Little Things

Back in Zurich - Part 2

2011-05-20T14:29:00.000+08:00

5.30am.

The sun was up real early for daytime hours are longer during spring/summer time. After a not too good sleep the night before (partly also because we slept at around 7.30pm when the restaurants around the hotel were filled diners), we woke up early to begin our first trip to St Gallen. As it was still way before breakfast time, we took a walk around Zurich Old Town which is near our hotel.

The quiet street was a contrast to the night's crowd.

My favourite hobby in Switzerland....duck feeding :)

Taking a shot in front of our hotel, Platzhirsch. A small boutique hotel which just started its operations 2 months ago. Staff were very friendly & have allowed us to deposit our luggage while we walk around town before the check-in time. It has a reasonably-sized room with LCD-screen TV with cable channels. Bathroom is a little small but is common in Europe hotels. Toilet is shared by about 4 other rooms & is located outside. Not much inconveniences since we woke up quite early. But if you're a light sleeper, hotels in Old Town may not be suitable as it can get quite 'happening' at night.

Yup, I didn't know Zurich has such an exciting night life. I thought it's all peaceful & quiet by night time since shops close early :)

Drinking the cold spring water from the fountain. Ahhh....so refreshing :)

No matter which angle you take, the photos somehow turn out to be postcard perfect.

I somehow always look weird in most of Uncle Tan's candid shots so this is a decent 'candid shot' of me :p

The weather was terribly dry. Fortunately, Uncle Tan brought a lip balm over. It tasted good - olive & lemon. But it resembled more like the green tea biscuit Mr Bean used to sell.

Time to go back for breakfast @ 7am.

Breakfast was reasonably good. There were 3-4 choices of bread. Croissant is good!! Ultra crispy & light unlike the ones I've tasted which sometimes tends to be a little oily. Eat it with the jam & butter or ham & salami or Brie or Raclette cheese (this cheese is a bit too overpowering for me). The usual coffee/tea, fruit juices and must try their yogurt & muesli. Absolutely refreshingly delicious and not to mention, healthy too =)

Back in Zurich - Part 1

2011-05-19T16:18:00.008+08:00

After 2 years of yearning...we're finally back in Zurich!

The familiar crisp cool air, the sound of cow bells, church chimes, passing trains & the smell of alpine trees & blooms. The thought of visiting old friends excites us too =)

The familiar alps view from the plane.

Uncle Tan and I smiled uncontrollably in unison as we stepped out of the plane, taking our first breath of cool crisp air. Almost like how it was 2 years ago. But...well, less cold this time......

Looks like we've brought the S'pore sun here.

Apparently Spring this year happens to be surprisingly warmer than expected. But somehow the Swiss love it and said it's hard to get such good weather. A year ago, it was raining throughout May and just a week ago, it had rained too. Hmm....not exactly what we'd have expected. We're here to escape from the heat wave in Sg afterall.......

Went to visit Uncle Tan's colleagues (and to shop there @ the same time). Spent quite a bit of time there as they treated us to coffee at the cafe there.

Seems that there are more people now @ Sihlcity.

They also gave us a tour round the office and guess what we saw......

Shiokadoodoo!!!

They have all the popular soccer teams & the players' faces are attached to each figurine! So cool!!

Took a stroll @ one of Uncle Tan's favourite site near his office. Didn't manage to walk any further due to the hot weather. So......off to Bahnhof Strasse to shop for a while before we went back to our former residence to reminisce the good old times.

Oooh....H&M!!! But was a little disappointed with this season's selection. Had to buy some basic pieces due to the warmer weather... ;p

For the purpose of remembering the dates for the vacation, I've adjusted the post date to coincide with the actual dates of the various trips made.

GE 2011

2011-05-08T13:43:00.009+08:00

Now, who says Singaporeans are politically apathetic?

From the emotionally-driven rallies, the buzz on mainstream media and pulsating online discussions over the past 9 days, the entire nation has almost instantaneously become concerned with our nation’s affairs. Perhaps we ought to thank the opposition parties for creating this phenomenon in local politics.

As the ‘virgin voter’ voting for the first time in my entire 33 years of life (yes, Auntie Tan ain’t afraid to reveal her age to anyone :)), it is indeed an exciting moment, especially when the stakes run high for this GE. I suddenly feel that my vote matters and I, as a Singaporean, can make a difference.

There have also been some ‘hot’ discussions among my colleagues where we had 2 camps – those voting by merit and those wanting an alternative voice. The Merit Voters (MV) are more inclined to support the ruling party while the Alternative Voice Voters (AV), well you know who they are inclined to root for. The AVs are trying to get the MVs to ‘see the big picture’ – to look beyond upgrading, beyond property value and having an alternative voice for the people. The MVs are trying to get the AVs to see a bigger picture – the need for strong credentials and track records and can deliver. While MVs also agree that there can have the alternative voice, it has to be solid, backed with facts and not merely just ‘creating noise’.

It’s a friendly debate and it’s interesting to hear views that are different from mine.

Well, I’m the undecided MV and Uncle Tan kept bugging me to cast my vote early to get it done and over with. I was still struggling to decide on the polling day for one party, or rather one person, speaks to my heart while the other party speaks to my head.

I can’t discredit what the ruling party has done over the past years in bringing stability, peace and progress to the nation albeit the mistakes made along the way. Hey, everyone makes mistakes, just that they could’ve acknowledged it earlier and for some, to be more sincere. At the same time, I’d like to give the other party a chance to prove themselves and I’d like to experience the kampong spirit (for personal reasons, I don’t want any more upgrading in my area and I don’t mind the drop in property value as it means I may have a quieter town thereafter) and personally, I do respect the man who loves Singapore and has done a lot over the years with steadfastness. I admired his resilience and I feel his dedication.

We are brought up in a meritocracy country and I am thankful for that, otherwise I wouldn’t be where I am today. Just that sometimes I’d stop to wonder if we are too concerned with results and KPIs that did we lose something along the way? I asked myself this question – what truly matters to me?

I want to make my vote count, and it did. Well, up to you to decipher how it did :)

It is interesting to observe the behaviours of the voters – the pro-PAP supporters, the undecided, the tenacious opposition party supporters and the ‘any opposition party will do’ folks. Thou I haven’t been to any rallies since Uncle Tan has been down with a bad sore throat for more a week, thanks to YouTube that I’m able to catch some of the actions and the classic much-talked-about moments and getting to read the comments and have a sense of the ground sentiments.

In mainstream media, you can find more media coverage on the opposition parties compared to the past although some still felt that the reporting was skewed towards to the ruling party’s advantage. In new media, it’s a different scene altogether. Pro-opposition and anti-ruling party sentiments were evident. The views were personal and were censored. If an undecided voter were to read the online comments and discussions, perhaps he/she may get swayed to the other side. I felt it was a ‘venting’ channel for the discontented.

Just to share one example which I thought was rather interesting other than the 2 ‘Lings’.

I’ve read on Yahoo news about one opposition party candidate being involved in a scandal with a young girl during his vocation as a teacher. I scrolled immediately to view the comments and strangely, there wasn’t much chastising or firing. Instead there were comments which questioned the victim’s integrity and intentions for revealing the incident at this moment, with some speculating if this was a tactic engaged by the ruling party. One comment “It takes 2 hands to clap; the girl must have done something...” Imagine if the person involved were to be a PAP candidate. If you were to read any other ruling party’s related news, you’re sure to see tons of comments, mostly criticizing the party. Somehow people seem to be more forgiving towards opposition party candidates.

Well, I am one of those who are upset, frustrated and angry at the sudden huge influx of foreigners. While I understand it is a global phenomenon and we need foreign talents to help us further boost our economy, I thought at the rate which had greatly taxed on our infrastructure makes me wonder if the agency is merely concerned about meeting their KPIs at the expense of the social cost.

I recall that 2 years ago, I felt displaced upon my return from Switzerland. It was a mere 6 months of absence and suddenly, I felt I was like as a foreigner in my own country. The neighbourhood had grown to be very crowded even on a weekday. Many sales staff were speaking in English/ Mandarin with foreign accents. The MRT was packed during off-peak hours, with many foreign faces so I noticed. It took me months to adjust and getting used to living in my own birth land. Is this the price we have to pay in order for us to be economically sustainable? I recently read something about how we recruit foreign students and was disappointed and upset at how low we go to ‘sell’ our Institutions of Higher Learning – full fees paid, including lodging. Adding to that, the calibre of the students to be selected was not what I’d expect although those who couldn’t meet academic KPIs would be sent back home, eventually. But imagined the amount of money wasted nurturing these so-called talents who some have become arrogant, claiming that they are welcomed by our government.

Now that the results are out, it’s time to move forward. While it’s good to have some alternative voices now and I believe and hope it would be a powerful voice for the people, this election has also somewhat made the ruling party sit up and start to listen to what its citizens want exactly. Time to take a serious look at engagement in the social media platform. It’s not just another channel to push out info to show people that you’re ‘in’ by having one but ended up like another ‘webpage’.

While it’s not easy since I must admit that we can be a bunch of complainers and spoilt brats sometimes, I hope the feedback and comments would contribute to the betterment of the nation and to our lives, fundamentally rooted to what we believe and what matters to us ultimately Besides the local bread and butter issues, don’t forget that we still have the bilateral ties with our neighbouring countries to look after with great care and the potential threats to look out for. Mistakes in these areas can be disastrous. Where we are today is not by chance or luck and we shouldn’t take these for granted.

I believe the ruling party has heard us and we have the next five years to know if they truly listens.

Just my 2 cents of tot :)

It never rains but pours

2010-02-07T17:36:00.005+08:00

Just as I thought I could lead at least a more a normal life again with the medication, waking up early, doing stretching exercise and even a brief jog around the neighbourhood, just when I am eating quite ok, I had a gastric attack. A long time since I last had one.

What exactly did I not do or have I done wrong? I exercised, I eat regular meals, I avoid spicy and oily food, I started to take Yakult...

Upon recollection, then I realised what I had done. I had missed tea-break cos the bread I bought was kinda spoilt. So I ate CNY goodies instead to fill the hunger pangs. At home, it was dinner as usual and I took just a teeny weeny bit of archar that my neighbour had made for us. The next morning, I woke up early, did my warm up exercise, then a short jog and it was then that the gastric attack began after the jog. So I took a few mouthfuls of bread before going to the polyclinic for the medication.

Ended up queuing for 2.5hrs to see the doctor to confirm that I can still take the TB medication. According to her, the medication is not supposed to cause gastric pain. To play safe, I took the medication after my porridge lunch. It came again...and I had no choice but to take the syrup that the doctor gave to ease the gastric discomfort.

I should not have exercised without breakfast thou that was my usual routine. I should have taken a proper tea-break instead of the CNY goodies which probably have caused the discomfort. I shouldn't have taken the archar...gosh...why am I so weak?

One of my colleagues said I had too many inhibitions and am like a protected flower that can't weather harsh conditions. Indeed. If I could turn back the clock, I would never never take cold drinks every morning. I would never ever finish a can of coke when I was young. I would not take ice-cream or cold drinks during recess. With my current weak constitution, I have no choice but to be extra careful.

So if you have young children, as far as possible, keep them away from cold drinks until they are much older.

Sometimes I do wish that I would never wake up from my sleep. Of course life isn't that bad if compared to those who are struggling, but it's still a long, weary and in fact, torturous process for me. Imagine having to struggle to eat despite feeling nauseous. I envy those who can eat despite feeling unwell, those who binge whenever they are stress. To put on 1kg for me is like asking someone to reduce 10kg; and to lost 1 kg all it takes is eating a few mouthfuls of breakfast and lunch.

I'm tired. I tried so hard to put on weight but somehow some thing will happen and I'd be back to square 1. If I'm really fated to be of this weight so be it. But don't make it so torturous for me to lose appetite and make each day a drag to go on.

Anyone can share any miracle recipe to cure the gastritis and improve my appetite? Or at least get my appetite back?

I don't swallow

2010-01-25T15:21:00.003+08:00

The new nurse was intrigued by this little useful tool I've brought along with me since the day I've started medication at the polyclinic.

Bought from Guardian a few years back, it has been a very useful tool for people who can't master the skill of pill swallowing.

It has 3 functions - it grinds (pic 1), cuts (pic 2) and stores pills (pic 3). It's amazing how a simple action of twisting this little tool, a pill can turn into the powder form quite easily. And I'm very grateful to the person who has invented this little useful tool. Otherwise, I'd be carrying a mortar everyday to the treatment room.

Because of the numbness of my right leg, I was given additional pills to counteract the side effect. Fortunately it was the tiny vit B pills and not the yucky white pills.

2 months......I wish it could be over with a blink of an eye.
Would be going for a review this Thurs at this little TB Centre located near Novena...still holding on to that liiiiiitle glimpse of hope that it could be a wrong diagnosis......

一路的思绪

2010-01-19T17:18:00.004+08:00

我，病了。
世界还在旋转，而我的步伐
放慢了。

想了很多，听了很多，
反思了很多，也体会了许多。

害怕，恐惧，焦虑，担忧
失望，感伤，无奈，接受

过程中有许多感触。
看到了家人的爱与关怀，是无私，无条件的。
明白了朋友的鼓励与慰问，不是理所当然的。

无声的责怪，厌烦，懊恼,恐惧...
我了解.
我还在学习如何放得下，看得开。

走着，走着，
复杂的思绪随着慢慢的脚步逐渐清晰了。
原来自己其实也可以安慰自己。
回家的路，虽然自己走, 但还是开心的。

Medication time...

2010-01-15T21:37:00.002+08:00

It’s been 3 days since the diagnosis. The news is still taking time to sink in. I do feel depress occasionally and having mixed emotions. And I’m still holding on to the slimmest chance of a wrong diagnosis.

Maybe I’d receive the good news 2 weeks later from the doctor that it is actually not TB. The skin test result isn’t a 100% indication as a person with low immunity would also have a skin reaction. The doctors may have made a mistake in observing the x-ray film and that the little spots are actually scars which could be an indication that my antibodies have won a TB war much earlier. My sputum test is negative so far.

Though non life-threatening (provided I obediently and conscientiously take the medication), having to go through a 6-month treatment sounds a long time to me. I’ve to report to the polyclinic daily to take my medication under the supervision of a nurse for the next 2 months daily. For Sun and PH, medication will be packed for me to take from home. It’s tedious, especially to a non-pill swallower like me, it’s tough having to take 7 pills everyday. I don’t blame such a system as I know there will be people out there who will ‘default’ taking their medication which would cause the bacteria to become resistant to the medication and new medicines have to be taken for a longer period of time with more side effects with a lower chance of cure. Worse, the person might also spread the drug-resistant TB to others.

Fortunately, the nurses at the polyclinic have been helpful and patient. My first medication took place at the TB Centre. The social medical worker helped me pound all the medicine into powder form which I estimated it to amount to 3 tablespoonfuls. You can imagine the taste of the concoction. If only someone would try to make all medicines taste better, then patients at least would be more willing to take them.

Day 2, I took about half an hour to finish. The nurse helped to cut the pills up whilst I cut them smaller with my pill cutter. Still it took 2 glasses of water and several attempts to get those smaller pieces of pills down. The bitter aftertaste lingers…

Today, I strategized by grinding them into powder one at a time instead of mixing all up. It sped up the process a little with less aftertaste. I’d feel a little lethargy after medication and am experiencing numbness on my left leg which I’ll have to alert the doc of this side effect if it continues. No alcohol and TCM for me now as the medication might affect the liver. Well to lighten things up, my pj now is like Fanta Orange, due to one of the pills I’m taking.

Looking forward to the end of 2 weeks so I can be back at work, and looking forward to 14 Mar – the end of the daily torture. After which, I would only be required to go for medication on a thrice a week basis for the next 4 mths and hopefully, with fewer medication.

I suppose when I get back to office, probably some colleagues might feel uncomfortable of my presence. Can’t really blame them for I too had the stigma when I visited the TB centre. Face mask, no using of hp in the premise, went back to bathe to sanitize myself right after the visit and even disinfecting my bag with dettol disinfectant spray.

The social medical nurse explained to me that the TB bacteria can stay inactive in a person and become active later especially when one’s immunity level is low. It’s airborne and it’s hard to tell who, where and when you catch it from such as my case. I can only presume that I may have caught it at crowded shopping malls in town as these are the last few places I’ve been before I was down with the flu. But then again, I could have caught it earlier- in the lift, in the trains, in the taxis… Well one word that probably says it plainly -- “Suay”……

A healthy person who is infected has a 10% chance of developing TB disease in his/her lifetime. The chance is higher if one:

suffers from diseases such as diabetes or HIV infection
is a drug addict
is on steroids
have poor nutrition

And well, it’s obvious I belong to the last category. For now, I just have to avoid crowded places to reduce the chance of me catching some other bugs esp a flu or a cough bug which might distress my lungs further.

