.

Usually, we are not keen to go to crowded events but this was special!

Surprisingly, going into and out of the Padang was a breeze and credit must be given to the organisers.

We got our tote bags and were soon seated. It was a cloudy day as it has been raining in the morning but it stopped around lunch time. But the sun came out for a short while in the late afternoon and it was very hot for that short period.

It was a fantastic atmosphere and we really got into the mood of the celebration.

So much better than watching it 'live' on TV all these years.

We are indeed proud to be Singaporeans!

A great job by the organisers and all the people involved in the performances and behind the scene too.

Keep it up!

Here is a slideshow of some photos taken during the show :

( If there is a display of Super Poke Pets at the bottom of the screen, pls click on the 'X' to get rid of it else it will hinder the full picture. )

Happy 45th Birthday, Singapore......!

David

National Day Parade - NPD 2010 Tickets

2010-07-16T23:58:00.003+08:00

Hooray...!

I got 2 NPD tickets for tomorrow afternoon rehearsal session...!

My wife and I have never been to one as we always watch the parade on TV.

It is so difficult to get tickets; eg. queue for it, ballot for it, etc......

So how did I get these tickets?

Well, Jason volunteered to be one of the 600 "motivators" for the NPD this year and was given 2 complimentary tickets. ( You may have seen a photo of these "motivators" in the newspaper today. )

We are looking forward to it even though it is just a rehearsal and not the actual day itself.

I am going to take a lot of photos and videos too so watch out for them....

Nite!

David

FIFA World Cup 2010

2010-07-08T22:30:00.005+08:00

Time flies and we are now approaching the Final this weekend.....!

I predicted the correct 4 teams for the semi-finals.

They are Uruguay, Holland, Germany and Spain....!

But I wanted to see a Holland vs Germany final though....sob..sob...

I suppose I rather have Spain than Argentina, Brazil and England as these teams are all over rated.

So who do I want to win in the Final?

I prefer Holland as I am more familiar with their players and their FIFA history.

Importantly, I hope to see an exciting final and may the better team wins....

BTW, I refused to subscribe to either Starhub or Singtel for all the matches but follow the games on the PC instead.

David

Singapore's Women Badminton Doubles Win

2010-06-26T00:08:00.003+08:00

Congratulations to our girls for winning the Li-Ning Singapore Open title...!

They really fought hard to win it in straight sets, making an incredible comeback from behind in the 2nd set.

We also saw them won the India Open a week prior to this.

Keep it up.....!

Badminton Anyone?

2010-06-18T22:19:00.009+08:00

The family got together and have a game of badminton at the Kembangan Community Centre (CC) last Thu.

We last played at the CC some 8 years ago......I think.

Here is a photo of the family on the badminton court.

It brought back some good memories.

My dear wife have been playing weekly with her buddies so she is fit and playing well whereas Jason & I are rusty....ha...ha...

She beat me and Jason narrowly and I also lost to Jason after a very close fight.......!

Well, we should be playing again soon.....

BTW, my shoulder is now aching ..... after not having play badminton for so many years.....!

Surprisingly, my knees and lower back did not ache that bad..... just a bit tight...!

It was a nice family outing and bonding session indeed.

A few more photos here......

Penang Trip - May 2010

2010-05-24T22:25:00.002+08:00

Mum is recovering well and still doing her physiotherapy 3 times a week and making progress to strengthen her arms and legs.

Mum is in good spirit compared to my last visit in Mar this year.

Dad is the same.

I suppose the main highlight was a day outing with my father to Queensbay Mall which faces the sea and you can see the Penang Bridge from there too.

We watch a movie, Ip Man 2, and enjoyed it tremendously.

Here are some photos taken during my short stay.

I brought the rain to Penang as it started to rain almost daily since I arrived...ha...ha...

I also enjoyed the time spent with my sister and tuning her notebook and installing her new Canon All-In-One ( AIO - Print, Scan and Copy) printer.

Glad that everyone is doing well so till......my next visit again in 2 or 3 months time.....thanks to budget flight like JetStar.

David

Happy Mother's Day - 2010

2010-05-10T22:19:00.003+08:00

We got Mum a bag with a print of a Beagle puppy......

Why Beagle puppy?

It reminds us of Jack ...our 12 years old Beagle who is part of the family and Mum's favourite too.

Happy Mother's Day........Mummy Poh

I would also like to wish all the mothers a Happy Mother's Day too......!

David

My Maid Got Married

2010-05-03T21:31:00.003+08:00

Mary Jean Lupas, my maid of 12 years who left for home in Philippines for good, got married in April.

She sent me this photo ....

Congratulations to Jean and wishing her the best in another new chapter in her life back home.

David

MRT Circle Line

2010-04-24T23:14:00.003+08:00

Hi,

I tried the Circle Line finally, after its recently opening on 17 April.

I started my journey home after visiting my mum-in-law last Fri.

Toa Payoh to Bishan Interchange to Paya Lebar Interchange to Kembangan.

I believe it was faster as we by-passed the Orchard Rd section and City Hall Interchange where there were many stops and more crowded too.

