Dear December

A more cheerful month it has been.  I guess the short break to my hometown was very much needed after all.  And the lesser workload also helped to alleviate my mood.  The nice cold weather at the first half of the month made the year end a lot more tolerable too. 

To end off 2019, I went to Lian Shan Shuang Lin (连山双林) monastery earlier today with the kids.  I should have gone more, but this year I only managed 1 visit.  That's not good.  I should resolve to go more in 2020 I guess. It'll do me some good spiritually. 

Cheng Huang Miao (城隍庙) - RX100 Mk3

An Impromptu Visit to Haji Lane

So last Wednesday we made an impromptu visit to Haji Lane.  We just had our brunch at Zam Zam Restaurant (the usual fix of murtabak, briyani, beehoon goreng and mie goreng) and since there was still plenty of time, we decided to walk over to Kampong Glam and make our way to Haji Lane.  

The Majestic Sultan Mosque - Galaxy Note 9

Surabaya Trip - Day 5 & 6

On the start of day 5, I had wanted to go to a Vihara I used to frequent ever since I was in my teens.  I was very surprised when I arrived to find the whole complex demolished and a rebuilding was in progress.  Although I was disappointed, that left me quite excited too over how the new Vihara will turn out later on when the rebuilding is completed.  Ah well....  Next time I guess.  

On-going Construction Work at The Vihara - Galaxy A70 

Surabaya Trip - Day 4

Day 4 of the trip!  Our tickets allowed us a second round entry into Taman Safari Prigen, so we asked the kids if they wanted another go and got a resounding "yes" from them.  But before that, we had to have our breakfast first, so we were back in the same restaurant where we had dinner on the previous night.

Breakfast in Baobab - Galaxy Note 9

Surabaya Trip - Day 3

Okay!  Day 3!  Things got exciting as we set off for Taman Safari Prigen with a night's stay at Baobab Safari Resort.  The kids were looking forward to it.  

Bye Bye Ibis Budget - Galaxy Note 9

Surabaya Trip - Day 2

On day 2, we started by visiting my mom first.  So my parents' house was the first stop of the day.  

Waiting For Mom to Get Ready - Galaxy A70

Surabaya Trip - Day 1

So December is finally here.  And I've just returned from a short trip to Surabaya.  The wifey and the kids are now in Purwokerto with my F&MIL.  I didn't join them as I've ran out of leave days this year.  This year we dropped by Surabaya first before setting off for Purwokerto as my B&SIL have just gotten their first child so we had to pay them a visit first.  I didn't want to lug along my A7R3 and the FE16-35 mm, instead I brought along a Samsung Galaxy A70 for the wide angle shots.  But naturally, sharpness and resolution must be sacrificed as expected.  I just didn't expect it to be so bad in this Galaxy A70...  I think next time I should just bring my FE 16-35 mm.

Anyway, the trip started in the wee hours of the morning when we left home at 5:30 am for Changi Airport.  We flew by Scoot and oh boy....  it was really crowded even so early in the morning.  We had to queue for counter assistance because the check-in machine couldn't cater to my maid who goes only by one name where they expect everyone to have a surname too.  Such annoyingly meaningless self-service machines....   After checking-in, we arrived at the boarding gates just in the nick of time.

There's Our Plane - Galaxy Note 9

Nippy November

A cold November it has been in the evenings for the past 2 weeks, hence “nippy”.  It had been so cold in the rainy evenings that I could forego the air-conditioning for a couple of hours and only switched them on before hitting the bed.  And November had surely been a very busy month too. 

Mr Sun Hiding Behind The Clouds on a Lazy Tuesday Morning- Galaxy Note 9

Don't Worry Be Grumpy

I just had one of the most amazing reads in quite a while.  It is a book by Ajahn Brahm titled "Don't Worry Be Grumpy".  I first learned of Ajahn Brahm when I was in Indonesia where he is very popular.  I would really love to meet him in person one day and have a photo taken with him.  It would be such a great honour to be able to see and shake his hands personally.  Ajahn Brahm truly is the most amazing teacher I've ever known.

Anyway, this book consists of many short stories which contains some messages and wisdoms.  Similiar to the Buddhist Jataka, but with a modern interpretation to better relate to our daily lives.   

