The Good Old Days...

Was clearning up my storeroom & chance upon the old songs that I used to write in school. Some of them I've already forgotten which tune I've attached them to. Managed to remember some pieces & thought of sharing them & let you reminisce the goold old days...

The 2 pieces below share the same tune but they were written at different times. Tune: "一步一步来" by 梁文福

This was written in Sec School. I think you would know who you are ;p

十三岁我踏进来， 跟小学说 bye bye
进了中学才知道， 哎呀！ 我是那么矮
先认识的朋友是 KT, J, AGY
后来才发现他们全都不是my type

上了学第八天后， 我认识个女孩
名字和我差不多，她的样子很可爱
后来给她取个名， 广东就叫 ‘乌龟’(Cantanese: wu guai)
她也跟我 fight 看谁的 PE shirt 最耐…(臭!)

Chorus:
后来我们变成 Africa 的 ‘黑鬼’ (Cantonese: hak guai)
因为整天打netball 给太阳晒
Sec 2 时我们开始走进了舞台
当时她演的那匹马实在帅！


This was written when I was in JC:

自从我到 NY 来，我开始就学坏
我 join 了 CL ， 丽敏她就把我指出来
她的样貌 ah buay pai, 但个子有点矮
喜欢到处钩男生, aiyoh 真的是 not shy

日子久了才发现， 她其实很可爱
个子小，脸皮够厚，aiyoh 身材还不赖
见了她说一声 ‘hi’ 她却不理不睬
可是换了 Nicholas, 贾杰 的话，她会快快飞过来!

Chorus:
一见到丽敏以为她很好，很乖
可是她的思想却是那么歪
喜欢撒娇，摸来摸去， 象个小孩
难怪汇演的票卖的那么快！

Hungry Ghost Festival

Hey, today is the 15th of the 7th Lunar month - the Hungry Ghost Month. Don't think you'' be able to forget this day with the massive incense burning now. But I wonder if we could be more socially conscious? I pity the cleaner...




Well, it's one of the few traditions that Singaporeans still practice till now & I used to be afraid of this festival when I was young. Thanks to the frightening ghost stories told in schools. Yet I like this festival because...of the incense smell hahahaha....it's the truth. Don't ask me why but as much as I can't tahan the smell of haze, I can take this incense burning smell & not forgetting there's a story behind this festival as well. Read in the papers a couple of weeks ago that there are people who participated in the ghost trail during this period although the numbers are lesser as compared to non-7th month days.

As much as I'd like to believe in their existence (cos somehow I'd like to believe that there're other 'beings' in other forms & I'm not alone), I don't think I'm prepared to see them although I thought I am, until my friend told me someone can make that happen on certain special occasions...sounds a bit freaky.

I know indirectly of someone who can 'see' things & it was quite a traumatic experience for him when he was young. My friend, who is his aunt, was very curious of his inborn ability & used to ask him how 'they' look like. And...ask him to draw it out on one instance...aiyoh...

That reminds me of the show 'Ghost Whisperer' which I thought it's a good series to catch. It's not exactly a scary ghostly show which I was a little dissappointed at first. But as I watched, I was rather touched by some of the stories. It's now showing the 2nd season on Friday nights at 10am. Should watch it. If you're still awake, you can catch the Supernatural at 1pm. That one has a more scary element.

p/s: If you 'feel' something about the music, you may turn it off by clicking on the 'Stop' button. Not intended for scaring purpose. Just happened to change the song a few days ago :)

Felicia's Egg Tarts

Presenting.....my ex-colleague's egg tarts Tada! :) She made them over the weekends & they turn out well & tasty. Am happy for her that it's a successful attempt :) So more goodies for our East Coast Picnic ya? ;p You can also find her master piece at Home Bakers.

Harry's Pet?

Did Harry's pet come to Singapore??





Was alerted by my neighbour who told us that there was an owl near our flat & everyone was taking a picture of it. So off we go with our camera.

Seems that it has already attracted a crowd. Not a usual scene in the heartland.




