Total Defence Day - There's A Part For Everyone

The British army surrendered Singapore to the Japanese forces at the Ford Factory in Bukit Timah on 15 February 1942.

The annual Total Defence Day is picked on this date to remind Singaporeans of the sufferings of our forefathers during World War II and what we stand to lose if we are unable to defend ourselves.

The sirens on the Public Warning System (PWS) will also go off for a minute at 6.20pm - the historical time that the British surrendered to the Japanese.

Total Defence is the name of Singapore's comprehensive defence strategy, based on the understanding that besides military action, aggressors can also attack the country by wrecking its economic systems, tearing its social fabric apart, targeting Singaporeans' beliefs and commitment to defence, and its ability to recover from disasters, both natural and man-made.

The Total Defence concept encompasses five key aspects – military, civil, economic, social and psychological defence – and focuses on the need for each Singaporean to play his or her part to defend the nation.

One Day Tour To Rustic Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

Wanton Mee RM 5

Last Saturday, I went on a one day trip to Kluang, Johor, Malaysia with my folks. The trip was organised by Dad's friend, the same uncle whom we went to Malacca with two years ago.

Just like the previous time, we dropped by Gelang Patah for breakfast. There were several coffeeshops here and we chose the one furthest away located under Hotel Linkway.

I ordered Wanton Mee but it was no where in sight after 20 minutes despite not being very crowded. I was just this close to beating up the hawker when I found out that his helper is serving those who ordered after me first. Well, I have a coach to catch and we only had 40 minutes for breakfast.

When my order finally came, what struck me first was the small bowl and its even smaller contents. Next would be the mee pok. Isn't Wanton Mee usually mee kia by default?

Nonetheless, the sauce coating the noodle is pleasant - the kind that I like, although the puny wantons and char siew are quite generic.

In Memorium: David Bowie The Goblin King 1947 - 2016

David Bowie
8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016

David Bowie losses his battle with cancer two days ago.

I will not pretend that I am a very big fan of his or marvel what a musical genius he is. Sure, I have heard of his name but I know nothing about this man or the songs he sing.

The one thing I do know (apart from the fact he is a rock singer) is that he plays Jareth, the Goblin King from the movie "Labyrinth" which I never fail to watch whenever it airs on TV.

I loved that movie so much I once recorded it on VHS and now owns it on VCD (bought it from HMV  before it moves out of Singapore).

初音ミク - 千本櫻 Hatsune Miku - Senbonzakura

Senbonzakura/Thousand Cherry Trees/千本櫻

I'm probably late but this is the first time I have heard of Hatsune Miku (初音ミク), a humanoid persona voiced by a singing synthesizer application developed by Crypton Future Media.

The name of the character comes from merging the Japanese words for first (初 hatsu), sound (音 ne) and future (ミク miku), thus meaning "the first sound from the future," referring to her position as the first of Crypton's "Character Vocal Series."

10th Death Anniversary

This Empty Collar

The empty bed and the empty bowl,

the weed covered path we used to stroll;

dog snacks,muddy tracks and the hair on the floor,

and the slap of the flap on your dog door.

 There's still the fence that kept you safe,

and there's still the bandanas I can't put on.

Some things, they remain,

but some things are forever gone.

These old photographs, they can't take your place;

they only bring tears that flow down my face.

Your love was unconditional, mine was the same.

The price of love is memories and their pain.

They say time heals everything

and yes I know that is true

The food and the Vet bills, you were worth every dollar,

but there is nothing so sad and it hurts so bad as I cling to

"this Empty Collar"

What Does A Cleaver, A Typewriter And An Abacus Have In Common?

Well, they are used as musical instruments and in a Chinese Orchestra no less!

Sounds unbelievable? I have to admit that I too raised an eyebrow when I came across the videos but after listening to them, I find the sounds... music to my ears!

Check out the performances below.

Musique de Cuisine by NYP Chinese Orchestra

Review: Retro Handheld Game Console

And so, I saw someone flaunting this retro handheld game console on FB the other day. Not to be outdone, I ordered one set for myself too.

I believe 8-bit games form a collective memory for many people who grew up playing such games on the Atari and Nintendo. This is especially so for those from my generation.

