So It's 2017 Now

New year was uneventful.  We just stayed home and slept.  Not that I'm complaining, I'm not into those countdown parties and such.

Usually this is a time to reflect on what had happened so far, be grateful for the blessings we received and the good things that happened while trying to learn from the bad experiences we had.  

Just a day before new year I also learnt of a sad news about a boy from Batam who had been fighting cancer and eventually lost the battle.  I first knew of his plight just slightly more than 3 years back when I was still in Batam; gave a small donation for his chemotherapy treatment in Singapore after reading his mother's heartfelt plea for help through Facebook.  After several sessions of chemotherapy in Singapore he seemed to have recovered and I thought things were going well.  So it was quite a shock when I learnt of his passing from a common friend in Batam.  Hopefully his family will find strength to overcome this difficult period.  

As for me, my company is expected to release further update of the merger after Chinese New Year.  While I look forward to it in order to get some understanding of my fate I also worry about the kind of card that will be dealt to me.  In a nutshell, shipping does not look good, especially with the TPP unraveling.  China on the other hand is making her presence felt in the region with some major projects that may impact Singapore's shipping industry as well.  Overall, 2017 does not look very promising for shipping although I strongly hope that I will be proven wrong.

It's at times like this when I really wish I had a Nanyang MBA...

And oh yeah... I have some things to fix too which will cost quite a bit.  That really turn me off....

With China Town New Year light up coming this Saturday, I might have something to distract me a bit.

On a brighter note...  today is the first day Lincoln started primary 1 while Lindsay also moved to a new child care.  Lincoln adapted very well to the new environment, he seemed to enjoy school; came back with all smiles today trying to describe what he did.  Lindsay was predictably difficult with eating.  The teachers advised that she ate very little for lunch, otherwise she was mingling very well with the other kids and had no problem adapting too.

When I watched Lincoln walk back to his class after recess, it suddenly dawned upon me that I need my children more than they need me.  Despite them giving me a hard time (yelling at them, going through lessons with them, getting frustrated at them, etc.), they also give me a lot of happy moments and a sense of achievement when I see them reach a certain stage in their life.  They really are a blessing in this otherwise bland and perhaps self-centred life.  

Here's a closing shot for this rambling entry - I have a lot to get off my chest!

The Dark Knight - Fairy Style

~ Photo taken with Nikon D750 + Sigma 24mm F/1.4 DG HSM (A) ~

Toothless Linc

Linc finally lost his front baby teeth last week. It was such an arduous task getting those loose teeth to come off. My wife was persistent in wiggling those 2 teeth while I was growing rather impatient and really wanted to just pull them off.

Eventually my wife gave up after wiggling for 2 hours (from 8 plus to about 10 pm). But at that time the teeth were already very loose, I thought they had to come off that night. Lincoln was too terrified at first, but I made him look at the mirror and asked him to pull the teeth off himself. Until he decided that he needed help, he was no longer afraid to let me touch his teeth. So I twisted the loose teeth for him to see.

Bye bye baby teeth!

My boy is growing up so fast....

 ~ Photos taken with Nikon D750 + AF-S 20mm F/1.8G ~

Finally Went to (near) Orchard

Okay, I finally did it!!  Well, Tanglin is still within Orchard......  I still can't get myself to go to Orchard road to get the shots of the Christmas lights.  But on Christmas eve I brought the kids to Tanglin Mall for their annual snow avalanche.  More like soap really.....  But they do have the best "snow" show in Singapore.   

Anticipating a big crowd, I went with no tripod, my D750 and Tokina 16-28mm F2.8 and Nikkor 20mm F1.8.  The Tokina 16-28mm F2.8 was usable in the beginning when the "snow" started spawning.  But as I can't attach a filter onto the lens, I had to change to the Nikkor 20mm F/1.8.  At first I thought of bringing a tripod along to lose some of the crowd in the photos but I decided not to, and it proved quite a right decision.

We arrived early at about one and a half hour before the snow show starts.  I spent some time taking test photos while waiting for the blue hour to arrive.  So we went around the mall, had dinner and the kids played around in kiddy rides.  It was a nostalgic visit for me.  The first time I came to Singapore when I was 12, I stayed in Traders Hotel (now it's Jen Hotel Tanglin) which was right next to the mall.  Even when I attended English courses at the British Council I sometimes went to the mall for meals.

Before the show started the area was already packed with crowds waiting in anticipation.  I managed to went around and snapped some photos of the decorations, the mall and the crowd.  

The main decoration right outside the mall - D750 + Tokina 16-28mm F2.8