Though I think it was near peak period as there were quite a lot of students going home, I managed to get a seat and it was not as crowded as usual.

The newly opened MRT stations along the Circle Line is highlighted by the green loops in the image above.

So check it out.....

David

Minor Revamp In The Study Room Again

2010-04-24T22:55:00.004+08:00

We decided to shift Jason's table to face the wall so as to create more space in the room.

This way, he and his friends can easily play the Xbox 360 and also play the guitars together.

We have brought the guitar stand from his bedroom over so as to hold both his acoustic and electric guitars.

I shifted the table all by myself and did some re-wiring of the PC etc early today.

Well, I am happy with it, see the photo below....

Jason was playing his guitar but shy to show his face......ha....ha.......

Previously, it was like this......

His new Roland electric guitar amplifier is blocked by the acoustic guitar on the stand on the left of the photo.

David

Family Room or Study Room

2010-03-29T16:06:00.004+08:00

Hi,

I just recently re-arranged the study room a bit and clear a bit of rubbish lying around too...so happy with it.

I should say that it used to be a study room but it is now a family room.

Why?

After dinner, the family tends to gather in this room to watch TV or each one of us is using our own PC doing our own thing.....

I would dare to say that we spend more time in this family room than any of the rooms.

The living room or main hall downstairs with its home theatre system is hardly used....sob..sob...

Similarly, the BOSE system in the master bedroom is also under utilised too!

My work station is the area below the LCD TV and my wife uses the workstation next to it, on the right.

Jason occupies the big desk with his desktop PC 19 inches monitor on it. On the extreme left in the photo is the Xbox 360 next to his electric guitar. He has the best place in the room and also some privacy too....... ( we cannot see what he does on his PC but he can see what we do on ours....ha..ha...).

He took over the big desk from me but we rather have it this way so that the family can be together than he locking himself up in his own room ( which has all the facilities except his PC and TV ...... ).

We also try to conserve electricity consumption by using only one air-con in this room.

I am still thinking of making my own work area more cosy and still lots of my 'rubbish' to clear; eg IT magazines and accessories to be sorted out...

David

Jason Enrolled Into Singapore Polytechnic

2010-03-26T23:12:00.004+08:00

Finally, Jason is now officially enrolled into Singapore Polytechnic (SP) to do a 3 years course in Diploma in Human Resources Management (HRM) with Psychology.

I went with Jas to SP to collect his Student Card and to buy a notebook at the PC Roadshow specially held for the year's freshmen.

I am impressed with the whole admission process which was highly automated.

Upon accepted by SP, he received an envelope with forms and instructions to follow for the admission process.

Jas had to send some info on forms through 2 different colour envelopes; one for general info and the other for financial info.

He also has to go online to update his personal particulars and applied for his email ID, etc....

He went to one of the recommended clinics to have his medical check-up and X-ray and the results were sent to SP directly by the clinic.

And finally, the last step was going to SP to submit a few photocopy of documents and collect his Student Card.

The whole processing this afternoon was very smooth and no long queue or crowd. Everything was automated and the Student Card was readily available for collection without any fuss. This step was the fastest, in fact.

Then we just walked down the hall and went through some booths manned by students and collected door gifts like SP T-shirt and a notebook case with some brochures...

As we have done our homework on the notebooks being offered at the road show, we chose the one we wanted, paid and collected it in good time. Service was good too!

Then we were directed to the next building to do a full configuration of the notebook as it was pre-installed with the SP required software ( eg Office 2007 + settings for connecting to the school wireless network ). We were guided by a technician in an air-con and spacious classroom. This step took about 30 minutes but time past by quite fast and it is over.

Jason is ready to start school at SP now......Congratulations..!

Daddy Poh

My Part-time Workplace

2010-03-23T11:43:00.004+08:00

Hi,

Here is a photo of me in my part-time workplace........

Ha..ha... so what is this?

This is my dry kitchen...!

Where I make my breakfast, coffee, toast break, cook rice in the cooker, make soup in the slow cooker, and warm up food in the microwave, etc.....

Why my part-time workplace?

Well, we have chosen not to replace our maid who left for good last Nov.

So my family and I have taken over all the tasks in the house and so far, we manage to survive for the past few months and getting the hang of it.

Actually, the main purpose of taking this photo is to show my younger sister that I have received and wearing the polo shirt that she sent to me from Melbourne.

Wei, thanks!

BTW, I am sitting on the step-ladder cum high chair which is very handy as I sit on it when making breakfast, cooking in the outer or wet kitchen and ironing too.....

Not that I am lazy but I have a bad left knee and standing too long without a knee brace can be a bit painful after some time.

Take care.......!

David

Happy 17th Birthday, Jason

2010-03-16T18:40:00.007+08:00

Jason turns 17 on this 17 of March ......

But as he has to go back to his St. Patrick's Secondary School to help out in a Peer Leadership camp tomorrow for 3 days and 2 nights..... we celebrated it with a cake today.

