Dogged December

It has been an extraordinary 2020 for sure, which will come to a close in a mere count of hours.  And I do mean extraordinary in both memorable and unpleasant ways.  Work was full of pressure in the last quarter of the year and 婆婆's sudden departure in early October really shook me....  Not to mention the travel bans which meant that we can't meet our family members in Indonesia too.  What an extraordinary year it has been indeed.  On the flip side, we experienced what it feels like to be partially "locked down" and saw a totally different face of the place we live in.  The travel bans imposed by many countries also affected livelihoods everywhere and shows how important it is to remain open and connected always.  This is also a watershed year that brings about the New Normal.  Masks are the norm now, working from home, schooling from home, online shopping and food deliveries too.  Of course not forgetting going about in smaller groups as opposed to big gatherings last time.  Oh yes, what an extraordinary year 2020 has been.

Cloudy East Coast - Galaxy Note 9

W Singapore - Sentosa Cove Escape - Part II

Day 2 started with breakfast at The Kitchen Table.  It was an à la carte buffet, not very nice...  Part of the joy in going for a buffet spread is that you can choose whatever you want whenever you want, which unfortunately (although understandably) is not possible at the moment.  To avoid crowding, we had to book specific time slots, which for that day we could only get the last, starting from 10:00 - 11:30.  Apparently there was some drama, but we didn't notice anything when we were at the restaurant until we  read the news.  

Anyway, after breakfast we went to Quayside Isle one more time to just have a good look at Sentosa Cove and take more photos for keepsake. It was a very nice walk; usually we could only see Sentosa Cove when we were on board a ferry to Batam, this time we really walked on Sentosa Cove.  

The Missus & 2Ls in Quayside Isle - A7RMk3 + FE20mm F1.8 G

W Singapore - Sentosa Cove Escape - Part I

Just last week, we had a short staycay escape at W Singapore - Sentosa Cove.  It was a short 3 days 2 nights stay.  I wish I could have stayed longer really, unfortunately there are just too many things that still need my attention at work.  Nevertheless, it was a very welcome break, much needed too for me.  

Going Up to The Lobby - RX100 Mk3

Noxious November

So how was November?  "👿👻💢💣💥💩" That's my answer.  I really hate this month with a vengeance.  However I also accept that come hell or high water, the 💩 must get done.  Nothing left to do but to grit my teeth and bite the bullet.  I finished almost all work days feeling exhausted and angry.  Well...  All options were taken out of my hand...  so....  I just had to take the bull by the horns.  

The Deepavali weekend offered a brief respite from the f$#💥ed up work.  It was such a great relief to be out for a while for a breath of fresh air.  We went for brunch at Prive in Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) in the morning before our visit to the National Museum for "Doraemon's Time Travelling Adventures in Singapore" exhibition.  

Beautiful Morning From ACM - Galaxy Note 9

Doraemon at the National Museum

On Deepavali weekend this month, we dropped by the "Doraemon's Time Travelling Adventures in Singapore" exhibition in the National Museum.  

So Many Doraemons! - Galaxy Note 9

Moskau - Mister Disco Would Appreciate It If You Love The Fish

I don't know what poor Bill did in the hymen store. And please don't stack the hay too thick, I need to go through it to go to your home. And yeah, you look cool in your barn and hide tights. Castro, you be ready my man.

Oppressed October

October has been an absolutely f&*ked up month.  This is the worst of all months so far in 2020.  I'm still reeling from how 婆婆 left us so suddenly, earlier this month with us having no chance to bid her a proper farewell.  I tried to find some peace by reading an old book: "The Art of Living" by Dalai Lama.  I've had this book since the last year of my NTU days.  And I thought this is quite an appropriate time to read it again.

The Art of Living - Galaxy Note 9

Dear 婆婆

Dear 婆婆, it's still such a shock...  you left us on Monday morning...  I don't know what to make of it.  And in such a time when travel is almost impossible, we couldn't go and bid you farewell for the very last time.  It is so frustrating to be stuck here with no chance to say goodbye to you at all.  

Stationary September

In 2 hours' time, September will come to an end.  Another month will pass.  This month I turned 39.  Yay... happy birthday, you're a year older, bla.. bla... bla...  I've gotten numb to it somehow.  

Courtesy of Osia - Galaxy Note 9

Mid-Autumn 2020 in Chinatown

Last Saturday I had a jalan jalan chance at Chinatown and enjoyed the sights of mid-autumn lanterns from the blue hour till about 8 plus.  The lantern installations this year....  are not as good as last year's.  I'm hoping I can still make a visit to Gardens by The Bay to catch their lantern installations, but Lincoln's oral exams are coming next week, so those will have to take first priority for now.  

My itinerary started from block 5 Banda Street from where I planned to capture the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple from the 10th floor.  Prior to going up the block, I stumbled upon this mural of Samsui Ladies by the side of a pedestrian's bridge.  