Apparently, TB seems to be back here and has seen a rising trend according to reports, probably partly due to the increase of foreign workers. With almost 5 mil people living on this small island, it's really tough to find places without the crowd and the noise...

Unforgettable 2010

2010-01-14T15:11:00.004+08:00

The results are out - I have contracted TB.

Before you get freaked out, the doc said there aren't cavities and from the first sputum test result which indicated that I was not contagious. She also said my colleagues need not go for screening when I asked if it's required. Surprisingly, the medical social worker told me that I don't need to separate utensils from Uncle Tan, even thou I had been doing that since I caught the flu last Dec which is a usual practice for us whenever either of us are unwell.

How does one get TB?
Based on the article from MedicineNet.com, a person can become infected with tuberculosis bacteria when he or she inhales minute particles of infected sputum from the air. The bacteria gets into the air when someone who has a tuberculosis lung infection coughs, sneezes, shouts, or spits. People who are nearby can then possibly breathe the bacteria into their lungs. You don't get TB by just touching the clothes or shaking the hands of someone who is infected. Tuberculosis is spread primarily from person to person by breathing infected air during close contact.

So next time I see people spitting illegally, they are sure gonna get it from me.

Treatment is a long process and a tedious one as it requires daily visits to the nearest polyclinics to take medication (fortunately only once a day and unfortunately 7 pills in all) for the next 2 months followed by a visit to the TB centre for another xray and sputum test. Thereafter, treatment will reduce to 3X a week for the next 4 mths.

So goodbyes to my Switzerland holidays in May...I won't be able to travel until I have completed my course of medication which will take 6 mths if I'm doing well, if not 9-12 mths. Am hoping I'll have no side effects from taking the medication and perferably it will make me eat more :)

Ah Kin initially was scared especially when told she had TB by the doc, she could not believe her ears. But I guess at least there's a closure now. At least I know why I'm still not completely recovered from my cough.

To my family members, friends and colleagues who have showered me with their concerns, Thank You :) I really appreciate your prayers, well-wishes, support, encouragement and advice.

I still have 2 crownings and one potential filling to be done...I wonder when it will end......

Indeed, health is very important. Can't stress more on that and thou Ah Kin has been eating healthy food and avoiding unhealthy ones, healthy lifestyle is one habit I haven't quite picked up yet.

Unforgetable 2009

2010-01-04T10:35:00.000+08:00

Eve of New Year's eve -- I was waiting at the A&E at TTSH. Waiting for my turn to be examined by the doctor to confirm if I had contracted TB.

I caught a flu about 3 weeks ago, followed a cough. It didn't occur to me that I had been coughing for quite some time as it did not disturb my sleep. The only inconvenience was the inability to converse without being punctuated by the intermittent coughs.

My colleagues and boss suggested I should go for an x-ray just to elimate the possibility of other diseases. The x-ray showed some unknown patchy stuff, indicating "suspected pulmonary tubercolosis" on the report and advised further clinical assessment and followup. I wasn't that anxious yet as previously my mum also experienced similar case but was cleared when a 2nd x-ray was done. All was calm until when I see my GP.

"I think this can be quite serious." How would he know when he only listened to my description and hadn't even looked at my x-ray ? "I don't think we can handle this....I think you should go to TTSH now for a thorough check...I'll write a referral letter and you can go to the A&E at TTSH and they will refer you to the TB dept".

Now I partly understand why A&E is such a busy dept. And I also feel strongly that doctors should also be trained in having EQ or to be specific, "The Art of Communicating With Your Patients".

Doctors' words can really freak you out and scare the hell out of you.

At this moment, you'll realise suddenly that the support from your family, your friends & even colleagues make a difference. I can now imagine the fear and anxiety faced by people who have been told they had contracted an incurable disease. the fear I felt was probably 1/100 of their fear.

I was texting my thoughts and feelings into my mobile phone - to distract myself and to remind myself of the fear and the importance of health. My heart was probably beating fast as I was texting. What if I really were to contract the disease? Though curable, the thought of the long treatment and even the thought of the diagnostic tests I may have to go through already worries me. Gosh and those people who have been in contact with me...

A song in Alice In Wonderland that goes like this:

"I give myself very good advice but I very seldom follow it. That explains, the trouble that I'm always in..."

Indeed. I should have listened to my own advice and sleep early. I should have exercised more, avoid last minute shopping at crowded places. I should have stuck to one trusted doctor instead of conveniently going to whichever doctor that was near and still opened. I should have looked after myself better......

"Will I ever learn to do the things I should?"

One hour had passed...the wait was killing me. I didn't want to be admitted. Better still, I hope it was a false alarm and that my GP was just overly anxious and wanted to play it safe.

Finally my name was called. I was examined by a nurse. Afterwhich I was told to sit and wait for the doctor.

Security was quite strict. Only one person was allowed to accompany the patient. The rest of the family had to wait outside the tentage. And only the patient is allowed into the waiting zone. I thought that was a good way to prevent the spread of diseases. Unfortunately, there were some who keep testing the boundary, not wearing the mask they were given and tried to enter the area whilst the security was not around. I was also wondering how a sexily-dressed lady who could still take cold drinks be one of the patients waiting at the A&E.

When I finally saw the doctor, she was busy typing whatever I was describing to her into her pc as she asked the questions. She examined my throat, x-ray and somehow gave me the feeling that it wasn't as bad as it seems. She told me to wait at the waiting zone whilst she sought clearance from her boss. This should sound familiar to those in the civil service.

I signalled to my family that I had to wait and told my poor brother who hasn't had his dinner to go and look for food as it'd be a long wait. Indeed, it took about 3 hours - from about 8.30pm to 11.30pm for the whole process which includes medicine collection, to end.

The doctor said they did not think that it is TB but suggested me to visit the TB dept just to make sure as the doctors there are more specialised in that field. So I was given a week's MC, and strangely, they called me later to fix the appointment date on 7 Jan.

So from now to 7 Jan, I'm home, trying to take whatever stuff to strenghten my lungs and TRY to stick to a healthier routine. Am trying to get to bed by 10.30pm which is pretty tough...

Humans...the moment they know they are not in that critical moment, they somehow will lax into the unhealthy habits again......

To my family and friends, which also includes my colleagues whom I already consider them as friends, thank you for your concern, your assurance and your encouragement. Ah Kin is really grateful and will try to look after myself better =)

Monday Blues

2009-12-07T22:52:00.000+08:00

Today’s a blue Monday. A very blue one indeed. Not because weekend was too short, not because I wanted to have more sleep, not because I had to go to work.

I bumped into my old neighbour in the lift. We shared the usual greetings. She then started talking about the pain on her knee which had kept her grounded at home for the past 3 months. No wonder we didn’t see her as often but it didn’t occur to us that she was unwell.

She’s a typical Teochew Ah Mah and we always addressed her as “Aunty”. She spoke only Teochew and understood only Teochew. She’s a devout Buddhist who will go to the temple to pray and usually goes for strolls after breakfast or dinner. We were happy when we learnt that our neighbour is an elderly lady. Somehow we have an affinity with older folks. Kind ones of course.

There were occasions when we couldn’t understand totally what she was trying to say, neither could she understand fully what we are trying to tell her. But we still do simple exchanges when we see each other. She would make her Teochew kuehs and share some with us and I too would pass her some stuff that I’ve bought or made.

I was late for work but I stood and listened. I could have disengaged the conversation and rush off for work. But I didn’t. To give someone else your time is something that we urban beings can hardly give now. Moreover, I have a soft spot for elderly folks. Perhaps because I was brought up by my grandparents.

The unbearable pain on her knee had made her tear but that was nothing when compared to the pain in her heart. I empathized with her when she shared how her youngest daughter tried to make her sign a contract to will the current flat to her. Her youngest daughter is 45 now and single, after 2 failed marriages. Thankfully, no children. And fortunately, Aunty did not sign the contract. Relationship with her daughter turned sour.

I can’t imagine the hurt she felt when she shared how her own daughter is waiting for her to die so that she then could sell off the flat for money. My heart ached when she said if not because of the knee pain, she would have just jumped off the building.

I knew how it feels and I just listened. Before the end of our conversation, I tried assuring her with my limited Teochew vocabulary that she could look for us if she needed any help and kept telling her “hua yi jiu hor” – as long as you’re happy. I wanted to her not to think too much and just concentrate on getting well, but with my little pool of lexis, I gave her a soft rub on her shoulders and repeated the liner.

The walk to the office was a long one. A lot of thoughts went through my head and emotions swell whenever it reached the sore spot. It was strange that the emotion that took over was sadness and empathy for Aunty, instead of anger towards her youngest daughter. I was also thinking what else can I do and the most immediate was to learn a few more Teochew terms so that I could communicate with her better.

It’s a blue Monday today but I hope I have made Aunty’s Monday less blue today.

Healthy Living - Raw Food Glow Workshop

2009-11-24T22:05:00.000+08:00

Ooh...been so long since my last entry. Just a quick update on the last entry. We've received the full refund of the air ticket cost and and SIA has recently refunded the $150 admin fees. NTUC Income has also waived the travel insurance premiums. Somehow emails work for us better than calls to the customer service centres.

Total damage: $98 for the 1N hotel stay + cab fare to and fro the airport. Disappointment? Nay....it's a sign......... =P

We've been rather busy with the past weekends. Robinson sale, talk @ CPF, HPB's healthy lifestyle roadshow that we chanced upon which we've gotten our BMI calculated and received goodie bags :) The item that enticed us to join the "Uncle and Aunty" queue - 750g brown rice. Don't tell me you didn't queue for free stuff before...I bet the Ben and Jerry's queue is longer than this.

Uncle Tan and I participated in a workshop organised by PA and thought I could share the recipes for those who are interested in a fuss free nutritious food which doesn't require any cooking.

It was a small class held in Cuppage Plaza, a quiet little open space outside the cafe "NutriHub - the Organic Fushion Cafe".

The trainer is a former nurse and her last stint was working with the National Cancer Centre. Her medical knowledge has somewhat made the workshop more interesting and educational. We've picked up a number of useful tips on how we process the food for health benefits.

How can healthy food be delicious? Well, you'll never know till you try and well...sometimes it's a matter of how your mind is being programmed :)

Good things are meant to be shared, so here are the recipes:

Cashew Fig Milk
Ingredients for 1 serving (approx 300ml):
- 12 cashew nuts
- 1 Medjool date
- 1 Fig
- 200 ml filtered drinking water
- 5 ice cubes

Method:
1. Wash and soak cashew nuts overnight in filtered dirnking water.

Note: Apparently cashew nuts and almond nuts are 'acidic' in nature and are not good for the body if taken without getting rid of their acidity by soaking them. It's better to eat raw nuts than those pan fried or roasted as the fats from the nuts will turn to hydrogenated oil which is unhealthy for the body, and that explains why some would feel bloated after eating these processed nuts. If you still prefer your nuts to be crispy, you can lightly toast them but the best is to dehydrate them using a dehydrator.

2. The following day, discard the water and rinse it before adding them to the blender.
3. Remove the head of the fig and cut into 4 pieces.
4. Remove the head and seed from the date.
5. Wash the fig and date before mixing them with the cashew nuts, water and ice cubes and blend them till smooth.

We were all surprised by the sweetness and taste. The smell is a little weird but everyone likes the taste. The first pic is the milk. You can replace the cashew nuts with almond nuts (12 pieces) or brazillian nuts (3 pieces). Similar to fruit juice, try to consume it within 2 hours.

Swiss Museli
Ingredients for 1 serving (approx 300ml):
3 tbsp of rolled oats (organic if you are the purist)
10 pcs of shelled walnuts
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp sunflolwer seeds
1 tsp white & black sesame seeds
1 tbsp raisins or wolfberries
200ml filtered drinking water
1 tsp lemon juice
Fresh fruits i.e. banana, payaya, apple, strawberry, kiwi etc.

Method:
1. Rinse the rolled oats, nuts and seeds and dried fruits (raisins/wolfberries). Pour them into a clean container and soak it in 200ml of drinking water. Keep the container overnight in the fridge.

2. Remove it from the fridge the next morning and pour it into a bowl. wash and cut fresh fruits to add into the bowl and add 1 tsp of lemon juice into it, mix well and serve.

If you prefer it warm, you could cook the oats then mixed in the nuts to cook. Preferably not to add in the fruits as their enzymes would be destroyed under high temp which loses its nutritional value.

Fruity Nutty Tart
Ingredients for 5 to 6 tarts:
Crust
Walnut - half cup
Almond - half cup
Medjool dates - 3 to 4 pcs
1 pinch of rock/ sea salt
1 pinch of 5 spices powder (optional)

Filling
Banana - 1 to 2 pcs
Kiwi - 1 pcs
Medjool Dates - 1 to 2 pcs
1 tbsp Psyllium Husk (this is good at making food stick together, similar to gelatin)

Method:
1. Soak almond 3-4 hrs and drain dry. Wash walnuts and dates

2. Use a food processor to blend all ingredients for the crust. Chopped and pulse into fine pieces and blend well into a sticky mixture.

3. Divide the nutty paste into 5 - 6 portions. Place each portion into a tart cup. Mould the paste to form the tart crust. You can refer to the pic above.

4. Use food processor to blend all ingredients except strawberry for the filling together. Wait 1 - 2 mins for the psyllium husk to expand and form the sticky texture. Cut strawberry into halves and use as topping.

5. Place 1 - 2 tbsp of the filling on the tart crust and add fresh strawberries as topping.

Chill the crust/ tart if possible to harden it further.

Personally, I found the banana taste a little overpowering. Perhaps can reduce the amt or consider other fruit filling.

After the workshop, we were served lunch - organic fried beehoon with beans and mushrooms with organic thai green/red chilli. Sedap!!! Desert was organic green bean soup with kelp (or seaweed I think) and sweet potato.

This cafe serves organic food besides selling organic items and conducting classes of this sort. You could visit tthem at www.nutrihub.blogspot.com or pop by the cafe to take a look at Cuppage Plaza (behind OG Orchard, near Centrepoint) at B2-25. Open daily from 10am to 7pm and closed on Sun and PH.

Have fun trying :)

The Signs...

2009-10-04T14:18:00.002+08:00

For the first time in my life (and Uncle Tan's), I was denied to board the plane on the day of departure.

Reason: Passport's validity - less that 6 mths. And...it's 10 days short. Sign No. 1

It all started when Uncle Tan and I decided just to take a break from work to R&R. Because we didn't plan exactly when and where, it was all decided about 2 weeks before the trip, after taking into consideration that no current H1N1 outbreak, no earthquakes or riots and somewhere that requires less planning cos we prefer a free & easy trip. So Taiwan it is since there's no language barrier with a convenient rail system and the place also offers nice scenery in parts of the city.

We did a bit of research with the use of friends' past itineraries. Somehow we seem to be looking forward more for the break instead of the trip itself. Probably we were stressed with work & our immunity level was low.

Uncle Tan did mention to me that my passport was slightly less than 6 mths. But it really didn't strike us that there'd be any problem. Moreover, the system also allowed the booking without any prompts and we went ahead to book the accommodation. It was only successful upon the second try as the first choice hotel was fully booked. Sign No. 2

We went ahead to select the seats thou not many choices. You'll be surprised to find the entire row 44 empty. Talking about the superstitious beliefs amongst Singaporeans. Oh if you're keen to know, the total cost of the air tix we paid is $1,348.

Days before departure, Uncle Tan went to check the weather forecast on www.weatherunderground.com and thunderstorms would be expected. It also indicated "Typhoon Parma" on the 4th and last day of our trip. Ok, everything has been booked, so it's kinda too late to do anything anyway. Sign No. 3

The only thing that we could not do is to do the Internet check-in. It prompted the message: "You must have at least 6 months validity on your passport to complete Internet check-in. Please check in at the airport." Sign No. 4
It still didn't indicate the prohibition to travel and I grumbled about having to arrive at the airport earlier to do the checking-in.

Just before stepping out of the house, I suddenly recalled that my buddhist beads, which I always bring along with me for every trip. We made a search and just couldn't find it. It didn't really leave a very bad feeling or maybe I just told myself not to think too much into it. So we left the house anyway. Sign No. 5

I wonder if this was a laughable mistake as I could see a staff seated at the other gate smiling to himself. I was like "huh?" "what?" when I heard this and was trying desperate to see who else I can seek help from especially at this hour when most people are still asleep. 2 of my colleagues knew about my predicament as they were early birds and that also allowed me to vent some frustrations and well, confusion.

