Galleries

Farm Restaurant 9 Jul 2005 Went down to Yanqing on the outskirts of Beijing to check out a friend's farm-style restaurant. It's one of those popular weekend outing venues that Beijingers like to go to. you can fish, BBQ, pick fruits or vegetables and stay overnight. I been to several of such places but this place is quite nice since it's a working fish and vegetable farms. the kitchen prepares food from their own fresh produce. There's two ponds stocking fish fry and growing fish, while one pond is for angling. Like on many farms, there are a few pariah dogs roped in a guard dog, quite friendly mongrels! but theres one German Sheperd near the fishing pond that was big and fierce (apparently the only one doing its job).

Legs N Paddles 2003 Finally got round to loading the pics (after 2 years!), although I did put up selected shots in Yahoo! Photos soon after the event. I was reminded by Otterman's post about Legs n Paddles 2005. I used to participate in Legs n Paddles, a canoe biathlon organised by NIS Sports Club during my undergrad days. When I returned to Singapore from Taipei in 2003, I tried to round up my previous team mate who's now a senior HOD and a mother. She laughed at me when I asked her to join again for old time sakes. Finally managed to get Mark to team up with me. Needless to say, both of us didn't train much except for running. But we still met our objective of not ending up last!

Home visit for CNY 2005 Robina and I came back to Singapore for two weeks during the CNY. It was a busy and hectic fortnight since we were busy spending time with family and friends while catching up with our favourite local food. We also loaded up on daily essentials and supplies that we cannot get in Beijing; things like Ribena, Jacob biscuits, International Roast cofee and various toileteries. In the end, we sent three boxes to Beijing from Singpost. apart from running errands, we took some time out to chill out. Sipping Singapore Slings at Raffles Hotel and going on the Duck Tour in the Singapore River. We even managed to catch a movie: Constantine at Great World City.

Sally in Beijing Nov-Dec 2004 Here are some assorted pics of Sally. Robina bought Sally a Santa costume in time for X'mas, plus a winter coat if and when the weather gets colder (it hasn't snow yet in BJ!). Earlier in Nov, we gave Sally a bone to chew on. had to bring her to the garden for that since Sally will mess up the kitchen.

Shandong Sep 2004 Robina and I visited Shandong on a weekend together with our Singaporean friends. We visited Taishan or Mt. Tai and Qufu, the birth place of Confucius. actually, I had done up this gallery a long time ago, but could only FTP it now (due to a gap in the Great Firewall).

Chengde 14 Aug 2004 Robina and I visited Chengde for a day trip, together with our Singaporean friends, Sarah and Wei Peng. It is about 300km from Beijing and took almost four hours to reach by car. There was some excitement on the way back when we were delayed by a landslide which closed off the road. Thankfully when we thought it would be a long, long wait, the road was cleared. Still, we were delayed for about one and half hours. Chengde was a famous summer resort for the Manchu emperors who stayed there during the summer months. They also visited the resort in autumn to stage their massive hunting expeditions to the steppes in the north. As a result, there are still many imperial palaces, temples and tourists sites in Chengde.

National Day Reception 2004 The reception was held at China World Hotel. The turnout was very good! I estimate about 600 guests and Singaporean expats attended the event. Since the China World head chef is a Singaporean, we had a delicious spread of Singaporean styled delights like bak kut teh, rojak, rendang, chicken rice and kuehs. It was nice to catch up with foreign and Singaporean friends. I even spotted a long lost friend from Temasek JC who is now based in Beijing. what a small world! Robina had her hair done up for the occasion and she looked great in her kebaya. Her only complaint is that she can only take mincing steps. but she also agreed that it made her appear more lady-like! Happy National Day!

Robina's riding lesson 31 Jul 04 Robina has become a horse riding enthusiast ever since she came to Beijing! She says that she's never been happier being on a horse. She has also become tanned and fitter from all the sun and physical workout. She tries to ride as often as possible if the weather allows. Summer days can be very hot and it can rain heavily at times. At this point, she can trot and canter and she is working towards jumping obstacles eventually. we have become friends with the staff and students at the riding club. It always fun to join in the festivities and birthdays that are ususally celebrated with BBQs, singing and dancing! Apart from meeting other students from all corners of the world, from Finland, Czech Republic, Egyptians, Libyans, Germany, Austria, India etc, we also learnt a lot from the staff who come from all over like Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Hebei and Shangdong and Taiwan.