Samsui Ladies of Banda Street - Galaxy Note 9

Aghast August

This hasn't been a good month. Sometime in the middle of the month, I learnt that my brother, my aunt and a daily helper at home finally became part of the statistics of COVID-19 patients in Surabaya.  I'm not too worried about them, I'm more worried about my mom.  At first I thought of getting my mom to move out to avoid staying too close to them.  Yes, there's no quarantine in dedicated facilities or hospitals... that's $💀#💢*!💣! crazy rite... Even my brother had to drive himself to the hospital to get tested again. But then again, moving out does not guarantee my mom will be any safer since she'll be exposed to more strangers.  In the end  I thought it would be much safer for her to just stay home and make sure she doesn't get near my brother and my aunt, and in case she had to go near them, to make sure she puts on all necessary protective equipment.  At least the daily helper is not coming in for the next 3 weeks.  The daily helper already has antibody in his system, which means that he had contracted the virus way earlier and somehow recovered without even noticing it.  This episode really got me worried sick here.  There's really nothing much I can do but hope for the best.  I really, really hope my mom's luck won't run out on her just yet.

On a much lighter note, we paid a visit to Marina Bay Sands earlier in the month.  It was an unusual sight to see a mostly empty The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.  

An Uncharacteristically Quiet Rain Oculus - Galaxy Note 9

The Cat Cafe Bugis Visit

On Sunday we visited The Cat Cafe in Bugis.  The pricing is $16 for 2 hours with a free soft drink per person.  That is quite reasonable actually, when compared to other cat cafes in Singapore. Linc & Lind were excited from the start, the thought of getting up close to furry felines, petting and playing with the furballs got them somewhat impatient throughout the morning.  After a quick breakfast in Bugis, we climbed up 3 storeys in an old shophouse outside Bugis Street.  

Here We Are - RX100 Mk3

Just July

As July comes to an end, the past 3 weeks have been crazy stressful at work.  The e-approval processes I have set up suddenly required urgent fixes because the send mail notification and the approval connectors were decommissioned (deprecated in Microsoft lingo).  The approval connector deprecation is especially hard to swallow, as I will need to re-design 6 of my flows - which I'm still figuring out...  At least, the other 43 are already OK...  I tried parallel branching, which brought down the nesting level to 9, just one over the maximum allowable 8.  I also looked at using Child Flows, but after careful consideration, I will end up with more flows to manage if I use this technique. Not forgetting to mention that this technique also requires premium subscription and a crash course on JSON, so...  nope, using child flow is also out.  The last technique I need to explore is variable initialization.  And I somehow must make this work.  Prior to this "breakdown" there were the usual office drama, politicking and reading between the lines which really, really drained me... man...  I really wish I could just jump ship.  

Along Alexandra Road - Galaxy Note 9

Jerky June

The kids returned to school this month.  At first they were alternating each week, but as of yesterday, all of them returned to school for good.  However, it's not all good news as Lincoln has his common test this week.  *crunch time* 

Just Another Sunrise - Galaxy Note 9

June Cycling Diary

I have been cycling once a week with the missus in the past 3 weeks.  So far we've been to Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by The Bay and Henderson Waves.  From Alexandra Canal Park which is right in front of our apartment, we could go all the way to East Coast Park if we'd like to.  It really is amazing how we can get to experience so many places with our bicycles.  

Stopping by Rodalink Commonwealth to Adjust My Bike's Saddle Post - Galaxy Note 9

Muted May

It has been a very quiet May, naturally, since we are in the midst of the Circuit Breaker period. Although the kids started their holiday this month, they have not been able to get out of home. And Youtube is just not wholesome for them... not even Youtube for Kids.  So I took out mine and the missus' 16 year old Nintendo DS and let them have a go at proper gaming.  Seeing how much they enjoyed it, I decided to splurge on a Nintendo Switch Lite.  Real gaming is still the best as compared to the new capitalist mobile games where you have to pay to win.  And just because you have forked out a princely sum, that still does not guarantee that you'll enjoy the game.  I also hate how the new mobile games seem to run like daily chores with no end in sight.  There is no story arc, grinding does not get you to the top, after a while some new characters will be introduced which makes your previous grinding (and sometimes purchase) meaningless - seriously, even other open ended games like The Sims or Sim City are way better.  Old school gaming is still gold.  So it's Nintendo Switch Lite + Final Fantasy + Mario Odyssey + Mario Deluxe.  I'm the only one who still loves RPG, so much that I'm the one playing Final Fantasy III on my DS now while the kids play with the new Switch Lite. 