I'm curious to know how many knew about the 6-mth validity rule. The staff told us that certain countries like China and Malaysia are more lenient whereas countries such as Taiwan, is pretty strict about this. And when we told her the system still allows the booking to go through without any prompts, she said that the system would not prompt if we booked via the KrisFlyer. So doesn't that make KrisFlyer members at a disadvantage then?

So she advised us to make a trip to ICA to see if it's possible to get an extension and gave us SQ's customer service hotline to enquire. We were given the following options:

1. Cancel the booking - cancellation fee at $75 per pax if the cancellation is made before the plane takes off at 8.30am. Afterwhich would be the full cancellation charge of $150 per pax applies.

2. Take the next available flight at 12+pm and to top up $148 per pax. However, we need to inform them before 8.30am.

3. Up-selling the ticket - keeping the tix with flexi dates with top-ups.

And that was how we know that ICA opens at 8am and for a moment I thought ICA building had a 4D-Toto station. The Q outside the building was already forming before the opening. Fortunately it moved pretty past and the Q to do the extension was short - Q no. 004. Ah, another sign... ...

Before we went in, we contemplated whether we still want to go ahead with the trip if extension was granted. Somehow we felt that these things perhaps happen for a reason and so we decided that if the extension was not granted, we take it as a no go.

And indeed it was. In order to do an extension for a single trip, the staff said we would have to apply for visa. Alternatively, she suggested making a new passport which she could expedite the process but could only collect it at 4pm. Either way, we couldn't catch the next available flight and we did not have any mood to go even if we were to postpone the trip to the following day. And having to go through all these in the morning is somewhat draining. So we decided to cancel the trip and try to see if we could be refunded.

We called the online travel agency to explain our situation, followed by an email. They were very prompt in settling this they replied before the stipulated 48 hrs. They are agreeable to our suggestion to pay only a night's rate and refund the remaining sum instead of charging us the full amount. I strongly recommend their service if you intend to book your own travel accomodation. Here's the link: www.octopustravel.com.sg.

We are still waiting for NTUC travel insurance's reply on the waiver of cancellation charges though the amount was not a lot. The lady did not return my call and I had to follow up with an email. We even called the credit card company to see if we could stop this payment as the transaction was done only a day before. Well, Uncle Tan hesitated to do so as this would mean his current card would be void and the bank would have to re-issue him a new card which means he has to go through the hassle of re-linking the credit card up with his mobile phone monthly payment. And that is the ONLY one payment that is linked to the card.

In any case when he called the following day to stop the transaction, he was told that the ansaction had taken place - the day which I called to request for the waiver....... My insurance agent said that it was possible for the cancellation in the past but since NTUC Insurance has become commercialised recently, they have new rules. Point taken.

As for SIA, we would be given full refund of the air tix but will still charge the cancellation fee of $75 per pax despite our request for waiver via the hotline. When we visited the customer service centre at Ion, the staff explained that there is nothing she could do as the refund process had taken place and that apparently the staff said Uncle Tan had acknowledged that we would pay for the cancellation charges. I had no more ammunition to fight.

We were given an email address to write in and well, no harm trying. I wrote a long email for Uncle Tan to send and hopefully like the travel agency example, they could accede to our request.

Honestly, we didn't really feel disappointed and we took this episode as one of those "adventures". It was an "exciting" experience indeed with lessons learnt. I was even joking to my colleague that we felt like immigrants from ahem...you-know-where, lugging our luggage from the airport to ICA. I suppose having the thought that things happen for a reason somewhat made us feel less agitated (except for occasions when Uncle Tan really test my patience for not being proactive in thinking of solutions to get back the refund and giving me incomplete info before I go for "the negotiation"). Even though I'm here safe and sound, I really hope the typhoon would subside soon and not cause too much casualties and destruction. We are so fortunate not having to go through the fear these people face. But nothing is absolute.

And you and I know jolly well who contributed to to all these unfortunate disasters. Yes, it's through our little greedy, sometimes lazy and selfish ways that resulted in all these. We all know what's going on and how we can try to reduce the impact. If you think you alone can't do anything much, think again. And if you think you have no children so there's no need to think so much about the future since the world will not end in your time, think again. You'll never know when's the day and I suppose you like travelling too?

Farm Trip at Kranji

2009-08-21T22:22:00.002+08:00

Afternote:
Realised that I was too excited about posting the farm trip...and something else ;p that I actually forgot to provide details about the place = 0

For those who are interested in farm trips like me, you can visit this website www.kranjicountryside.com for the list of farms located at Kranji. There's the veggy farms, fish farms, a mushroom farm, a goat farm and even a frog farm. If you like to be woken up by the chirping of birds and get the first breath of fresh air and be greeted by nothing but the greeneries, you might wanna check out D' Kranji Farm Resort.

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is nearby as well and it's a good place to watch the migratory birds or just enjoy the scenery along the board walk as you walk through the mangrove swamp.

To get there, you can hop onto to the Kranji Express at Kranji MRT station at $2/adult, $1/student and senior citizen. Apparently there was a promotional activity "Drive N Hunt" happening that day, so transport was FOC that day :)

Caution:
If you are a banker or from the gar-men, beware when you meet Poison Ivy in person at Bollywood Farm. Not recommended for the faint hearted.
However, if you want to toughen up your kid whilst earning good bucks serving customers, you can consider sending your kids there for training.
Recommendation: Cold grilled brinjal, papaya salad andlemongrass chicken. Banana muffin with choc ice-cream is YUMZZZ!

Day: National Day

Time: 10.15am

Locaton: The Kranji Countryside

Welcome to D' Kranji Resort Farm!

Papayas for anyone?

Didn't know that Singapore has got its very own corn field too.

Sunflowers in the making.

Guavas

Such a pretty brinja aka eggplant. It tastes like egg when grilled. No wonder it's called an eggplant. Not the plant that grows eggs, Uncle Tan.

Ooh...chilli padi

Yea, we have rice field in Singapore too. But the grains seem to have been eaten by the birds.

How we know??......

Cos Aunty Tan went to pick some to see.

Note: For demonstration purpose only.

The bitter gourd from Japan. Tastes good when mixed with preserved ginger. Tastes like the local achar.

According to the owner, bitter gourds are good for diabetic patients.

This one looks like our local breed.

Able to guess what this is?

The banana flower and bananas on top. Bet it could make loads of rojak.

And who have we here... :)

Wendy: U shouldn't believe everything Uncle Tan says...

Karlos: Oh really?

The way to Mr Pee-Wee's place.

Here it is, the eco-friendly Mr Pee-Wee's place :)

What Do You See?

Reminds us of the rural place in Malaysia...a rare sight in Sg now.

Wendy and Karlos: Hey, we're the ones who discovered where Mas Salamat has been hiding all this while...

Exclusive: Caught in action!

Welcome to Bollywood Veggie Farm

This banana flower is HUMUNGOUS.....

A different breed of 'aloe vera' according to Uncle Tan...

It's actually a dragon fruit plant lah......tsk tsk tsk...

Warning: The following pictures may make you think twice about the enjoyment of spas.

View at your own discretion.

Oh no what kind of a spa is this? I can't take it anymore...

Oh my gosh, it's sooo ticklish...wooo eee...!!!

Meanwhile, the men decided to try the spa with more sensation.

Here fishy fishy, pls be gentle with me...

Woh, those fishes are sure hungry...

They sure got the BIG bite...

What Do You See?

2009-08-10T18:12:00.005+08:00

Watching NDP has been one of my favourite events of the year. I loved watching the Apaches, the military police doing their cool stunts with the rifles, Chinooks flying with the huge Singapore flag, the amazing transformations by the performers and of course, the singing of the national songs which definitely evokes the feeling of patriotism.

I thought I was going to grow out of watching NDP especially it has since moved to the floating platform at Marina Bay (including failed attempts to get NDP tickets). When I was away last year, I wasn't motivated to watch the parade online either plus and darn, that year it rained for the first time after many many years.

This year's NDP somewhat has reignited my interest. There seems to have a whole lot of hype and publicity. There were road shows held in the heartland, mini campaigns and what was pleasantly surprised was that the NDP Exco had invited Mr Brown to be part of this year's NDP where he would cover the behind-the-scenes actions for NDP 2009.

Well, it might be a plot by the Gahmen like what Mr Brown had suspected. I too raised my brow when I heard that from the news. Plot or not, I thought the objective of reaching out to more people via various channels was met. And it did make me took the time to go online to "check it out".

So, the Gahmen isn't that rigid and inflexible afterall.

You might like to visit this link if you are keen to find out what goes behind the scenes. For those who are working in the Gahmen, I guess it will serve as a good reminder of the tough (well, sometimes @#$%) work you have done and more to come in future. For those who aren't in the service, well, please appreciate the work these people have done, although not all are relevant. You know what I mean.

Mr Brown goes to the NDP 2009

I've been reading comments in the papers about this year's NDP song. To be honest, everytime they played the song after a show, I usually switched channels. Not that I didn't appreciate the song but somehow it just didn't catch my attention. Until I caught the spoof of the NDP 2009 Theme Song "Lekuasimi" (aka you see what see in Hokkien) which made me appreciate the original version (but I had to admit that I remembered the lyrics of the spoof version more clearly, partly thanks to Uncle Tan for continuously humming the spoof version). You'll know what I mean after you've watched it. Honestly, the tune is quite catchy, just that it's not that easy to sing along except "What do you see? What do you see?"

I remembered asking my ex-boss who used to be with the RSAF why the need to spend so much time, money and effort on NDP. Well, besides showing others (shan't be too politically explicit here) what latest gadgets we have and the strength of our military power, it's also a National Education time where it serves to remind all Singaporeans not to take what we have built and achieved for granted and we should all feel proud to be a Singaporean and to face the challenges together as a nation despite our size.

Don't dismiss it as something insignificant and that it can't make people feel patriotic with just that one celebration (to be exact, should be 8 in all including the rehearsals which I too had just found out from Mr Brown). I was told that even an Ah Beng who is not that patriotic cried when he was watching the NDP live onsite.

P/S: Whoever has lobangs for next year's NDP pleassse let me know. I haven't been to any one yet for the last 31 years. Thank you in advance.

I thought the Pledge Moment was a great idea. Not only those who went to the parade can experience the feeling of patriotism, I believe those who took part in the pledge too must have felt something. Uncle Tan and I did though it was done in front of the TV. It didn't require a lot of effort, it might be a little awkward to some, but it's a powerful way to reaffirm your beliefs. Just like renewing your marriage vows.

Btw, in case you wonder who Mr Brown is, he isn't an angmoh (or perhaps he wanted to become one). He is the veteran Singapore blogger who writes satirical stuff on Singapore National Education Series and other funny musings on the dysfunctional side of Singapore life since 1997.

I wanted to do a similar spoof titled "Aijiasimi" (what do you wanna eat) given that Singapore is a food paradise and this is a common question asked before lunch time. I'm only a few lines done and perhaps could save it for next year if they happen to do something like "Lechiosimi" (what are you laughing about) as the economy should have improved by then =)

Photography Service

2009-07-26T10:30:00.001+08:00

Announcing......

The start of my friend's photography service KC Photography

If you or your friends, relatives, family members, colleagues, company etc. would like to engage a freelance professional photographer for events, graduation ceremonies, ROMs, actual day weddings, family portraits or glamour shots. please feel free to give her a call to find out more or check out her rates.

No obligations of course :)

She has been my personal photographer, or rather, our family photographer for the past 10 years which goes from our vacation shoots to crazy home DIY studio shoots (with Uncle Tan as a busker, my mum as a college student, one of my cousins as a kimono dancer etc.) to my mum's personal portfolio to me and my brother's graduation photos, ROM photos and actual day wedding shoots including my brother's upcoming wedding next year.

She's also good in taking sports photos as seen in the recent AYG event. You can check out her past portfolio at her blog:

http://kc27photography.blogspot.com/

If you like her service, please feel free to help spread the word around too =)

A simple happiness

2009-07-17T22:16:00.008+08:00

I didn't know a simple act of washing face can bring such smiles. I'd never be able to feel the sense of contentment of living a simple life.

The trailer on TV prompted me to watch the first episode. It's one of the best things that I get from watching TV - I get to see what's going on the outside world, and realise how fortunate we are...and how poor we are.

We are fortunate, especially Singaporeans, where we have no natural calamities. The most would be the haze from Indonesia or the flooding during rainy seasons. Other than that, it's the usual complains on the ungracious acts, people get caught eating in the trains, buses not arriving on time, toilets are dirty, dustbins not enough etc. We are the pampered and sheltered lot.

I'm a city kid, although I'm glad I grew up having real masak masak and self-invented toys to play with. Now I'm hooked on games in Facebook and Pop Caps, and that was partly the reason why I had sort of neglected updating my blog besides trying to catch up with my work.

Because of that programme, it has somewhat changed my mindset of Ah Tiongs. At least some of them. They can be the simple and nice folks without the air of arrogance, without the scheming minds that their richer counterparts have. It's sad to see that prosperity somehow is inversely related to the values people have.

I knew the programme will make me go teary, but I had to watch it, I had to remind myself there's more to life, I wanted to tell myself how minute our problems are compared to theirs. Humans are forgetful beings, we need to be reminded.

The first episode brings us to the earthquake zone in Sichuan. The journey was arduous and on route, the sight of massive destruction of roads and buildings showed the prowess of nature, as if it was angry with how we have willfully wasted what it has given us.

The first task was to help build a house from scratch and they helped a school to build a library filled with books. They also taught the children basic hygiene such as washing their hands and face and brushing their teeth. Seeing the faces that brimmed with joy made me envy the simple happiness they have. We have taken many things for granted and we have become too complicated be easily satisfied.

They featured a girl whose mother died of complications after giving birth to her. She stayed with her maternal grandparents as her dad had remarried and lived in another village. My heart went out to her grandma as she carried a bagful of branches as that she had gathered for the day. It was heavy certainly. Her grandma started crying as she shared about the teasing by her granddaughter's classmates - that she is an orphan. She was sad that her daughter was not able to watch her own child grow up. The girl wept quietly as she comforted her grandmother. I realised that regardless of wealth status, humans instinctively can't seem to accept very well things that are different from them.

The other was a deaf-mute girl who was unable to attend a normal school because of her condition. She was a pretty little girl full of optimism. The volunteers tried to convince her parents to send her to a special school so that she could continue her education. She was lucky to have met these volunteers as education, transportation and living expenses were taken care of. The parents were unwilling at first as they couldn't bear to live apart with her, but eventually agreed for the sake of her future. The host couldn't hold back his tears as the girl tried to call his name in her husky little voice. I was happy for her.

Life was tough and the harsh weather made it harder. Perhaps that is how they learn to be resilient and I admired their tenacity and strength.

Oh, the programme is called "Stars for a Cause", aired on every Thurs, 8pm on Ch U. I shan't elaborate more, catch it and I hope it will make a little difference in your life.

Caught in the Act

2009-05-02T16:32:00.008+08:00

I did an 'auntie' thing yesterday which I still felt tickled when I think about it.

As I was passing by the 'overwhelming' bakery shop at the centre (the bakery is often packed with people and the breads are always topped with stuff of all sorts that somehow makes the breads look literally 'overwhelming' to me), I caught a stealthy act in action from the corner of my eye.

I was amazed at my quick, if not instant, response.

"哇!可以用手拿面包啊?!!"

The uncles around turned to look at who made that loud and clear comment. The sales assistant immediately went up to stop the auntie who seemed oblivious to what was going on.

It was too late. Her hand had already "ravaged" the 2nd piece of bread with her "I-believe-yet-to-wash" hand. I didn't know buying bread now is similar to buying fish in the market where one can 'press' to test the freshness before making the purchase.

I wonder if she could have been an NEA officer in disguise, checking on the bread's freshness "first hand"...

Most bakeries are using bread covers to prevent breads from being exposed to germs/bacteria/ people's saliva. Even then, that still didn't stop some who still insist on "hands-on" experience. Especially in that crowded bakery, it was not tough to practice that. That auntie was taking her time to scrutinize the breads. No one saw what she was doing. I hope it was the case and not no one bothered with what she was doing.

With the recent hygiene scare and the eminent flu pandemic, some Singaporeans somehow still don't "wake up" their idea. Many people would lament and said it's "heng suay" (depends on your luck). But why leave it to chances when you can take a more pro-active role?

I'm definitely not a clean freak and I am not against the idea of "lap sup jia lap sup dua" (the belief that one's immunity would be stronger if he/she doesn't grow up in a totally clean environment), but to these people who might indirectly cause a series of unfortunate events happening, I think I have the responsibility to correct what's not right.