I placed an order on October 4 but there were no updates on the tracking website till October 9. I got a little impatient but there was nothing I could do except to wait. Then, I found out that week was their holiday following their National Day.

The package finally got delivered yesterday so I thought I would share the unboxing here.

DIY: Corner Bookmarks And Origami Heart Shape Corner Bookmarks

Just before I went for my ICT two weeks ago, I made some corner bookmarks for a book lover friend of mine. These bookmarks are inexpensive and easy to make so even if you lose them, they are easily replaceable. 

I have long wanted to write up this post when I found out this ingenious way of making bookmarks but have been procrastinating like forever.

If you love reading or know someone who does, perhaps you can try your hand at making your own bookmarks? 

DIY: How To DIY A Lantern For Mid-Autumn Festival With A Plastic Bottle

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

Once again, it's the season to binge on Mooncakes and playing with lanterns!

In today's post, I'll share how to make your very own lantern using just a soft drink bottle. You can hardly call this a DIY because I simply bought a lantern handle which comes with a LED bulb and all I did was to push the bulb into the bottle. The only DIY part I did was make a hole in the cap to insert the ring to hook onto the handle.

You can probably paint the bottle or wrap it with cellophane paper but I think this will do for me.

The photos below are pretty self-explanatory.

Jubilee Weekend Part 3: Artscience Museum

And so, we have come to the second day of the Jubilee long weekend.

I couldn't get over the fact that I didn't manage to visit the Artscience Museum the day before, henceforth, I returned to join the queue for the second consecutive day.

To be honest, I did not expect that there would be such a long queue on the first day. After all, I don't think many people would like to visit the museums which can be such a boring place. I believe that morning's ComChest Heartstrings Walk participants contributed quite a bit to the length of the queue after their event ended

I guess the onus is on myself to find out if there's any other activities happening at the same time, same area when I decided to visit a place.

Jubilee Weekend Part 2: The Little Red Brick Show (SG50 Edition)

Continuing from my previous post, after wasting the first half of my Friday at MBS doing nothing other than getting drenched in the rain, I arrived at the Central Library at Bugis to attend a LEGO showcase only to find the library closed!

I was on the verge of killing someone when I noticed that the showcase is not held inside the library but at the foyer outside it instead.

Heaving a sign of relief, I made my way towards the crowd to understand what the showcase is all about. 

Since it is our Golden Jubilee year, the talented builders from the Singapore AFOL community have built 50 exhibits all relating to a piece of Singapore history.

Jubilee Weekend Part 1

Last Friday was the beginning of our SG50 long weekend and there were a host of activities available for Singaporeans to keep themselves busy with.

For one, the Artscience Museum is offering free entry for Singaporeans to it's exhibitions "The Deep", "Dreamworks Animation: The Exhibition" and "Singapore STories: Then, Now, Tomorrow".

The exhibitions have been running for quite some time now but I only found out about it recently. I am particularly interested in The Deep and Dreamworks exhibition. Luckily, I was able to coincide my visit with the free entry day and save some money off the admission prices.

爷爷的遗愿

小时候的我性格比较内向，因此非常黏着妈妈。

我记得这件事情发生在我八岁那年。

当时，念小二的我和爸妈住在西部的一间三房式组屋。

事发当日，爸爸出门工作了，只剩下我和妈妈在家。妈妈正在厨房的浴室洗澡而我就蹲在门外等她出来。

等着，等着，我便开始唱起歌来。我正唱的起劲，一抬头往厨房门口的方向望过去时，竟然目睹了一件让人无法解释的一幕！

Happy 50th Birthday, Singapore!

Singapore's 50th birthday celebrations at the Padang has just come to a close but it was no birthday like any other for it is her Golden Jubilee.

It has been fifty years of Independence since our separation from Malaysia. It was a big blow to us then, when we were chased out of the door with nothing to our names and had to fend for ourselves. However, one very brave man took charge and lead us to a brighter future. He is non other than our founding father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

Fifty years on, our progress is evident for all to see but it was no mean feat though, as our forefathers have paved the way for us - their future generations - with sweat, blood and tears. 