Dog Show 24 Jul 04 What to do on a dog day afternoon? go see a dog show! so in the blistering afternoon heat about 100 odd Beijing dogs gathered to participate in breeds competition, obedience test and agility trials. Most of the dogs are pedigree blue bloods and 1 scruffy mutt formerly from Taiwan and Singapore. Due to the sweltering summer heat, most of the dogs and their human owners were sheltering in any shade available. Thankfully, the organisers provided free water and ice cream to prevent heat strokes. a pool of water was also set up to cool down any "hot" dogs. We thought of entering Sally in one of the "fun" contests but realised that Sally have no chance in the agility or obedience contests since she is not agile or obedient. too bad!

Climbing up the Great Wall 17 Jul 04 After taking the easy way out the previous time, Robina and I finally trudged up the Great Wall on our own steam. We were on an excursion organised by our apartment to visit the Commune by the Great Wall. That is a collection of prize-winning architectural designs of resort villas situated right on the foot of the Great Wall. After a heavy lunch, we climbed along a dirt track behind the resort leading right up the Great Wall. It reminded us of our Bukit Timah treks! but we managed to huff and puff our way to the wall. This stretch was not the restored tourist area. The whole stretch of the wall was broken down and overgrown with vegetation. But the view of the landscape was excellent.

Party on 4 Jul 04 One of our friends at the riding school was celebrating her birthday. Robina and I was invited to the party. The crowd was international with two egyptians and two Singaporeans amongst our Chinese friends. There are aslo several ethnic uyghurs amongst the riding school staff in case if you are wondering about the exotic faces. The party was fun with singing, dancing, excellent BBQ and uyghur-style flavoured rice ( a bit like nasi briyani!). We supplied some booze (vodka and red wine) which lubricated the party somewhat...

Great Wall 22 May 04 We made the de riguer pilgrimage to the Great Wall on a bright sunny day. We went to the Mu Tian Yu stretch of the Great Wall since it is less touristy than the more popular Badaling part. At Mu Tian Yu, you can enjoy the panoramic view from the Great wall without be jostled by other tourists. At first we thought we could climb up from the foothills to the wall itself, but we were out of breath by the time we reached the ticketing office. We gladly forked out the money for the cable car ride and enjoyed the astounding view on the ride up. The more adventurous can take the toboggan ride on the way down. Since Robina and I don't want to fly off the hillside like Calvin & Hobbes, we took the cable car (more like ski lift) back. The view up on the wall was fabulous. You can see the wall follow the rolling hills and ridgelines like a dragon. Peering down the steep hill slopes from the battlements, I could not help but wonder who were crazy enough to attack that way. Historically, invaders always bypassed the wall or got through via strategic forts by bribes or subterfuge.

Robina's riding lessons Robina started riding lessons a few weeks ago. She has progressed quite well and her trot is quite good (when she's concentrating). She had gotten to know the riding school staff and the horses quite well. Being quite free nowadays, Robina will even spend time at the stables feeding and grooming the horses for fun. Some of the pics are on her earlier riding lessons. The rest of the gallery is about the Riding School's competition held on 6 June 04. Most of the competition were for the younger riders or beginners. There were also jumping events for experiencers riders and professionals.

looking at Chinese carpets, 30 May 2004 We went looking for a carpet shop recommended in guide books and websites. Turned out that it has shifted to another premises nearby. Instead of a dusty bomb shelter that we were expecting, the shop is taken over two ground level units in a residential apartment. The lady owner was very helpful. The prices seems to be cheaper than similar shops in shopping malls. They have a good selection from various parts of China, including Henan, Gansu, Mongolia, Tibet and Xinjiang. We asked to see mainly Xinjiang, Tibetan and Mongolian examples. They also have a range of carpets, rugs, runners and saddle rugs. All were handmade and used vegetable dyes. It was very interesting to compare the designs of chinese carpets to persians. Some Henan silks obviously copied Persians designs but lost out in terms of colur, contrast and the wool quality. We were told that these were mainly for export to Europe.

