Different Types of Black

I was surprised to see different tones of black pens at Popular bookstore yesterday. I thought black ink is just plain black. Interesting. 

Can you spot the difference?

Jian Bo Tiong Bahru Shui Kueh at Tampines Blk 823A

 I love the smooth and tasty chwee kueh at Jian Bo Tiong Bahru Shui Kueh at Tampines Blk 823A. It is tasty but quite expensive at 5 pieces for $3.00. The steamed yam cake is quite good too. 

I like the soft steamed yam cake.

Leung Sang Hong Kong Pastries at Singapore Chinatown

Glad to find this great Hong Kong pastries at Chinatown Smith Street. Their wife biscuits are really delicious with generous winter melon filling and thin flaky crust. I also like their red bean pastry. Great pastry at $2 only. 

I brought the pastry at Chinatown Smith Street

Look at the generous filling for for all the pastry. I love that the flaky crust is thin with generous winter melon filling.

Street Art at Chinatown Singapore

You can find this street art mural titled Letter Writer by Yip Yew Chong at Chinatown, 336 Smith Street.

From here https://yipyc.com/blog/2019/04/26/letter-writer-寫信佬-妙手揮春/

Letter Writer 寫信佬 . 妙手揮春

Painting this mural in Chinatown was a dream come true. This mural is special for three reasons: Firstly, Chinatown is where I grew up and have fond memories of. Secondly, for 2 years, I pursued the opportunity to paint murals in Chinatown, experiencing many hurdles, but also learnt many lessons and made many friends along the way. Finally, this is the first mural I painted with my two children!

In the olden days, Letter writers played an important role of helping our migrant forefathers write letters to their loved ones back in China. They also doubled as calligraphers for Chinese New Year couplets and ancestral altars. This was a common scene in Chinatown up till the 80s before the big Chinatown cleanup when the street markets, hawkers and traditional traders were resettled inside the mammoth Chinatown Complex (completed in 1983). I missed those scenes!

Actually, painting the Letter Writer is part of a bigger dream to paint 6 murals in Chinatown – Letter Writer, Wooden Clog Maker, Cantonese Opera Stage, Chinatown Wet Market, Paper Mask and Puppet Seller, Lantern Festival. I am so happy to have fulfilled part of my dream. Thanks to everyone who helped me get the approval. I hope to fulfil the rest someday! Thank you!

The mural is located at Singapore Chinatown, 336 Smith Street, on the side wall of New Bridge Centre, just outside the CK department store.

Street art by Yip Yew Chong

 

 

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.