He celebrated it with his friends too at a tea buffet at Sakae Sushi in Orchard Road yesterday afternoon.

Happy 17th Birthday to You, Jason.... !

Jason using his birthday present from us....... headset for chatting, bought in the recent IT Show.

David

Physiotherapy Session

2010-03-15T15:05:00.009+08:00

Hi,

When I was in Penang, I followed my Mum for her physiotherapy session at the LWE hospital to strengthten her legs.

Initially, my Mum was not keen on it and blamed the medicine for making her legs weak but her cardiologist and I disagreed with her and felt that she was not doing proper leg exercise at home.

Glad to say that my Mum's legs are stronger now and she is convinced that the exercises are good for her weak legs.

Here are a few photos taken of the exercises that she did there.

This photo is taken from the reflection of the wall mirror....you can even see me on the right side of the photo. My Mum is using a motorised leg exerciser but have gone on to a manual one later in the week.

The spring is attached to the wall behind her and she has to pull her left leg up and hold for 6 seconds; repeating this for 10 minutes.

The spring is attached from the top of the ceiling and she has to push her left leg down and hold for 6 seconds; repeating this for 10 minutes.

I am glad that there is result from the exercise and my Mum is convinced that it works for her.

She is even recommending the physiotherapy session to my 5th aunt now.

Proud of you...Mum...!

David

An Outing at Gurney Drive

2010-03-11T16:13:00.002+08:00

Hi,

While I was in Penang, I took my Dad out for the afternoon as he seldoms go out on his own for leisure.

Why Gurney Drive?

Good food and scenery......!

We went there for a western lunch at Secret Recipe, a restaurant in Plaza Gurney and facing the sea.

As my Dad has not been to the movies for years and he loves to watch TV at home, I decided to take him to the cinema to watch his favourite kung fu type of movie, 14 Blades.

The cinemas in Plaza Gurney are just as good as ours in Spore; but cheaper due to the favourable exchange rate.

After the afternoon movie, we walked out to Gurney Drive to get some sea breeze but it was a bit hot though.

We decided to eat at the famous hawker food next to Plaza Gurney and bumped into a busload of tourists there.

My Dad ate his favourite dishes, Indian Rojak and Ais Kacang. I ordered Char Koay Teow and Assam Laska + Cheng Tng.

I am glad to say that my Dad really enjoyed the outing and he was very happy with it. He was still talking about the movie and food the following morning......ha...ha..

David

Happy 82th Birthday Mum..!

2010-03-10T15:52:00.008+08:00

Hi,

I was back in Penang to celebrate my mother 82th birthday on the 1st week of March, though her actually birthday falls on 8th of March.

Here are a few photos of the celebration :

She wanted a simple non-creamy cake but this was what we could find in the bakery shop in Prangin Mall.

One big candle to singnified her 82 years of age....

Mum and her presents....

The big birthday card and pyjamas were sent by Wei from Melbourne.

The new walking stick is from the 4 children.

So Happy Birthday and we wish you another healthy and prosperous year....!

River Hong Bao 2010

2010-02-21T10:45:00.000+08:00

Hi,

We used to go to see the River Hong Bao when it was held along the Singapore River, next to Boat Quay and Empress Place.

heow it is held at th Marina Bay Floating Platform where they also held the National Day Parade (NPD).

Besides the main attraction, the background view of the Financial Center of Shenton Way or Boat Quay was beautiful.

The Flyer was also nearby.

We were also attracted by the Calligraphy stall that was giving a demonstration and giving their paintings away.

If you missed it this year,( tonight is the last night ) then try to go next year as it was very entertaining.

Sitting at the stand, you can have a good view around the area and enjoyed the breeze too coming from the sea.

So here again, wishing you a Healthy and Wealthy Tiger Year...!

David

Chinatown Lights Up for Chinese New Year 2010

2010-02-20T22:21:00.004+08:00

Hi,

My family & I would make an effort to drop by Chinatown to soak in the Chinese New Year (CNY) festivities and do some shopping especially the candy that are sold by the street stalls and maybe some CNY decorations too.

We tried to avoid the peak period like weekends or eve of CNY but we only managed to go there a day before the eve of CNY. Some stalls were already taking it as their last night as they want to celebrate their Reunion Dinner on the eve or some may need to go back home in Malaysia.

We took advantage of it and manage to buy a string of orange lights decorations at a huge discount..!

As usual, I took some photos and also bought some Taiwanese candies like mochi.

Wishing you a Healthy and Wealthy Tiger Year...!

David

River Hong Bao 2010

2010-02-19T22:50:00.005+08:00

My family and I decided to visit River Hong Bao as the last time we went, it was held along Singapore River.

It is now held at the Marina Bay Floating Stage where we also held a few of the National Day Parade (NDP) too.

Since I have never been to this place, I decide to do so as it is so difficult to get tickets for NDP.

Here is a photo of the River Hong Bao taken from the spectator seats:

There is a big stage where performances are held; eg acrobatic acts and songs sung.

The tall statues is the God of Wealth, of course.

The background is our financial centre....Shenton Way & Raffles Place.