There are so many great stories in the book that are sprinkled with humourous bits here and there, Ajahn Brahm dispenses Buddhist wisdom like a professional stand-up comedian.  

If you ever had the chance, you really should get some of his books.

Don't Worry Be Grumpy - RX100Mk3

Baker & Cook Dempsey

Long weekends are always wonderful.  It gives us that precious extra day to just enjoy some quality time with the family.  Although it was the exam week for Lincoln, we did have some time for a wonderful family brunch at Baker & Cook Dempsey on the Deepavali weekend.  

Nah.. I Still Need Coffee, But With Sourdough & Strawberry Jam Too - Galaxy Note 9

Bukit Timah Fancy Kopi - Atlas Coffeehouse

I had a chance to visit Atlas Coffeehouse in Bukit Timah in late October.  Atlas Coffeehouse is located in Bukit Timah, 6 Duke's Road to be exact.  I've always wanted to visit Atlas for a long time and finally got the chance to do so last week.  For some reasons, Atlas is so famous that bloggers, and influencers from as far as Surabaya always made sure to visit whenever they are in Singapore. 

Atlas - G9XMk2

Refuel II @ Bukit Merah

A good cafe in the neighbourhood is always welcome.  Refuel II is a nice and cozy cafe which is very well nested in Jalan Bukit Merah's Brickworks Estate.  

Outside Refuel II - Galaxy Note 9

Ostentatious October

Ostentatious ehh.....  Well.... still related to last month's recap actually.....  And we reached the crescendo this month during rehearsal for the audit.....  I've seen more than enough to draw my own conclusions.  The insincere attempt to impress which borders unprofessionalism is just too much for me to stomach....  

Sunrise in Guoco Tower - Galaxy Note 9

Pandan Almond Cheese Chiffon Cake

I had a quick bake yesterday.  As I really missed pandan, I decided to bake a pandan almond Cheese chiffon cake to break away from the monotony.  

This time instead of using the slow juicer, I decided to go old school by the good old blender followed by straining.  I added some water to start the blender.  After there were some liquid formed, I added in the coconut cream milk - next time I should try adding coconut oil instead, I wonder how it will turn out.  Pandan leaves absorb water like sponge absorbs water so don't be surprised if 100 gr of pandan leaves yield very tiny amount of pandan juice.  

Blending Pandan & Water - Galaxy Note 9

Jangan Lupa Bahagia

I made another fast trip to Batam with the missus, went yesterday evening and came back this early evening.   

On-board Horizon Ferry - Canon G9XMk2

Anything? Something? I'm Not Sure...

The 2nd week of October is coming to a close, and I couldn't be busier at work.  Not to mention that this is the exam month for Lincoln, after work hours do not offer any reprieve from the long days as we have to go through his lessons to prepare for his exams in 2 weeks' time.  

PSA Tanjong Pagar, Beautiful View - Galaxy Note 9

Chocolate Banana Chiffon Cake

The missus lamented that I've always baked the same thing over and over again.  So this time I tried a different flavour yet again for my next chiffon cake bake.  I've always thought that chocolate and banana makes a good flavour combination and so that's what I baked this time around - chocolate banana chiffon cake. As usual, I went to check Diana's blog once again for reference.

Prior to this bake I had made a trip to Kenwood's service centre all the way in Jalan Pemimpin to acquire an extra set of beaters for my Chefette standing hand mixer, and man... those extra set of beaters are really worth the trouble.  They get the job done in a short time with great results.

So as usual, I prepared all ingredients first after carefully measuring them, separating the eggs, etc.  

All Ingredients Laid Out - Galaxy Note 9

Sanctimonious September

This month's recap title sounds very bitter.  That is the vibe I'm getting in my office right now.  The projects I have been doing in my department has somehow lost the faithfulness to their cause and are now just mere tokens to gain recognition for the higher up.  As the executioner, I can't help but feel completely disillusioned at the overtly pious display of commitment which lacks sincerity and action.  To top it off, one of my department's project has somehow incurred bad blood from another department that accused us of taking credit for what they're doing, which I feel is totally ridiculous as we're merely reporting the progress of their work to the head office's department that we are answering to...  Not theirs!  Well, I can't say more than I should..  Although I should add that I'm somewhat disgusted at the turns of events that has shown a total lack of sincerity and indescribable pettiness.  This has been a busy month too in the office with some distressing moments when major changes to one of my portfolios were asked to be made in very short times.  An important colleague has also resigned after 29 years with the company which further added gloom to the overall mood.