We were wondering if it's someone's pet that had escaped. & is that someone by the name 'Harry'... ... ;p

This was also posted in STOMP.
You may also like to watch this CLIP that shows how an owl look when it gets frightened. Amazing...

How Company Policy Begins

Read this interesting story in an email & thought of sharing it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is a cage containing 5 monkeys.
Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string & place a set of stairs under it.
Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs & start to climb towards the banana.

As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the monkeys with cold water.
After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result - all the monkeys are sprayed with cold water.

Pretty soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.

Now, turn off the cold water.

Remove one monkey from the cage & replace it with a new one.
The new monkey sees the banana & wants to climb the stairs.
To his surprise & horror, all of the other monkeys attack him.
After another attempt & attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys & replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs & is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm.

Again, replace a third original monkey with a new one. The new one makes it to the stairs & is attacked as well. Two of the four monkeys that beat him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs, or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

After replacing the fourth & fifth original monkeys, all the monkeys that have been sprayed with cold water have been replaced. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs.

Why not? Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been around here. And that's how company policy begins.

A Lesson Learnt

Lately, I've been following the Taiwanese travel series "世界那么大". I was touched by the narration each time I watched. Indeed, the world is big, with so many things that I've never seen & experienced, yet at the same time, it has become smaller due to technological advancement.

What makes this travel show different from the others was the intensity of the passion, the history & culture that it has. Instead of merely showing sceneries, shopping places or food, it tells a story, & it's simply poetic.

Yesterday's episode was on Dali in Yunan & it featured the only family who does paper dyeing - a traditional trade that's dying. The host was struck by the house that was practically in red due to the dye, including the hands of the old couple. Unconvinced that the dye could not be washed off the elderly lady's hands, the host tried to wash her hands with soap & water, it simply can't be washed off.

Understandably, this was the result of many years of dyeing. To me, it depicts the simple livelihood of the old couple whose entire lifetime was spent on dyeing papers. Their simplicity, single-mindedness & jovial attitude struck a chord in me. That is also a form of happiness. I wonder if I could really live life simply. Is that possible to do so in a city? well...I'm beginning to feel guilty at the no. of shoes, bags, clothes etc that I have...

This leads to the next story about a Taiwanese lady marrying someone who comes from the Nazi tribe (hope I spelt it correctly as the prog is in Mandarin). According to the show, she was the 1st Taiwanese girl to marry a local. She said that the pace of life in the city is too fast. No one had enough time to do the things that matter. Most of the time is spent on work & the time left for the loved ones are just that much, not to mention the energy that's left.

It wasn't a "married happily everafter" story. She still has to face the pressures of making a living with her husband & supporting the family. But her attitude towards life & her committment to the marriage is something that I admired.

I guess no matter where you go, the pressures of life still exist. It's the state of mind & how one adjusts make the difference.

有，未必是幸福。
无，未必不快乐。

You could catch the trailer here.

Decision Made

Ooh...it feels great to have made a decision & not looking back :)

I was in a dilemma for the past few days making a major decision.

After months of staying at home without much contact (except MSN-ing & occasional lunches with ex-colleagues & friends) has made me desperate to look for work & because of that, I ended up confused & lost.

I'm glad that my hubby has been supportive enough during this period to try to assure this confused, unsure yet ‘just-want-to-do-something’ wife. And I'm blessed to have supportive & encouraging friends, colleagues & mentors who were there to offer me advices & info.



Sometimes we lose sight of certain things that are important to us. Our goals, our priorities, our dreams, our needs etc. And some of us have to travel a long way or even a full circle before we know exactly what we want. I believe there are others like me, who may not know exactly what we want. Does knowing what we want then make us better decision makers?

Well, I'm a bad decision-maker especially in making tough decisions. When presented with options, I see all, if not most, of them viable. To me, there're no good or bad decisions. They all lead to different paths with different results. So I always could not proceed beyond the stage of listing the pros & cons.