You should visit it next year if you cannot catch it by this Saturday, the last day.

Happy Chinese New Year again and wishing you a Healthy and Wealthy year......

David

Valentine versus Chinese New Year

2010-02-17T21:39:00.004+08:00

Hi,

14 Feb 2010 is the 1st day of the Lunar New Year but also the Valentine Day too...!

The good news is that most of us, as reported in the papers, place family and our Chinese New Year celebration above the western Valentine's Day occasion.

I would say that we were so focused on the CNY festivities that we almost forgot about Valentine's Day ..... but I did wish my dear wife a Happy Valentine's Day and gave her a branch of a new Hibiscus species that I plucked during my walk with Jack, my Beagle dog, a few days ago. I told her that this is the gift for the occassion...ha...ha...

Cheapskate?

No..lah.... it is the thought that counts and she is onto growing Hibiscus.... look at this white one, lovely, isn't?

We spent yesterday together, without Jason, watching a movie with dinner too.... so that can be considered our belated Valentine's Day celebration.....

Happy Valentine's Day, Darling!

David

First Day of Chinese New Year

2010-02-14T23:48:00.003+08:00

Hi,

Once again, I wish you a Healthy and Prosperous Chinese New Year .....!

We actually held our reunion lunch a weekend earlier at my brother-in-law flat but my family still dine with my mother-in-law last night.

Every Chinese New Year, I would take a family photo for keepsake......

So here is this year's family photo for the album.....

I have just printed it on my photo printer in A4 size and will frame it later....

This will replace my last year's family photo on the wall.......

As usual, we gathered at my Mum-in-law home for lunch and exchange greetings and 'ang pows' with each other and that's it..... same thing every year.....

As we are not able to fly back to Penang to visit my parents, I just give them a call and greet them accordingly.......

So once again, wish you a good healthy and prosperous new year.......

Oh.... better check my 5M TOTO results.....ha....ha....

David

Happy Chinese New Year 2010

2010-02-14T01:06:00.003+08:00

Hi,

I like to take this opportunity to wish you a

Happy & Properous Chinese New Year in 2010.....

The year of Tiger...Grrrrr!

Here is a photo taken in Chinatown last night.

Will write more in the coming few days after the 1st day of visiting, of course.....

David

My 24th Wedding Anniversary

2010-01-26T23:19:00.005+08:00

Hi,

I have been so busy with household chores and Jason's recent 'O' level results and schools + courses nomination that for the first time, I forget my wedding anniversary until my wife reminded me a few days ago.

My brother, who married on the same day a year earlier, also sent me an email on his plan to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

So my wife and I decided to go to Vivocity to do some shopping, catch a movie and dine at one of our favourite restaurants.

Here we are at the upper deck of Vivocity with Sentosa as the background.

You know, I think we do not look our age as many strangers think we are easily 10 years younger and I have to show them my ID card to prove it.... ha...ha...

We invited our 16 years old son to join us for the movie and dinner as we really enjoy his presence and he obliged us.

Here I am with Jason..... he is most as tall or same height as my wife and I....!

BTW, I have this photo of my wife and I taken during our honeymoon in Phuket....

Those were the days.... young and carefree as a newly married couple.....!

Happy Wedding Anniversary....!

David

First Day of Year 2010

2010-01-01T22:19:00.003+08:00

Hi,

Another New Year........ so soon.......?

The young ones want to grow old faster so that they can do adult things but old folks like me wants the year to slow down a bit so that I can enjoy my current situation and not visit my ancestors so soon......ha.....ha...

Anyway, here is a reflection of my past year........

1Q 2009 :

I found a new stream of income for my Internet Business initiative...... and it started to grow slowly resulting in a consistent monthly income throughout the year... but still small income though! However, this is the result of the 1st year of building my IM business.

I was excited and wanted to push up my income but then got distracted by health problems within the family.....see below.

Jack and Ruby got very sick but managed to recovered after medication from the Vet.

2Q 2009 :

My Mum had a minor stroke and I have to fly back to Penang almost weekly initially and then every month subsequently until recently. Took a lot out of me and I did not manage to work on my IM business to increase my income but managed to maintain a steady income, as mentioned above. Most traumatic event of the year..!

My dear wife started calligraphy class and also played badminton with her new found friends.

I was supposed to have started swimming in Bedok public pool for my lower back and knee pain but never got to it..!

3Q 2009 :

Spent most of the time caring for my Mum in Penang.....

Thanks to budget airline like JetStar, I could afford to fly back very often to care for my parents.

Also, managed to see my bro and sis from Melbourne in Penang, as they are came home to care for my parents....

Gave a lot of moral support to Jas for his preparation for 'O' level exam..... advice and encouragement, etc....

4Q 2009 :

My Dad started to have problem in his neck and lower back. He got 6 injections on his neck to ease the pain caused by the degeneration of the spinal bones there. Did some physio too but it seems to be helping a bit only and no cure other than pain killers....sigh....wear n tear!

My mum-in-law also have severe knees joint pain and got 3 injections but no help so pain killers too...... again, wear and tear!

