Singapore Book Fair 2020

This year due to coronavirus, the Singapore Book Fair is held online till 25th May this year. You can watch interview of authors or celebrities or 'intellectual' discussion via online at the Singapore Book Fair Facebook here . Last year, it was held at The Central Business District at the beautiful Capitol.

I really should stop buying books. I have far too many books at home. But I do like to buy great magazines which I can keep. I'm glad that I brought some Lonely Planet magazines Asia version which is not in print now. I wanted to buy Lonely Planet Asia magazine late last year but couldn't find it in bookshops. I think the glossy feel Asia version magazine is much better than the international version and much cheaper. I also like Home Decor magazine which I think really showcases the latest design trends and beautiful home. Now I'm looking forward to Home Decor magazines every month.

Click here to read 2019 Singapore Book Fair.

Exotic Fruit Kiwano

I'm attracted to the bright orange spiky looking fruit known as Kiwano or horned melon imported from New Zealand At Market Place by Jasons. I brought this one exotic fruit to share with my family today. It is quite expensive at $8.95 each.

It is actually native to Africa but is now grown in some European countries, Australia, USA and New Zealand. It is rich with vitamins and minerals and is part of the cucumber and melon family. It is quite sour like lime and I felt like I was eating big cucumber seed. 

You can read this Healthline here on the 7 benefits of Kiwano.

Be careful of the sharp spikes!

This fruit is filled with seeds. It has beautiful cross-section.

Just cut the fruit into small pieces and eat it like watermelon. Do you see a face?

Each kiwano fruit from New Zealand costs $8.95. I decided to buy one and share with my family as we had not eaten this exotic fruit. Its time to try something new. 

I thought the kiwano fruit is expensive until I saw the Melon from Japan which costs $88.00!

Travelling to Italy

Buongiorno! When this coronavirus pandemic end, I will travel to the beautiful Italy and maybe Switzerland. I love Italian pasta, coffee and dessert and the beautiful countryside. For now, I can do research on Italy and plan the travel. Or maybe I go with the travel agency. 

I believe this coronavirus will end, maybe in a year or two. For now, I just watch videos on Italy.

Grocery Shopping in Singapore during Circuit-Breaker

There are now more preventive measures in the midst of coronavirus outbreak in Singapore. Now you need to scan your Identification card or scan safe entry code for contact tracing before you enter the supermarket and shopping malls.

I like going to Raffles City shopping mall for grocery shopping as I can also buy cakes from Cedele and Tiong Bahru Bakery shop. I also like the vibe in the city area. At Tampines, residential area, the supermarkets are crowded with many people.

How about you? Do you prefer to shop in the residential area or city? 

Matcha croissant is really good! 

A really quiet Raffles City shopping mall. Get your identification card or phone ready for contact tracing. 

Not many people go to downtown area for grocery shopping. Well, except for me. 

I love the honey coated macadamias. It reminds me of Australia.

There are also dried fruits and wide variety of nuts.

This truffle cheddar cheese is really good for toast. I love cheese but dislike milk.

Love the market place with their wide selection of cheese.

Tiong Bahru Bakery has awesome croissant! 

Matcha croissant is really good! 

I like Cedele blueberry almond slice.

Happy Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day and I decided to bake lemon cake for my mum. Anyway my mum also mentioned before that she wants to eat lemon cake bake by me. With circuit breaker,  restaurants are not available for dining. 

I used rice cooker to cook the lemon cake as the oven is not working. Anyway the lemon cake is delicious though it doesn't look nice. At least the texture of the cake is what I want which is sticky moist and tasty. Most importantly my mum said the lemon cake is yummy. 

Dessert Today: Yam Paste

If you had attended Teochew wedding, you most probably had yam paste or orh nee for dessert. Yam paste is nutritious with vitamins c and b5 and minerals. When I first had yam paste at my aunty's wedding decades ago, I told myself that if I'm going to be married, I must have yam paste for my wedding dessert. A great yam paste should be silky smooth with pumpkin. 

Today my mum just prepared simple yam paste for us. Although it's not silky smooth, it is quite delicious. It is healthy version with no oil. As I also like honey macadamia nut, I just added some to my yam paste. 

I added some honey coated macadamia to my yam paste

Aaron Kwok #郭富城 Live Charity Concert Today

Aaron Kwok is my childhood idol. Whenever his song, 对你爱爱不完 was played, I would dance to the catchy tune. Aaron Kwok will be 55 years old this October but he is still so dashing and fit! This evening, my parents and I watch Aaron Kwok's online concert from Starhub channel. The purpose of this online concert is to help to raise funds for the dancers in Hong Kong. This one hour concert is simply awesome with all his great hits! 

Aaron Kwok today. He is still so handsome!

Aaron Kwok in 1990.

