Goodbye 2017, hello 2018

I wanted to write an update post about Lynn (her teeth to be precise), and saw that I had quite a few photos in my mobile phone spanning the festive weeks of Christmas and new year.  So here's what we did and where we visited.

23rd Dec.  Some of Lynn's cousins came over for an impromptu sleepover on Friday night.  On Sat, we took them to ice skating at JCube.  At the supermarket, we met this (rather weird looking) Santa giving out sweets (Mabel and Chloe were somewhere else in the supermarket).



On Sunday 24th Dec, the Yap family celebrated Christmas with BBQ and potluck.  Here we were posing with 2 desserts, Mango-sticky-rice by Lynnette (and MIL actually), and Black glutinous rice by MIL.


This year's gift exchange, the kids again 满载而归, but I'm extremely upset over insensitive people.  Not going to talk about it.

While we adults had a good time buying and wrapping, and the children receiving, I actually felt bad (guilty) when we created so much waste when tearing up the wrappers.   Hopefully by end of this year, we can come up with a perfect solution for my dilemmas.


At the start of the New year, I've been to 2 parks.  Firstly, it was Hort Park.  I've not visited it for a few years liao.  It's really beautiful.



And then Telok Blangah Hill Park.  It's shady and cooling to walk even if it's sunny.





View from Tree top walk


School started on 2nd Jan, Tuesday.  Lynn had at least 2 shaky teeth at the start of the school holidays.  Over the years, most of the shaky baby teeth came off by themselves.  By end of holidays, one did not dislodge yet, so I urged her to visit the school dentist after school hours.  When I came home that day, I asked her about it.  Firstly, she said she did.  Then she volunteered the information (very excitedly) that it was indeed the last of her baby tooth, as we had suspected!  Hurray, she is over the "bo gay" stage.  Finally, when I asked if the clinic was crowded on this first day of school, she answered with a resounding "yes"!

I try to keep all her baby tooth.  On final count, we have 15.  We googled, there are suppose to be 20 in all.  I told her that on one of her significant birthday to come, she's going to get these as a present from me, hah!!


On Sunday, 7th Jan, we visited CHIJ Secondary at Lor 1 TPY for the Edusave award presentation.  Surprising this year's monetary award is much higher than last year.  


This year's speech, Dr. Ng started by quoting the saying "It takes a village to bring up a child" and talked about how "Toa Payoh Village" supports children's eduction.  So, a photo of our home, in a larger sense:


That afternoon, we went for English/Japanese high-tea at Sheraton, after her piano lesson.


Lynn asked me if I have any new year resolution; I was at a loss of words,  cos I didn’t, but I believe that I should set.  2018 will be a challenging year for both of us.   2017 was a year that I loved myself above everything else.  2018, realty beckons, and I have lots to prove to myself if not my loved ones.

Happy birthday to myself.❤️

#HakkaLimsRnRInThailand2017 - Day 6

Day 6 itinerary:

Morning - (Free & Easy) - Chinatown

Lunch

215pm - transfer hotel to airport

9pm Home sweet Home (Changi)

Leisure (final) morning:

It was a free and easy morning, since we need to pack and do check out.  We (the Yaps) had nothing in mind for it.  Then we met Aunt YY at breakfast, and were happy to take her suggestion to walk to Chinatown (10-15mins walk from our hotel) to take a look.  

We went back our hotel room for a short while and met up with them at the lobby at the agreed time.  I was surprised to not see mum join us.  Later when I chat with WS, I was amazed and impressed to find out that although Aunt YY was roommate with my Mum for this and other tours, she managed to "keep sane" by ignoring my mum's lateness and will just proceed on her own without getting burdened.  For example that morning, as there was no tour-guide specified timing or activity to adhere to, so when my mum didn't want to abide to the reasonable-and-agreed set off time, she just left her to fend for herself.  So mum had her own leisure morning to do breakfast and packing.  

It's a little similar to our own Chinatown, with the streets slightly dustier, and overhead cables going across buildings and streets.  Walked, browsed (a lot), bargained, buy (a little), and pictures...  Then WS and us headed back, while the Lim sisters and brother continued to shop.      