So besides litter bugs, spitters and inconsiderate smokers, I've now added unhygienic homo sapiens to my list.

It seems that it's always easy to spot an ungracious act as opposed to a gracious one. To a gracious act direct at me, I'd thank the person sincerely with a big smile. But for gracious acts which are directed at others, I suppose I could only give a smile to acknowledge the kind act. It's tougher to capture on camera as well.

Well, if you have ideas, do let me know. It's always better to share something good besides highlighting the not-so-good stuff. The world is already a tough place to live in, should try to make it better. And I'm trying to make it better by also "educating" those who are on my list ;p

It's Spring again...

2009-04-19T21:38:00.007+08:00

Tomorrow is the Spring Festival for Zurich. Time flies...it's already been a year.

Ironically, I've been missing the weather there. Ok, I used to whine at the cold weather and trying to convince everyone, including myself, that I'm a tropical gal who prefers the tropical climate. But with the temperature climbing from 27°C to 30°C, I'm truly beginning to miss the "cold and gloomy weather" quite a lot. Talking about the grass is always greener on the other side :>

I guess Uncle Tan and myself, including my friends who had been there, would continue to miss the place and relish the memorable times there. And to share and "view" our fond memories, Uncle Tan is currently working on a project to make a coffee table book, or rather, a few coffee books that compiles some of the pictures we've taken.

Uncle Tan's colleague from Zurich came to Singapore a couple of weeks back. Well, he sort of brought some "Siwss air" here with the chocolates and the well wishes from the rest in Zurich. We played host for a day before he went off to Hong Kong meeting his friends.

He likes our weather, our food, especially seafood, and......the shopping. These are the general things they like about Singapore. I even heard that one of the colleagues who was posted here to work was so awed by the city sights and lights that he could just sit and view the city sights the whole night, with beer of course :)

They love the city buzz while we love their tranquil hush;
They admired our city sights while we desire their green lush;
They see the vigour of city life yet we perceive it as the hustle and rush.
We are indeed, ironic creatures of such.

Some of the photos we took of Urs :)

Entering into the number "3" + 1

2009-03-09T09:37:00.007+08:00

The HR lady must have been amused by me when I went to sign my appointment letter last week. Somehow I forgot my Uncle Tan's ID number, his title and......our wedding date. I remembered the customary date but the ROM date is something that it's there but needed greater effort to retrieve the info from a certain section of the brain.

I called Uncle Tan. His advice - refer to the wedding ring. Aha, so it's good to imprint dates afterall. But I had a hard time trying to decipher the imprint and, a hard time trying to believe that I've been officially married for 5 years! OMG!!!

I guess the number '3' has some effect on women in terms of memory and behaviour...ok or maybe just me...as I can literally see some of you raising your eyebrows already.

I did something finally that I have been wanting to do for some time - perming my hair. Partly because I wanted to do something different while I still can and partly because of laziness as it's easier to bun up a permed hair and and more versatile to do different style. But then I forgot my weakness - laziness.

The frown between my eyes simply stayed locked from the moment the curlers were removed till I went back home. It was different from the curl I had 2 weeks ago at my bro's ROM. I looked like those baby dolls with those super fluffed up hairdo.

The stylist says big curls doesn't last very long and suggested a mixture of medium and small curls so that by the time the hair 'settles', it'd look more natural.

So for the next few weeks, Auntie Kin will have her hair bun up or pin up until the hair decides to settle, if it ever. Ok, so it's one thing tried.

And from now on, I would be contented to have my hair curled just for the moment than wanting the curls to stay with me longer.

Kunsthaus (Art Museum)

2009-02-27T22:19:00.002+08:00

Finally managed to get these pics uploaded from my mobile if not because I was down with flu and had to take a break.

Sorting out these pics, this season's Amazing Race which had shown parts of Switzerland....arghh!!! It's calling me back!!!

The art museum in Zurich is one of the places I'd recommend to visit if you love arts. You'll be happy to be able to see the works of world renowned artists such as Monet and Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Piccaso, Claude Monet and Marc Chagall (the guy who did the stained glass for the Fraumünster Church in Zurich.
It was only towards the end of my stay in Zurich that I finally managed to step out to explore a little bit more without Uncle Tan around (other than the shopping trips in town ;p)

Located at Helmplatz 1, you can take Tram 3, 5, 8, 9 or Bus 31 and stop at "Kunsthaus" stop.

Opening hours:
Sat, Sun, Tues: 10 am - 6 pm
Wed to Fri: 10 am - 8 pm
Usually the museums here are closed on Mondays.
Fee: CHF 12 for adults and CHF 8 for students (for permanent exhibitions).
Fees for temporary exhibits cost about CHF 18.

Try to give the place about 3-4 hrs as it houses quite a huge collection of works ranging from the Old Masters to Impressionism and Post-Nordic Expressionism to Swiss Painting to Modern Classical. I had to finish my visit a little early because of an over-friendly tourist from Brasil who had helped to guide me to the right building. I guess I'm not used to the ang moh friendliess yet :>

As the pics were taken with my mobile, so the quality will be somewhat affected. Still, hope this could give you a glimpse of some of the charming works displayed and hope it'll entice you to visit this museum when you're there. Enjoy :)

I'm always very amazed and struck with how life-like such portraits are. Some looked as if they are like photo-quality.

These 2 pics are a little blur due to the lighting. But imagine the minutest details such as the rocks, the leaves, the various shades due to the lighting......it's awesome.

I admired this artist who can paint such a picture. This is the actual size of the painting. The one above is the zoom-in version.

This place looks familiar...Venice

Contemporary art

This is done by Mark Rothko(1903-1970) in 1963, using white, blacks, called "Grays on Marooni". Contemporary arts really need a lot of your imagination :)

Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973

Tete, buste de femme, 1940

Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973
Tete, 1913

Claude Monet, 1840-1926
Le bassin aux nympheas avec iris, um1914/22

Claude Monet, 1840-1926
Der Seerosenteich am Abend um 1916-1922

Claude Monet, 1840-1926
Le phare a Honfleur, 1864

Claude Monet
La Falaise a Dieppe, 1882

Auguste Rodin, 1840-1917

Das eherne Zeitalter, 1876/77

Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-1890
Chaumieres a Auvers, 1890

Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-1890
Cabanes blaunches aux
Saintes-Maries , 1888

Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-1890

Travali des chanps, 1885

Rainbows

2009-02-25T21:52:00.008+08:00

I can see a HUGE rainbow today!

Just as I stepped out of from the igloo-temp office, I saw a long arching rainbow right above. Uncle Tan said he could see that even in Marina. I guess it should be the same huge rainbow that we were both looking at.

Well, we all have seen rainbows somehow in some parts of our lives. It's always a beautiful sight and somehow evokes that awe in us despite knowing how rainbows are formed. It's something beautiful, it's something that you don't see often...and it's something that doesn't last for long.

After a day of hard work, the load is somehow taken off looking at this beautiful thing. Sometimes it's good to look up when things are looking down and gloomy.

Even little Joelle is keen to take a snap shot of this beautiful sight :)

A few rainbow songs somehow came into my mind as I admired the sight whilst walking home - The Rainbow Connection, I Can Sing a Rainbow and Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

I recall using the initials of the colours to form a cheeky phrase to help me remember the colours of the rainbow. I shan't share it here in case I get rated comments in my cbox again ;p

Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet

The Rainbow Connection
Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side
Rainbow's are visions
They're only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide
So we've been told and some chose to
Believe it
But I know they're wrong wait and see

Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

Who said that every wish
Would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star
Somebody thought of that
And someone believed it
And look what it's done so far
What's so amazing
That keeps us star gazing
What so we think we might see

Someday we'll find it
That Rainbow Connection
The lovers the dreamers and me

Have you been half asleep
And have you heard voices
I've heard them calling my name
Are these the sweet sounds that called
The young sailors
I think they're one and the same
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
There's something that I'm supposed to be

Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

2008......2009...CNY

2009-02-01T10:25:00.003+08:00

Woh, it's almost over a month since I last updated my blog and some have been telling me I've been 'slacking' since I came back. Well, many things have happened over the past few weeks and CNY is early this year so everything is like a mad rush. Fortunately I need not rush to buy new clothes since I'm a keeper of new clothes :) and this year, I've finally decided to get some domestic help from my colleague's contact to do a spring cleaning to my house. Of course I still need to do some re-organizing especially my wardrobe.

2008 Christmas had passed pretty quietly for me. No count down, no parties...except the feast held at my grands place and a post-Christmas game session with my cousins. I LOVE games and I relish the times when we had the gift exchange and games on Christmas eves when I was young. I hope to give such memories to my cousins as well, before they grow up eventually and have their own parties to attend. In fact, I could see that I don't have many more years to play such games with them for long...

2009 New Year Resolutions
I don't usually set new year resolutions as I don't like to have long term plans because I don't think I can fulfill most of them and I dislike disappointments. But I guess no harm to make a few and see how far I can stick to them :)

Resolution No. 1
To spend more time with my family, particularly with my grands. They seemed to have aged very quickly recently...

Each time when I see them getting older, the heart aches...Lost of that sparkle in their eyes, their white hair in full bloom, shrinking height, slower response to our conversations, less agile and sometimes, shaky movements...I know these are the usual signs of ageing but noticing these changes happening to your loved ones...a sense of sorrow somehow overwhelms me. I always hope to see the same old grands full of energy and humour. I'm still at the denial stage...

Resolution No. 2
To learn mahjong. I guess I have to follow with the times and start learning the real thing. Even my cousins in their teens know how to do the 'counting' while I'm still at the novice stage of identifying the consecutive tiles and the 2 'eyes' despite growing up listening to the sound of mahjongs as my lullaby. I'll try to learn to like the game thou I still think it gets quite boring after a few rounds. I prefer boggle, scrabble, Pictionary or even Mad Magazine. Well fortunately, we have a common liking for Black Jack which has since become our tradition to play during CNY with my cousins who have since grown up. I've also earned a reputation on gambling with small denominations - five cents coins ;p

Resolution No. 3
Exercise, exercise, exercise. It keeps my cramps away and hopefully the stress as well. With less stress, I should be able to eat better and with better appetite, it would mean more weight to be gained :)

Thou shall not be overly ambitious and this should be the list :)

Moral courage

2008-12-12T20:39:00.004+08:00

I was travelling in the subway, when I heard someone spit. He was seated at the back of the train and when I turned around, he did that again and on the seat this time. I commented loudly on his incivility.

The other commuters were equally irritated by his behaviour but none went up to tell him off. I was tempted to head to the front and tell the driver, but hubby gave me a nudge and advised against blowing the matter up. "You'll never know what he'll do to you." This comment his resonates, even in my dreams,

Out of my dreamland, would I have the moral courage to tell him off? Would I, like the other commuters, merely grumble under my breath? Or would I simply put up with the behaviour and not do anything to avoid trouble?

I had my fair share of “reminding” people against spitting on floors, smoking in lifts, littering, forcing their way into trains before commuters alight etc. Some of them pretended not to hear it, some simply ignored and fortunately, some felt ashamed of their ungracious acts.

Today, I managed to make a litterbug picked up his own litter via my “2-sec icy stare”. He thought no one noticed him “naturally dropping” a crushed Old Chang Kee paper bag and tissue while standing. I was just walking past and caught the act. I stared at him. He saw me, 2 seconds…and he bent down to pick them up.

I hope he did that because he knew it wasn’t right to litter or he realised that the litter had actually slipped his hands…and not because he was worried I could be one of those undercover NEA officer who catches litterbugs and send them for CWO (Corrective Work Order). But I’m glad the litter was no longer a litter.

I don’t have to wait for “the relevant authorities” to empower me to correct such acts. We can, in our own little ways, make things better. It’s not that difficult but it takes courage and…practice? I used to be the one type who would rather keep quiet and tolerate such behaviours. I used to be hesitant in offering my seat to those who need, not because I’m contemplating whether this person needs the seat or I’m not willing to give up my seat, but because I’m shy to do so and what happens if the person rejects my offer?

Perhaps I’ve passed the stage of being overly bothered by what others think of me (thou I still fall into that trap occasionally), or maybe my skin has thickened with age, I’m more willing to voice out and now, I’m more ready to offer seats without taking a long time to decide and feeling too embarrassed. Hopefully, I can be a good example to others and influence them to join me. It was heartening to see some of the responses. Some offered to help me carry my stuff while they took the seats offered, while some even kept a lookout for an empty seat for me during the journey. Well, even if they don’t do all these, a simple appreciative smile is enough for me.

So uncles and aunties, we know that there will be those who just won’t offer their seats to you, but if you behave in a kisasu manner, people would be put off and honestly, I don’t think I would offer my seat to you too. Sometimes standing for a few stops won’t tire you that much and might do some good for your leg muscles.

As for the working execs, I know you have a hard day at work. Well who doesn’t? But seriously, I don’t think you would be that lucky to meet an elderly or a pregnant lady every time you commute. Don't forget you too, will grow old one day.

To my morally courageous comrades, my advice is to depend on your judgement on the appropriateness of the time, place and type of audience before you "do your thing". I wouldn’t recommend doing that to a group of tattooed fellas at a void deck when you're alone. That’s as good as inviting trouble.

A drop hollows out a stone. Albeit these are very little gestures, they make a difference.

Friends from Zurich

2008-12-07T09:54:00.000+08:00

Uncle Tan's colleague, Harry and his wife, Bridget, came to Singapore for a short stay a couples of weeks back. It was an "on-route" stay as they went to Australia to visit their daughter who's studying there.

Kinda excited at their arrival for we were keen to play host to them who had never been to Singapore. And also because we miss the Swiss people :)

However it was a mere 2-day stay so we couldn't bring them around much. Generally, the Swiss are very good at exploring around. Within a day, they had been to Little India and Chinatown on their own and from the conversations with them, our local taxi drivers have been very good ambassadors introducing them places of interests as well as providing some interesting "insights" of Singapore :) Our cabbies have indeed an important role to play to foreign friends.

Together with Uncle Tan's colleagues, we took them for dinner at the rotating restaurant Prima Tower for dinner. They were fascinated with the 360 degrees view and so were we, except that I was a little worried if I'd get motion sickness since I'm quite sensitive to even little movements.

It's a chinese restaurant and the food was good. A pity that I had to control the amount I take just in case :p The dishes were light yet yummy and not to mention, healthy too. Of course, it also comes with an exquisite price :> If the restaurant stop rotating one day, I wouldn't mind going again.

They enjoyed the dinner although it must have been an eye-opening experience for them to see how much we eat for dinner since the Swiss usually eat simple meals. They were pretty full by the 5th dish.

As Bridget doesn't take meat items, we ordered one extra veg meal for her in addition to the set dinner. Harry shared with us that his wife adopted a vegetarian when she saw them being cramped up in cranes whilst they were being transported on a truck. I remember seeing a picture of that in the papers recently and I felt bad for the poor chickens. They really have no life as they are bred to be fed...to humans. I bet they must have envied their ancestors, the kampong chickens, who had the freedom to run around before they ended up on the dinner table. At least they had lived a life.

I would like to be a vegetarian too...if not for my weak constitution. Er...maybe not totally abstained from some seafood thou I can make do without shark's fins. I just hope we can be as humane as we can, and perhaps, be appreciative of the food we eat since so many lives have been sacrificed...to satisfy our cravings..yeah, am not even talking about meeting our basic needs.

It was an enjoyable dinner (minus the rotating thingy) and the company was great.

Taking a group photo at the end of the dinner.

We didn't join them at Jewel Box as I had a roadshow the following day to attend. But before they flew back to Zurich, we got them the packaged durian cake from Bee Chin Hiang since they looked keen when we mentioned the pungent fruit to them. Thou we know we won't do any justice to the King of fruits by getting those processed ones but we wouldn't want them to get detained at the airport either :p

They like our Mr Bean biscuits thou and found them similar to their Christmas cookies. Aww...if only we were there to taste it :)

A few days later, they emailed to agree that the durian thingy indeed requires an acquired taste. They tried eating that by spreading them (like jam) on their bread ;p

Learn learn learn

2008-12-04T20:11:00.003+08:00

I appreciate my friends and colleagues’ concern when they read my last entry and I thought perhaps the entry may have sounded too emo. Actually it was just a grouse but after hearing comments from some my colleagues and re-reading the entry, I decided to remove the entry to prevent any damage. Definitely it wasn’t meant to be a gossip or a blaming entry.

Seriously, I thought it might turn out to be a positive thing since this might spur me to move out of my comfort zone. I've colleagues coming to me and advise me against making impulsive decision simply because of a funny character. I really appreciate that. Well that person might be part of the reason, but definitely not the entire reason.

