Ho Yew Kee

Few weeks ago I was in Singapore for the Chinese New Year, and met up with a few Old Boys at the Tekka market. From left, Yew Kee, Chee Mun, myself and Roy.

Sadly, Yew Kee passed away yesterday, Tuesday 22 Feb 2011.

Marina Bay etc in Singapore

I finally caught up with the exciting new developments at the Marina Bay, including the Marina Barrage and the Marina Bay Sands. Of course I was unwilling to pay to enter the casino of the latter, but the 56/57th level rooftop was worth every cent of the $20 entry fee (discounts for seniors and weekday visitors).

Click here for the photos.

North America

During our interrupted trip to North America, we had a week at Toronto,


during which we met up with my former form master and chemistry teacher Koh Beng Thiam,

and had a day trip to the Niagara Falls.
In New York, we visited Time Square, and had just enough time to take a look at the city from the Empire State Building and visited the business area near Wall St and Ground Zero.



Click here for photos on Toronto, Koh BT, Niagara Falls and New York

Our Sad Loss - Mdm Soh Chiok Ee 1925-2010 - Wife, mother and grandmother

Sadly, Mum passed away on 14th December, 2010, after a short period of illness with pneumonia; Mum had also been a dementia patient for nearly ten years. The support and help from many friends, relatives and members of the church are deeply appreciated.

A day at Fort Denison

Few weeks ago, we went by ferry from the Circular Quay with the McGills and Allens to Fort Denison in the middle of Sydney Harbour. There we joined a guided tour and had lunch with the surrounding beautiful harbour view. Coincidentally, a "Getaway" TV crew was there filming an item on the historic island.

Photos of our visit to Fort Denison.

Amsterdam

We had a few days in Amsterdam doing the standard tourist thing - Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, windmills, Red Light area, rijstafel.




Photos of Amsterdam - sorry, none taken at the Red Light area.

Other London Sights

We did not spend our time in London just eating at Fat Duck of course. Yvonne and I made the the obligatory first-time visit to the London Eye,



and attended a performance of the "The Mousetrap" now in its 58th year (and found out why we never bothered before).



Also, we all turned up at the Beatles' London Walk that toured sites made famous by the Group, and walked the famous pedestrian crossing at Abbey Road.


More London Eye photos
More Beatles London photos

Stadium MRT Singapore

I had a surprise when I went into the new Stadium MRT station at Kallang. The modern, sleek and futuristic design was quite unlike most other MRT stations in Singapore.

The Fat Duck experience

After watching the TV series, we decided that we have to try out the real thing. Two months ahead, we secured a table at The Fat Duck. The restaurant is located at Bray, not far from Maidenhead to the west of London.

We were glad that Heston Blumenthal's restaurant lived up to its fine reputation. The 14 dishes were full of surprises and fun and the service was excellent. There was not just creative foods but also accompaniment of complementary fragrances and sounds. In one dish, the "Sound of the Sea", an iPod was provided to each of us, carefully hidden in a large shell, to provide accompanying sounds.

It was an unforgettable experience.

More photos of Fat Duck.

Kay's Mazda

It has taken me a long time to post these. Back in July, Kay got a replacement for her smashed up Mazda. She decided to keep up with her luck by having another Mazda !