The Lim sisters:

Me and WS had previously discussed the schedule for the morning, and had agreed on check out at 1145.  We knew that we had a lot of lax that noon, i.e. lots of time for lunch, as our transfer to airport need not be until 230.  

She messaged me from her room that Aunt Cindy (her roommate) was not back yet, so we pushed check out to 12.  At about 1150, on our way down to the lobby, we saw Aunt YY loitering at the corridor of our floor.  She was slightly agitated that mum hadn't packed yet, and said that she had asked WS to help out.  I was surprised, as mum's a rather regular traveller, thus I didn't expect her to have any problem with packing her won luggage.  Knowing that I will lose my temper at her, and having plenty of time to spare, I proceeded on to the lobby, to "kiao ka". 

At the lobby slightly after 12, we saw Aunt Cindy came back from outside.  She went up to her room to do her final packing.  At about 12:05, WS came down too.  She did not go to Aunt YY's room to help my mum, thinking that they should be done already since it's already about 1/2 hr after Aunt YY's initial request to her.  So she went back up.  Finally Aunt Cindy came down after 12.15,  Aunt YY & mum before 12.30.

So WS and I were catching up about that after the trip.  We are still puzzled over the why (the reason) mum was unable to pack (WS did not have any problem doing it for her).  But WS enlightened me about the other "mystery", which was how mum can be on time most mornings except the final day; it was due to aunt Cindy going to their room every morning to chase and to help.   So on the final morning, since Aunt Cindy was late coming back herself, no one babysit on mum. 

The old town of Chiangmai:

Anyway, the rest of the afternoon wasn't the least affected.  We took a local taxi and went into the old town for lunch.  

It's a pity that I didn't get to walk about in the old town, to actually see and take photo of the famous wall/perimeter/the water fountains that divide the whole city into old (inner) and new (outer).  That morning, after we left Chinatown, Aunt Cindy also took off to explore, so I got a picture from her to show here.   

We had late lunch (about 1pm already) at this restaurant, where the food was great.  Soon, we started to embark on our journey home.

Home sweet home, and after thoughts:

We went back to and then left the hotel at 230pm; finally touched down at Changi airport at 9pm.  Uncle Eric was so sweet, he was there to fetch us, at least 1/2 of the group of us that his car can take.

Aunt Cindy suggested that our next destination could be skiing in Korea.  I wonder if she's serious or just empty/exaggerated talk?  Can this group really manage such a challenging destination?

I know my mum, so nothing much on this trip that she did surprised me.  However, other than her reliance on others, I also think that age is catching up with her, thus skiing and heavy snow is also not suitable for her.     

I learned more about traveling with Aunt YY.  She has her own mind, but she comes to a decision too late.  She's a very thorough person, so she usually make better tactical decisions than us after deep analysis.  However, she only convey her views at the last minute, thus requiring last minute changes in plans, many times inconveniencing others.  Still I will go to tours with her in the future if there's chance.  With this experience, hopefully we can compromise better in future.  

Finally for Aunt Cindy, she is no doubt the leader among her siblings.  She not only organises family activities, has the influence over family decisions, but is also someone that the siblings turn to for help.  For that reason, she's can be overwhelmed and can be mean and hurtful in her communication with us, the children of her siblings, whom she expected more.  One one hand, I am grateful to her.  On the other hand, I don't care for her judgement and occational tantrums.  WS has this advice for me, which is to ignore her if I hear what I don't like to hear.  Hah, that's actually good advice, non-confrontational.  So, unless Aunt Cindy organises Korea, else if it's up to me and WS it shall be the easier choice of Taiwan!

Just to conclude, these people, my family, I love them all.  It's actually dreadful to think that one day they will become old and needy.  Until then, we should have our next trip!! (Wink wink to WS, I hope you still read my blog!).

#HakkaLimsRnRInThailand2017 - Day 5

Day 5 itinerary:

9am – Thai food cooking class

2pm – Shopping*

6pm – Dinner, and night market

Bonding over food again!:

To me, this was the most special part of this tour.  We learned to cook some Thai dishes and ate what we cooked.  I’ve never done cooking class during overseas trips; in fact, I’ve not taken any cooking lessons in SG either.  It was novel and fun for me!