Both parents are in their 80s already.... but this older generation does not like to seek medical treatment until they cannot take it anymore so it has been very tough to help them too......sigh

Ruby, my Corgi, was successfully re-homed as she was bullying Jack , my Beagle, and bit him on the body.....sigh.... we decide that it is not fair to Jack and Ruby has to go...... Ruby also bit Jack's ear when she first came into our family!

Jack got sick and was operated on his tummy to remove an accumulated mass of grass, his hair + sand.....!

Jas put in a lot of effort in his 'O' level exam. and we think that he should have done reasonably well, we hope.

Our maid of 12 years has gone home for good and we have decided not to have any replacement but we went for 'tingkat' food during the weekday, as we do not really cook.

In summary, we have quite a few incidents of medical problems and both LLM & I are also experiencing lower back and knee joint pain too.....wear n tear.....sigh

Throughout the year, I managed to strike 4D on and off but small wins only..... resulting in a net loss, of course..... but just tried my luck and some form of cheap entertainment. Also, sponsoring Tote Board generous donations to the charities.....ha....ha....

Also, good to start having a steady income though small from my IM initiative.

So any resolutions for the new year 2010......?

I hope the family will have less medical problems but then we are all aging......sigh

So we need to try to take better care of ourselves .... now that we have learned from our parents experiences.

I hope Jas will get into the JC or Poly of his choice..... we have yet to finalise his intentions pending his results in early Jan 2010.

I target to double my IM income, at least....... hopefully, no major distraction so that I can spend more time working on it from home.

I hope that I can go back to doing some part-time work commercially else then commit to some voluntary work.

Well, Jas is now in a Downtown chalet with his friends to celebrate the new year.

My wife and I have an eventful or fruitful first day of 2010 together.

So here again, we wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year in 2010...!

David

I Survived One Month Of Housework

2009-12-28T11:03:00.000+08:00

Hi,

My maid left for good one month ago and we have decided not to have a replacement since Jason is in his teens already.

Also, an 'Aussie' friend of mine told me to imagine that I have migrated to Australia and have no maid in the household....ha...ha.....

But we ordered 'tingkat' food for dinner during the weekdays as we do not really cook...!

It definitely needed some adjustments as we were so used to being served by Jean but now, we have to spend time to do all the household chores like laundry, ironing, mopping the floor, etc....

I used to read the papers first thing in the morning as I like to know what is happening locally and overseas but now I have to find time to read the papers and sometimes even just browse through them only........

Why?

And guess what is the first thing I do every morning?

Well, Jack barks at 7am for his food and I have to wake up to feed him before my neighbours complain about his barking especially on weekends......sigh

Walk Jack too else he will bark for it again around 8am....sigh

Make breakfast, clean up some plates or cups left overnight, do laundry as it takes about 2 hours for the washing machine to complete a cycle....... before I can sit down to read the papers!

There are days where I went back to sleep and if I am really tired, I may sleep for another hour or so...ha....ha......

I dislike cooking during weekends as while I can 'cook' ( after 4 years as an overseas student ), I feel pressurised to cook a decent meal for my family esp Jason as he is still a growing boy.

Anyway, I suppose it is just a matter of the whole family chipping in and getting used to it.

Any tips for my me..... drop me a line.....

David

Christmas Lights in Orchard Road

2009-12-26T22:57:00.002+08:00

Hi,

I make it a point to take a stroll along Orchard Rd to enjoy the decorations and soak into the Xmas atmosphere....

This year is different too as there are new shopping malls like Ion, Orchard Central and 313 at Somerset.

Here is a short slide show of some photos taken that night.

Merry Christmas....!

David

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T21:37:00.005+08:00

Hi,

We wish you a Merry Christmas and hope you have a wonderful day today....!

We went to Jack's Place for a special Xmas lunch there...... something that we have been doing for years ...... though we missed it for a few years.

We then watch the movie, AVATAR, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. You should watch it as there is a good storyline, action and good special effects or CGI; value for money as it is about 3 hours long.

I have also taken some photos of the Xmas decorations in Orchard Rd too...... will post them later.

Merry Xmas again.....

David

Touch Screen Mobiles - iPhone, Nokia, Samsung

2009-12-21T08:45:00.005+08:00

I pre-ordered an iPhone from Starhub but then decided not to follow the trend for the sake of it.....!

The main features for my mobile besides making calls and smses, is to upgrade to a 5MP camera and to try out the touch screen mobile.

Another feature is also to have wi-fi so that I can check the stock market prices on the go , if necessary but no major or huge data download.

I was inspired by my Filipino maid who bought a touch screen mobile by LG and I thought I should have a go at the latest technology too.....ha....ha...... provided it is affordable.

Most of us used less than 50% of all the features on our mobiles.

I offer to buy Jason an iPhone which he talked about it a few times but he decided to stay put with his current Sony Ericsson mobile.

Our mobile plans are due for re-contract so we can upgrade our mobiles at a discounted rate and I was also given free vouchers of $100 and $150 for 2 of my mobiles.