I believe that things (be it good or bad) happen for a reason. Like what my ex-boss has told me it could well be some form of Divine intervention that someone up there has in store for you. So maybe what I'm going through is part of a learning process created by the One up there, albeit a not so smooth one but neither is it a bumpy ride.

This isn’t my first time making tough decisions. There one that I remember vividly was making a choice between going to a JC and going to a Poly. I wanted to go into Film & Sound Production in Ngee Ann but my aunt persuaded me to go JC instead. I had no one to ask for advice as I was the eldest grandchild & noone was in a similar situation before. I remembered sitting down on the chair in the living room in the middle of the night, still deciding what to fill in the application form.

The other was whether to stay on with NIE or to leave. There was a big relieve when my mum supported my decision to leave. Fortunately I was only 3 days into the course. I was just not comfortable to stay on but didn’t have the courage to make the final decision.

This reminds me of the scenario of a wife asking the husband to choose between the black and the white dress for her to wear. Whichever the hubby chose wasn’t important, cos subconsciously, the wife had already made the choice. She just needed some form of assurance.

I appreciate this opportunity to remind myself to appreciate the people who have helped & made a difference in my life in one way or another. Hmm...I must have done something good in my previous life to have known them in this life :) Actually it's good to have senior friends who have a wealth of experience. They are very precious friends to have as they offer sound advices, wise comments & are good role models & mentors. I have benefitted a lot from them & am very grateful for their guidance. I hope in turn I could be like them & make a little different in other people's lives in little ways :)

Sponge Cake & Egg Tart Making - Coaching by My Uncle

Alas! The sponge cake managed to rise! :) The culprit - Phoon Huat Sponge Cake Mix.

Finally managed to book my uncle to teach me baking. Not easy to book him given his hectic schedule as a pastry chef. So now I know why my sponge cake sinks evey time.
We tried making one with the cake mix & it turned out dense & flat. still edible & my uncle said it could be used as the based for cheese cake.

I gasped when I saw the way he fold in the flour & pour out the batter...he laughed when I told him that I read from the net that I have to treat the mixture gently so as not to 'shock' it with big movements which may cause the cake to sink.



Well, the exterior of the cake is kinda messy cos I told him that it was a non-stick baking pan but I guess the pan didn't live up to its expectations. Still I'm happy enough that the cake had risen to a reasonable height :)

He also taught me 2 kinds of egg tart. One is the normal one you could usually find in the bakery shops; the other one is the type you could see in Tim Sum Restaurants (I call that the Chinese crispy egg tart). The first one is easier to make whilst the crispy tart involves more steps (somewhat similar to making a croissant)& it's better to have the machine to roll the dough for you to ensure consistency of the dough. You can check out my Homebakers blog for the recipe.




I'm really impressed or in fact, in awe by my unlce's skills.
1. He's 'heat proof'- he tested the heat of the oven using his bare hands to touch the tray in my oven to see if it's ready. Something that my hubby would never ever dare to do near the oven without wearing a glove.

2. A multi-tasker - he can do several other things whilst giving me instructions & recipe.

3. Versatile & Creative - he could make do with whatever tools he has. He cut up the transparent food storage bags so that he could roll the dough on it. Used my cups to cut out the shape of the tarts which fitted nicely into the mould. As my oven does not have the function of choosing the bottom heat, he used the solid tray to block the heat from the top so as to prevent overheating the egg solution that could cause it to get burnt. Lastly, he could make a successful sponge cake using my ordinary hand mixer kekeke ;p

4. A weighing expert - he weighs everything on the weighing scale without having to measure the ingredients separately.

5. An agaration expert - he can't tell me how many tarts I can make or when the tarts are ready or how long to beat the batter etc. But he can tell how to tell when it's ready for each step. I thought that's more useful as many a times, the timing depends on the equipment you use.
Now that's what I called having 'years of experience':)

Half the time I was busy taking down the recipe & I've to divide the portion of the ingredients as my uncle is used to making them in bigger quantities. Haha, so basically quite a bit of "agar-ation".