Well, enough with the bad stuffs.....  This month I finally became a Certified Scrum Master.  That's the best thing that happened to me this month.  My Galaxy Note 9's screen somehow got damaged, but luckily it's still under warranty so I got the screen, the motherboard and the camera module replaced for free and the phone came back almost like a brand new one.  I also got three new books by Ajahn Brahm which I haven't found time to read yet, but next month should be a good time as any.

Speaking of next month, Lincoln will have his 6th Kyu grading while I'll be having my 2nd Dan grading.  That really gets me nervous....  There'll be Jiyu Kumite (自由組手) this time around.  I had wanted to do Sochin (壮鎮) for my Kata, but my sensei said I'll still have to do one from the Sentei (選定) Katas, so back to Jion (慈恩) it is.  I also hope Lincoln will pass his grading this time and get his blue belt which has been long overdue.

Tiong Bahru Market at Nite - Galaxy Note 9

Mid-Autumn at Gardens by The Bay

On my birthday last week, we visited Gardens by The Bay for a family dinner followed by a lovely stroll to enjoy the lantern installations.  We had our dinner at Bakerzin before finally making our way to the Super Tree Grove to enjoy the sights. 

Lantern Tunnet - A7RMk3 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM

An Andante August a Cappella

Yeah yeah yeah.... I knew I broke the rhyme.  Anyway, a slow month it has been.  I finally went to Jewel and visited Bintan after 6 long years...  In the office, I had to deal with the worst of micromanagement, proofread newsletter articles and laid them out, made power point slides for D&D and some ship signing ceremony, attended a superfluous 2 day "digitalisation" course,  went on an onboard visit to a training vessel and did numerous mind numbing chores in the office, I could just cry… my sister went for surgery.... and a slow job market only made things worse, as such I have also baked quite a lot as usual.  Sometimes I wish I could just throw everything up in the air and do whatever I like.  But that’s a fairy tale.  Purposely getting unemployed is a matter of "forking" consequences (I learned a new phrase from a recent read which I will elaborate on later). 😐😐😐

On a brighter note, I learned a new Kata called "Hangetsu" - 半月 this month within a week.  I also went to a friend's baby shower party and accompanied Lincoln to his classmate's poolside birthday party where he had an absolute blast.

Nice Looking Pool After Sunset - Galaxy Note 9

Tanjung Pinang Trip 2019 - Part 2

Day 2 started with a hearty breakfast in Lumba Lumba Inn.  My father had arranged for additional food to be brought in such as Martabak and Bangka noodles for everyone to share.  After breakfast, we set off for Bintan Agro Beach Resort.

The resort has changed quite a lot since the last time I was there.  The kids had some fun with the antique cars there, especially Lindsay with this cute Hello Kitty Mercedes Benz convertible.  Dad has a weird hobby of collecting antique cars, including cute ones too apparently.

Tanjung Pinang Trip 2019 - Part 1

Last week we just came back from a short family holiday in Tanjung Pinang, Bintan over a 4 day long weekend.  It's been 6 years since I last visited Tanjung Pinang and a first for Lindsay.  Our trip started from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal all the way in the East near Changi airport. 

The last time I came to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal was about 10 years ago as after I had moved to Batam, my journeys to Tanjung Pinang were mainly from Batam's Telaga Punggur.  And Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal certainly hadn't changed much.  The terminal was packed to the brim with holiday makers. 

Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal Common Area - RX100 Mk3

After checking in, we waited for about close to an hour before we could board the ferry. 

Jewel Changi

Yeah, I finally made it to Jewel at Changi.  I sure am a latecomer, but the rain vortex is here to stay so no worries.  

The Rain Vortex - RX100 Mk3

Earl Grey Vanilla Chiffon Cake

And so, my baking spree continues into August.  This time, I decided to try baking an Earl Grey Vanilla Chiffon cake.  As usual, I turned to Diana's blog for guidance and did some tweaking on my own to streamline the baking process.  