1 hour online charity concert 2020.

Cancellation of Musical On Your Feet!

I'm very disappointed that the Broadway musical, On Your Feet! which is supposed to show this June at Marina Bay Sands theatre is now cancelled due to Covid-19 in Singapore. I was looking forward to this musical after the circuit breaker end in early June. If the show is cancelled, this means theatres and cinemas might not open after the circuit breaker. Perhaps it might be extended to another 2 weeks.

In Singapore, there are now 21,707 infected coronavirus cases. Most of the infected cases are from foreign worker dormitories. I think the ministry of manpower minister really mess up this time. There are about 300,000 foreign workers in Singapore. Will 100,000 foreign workers be infected? Can our healthcare staff manage this crisis? Is there a need to seek medical help from overseas? Perhaps China might send some doctors and nurses here.

For now, I just have to watch musical online. 

America and the Flu

Many Americans had been claiming the coronavirus as the flu.Who to blame for their rising coronavirus cases ? They have Trump as their president. Both Trump and his Vice President refuse to wear masks due to their ego.

The road ahead for the Americans is bleak. With protesters screaming to stop the lockdown and their president supporting them, there definitely be a huge spike in infected coronavirus cases. Lives matter more than money.

Are they comedians? It matters which 'experts' you listen to.

Comedy Movies by Stephen Chow

I rarely watch movies but when I do, I only watch comedy and musical movies like Pitch Perfect and The Jersey Boys. Stephen Chow is still my favourite comedy actor and director and till now I still enjoy his old comedy movies. You never get tired of his movies especially the 90s.

I'm really looking forward to his new movies! I hope he continue to act.

Tang Bo Hu, a story about the talented poet in the Ming dynasty.

Singapore Chocolate on Offer

If you love chocolate in unique Singapore packaging, then you can order from here. Currently they have promotion as they provide free delivery for purchases of $50 and above. They are currently clearing the stock as the boss is closing the shop soon.

My favourite is Tiramisu almond chocolate. 

Chocolate in Singapore dollars packaging

Happy Buddha's Birthday

Due to circuit breaker in Singapore, places of worships like the temples are closed. 
Today is Buddha's birthday and it's also the day to remember Buddha's teaching. I used to be very bad-tempered. To me, Buddha is like my teacher, teaching me the path to cessation of suffering through the Noble Eight-fold path. If you can't remember, just remember to be kind and not hurt others. 

缘起性空 All phenomena originates from emptiness

果从心生 Fruition is created from the heart

欲望因心而起 Desires arise from the heart

烦恼自生 Vexation comes from oneself

你要离苦得乐 If you want to abandon suffering and gain happiness

就要脱离贪,瞋,痴 You’ve to abandon greed, anger and ignorance.

How to Identify a Jerk from His Bazi 八字

The Chinese entertainment is recently buzzing with news of singer Show Lo promiscuous lifestyle as shared by his ex-girlfriend of 9 years. His ex-girlfriend Grace Chow said that he is incorrigible and it's just his innate nature to cheat. I was curious and remember a Bazi master talking about bazi of guys with strong sexual desire. I decided to find out why he is not happy with a girlfriend. 

From wikipedia, Show Lo date of birth is 30 July 1979. I input his date of birth to Bazi calculator from here and this is what it show. I don't have his time of birth, so it only generate 3 pillars with liuzi 六字 instead of bazi 八字. Wow, he is a Strong earth day master. Its not a balance chart. 

A balance chart should have the 5 elements ideally (wood, water, earth, fire and metal). What is worse is his decade luck pillar is Ding Mao (fire rabbit). This is the year of Zi (rat). Zi-mao is one of the penalties normally relating to love affairs. He should listen to the white dragon master who had warned him to stay away from women.

I like learning Bazi from Ken Lai. In one of his posts on Bazi: Secret Dating Guide for Women, he shared that one of the 7 Bazi undesirable characteristics of male partner, is strong earth. Before you dump this type of guy, observe him first. If he cheat, just dump him. 

From Ken's Cyber Cave.

7.  DM with strong fire and hot earth 
This means a chart with mostly fire and hot earth (wei- and xu-earth).  DM has strong urge and hyperactive sexual desire that "normal" marital life may not satisfy his demands (and goes for extra-marital sex).  Generally speaking, people born in summer months of si, wu and wei have strong fire and earth in their charts.   

If your man hits one of the above, you may not need to dump him.  But if he hits 3+ of the above, consider yourself lucky for reading this post (and run away from the guy fast).  But you may want to consult a Bazi reader and take a Bazi course before dumping a guy.

We should not support male singer who treats women like toys. Period.

Wow, just looking at the day, month and year pillars, Show Lo already has 5 earth elements! 

Sometimes it better to be single than to be cheated by promiscuous man.

