AH MENG'S FUNERAL TOMORROW
In all probability we will be going to the zoo tomorrow morning for Ah Meng's wake and funeral. Ann and Noel are going, as for me I will probably skip the combined service at SIS tomorrow to go down. I have known Ah Meng for over 30 years. In fact I could say my whole life. From a little kid running around the zoo in the 70's until today. Admittedly I did not get to interact with her all that much especially in the latter years. But still there was a part of everyone who knew her that died along with her yesterday. She was a cultural and tourist icon to many. But to those tat knew her she was more like that pesky auntie in the family. The one who you knew was always there and you thought was kinda cranky, but you put up with because of her status in the family. My most vivid memory of Ah Meng was how she once bit my mum on the leg during a photo session. It was round about that time that she was up in the trees at MacRitchie for a couple of days. She was prone to bouts of jealousy when her keepers got 'too close' to other females in her presence. And like most women, she bore grudges and never forgives those that crossed her path or stepped on her gnarly toes. But it remains that she was respected and grudgingly admired for her dedication to making Singapore Zoo more than just a zoo. Ironically, she gave SZG a human face, and came to encapsulate all that was good, and bad about the Zoo. That in itself is a topic for another post.
She will be missed that is for sure. There will never be another Ah Meng.

DETOXIFYING
After reading about Kenny Sia's detox adventure, I am reminded how I myself had planned to do the same a while back. The tummy that my ever-so-sensitive wife likes to point out is probably due to this. Will do so. Then I will feel better I hope.
The health benefits include: improves health, energy, resistance to disease, mental state, digestion, as well as aiding in weight loss(source:Wikipedia).

BREAKFAST
On a similar note I am thinking of having breakfast in the mornings at work. 'Experts' say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I have hardly had breakfast in years. Mainly due to the rush to get to work in the mornings that leaves me little or no time to stop for anything. Of course one way around this is to wake up earlier. But a fool and his pillow are never parted. And at work there is so much to be done that I am too preoccupied to grab a bite. I plan to maybe have a light meal once I get to work. Maybe cornflakes with milk or the like. Curry puffs and other such kuehs are also worth considering. One of my favourite places to go when time allows is to go to Farmart at Sungei Tengah in the mornings for a tea and a small meal. So perhaps I can work that into some sort of routine if my work obligations allow me to. But in Singapore you never have to go far to get to your food.

JOGGING
We are planning to jog regularly. Noel has this bet with his camp mates to lose weight and get fit, otherwise he will be jogging around the camp in a red thong. As for me regular exercise is always a good thing all round. I been concentrating mostly on upper body work outs, namely press-ups and weights training the last few weeks. Had to stop due to some back injury a couple of days back, but now seems the worst is over and I can resume my training. But have to be careful not to over stretch my back though. I have a history of back problems over the years, probably due in no small part to over training, lack of warm-ups and improper techniques.

VALENTINE'S DAY
V-day is a few days away and I have to get cracking how to spend it with my dear wife. We been wanting to go to Dempsey Road and Rochester Park. Sunset Way is also an option. Fort Canning, Clarke Quay? But if history has taught me anything, less is often more. My most memorable valentine's day dinners have not been all that expensive or extravagant. Still some ways to go before I have to make a decision on where to celebrate.

ANNIVERSARIES
Then shortly after, we celebrate 3 years together, on the 19th. Another day, another celebration! In between it is our 6th month celebration on the 16th since we got 'married'. So we can probably explore several of the above dining ideas over these 3 dates (14th,16th & 19th). Also have a couple of gift ideas for Agnes.

Lets start off with what may soon become a regular feature here, funny Chinglish signs:





Oh...the pain! my eyes,my eyes!

Spend Chinese new Year's eve starting off with fetching the wifey from the office, and then proceeding to our favourite Mac's at Ridout Garden's. After lunch we headed back to her house where we sat down for a bit ,before going over to her nanny's house for a visit. After that was back to the house and then followed up by the 'reunion dinner' at East Coast Park Seafood Centre. We had made a reservation at Red House Seafood. The dinner cost over $300 for a a party of 5, but this being an annual thingy, I consider it money well spent. After dinner we took a walk at the nearby former lagoon, which has now been converted into a line boarding centre.





Was a nice cool evening that made the walk rather enjoyable. As for dinner, maybe next year we should try the one offered at the nearby Long Beach restaurant. For nearly the same price we could have gotten the same or maybe even better food than wat we got at Red House. Not to say that the food at Red House was bad, but rather that the throng at Long Beach does indicate that they offer the best food at ECP Seafood Centre, or at least carry the recognition of quality food.

More rabbits stuff...