Instead of brewing my tea in water, I decided to just use milk & vanilla.  The aroma is heavenly as expected, however the taste of the milk tea is really quite bitter.  But that will change once the sugar is incorporated.  

Brewing Earl Grey Tea Leaves in Milk & Vanilla - Galaxy Note 9

Jaded July

And July finally comes to a close.  I've baked a lot this month to offset my gloomy mood in the work front.  At least baking takes my mind off some bumps at work.  It hasn't been an easy month as I've grown weary of my mundane daily functions in all honesty.  I can't help but miss my early project management days.  

Soy Matcha Latte From Kopi Janji Jiwa @ Grand Batam - Galaxy Note 9

I don't have much to share either this month other than some interesting stuff in Batam.  I've also come across a new idea to increase occupancy rate of my father's property in Batam.  As of now I'm waiting for the marketing staff & the general manager to draft out the plan formally for me to check and fine tune.

Pandan Chiffon Cake

Okay, this is the last one on pandan.  I've basically ran out of pandan & coconut oil after this bake.  

Fresh From The Oven - Galaxy Note 9

Pandan Butter Cake

Since I had quite a fair bit of pandan and coconut milk with a block of butter left, I thought I'd try making a pandan butter cake.  And instead of following Gracious Treatz's recipe, I tried Diana's recipe again, but of course with some tweak of my own.  Diana's recipe (which is an adaptation of another famous recipe) uses pandan paste (which I really don't like) and requires separating the egg whites from the yolks before finally combining them together again.  I thought this should be worth a good try.

I'm strongly against pandan paste and such because if you'd take a look at the ingredients section, you'll notice that they are made up mainly of propylene glycol and glycerine.  If you've taken up chemistry before, you'll know that both propylene glycol & glycerine are essentially a type of sugar alcohol.  To further drive my point across, I should also mention that food grade propylene glycol is mainly produced from propylene oxide which is a probable human carcinogen.  I know the end product is purported to be "food grade", but the point of baking my own cake is to avoid ingesting unnatural substances as much as possible, especially if they could probably cause cancer, as such I insist on making my own pandan extract naturally.  

I didn't take any photos, but I started by blendering 3 pandan leaves with 65 ml of coconut milk.  That was quite a disaster because there was too little liquid and the pandan leaves didn't blend in perfectly.  I should have used either a slow juicer and then mix the pandan extract with the coconut milk or used a bullet blender with finely cut pandan leaves for better result.  Will keep this in mind next time.  

As soon as the pandan extract was ready, I started creaming the butter and sugar.  This time I took out my 6 year old 1000 watt Kenwood Chef Premier to do the beating.  

Creaming Butter & Sugar - Galaxy Note 9

Gula Melaka Chiffon Cake

I can say without any doubt that the combination of pandan and coconut results in the most heavenly flavour ever, whether sweet or savoury.  You can find pandan and coconut in Nasi Lemak or Nasi Uduk - that's savoury - or in deserts such as chendol and cake - that's sweet.  I had previously baked pandan chiffon cake but this time I thought I should try making a gula melaka version which puts more emphasis on the coconut.  I adapted my recipe for this gula melaka chiffon cake from the amazing Domestic Goddess Wannabe, Diana Gale.

My Take of The Gula Melaka Chiffon Cake - Galaxy Note 9

Lincoln's Grateful Birthday

One day before Lincoln's birthday, we went to an orphanage in Batam to celebrate his early birthday party.  This year, I and my wife thought that we should let him celebrate his birthday by sharing his joy with those who are less fortunate.  We want him and Lindsay to learn to be more grateful and cultivate a compassionate spirit, to help others who are in need. 

On this occasion, the lady boss of Little Nyonya Batik and her hubby went along with us to make the event merrier.  I also had a lot of help from my father's staff in making the arrangements.  We decided to celebrate Lincoln's birthday in an orphanage called Yayasan Samaria Fao Kasih.  The orphanage is located near the Hang Nadim airport.  There are 22 children in the orphanage, the youngest is a 5 year old boy while the oldest is an 18 year old girl.  