Qi Li Xiang by Jay Chou

How time flies! I'm now in my late 30s. Whenever I listen to this song Qi Li Xiang or Orange Jasmine by Jay Chou, it will bring back both happy and sad memories at NUS. I was staying at one of the hostels at NUS; the one facing the running track (I think it was called the extension block). I still remember the time I had steamboat dinner with my friends at the hostel. We came from different polytechnics and were admitted directly to the second year engineering course. I still shudder whenever I think of the tough compulsory programming course and Mathematics lessons. However I enjoyed philosophy and electronics projects. 

Hmm, I wonder if the popular arts and social science yong tau foo stall is still available? I used to queue up for their yummy laksa. Oh and the smooth creamy avocado shake at the engineering canteen. 

When the circuit breaker is over, I will go back to NUS for lunch.

七里香 Qi Li Xiang by Jay Chou

作词：方文山
作曲：周杰伦
编曲：钟兴民

窗外的麻雀　在电线杆上多嘴
妳说这一句　很有夏天的感觉
手中的铅笔　在纸上来来回回
我用几行字形容妳是我的谁

秋刀鱼　的滋味　猫跟妳都想了解
初恋的香味就这样被我们寻回
那温暖　的阳光　像刚摘的　鲜艳草莓
你说妳舍不得吃掉这一种感觉

雨下整夜　我的爱溢出就像雨水
院子落叶　跟我的思念厚厚一叠
几句是非　也无法将我的热情冷却
妳出现在我诗的每一页

雨下整夜　我的爱溢出就像雨水
窗台蝴蝶　像诗里纷飞的美丽章节
我接着写　把永远爱妳写进诗的结尾
妳是我唯一想要的了解

雨下整夜　我的爱溢出就像雨水
院子落叶　跟我的思念厚厚一叠
几句是非　也无法将我的热情冷却
妳出现在我诗的每一页

那饱满　的稻穗　幸福了这个季节
而妳的脸颊像田里熟透的番茄
妳突然　对我说　七里香的　名字很美
我此刻却只想亲吻妳倔强的嘴

雨下整夜　我的爱溢出就像雨水
院子落叶　跟我的思念厚厚一叠
几句是非　也无法将我的热情冷却
妳出现在我诗的每一页

整夜　我的爱溢出就像雨水
窗台蝴蝶　像诗里纷飞的美丽章节
ho~我接着写　把永远爱妳写进诗的结尾
妳是我唯一想要的了解

Keukenhof Gardens

Almost every April, I'll visit Gardens by the Bay, Flower dome to see the tulips during TulipMania theme. However this year due to coronavirus, the flower dome at Gardens by the Bay is closed until the end of circuit breaker. 

I heard of the famous Netherlands Keukenhof Gardens and it is one place I want to visit. However with the coronavirus, the caucasians are not so friendly to Asians now especially the Chinese. I kinda regret that I haven't been to Europe yet because I think now Europe is not a safe place for the Chinese as I read of attacks on Asians after coronavirus outbreak. 

Now I can only view the beautiful gardens via virtual tour in the comfort of my room. Anyway I think its a good initiative by Keukenhof Gardens as I can explore the vast gardens online.

Phantom of the Opera

I spent my Sunday today reading newspapers and watching Phantom of the Opera musical today. However they only show the full musical this weekend. I love their awesome performance! Last year, I brought On Your Feet! Musical ticket which is supposed to show in June this year. I wonder if there is refund or change of performance date.

Mini Art Gallery at Home

With the rising coronavirus cases in Singapore, it is very important to stay at home. Our dedicated healthcare workers are currently facing increasing number of foreign workers infected with coronavirus. It must be overwhelming for our healthcare staff. They should get additional bonus while most of us are working from home. I wonder if our Singapore government will seek health from other countries if we really have 30000 infected cases? I just read that Singapore have about 323 000 low-wage migrant workers in Singapore.   

I'm glad that my room is filled with beautiful arts with lovely postcards and souvenirs. Sometimes I think my room is a mini library and art gallery. I'm introvert and enjoy staying at home reading books, newspapers and magazines and occasionally sketching. 

I only go out once in a blue moon to meet my cousins and friends or buy something. Other than that, I rather stay at home reading.

Sudden Spike of Coronavirus Cases in Singapore

I had a rude shock this morning when I read that yesterday, Singapore had a record spike of 728 infected coronavirus cases, most of whom are migrant workers who stay in dormitories.

Shock turns to anger. I'm frustrated with the government reactive response. I notice that there are many pap internet brigades putting down on concerned citizens rational demand for accountability calling them kpkb, which is not helpful at all.