Temple of Heaven 30 May 2004 The Temple of Heaven in South Beijing is the symbol of tourism in China. And rightly so, since hordes of tourists both Chinese and foreigners throng the temple complex. The architecture and beauty of the temples' design is amazing.

visiting Beijing's Niu Jie mosque 29 May 2004 We visited Beijing's Niu Jie mosque. Niu Jie is Beijing's muslim district, somewhat like Arab Street and Geyland Seria in Singapore. The mosque there is the oldest and biggest mosque in Beijing, built in AD996 by the arab scholar Nasurutan. We were fascinated by culture shock in finding a mosque built in the style of a chinese temple. Koranic verses adorned the structure. Muslims entered FOC while visitors were charged 10 RMB (or S$2). After visiting the mosque, we roamed around Niu Jie district, hoping to experience the traditional muslim neighborhood. I was looking for goodies like naan bread and kebabs. Incidentally, they have BBQ lamb sticks widely availabe in Beijing. It is very similar to satay but tastes different due to different spices. Sadly, much of the old district had been demolished to build spanking new schools and apartment blocks. There is a new school for Muslim children and a huge Halal supermarket and foodcourt. I found a fresh meat market but Robina was perturbed by rows of sheeps heads staring back at her. We had lunch at a muslim makan joint selling traditional muslim snacks and noodles from Xi'an. The aunty was preparing something that looks like a bagel but has lamb stuffing, kindly posed for photographs. She told us that she's from Xi'an. I told her that we don't have similar muslim food in Singapore.

Chinese New Year Makan Session: Part Two 31 Jan 2004 the round 2 of our open house series was less taxing for Robina and me. since most of the cleaning and unpacking was already done for the first session the previous week. since there was more guests (abt 20 plus of our NUS kakis), we decided to cater food. there was plenty of food even though I ordered for less than those expected to turn up. the star items were the tulang, mutton rendang, briyani, teh tarik and satay. even Cynthia (renowned for her ability to peck at food) attacked the tulang with gusto. Adrian was shocked when I told him to suck out the marrow (which was the whole point of eating tulang)! I know the cholesterol would be a killer. those who could stay late, hanged around for our usual yabber session.

Chinese New Year Makan Session 24 Jan 2004 invited some colleagues over for a makan session. ordered curry puffs and bihun goreng from Airani's aunty. Aunty Kamariah's curry puffs were well received as usual. my frens were soon whacking like no tomorrow. Sally was excited at seeing so many people at once. she was also putting on her act cute performance, trying to con some food off my unsuspecting frens.