Yayasan Samaria Fao Kasih - A7R3 + FE 16-35mm F2.8GM

Universal Studios Singapore Trip

Still in the month of June, on my wife's birthday, she asked for a family trip to the Universal Studios Singapore which I gladly obliged to as this would have been our first visit since the park started operations from October 2009.  It was a cloudy day with occasional drizzles which made for a pleasant visit as we escaped the hot sun for most of the day. The park was quite crowded with holiday makers, but not so packed. 

After a quick brekkie at McDonald's Sentosa, we quickly bought our tickets and checked into the park.  

Lindsay Enjoying Her Wrap - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

From the entrance we arrived at the Hollywood zone where shops lined the street leading to the intersection to Madagascar and New York zones. 

June Adventure Cove Waterpark Trip

Well, June is not all gloomy and sorrowful.  There are 2 birthdays to celebrate after all this month.  My wife and I gave Lincoln an early birthday present by bringing him to Adventure Cove Waterpark in Sentosa as he'd been asking to go there for quite some time now.

A Pose Before Venturing In - A7RM2 + FE 24-240mm F.35-6.3 OSS

Both Lincoln and Lindsay were definitely excited from the moment we arrived in Sentosa.  I, however, opted to remain dry as I was in no mood to get wet.  I only went along to take photos. 

Jettisoned June

Yeah.. that's what I'm feeling right now.  Jettisoned.  June has been a month of many departures.  One of my colleagues whom I can usually let loose with in the office resigned abruptly.  After his resignation, two of his buddies from the same department also left...  I've known them for quite a while.  In fact they were some of the last few people in the office who knew me from the containership days.  

Harbourfront - A7R2 + FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS

I have to admit that I'm not taking their departures very well, as such I've been feeling rather down lately.  I can't help but feel like a relic that should have left eons ago.  Unfortunately, lady luck has not been so kind to me at the moment.

Durians in June

T'is the season of the durians.  Fruits aplenty and prices are reasonable. Not rock bottom, but reasonable where you can get a good Musang King (猫山王) for $15/kg.  But my personal preference is actually for the Red Prawns (红虾) so called because of the reddish orange flesh of the durians.  This variety is juicier, sweet all over with no hints of bitterness at all.  

Lots and Lots of Durians - Galaxy Note 9

Marvellous Meringue May

This is my 1^st entry for May.  It’s been a rather busy month with Lincoln’s exams which took place on 2^nd & 3^rd week of the month.  He didn’t do to well this time around, which I found rather frustrating since I’d been accompanying him each night, studying for his exams.  I know he can do the problems, but he just can’t focus long enough to do them during exams.  I’ll find out more about his issues from his teachers next week during the parent teacher meeting. 

I also had time to bake more than usual, although these were more out of curiosity rather than consuming the baked goods fast.  So far I have baked muffins, pies, chiffon cake & cheesecake, so this time I tried my hands at baking butter cake.

In total, I made 3 failed attempts.  Each time I ended up with a cake that was dense instead of fluffy.  I was rather pissed off to be defeated by a recipe on my first attempt and tried again twice.  However, both efforts yielded the same results.  In the end I figured that I haven’t mastered the technique of creaming butter & sugar yet… my egg beating technique is quite sound as demonstrated by my successful attempt at baking a chocolate chiffon cake.  I guess I will need to find more reliable information regarding creaming butter.  

The butter cake I was trying to make was a marble cake, in particular.  So called due to the chocolate swirls emulating the patterns found on a marble slab.  I followed the recipe from a youtuber by the handle Gracious Treatz.  She's a very talented baker with good tutorial videos. 

The ingredients for a marble cake are quite basic: butter, sugar, flour, eggs, milk, melted chocolate and the usual baking powder & baking soda.  

Ingredients For Marble Cake - Galaxy Note 9

Ambivalent April

As April draws to a close, I can say that this has been a somewhat mixed bag of a month.  There were nice moments and there were unpleasant ones too…  Although all are certainly memorable.  

Let’s start with the first one…. My lime trees were infested with lime caterpillars…  At first I was somewhat rattled by these pests and the first thing that came to mind was “kill ‘em”.  However, after I gathered them into a box, I had a change of heart when I realized that other than the damage they caused to my lime trees, they're actually quite harmless.  Moreover, I've done the best I possibly could to clear the trees of these caterpillars.  And they could definitely serve a nice lesson to the kids about metamorphosis.  So I decided to keep the caterpillars instead by modifying a plastic container into a makeshift incubator. 