The place chosen by our tour guide for us was “Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School”.  We were each to do 4 dishes; one stir-fry, one curry, one dessert, and a compulsory deep-fried poh-piah.  We were given a menu to choose from, for example I choose “Banana in coconut milk” as my dessert whereas Lynn choose “Mango sticky rice” (the 3^rd item of dessert that nobody chose was “Deep fried banana”). 

The class started with a tour of the inhouse garden.  There, the teacher introduced the few common ingredient in Thai food, like ginger, lime, err.. and others.  She must had shown us about 10 items, but the culinary-challenged me can only name 2 here! 

Next, she brought us to a local market.  We were not required to buy any ingredient, so this trip was just to tour the local market.  There, WK bought some pre-packed spice mix for MIL.  And my dear mum insisted on buying some durians, which no one in the group was really interested to eat when on a trip..

Once we get back, we started with the stir-fry dish.  The steps were almost the same for the various dishes.  Firstly we prepared part of the ingredient (like chop up garlic and pound various spices).  Then the teacher demonstrated the cooking, sprouting instructions on the amount of salt/sugar/sauces to add while cooking.  Next, we cooked individually.  Finally, after each dish was done, we brought it back to the dining table to eat!

First dish: Cashewnut with Chicken for me and Lynn; Pad Thai for WK

Second dish: Deep-fried poh-piah 

For this dish, 2 volunteers were asked to fry the fillings.  We volunteered the best cook among us: WS.  Then each of us wrapped the fillings in the poh-piah skin.  Next, there’s already a pot of very hot oil on the stove, in which the teacher deep fried her demo piece.  Each of us were supposed to go up to that wok to fry ours individually.  Well, me and Lynn chickened out; WK fried 3 at one go!  My hero!

For the third dish, first we learn to make the curry paste, which we then use to cook the curry dish.  For example, I learnt to make “Penang curry paste”, and I used this paste to produce “Penang curry (chicken meat)”.

All 3 of us choose this item; it was supposedly the least spicy.  On top of that, we could determine the level of spiciness by controlling the amount of chilly.  Lynn’s output looked the most yellow as she chose “level 1” :)

Finally, the dessert dish which we were all very excited to do!  After we came home, Lynn, with a lot of help from MIL, did the mango-sticky-rice for Christmas gathering.  All of us loved our dessert!

Everyone enjoyed this part of the trip, except Uncle SK.  He doesn’t cook, and opted to sit out.  Not only did he not cook and thus had no output to eat (as lunch), he refused to share ours too.  Aunts kept lamenting that what an extremely shy guy he is, so much so that he didn’t even want to venture out of the place to explore and find food on his own. 

We ended our lesson slightly after 1pm, with a busting belly.  I think Lynn thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity that allowed her to cook.  And I can’t help miss the fact that it would be a lot fun if WL had taken part too.    

Shopping* in comfort:

I put an asterisk against the word shopping, as it wasn’t part of the itinerary.  After the cooking class, we were supposed to visit a local market, but aunt felt that it will be too hot to walk outdoors in the afternoon.  So she got the guide to recommend a shopping mall. 

At the mall, the few of them went to Nike factory outlet and bought 3 (or was it 4?) pairs of track shoes.  Not dirt cheap, but reasonably priced.  I think Aunt Cindy took this as an opportunity to get her sister and brother, who would continue to wear utterly worn out stuff, to replenish their wardrobe.  I know that uncle SK also got a watch at the night market, but I don’t know what else since I didn’t shop with them.  And I got a pair of pretty, red-colour (causal) thongs for 300baht here too.  Hah, that what tourists ought to do!

The shopping continued:

That night, after dinner, we (the Yaps) finally hit the night market outside and opposite our hotel.  Actually all of us went, but we were too big a group to shop together, so I went with WK and Lynn.  It’s a pity that I did not get to do proper shopping with the gals (aunts and WS), which would be much more fun.

Opposite our hotel was a night bazaar, which was well lit and well ventilated (picture below0.  The variety and designs were better.  If we had came to this place earlier, I would have bought the tee shirts (souvenirs for myself, MIL and Lynn) here instead of the stores along the street.  Here, Lynn finally saw a few Ah-kuahs!  I kept teasing her to “prove” their gender, not by looking but by hearing their coarse voices.