Malleable March

In a blink of an eye, March has come to a near end. I really felt like my life just zipped past by me.  Work has been tiring - there has been no time for rest in between tasks, and I happily welcome the early release Fridays at the end of each month which is the only reprieve I get from work.  I'm really feeling the burnout from countless mindless executions.  I seldom have time to sit back and reflect on how I can do things better or utilise the tools that are available.  It has been a very tiring journey so far in Klook.

A Faint Rainbow For Good Luck - Galaxy Note 9

Messed Up May

The month of May started in a somewhat quiet suspense.  It was business as usual with 2 public holidays to look forward to.  However we were on our toes as the number of local Covid-19 transmissions were rising steadily and a series of tightening measures had been announced prior.  And finally on 13th May the government finally pulled the plug and announced "Phase 2 Heightened Alert" which will last till June 13.   Work from home is the default, no dining in and...  no karate.  Home based learning was immediately implemented from 19th May as the school clusters were growing.  Well...  All good hard work reversed in such a short time.  Messed up isn't it?  

Fiery Sunset in Hot Hot May - Galaxy Note 9

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

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

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.

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. 

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 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

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

And to Tiong Bahru Bakery After Tiann's

Well, I couldn't possibly miss visiting Tiong Bahru Bakery when I'm at the market right?  Even if we couldn't get a table there, we could always buy some croissant and kouign amann back home.  

So after we were done at Tiann's, we just walked over to Eng Hoon Street for a quick look and see at Tiong Bahru Bakery.   

And here we are at the "Paris of the Yeast" 56 Eng Hoon Street - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

Finally Went to Gardens by The Bay Again

After a long hiatus from Gardens by The Bay entries, I finally have the chance to write another one.  On National Day holiday last Thursday, we went to Gardens by The Bay so that the kids can enjoy some outdoor activities.  It was an enjoyable outing.

A nice cloudy day for a stroll - A7RMk2 + Batis 2/25

Ranoh Island Adventure - Part 2

So here's part 2 of the Ranoh island adventure.  You can't miss this colourful signboard the moment you set foot on Ranoh.

Welcome to Ranoh - RX100 Mk3

Geylang Serai Bazaar 2018

Yesterday I made my first trip to Geylang Serai in like almost 20 years.  It was really amazing to see a different kind of bazaar/carnival (as compared to the ones in Chinatown and Gardens by The Bay).  My main purpose for the trip was actually to snap a cover photo for my company's newsletter, the secondary purpose would be to satisfy my curiosity on Hari Raya Aidil Fitri lighting.  Lastly, to try the hipster bazaar delicacies.

So I went with Lincoln to Paya Lebar MRT station where we met my wife and together, we took a 7 minute walk to the bazaar area near Tanjong Katong Complex.

Some food stalls were still closed and would re-open nearer to break fast time at approximately 7 pm local time.  Other stalls were already open possibly as they need some time for preparation and also to serve the non-Muslim crowds who are there to experience the fun.

So while waiting for the blue hour, we went around playing some games and trying the food.  Before we chomped down on any of the food, we tried our luck playing some carnival games.

Shoot some pokemon and win a prize - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

Notice the cleared row on the left next to the bad piggy?  I cleared that row first and passed the toy gun back to Lincoln for him to just have some fun shooting.  We got a small prize from this game.

Jurong Bird Park Trip

On Vesak Day holiday, I brought the kids to Jurong Bird Park.  It's a kind of reward for Lincoln.  I had promised him that for each subject in which he scores at least 80%, I'd take him to an attraction of his choice.  Well.... He managed to get 90% for his math, but 72% for English & 69% for Mandarin.  Although he still has a lot of work to do for both English and Mandarin, he did fulfill his end of the bargain for math, so he chose to go to Jurong Bird Park, all the way in the West.

It was a beautiful day, just after a dawn rain, so the weather was not so hot although it was still very humid.  Both Lincoln & Lindsay couldn't contain their excitement from the moment we stepped out of the car and walked towards the entrance which was beautifully styled as a garden.

Vegetation arches at the entrance - A7R2 + Batis 2/25

A Recap For February

It's been so long since my last entry, I had been quite busy lately.  I assumed my new position in my parent company, had to re-learn some new things, new stuffs to do while still doing my previous tasks, could say I was triple-capping and still do now, at least until end of March.

Despite the hectic working life, February was a month for celebrations; there was Valentine, Lindsay's birthday & my wedding anniversary.  Valentine was pretty simple as my wife settled for a stalk of rose: she and I have an understanding that we'll just go all out on our anniversary.

As for Lindsay's birthday, my little girl turned 5 this year, growing up so fast.

We got her favourite cake from Chef Yamashita, the Chocolate roll.  Not sure whether she likes the cake or the chocolate cream.  I'm not a big fan, but it's a good cake to be fair.

Special Chocolate Roll for a Special Girl