Friday, December 30, 2022

Classmate Yok Khoon visit 2022/12/30

During Yok Khoon family trip to Taiwan. We ask one night whether they are game to visit Grand palace hotel in the night. Yok and son Joe came along and they have an enjoyable trip at the hotel. It’s Christmas and lucky to take a beautiful photograph with the Christmas tree.







 

8th Uncle visit Taipei 2022/12/30

8th Uncle stays at Cosmos hotel along 忠孝東路。Pickup on 12/30 and went straight to MaoKong for lunch. First, had our lunch at 阿義師 restaurant and just waited for the rain to stop. brought 8th uncle for a short hiking route with some gentle steps. 
Meet him on a separate evening and brought to 金春發 for beef noodle.





 

Friday, December 23, 2022

Year 2022 Christmas greeting video idea.

A collection of Christmas tree decorations for year 2022 in Taipei city. 
Thank you friends for contributing Christmas tree photographs located in various places and individual building deco too. I have edited the photos into a slideshow, click link below.

YouTube video:  https://youtu.be/zIn8w2CmMG8g


====================================

Monday, December 19, 2022

Chan from 84SIR , 2022/12/19

Happy to catch up with platoon mate from 84SIR in Taipei City. Still remember vividly our first in-camp at Tamah-Jurong, HDB-like army camp. Each busy in their own life after our NS liability ended. Co-incidentally met Chan at Changi Airport and that's how we link up again. And we both are already coming to 60s.




Tuesday, December 13, 2022

One year retirement review on December 2022

One year retirement review on December 2022


Officially retired from Chun Shin Ltd (TW) in Year 2021, end of May. Take a few months to settle down what I can do and scheduling my weekly activities. Started by going easy and fix up long-delayed housing maintenance works and painting jobs. Go online to buy a paint sprayer to make painting a bleeze and some hands tools. Completed all 100% window mosquito net renewal and painting about 50% of house painting surface areas (concentrated on house hall area plus master bedroom). That takes about half a year with regular excising, sweat a lot by going hiking in the nearby mountains. It’s seem hiking up the never ending stairs can really reduces the waist size. Must thanks Jenny for the hiking book gift as reference. With the reference book, I have completed many of Taipei nearby hills and mountains. Limiting myself to about two hours hiking trip with a maximum range of three hours to ensure safe workout without overstressing.


Starts doing Line Dancing and Folk Dancing six days a week from December 2021 with various dance clubs and “night university 社大” classes. This is on top of the Saturday and Sunday Taichi lessons at 新生公園 weekly. Promised to review in one years time, ie. December 2022 the result and effects of such activities, the big question whether will it work for me or not? Will scale down to maximum two classes per day that my body strength can sustain with such vigorous excising. Will skip Wednesday afternoon Line dance session by just having two classes on Wednesday.

In the meantime, the benefits of classes allows one to get to know wide spectrum of people by doing pro-active approach by chat and learns to listen to people’s  life experience and sharing stuffs. Managed to convince Jenny to at least try doing Line Dance at 大安社大 evening class at 東方社大. Surprisingly, Jenny has the gift and relatively easy for her to follow the lessons progress. She completed the second class term and now heading towards the three term when new class start in February 2023.

As for the hiking activities, it would be great to have company for such event. 「可遇不可求」Join couple of groups, but it will need to match in few aspects, like own body strength and stamina, like and dislike chatting topics, preferred hiking routes and speed of hiking moments, matching each person time slots is a skill set itself too.

Co-incidentally, during the period of COVID starting from year 2020. The urge to gather among Singaporeans in Taiwan is high and surprisingly people gets together to do National Day party at Shangrila hotel. That bring us a gang of fellow Singaporeans together and since then a regular gathering and much fun time. Well, a kampong spirits has develops among us and hope retirement will be more exciting with more friends around.


In the meantime, keep myself engage with social media by setting up Facebook, IG and blogs. Facebook page “我在新生公園的日子” purpose is to record my weekly activities in the park while doing Taichi practise together with Jenny. At the sametime, training my observation skill and good eye for things. Keeping a record of foods and dishes, I put the relevant photos using IG with dual purpose of keeping up with new social media tool. Continue my blogs which was setup many years ago, both the English and Chinese blogs. This helps formed up my digital dairy, if I need to looks back happenings in time.

Calculating my financial worth and starts seriously looking at Singapore Saving bond and reset my DBS Vicker’s Securities account to learn about Singapore stock market. Concept is to go in when it’s the lowest and market view is on the downside. Covid period see such opportunities, where future is uncertain and future is very bleak indid.