Lime Caterpillars Evacuated From My Lime Trees - Galaxy Note 9

Bali Holiday 2019 - Day 7

Last day in Bali…  We unwillingly left The Apurva Kempinski.  Unfortunately, responsibilities beckoned and we had to return to reality. 

The Apurva Kempinski's Courtyard Pond - Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Bali Holiday 2019 - Day 6

On Day 6, we didn't do anything much.  We just had a whole lot of good time in The Apurva Kempinski.

The Apurva Kempinski From The Beach - Galaxy Note 9

Bali Holiday 2019 - Day 5

I can safely say that day 5 officially started after we checked-in at The Apurva Kempinski.  By the time we entered our room it was already half past midnight. 

As soon as we opened the door into our 2^nd floor room we were greeted by a sculpture of a Javanese Candi (Hindunese or Buddhist temple).  

A Scultpure of a Javanese Candi Adorned The Entrance Into Our Room - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

Bali Holiday 2019 - Day 4

Day 4 was our last day in Padma Resort Ubud.  We had planned to checkout at 12 pm and transfer to Novotel Benoa near Nusa Dua.  Our package with Padma came with a complimentary transfer which we happily utilized for the transfer to Novotel Benoa.  Unfortunately the Novotel Benoa stay was going to abysmal, which I will elaborate on later.    

Before leaving Padma, the kids had one last chance to visit the Animal Garden which we did right after breakfast.  Lincoln & Lindsay really had a great time feeding the rabbits, guinea pigs, Kimi & Kumi and the pigeons.  

Linc & Lind Feeding Rabbits in Padma Ubud's Animal Garden - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

Bali Holiday 2019 - Day 3

For day 3 of our holiday, we decided that we should go beyond Ubud Centre.  Our morning started with the usual breakfast, followed by the kids enjoying themselves at the pool before we set out for Ubud Centre at noon. 

Lincoln & Lindsay Morning Swim - RX100 Mk3

Bali Holiday 2019 - Day 2

Day 2 started with this magnificent view from our balcony as we awoke in Padma Resort Ubud.

Such Wonderful View From Our Balcony - A7R2 + FE16-35mm F2.8 GM

Bali Holiday 2019 - Day 1

During the March school term break, we set off on a family holiday to Bali.  It’s been 4 years since our last trip to Bali back in 2015 and we were eagerly looking forward to this trip.  For this trip I was fully armed to the teeth, carrying my A7R2, a Batis 2/25, a newly acquired FE16-35mm F2.8 GM and also a newly acquired DJI Osmo Mobile 2.     

Let's Go! - RX100 Mk3

Zardu Hasselfrau

Just feeling wacky and I thought I'll share this video. 😝😝😝

Getting down & dirty with a Procyon Lotor
Got no people skills but he's good with motors
That weird thing by his side, an infantilized sequoia
The two of them walk by, people say "Oh-boya!"

They ask me why I'm bringing, a baby into battle
That's really irresponsible and getting them rattled
I said "Give me a break, get off my back damn it!"
I didn't learn parenting my daddy was a planet!!

Zardu Hasselfrau,  Zardu Hasselfrau, HEY!
Zardu Hasselfrau,  Zardu Hasselfrau, HEY!

In these times of hardship, just remember...
We
Are
Groot

😹😹😹😹😹😹

Tokyo Business Trip March 2019

Here’s my first entry for Marvelous March - Dang, I missed to write an entry for "Fabulous Feburary"....  Anyway, I just returned from a work trip to Tokyo where I visited Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha’s HQ for some briefings along with one of my bosses. 

Looking at The Tarmac While Waiting - RX100 Mk3

元宵节快乐

Today is the last day of Chinese New Year, which marks the 1st 15th day of the first month in lunar calendar, also known as Yuan Xiao Jie (元宵节).  Aside from 元宵节, this day is also known as the Lantern Festival Day (which should not be confused with the mid-Autumn lantern festival) and Chinese Valentine's Day while in Indonesia we'll go with the term "Cap Go Meh".  And what makes today's celebration super special is the appearance of a Super Moon which shines very brightly tonight. 