In Camp Training: 20 Dec 2003 just out-pro (fav word for reservists - out process) yesterday afternoon after languishing in camp the whole day kicking our heels... this 2-week ICT was quite relaxed compared to a similar in-camp 2 years ago with my old unit. I joined a younger unit in my brigade after missing my own unit's ICT this year since I just came back from Taiwan earlier this year. luckily 2 other NCOs ( called specialists now!) from my old unit was with me, so things were more fun. realised that I was the senior citizen (yet again!). the boys in the new unit was typically 25 yrs old. even my old frens are ard 27! after 2 yrs overseas, this was a good reintroduction n refresher. making full use of it, I volunteered to do as many live firings as possible. very exciting to pull the fuse and run! also tried out the new SAR21 rifle. very shiok indeed. even have a dinky laser sight! but bobo shooters are still lousy shots. during night shoot, u can spot lousy shooters when the red dot is wandering all over the shop on the target. there are some sights and scenes that u can only see in military training areas when wearing a No.4 uniform. the panoramic view from Elephant Hill in the SAFTI live firing area is arguably the best in S'pore! u can even see the Second Link in the distance! we got to see fireflies twinkling away like christmas lights. one even flew past me when I was deployed in the bush. the views of star-lit sky was rewarding and a welcomed distraction when u'r being devoured by mosquitoes. the lack of city lights from the rest of S'pore made it wonderful to check out the constellations. nature and wildlife are abundant in the training areas. a colleague spotted a wild boar. I spotted raptors like buzzards, black shoulder kites and brahminy kites in the hilly live firing areas soaring on thermals. when u can nose-down in the bush, wildlife can come right up to u. there was a squirrel that inspected the tree I front of me. a skink slinked past the bush right in front of my eyes. a bronze backed snake slithered past. not so welcomed was a bad encounter with sandflies smack in the area where we were supposed to build a wire obstacle. their bites were painful and itchy. even insect repellent was futile. they even bite u on the ears and scalp! during idle moments during our final exercise (yes there are...), the boys went fruit hunting. I recced under durian trees but no luck, season over apparently. later we found some rambutan trees and plucked a sand bag full of juicy rambutans. also brought down 3 coconuts, using bakau poles we carry in our 5 tonner trucks, normally used to propped up camo nets. very good improvisation! incidentally, the poles actually came from rhizophora mangrove trees. we usu see them being used as scaffolding. met gurkhas from our police contingent on several occasions in the training areas. my immense respect for them both as soldiers and fellow human beings was raised another notch. during night movement we came across what looked like someones deployment area. spotted some basha shelters that were beautifully constructed on level platforms on the jungle floor. it was like first class accomodations! (everything being relative...) I trudged past two guys standing silently in the shadows. thinking that they were sentries from another SAF unit, I chatted with them asking where they were from. one chap whispered "Gurkhas". Oh...that explains it. all in all, reservist training has its moments but it's up to u to extract the max from it. since u'r stuck there, might as well enjoy it. many of us went in bitching and griping but we still grit our teeth and endure the physically tough or boring or meaningless moments. as the years past by, the body becomes wider and weaker but hopefully the spirit can still carry us through. judging from the gungho way the riflemen from this outfit and my old unit, charge up hills howling like banshees, some still have the fire!

Bulldozers at work 30 Nov 2003 just saw a Brahminy Kite soaring outside my window, almost at eye level when I'm typing this. in the background, u can hear the sounds of bull dozers leveling the ground and clearing undergrowth. they've been at work since two days ago, clearing the pond on the vacant land across the road from my block. the pond was slightly smaller that a football field in size. the area is probably destined to be shopping mall or commercial building in a couple of years time. but prior to this, it was a pond with thriving aquatic plants and water fowl. in the evenings, I can watch egrets, little grebes, moorhens, tree ducks and bitterns roaming in the vegetation or swimming around. too bad, it was nice while it lasted. Hopefully, I still get to see longtail shrikes and bee-eaters in the neighborhood park.

Punggol dogs beach outing at Punggol Beach 16 Nov 2003 It was a fun day for Punggol dogs and their owners. Apart from Tammie, Wang Wang, Sally, Nemo, we also met another Punggol dog, Patrick the Maltese at the beach. Also spotted a well-groomed Bichon at the jetty. The dogs had a good workout swimming in the sea and chasing each other on the beach. Some kids and beach-goers even sat around to watch the doggies play. Overall, Wang Wang the Cocker Spaniel and Nemo the Jack Russell were the strongest swimmers.

OSIM Singapore Triathlon 8 Nov 2003 Did my first triathlon on 8th Nov, only the mini-version (200m swim, 8km cycle, 2km run). sounds chicken feed separately but still very tough done together. clocked 51;01min, 104 out of 138 apparently they fished out a few guys during the swim leg. by the running leg, I recovered enough from my slow swim to overtake people who were walking. I enjoyed the relaxed non-competitive atmosphere. Even the organisers emphasized the "fun" aspect of the mini-tri, it was more to encourage participation. when I discovered my rental bike had a bell, started to ring at bored marshalls and cyclists who were obviously ready to keel over. despite the lack of success in convincing colleagues to join the event (the common reaction was: "are u nuts!"), I still managed to spot a few familiar faces. Daphne Chung, my fellow zoology postgrads who doing the cycling leg of the corporate relay event. Also saw Raymond Mak, another zoology junior who's now a PE teacher at the Singapore Sports School. told him in no uncertain terms (aka rude language) that he was over qualified. another mini-tri participant was Mei Yoke, whom I met during ODAC activities during NUS days. she was ahead of me after the swim event. maybe she was in the bunch of women who nearly drowned me turning at the bouy!