I’m feeling much better now really and thanks for all your concern :) I guess learning how to manage and work with someone needs time and adjustments. I should get rid of my personal baggage and biasness and try to see more of the person's positive traits rather than be influenced by previous incidences. It’s not easy after having heard so much thou ;p but if I don’t learn, I may feel even more miserable.

Hmm…I think for future entries that are meant to ventilate, I should save it as draft and read it a few days later to make sure that it is as objective as possible before hitting the "Publish" button. The purpose of my blog is to share my personal thoughts and feelings and not meant to hurt anyone. Even my biasness towards Ah Tiongs has reduced ok!

So pls don’t guess who I’m talking about as it’s a summary of the not-so-nice people I’ve met over the years. I’m sure most companies have these funny characters as well right? I can imagine seeing a smile on the faces of my ex ex ex colleagues :)

In any case, for those who don't know what's going on, it's ok. It's over and let's move on :)

No time to say goodbye...

2008-11-30T11:56:00.009+08:00

I believe most of you were saddened by the news on Sat. I was still holding to that a ray of hope when I heard about one Singaporean had been taken hostage. Somehow I had the faith in our government would be able to do something about it. But we are talking about terrorism, they they don't give a damn to anything, there's no second chance.

Bali, New York, London, Mumbai...these places are the places where you and I might have been to. The threat is very real, it can jolly well happen at our doorstep . As I read today's news,
I felt the pain, sadness, despair and grief even thou they were or are not related to me. The fear faced by the victims is unimaginable. The courage of the hotel staff and the commandos shown are admirable. I sympathise with the victims' families who had to face such tragedies. Their loved ones didn't have a chance to say goodbye......

I was angry with the mass killing of innocent people, and was saddened to see how mankind has scarily evolved. It's frightening to think that people have used religion as a means to justify "righteousness".

This reminded me of the seminar I attended yesterday where one of the topics was on work life and family. We know family is important and most of the time we may think we treasure our family. However, our actions somehow show otherwise. I'm definitely one of the guilty ones. When my grandparents commented that they hadn't seen me for quite some time, I told them that I was busy with work. They are nice folks, they didn't nag, just concerned. But I do felt guilty for not visiting them as often as I wished to. But I know they are always in my thoughts...still that doesn't give me the excuse of visiting them often huh :p

I had a taste of how it feels when I tried to arrange an outing with my cousins during their school holidays. It was tougher to book their time than to book my boss'. They have all grown up and their schedules are packed. Sometimes, I think they are even busier than the working adults.

A simple test to see how we value our family - try observing your friends/colleagues when they talk to their spouse or family members (maybe excluding the very young kids as baby language are used by most parents), the tone is somewhat less polite. Why so? It's because they are our family. They don't judge us, they forgive us for the silly mistakes we make, they tolerate our most ridiculous behaviours...we know they'll be there for us no matter what happens.

Maybe your parents will always be there for you. But for spouse, I wouldn't say the same. Relationship needs constant effort to maintain. It's easier said than done, but better to try than none. It's a journey of discovering for me still with lots of trial and error and of course, quarrels and petty bickering.

We are fortunate that we still have our loved ones with us. We wake up every morning having our loved one beside us, we still have someone to nag at and bicker with. We still have a roof over our heads, a job to bring in the bread and butter...

My sincerest condolences to all the victims' families. I grieve for the sudden loss of your loved ones. As the lyrics of the song goes "It breaks my heart in two, to say 'Goodbye' to you..."

For the rest of us, this also serves as a reminder for us appreciate and cherish the people we love and be grateful for what we have or not have. We'll never know whether we have the chance to say goodbye...

To Say Goodbye to You
Wish I could whistle down the Northern Lights
And send them dancing all across the night
Maybe then when all the sky was blazing
Maybe then Id feel you somewhere
gazing at a star,
And you could feel me too
as I say goodbye to you
It breaks my heart in two, to say goodbye to you
Wish time could turn us back to yesterday
The gods above would look the other way
Maybe then we still could laugh together
Maybe then it could be spring forever and a day
But I must face the truth and say goodbye to you
It breaks my heart in two, to say goodbye to you
Wish I could whistle down the Northern Lights
And send them dancing all across the night
Maybe then in my memories for saving
One last time youre on the hill waving from afar
One last glance or two and Ill say goodbye to you
It breaks my heart in two, to say goodbye to you

Preggy Power

2008-11-27T23:10:00.007+08:00

Pregnant mums out there, do you know that you have the power to make people go drowsy on public transport?

Don't believe me? Try it on a crowded bus or train. In fact, your power will be greatly felt especially near the "Priority Seats".

You'll realised that no matter how young or old the seated passenger is, the moment you stand near them, they are able to drift off to slumber land within a few seconds. Amazing huh? And when you move away from them, somehow, miraculously, these people would automatically be awake.

Uncle Tan had discovered the prowess of pregnant ladies a few days back on his way back after work. A young working executive and a slightly matured lady were seated on the "Priority seats" fully awake. At one of the stops, a preggy lady boarded the packed train and inched her way to where the "Priority seats" were. Then, the "magical" moment happened - within seconds, the eyelids of the young lad and the woman suddenly went heavy...they were off to dreamland...

Fortunately a kind soul went to guide the preggy lady to an available seat nearby. Somehow, miraculously, the sleepy spell seemed to be lifted the moment the preggy lady moved away. What a pity that I wasn't there to witness the power of the new century. I'd probably post pictures of this whole process in my blog and share them with the rest too. Oh well, I guess I don't think it would be too difficult for me to catch such moments since I take public transport often. I wouldn't be surprised that some of you might already be "immune" to their power...

Well,if you happen see it again, could you please help me to ask the seated passenger to give up the seat to the preggy lady? And perhaps see if he/she would still be feeling drowsy after being asked to offer his/her seat? Or if you're too shy to make the request, pls take a pic of them and send it to me. I believe the preggy mum would be keen to see how powerful she is to have made such an impact on certain passengers.

I'll be on the lookout for sure :)

Maybe...Baby? Seminar

2008-11-25T10:31:00.005+08:00

Calling out to all my married friends who are planning to start a family or are sitting on the fence (like me). There's a seminar going on this coming Sat, 29 Nov, at Suntec Convention Centre from 9.30am to 1pm (am session) and 2.30pm to 6pm (pm session).

The morning session will provide practical advice on parenting a newborn as well as insights on how you can continue to grow your relationship with your spouse. For those who have just embarked on the new parenthood journey, you'll know what I mean when all the focus is on the new little arrival. But while all the attention is given to the child, don't forget the older 'kid' (your other half) too :>

Of course financial issues would be the main concern for most of us, especially in the current climate. Well, I have a friend who is preparing for motherhood, requesting for a designer diaper bag from her hubby. I was shocked when I heard the orginal price that I can't even remember the brand name now. She wanna be seen as a modern chic mummy and won't settle for anything less. So, she shopped at ebay for that bag and ended up paying only a portion of the original price. She gets what she wants and at a much lower cost. So clever ;>

Practical tips on fulfilling both career and family aspirations as well as case studies on how couples can effectively make time to experience the joys of raising a family would be shared at the afternoon seminar. I've heard that the speaker for this topic is quite an engaging and humourous so I'm looking forward to hearing him.

Fertility is always an interesting topic for me and my colleagues. You'd be surprised at the facts and myths on fertility being 'unraveled' during the discussion. I've attended a couple of talks by Dr Chew before and each time I've learnt something new that I never knew or thought I already knew.

Most of the time we only start to look for information when we need it, but when it comes to Plan B, it's better to have the knowledge in advance so that you'd be better prepared.

Ok, there'll be refreshments and goodie bags when you sign up for either of the session...if that is what you'll be looking for...tsk tsk tsk... ;p

For more details, you can visit http://www.mediacorpradio.sg/maybebaby.

Walking Tour - Zürich's Old Town

2008-11-07T21:20:00.001+08:00

Finally, had some time to get to the last bit on my stay in Switzerland.

We went for the walking tour in Zürich Old Town on our 2nd last day, thanks to Uncle Tan's colleague, Danja, who had given us the walking tour pass as well as the ZürichCARD, that is valid for 72 hours (comes with unlimited travel in trains, trams, boats and cable car, free admission to 40 over museums in Zürich, discounts in some shops and free welcome drink in 20 restaurants).

It's ironic that we went for this tour during the end of our stay instead. Well, perhaps it's a good way to see Zürich one last time with a new perspective as we walk down memory lane.

Lunch

Since the walking tour would only start at 3pm, we had our lunch at HALLO! Appetites at ShopVille, located near to the entrance/exit of the main train station (on the other extreme end opposite of Marché). It offers a wide variety of dishes from soups to salads to sandwiches to pastas and pizzas.

Prices are reasonable and you can choose the portion size - small, medium and large. The panini, with the light, chewy and stringy mozzarella is oomph! The set below (soup not included) costs about CHF 7.90 and comes with salad and chips. A filling and healthy lunch that doesn't burn the pocket :) Four out of five stars for the taste.

Another cheap eating place to recommend is Züri Bistro, which sells cheap kebabs, fries, pide etc. My favourite is their chicken schnitzel where somehow, it tastes different from the other schnitzel I've eaten. Not to mention, the portion is huge too. If you miss Asian food, try Suan Long, which similar to our 'zi char'. Taste is reasonable but don't expect Asian prices. And I didn't know that Singapore is famous for "Singapore style bee hoon" here (aka Sin Chow Bee Hoon). If you like thin crust pizzas, try Joey's Coffee and Kitchen where their pizza's are almost like paper. Love their zucchini pizza, yummm!!!

The Tourist Information Office at the main train station - a good place to gather information on other places of interest with the brochures and maps provided. One could even shop for Swiss souvenirs here which are cheaper than those sold in K-Kiosks (aka Cheers or 7-Eleven in SG).

There are about 130 shops here in ShopVille-RailCity of Zurich which are open year round, including Sundays and public holidays with some shops closed on 25 Dec.

Well, I know nothing of Zürich before that, until Uncle Tan had to be there on an exchange programme for 6 months. Hence the unknown fear and anxiety for me.

Best City to Live In

Rated for the 7th time in succession as the city with the highest quality of life, Zürich is a charming city, rich in culture and surrounded by nature. It has the city's infrastructure and facilities, yet alongside, you'll find parks, museums, nature places, the lake and breathtaking view of the distant alps.

Being a cosmopolitan city, Zürich is Switzerland’s most densely-populated canton where one in six of Switzerland’s inhabitants lives here.

It's actually quite like Singapore, minus the high-rise buildings, huge and still crowded malls, humid weather, limited nature places, less civic-minded people...the transport network is well connected and comfortable (less packed), the place is clean (except for the cigarette butts) and is generally safe. They are also well-known for their night activities given its highest concentration of pubs and clubs.

Well, "Zürich" (pronounced as 'zu-rick') should be written with the 2 dots on top of "u", but I guess for convenience sake, people drop the 2 dots. Hence sometimes you'll also see people spelling it as "Zuerich" as seen in their tourism website www.zuerich.com. A very useful website if you want to know almost anything and everything about Zürich.

The Walking Tour

Our first stop is the city's Police Station. I'd say it's the most unique and perhaps most colourful police station in the world where the ceilings are multi-coloured (mostly reds) with beautiful motifs. You need to deposit your ID/ passport at the reception area unless you follow a tour group where the guide will take care of it. No photography is allowed. It's the police station, so don't wanna be caught snapping secretly ;p

Zürich's patron saints

We've passed by this monument a couple of times along the stretch in old town without actually noticing the significance of this sculpture.

They were the patron saints of Zürich, Felix and Regula, who were members of an all-Christian Roman legion that was to be executed en masse in southwest Switzerland. They fled with their servant, Exuperantius, to the city from the massacre of their legion in Valais. They were beheaded at the Wasserkirche for refusing to pray to Roman gods.

Legend says that they picked up their heads and carried them up the hill to the spot where they wished to be buried, which is where the Grossmünster stands if I recall correctly. The Fraumünster was the repository of the saints’ remains and the Münsterbrücke bridge was built to link all three in about 1220.

From the 13th century, images of the saints were used in official seals of the city and on coins. On the saints' feast day, their relics were carried in procession between the Grossmünster and the Fraumünster. The two monasteries vied for the possession of the relics, which somehow, attracted pilgrims and made Zürich became the most important pilgrimage site. The Knabenschiessen (Shooting Festival) of Zürich originates from this.

Pestalozzi Park

A very small open space between Schweizergasse and Usteristrasse, you can see the statue of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827), an educational reformer who influenced school standards in the U.S. According to our guide, he was the guy who made it possible for the girls in Switzerland to receive education.

A quick walk pass Bahnhofstrasse, we reached Old Town and walking towards Schipfe, a former fishing quarter on the banks of the Limmat River which takes its name from the nautical term schupfen (push) which was used to describe how the fishermen pushed their boats to and from the river bank. One of Zürich's oldest districts, the picturesque cobbled lanes are filled with art workshops, boutiques and cafes.

The house of Swiss craft where you'll find exquisite Swiss handicraft works (with exquisite prices too) here.

Time for a refreshing drink with complements from the Tourism Information Office. The cinnamon flavoured syrup tasted the best surprisingly. I wanted to buy a bottle of the syrup back but well, knowing our luggage limits, we had to give that a miss...

Although we've been to the old town a couple of times, there are still some streets we've missed exploring, like the one above with the wooden house.

According to the guide, the residents aren't allowed to make any changes to the exterior of their houses as these are considered as cultural properties which are to be conserved.

Purple colour lovers Ms Ang and Carol might like to stay in this pretty purple house :)

This 'bumper' that you see at the corner of the street is to prevent horse carriages and vehicles from destroying the facade of the houses.

This shop is said to have a huge collection of whiskeys.

Our tour guide, explaining to us the significance of this monument which gives a little insight into Zürich's history. Well, not a very patient guide but I thought was good for she ensured that we (total of 6 members in the English-speaking tour) don't waste time taking "posey" photos like an Indian couple in our group. We didn't dare to ask her age but we guessed she could be well in her late 60s and that's pretty good for she walks faster than anyone of us while doing the talking at the same time.

Lindenhof

This is a good place to relax and play chess :)

The building on the right is Observatory Urania, with a 48m tower and a telescope for you to observe the stars. You can also go for a drink and enjoy the fabulous view from Zürich's tallest bar. Situated at Uraniastrasse 9, the place is open from 9pm-11pm (Tue-Sat) in summer and from 8pm-10pm (Tue-Sat) in winter. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.

It was said that this stone used to hold the statue of William Tell. However, somehow the statue went missing one night. No one could find the huge sculpture to date. I wonder if anyone would turn up with the statue one day, claiming it's Mr Tell......

Well Uncle Tan's version was that "he" came alive and came over to Singapore and somehow was known as "Sir Stamford Raffles" and managed to develop Singapore into what it is today which shares so much similarities with Switzerland. Ya that's my imaginative Uncle Tan :>

Situated on a hill sits Lindenhof, where one could enjoy a magnificent view of right bank of river Limmat.

The Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) could be seen from Lindenhof.

St Peter's church - the oldest parish church in Zürich with the largest clock face in Europe, which is 8.7m in diameter.

We could have passed by this stretch without knowing that beneath us is actually the ruins of a Roman bath!

This was where we were shown the city of Zürich.

This is the apartment where Lenin(the communist politician who is the first de facto leader of the Soviet Union, well-known for his Marxist theory) stayed while he was here.

The Grossmünster

The Grossmünster one of the famous churches in Zürich and forms a picturesque view against
river Limmat. We've took many pictures of it, be it day or night. Although its interior is rather bare as it was entirely stripped of the statues and paintings denounced by Zwingli (picture on the right), the leader of the Reformation in Switzerland, the architecture of the building is outstanding.

We managed to find the restaurant where we had desert with Eunice and her hubby when they were here since we were quite keen about their dinner menu and most importantly, they have very friendly staff and good service :)

Ah Kin ordered the mix grilled veggy and Uncle Tan ordered rosti with chicken and mushrooms.

Ummm...sedap! Especially the brinjal. The rice is yummy too!

The rosti was good, not too oily and the chicken with mushrooms had a unique taste. It was a satisfying dinner with a reasonable price.

We took a walk to Burkliplatz while allowing our tummies to do the work :)

And we chanced upon an exhibition by the students from ETH University.

It was quite a big-scale exhibition where students from mainly the science faculty displayed their works and had interesting experiments for the public to have a try. The above exhibits show how different species of corn are produced. The person in charge gave a detailed explanation on the experiments they had done to determine how cross pollination takes place.

