Chinese New Year Street Light-up at Chinatown Singapore

Wow I love this year Chinese New Year dazzling street light-up designed by students from the Singapore University of Technology and Design at Chinatown which features many majestic tigers. This year CNY street light-up will end on 2 March. I can still see on my birthday next month. Chinese New Year is my favourite festival and I'm looking forward to collecting more Hongbao next month.  

This year is Ren Yin or Water Tiger. So if your favourable elements are water and wood, it should be a pretty smooth year. 

My buddy and I explored Chinatown CNY street light-up last Friday. I think this year there are more visitors compared to last year. The street was quite crowded last Friday with more people shopping for CNY goodies in Chinatown this year. I love the vibe this year. 

From https://chinatownfestivals.sg

Chinatown is once again beautifully decorated with street light-up to mark the celebration of Lunar New Year. Designed by students from the Singapore University of Technology and Design, this year street light-up will feature sculptured lanterns from cub to tiger striving to achieve strength and vitality in their growing up to depict how we will stay united and emerge stronger from this Covid pandemic. Not forgetting the centrepiece between New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street that comprise a family of tigers to signify reunion, harmony and prosperity.

Really beautiful design!

As usual, every year I will read the annual horoscopes to see what to look out for. Fortune reading is like weather forecast.

My horoscope is Rooster! Yes I can be very blunt and argumentative sometimes. I think as I grow older, I am less argumentative and blunt. I must remember to practise Right Speech. 

Really adorable tiger Chinese New Year decor

I love their red bean pastry and wife biscuit.

Old School Shop at Chinatown Point

This Friday, I went to Chinatown with my buddy to see Chinese New Year street lighting. We went to Chinatown Point shopping mall for dinner first and then went window shopping. 

I really like the unique shops in Chinatown. I like the Munch shop which sells many of my childhood snacks and toys. I brought some blowing balloon and chocolate snacks which I enjoyed during my primary school days. It brought back fond childhood memories in the 80s. How time flies, it's about 30 years ago when I was in primary school. I still like some of the old school snacks. I had fun blowing the blowing balloon tube. Quite fun to see the big bubble blown. 

I used to buy biscuits from the provision shop which had many tin boxes of biscuits.

I brought the tubes of blowing balloon.

When I was in primary school, I used to play flip the erasers game with my classmates by trying to make my eraser land on top of my friend's eraser to win.

One of the snacks I had when I was in primary school.

I brought the above snacks and tubes of blowing balloon and some toys. 

This is how you play with the blowing balloon. Squeeze some sticky form to the stick. If you want bigger bubble, just squeeze more. 

Then just blow through the stick and you have big bubble.

青空未来

I like this song. As usual an excellent song composed and written by Mayday AShin 阿信.

青空未来

电影 盛夏未来 主题曲

作词：阿信
作曲：阿信
编曲：蔡巽洋、卢钧右

下雨了 雨停了 天晴了 又黑了
天空从不为谁而蔚蓝
时光从不为谁而等待
而你 只能为你自己存在

你迂回 你徘徊 你期待 你深爱
用尽一场青春的混乱
提炼一个渴望的答案
而你 是否依然敢疯敢爱
明天就会明白

如果你 如果我 如果回头看
会发现 我们像 贪玩的小孩
像未来 不再来 像是没有明天 的去爱

如果你 如果我 如果能重来
会不会 还依然 像当初勇敢
让无悔的青空
有无垠未来

谁来过 谁离开 谁和你 留下来
一生要有多少的辗转
才能走到幸福的彼岸
才能 活得此生无恨无憾
平凡却不平淡

Bright Full Moon Today

Took this photo of a bright luminous moon near my workplace this morning at about 6.45 am. Today is the 17th day of Xin Chou month. 

Thank You PaPa 爸爸

Chinese New Year aka the Spring festival is approaching soon in less than two weeks time! I'm really thankful that my father helped me to wash and hang the curtains today. My father is one of the rare few good men left who still pampers my mum after 43 years of marriage and help with housework chores. Like what I shared earlier in previous post, he never tell me what type of man to marry but he demonstrates what to expect from a good husband. I think he set the bar very high. No wonder I'm still single. 

 

OCBC Should Refund the Victims

I feel for the people who lost their life saving due to the security lapse by OCBC recently. OCBC can't just blame their customers for their loss. There is also the issue with phone automation as banks aim to save money. Sometimes I have to wait more than 20 minutes to reach the bank staff. Anyway I'm quite unhappy with OCBC. They didn't waive my OCBC credit card annual fees so I cancelled the credit card last year and OCBC 360 interest rates are still so low. OCBC is penny-wise but pound-foolish. 

You can't blame your customers for clicking the scam link. OCBC did send SMS link to customers when they had saving promotion. They need to revamp the banking process to improve IT security- for example staff needs to call to verify with the customers before they allow transfer of large funds. The recent security lapse is really disconcerting to savers. OCBC must return the saving to their customers and improve their IT system and customer service to gain the trust of their customers. 

This is the SMS message that I received on 4 December 2021. 

