Where bananas dangle ...

To market, to supermarket we went;

And bananas we bought.

Up they went on the window grille,

in their usual place in the kitchen.

But wait ...!

What if the squirrel comes a-calling

and partake of the bananas?

As it did previously, one weekday afternoon,

it perched on the window grille, peeling the skin off the banana,

nimbling at the tender fruit, enjoying its afternoon meal.

Along came humans

who shooed the squirrel off.

Will the squirrel come a-calling this time?

We wonder.

It's the little things ...

A tiramisu cake,

not too big but at a whopping $48.

Never mind lah,

when one takes in a spoonful of tiramisu,

yum ... :P

A spoonful of soft cake,

saturated with champagne and cocoa,

with a tinge of sugar and cream

- such an elegant taste;

one feels satisfied and happy.

It's the little things ...

A drive to town,

a walk through the Marina Square shopping mall

- haven't been there much since Metro closed its outlet there -

looking at enticing shop displays

- the shoes, the bags, the jewellery and all.

Shopping, window shopping included, is so exhilarating!!

It's the little things ...

Off the Marina Square shopping mall, into the adjoining hotels ...

Pan Pac with its geometrical design

and bubble lifts, going up and down.

And a flower shop on the way to the car park

- aptly named "The Flower Place" -

the pretty roses, in all colours.

It's the little things ...

A drive back, past the Esplanade,

the "thorns" of the Esplanade stand out in its silhouette,

the lights within bright and shining.

Our icon of the finer things in life.

It's the little things ...

that is life at home.

hi-lo, hi-lo

A sunny morning, bright and cheery.

Ending in a wet evening, heavy downpour, dark and dreary.

Like feelings, like emotions,

up and down, high and low,

fluctuating, varying among individuals.

Hi-lo, hi-lo

- not the brand of fresh milk,

but of relativity.

How high is high; how low is low?

Happy is the one who lives in oblivion,

for ignorance is bliss;

nothing to compare,

nothing to feel disappointed over.

Hi-lo, hi-lo.

High till one sees what the absolute signifies;

low then be the spirits as they feel let down,

efforts not so treasured.

Satisfactory, good, better, even better

- what a vast difference the adjective makes to morale.

Marvel one does at the lady who keeps at her work,

cheerfully and professionally, day in, day out,

though no promotion for more than a decade.

Any crumbs for souls who toil to meet the challenges of the day?

For resilience there be, in the face of adversity.

Hi-lo, hi-lo.

Why must it be low?

There's life beyond work, no?

To live life or to live work?

As better staff rejoice, heartened by the recognition,

good staff unite in Good Staff Anonymous, to lend support,

and encourage each to do better, and be seen as better,

for a better organisation and better future.

enroute to *duty*honour*country*

As boys grow up, they grow through the rites of passage. poly/JC, BMT, .... a whole string of acronyms that mean volumes to our operationally ready men, young and old, but a bewildering cluttering of letters to the rest. " 做 兵 " is what we know.



After BMT, now enroute to the military institute that grooms privates into officers and gentlemen. A sunny morning today, a bright start.









http://news.webshots.com/photo/1184225937050194284CKKYnp

Fighting the Big Sneeze

A-choo, a-choo, a-choo,

A-sneezing we went.

One violent sneeze, runny nose followed.

Quick, quick,

pop the Panadol Cold Relief

("you don't know how I feel" sniffed the protagonist in the TV commercial),

drink lots of water.

Quick, quick, rest, rest,

let the body fight the intruding germs;

fight them, fight them and shoo them away.

Get well quick we must,

for there be loads of work to do,

loads for us to look into.

Sneeze, sneeze, cold, cold,

go away and don't come back!

Easter Sunday

Today is Easter Sunday. Weeks before, the stores are already selling chocolate Easter eggs in all sizes and colours, and even bunnies in Lindt chocolate and wrapped in gold.

Here's some info on Easter ....