Sally's beach outing at Punggol Beach 25 Oct 2003 Robina and I brought Sally down to Punggol beach for a swim. This was Sally's first swim. She has been to Kallang Beach before, but didn't get a chance to swim then. Sally got her "immersion" despite being quite wary of the waves. Mind you, it was not pounding waves, just gentle lapping. Towards the end of our outing, Sally was more confident with her dog paddle stroke and even hurl herselves into the water after me when I called her. The beach was a relatively small stretch. On the left side of the jetty (facing the sea), the beach is more rocky. The other end is more sandy and that's where most of the beach-goers hang out. It was a short 30 min walk down Punggol Rd from our place. There's a SBS Terminus right at the end (SBS 82). Apart from a small carpark, there's a few porta loo and a drink vending machine at the bus stop. not much in terms of facilities. The beach is a designated historic site. you can see a brown road sign along Punggol Rd. Look out for the World War 2 plague at Punggol Point. After the fall of Singapore in 1942, many Chinese males were killed by the Japanese during the Sook Ching massacre. Some 300-400 were killed along the Punggol shore. They were amongst the 1000 Chinese males rounded up from Upper Serangoon area. The other execution ground was Changi Beach.

Robina getting into Deepavali mood 22 Oct 2003 After a hefty dinner at Apollo banana leaf restaurant at Race Course Rd, we strolled along Serangoon Rd to observe the Deepavali festivities. Robina got her hands decorated with henna art at a stall along Campbell Lane. There were so many stalls offering henna paintings but we observed this lady who has very steady hands and nice designs. In any case, Robina don't need much encouragement. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera otherwise could have taken the process. The lightup along Serangoon Rd was very well done with brilliant blues and yellows.

Punggol Dog Gathering at Blk 174 street soccer court 17 Oct 2003 Managed to have an doggie gathering at the soccer court on Friday nite. The place is ideal as an unofficial dog run since it is enclosed. The owners were either members of the Doggie site forum, my neighbours or regulars at the court. It was great to have the dogs run free and interact with each other since most of them are home alone latchkey furkids. I've incorporated visiting the court as part of Sally's patrol route in the neighbourhood. There are many dog owners in Punggol since it's a young estate populated by mainly young working couples. Sally had a fun time despite the unwanted attention from Ah Wang the Cocker Spaniel. she's coming into heat soon so the Cocker was very interested although he hasn't figured out what to do since he's still quite young at one year old.

 