The normal one turned out well & is yummy with the soft egg filling. The cripsy one is not so satisfactory as the oil had leaked due to the dough rolling process. In fact the only big surface area that I have (other than my floor) is my teak wood dining table which my uncle had to roll the dough on. In any case, the tarts still tasted ok :)




We finished around 5pm if not for the failed sponge cake using the cake mix. So it's quite fast.

Oh I mustn't forget to mention the lady behind the scene hehe ;p She's my 二婶(my Uncle's wife aka super-duper housewife) who had helped us with the cleaning up. She's real good & a fast one too. Must thank her for helping out with the cleaning otherwise me & my poor hubby will need to spend an hour or so clearing up the mess. But she had also contributed to the confusion too as I was nagged by her to wash/ keep the unused tools whilst trying to learn the steps & take down the recipe ;p

Our Rights to Fresh Air

I'm not sure how many non-smokers there are out there who shared the same exasperating experience like me - having to bear the smell of 2nd-hand smoke @ public places & unfortunately, at my own home at certain times.

I grew up in a family with 3 smokers - my grandpa, my dad & my uncle. I'm used to the smell of smoke since young & @ that time, there wasn't much awareness raised on smoking-related diseases.

There I was, about 5-6 year old, curious to try how it taste like, or rather how it feels. So I asked my grandpa if I could give it a try. Being the garang man, my grandpa of course felt that his grandaughter should try it. So I picked up the cigarette & tried a puff...Gosh! How on earth would people like such a horrible thing???

Thank goodness that was the end of it. At time I thought - adults are weird. They like beer that taste bitter & they like cigarettes that choked the lungs & tasted terrible.

Ever since the awareness on smoking-related diseases had increased, somehow, I became 'allergic' to cigarette smoke, in fact, I'm quite anti-smokers...especially the less socially conscious ones. If they have their right to smoke in public places, I think I should have the right for fresh air too.

I shun smokers. Sometimes it can be real obvious. I would walk quickly pass the person smoking in front of me whilst walking & holding my breath. Sometimes, I would fan myself so as not to smell the smoke. My real taboo - people who smoke in lifts. Imagine the smell that will linger for hours...I usually would make give a stern comment to those who smoke in the lift when I caught them red-handed. There was once I actually stepped out as the guy who holds a lighted cigarette walked into the lift. I'm not sure if he's embarrassed but I hope he did. It happened a few times with different fellas & sometimes I did not allow them to step into the lift. Don't they know it's illegal & can get FINED? I told myself to get the camera ready next time.

Well, my hubby is worried that I may get bashed up one day. Fortunately, smoking is now banned at bus shelters, air-con places & even pubs now. Otherwise I may have offended more people.

Whenever I saw a parent or an adult smoking away whilst holding on to a child, I can't help but to pity the poor one having to take in the 2nd hand smoke, which may have long term undesirable effects on his/her health.

I can never understand the reasons given by smokers for picking up smoking. It's cool? Perhaps some people might feel that having yellow teeth & a smoke breath is cool. Yeah, so cool that I would walk away from the person when he/she comes near. Can stay slim? Well, if you think staying slim is better than staying in bed for the rest of your life when cancer strikes, well it's a choice. "Aiya cancer can strike on anyone mah". Well, just like buying system 7, the chances are higher for smokers.

Pressure? Ya, you get 'relief' for a while & when the effect wears down, you still face the stress & it's double stress this time as Mr Nicotine has a say over your mind & body now. Peer pressure? Why can't it happen the other way where non-smokers pressure you into quitting? I'm not a believer of social smoking as well. I don't think I'd be an outcast if I'm the only one in the group who don't smoke. If my friends isolate me because of that, I suppose they aren't real friends then. Hmmm....maybe I should try the habit of picking my teeth & chat with my friends after I finish a meal & see if the rest would follow.