Fried Carrot Cake at Bedok Hawker Centre

Today my father went to Bedok OCBC branch to collect new notes for Chinese New Year as Tampines OCBC new notes collection was full. He brought back white fried carrot cake from Bedok hawker centre, somewhere near the interchange. I think it is not bad but the stall at Tampines Hub is much better with more egg and softer carrot cake. 

Fried carrot cake

 

Another Heart Shaped Cloud

I first started seeing heart shaped clouds since 2020. This Thursday, 13 January I saw another heart shaped cloud in the bus. 

"Learn to recognize omens, and follow them"

Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Refreshing Roselle Tea and Tangerine Peel

I'm surprised by the amazing combination of roselle tea and dried tangerines peel. The fragrant tea is great to drink especially after a day of hard work. It is quite refreshing and invigorating. Thanks to my lovely cousin for the tea and recommendation!

 

Have You Collected Your Free Mask?

You can start collecting your free mask from today. My father just helped me to collect free N95-Grade mask designed by ST Engineering. Visit this site to find out more.  

Kwap Chap for Dinner Again

Just had kway chap for dinner again cooked by my mother. Just like to eat the silky smooth kway and fragrant braised egg. 

New Chair Delivered Today

I'm really happy with the new ergonomics Ergotune chair that is finally delivered today. I was considering SecretLab chair but my young cousins told me that since there is no air-conditioner in my bedroom, it might be uncomfortable to use in hot weather.  Due to sinus problems, I don't use air-conditioner in my bedroom. I only have a standing fan in the room.

Wow the chair is really comfortable to sit on. I can adjust the position and angle of the back support to my body. Feel so relaxing to sit on it. 

What Do You See?

What do you see in this photo? 

For me, I see two lovely hearts high up in the blue blue sky.

 

Teochew Kway Chap for Dinner Today

Today I'm very happy. When I reached home, my mum prepared kway chap, a typical Teochew dish and a cup of fragrant brewed coffee for me. I don't like to eat red meat like beef, lamb and pork so I just had hard-boiled egg and tau kwa or firm tofu.

 

Jay Chou and Mayday Band

 

Favourite Song Today - Perfume 香水 by Mayday

I really like this song Perfume 香水 by Mayday. I first heard it on last Friday during the free online Mayday concert. I like both the melody and lyrics.

By the way I won't be posting much as I'll start work tomorrow. Feel sad as I'm not a morning person but I have to wake up early. 

香水

作词：阿信   作曲：冠佑/阿信

十字军从 东方凯旋 献上最美 的诗篇
你的魔法 爱情的霸权 为你臣服 为你捍卫
为了彻底 描写你的美 壮烈牺牲 一万朵玫瑰
再用虔诚 细细的提炼 让爱情海 吻在你耳背
啦啦啦啦啦 你想要世界 啦啦啦啦啦 就给你世界
啦啦啦啦啦 让感性撒野 啦啦啦啦啦 让理智全灭
啦啦啦啦啦 你是 乱世最美的香水
对你深深崇拜 深深迷恋 深深的沉醉
深深爱上一种 香香的狂颠
对你深深崇拜 深深迷恋 深深的沉醉
深深爱上一种 奉献的哲学
献上快乐 献上伤悲 献上自我 献上世界
～～～～～～～～～
塞纳河畔 闹市炊烟 混杂人间 小愚昧
你的出现 将气氛改写 空气转变 圣洁感觉
青苹果是 你野蛮的甜 牛奶与蜜 是你的语言
沉默尤其 是一种迷迭 当你无心 轻轻的拒绝
啦啦啦啦啦 你想要世界 啦啦啦啦啦 就给你世界
啦啦啦啦啦 让感性撒野 啦啦啦啦啦 让理智全灭
啦啦啦啦啦 你是 乱世最美的香水
对你深深崇拜 深深迷恋 深深的沉醉
深深爱上一种 香香的狂颠
对你深深崇拜 深深迷恋 深深的沉醉
深深爱上一种 奉献的哲学
献上快乐 献上伤悲 献上自我 献上世界

马蹄踏平了国界 野心磨破了披肩 
动员了麻瓜魔戒寻找拼凑你的香味
樱桃和樱花缠绵 茉莉和没药拼贴 
香颂和香榭调配也许再加一点眼泪
就算你没有答应 就算你也不拒绝 
就算我从不打算全身而逃全身而退
就让我活到脱轨 就让我爱到脱线
就让我为爱而生一千世纪无间轮回
为你献上快乐伤悲 为你献上我的世界

对你深深崇拜 深深迷恋 深深的沉醉
深深爱上一种 香香的狂颠
对你深深崇拜 深深迷恋 深深的沉醉
深深爱上一种 奉献的哲学
献上快乐 献上伤悲 献上自我 献上世界
对你深深崇拜 深深迷恋 深深的沉醉
深深爱上一种 香香的狂颠
对你深深深崇拜 深深深迷恋 深深的沉醉
深深爱上一种 奉献的哲学
献上快乐 献上伤悲 献上自我 献上世界
～～～～

Happy New Year 2022

Happy New Year and may all your dreams come true this year 2022! Wishing you all great health and prosperity! Now I'm anticipating Chinese New Year which will start in early February!

Illustration by Ah Guo.