Easter is a spring festival that celebrates the central event of the Christian faith: the resurrection of Christ three days after his death by crucifixion. {1} Easter is the oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the church year.
All the Christian movable feasts and the entire liturgical year of worship are arranged around Easter.
Easter Sunday is preceded by the season of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and repentence culminating in Holy Week, and followed by a 50-day Easter Season that stretches from Easter to Pentecost.
Name of Easter
The origins of the word "Easter" are not certain, but probably derive from Estre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring {2}. The German word Ostern has the same derivation, but most other languages follow the Greek term used by the early Christians: pascha, from the Hebrew pesach (Passover).
In Latin, Easter is Festa Paschalia (plural because it is a seven-day feast), which became the basis for the French Pâques, the Italian Pasqua, and the Spanish Pascua. Also related are the Scottish Pask, the Dutch Paschen, the Danish Paaske, and the Swedish Pask. {3}
Date of Easter
The method for determining the date of Easter is complex and has been a matter of controversy (see History of Easter, below). Put as simply as possible, the Western churches (Catholic and Protestant) celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox.
Popular Easter Customs
Over the centuries, these religious observances have been supplemented by popular customs, many of were incorporated from springtime fertility celebrations of European and Middle Eastern pagan religion. Rabbits and eggs, for example, are widely-used pagan symbols for fertility. Christians view the Easter eggs as symbols of joy and celebration (as they were forbidden during the fast of Lent) and of new life and resurrection. A common custom is to hide brightly colored eggs for children to find.

(Source: http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/holidays/easter.htm )

Sunday-like Saturday

Today's Saturday, but it feels like Sunday. Because yesterday was a public holiday (Good Friday).

After the morning sunlight (that helped to dry the laundry and the washed shoes), it poured and rained cats and dogs. We decided to go somewhere with shelter for dinner.

Off we went to Plaza Singapura. The car park displayed the "Full" sign, as usual. But after a patient short wait, we got a parking lot. The shopping mall was bustling, as always. We had a satisfying dinner - good food, attentive waitresses (though the fast removal of plates and dishes made the meal somewhat less relaxing than it could have been), good dessert.

We ventured to the basement, where we saw aquarium tanks with colourful goldfish. Brought back memories of the goldfish we had in my childhood.

Many people gathered for an evening out - for dinner, for movies, for chilling out with friends. Over in Taiwan, many were gathered for the presidential election which Ma Ying Jeou of KMT won with a landslide victory. CNA covered it in a special programme anchored by Timothy Go and Melissa Hyak, with interviews with Maria Siow, and correspondents from Taiwan (Cai Mei de Souza), Beijing (Wong Yee Fong), US (Simon Marks).

As we left, we saw a snaking queue of cars waiting to enter the car park. Many people, especially young people, out at Cathay. Others at the coffee shops further down Selegie Road. All for a night out.

Well, there's another day off tomorrow (Sunday). Hurray!

Good Friday

It's Good Friday today. The Sun rose early and bestowed warmth on the land.

The warmth dissipated in the afternoon, when the rains came. Hopefully to flush out toxic elements.

**On Good Friday and its traditions: http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/easter/goodfriday.htm

TGIM no more :(

TGIM? Thank God it's Monday? Huh?!
Monday - the mind felt empty and in a daze.
Even the feet felt extra heavy as I trudged up the slightly inclined pedestrian walk.

"How was your weekend?" came a cheery question.
Somehow the mind was a blank. What did I do over the weekend??
Must be something very ordinary and inconsequential since I can't remember it!
All that came to mind was the cuppa tea at Yakun @ Funan.

Monday.
If the weekend were a blanket, I want to pull it and snuggle under it.

Only three more days to the next weekend as this Friday's a public holiday (Good Friday)! Hurrah!

Rain, rain, pitter, patter

Rain on a Sunday afternoon...

Sat and union across lands

Sat evening traffic was heavy, many heading towards town. So many cars on the roads.

Away from the town hub, was a trail of cars heading to the country club, all to share in the joy of a wedding, a union across different lands, different cultures. It was a happy occasion, and many clicking of the cameraphones.

Care beyond recognition

Received this recently ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.
I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch, and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.
On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him I f he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.
The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.
I inquired as to her health; he told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease.
As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.
He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.


I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are'?

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is'.

I had to hold back tears as he left; I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, 'That is the kind of love I want in my life'.
True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

'Life isn't about how to survive the storm,
But how to dance in the rain.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

pushed to the wall

It stood, back straight, back against the wall.

It stood, alone, pressed against the wall.