Was thinking that next time when we move the rabbits over that we have those dog fence grills and a tray below.


made into a square shape (1x1)should be big enough for 1 rabbit.if inter-connected in a 3x1 formation then 3 bunnies can be housed in a row along the wall. The only considerations (beside costs) is whether the bunnies will be able to hop over the fence and get out over the top.and also whether we can afford to give the bunnies so much space in the room. the one in the picture measures 88 x 70 cm, at S$9.90 per piece, so you can roughly visualise the cost and size of the set up.As for the tray, seen them sold in some pet shops,especially Pet Lovers Centre. They should sufice to keep the bedding and food in, and other unwanted stuff out.


the above is 2 ft (~60 cm)version and costs $8.70 per piece.

or something like this:


anyway enough about that.

Moving on...

We are supposed to either go shopping at Courts later, go Sentosa or go cycling. Hope we do have some activities together today. So far CNY has been one long drag of doing nothing. As much as I see the need to rest and do work, I do hope we can have some time together. I rather be out and about doing all the stuff we do not have the time to do during these few days, rather than cooped up in my room all day alone. :(
so many things to do, so little time...

I also hope to be able to catch a few of the slew of movies out. Amongst the notables:

Kung Fu Dunk

SYNOPSIS:
Shi-Jie (Jay Chou), grew up in a martial arts school and is well-trained in kung-fu. With his kung-fu skills and good reflexes, Shi-Jie excels in basketball by mastering the slam dunk technique. Wang-Li (Eric Tsang), who is trying to locate Shi-Jie's real family, invites him to join the university's basketball team in hope of making some money. Shi-Jie faces new challenges while trying to blend in with the basketball team members Ting-Wei (Chen Bo-Lin) and Xiao-Lan (Baron Chen). With the upcoming basketball championship and the appearance of Li-Li (Charlene Choi), will the team members set aside their differences and personal feelings for the love of the game?





CJ7

SYNOPSIS:
A fantasy tale featuring state-of-the-art visual effects, "CJ7" is a comedy about a poor labourer (Stephen Chow) and his young son in mainland China. When a fascinating and strange new pet enters their lives, they learn a poignant lesson about the true nature of family and the things that money can't bUY.

Got a letter from IRAS saying that this year I do not have to submit my income tax. But do not think if I am eligible to claim wife relief this year.

"You are not entitled to wife relief if your wife has an annual income of more than $2,000. If her annual income is less than $2,000, you will be allowed $2,000 as the relief."

heh heh... so no need to make any Income Tax Return this year!

update: Agnes just SMS that we will be going Sentosa tomorrow!

Planning to purchase a new bicycle and maybe cycle to work on some days. Would be a good way to get some exercise and save on some petrol. Home is only 6 kilometers from the office, so it does make some sense to cycle from time to time. Of course I could bring over the bike from Bedok, but that would only be a temporary measure, as I would then have to bring it back to Bedok again eventually. The nearest bike shops to home are probably at Ang Mo Kio.
But I am still trying to decide between:

a mountain bike- versatile for all road conditions

a racing bike - made for speed, light and fast

a foldable bike - easy to transport and store

Then there is the issue of weather and road safety to consider. Rain is always a downer for bikers. So I have to be prepared for any eventuality. And then there is the issue of road safety. The road between home and work is a busy road with no proper roads or cycling tracks along the entire stretch. So I will either have to cycle on the road and be prepared for wayward drivers, or alternate between the foot paths on either side of the road. Singapore roads are not exactly bike-friendly in terms of the riding lanes and driver awareness,or rather the lack thereof.

AH MENG PASSES AWAY DUE TO OLD AGE

Ah Meng, the Sumatran Orang Utan that was considered an icon at the Singapore Zoo, died on Friday. She was 48 years old and had likely died of old age.
In 1971, Ah Meng was confiscated from a family which had illegally kept her as a pet. She then found her home at the Singapore Zoo. Ah Meng was the first to host the zoo's famous 'Breakfast With An Orang Utan' programme. She soon became a celebrity, both locally and internationally. She had been featured in over 30 travel films and 'interviewed' by more than 300 writers. In 1992, Ah Meng received a special award from the Singapore Tourism Board in recognition of her contribution towards tourism in Singapore. Ah Meng also contributed to the Singapore Zoo's captive breeding programme. She had five children and became a grandmother in 1990. The Singapore Zoo will hold a memorial service for Ah Meng on Sunday at 11am

She will be dearly missed by all those who knew her and loved her.

Just saw this picture and was blown away:


Believe it or not this is in Singapore. At the Nanyang Technological University's School of Art, Design and Media to be exact.



I sense I will have to put Sunny to rest soon. I guess we been together for so long that we kinda have this connection where I know when there is something amiss with him. Hard to put a finger on how exactly, but just the way Sunny sounds, and the way Sunny feels when I drive him tells me how good in health he is. And to be sure, Sunny 'feels' a little under the weather lately. Fingers crossed it is not the carburettor thing the guys at Nissan told me about. That costs a hefty bundle, and I would be better off scrapping him if that were the case. Costs at least $2,000 and up for replacement parts.