A short trip to Xinjiang Urumqi, or Urumuqi in mandarin, is the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Urumqi actually means "beautiful pastures" in Mongolian. I visited the International Bazaar (bought raisins and a carpet there) and the Red Hill in Urumqi. Since I only have one full day in Xinjiang, I could only visit Turpan. In and around Turpan, I visited the Grape Valley, Flaming Moutains (of "Journey to the West" fame), Sugong Mosque, and the ancient Jiaohe ruins. Xinjiang is ethnically diverse with Uyghurs, Han Chinese, Kazahks, Hui and Mongol communities. The uyghurs are the main ethnic group. They are muslims, closely related to the Turks. Red Hill Red Hill is a landmark of the city. At an elevation of 910 meters above sea level, it is located at the very center of the city. I was pleasantly surprised that Xinjiang also has a "Bukit Merah"! Red Hill is located on the east bank of the Urumqi River. Its shape resembles a mighty dragon. Pagodas built on top of each of the two hills to suppress the dragon after the city suffered severe river flooding in 1785 and 1786. Now, Red Hill is a popular lookout point for locals to view the cityscape of modern Urumqi. There is a local statue of Governor Lin Zhexu, the one who burned British opium in Canton in 1840. He was later banished by the emperor to Xinjiang. Turpan Turpan, or Turufan in mandarin, is 180km southeast of Ürümqi lying in a basin 154m below sea level - the second-lowest depression in the world after Israel's Dead Sea. It's also the hottest spot in China: a blistering 50°C in summer. Whereas Urumuqi has lots of Han Chinese, Turfan remains a Uyghur enclave. Grape valley (Pu Tao Gu) Lying at the western end of the Flaming Mountains is an oasis of vineyards and fruit trees - Grape Valley. This 8-km long gorge is inhabited by about 6,000 people of the Uyghur, Hui and Han ethnic groups, has more than 400 hectares of cultivated land, 220 hectares of which is dedicated to growing grapes. There are several types of grapes that are grown in this area, including the seedless white, rose-pink, 'mare's-nipple', black, Kashihar, bijiagan and suosuo. The nearby vineyards produce wines and raisins. Karez System The oasis of agriculture and lush greenery is in striking contrast to the parched desert surrounding Turpan. This is made possible by the ingenious irrigation system called the Karez system which is comprised of a series of wells and underground channels that uses gravity to bring ground water to the surface. In Turpan, there are more than 470 systems, totaling over 1,600 km of tunnels. It is considered as one of the three engineering marvels in China apart from the Great Wall and the Grand Canal. The people used the karez wells to draw water from the mountains to irrigate the farmland. To keep the underground channels unclogged, two men and a draught animal work as a team - one man is lowered down to clear the tunnel and buckets of mud are hoisted to the surface by the animal. This is dangerous work and karez workers are highly respected. The water in the karez will not evaporate even under the scorching heat and fierce winds, ensuring a stable flow of water for irrigation. The history of the Karez can be traced back to the Han Dynasty, almost 2,000 years ago. The annual rainfall in Xinjiang is only 16mm! Singapore probably gets more rain during one monsoon storm! Flaming Mountains (Huo Yan Shan) The Flaming Mountains is immortalised in the famous 16th century Chinese classic novel "Journey to the West", a fantasy account of the monk, Xuan Zang's quest to India to retrieve buddhist scriptures during the Tang dynasty. The Flaming Mountains run 100 km along the northern edge of Turpan Depression (Basin) from east to west with its extreme width of 10 km. Under the strong afternoon sun, the red rocks on the gullies and ravines reflect the intense heat and appears as if the hillsides were engulfed by fire, hence the name. Jiaohe Ruins The Ancient City of Jiaohe is located in the Yarnaz Valley, 13 km west of Turpan, and was once the capital of the State of South Cheshi, straddling the Silk Route. Jiaohe was strategically seat on the confluence of two rivers, hence the name "Jiaohe" (rivers crossing). Jiaohe was an important administrative centre from the Han dynasty to the early Tang dynasty. At the end of the thirteenth century, it was destroyed by the Mongols. Sugong Pagoda Emin Tower (The Tower for Showing Gratitude to Eminhoja), is located 2 km east of the city of Turpan. Built in 1777 the tower, also called "Su Gong Ta" commemorates Emin Khoja, the ruler of Turpan, who rendered great service to the Qing Emperor Qianlong by suppressing the rebellion of Dzungarian Mongols. The tower was completed in 1778 by his son Suleman. The adjoining mosque, the biggest mosque in Turpan, has a beamed ceiling supported by simple wooden pillars and a central large doom. Even while it was blazing hot outside, the interior was amazingly cool! Local food Xinjiang or Uyghur cuisine reminded me of Turkish food,minus the Mediterrean influence. My favourites are roasted lamb, kebabs, steamed buns, "fried rice eaten with bare hands" (very similar our briyani but coloured yellow by saffron). They also have "naan" which is called "nang" but unlike the North Indian flat bread, the Xinjiang version is baked until crispy. Xinjiang is famous for its nuts, dates, almonds, apricots and Hami melons.

BSS McRitchie walk on 24 Aug 2003 We guided a bunch of BSS freshies on a McRitchie walk on Sunday 24 Aug. Starting time was at 9am, much later than our usual briskwalk timing of 6.45am. weather was quite good but got quite hot closer to noon. We had a good time and finished around 1pm. Malkolhas, drongoes, a few snakes were sighted. Plus spotted plant poachers, Mountain bikers and macaque feeders around the nature reserve.