Well, if you've really no choice because of certain reasons that you can't quit or don't wana quit (like my grandpa who landed up in the hospital after trying to quit smoking after having smoked all his life. So instead of quit completely, he cut down on the numbers), then you could perhaps practice some sensitivity & civic consciousness by lighting your rod of life at less crowded areas. We will definitely appreciate that gesture & I won't disturb you for sure.

The best is of course, to quit while you're still young. Don't think it's "cool" when your body gives out the natural 'perfume' -cigarette smoke smell. Oh yeah, that kind of smell might keep the potential guy or gal miles away from you.

Bring Your Kids to Work Day

My hubby's co. had dedicated a 'Bring Your Kids to Work' Day which happened last Friday. Well, due to confidentially issues, I wouldn't mention the co.'s name thou I thought it should be made known since it's a meaningful activitiy.
Not every kid is lucky to visit his/her parent's co. & having fun there too.

Oh well, if you know my hubby, you would know which co. that is. But I could still pose the photos. Er...don't bother to squint at the photos, the co.'s identity is protected ;) The 1st photo is showing the kids watching a performance in one of the conference room.

The kids went on a short tour around Daddy's/Mummy's office followed by a treasure hunt in the office as well! Cool...



I thought more co. should dedicate a day to invite the kids to visit their Daddy & Mummy's workplace. Not to get them prepared for work in the future or to paint the picture that a workplace can be 'fun', I hope. But more to make them see for themselves what their parents' office is like, what they do etc. since most kids at one stage or another will ask questions like 'Where is Daddy/Mummy going?' & 'Why do you have to work' & 'Can you stay at home to be with me & not go to work?'. I hope they will learn & understand that they toys that they have, the place they stay, the food that they eat or even the 'aunties' that they have come from the the effort put in by their Daddy & Mummy at work & it is not easy for Daddy & Mummy to provide all these things too.

To be honest, prior to the event, my hubby already anticipated that there will be 'aunties' coming as well besides the kids. I'm not against 'aunties' but I thought it should be a true blue 'Bring your kids to work day'...only kids...if bringing back the kid may be an issue, well isn't it good that the parents can knock off on time, bring their kids back home & perhaps talk about what the kids think about their office, what they did, what have they learnt or noticed etc. during the journey back? You might be surprise at what they say :)

National Day Parade 2007 Afterthought

Smart soldiers marching, crowds cheering, F-16 figher jets roaring followed by impressive entry by Falcons & Apache, thrilling aerial aerobatics at the Sheares Bridge by the commandos, enchanting performances & mesmerizing ethereal images projected on the water screen with an awesome firework display as the finale had made this year's NDP a sepctacular & memorable experience.

Actually I find the performance using the water screen somewhat similar to the 'Songs of the Sea'at Sentosa which uses pyrotechnics, water jets, lasers, computer imaging & bursts of fire. But of course the NDP's version is definitely more stunning & dramatic.

I personally also liked the part where they feature the parade commander Lieutenant Colonel (NS) See Tow Pak Onn together with his family. Thought that was a nice soft touch to it.

Indeed, according to a poll conducted by MediaCorp Media Research on 466 Singaporeans (local & overseas), 'Singapore is a place where my family and friends are' tops the list for local S'poreans while 'Singapore is a place where my roots are, no matter which part of the world I'm in' tops the list for overseas S'poreans. It is interesting to note that(though it may not be a surprise to us) 87% of local S'poreans feel that 'staying out of trouble' (obeying laws, paying taxes, doing well in school etc) is important...more important celebrating national day, actively supporting S'p & actively promoting change.

I used to love watching NDP & even to the extent of at attention when the national song is played on TV. Gradually, I've come to a stage where I can miss watching NDP or catch it at a re-telecast. But this year's performance plus new insights of the national event had made me look at it differently. Thanks to my ex-boss.

I used to wonder why would the govt want to spend to much money & resources on a 'performance'? The money could have been better spent on other areas like helping the needy. Especially the amount spent on the fireworks...it's like literally 'burning money'.