I have a confession to make. I have 2 new women in my life. One is 16 and the other is 26. I do not know how it happened, but it just did.


Miley Ray Cyrus

Just so refreshing to see a teen star with such a level head on her shoulders. Despite the fame and all the controversy, she has managed to ride out the storm and maintain a normal family life and have her real friends around her. And she does have so much talent that may not be readily apparent to fans of Hannah Montana. Videos later at the end of the post.


Jessica Claire Biel
Beauty, brains and heart. what else can I say?

Miley Cyrus/ Hannah Montana vids:

Singing Ready Set Don't Go and I Miss You
Both very touching and personal songs...
The former is all about how Miley grew up and had to leave home when she started her career on Hannah Montana. I miss you is dedicated to her late grandfather.



Miley and the Jonas Brothers performing a rockin' version of "We Got The Party With Us"


Miley singing "Start All Over".Love how she emerges from under the stage at the start.


Singing: "See You Again"


As some of you regular readers should know, I posted a short clip a while back of Noel and Ann's wedding. and along with that the MV to 'Running' by No Doubt. So what happens is that the video plays automatically whenever someone opens this blog. So me as the blogger here, has to go through listening to 'Running' every single time I enter here. So as of this moment Running is my least favourite No Doubt song in the history of No Doubt songs. No more. I am only 1 post away from that offending song being off my homepage at my current settings. yayyy.... countdown....

Moved the bunnies about so that it is now one rabbit per cage/tank. Muffy & Scruffy are now by the big fish tank, and kids are on the rack by the door, and the other two are near the wooden table. That was the only way I would be able to keep everyone in check. We plan to allow the bunnies more space when we move to the new house in Bedok. So it is timely we separate them, as the kits have been weaned and should be separated from mum. Once we get Tuffy and Fluffy done, then maybe they can live together again, not unlike what we did for SAM(Scruffy & Muffy). As for the two little ones, Lollie is such a dear so we figure he/she will make a good House Rabbit. Fluffy is a gentle creature, so he does show some potential as well. Tuffy has been a great mum, but as long as she is with her kids she will not be able to put on the weight she so badly needs.

Yesterday I brought home a huge-ass 32" LCD tv. The listed 'original' price is $888, but for $688 it is indeed a good bargain. So when I saw it I knew we had to get it. After duly consulting with Agnes we decided to buy it whilst the offer still stood. And not a moment too soon. I got the very last piece on display. If I had procrastinated, it would probably have been sold by the time I had made up my mind. Then came the hard part of trucking it home. Although it does come with delivery and installation, I cash-and-carried it as our flat was far from ready. It was quite an ordeal pushing a shopping trolley from the 2nd floor of Carrefour to the basement of Milenia Walk. So it involved taking a lift down to B1, then pushing the trolley to the handicap lift to near where the Fountain of Wealth is. Then taking an underpass over to Milenia. And then at Milenia, I had to take a lift up to ground level and push it through the mall to another lift which leads to the car park. And then navigate through the car park to my car. Then the task was to lift the entire box and squeeze it through the door onto my back seat.Phew.
And after I had successfully unloaded the cargo, I had to return the trolley back to Suntec.Needless to say it was also quite a task,albeit easier as there was no huge TV to weigh me down and made it easier to take shortcuts.
And then when I got home there was the task of getting the TV into the house from the car.That was not so hard to do after all that had preceded it. But still, it is a big TV, which now occupies a prime space in my room next to my bed. I forsee more stuff cluttering my room as we prepare for the new house.
Of course some may argue I could have got it delivered or could have drived over to SUNTEC to collect it, or any other number of ways of going about solving this problem.



On a more sombre note, Agnes's grandpa in Ipoh passed away yesterday. So there was initial confusion and grief after the news had filtered down. Agnes's mum had to go to Ipoh asap, and if we were going by plane, then in all probability I was to accompany her. So I arranged with the office to take urgent leave and was fully prepared to go. Fortunately an aunt managed to procure 2 tickets with Grassland for a coach up north at 9 pm. Then it was a mad rush to get things in order and leave. Somehow I managed to get to Golden Mile by 8.30 pm and we managed to get on board with time to spare.
And then today I was tasked by my dear wife to buy lunch for daddy who is now cooped up at home. So during lunch time I brought 2 packets of chicken rice to the house and we had lunch together. In case you did not know, he had a stroke a while back and now is not fully mobile. So it is always better to have someone around to help him and keep him out of trouble. And I forsee I will be required to run more such errands in the days to come until mummy dearest returns from Perak. We have even considered going up to Ipoh ourselves if necessary. But so far Agnes has not said anything so I can safely assume that we will be staying put here in sunny Singapore.