Mind you, I'm not pro-opposition. Last election, I voted for the current ruling government. I think its high time Singapore government listen to citizens' concerns and not 'yes' men surrounding them who are like the eunuchs of earlier Chinese dynasties cheering for them even when they are doing wrong. Which just lead to the many downfalls of earlier Chinese emperors. You need to listen to Singaporeans who are frustrated with the latest rising infected cases in Singapore. 

There was no strict implementation of social distancing enforcement in public transport. It made people feel that there was no consistency in implementing social distancing and they just introduced it for the sake of it.

Why are you still allowing runners running in the street without wearing masks? What if the runners themselves have coronavirus and unknowingly spread to others?

Straits Times writer did not add one more weakest link in today report. Many foreign workers travel in Singapore public transports via the MRT or/and buses. What if they had unknowingly spread the virus to the locals who are not yet tested for coronavirus? 

I'm concerned that Singapore army camps are used for foreign workers accommodation for now. Is it safe?

Why did they not listen to China's healthcare experts sharing that the virus could be spread by air and by asymptomatic people? Just think for a moment, a person who has common flu can spread to others by sneezing. What make you think coronavirus which is more lethal than flu can't spread via airborne transmission?   

Several concerned activists for the foreign workers had already raised concerns about their living conditions before the spike in coronavirus cases. Why didn't the Ministry of Manpower take action? Medical bills for migrant workers should be paid for by the dormitories owners and not paid for by public funds. 

The government had spent money on campaign videos to discourage Singaporeans from wearing masks if they are well and put down people who wear mask as ignorant and kiasi (scare to die). That is their strategy: To put down others who disagree with them.

My concern now is can our hospitals and healthcare staff cope with the rise of infected coronavirus cases? Thinking of the rising cases made me nauseous. It is not practical to separate rising infected cases to migrant and local cases separately since they be using only Singapore medical facilities and need local healthcare staff to take care of them. 

Report stated that there are more infected cases as there are more coronavirus testing for foreign workers. Have they conducted more testing for Singaporeans who might have the virus? Maybe they should conduct more tests for Singaporeans, many who could be asymptomatic. 

If this continue, I doubt one month lockdown is sufficient to stem the spread of coronavirus in Singapore considering the fact that the government was late in implementing the lockdown when there were about 1000 infected cases in densely populated Singapore. I think now it could take 5 to 6 months instead to see flat curve. New Zealand started to lock down the country when there were 150 cases.

I was wondering which healthcare experts Singapore government was listening to which caused widespread virus outbreak in Singapore. I was wondering why education minister resisted closing schools despite earlier report by Chinese health officers that Coronavirus can spread by asymptomatic person published in Scientific Amercan earlier on 31 January 2020 here.

You don't wait for the number to rise then you lock down. Its always better to be safe than sorry. 

I think it is not helpful to separate the infected cases to 2 different categories as in migrant and Singaporean. They must start to investigate where did the migrants go to and who they were in contact with. For example did they meet any local volunteers and counsellor. Which public transport route did they travel?

A true leader should have the courage to admit their mistake , move on and improve the situation. There should also be accountability. 

Solidarity Payment Today

Today is Solidarity Payment day! I received $600 via my bank account. All Singaporeans above 21 years old will receive $600.00 to help us cope with this trying period with partial lockdown in Singapore due to coronavirus. 

Maybe I can save a portion of it and use some for donation. 

The Story of Singapore Teochew

Both my maternal and paternal grandfathers came to Singapore in the 1940s from China, Chaozhou 潮州, and both married local Chinese Teochew women. 

My grandfathers never return to China after settling down in Singapore. They had worked hard to support their many children and wives. 

My maternal grandfather was a handsome man when he was young. Many female neighbours liked to admire him from afar. My mum is also very pretty especially in her youth. I was wondering how did my maternal grandparents raise up 12 children in poverty in a small flat? 

My maternal grandparents really contributed to Singapore birth rate by producing 6 sons and 7 daughters (1 daughter was given away for adoption). Somewhere out there, I still have a aunty I never met and I wonder if I recognise her if I meet her one day. My paternal grandparents had 9 children. 

After observing my father, grandfathers and my uncles, I think most Teochew men are very faithful and pamper their wives. They also help to do house chores.

My father went to visit my grandfather's birth place a few years back and he enjoyed the ancestral visit. Once the coronavirus end, I plan to visit Chaozhou too in cooler weather like November. I just want to explore the land where my grandfathers spent their childhood and youth there.

Recently I came across an ebook on The Story of Singapore Teochew here. I find these Teochew nan amazing for successfully overcoming difficulties and later establishing successful businesses in competitive Singapore. Unlike them I have no business acumen and great aspiration and only like to read books, love art and sharing my knowledge.

Anyway I find their stories inspiring and hope it will inspire you too.

                  The Story of Singapore Teochew here.