But hey, after speaking to my good old ex-boss, who used to work in the armed forces til he retired, I realised the significance of it. First it was for National Education. It's a time for the nation to celebrate together, to also remind ourselves how far we've come since our independence. It's a good time to stir up the patriotism within us. We feel proud watching our armed forces, the advanced equipment we have, the precise coordination & execution of the event (the amount of work & stress the organising committee & the staff had to go through is no joke). So kudos to the organising committee who had done a great fantastic job! Not forgetting the others who had also put in their utmost effort in putting up a good show.

Yes, a good show also for our potential enemies who might harbour ill-intentions. By showcasing our armed forces & equipment, plus the flawless execution of the whole event, we are telling them that we are capable, we are ready & we are not an easy target.

When I asked my hubby whether he felt it was a waste of time during his army days when he had to be involved in the NDP. It was a 'yes' which I believed most of you guys who were involved in the past in one way or another would have felt the same. Perhaps instead of just commanding the soldiers to carry out their duties, it might be good to give them some background, the purpose of having this Parade & the role they play. Seeing it from this perspective, made me appreciate the event more as well as the efforts put in by everyone. Yes, it can get quite political but it's necessary.



Speaking of 'burning money', I remember MM Lee made an interesting comment at an interview with Today where he made a light-hearted reference to Singaporeans' fascination to fireworks which goes like this "(you get) a few minutes of joy. I say, 'Why do we burn these? We could (use the money) to put up a community centre.' ...But this is what they want. So, all right, 'poof' you burn it up...You go with the times."

Well, the efforts paid off.

Happy National Day

Happy National Day!

Didn't manage to get the NDP tix to watch the show tonite so guess I can enjoy it from the comfort of my home. A pity my hubby's office doesn't face the stage. Let's see if I'll have better luck next year to see if I can get a chance to be part of the parade...very deprived lah, have never been involved in the NDP...apparently SJC is involved this year leh...born too early...

Have take a short clip on the chinooks at Marina Foodcourt. It was taken during one of the rehearsals in July. Chinooks

Seems that there are many discounts offered by shopping malls today. So wear your national colours out & get soaked in the mood :)

Hard Sell Tactics by Beauty Salons

Have you ever wished that you could have a relaxing facial/ spa without any sales pitch by the therapist or the sales staff?

I believe we have met hard sell sales person in one way or another. As much as I respect their profession & understand their position, I think hard sell should never be the tactic if you want sustainable business. Too bad not many people understand this, especially so for the beauty salons.

Had my fair share of hard sales at various beauty salons. My ex-colleague who has been to various salons can strongly vouch for that. I'm actually an easily persuaded person & I'm open to buy new products or services. In fact, even if the product is damn good, I won't buy it if the sales person sucks in his/her attitude.

There's nothing wrong for these people to promote their products/services. But if it comes to a point where the sales person becomes pushy & emphasizing that the offer is only valid for the day & will not be extended (sometimes even to the extent of making comments on how BAD your skin condition is), then I suppose it's an offer than CAN be missed. When it comes to promotion, their definition of TODAY is actually EVERYDAY.

I admit I'm so conditioned into saying 'No' to people who approach me on the streets or shuff some 'free samples'. I'm skeptical because of previous bad experiences & my husband always reminded me not to talk to strangers as I simply love to talk ;p So today as I was going to NTUC to buy my toothbrush, a lady came up to me to pass me a pamphlet & said something about 'free sample'. Of course my immediate reaction is to say 'No' without her finishing her sentence. After that I was a little apologetic for my rudeness. It's their job afterall & I should have rejected nicely. Anyway, I thought to myself if I were approached again, I would listen to what she had to say.

Well, I was approached by another sales person on my way back & thought I might as well take the pamphlet this time before I go off. Then she went on to tell me there's a free sample & there's no obligation to it. Well, might as well since I'm free to hear what she's gotta say.