I managed to buy a Nokia 5800 touch screen mobile for my wife and we are happy with it.

I wanted to buy this Samsung Jet but the black model is out of stock and they are now selling the special white edition with an increase in price!

I am surprised that mobile prices can also move up and usually during the the weekends, watch out for their advertisement on Sat papers and you will know what I mean.

So I have to go for the Samsung Omnia II now though it is more expensive and more features but then it went up by another $100 last weekend.....!

Well, wait and see again....sigh

So I am going to end up with no Xmas present for myself ......sob....sob...

David

Thorn In My Thumb

2009-12-05T22:31:00.000+08:00

Last Friday, I was cutting down a bouganvilla plant that has over grown and reached the top of our awning in the backyard.

It is a thorny plant.

I was a bit too ambitious and one of the big branches fell towards me though I was using my left hand to hold it while I was using my right hand to saw it.

I lost my balance and in the process of steadying myself, I somehow came down from the chair I was standing on and luckily, I did not step on any of the thorny branches on the ground. But it happened so fast that the falling bracnhes must have brushed my hands.

I could feel a cut or two on both hands. I thought I cold have gotten it from the wire fence and I could also see a puncture hole or two made by the thorns....!

I could have gotten it worse when I think back on the incident; eg more deep cuts and also stepped on a thorny branch on the ground....!

Anyway, whan I cleaned up and took a shower, I could feel the water running over more cuts on my hands and even my right foot....!

I noticed a deep cut on my left thumb and it seems to have a small thorn inside it.

I took a needle from my sewing kit and tried to dig it out but it was pretty deep and the cut was a bit too deep. It was too painful to go further so I was prepared to have the thorn embedded in my thumb.

A week later, my thumb was still sore and the cut was still open, much to my surprise.....? But the skin seem not to be sore or sensitive so I decided it was telling me to have another go at digging out the thorn.

Guess what....?

I persisted in digging deeper and suddenly some liquid came out..... I think it is some sort of pus in formation so I took a tissue to squeeze out all of it.

And the thorn popped out, just like squueezing your pimple...know what I mean...?

After that, eventhough the cut was still opened but the pain was minimal.

So it looked like the body was rejecting the foreign item in my thumb and I think it caould get swollen with pus if I had not removed the thorn.

Phew.....

Just to give you an idea on how big the bouganvilla plant, here is a photo of the branches I have to saw to bring it down.

David

Jason Off To Vietnam

2009-12-04T22:13:00.003+08:00

Jason's class won the Best Cass in both Sec 3 and 4.

A 3D2N trip to Vietnam was arranged for the students after their 'O' level exam.

When I sent him off early this morning, our Singapore Table Tennis team was also checking in at the same row for their flight to Laos for the SEA Games.

Initially, I mistook one of the officials as our local tour guide as she was standing next to the boys. It would have been embarrassing if I have approached her the tour guide assigned to us but I saw the Singapore Flag on her polo-shirt.

Eventually, we saw the whole contingent of the Table Tennis team and officials. I saw Feng Tianwei and Wang Yuegu.

Feng Tianwei looks nice and not so tomboyish.

Here is a photo taken of the boys just behind the Team Singapore at the check-in counter. It so happened that their class T-shirt is red in colour too, so it blended well with them...ha...ha....

Hope to post some photos and details of his trip next week.

David

Farewell To Our Filipino Maid

2009-12-01T21:59:00.007+08:00

Mary Jean came to help look after Jason when he was 4 years old and after a period of 12 years, she has finally gone home for good.

Her main duties were to look after Jason, her primary duty, and housekeeping was secondary task. She connected well with Jason and Jason was hardly lonely when we were off to work.

We were comfortable with her caring for Jason during the day but once we are home, we took over from her and spend as much time as we could with Jason.

My Mum trained Jean during her first 2 months with us and then Jean was able to work with minimum supervision. Eventually, she could liaise directly with people like our laundry man and the air-con maintenance man.

When Jason entered secondary school, Jean did not have to 'mother' Jason so much but she was also looking after our 2 dogs, Jack and Ruby.

Since she has an interest to learn, we sent her for cooking, PC, making bead jewelry, entrepreneur class, ......

While she may not be the perfect maid and neither we, the perfect employer...... somehow, both parties have managed to compromise and get along during this long period.

Jean intends to set up some small business and may even get married, so we wish her the success in her venture.

Jason is taller tahn Jean now, sending her off at the airport last Sat afternoon.

We just chatted on MSN a few minutes ago and she has arrived safely in Manila but done with a bad throat, and staying with her brother there before she goes back to her hometown in Mindanao.

Thanks and good luck to you, Mary Jean.

David

St. Patrick Graduation Night 2009

2009-11-23T21:17:00.005+08:00

Jason attended his school graduation night on Thu 19 Nov 2009.

He was given a medal for his outstanding leadership and service in Track and Field & Peer Support Board that evening.

Needless to say, Jas enjoyed the company of his teachers and school friends tremendously......!

Here is a slideshow of the photos taken during his graduation night :

Well, so happy for them ..........!