In Memorium: James Horner 1953 - 2015

Oscar winner James Horner has been killed after crashing his single-engine plane in Southern California on Monday morning. 

Ventura County fire spokesman Mike Lindbery said the crash happened around 9.30am in the Los Padres National Forest, with the Federal Aviation Administration adding that the plane was an S-312 Tucano MK1 turbo-prop with two seats and that the debris was spread across an acre of land. 

Crews extinguished a fire that erupted in vegetation after the plane became engulfed in flames upon impact, about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Horner, a husband and father of two, was later confirmed dead by one of his employees.

Horner's assistant, Sylvia Patrycja, confirmed that it was the beloved composer who died in the tragic accident. 

'We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart, and unbelievable talent,' Patrycja wrote on Facebook. 

  

'He died doing what he loved. Thank you for all your support and love and see you down the road.' 

Jay Cooper, an attorney for Horner, said the plane was one of several owned by the 61-year-old composer. 

  

Horner’s representatives have not commented on the issue. - Daily Mail

Hatyai Sabbatical 2015

I must really apologize for the lack of updates.

The first half of 2015 has just gone in a flash. A lot has happened during the last six months and my mind have been bogged down by family matters. All is fine for now and I hope it stays that way.

Last month, my folks and I brought forward our yearly retreat to Hatyai (we usually go during year end) and we took the opportunity to recharge and re-energize. Hopefully, we did not bring the negative vibes back with us.

I think Hatyai has been blogged to death by me so I shall consolidate the entire five days into one single post and not go into the details. Since it is simply a staycation, we spend most of our time sleeping/watching TV in the hotel when we are not out looking for food.

Now if you would fasten your seatbelt, our journey shall begin in just a minute.

Singapura: 700 Years Exhibition At The National Museum Of Singapore

After visiting the Lee Kuan Yew memorial exhibition on level 2 of the National Museum, I proceeded to the basement to visit yet another exhibition - Singapura: 700 Years.

History is one of my favorite subject in school so how could I miss it?

I studied South East Asia history in school and I would like to attribute my keen interest in the subject to my history teacher, Ms Lau Gek Moi who managed to make her lessons unboring.

Entering the gallery, I was thrown back into the pre-Colonial days when the then Temasek was still a Sultanate. Bit by bit, like fragments of a long forgotten memory, the story of Parameswara and the invasion from the Majapahit Kingdom all came flooding back.

In Memoriam: Lee Kuan Yew exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore

This memorial exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore chronicles the life and political career of Singapore's first Prime Minister and founding father Lee Kuan Yew. It also highlights the ideals and convictions that shaped Mr Lee and his generation of leaders.

Through a selection of photographic images and audiovisual recordings, as well as artefacts from the National Collection, the exhibition begins with Mr Lee's formative years as a law student at Cambridge and his early involvement in the anti-colonial struggle.

It also traces his political career from the formation of the People's Action Party, through his Prime Ministership, to his final years of service as Senior Minister and Minister Mentor.

Mr Lee's political biography is inextricably linked to Singapore's own journey from British colony to merger with Malaysia to Separation and independence. This exhibition chronicles that journey and pays tribute to his contributions.

This exhibition will enable visitors to remember and reflect on the solid foundation that he built for Singapore.

DIY: Biological/Chemical Filter For Aquarium

I have been toying with the idea of making my own biological cum chemical filter for a long time. I am using a overhead filter but it is kind of small to add in any other media after putting in the filtration wool.

Since my overhead filter is only fulfilling the mechanical aspect of the filtration system, this project will enhance the biological and chemical step.

There are three components to the filtration system:

- Mechanical

- Biological

- Chemical

9th Death Anniversary

God looked around His garden
And He found an empty place
He then looked down upon the earth
And saw your precious face

He put His arms around you
And lifted you to rest;
God' s Garden must be beautiful
He always takes the best.

He knew that you were suffering
He knew you were in pain
He knew you' d never ever
Get well on earth again.

So He closed your weary eyelids
And whispered " Peace be thine "
Then He took you up to Heaven
With Hands so gentle and kind.

It broke our hearts to lose you
But you did not go alone,
For part of us went with you
The day God welcomed you home.

Author Unknown