Some kids were busy getting stamps on their activity card for each experiments they had attempted. I thought that's a good way to educate the public and perhaps a good way of attracting future potential undergrads to study there.

Was sharing with one of my friends who's currently teaching in a polytechnic about how relevant their study is to the real world. Being taught by 3 different lecturers from 3 different ethinc background/ nationality during her masters course, she commented that the Chinese lecturer taught her all the theories and concepts; the Singaporean lecturer zeroed in to show you how to solve the questions and derive at the answers; the ang moh lecturer demonstrated how to apply the theories learnt in real life situations. Hmm.....my 'sine', 'cosine' and Pythagoras's theorem had stayed with my maths teachers after my exams..I probably won't be acquainted with them, unless my future kid isn't as mathematically inclined......

Hmm...maybe that's why I'm more inclined to send my kid to an international school, that is if I have a choice and of course, the money.

It was a cold and windy night where despite our layers, we could still feel the chill.

Catching up

2008-10-28T09:53:00.017+08:00

Finally, after 3 weeks of massive cleaning, I've managed to clear most of the stuff in my house before my friends' visit yesterday. I guess Uncle Tan must be glad of

Before the clean up...

...and 6 months' worth of dust...

Ah Kin making her 爱心 bread for her friends :>

Somehow, it tasted different from the ones I made in Zurich. Probably the flour and the humidity which has affected the texture. The crust turned soft after it has cooled. The colour of the flour has also changed to yellow after baking. Perhaps I should use the normal plain flour. Never mind, will try again since I have more willing guinea pigs now hehe ;p

For the sake of the babies, we took extra effort to clean the floor the day before. Ya, Ah Kin actually tried the ancient Japanese way of cleaning the floor where I had to take 2 breaks just to clean only the living room. I was so shagged that I fell asleep on the day bed immediately after I've finished while Uncle Tan handled the rest using a mop instead ;p

Looking at the little tots, they just made me feel that time really flies...and Auntie Kin here is trying her best to remember at least, the names of these new little additions to the group.

Ashlyn, the sleeping beauty who can sleep anywhere despite the noise.

Yes yes, I know some of you would be asking me so when's my turn or whether these little angles will make me yearn for one of my own. Well, honestly, I'm still sitting on the fence and waiting for the unexpected 'accident' to happen...although friends who know me will know that the chances of the 'accident' would be minimal given my ample knowledge on fertility. Knowledge is power is a double-edged sword huh ;p

Anyway, to 'insure' myself against having boys in case the 'accident' really happens, I've got these girls to roll/ lie on my bed ;p

Somehow, this reminds me of the days when I grew up together with my cousins. I'm beginning to wonder if I still have the energy to do all those things I've done with them which includes bathing them, feeding them, changing their nappies, ya you little rascals, I've seen them all ;p rocking them to sleep in the sarongs, tolerating their crying at night, getting bitten by them...

So when's my turn? I really won't be able to tell. You'll know when it happens :)

The Last Lecture

2008-10-27T10:45:00.000+08:00

I've seen this from one of my friend's blog and wanted to share this inspirational clip with you.

One of the things he mentioned that struck me was the example he has cited on the incident about his nephew puking in his car. This reminded me of an article I've read where the author wonders why Singaporeans won't allow their maids to drive their cars (that is assuming if their maids know driving), yet entrust their maids to look after their children almost 24/7. It's strange how we prioritize.

Sometimes I wonder too if the maid is the mistress instead. Preparing breakfasts for the family, handles the housework, staying at home to look after the kids while "Sir" and "Mdm" are slogging away in the office.

Dedicated to my Ah Dear

2008-10-24T10:30:00.000+08:00

To the guy who...

kisses me goodnight before bedtime,
kisses me goodbye before going off to work,
closes the windows every morning to keep away the traffic noises so that wifey can continue to sleep,
waits for me at the void deck whenever I go home late,
helps with most of the housework and is an expert @ ironing,
is good at packing luggages,
blows warm air into my hands to keep them warm,
always somehow manages to find my misplaced items,
forgives readily when I make mistakes,
nags @ me endlessly,
listens willingly to my grouses, complaints, views...
supports me in whatever decisions I make,
isn't stingy with his hugs (exclusively to me of course ;p),
sings nonsensical 'opera' with me,
is sensitive to my feelings most of the time,
tolerates my mood swings,
tries his best to answer all my odd or hypothetical questions,
has made me see the best and worst in myself,
has adapted to my messiness,
gets tickled at my little tantrums,
is patient with my impatience,
makes me laugh with his @$#%^ acts haha ;D
shares his thoughts and feelings with me (thou needed some prompting @ times),
has strong faith in our relationship...

Thank you Ah Dear, for these little acts of love and for accepting who I am despite my many repeated FAQ on "Why choose me?" hehe :p

Wishing you a Happy 3rd year anniversary and thanks for the little gesture :)

Think these clips might bring back some fond memories of our stay in Zurich ;>

My first meal in Switzerland prepared by Uncle Tan

The Aftermath...

Mobility Fest

2008-10-23T08:33:00.010+08:00

The last Sunday.

Instead of taking the tram. We walked to town via the little park near our apartment for the last time. When we first arrived in April, they were all bare. And now, the leaves have turned yellow and orangy.

I love this park for its tranquility and it's actually quite scenic with the row of trees.

On our way to the Mobility Fest.

Knowing that I've been wanting to ride a horse, Uncle Tan told me to try it since there aren't many people queuing yet. Well...I don't think I want to be the only one adult among the other toddlers going round the city on the ponies...

Uncle Tan waited patiently for his turn to take a ride in this cool battery-operated car. It can actually travel at 85km/hr. It's controlled by a joy-stick with only a gear for reverse. The speed control is just a click of a button with different speed level. It's pretty user-friendly and because of its size, jam-friendly too. Too bad you still need a license to drive in this.

Ah Kin is so excited too and asked loads of questions on its functions. This car cost about CHF 25K. The price varies according to the battery size (which is linked to its speed limit). There's also a pedal in the car for you to cycle if you decided to workout to keep fit or when the battery goes flat). Well the good news is, you can charge your battery anywhere just like charging your mobile phone.

It only consumes a tenth of a normal car's energy consumption. I wonder if SG can import such environmentally-friendly cars. The downside is probably it's 2- seater and they would have to change the defroster to an air-conditioner. Well, I don't think we are there yet...

Another model of the battery-operated vehicle.

Uncle Tan was thrilled when he saw the Segway and immediately went to sign up to test drive. A driving license is required and you need to sign a disclaimer form whereby the driver would bear full responsibility on any injuries suffered from the test drive.

Demonstrating how to operate the Segway.

Uncle Tan looked so stiff when he was trying. And he's super slow...I think I can over take him by walking.

At that moment, I just wished I had a kid beside me so that I can take a ride on these steam trains. They run on coals!

There were some food stalls selling unique food unlike the usual grilled sausages and cheesy stuff. This curry-puff-look-alike pastry is made of corn flour and filled with mixed veggy. The crust is soft and is baked using steam. Eating a piping hot pastry on such a cold day is simply shiokadooze. If only they leave out the bamboo shoot as the filling. The rest of the veg taste fine.

Oh, this soft puffy dough below was delicious when dipped in the smooth and velvety vanilla sauce. The oomph goes on to a higher level when you eat it together with the strawberry sauce. Surprisingly, the vanilla sauce is not overly sweet.

Was it the weather or the combination that made the vanilla sauce taste so good?

The sea transport.

We didn't try that for it looked kinda strenuous for the rowers to row the boat that was rocking rather vigorously.

This complicated-looking structure allows children to experiment with the wheels and cog works that are intertwined.

A simple DIY ('drive-it-yourself' train)

There are many fun activities for kids and this huge inflatable is one of their favourites. And all these are free and there are no goodie bags to entice people to come. I pity the organizers in SG.

So if it's good, people will just come and participate. Look at the recent reports on the Big Walk and you'll know what I mean. People actually aren't ashamed to tell the whole world that they go because of the goodie bags...

A new ball game using hairdryers...

...operated by 'man' power :)

Hey, this looks like one of the stunt performances at the NKF show :)

Postcards were given out to the public to write their wishes and attached to the balloons. I wonder if our wishes would be read :)

The candies here are super sweet...we bought a packet of crunchy caramel that was the least sweet amongst the rest. No wonder the kids here seem to be so full of energy ;>

I thought such an event is rather educational. It promotes the use of energy-saving transport and at the same time, teaching the kids on how these inventions can help to cut down on energy consumption. Through the fun activities, I bet the kids would take home something useful. Even Uncle Tan is excited looking at all these exhibits. Well, who knows these kids might become the next inventor to some power-saving technology? Perhaps Singapore should have a similar outdoor event like this. Afraid of poor turnout? Goodie bags is the 'drawer'. Sigh......

Pumpkin Festival @ Jucker Farmart

2008-10-22T09:01:00.018+08:00

Finally, managed to find another online photo site to upload my photos as I've almost burst my picassa account in this blog. Think you should be able to view the pictures without hanging your pc :)

We're back at the Jucker Farmart the next day to witness the Pumpkin Regatta (aka boat race).

The race had started by the time we reached there as we were held up by the Mobility Fest @ Zurich earlier. Wonder why so many activities happening in end Sep.

Quite a number of spectators were there and we could hear cheers and the emcee's voice over a loudspeaker.

It seemed that it wasn't easy to row the pumpkin boat as you see the rowers struggling to keep it going and trying not to get the boat capsized.

This poor fella had to swim together with his pumpkin in the cold waters.

All applauded when this little boy made it to the finishing line without capsizing his pumpkin boat.

Close up shots of the pumpkin boats.

Oh the day before we happen to see one of them testing the pumpkin boat in the lake.

Time for a hot bowl of pumpkin soup :)

The texture is smooth, not too creamy or diluted. Cost CHF5 a bowl.

Along the way back, we pretty gardens that were very well kept, unlike the ones we saw in Venice. So nice to be able to have a mini garden to grow you own flowers and vegetables.

Can you identify the veggies below?

Carrots

Broccoli

The pears on this tree is huge.

Ah Kin stroking the cow one last time...

...and saying goodbye to the cows in the farm...

=============================================================
Back to Zurich

We wanna check out the Freestyle event at Landiwiese. The event is Europe's biggest freestyle sports event with international stars showing their daredevil tricks and stunts with competitions on snowboards, freeskis, FMX-bikes and skateboards.

We ended up taking a longer route but then we also discovered a nice little park along the way and chanced upon this mini chicken farm. Surprisingly, it wasn't smelly. Was it partly due to the weather or was it because of the feed they gave to the chickens?

And when we finally reached the place, we realised it's not FOC. Ahhh....

Nevertheless, we still managed to catch some actions outside the premise ;)

This is a man-made platform filled with snow for the freeskis.

Look at the height.

Am I the only one?

2008-10-21T15:12:00.001+08:00

A walk down to pack lunch back on a weekday.

People, people and more people. Is it a Central thing or has Singapore become overly crowded?

At night I went down to pack dinner back. I had to meander my ways though before I can get to the food court.

And worse, everywhere I go be it NTUC, food court, shopping malls, crossing the streets...I can see and hear Ah Tiongs everywhere.

I know I shouldn't 一竹竿打翻整船人 and I may have biased views. But why so? Why them and not the rest? And no, I'm definitely not jealous of their wealth or their intelligence.

They have not done anything to me (yet) but I've heard many stories where my friends and their friends were the victims. I have read enough in the news of the scams.

The lip-singing saga at the Olympics, the fake goods, the tainted food items, the on-going corruption even at official level, the scams, the 'crows' and 'dragon ladies', the table tennis team saga......

Yet, they still feel righteous about it. And some of the victims, especially the old men, still thought they were not being cheated and claim to have lent them the money willingly. Yet we still have to accept the fact that more of them are coming here to stay. Does being the next super power nation give them the right to behave in this manner? That no matter what they do, we still have to treat them nice for we depended on them for the survival of our economy?

I was told to forgive them for they have suffered much in their homeland. But that doesn't justify such immoral acts. I do not despise them for being poor, for not being sophisticated...but I've lost respect for them. They feel they are so 'self-righteous', so full of themselves and what I detest most is the lack of morals and resorting to dishonest ways just to get what they want.

Where has the Confucius teachings gone? My friend, Donna, has highlighted that our forefathers were from there too but they came here, worked hard and earn an honest day's living. What has happened?

I may sound a agitated and perhaps some might think I'm a little extreme in my views. But from the conversations I've had with my friends and family, I could sense the dissatisfactions too. Just that like what most typical Singaporeans would choose to do - just keep quiet and live with it. Mind your own business and don't get into trouble.

I'm not trying to stir up any anti-Chinese sentiments. But looking at the rate they are flocking in, it's a matter of time strong emotions will erupt if this is not managed properly. I want to have my say, this is the place where I grow up, where I have my friends and families and I really hate to see it becoming like another China.

I know no matter where I go, they'll be everywhere. But right now, I just feel that Singapore is really getting ridiculously populated. I just hope the officials know what they are in for by attracting so many so-called foreign talents.

If any Chinese happen to be reading this, I know you might feel offended. But please understand my frustrations. I'm trying my best to cope. I'm just worried that I might just let it all out one day if all my grievances have no avenues to let off steam.

Flea Market and Jucker Farmart

2008-10-19T22:24:00.002+08:00

I craved for the flea markets cos Sats are usually our hiking cum exploring days out of Zurich. So on the last Sat while we were here, we went to the flea market @ Burkliplatz for the last time before going to the farmart.

I'll miss the stuff they sell here with all the antique and ancient pieces...

Old and used cowbells...not cheap sia thou 2nd hand stuff

If Ah Kin intends to stay here for winter, probably she might consider getting these to keep her warm.

Somehow, we became hungry by 11am. Probably due to the cold wind. Off we go to the restaurant at Coop City.

Look at the tempting deserts...and they are incredibly light and fluffy. I can finish a piece without feeling jer-lark. I'll miss the pastries here...

Uncle Tan ordered the Swiss food - rosti with sausage.

Ah Kin will miss the fries here...and the cosy and not-so-crowded dining place.

Ok, on our way to the Jucker Farmart to go apple picking :)

Located at Dorfstrasse 23, Aathal-Seegräben, take train S14 to Aathal. From the train station, it's about 30 mins walk to the farm where you'll need to go through an underpass and passing by a small cow farm.

Alternatively, you can take train S3 and stop at Pfäffikon and then take bus No. 830. From there you'll find a nice walk along the lake towards Seegräben where it takes about 20 mins to reach the farm.

The cows all came forward when they saw us. So cute :)

This is the steep path you have to take to reach the farmart. It's still under construction.

You'll pass by some cornfields and a couple of mini farms before reaching the destination.

See, Uncle Tan willingly wanted to take photos with the flowers. I didn't request for that ar... ;p
One of the services provided to bring visitors from the carpark to the farmart. So environmentally friendly right?

Welcome to the Land of Pumpkins!

Oh my gosh! These pumpkins are so huge...it's like those pumpkins you've read in the stories i.e. Cinderella.

Sep-Oct is the season for pumpkins besides apples. And Halloween is just round the corner.

There are so many varieties! I wonder if people buy them for cooking or as ornaments for display cos they look so cute and pretty.

The entire place is filled with all sort of pumpkins. The one that I was carrying, I thought it looked more like a black cauliflower. They come in all shapes and sizes and different colours too.

Here is the renowned Cinderella's carriage and yes, the one sitting in the carriage is none other than our well-known Cinderlla hehe ;p
No wonder the prince is nowhere to be found hahaha ;D

These section displays all the humongous pumpkins. The one that I'm lying on weighs 320kg!

Slaying the pumpkin dragon

Can you guess what fairy tale this is? Clue: Count the number of wooden figurines :)

Shoppers will push these 'shopping carts' around to shop for pumpkins. It also serves as a trolley for kids. How I wish I can also sit in it too...

Climbing the pumpkin mountain :)

Oh their apple strudel is oomph! Unlike the Australia's version, this is soft and moist. The vanilla sauce is simply heavenly! It complements the apple strudel so well that you would like to have a second piece as it's not too sweet. The sauce however is sold separately. You need to pay an additional CHF 1.50 for the sauce which is up to you to scoop as much as you like!

Wonder what this is?

It's the men's toilet. All made of wood. So environmentally friendly!

Ok time to go apple picking. It's a pity we found out about this place pretty late cos June is the season for strawberry picking. Never mind, we still have apples to pick :)

There are quite a few varieties to choose from. They have Braeburn, Rubinette, Jaragold and our familiar Gala. We picked a few for ourselves as well as for our Uster neighbours.