Remember my last year of work, both leg and back are telling me age is catching up and the need to maintain proper excerising. Still remember using hiking stick to walk to office with difficulties of standing after prolong sitting posture. After retirement, starts my regular therapy at nearby clinic for my back and it’s was a struggle in the beginning. Couple with control hiking trip, the body seem to be able to re-adjust for the better.



Monday, December 12, 2022

Christmas season Makan meet 2022/12/12

Met up with SG friends for a happy lunch at Humble house. BG said their carpark is too narrow, lucky we didn’t drive. We ate to our heart content from 11.30am to 2.30pm when the manager came to remind its closing for next meal session. Soups is good, four types of cheese, brownie cake with chocolate paste is nice. Have fun doing my salad mixing colour and plate arrangement.
Went around XinYi to enjoy the Christmas lightning and colourful decorations around.  







 

Saturday, December 10, 2022

Gerry’s exhibition 2022/12/10

GLE suggests visiting Jeannette husband exhibition at Taipei city 金華街 near to 東門 area. 


We went to nearby dessert shop for TaoSuan price starts at NT$85 per bowl with one topping. Comes with hot or cold option.




 

Saturday, November 26, 2022

Makan meet 2022/11/26

Thanks BG and Constance for inviting us to their house for gathering after a six months trip home in Singapore and touring in Europe.
The best joke for the day is “Grill” and “Drill”.
Thanks MK for the brownie and sweet carrot cake, yummy!
Elvin pandan cake is the moist thick and soft green colour type , very nice.
Always thirsty solver lemonade drink from Constance.
BG curry chicken, beef noodle makes my stomach top to the brink.
Hot Kopi drink bring us to the realities that we are away from home but yet so near with many good friends from Singapore.





Lastly, wish ShihMing start a new life afresh in Canada and happy for him that family is together. Thanks for preparing two lovely touching songs.



Friday, November 18, 2022

Morning Makan meet at Coppi Lumi 11/18

Pickup Janny and then Jeslyn from their place. Thanks Jeslyn for passing on the cooker to us and special nice biscuit from Janny. Beautiful morning breakfast with friends at Coppi Lumi outlet at 南港區。



Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Cousin Ah Yan in Taipei 2022/11 for work

Very Coincidentally, met Ah Yan at 信義安和 mrt station . Heard a very familiar voice while getting out of the mrt train. Turn my head, there he is. Wait for him at the top of the escalator. Drop by at his hotel and passed the 黑金剛 peanut and Ginger block for families back home.


Ask 吳大姐 along, as I know she like the Tim Sum at 兄弟飯店。



 

Friday, October 28, 2022

Celebrating Philip Ong birthday 2022/10

We have Shirley, Goh Lee Eng, Janny and KC coming together to celebrate Philip Ong's birthday. Always nice to have cake for such occasion and thanks Janny for selecting the delicious cake. Not forgetting the yummy complimentary dessert from Jumbo Kitchen.



 

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Makan Meet 2022/10/14 with Singaporeans in Taipei

A rare occasion Singaporeans meet up for Makan, just because we just chat at Pasar Malam event at Bottle Factory. Round up the participants when they visited our booth and we have ten person coming together for fun time eating dishes from home. Thanks to Jumbo Kitchen promotion when make coming jumbo un-stoppable.
Great jumbo provide desserts on the house. Great meal together on a Monday evening.






 

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Meet up with Seetoh

Seetoh went home for 100days prayer. Drop him off at Taoyuan airport and coffee time. Nice chat with resident all the way from Hualien. 
Thanks for the food package sent. Share some with friend.

@ TaoYuan Airport

 



Sunday, October 09, 2022

Pre-Holiday 10/9 BBQ with friends

Visiting GLE second time by arranging a bbq session at their balcony. Using recent GLE's purchase gas stove from Costco together with Korean style bbq metal plate. The meats (beef and pork) is well prepare and cooked, comes with sausages from 黑橋牌. 王先生The host has prepare well with numerous drink and dessert selections. Setting up their places for friend to visit . 

Thanks again for inviting us.






Saturday, October 08, 2022

STB event at Bottle factory 2022/10/8

Event organised by STB. Luckily the booth is offered free, else it won’t be worthwhile to attend. The visitor crowd can be better if not for the rain that deterring their attendance. 
Though raining, however, we saw many Singaporeans coming to give us moral support and contribution to the coffer.