Good Old Nintendo DS - Galaxy Note 9

Austere April

Today marks the 24th day of Singapore's Circuit Breaker.  We started with exactly 1000 infections on 1st April and have by today reached 16169.  That is a massive 16 fold increase over a period of 30 days.  If any consolation, the local community transmission has somehow reached single digit today numbering to a moderate 6.  The foreign workers in dormitories continue to make up the largest numbers of infections, my heart really goes out to them and I really hope that they can overcome the infection.  As for those who are not infected, I sincerely hope they will remain safe always.  

For the rest of us who are very fortunate to be allowed to work and study from home, life has become a lot simpler as compared to pre-COVID-19 era.  We eat at home a lot more, cook more than usual, enjoy each other's company no matter good or bad, and just finding things we can do at home. 

Well, I had a go in making the viral Dalgona coffee.  I succeeded after 3 tries.  The first 2 were foamy, I didn't get the water ratio right.  The third attempt was the charm indeed.  My incarnation came with crushed Lotus Biscoff for added flavour.

My Take on The Dalgona Coffee - Galaxy Note 9

Alexandra Canal Park

Part of the Circuit Breaker measures implemented this month includes closure of condominium's gyms.  So that means I have to bring my workout outdoors.  Which is not so bad actually.  I had known for a while about Alexandra Canal Park (ACP) opposite my condominium complex but could never really find a good reason to go there until now.  

Sunset in ACP, by Prince Charles Crescent  - Galaxy Note 9

Circuit Breaker April

Last week, the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong announced an unprecedented move in implementing a "Circuit Breaker" (CB) measure from 7th April to 4th May, where everyone's supposed to work from home as much as possible, while students will move on to home-based learning.  Only essential services can continue operating during this period while observing safe distancing measures in their work premises.

Prime Minster Lee Hsien Loong Addressing the Nation on The Circuit Breaker Period - Galaxy Note 9

Homemade Pizza

I've never made pizza from scratch, usually I would buy frozen pizza dough and decorate them nicely.  Last Friday, I took a day off to accompany the kids on the last day of their term break.  I decided to make pizza for lunch using homemade dough.  It's surprisingly easy.  The dough's recipe consists of 5 ingredients only.    

My Pizza Baking in The Oven - Galaxy Note 9

Manic March

COVID-19 tightened its grip on the world this month.  We saw plenty of lockdown orders from governments around the world, and most alarmingly, how the number of infected and deaths continued to rise throughout March, especially in Europe.  

A Serene Guoco Tower Atrium in The Morning - Galaxy Note 9

Frantic February

Oh yes....  A frantic month it has been.  The word of the month is "Covid-19" as it took centre stage in February and triggered our very deeply ingrained humane trait of survival into overdrive.  While some of us did so elegantly, there were others who were simply just plain awful.   

Declaration Form & Sanitizing Station in My Office Lobby - Galaxy Note 9

The Coconut Club - Atas Nasi Lemak

Early this month we had a chance to visit The Coconut Club in Ann Siang Hill.  They serve quite arguably the best Nasi Lemak in Singapore.  

Signage at The Entrance - Galaxy Note 9

Jakarta Chinese New Year Trip 2020 - Day 4

Day 4, time to go back to Singapore.  We started with a simple breakfast at Mie Aloi which is just next door.  After the delightful breakfast, we returned to the hotel and the kids wanted a little swim.  So we obliged and let them have their splashy moment. 

The Kids Having Fun in The Pool - Galaxy Note 9

Jakarta Chinese New Year 2020 Trip - Day 3

Day 3 - 春到大地.  No rain this morning and I started the day with a prayer at Vihara Satya Dharma with my father and Lincoln.  That was the first time Lincoln joined me and my father for new year's day prayers.   

Just Right For Spring - RX100 Mk3

Jakarta Chinese New Year 2020 Trip - Day 2

Well, well....  Look and behold!  Dark clouds, grey skies and a pouring rain!!  And from our hotel room, we could see some parts of the streets submerged in water.  So it could flood after all! 

Heavy Rain in PIK - RX100 Mk3

Jakarta Chinese New Year 2020 Trip - Day 1

We just came back from Jakarta for Chinese New Year on Sunday.  It was a rather quick 4 days and 3 nights trip.  The most important thing is, we got to see 婆婆 again.  We departed from Changi Airport's Terminal 2 this time.  

Just Some Greenery Near The Eating Area - RX100 Mk3

Jam-packed January

Whew.....  I finally have the time to sit down and write....  The start of 2020 hasn't been short of hectic, to say the least.  Lindsay finally started primary 1 this year.  While Lincoln, as a result of his bad performance in math last year has to make quite a lot of changes to his weekly schedule.  I & the missus have to adjust and adapt to their new routines.  Most of all, we realized that Lincoln has a lot to catch up in regard to his math and Mandarin which resulted in additional reading times before bed.  Lindsay on the other hand, seems to be adapting quite well to Primary 1 as most of her former kindergarten classmates are now in the same school as she is.

Inside Zhangde Primary School - Galaxy Note 9