There's no one to check. All you need to do is to pick the apples, go to the big weighing machine to get them weighed and then walk all the way back to where we had our apple strudel to pay. Yes, all by trust. So if you want to pick apples and not pay, it is possible.

But please appreciate the farmers' hard work and not become those 'gian png' Ah Tiongs. We want to be able to enjoy picking fruits freely when we go back next time without having someone to 'monitor' us thinking that we would not pay.

So happily, the 2 deprived ones went apple picking.
It was a very interesting experience indeed :)

The farm is pretty huge with even a small enclosure for goats, boars and ponies. We both love this farm because they have different fruits for you to pick in different seasons and they are cheaper than those sold in the supermarts. Plus, you can have a beautiful view of the lake.

The farm is surrounded by some smaller green pastures where you could see cows and sheep. This cow looks so comical with his look ;p

I call this the 'Zebra Cow'.

We saw the poster that seemed to say it is having a pumpkin boat race the next day. So we asked around and were told that the event would start at 1.30pm on Sunday. And yes, we made a second trip back the following day.

Adjusting

2008-10-17T13:33:00.005+08:00

3 weeks after I'm back, I am slowly getting used to...
the crowded and claustrophobic environment,
the many high rise buildings,
the traffic noises,
the strong food court smell and local food,
the soft bread,
the dusty environment due to all the on-going construction works,
the low toilet seats in my home,
not having greetings from people on the streets,
seeing ungracious and non-civic conscious acts i.e. pushing to go up the bus, standing in front of the MRT doorways, smoking the lifts, spitting, littering...

Still trying to...
adjust to the humid weather,
de-clutter the clutter in my house,
get used to Singaporeans' non-punctual habits,
adjust to Uncle Tan's coming home later due to work (darn Lehman Bros' senior management),
lessen my skepticism towards certain issues,
not to think too much of the green pastures, crisp air, soft comfy bed, fluffy pastries, fragrant bread, gentle cows, curious sheep, friendly Swiss......

I have managed to...
adjust to Singapore timing,
tune back to the local TV channels after months of overseas online dramas, although still trying to get used to the many advertisements,
reconnect with some friends and colleagues...

6 months isn't a long time away and some of my colleagues said it felt as if I didn't leave SG for a long time. But I felt displaced when I first arrived - the fast pace, the people, the surrounding...despite a mere 6 mths, several things have changed and perhaps some of you might not have noticed since you grew with these changes. I suddenly felt old seeing the rapid changes taking place around me.
- new buses
- new announcements on MRT trains which are louder now
- more Ah Tiongs and Caucasians in the neighbourhood
- higher food prices, some with reduced amount or quality
- more Ah Tiongs working in food courts besides beauty centres
- new shop face for some shops and major face lift for Orchard Road
- changes in the layout and paper size for Straits Times and TODAY paper
- new NTUC logo

Being 6 mths away out from home somehow opens up my senses. Perhaps I have less things to cram in my little mind. More opportunity to listen since there's no one to talk to most of the time. More time to explore, discover and appreciate. Uncle Tan was wondering why we could afford to go hiking on most weekends without having to worry what we have yet to do or what we need to do. Partly because we don't have to do much housework except the laundry, cooking and dish washing. But even if we were to do the housework, there wouldn't be much cleaning either for the place has less dust since most of the time the windows were not opened fully nor were there many cars to cause any pollution.

Over here, we have tonnes of things to do where housework is one major task other than the bills to pay and file, errands to run, sieving unwanted mails and flyers, visit in-laws, grandparents...the list seems endless...imagine having a kid...that would suck out most of the time...

Perhaps that was one of the reasons why we were drawn to want to stay and work there...but eventually these miscellaneous stuff will come to look for us once we settled there.

I'm supposed to be cleaning and de-clutter my house but just do not have the mood to do it somehow. Or rather I don't know how to start...if only I can have a man's brain for now and able to part with some of the very old things I've kept for years thinking I might need it some day or keeping them for sentimental reasons. I want to live simply but I want to also have things I could keep some items of sentimental value to reminisce the good old times when I'm old.

So perhaps it's time for my friends not to give me any more presents from now on. A card, a non-MIC chocolate or just spending time together is what I would appreciate :) In a way, this is also more environmentally friendly :) Ang Paos sound so practical but of course are welcomed nevertheless hehe ;p

Ok, still gotta go and clear some stuff before Uncle Tan nags at me subtly again...

Our last nature trail - Sihlward

2008-10-17T10:06:00.000+08:00

3 days before we leave Zurich, we decided to visit Sihlward again for we like the tranquility of the place.

We were in the same train as these students who were going on an excursion. Lucky children ;)

Some of the trees have started to change colour. Probably the weather here is colder.

Uncle Tan shoving coal. He told me these eventually will turn into diamonds woh...

The black-faced sheep. Somehow we love observing them. They will all stop grazing and all look at the same direction for quite a while before they resume grazing. They are just so cute and curious creatures :)

These boars have found their 'leader' finally hehe ;p they kept following Uncle Tan around...

We couldn't see any otters sunbathing this time. Probably too cold.

So fun to go on an excursion in such a weather with friends, learning interesting things...from cute teachers too hehe ;p

We decided to hike and walk to the next train station which takes about 40mins to an hour. It was cold and windy but a pleasant walk with very few people.

Breathe in more before we get our lungs get polluted by the car exhaust, fumes, dust and smoke...

The Sihlward train that goes every hour.

Finally reached the station to take the train back to Zurich HB.

Basel

2008-10-15T09:20:00.005+08:00

Located along the Rhine river, Basel (pronounced as "Bar-cil") sits in the corner of 3 countries - France, Germany and Switzerland.

One nice perk you'll get when staying in Basel is the Basel Mobility Card, which comes free with your hotel stay. This card gives you free tram and bus rides throughout the city.

There are 2 main train stations in Basel - the larger Basel SBB is the main Basel station and the Basel Badischer Bahnhof, which runs the German trains. If you are going to France, you need to walk to Bâle SNCF at Basel SBB.

Basel also has an international airport which is shared between Basel (Switzerland), Mulhouse (France) and Freiburg (Germany). I wonder if it'd be confusing.

Upon reaching, we tried to get hold of the location map at the Tourist Information Office. It is the first time we had to pay (CHF 0.50) for a map. Usually maps are given out free unless you're looking for those detailed maps. Hmm...small wonder it's the "most successful economic region in Switzerland".

The train ride which took about an hour somehow made us go hungry. Not wanting to waste time, we decide to 'eat and go' and got ourselves 2 hot sandwiches from Migros. They're yummy ;d

From afar, we saw a huge tower, St Elisabeth church, which is located in the center of the city. It is regarded as the most important neo-Gothic church of Switzerland with a bell tower 72m high where Uncle Tan made his way up.

On our way to the church, we passed by a mini carnival with stalls selling exotic products. Not all were opened then. And we saw this make-shift loo for men. Dare to pee there? ;p

Apparently there was a children's event to be held there where we saw a slide being set up in the church with some of the children's art work being put up as decoration.

Whilst Uncle Tan went to climb the tower, I waited for him mid-way in the clock tower. It was actually a little eerie for there was no one around, and the area was rather dark. All I could hear was the ticking of the clock tower with occasional movement of the minute hand and sometimes, someone walking somewhere within the tower.

There was this little "door-like" fixture that was attached to a wall that would move occasionally. I wonder why they had this fixture there for it was not a door leading to any room. I thought it was kinda strange when it moved as I couldn't feel any breeze in the room. It made a squeaky sound as it moves front and forth.... So, I tried not to focus my attention on that "door" in case "someone" is trying to attract my attention. Uncle Tan also shared with me that he didn't ventured to the dark corners while he was up there taking pictures.

Look at the symmetrical design of the tower.

Hehe, fortunately I didn't climb together with him though it was only like 180+ steps. The view wasn't that fantastic.

Here we are at the shopping street of Basel. I kinda like shopping here for the shops were much bigger as compared to Zurich's and offer more variety. But too bad, we had to go to the "Basel triangle" so I had can only shop briskly...
The long piece of cloth hanging above not only provides very good shelter against the sun, it appeals aesthetically too.

The Bucherer which is equivalent to an atas (expensive) watch shop.

They have quite a few street performers on the shopping street and this was one of the more interesting one.

The picture on the right is the Marktplatz where everyday, except Sunday, fresh vegetables, fruits and flowers would be on sale here. Next to the Marktplatz is the brightly coloured Town Hall (Rathaus) which was built from 1504 to 1514. Imagine our Town Councils having such a building.

The façade of its oldest parts still contains the Gothic and Renaissance elements, and comprises the 3 arched entrances - the clock, the golden turret and the chancery, which was added from 1606 to 1608.

We were wowed by the colourful interior as we enter the Town Hall.

From 1898 to 1904, when the Market Square was replanned, the oriel tower was added and crowned, as a symbol of the citizenry's claim to power. The murals were done largely by Hans Bock, a famous artist in the 16th century.

We suspect this shiny golden ornament at the top is made of real solid gold.

On our way to the "Basel triangle"

To reach there, take Tram 8 from the either the main train station or at the stop outside the Town Hall and stop at Kleinhuningen. Walk for about 20-30 mins and you'll reach this place called Dreiländereck where you could see France and Germany while in Switzerland. It's not a scenic walk with no shelters along the way.

The railway - one of the favourite scene of Singaporean couples taking their wedding photos :P

This was reeeally hot and this place reminds us of our Keppel Harbour.

Click on this picture if you can't see the birds. There's one bird perched on every pillar and all facing the same direction :)

A couple is getting married and are having their function on board this vessel. We saw the vintage bridal car later on our way back which gave a few cheery horns :)

Saw this really long boat.

The sky is always bluer in other countries ya :)

Here it is - the Basel Triangle.

We were a little disappointed cos we expected it to be a scenic place with a beautiful park. But all that was is this.

On my left is Switzerland and on my right is France.

On Uncle Tan's right is Switzerland and on his left is Germany.

The beach in France :)

Next stop: Basel Cathedral

Situated above the Rhine River, the Cathedral is a prominent feature in the city with its red sandstone walls, multi-coloured roof tiles and twin towers. Why why there are always renovation works on most of the buildings we see? Is Auguest a period for reno works?

Opening hours:
Summer, Easter Sat till 15 Oct
Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday and holidays 1pm - 5pm

Winter, 16 Oct till Good Friday
Mon - Sat 11am - 4pm
Sun and holidays 2pm - 6pm

The Cathedral is closed on the following days: 1 Jan, Good Friday, 1 May, 1 Aug, 24 and 25 Dec

Views from the Basler Platz.

The word "Pfalz" means "palace". The terrace high above the Rhine behind the Cathedral is called the Pfalz because the residence of the Bishop of Basel was in the immediate vicinity.

Stairs lead down from the Pfalz to the landing stage of the Münsterfähre (Cathedral Ferry). The ferry is attached to a wire rope stretched across the Rhine, and is propelled across the broad river purely by the force of the current. There are three other ferries in Basel, which are a popular attraction.

We could hear a faint high-pitched sining coming from one of the rooms. It was quite funny looking at the perplexed expressions on the visitors' faces as they hear the faint singing. They were all curious but no one dared to open the door of the room to find out. I tried but it seemed locked...

If you ask me, you can give Basel a miss if you have a tight itinerary. Basel is a gateway to France and Germany, so perhaps you might wanna consider going to places like Comar in France (which is like a little Venice) or Fribourg in Germany where you could try the black forest cake :)

I shall save these 2 places for my next visit to Switzerland hehe ;p

Zurichberg

2008-10-12T09:25:00.000+08:00

Like Uetliberg, Zurichberg is also quite big and has a few hiking routes.

You could either hike up, or take this furnicular. It's about 5-10 minutes ride up.

Unlike the one we took earlier to the other part of Zurichberg, this funicular has a driver. At the terminal, which is the Zurichberg stop, the driver has to alight the furnicular and walk to the end of the furnicular (not a long vehicle thou) and drive the furnicular in the opposite direction. Well good exercise in a way :)

The 2 sisters seem to glow in the light ya :)

We chanced upon this stable where it housed a number of horsies.

Ooh, black hourse :) I was worried it might nibble my head so I didn't dare to stand too close to it. Horses have their temperaments so it's best not to provoke them :>

And we saw a rider, riding without any proper riding equipment. I guess she's the owner's daughter. So nice...

This horse was a little naughty which almost made her slip and fall but she was quite a seasoned rider so managed to control the naughty horsey.

We were wondering why these horses are covered up. To keep them away from the flies? Or they have some diseases?

These are cows which are dark and fury.

This place is less crowded compared to Uetliberg. Well, Uetliberg has a nicer panoramic view I suppose.

Saw a mother having a 'sword play' with his son using a tree brunch. Surprisingly, the son was the one defending and running away instead of the other way round.
Guess the mother too gung ho for him ;p

The familiar traces ;p

This hotel is the most expensive hotel in Zurich. Just a night here on a normal room costs a few hundred Swiss francs. The most expensive suite costs CHF

I wonder who would like to stay in such an expensive and yet out of place hotel.

Overlooking from the hotel, is the makan terrace and a golf course.

When will we ever have a say?

2008-10-10T15:04:00.000+08:00

I remembered Uncle Tan mentioning earlier that his company wanted to build a stadium cum a shopping mall near a residential area in Zurich. The project didn't materialise because most of the residents voted against it. First, it would mean a lot of construction work, which will result in a lot of noise and air pollution. Secondly, they prefer the peace and quiet they enjoy in the neighbourhood and wouldn't like the place to be flooded with people and cars, not to mention the tall building might obstruct their precious sunshine. Their voices are heard. They made the decision.

To a Singaporean: Stadium and mall? Good ah! So convenient. My house property value also sure go up! "Tan Dio" leh! (gain something good)

The building of casino was one classic example where despite the numerous consultations and protests from various groups, our "gar-ment" still went ahead to build not one, but two casinos. I am not against this idea for I see the economic value it can bring to Singapore. Yeah, I too, am a practical Singaporean. But what frustrates me is that what we say don't seem to influence the final decision. A typical reply from a Singaporean, "No point lah."

Another example below - a news article from CNA on the building of a dormitory in Serangoon Gardens.

Channel NewsAsia - Saturday, October 4
Dormitory decision upsets some Serangoon Gardens residents

SINGAPORE: Despite the various mitigating measures being proposed, some residents in Serangoon Gardens did not take too well to the news that a foreign workers’ dormitory is going to be set up in the area.

The dormitory will be at the former Serangoon Garden Technical School site, just right across the road from the residents.

There is going to be additional fencing to keep workers in as well as planters to screen the site. But is this a satisfactory compromise for residents?

"I am fed up!" a woman screamed from her car.

"I am thinking of moving out," said a resident.

"We are living with people; they move around. If you fence them up, and say ’this is your area, this is my area’, I don’t think it is going to work," said Angela Yeo, a resident at Burghley Drive.
Although the dormitory is for foreign workers in the manufacturing and services sectors, residents said it does not mean security is less of a concern.

Chen Sung Sheng, a resident at Burghley Drive, said: "I think it is the same, isn’t it? It all boils down to the same... foreign workers, regardless of what they are working as. Of course, we can’t say that all foreign workers are bad. But majority of us are not very happy about it."

The other issue that irks residents — the way the decision was made.

"The whole consultation process, while it was useful, it kind of makes the residents feel ’what was the point?’" said Lim Chia Joo, a resident at Burghley Drive.

However, some felt the proposed measures have helped allay their concerns.

Rose Tan, a Serangoon Gardens resident, said: "If, after that study, they think that it is feasible to go ahead with the project, I am sure they would have taken steps to address the many concerns that were raised by the residents."

Residents are asking the police to step up patrols in the area. They also want the police post, which operates from noon to 10pm, to extend its opening hours.

=============================================================

I can understand the concerns of some residents especially on the safety issues although I would say that not all foreign workers are trouble makers. They too come here to earn an honest living to make life better for their families back home. (At least most of them don't con or cheat people like SOME...)

However, I can't empathize with those who 'make noise' just because the existence of the dorm would depreciate their property values.

We often associate foreign workers with rowdiness, hygienic issues, unsafe etc. Hence, it would pose some difficulty in trying to sell the house near such a dorm to any locals who share the same perception of the foreign workers. Imagine building an apartment to house foreigners, who are working professionals. That doesn't sound like an issue to anyone right? Perhaps engaging someone like John Hancock's PR consultant might help to change their image and the misconceptions people have on them.

To be honest, some of us still hold the archaic "colonial" mentality where the caucasians are more "atas" (upper class). I'm sure some of you have experienced the different treatments given to an ang moh vs an asian. The same goes for renumeration packages. An ang moh expat would be given an apartment in prime town locations like Orchard, Raffles Place etc. An Asian expat would be given an apartment in the subprime areas like Eunos, Simei etc. Well, some are even given "hardship allowance" for coming to a place like Singapore to work.