Went in, listened to her describing about the uses of the free sample, the products/services & I made some enquiries also about the products ingredients, country of production (in case it's made in Cxxxx). Then she went on to try to persuade me to buy the $28 voucher for a trial facial. "Promotion is only valid for today. If you don't purchase this voucher, you won't get this good rate anymore," she said. Told her politely that I just had my facial & I still have an existing facial package & so would not want to commit anything. She went on & on obviously trying to sell that voucher. Gave her some excuses as I just want to leave the place. Seeing that she refused to budge, I just walked out. If she had another customer in the shop, this won't look good.

To be honest, if she hadn't pushed me, I would have given it a try after I've finished my existing facial package. She had lost a potential customer. Much more than the voucher worth $28.

I'm no sales guru & I just come from the customer's point of view. If I feel uncomfortable about being pressurized into something, then I don't think I will get any sales if I were to use this tactic on my customers in turn.

So ladies, if you are easily persuaded & soft-hearted like me, it's better to say 'No' first than to listen on.

National Day

Since National Day is around the corner, thought of sharing this short skit which I had written for the school's National Day Competition in 1994. Wow, that's 13 years ago! It has a special meaning for me cos it was the effort of the entire class. Time was precious as we were preparing for our O Level. I think we have our English teacher, Mrs Lau, to thank as she was very supportive. Well, plus a teacher whom we don't quite like, & made a comment that actually made our class even more united.

Ok, let's see how much I can remember. It's a string of Singapore national songs that made up the entire story. Ready?
Gotta use your imagination since there's no video clip of it.

Scene opens with Sang Nila Utama & his crew on a boat.

(Dayong Sampan Tune)
Sang & Crew : Dayong sampan, dayong, dayong sampan. Sang Nila Utama
went hunting, & saw Singapura...

The crew reached the island and saw an animal which gave a roar before it disappeared into the jungle.

Sang: What's that animal?
Crew: I think it's a Singa
Deliberating
Sang: Then we shall call this island 'Singapura'!

A group of immigrants came and started to build their homeland.

(One People, One Nation, One Singapore Tune)
Immigrants: We build a nation with our hands, the toil of people
from a dozen lands. Strangers when we first began, now we're Singaporeans, let's reach out for Singapore, join our hands forevermore!

World war II
A group of Japanese soldiers came & there was massive shooting...many people were injured or dead.

(We are Singapore Tune)
Injured people: There was a time when people said that Singapore
won't make it, but we did. There was a time, when troubles seem so much for us to take, but we did. We build a nation, strong and free. Reaching out together, for peace and harmony...

(Harmony Tune from the Little Mermaid)
Everyone: In harmony, harmony. You're you, I'm me, together we can
live in harmony(X2)

A group of PAP came in shouting "Support Mr LKY! Support Mr LKY!"

(Stand Up for Singapore)
PAP: Stand up for Singapore, do the best you can. Reach out for
your fellow man, you've got to make a stand. Recognise you can play your part, let it come right from your heart. Be prepared to give a little more (a little more)
Stand up, stand up for Singapore! (X2)

(Five Stars Arising Tune)
Everyone: There's a new flag arising, out of the stormy sea,
crimson as the blood of all mankind, yet white and pure and free. Reach out for the flag above, savour freddom, truth and love. There's a new flag arising. Happy and proud are we.

A group of Chinese workers came out to sing & dance.

(快乐工人 Tune)
Chinese Workers: 你可不要，小看了我， 再大的事我都能做。但我从来，空话不
说，不去做梦， 只努力去做。我们是快快乐乐的工人，轻轻松松 过一生。今天的工作一定今天做，明天会有收获!

A group of Malay wokers came out to sing & dance.