( There is no such graduation night during my school days......sob....sob...)

David

Holidays in Penang - November 2009

2009-11-22T19:10:00.002+08:00

Hi,

After Jason's 'O' level exams., the family flew to Penang for a short holiday to visit his grandparents.

Here is a short slideshow of the trip :

Well, if you plan to visit Penang soon during the school holidays, drop me a note and I can give you some advice to help you plan for it.

David

Singapore Lions Roar In Thailand

2009-11-19T17:40:00.003+08:00

Singapore Lions score 1 goal to beat the Thailand soccer team at their home ground,in their Asian Cup Group E qualifier.

The victory helped Singapore leapfrog Thailand into second spot in the group and revived their hopes of qualifying for their first ever Asian Cup.

Duric was the goal scorer but all the players did well.

I have met Duric personally during my days in RHB Bank and Duric is a very pleasant guy. He is a great soccer player too especially at his age!

Congrats to the Singapore Lions.........!!!

David

Michelle Wie's First LPGA Title

2009-11-18T21:39:00.004+08:00

I am happy for her that she finally won her first LPGA title.

Michelle closed with a threeunder 69 for a total of 13-under 275, two strokes ahead of Paula Creamer in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, and finished off the win in style, hitting a bunker shot within a foot on the 18th hole to set up a birdie.

She used to always want to play against the men and hardly made headway. But she attracted a lot of attention and sponsorship..... and that means $$$...!

My friend who has a daughter on a golf scholarship in US now told me that Michelle Wie's family has taken the right approach to generate the publicity leading to lucrative sponsorship even if she did not win any trophy then.

Opportunity comes once and you grab it to make the $$$.

Anyway, congratulations to Michelle Wie's win....!

David

Manny Pacquiao Won Again!

2009-11-16T10:00:00.005+08:00

Filipino boxer,Manny Pacquiao, is first boxer to win titles in seven weight classes.

Pacquiao took the World Boxing Organisation welterweight crown from Cotto in Las Vegas on Saturday night when the referee stopped the fight in the 12th round.

He did us, Asians, proud.

I hope he will retire when he is at the peak of his career and not greedy for more victories.

Congratulations ....!

David

Fallen Tree

2009-11-10T18:15:00.004+08:00

While I was away in Penang in Oct, the tree outside my house fell...!

According to my Filipino maid, she claimed that a huge delivery truck passed by and brushed against the branches sticking out.

The driver and passengers came out to see the fallen tree but no one from the 2 houses came out so they drove away.

Since the tree fell and landed in front of my neighbour's house, he called the authorities to remove it and it was done almost immediately.

Unfortunately, they also removed the lovely big fern growing on the tree.....sob...sob....

Installing IDE Hard Disk Onto SATA Port

2009-11-08T07:13:00.003+08:00

Hi,

I am so happy that I managed to installed one of my old Samsung 80GB hard disk into Jason's desktop PC.

The challenge was that there was no more IDE port and I did not want to install it using the IDE connection that was already used for the DVD Rewriter since there are 3unused SATA port.

After some research on the Internet, I found that there is such a gadget to link an IDE to a SATA connection or vice versa.

So off to Sim Lim Square (SLS) to look for it.

I bought it for S$18 and after fiddling around with it, I got it working....!

Hurray...!

It was quite challenging as it did not detect the HD initially and then only managed to detect 32GB out of 80GB in the HD.

If you know how and patient enough, you can get reasonable help from the Internet and then you do some trial and error.

I managed to overcome all the obstacles and I met my objective of installing the old HD into Jas's PC to give him more disk space.

Earlier, I also did some housekeeping and salvaged some disk space on his existing HD too otherwise, the PC could not even do a fragmentation as there was not enough work space for it.

Well, I enjoy playing with the PC upgrade.

A few weeks ago, my Filipino maid asked me to help her go to SLS to get a DIY PC for her to bring home; ie pay the shop to assemble a PC. It was slightly cheaper by at least S$100 but the QC and installation was done by me after all the components were assembled.

I dare not offer to build it for her though I did it a few years ago and it was also given to her subsequently and I believe it is still working in his brother's home in Philippines.

It has rekindled my interest in building a PC or looking at the motherboards and CPU, etc.... but I have no excuse to spend $$ building one for the fun of it. So the next best thing is to look into upgrading the Jason desktop PC......ha...ha....

Over the past few months, I have also be shopping for notebooks for a friend at the PC shows. One is coming again later this Nov.

So if you got an old PC for upgrade or even an old notebook to dispose of, give me a call ........ hopefully, I can help you or salvage some components that I can use or play with.....ha...ha...

David

Budget Flights

2009-11-05T11:59:00.000+08:00

Hi,

The following observations are based on my own travels to and fro Penang over the past 6 months; flying at least once a month on the budget flight.

I have flown Air Asia once but subsequently flew on JetStar as I found that the pricing and flight times suit me best.