Having no choice but to live with 4.8 million people, guess we have to learn to be more tolerant and understanding. Being a resident of another country for 6 mths, I am thankful that I was treated with respect most of the time and didn't receive too many unfriendly glares or slighted looks.

It is not easy to work in a place far away from home alone. Let us try not to let our biasness cloud our perceptions (thou for me I'd be selective, you know who i meant lah haha). Well, I've recently met one polite and considerate lady whom I've reciprocated her kind gestures graciously.

Park Im Grüene

2008-10-08T15:45:00.006+08:00

Finally have some time to do all the backlog :)

This place I'm recommending is Park Im Grüene, located in Thawil, about 20 mins away from Zurich. It's a good place for families and picnics as it's less crowded with an extensive lawn and a playground. Adults can also rent the deck chairs for free. Everything is DIY, no one to give out the deck chairs or to monitor if you have kept the deck chairs.

Saw this remote controlled 'flattener' that flattens the road. So high tech..

To reach the park, you need to take train the S-Bahn train S8 to Thawil and then take bus 141 and stop at Park Im Gruene, which is the 6th stop.

Migros Restaurant by the park.

An empty and old wooden hut.

Imagine having a picnic here and playing ball games here. Shiokadoodoos :)

You could also catch a glimpse of the Zurichsee.

The house behind me reminds us of one of the preserved housing we saw in Japan.

We visited the exhibition in the straw house which showcased the life of Gottlieb Duttweiler, Migros founder, and his wife. Free admission.

The park is open to the public since 1947 donated by the Migros founder to provide a recreational facility for the public.

The donkey :)
Was telling my friend that my smile seems to resemble them ;p

The park offer donkey rides here which cost CHF 1, available on Wednesday and Sunday from 2-3pm and 3.30-4.30pm. They also offer the mini train ride called "The Bähnli" that runs in good weather, usually on Wednesday and Sunday from 2-3pm and 3:30-5pm, even during the holidays every day except Saturday at CHF 1 per ride. That day happened to be Sat, so we didn't see it in operation.

After lunch, decided to explore around before heading back.

Naturally, we were drawn to the smell of the cows ;p

This acorn reminds me of the poor little fella carrying it in Ice Age.

And we discovered this little park.

Uncle Tan demonstrating. Ah Kin had a hard time trying to get up onto the seat, only to realise later that she should bring the tyre to the other end which has a higher ground.

In Singapore, I never had the chance to try this mini flying fox cos the one at Pasir Ris is always having long queues. Not sure if it's still there and if it's still working normally since it's so popular.

It was shiok being able to scream as I slide since there were no one around, except the cows. It was pretty fast and had quite a strong recoil at the end.

Uncle Tan suggested climbing up the little hill to see what's beyond.

And here we are.

It was darn windy and cold up here.

Passing by some private apartments along the way. Everything was so neat.

I've Survived :)

2008-10-06T09:34:00.004+08:00

For the past 6 months,

I've survived the cold weather;
I've survived on having bread for breakfast everyday (no fried beehoon, no fried carrot cake, no wanton mee, no yong tao fu...);
I've survivied on eating my own cooked meals almost everyday;
I've survived with a small kitchen with limited utensils;
I've survived eating lunch alone most of the time;
I've survived not talking for more than 8 hours a day (To my friends, thank you for tolerating my yakking be it when you have visited me or via email or msn :>);
I've survived watching their German channels;
I've survived living in a country where I do not understand their national language - German or Swiss German;
I've survived eating chocolates without having any pimples haha :D ;
I've survived climbing numerous stairs and elevated hikes;
I've survived tolerating the garbage which is only cleared once a week;
I've survived in a place where shops close at 6pm and on Sundays and...
I've survived two 12-hour flights!

Actually no big deal lah, cos Zurich is quite similar to Singapore - it's a cosmopolitan city, generally safe and shares similar standard of living as (or maybe higher than) Singapore.

We're still trying to orientate ourselves for the past 5 days. Unpacking, retrieving our luggages from our friends, cleaning the house, meeting families to pass chocolates and souvenirs, getting the basic groceries and toiletries...

Uncle Tan said our noses and armpits have been telling us to go back to Zurich ;p We've been sneezing for the past few days and Ah Kin has been feeling sticky throughout the day. She doesn't shiver after the shower, nor does she need to put on a cardi on an air-con bus or in a shopping mall :) But once the body adjusts back to the tropical climate, everything would be back to normal. Which, may not be a bad thing especially when you think about the underams hahaha ;D

My bowel system has gone a little haywire where the urge can come at 1am. I couldn't sleep until it's past 12am. I have to readjust to the food here which both of us found it weird that we do not have any cravings for the food here. I was pretty turned off by the smell in the food court though that happened even before I left for Switzerland. And no, I'm NOT preggy. I have a keen sense of smell so I don't like a mixture of strong food smells in a confined space.

I still have the problem of "what to eat for breakfast". I realised that our breakfast are kinda unhealthy - chwee queh, fried carrot cake, fried bee hoon...the oil in them somehow didn't whet my apetitte. I've been eating soupy stuff for the past few days. We've also noticed that for those stalls whose prices didn't increase, the amount they give seem to dwindle. We were disappointed with the famous roasted meat stall at Lor 1 coffeeshop. When I opened up my packet of char siew rice, the amount of meat was miserable, not to mention that most were fatty meat, which I think Ms Sui would be a happier customer :)

A visit to the nearest confectionary shop - Cake History. How I wish they could be simpler breads. I hardly can find a simple piece of sausage bread without any other condiments. There's one at Bread Talk which apparently, the price has increased from $1.20 to $1.40.

A visit to NTUC - the selection of fruits is limited. Now with Fuji apples from China out of my marketing list, I have even less fruits to choose from. I wonder if I still have any vegetables to buy if I were to leave vegetables from China out from my marketing list.

With food becoming scarce, what those companies in China have done is utterly a waste of resources.

Made in Switzerland

2008-09-29T17:40:00.000+08:00

Ok, this topic is NOT on baby making, so don't get too excited.

I've had some weird requests to get some "made in Switzerland" souvenirs just before going back to SG. Somehow, these requests came pretty last minute when I had no more time to shop and look around. I've requests like 'just buy any watch' from Switzerland, getting a winter jacket and another was to get any nice jacket below $200.

So given such a short time frame to get cheap and good deals is really testing my shopping ability given that I'm not a shopping queen. So I couldn't accede to all requests.

Once, we overheard a an officer working in the tourism office telling 2 tourists that "Switzerland is an expensive country". We thought that was rather direct if not, haughty. But it's the truth.

Switzerland isn't a shopping paradise nor is it known to be one even though it has the world's most expensive shopping street - the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich. You can still get cheap and good deals when certain items are on sale, if you can find your sizes. It's interesting to note items that are in black and white hardly go on sale and sometimes could cost more than other colours as they are the 2 most favoured colours among the Europeans.

Well, I thought it might be a good opportunity to clear some misconceptions on items "Made in Switzerland" since I've discovered some interesting facts whilst hunting for MIS souvenirs.

Q: Are all watches in Switzerland are made in Switzerland?

Well, I can safely say that all milk in Switzerland are from the Swiss cows as the government do not allow the import of milk in order to protect the Swiss farmers. To side track a little, Switzerland is the country that invented milk chocolate (if you happen to read the "Travellers" section of the paper TODAY on 9 Oct).

However, this isn't the case for watches.
Even if they carry the "Swiss Made" or "Made in Switzerland" logos, it doesn't mean they are truly made in Switzerland. A good example is the Swiss Military Watch. It has so many fake versions thou it carries the swiss logo.

Q: Are watches cheaper in Switzerland?

Depends. If you are talking about those high end watches made in Switzerland, maybe. But the price itself can take you from SG to Zurich a couple of times.

Swatch watches are cheaper only if the exchange rate is favourable. And even so, it's just a few dollars' difference.

They have those "pasar malam looking" watches in Switzerland too (some look worse than the pasar malams ones to be honest) and they cost from CHF 19 onwards. It is sold in Switzerland no doubt about it, but it may not be made in Switzerland or the parts may not be from Switzerland.

Extracted from Wikipedia:

Swiss watch

A watch is considered Swiss, according to the Swiss law if:

its movement is Swiss and,
its movement is cased up in Switzerland and;
the manufacturer carries out the final inspection in Switzerland

Swiss watch movement

A watch movement is considered Swiss if:

the movement has been assembled in Switzerland and,
the movement has been inspected by the manufacturer in Switzerland and;
the components of Swiss manufacture account for at least 50 percent of the total value, without taking into account the cost of assembly.

If a watch movement is intended for export and will not be cased-up in Switzerland, but it otherwise meets the criteria to be considered a Swiss movement, the watch may say "Swiss Movement" but it may not say Swiss Made on the watch case or dial.

“It is not generally known that quite a few Swiss companies have watches assembled in China for export to North America, Asia and even Europe, where the brand name is more important that the “Swiss made” label. Such watches may consist of a Chinese case and a Chinese crystal, a Taiwan-made dial and metal bracelet and Japanese hands. If the movement is to be considered Swiss, 51% of its value must be Swiss and at least the last wheel must be added in Switzerland. Swiss watch brands without the “Swiss made” label are usually equipped with a Japanese movement. The “Swiss parts” label means that the movement is assembled in Asia using kits consisting at least partially of Swiss made components.”

You can read this if you're keen to find out more: Swiss Made

Even the famous Swiss souvenir - the cuckoo clocks, do not originate from Switzerland. The Black Forest region in southern Germany is it's birthplace. In fact, many of the cheap quartz clocks that you see in souvenir shops are made in China, South Korea and Japan (ok I don't mind from Japan thou). You can read this for more info which I find it quite interesting:
Swiss Info

So next time when you see the Swiss cross or the "Made in Switzerland" label, it doesn't necessarily mean they originate from the country it has indicated on the label.

Auf Wiedersehn

2008-09-29T03:19:00.014+08:00

Time to say goodbye...

to the awesome alps and good friends made,
to the cows, sheep and goats that graze the day away...
to the flowers that have bloomed beautifully in Spring,
and the warmth of the sun that summer brings...
to the lustrous grass that I lay on,
to the charming lakes I've grown fond of...

Just as I was learning to adjust to the cold weather...
Just as I was getting used to the little inconvenience of shops closing on Sundays...
Just as I was beginning to enjoy the train rides a little more...
Just as I was changing to like the freshly baked breads...
Just as I was growing to like you even more...
It's time to go.

Every breath that I take, I feel it's a blessing.
Each step that I take, it imprints in my memory.
Each person that I met, I believe it's destiny. (That also includes the animals I've met especially the cows, swans, ducks and goats which I've grown attached to :>)
Every little discoveries made, I see it as a gift we receive.

You've subtly inched your way to my heart, which, makes it even more difficult to part.
I can almost see autumn coming near, as I try hard to hold back my tears.
The fallen leaves tell me that it is time,
that I could no longer hear the familiar church bells chime.
...it is time to be back, to my city life.

Like the lyrics of the first song, I wish that time could turn us back to yesterday. Maybe then, I would have laughed more, I would have seen you more, I would have experienced and known you more. Now, I can't take my eyes off you anymore.

I'll take home with me the fond memories.

I'll miss the early church bells chime. I'll miss the weekend hikes. I'll miss the beautiful lakes, awe-inspiring sceneries and vast greenland. I'll miss the smell of spring and summer. I'll miss my friends here. I'll miss the kind and friendly Swiss. I'll miss the swans, ducks, cows, goats, sheep, horses, dogs, donkeys, little birdies, hens, the gorillas in the zoo, the lamas, the cats, the pigeons...

This place will always be, like a second home to me.

Last gathering

2008-09-29T03:01:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday was our final gathering with our friends in Zurich. I guess we're gonna miss them...

Finally Ah Kin has the courage to invite friends over for a home cook lunch given 6 months of daily practice :)

Lunch menu:
Curry chicken (Prima Premix ;p)
Stew pork with black fungus and mushrooms
Fried prawns
Fried wangbok with carrots and tomatoes (bai cai - the veggie that sweetens the steamboat soup)

I joked that it's a chinese tradition for guests to pack food home if they can't be finished. I guess they are worried they have to pack food home :>
It's a pity that Denes wasn't there with us as he was looked after by his grandpa who was there visiting them for a week.

Hmm...I wonder how he looks like now cos Anna said that because of the day care, he gets sick quite often and there was once he didn't eat much for 5 days. Poor little fella!
Do hope Anna could find a suitable nanny or day care for him. It seems that it isn't easy to look for a day care or nanny here. Most of the schools have waiting list of up to a year! Aren't we thankful that we are spoilt for choice for the number of childcare centres we have in Singapore? Thou not all offer quality care I must say.

And we were just talking about Made In China goods are commonly found here in Switzerland, came the shocking news of the milk contamination saga. Well, not that shocking to me of course.

Well, I think Uncle Tan is feeling kinda attached to this place a month ago and has been taking pictures of the neighbourhood. These are the few night shots of where we stay. Actually it looks quite nice at night huh :)

Our apartment, Zelgstrasse 19

The nearest convenience store, Roli's, that also sells cheap lunches with daily set menues at CHF 7 that comes with a small portion of salat. What is good is, it opens at 6am.

One more day to our departure and we seriously miss this place!

I still have some entries which I haven't had time to upload and post. Well, guess I shall continue when I'm back in Singapore cos some info especially the entry on shopping, would be useful for those who might be keen to visit Switzerland one day. K, gotta go and pack now. Ciao!

Last day in office

2008-09-27T22:05:00.003+08:00

Thursday was Uncle Tan's last day at his Zurich office. Following the Swiss tradition, he bought some pastries and chocolates for his colleagues as a form of farewell. I also baked a bread for his colleagues and brought it to his office. Fortunately, the bread turned out fine despite my 'agaration' :)

I finally get to meet most of his colleagues whom I always hear about them from Uncle Tan. A number of them are pretty young. And good looking too hehe :) Most of them are Swiss, one from Austria, one from France, a few from Italy...We did our job of promoting Singapore and some of them who might be going to SG :) Yeah Ms Wong, we'd definitely arrange a session with you ;>

Due to confidentiality, I'd only show those pictures that were taken out of the office.

They are jovial and friendly and after meeting them, I now know why Uncle Tan is happy working here. I would be too :)

Nice colleagues and physical office aside, the work load seems manageable. Or perhaps there were less expectations since he's here on an exchange programme? People get to go back on time (which I believe makes sense as some of them live a distance away with infrequent train timings) and they are flexible in their working hours.

For the past 5 mths, I hardly see his tired eyes. He gets to come back on time if not the latest by 7pm. Of course there were busy periods, especially with the recent financial crisis. But I don't see him as stressed as when he was in Singapore. We spent more time talking in fact since I always get to hear interesting issues from his discussions with his colleagues.

Are we born workaholics or are we afraid to lose out or lag behind? Or do we have too many desires and financial commitments so we have to work extra hard?

Anyways, another 3 more days I'd be back in the tropical island where there's sun, sand and sea...and 4.8 million people (latest population stats). Geeze...Switzerland has about 7.5 million people with a land size of about 41,290 sq km compared to our 699.1 sq km.

Flumserberg - Part 3 (final)

2008-09-26T17:50:00.001+08:00

Coming down is always faster than going up. It took us about an hour down.

The mist was cleared for some areas and we were able to see slightly clearer views.

The sun is out! Yeah!

I wonder if I was a solar-powered equipment previously. Without sunshine, I'm like a zombie.

When I spoke to some Swiss who had heard about Singapore, they were saying oh it's a lovely place, so much sun and beaches unlike in Switzerland, so cold all the time. One of Uncle Tan's colleagues even remarked that we are living in paradise with so much sun and having nice beaches around (in Asia). Well, it seems that the pastures are always greener on the other side :)

Uncle Tan and his 'vapor' act again ;p

I suppose this is to rescue those who got lost in the mountains?

The way down

Civilization at last :)

Somehow, the clouds just looks at the mountain peaks.

By the time we reach here, which was about 5+pm, this gondola station going up to other mountains were already closed.

The smile after a couple of screams.
I thought I was in a slow roller coaster ride as it was quite a steep descent. Somehow, the screaming did distract me from having that wobbly feeling :)

The Walensee

There was no one at the train station except us and we had to wait for more almost an hour for the train as Unterterzan is a small town.

The sheep are still grazing and we were surprised to see some of them having very long tails.

Here comes the train.

The sunset view from the train.

View of Walensee from the train