(Chan Mali Chan Tune)
Malay Workers: Di mana dia anak kambing saya? Anak kambing saya
yang makan daun talas Di mana dia buah hati saya? Buah hati saya bagai telur dikupas
Chan mali chan, chan mali chan, Chan mali chan, ketipung payung (2X)

A group of Indian wokers came out to sing & dance.
Indian Workers: Engal nadal singal nadal endrum valeveh. Pongrum
invan tankum nadal polindal valeveh. (X 2) Kalvi kelvi kanindal nadal sirindal valeveh. Nalal pungul nayandal purum nalal valeveh.*
(lyrics according to own dictation as I can't the exact lyrics online)

Everyone comes together & sing the finale.
(Ch 8's TV Tune, Own Lyrics)

It's an island full of people on the shore,
sunny island with skyscrapers this is our Singapore.
United the people stand and never fall.
Striving forward, progress towards, our spirits fly and soar.

Do you hear the lions roar? The sound of great achievements
that we've made through all these years & we're still aiming for more.
There's another new day born, with hopes and aspirations
for the better of the future, let us raise our voices sing Singapore
We're a nation strong & free forever, ever more......Singapore!

~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~~~

I prefer the older versions of the Singapore songs...the tunes sink in & it's easy to hum. for the modern ones, I think Kit Chan's 'Home' is the best. Simple yet meaningful & heart-warming lyrics :`)

If you like Singapore songs just like me, you can download them at Sing Singapore.

Sat's Gathering - Dempsey Road

Had a tiring yet interesting Sat. Met my ex-colleagues for dinner at Din Tai Feng. Finally had a chance to makan there cos the queue seems to be forever long & I'm the type who won't queue too long for food...partly because I also take a long time to makan :)

Food is good, perhaps partly because of the company...it's been a long time since I've eaten with a group with a tablefull of food. Never appreciate that during the days when I ate zhi char with my grandparents and my uncle's family for dinner. Prefer to sit in front of the TV.

After makan, the 7 of us squeezed into a BM wanting to head to Hilton for dessert. But we changed our destination when my hubby suggested a new happening place - Dempsey Road, which is just off Holland Road & outside the Orchard Road area. It's easy to reach there but without a car, you need to walk right in.

The place had changed a lot since the last time I came where my hubby & I were scouting for teak furniture. It used to be known for its antique, teak furniture shops and carpet dealers. Now it has transformed into a cosy wine-and-dine destination.

The place was dimly lit & fortunately as Donna had been there recently (which had some grumbles coming from the passengers in the car as she should have updated them of this new happening place earlier), we ventured further in. So exciting....it became darker as we went further in...Imagine the 'Wahs' in the car as we saw the fountain & the good-looking shops. As quoted from Chong, it had a 'sua teng' feel (mountaintop & secluded)haha ;D Perhaps it was too dark, we also witness an accident where a driver had bumped into a parked car. Quite a bad bang...

We explored the place & some had collected name cards for future reservation needs. A pity that I wasn't equipped with a camera that can take good night shots. But we'll be there again soon as it has been choped as the next place to meet for our gathering :)

We had ice-creams & cakes at Ben & Jerry's. Oh must try the hot fudge mud cake umm.... ;d``then we spent a whole hour there 'fantasizing' an advernture & get all excited. Well come to think of it, perhaps we are too stressed with work (or no work) that we had funny ideas and actually went to execute it...the ending wasn't what we had expected or was it? But everyone ended up tired and some, like my hubby, came down with a fever due to the late night. Think it's time for us to live the 'Cinderella's Life' from now.

It was a funny, tiring, bo liao, exciting, wow-ing nite. I suppose I'd appreciate this experience in 10-20 years' time when we reminise the crazy stuff we do. But then I'm already enjoying it now - with the clips I've taken on my mobile phone hehehe ;>

Logic9 & Sudoku

As I was reading up on Tan Kin Lian's website on his advice on invesments and insurance, happen to chance upon this website where it teaches you how to play Logic9 which is similar to Sudoku. I don't really play Sudoku when it became popular as I thought there's no mathematical formula involved & you just place the numbers 'by chance'...But ever since I've learnt the technique from Tips on playing Logic9 am hooked on to it now.

It's a good mind stimulation game & you can play it anywhere. Never too late to start liking this game. Try it: Logic9

WARNING: It can get very very addictive. I actually tried to solve 2 puzzles before I go to bed.