However, I must also said that I prefer to travel by JetStar as I can use the aero-bridge at Pg airport whereas Air Asia requires their passengers to walk from the aircraft to the airport; ie you have to climb the stairs and walk on the airport tarmac. I do not like it as I have a bad left knee.

Also, though I have only flown on Air Asia once only, I observed that the JetStar air crew are more helpful and service oriented.

JetStar allows me to carry a hand luggage of 10Kg which is sufficient for my purpose of travel. It also allows me to choose my seat without any additional charge.

The other observation on the booking of such budget flights are :

- Watch out for promotions as I manage to get a special price of S$30 for both ways; but you may have to book during a very short window and very early like 3 months ahead. So u need to know your schedule way ahead..... but may work well for those who are retired and have a flexible schedule.

- Check the travel dates, time and prices of a few budget airlines for comparison

- Flying different day and even times may have different prices

- One day difference in booking your flight can mean an increase of S$20

But being budget flight, it is definitely cheaper than a normal flight; eg my average price for JetStar is abour S$80 compared to S$315 on MAS or SIA.

But, you will not be pampered and no food and beverage allowed unless you buy from them. So book the meals when you are booking your flight as it may be cheaper else be prepared to pay S$3 for a bottle of mineral water.

My elder brother and younger sister flew Air Asia from Melbourne to KL and KL to Pg to visit my parents recently. It was about 7 hours of flight.

So conclusion.......

In my opinion, for short flights and if you are quite flexible with time, flying by budget airline is acceptable.

But for longer flights, you may want to re-consider budget flight unless you are prepared to rough it out;eg you may not be able to sleep well as the seats are not that comfortable and you should bring your own entertainment like watching a movie on your laptop.

I am quite lucky to-date, as I have no problem calling their call centres and booking online. So far, only one flight delayed for 1/2 hour only.

My family and I will be flying to Pg in Nov by budget airline again.

David

Happy 83rd Birthday to Mum-in-law

2009-11-03T11:28:00.004+08:00

Hi,

This is one of those rare occasions that we manage to celebrate my mum-in-law birthday as she is the type of person who does not want any fuss or inconvenience to her children.

She is as old as my own father who also just have his birthday in Oct too.

Since she does not want to go out for a meal, we bought her a birthday cake for lunch at her home as my wife and I visit her every Friday and buy lunch to share with her.

So Happy Birthday, Mum....!

Happy 83rd Birthday to Dad in Penang

2009-10-28T07:13:00.003+08:00

Hi,

While I was in Penang, we also celebrated my father's 83rd birthday.

After my Mum's medical appointment, we went to have a western lunch at Secret Recipe at Plaza Gurney.

I must say that the service was excellent and the staff was very nice and went all the way out to ensure that we have an excellent dining experience there; eg. one of the staff even show us the way to the public toilet as we are not familiar with the place, they offered to put the ice cream back into the fridge since my Mum was away in the toilet,..

I asked a staff to help take a family photo and I mentioned that it was my father's birthday and she happily obliged, asking me to check the the photo is well taken else she can take another one.

Much to my surprise, the supervisor presented my Dad with a slice of cake and got the staff to sing him the birthday song.

We were caught off guard else I would have taken a group photo with them or even video it.

It was indeed a pleasant surprise and my Dad was still talking about it a few days later as his birthday actually fell on 19 Oct but we were celebrating it earlier.

Here is a photo of Mum waiting for a taxi to take us home. A very rare occasion too as she does not like to go out unless necessary.

We also got him a birthday cake and we have another round of celebration at home that evening.

Happy Birthday, DAD...!

David

My Penang Trip in Oct 09

2009-10-27T15:04:00.005+08:00

Hi,

I flew back to Penang again to bring my Mum for her medical appointment and at the same time, sent my younger sister off to Melbourne.

My younger sister was back in Pg for a month to care for my aged parents, esp my Mum who is recovering from a mild stroke.

Here is a photo of Wei, taken outside Plaza Gurney after our 'makan' at the nearby hawker stalls. There was some rain earlier on and we saw a nice rainbow in the background so we quickly grab the opportunity for a great photo of it. Unfortunately, the rainbow was not very evident in the photo as it appeared like a white streak of light from the sea to the sky.....

Anyway, Wei looked good too with a very natural smile indeed...... so ok-lah!

BTW, Wei is a fantastic shopper too..... taking advantage of the Deepavali sale and also the strong Aussie $$.

David

Happy Birthday to ME...!

2009-10-10T17:30:00.007+08:00

My family and I went for a western dinner to celebrate my birthday on 9 Oct.

Jas met us after school since he has no tuition that evening, so he appeared in his school uniform in the photo below.

On the actual day itself, I bought some durian as a special treat for myself too.

D24 durian....

I ate one box myself and shared another box with my dear wife, for dinner...!

Jack was also wanting to have some of it and was waiting patiently for it but he almost snatched it from the table when I got up to greet one of my neighbours.

Naughty Jack!

Anyway, he got to lick some of the leftover on the box and he enjoyed it too.....!

Also, birthday greetings and wishes to Soo Leng and Tatt Cheng who also have their birthdays in early Oct .......!