Zendogs fireworks & durians ride: National Day 2003 We decided to combine the much-talked about durian ride with the National Day ride down to anywhere near National Stadium to catch the fireworks display. I cycled down from Punggol and met everyone at Maxwell Market. After watching the fireworks, we adjourned to Geylang for our well-deserved durian treat. yummy!

New MTB 02 July 2003 Went out and got this new GT Avalanche 3.0. figured that I might really need it to get around Punggol since the LRT won't be up till years from now (fingers crossed). The lady boss from Joo Huat told me new stock just arrived. Freshly offloaded from the ship, the bikeshop guy has to unpack the bike from the box and assembled it in front of me. Missed quite a few rides and bike clinics, these past months without wheels. hope to rebuild my bike fitness. I'm sure that it'll be a painful process...

GT Avalanche 3.0 the usual suspects

Briskwalk on 29 June 2003 A nice walk on a great morning. Finally managed to drag a colleague, Siok Cheng, to join us! Been harrassing office folks to come out for sunshine, fresh air and a good workout. Wai Leng, one of the Crescent Girls' mafia who used to join us for nature walks, showed up after a long while. Apparently she's now based in Shanghai. Tuck Seng, So Wah's nephew, was roped in when he met his aunt at a dinner the previous evening! Adjourned to Killiney Kopitiam for kaya toast after the walk, a change from our customary Al Ameen or Al Azhar prata breakfasts. Traffic situation horrendous in BTNR. parked cars stretched to condo's near the reserve. for pics of previous walks, please see the briskwalk site.

KMY doing a sprint (for 3 metres!)

Yumin's Wedding on 22 June 2003 Robina's good friend, Yumin got married! we attended her wedding lunch at Merchant Court Hotel.

The Dog did it! Renovation recce at our "Coming to you soon, Punggol 21" flat! Introduced by Sally the dog! 5 April 2003.   How long did it take? We joined the queue for the flat in early 2001, chose the flat in Jan 2002, and collected the keys in March 2003.

Sally Grooming Session Starting to look scruffy, Sally went for her grooming session in Singapore. Sally was sent to a different groomer this time round. There are 3 groomers in Henry Park near Ghim Moh! Look at her big red bow!

Palau 2002 Robina and I were in Palau with for a five day holiday in December 2002. Palau is smack in the middle of the triangle formed by the Philippines, Guam and Papua New Guinea (see map). We joined a Taiwanese free n easy tour, flew direct from Taipei. In Palau, we signed up day trips with the local dive tour, Sam's Tour. The corals and diving here is excellent! visibility and clarity is amazing. our local guide told us that the best she ever saw was 220ft visibility at the Big Drop Off (a famous local dive spot). even when we were snorkeling at shallow depths, we can see the sandy bottom at 10m easily. the water is a beautiful tourqoise blue.

Unofficial Wedding Pics We decided to shoot our wedding album in Taiwan during June 2002. There's a lot of bridal studios in Taipei so there's competition. Generally the standard is quite good and professional. Price-wise is a fraction of Singapore. We heard that many couples from Singapore and Malaysia will fly to Taipei for their wedding album. we signed up Linli Studio in the end. Normally, they are quite expensive but there was a promotion, so what the heck! We wanted to have location shots that's different. So Taiwan provided a different landscape and atmosphere. All in all, the experience was quite fun but exhausting... BTW. this is NOT the actual wedding album. just candid pics that I snapped since Robina was the star of the day.

A man's gotta be legit. We ROM'ed before leaving for Taiwan for 18 months. Yup, very uncharacteristic clothes. 29 Jun 2001.

Endau Rompin trip with NSS April 2001  Endau getaway! Robina's toughest nature trip to date! Managed to fend off leeches, but Robina's Teva sandals came apart during a river crossing! Led by Raja, the trip was very enjoyable with good company from other NSS members. The forest, rivers and insects were spectacular!