And that's the Super Moon tonight - X-T2 + XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS

Jakarta Chinese New Year Trip – Day 4: 春到大地 & Day 5

And here we are on Chinese New Year Day.  We started the day by wishing my parents a happy new year first.  So my siblings and my family gathered in my parents' room to wish them a happy new year.

新年快乐， 恭喜发财! - A7RMk2 + Batis 2/25  

Jakarta Chinese New Year Trip – Day 3

Day 3 was New Year’s Eve.  It was a very relaxed day with plenty of time for us to explore and try out new and interesting places during the day. 

My wife suggested that we should try going to Bakmi Orpa in Jalan Malaka II near Kota Tua.  Bakmi Orpa is very well known as the most expensive noodle house around although most people who’ve been there agree that their signature noodle dish is very good.  So we were very curious to try this “bakmi Horang Kaya” - make sure you pronounce the "H" with a heavy grunt 😁😁.  My sister went along with us.

After following the directions on Google Maps, we finally arrived at Bakmi Orpa.  My sister went on a side dish ordering frenzy and ordered Pangsit Goreng, Baso Goreng & Pangsit Kuah.  We also ordered 5 bowls of noodles. 

Bakmi Orpa Shop Sign - A7RMk2 + Batis 2/25

Jakarta Chinese New Year Trip - Day 2

Day 2 was filled with fun and excitement for the kids, it was a Sunday and traffic was considerably light.  We started with breakfast at Mie Keriting Siantar 19 at the original Muara Karang market outlet.  It was a very tasty and satisfying breakfast.  

Mie Keriting Siantar 19 - A7RMk2 + Batis 2/25

After breakfast we went to nearby Bakpau A1 to get some snacks and then to Central Park in Tanjung Duren as my parents-in-law prepared to return to Purwokerto in the evening.  Lincoln and my wife had their haircut there while Lindsay and I just waited for them.  As Central Park was extremely crowded, we didn't go anywhere else and just waited at the hair salon. 

Jakarta Chinese New Year Trip - Day 1

As per usual practice in the last couple of years, we headed to Jakarta to celebrate Chinese New Year.  This time it was a 5 day trip.  We had the luxury of a longer trip courtesy of the weekend.  Flying by Garuda, we departed from Changi Airport's Terminal 3.  And this time, I had the opportunity to visit the Butterfly Garden with Lincoln prior to boarding the plane.  

Level 2 View of T3 Butterfly Garden @ Changi - A7RMk2 + Batis 2/25

Onboard Tour of The Training Sail Ship Nippon Maru

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to go on board a Japanese training sail ship called Nippon Maru.  Officially, she should be called Nippon Maru II as she's the second generation sail ship to bear that name.  The first Nippon Maru was originally commissioned all the way back in 1930.  And this sail ship should not be confused with the MOL luxury cruise ship either.  

Nippon Maru From 2nd Level of Singapore Cruise Centre - X-T2 + XF10-24mm F4R OIS

Moving House

It's been 2 weeks since my last entry and I had been very busy.  After having stayed in Tiong Bahru for more than 5 years, we finally made a move to Redhill.

The Movers Working With Our Stuffs - RX100 Mk3

Moving house is not an easy task (then or now, all the same).  The packing and unpacking was very tiring.  Teething issues with the new house persists even till now which we still haven't resolved with the contractors.  This resulted in stalled unpacking activities.  Not only that, adjusting to a new environment takes a while too - which cabinet is suitable to store which stuffs, what items are still missing from these new furniture, how to organize the stuffs, figuring out why certain things are not working as they should, etc.... 

Jubilant January

And here's my first entry for 2019.  I had intended it to be my last entry for 2018, but my fingers couldn't dance any faster on the keyboard.  So yesteryear (which was just a few minutes ago), I ended the year with the usual visit to Lian Shan Shuang Lin (连山双林) Monastery to pray, expressing gratitude for a smooth sailing 2018 and hoping to a greater 2019.  Went with Lincoln too, he's going to start primary 3 on Wednesday, so I prayed that he will have a good start for the academic year as well.  We started praying at the 1st temple known as Cheng Huang Miao (城隍庙) before heading to the 2nd temple which is also known as the Mahavihara complex.  I like the Mahavihara complex best.  

Rainy Day...  - RX100 Mk3