It stood, a pretty flower head on a slender stem,

looking like a hothouse plant, somewhat frail, in the harsh weather.

It stood, alone, pushed against the wall,

as the raindrops fell, pelting like metal studs,

hitting hard, like ball bearings.

Still it stood, straight and upright,

trying to hold its flower head up high,

against the onslaught of merciless bullet fire.

At such times, friends are far and few.

At such times, friendship is tested.

Hard times show up the fakes,

throw up those true.

Still it stood, straight and head up high. The flower.

dance of the clouds

from recruits to Privates

This Wed morning, the shopping mall was abuzz with commuters from the MRT transiting to the bus terminal. The bustle was heavier this morning as hordes of parents, some with siblings, converged at the mall, enroute to the bus terminal where queues formed in the early morning.

They were a-waiting the buses to take them to the ferry taking them to the passing-out parade of their boys in BMT. At the parade, they would graduate as Privates.

A long stretch of sand, looking from afar not unlike the brochures of Bintan/Batam/Phuket resorts. But resort this was not; a BMT centre it was.

Parents finally arrived, welcomed by soldiers on duty, politely handing out bottles of water and ushering parents to the stadium seats. The early morning drizzle had cleared - the weather was fine for the parade!

The drums started; the parade markers marched in; then the recruits came a-marching in - left right left, left right left ...! The inspection of the parade by the Guest-of-Honour, the speech, the march-past, and then a special ceremony when the parents put the cap on for the recruit!

Then it was over as the newly minted Privates yelled the bravo cheer with gusto, the young men's voices resonating round the island. Caps flew in the air as the Privates threw them like graduates would after university convocations.

~~~~~~

~~~~~~

Photos all round; and goodbyes as they parted their ways, to units known only later on when their assignments would be announced. Thank-yous to the trainers and mentors for the two months' of training and care as the young men had their first taste of army life.

Then it was adieu as everyone left, in neatly organised batches.
Adieu, adieu! Au revoir!

buds a-blooming

on a Sat ...

... clear blue sky, white clouds,
but with some grey clouds looming in the horizon

Aces up

A

AA

AAAA

under the weather

A forceful sneeze here, a hard cough there,

and then in chorus,

as the flu / cold bug makes it rounds,

first with the kiddies,

then their tired parents,

then share with the whole family.

Such sharing and togetherness indeed

- in sickness and in health.

A simple bowl of porridge,

sprinkled with fish and crabstick,

a dash of soy sauce.

What a comfort food

for times when one is under the weather,

when one wants to find a corner for solace,

alone with one's thoughts,

as one fights the germs - Kill them, annihilate them!

Rest, time to rest,

to let the body recover,

to regain energy

and good spirits.

Rest.

shifting sands, wrecking waves

The sandcastle, the sandcastle,
so painstakingly built,
every wall, every turret,
from pails of sand and seawater,
carefully mixed, patiently cemented.



But the cement ain't strong enough.
Like the house of sticks that one little pig built,
a wave dissolved a tower here, a turret there.
First a small tower at the far end,
then the wall of the main part of the castle,
then the core.



Oh, the freaking wrecking waves!
How cruel they are!
Don't they know it takes 100 years to grow a person?
( 百年树人 )
How to build a resilient fortified castle
when before the foundations solidify,
they are wrecked and washed away?


The heart and sweat put in,
destroyed just like that.

Easy to say - work hard, rebuild, be patient, be resilient.
How to be philosophical like "Sai Oon" (the old man):
" 赛翁失马,焉知非福 "


焉知非福 indeed!

Forge on, they would say, in Pollyanna spirit and knight-like fashion.

Indeed, if the tired - drained in soul and spirit - can rouse itself up in true hero-story fashion; hopefully with true hero-story ending, of the good being rewarded and evil punished and banished.

Rain, rain, come again, and again

Drizzle, drizzle,

Rain, rain.

Rain, rain,

do come again,

come in torrents,

torrents to flush out toxic elements.

Flush, flush,

quick, flush them out!

nightfall

Night falls, and

lights up in the cars, the homes and offices.

But the light may not extend

to the kooks and corners of parks and all.

Night falls, and

the kites appear.

Not the kites of paper,

but electronic ones .... wow!

Night falls, and

the MRT train lights up the track

as it passes by.