balestier road's tau sar piah




i only learnt about the famous loong fatt's tau sar piah many years after i had left balestier hill secondary school, the school where i taught for 11 years. i was in monk's hill secondary then. it was my colleague soo chin who told me about this place along balestier road which sold very nice bean paste biscuits.

when i went to the shop, i realised that i had patronised the place many times before when i was teaching at balestier hill secondary. i recognised the manly woman who was packing the tau sar piah and two other workers, a man and another woman, in the shop.

those days, the tau sar piah were so popular that they were sold out by 3 0'clock. one day. i made the mistake of appearing at the shop at around 5 p.m. the manly woman laughed at me, and haughtily said- "you expect to get tau sar piah at this time!".

at that time they even imposed a limit on the number of packets you could buy as take-away. once i went with my colleague and his nephew to the shop. as there were 3 of us, i placed an order for 15 boxes; she would not let me have so many, saying that there were only two (adults) of us, so we were entitled to 10 boxes only.

she even boasted that there were people who bought the tau sar piah to take them to australia and other faraway countries.

but now with competition from two other shops - 116 & house of tau sar piah - selling the same stuff along balestier road, the queues at loong fatt are not so long.

lunch at empire cafe on 24 june 06

on saturday, we went down to ica building to replace the lost identity cards. the car park was overcrowded, so i had to park across the road, at french road.

ida took the opportunity to insert an updated photo in her passport.

we proceeded to bras basah centre for ivy to buy her medical books. books are one-third the price here compared to melbourne's.

for lunch, we had wanted to have it at purvis street but it was a problem finding a parking space. we then drove to seah street and parked the car at raffles hotel. that's how we ended having lunch at empire cafe where a plain roti prata costs $9.00. ida had nasi lemak which was priced at $14.50. ivy had laksa.

ang koo kueh - making them at home

used to make ang koo kueh (red tortoise kueh). think the chinese name comes from the design and shape of the kueh. i have stopped making them when i found out that this kueh is not very popular with the younger people. my daughter ida did not take to it, so it was with most of my younger colleagues.

the amc pot was very convenient for cooking the mung bean. but what i found most convenient was the availability of the banana leaf which i used to protect the base of the ang koo kueh. there was this banana tree growing next to the pond, near my block of flats. each time i made ang koo kueh, i would sneak downstairs and cut a leaf or two from the tree. sometimes i would go as late as 10.00p.m. to get the leaves. but i don't think i would dare go at midnight, remembering the stories about pontianak from my childhood days.

although i have succeeded in making ang koo kueh, i am still experimenting with making the peach shaped ‘rice kueh’ - with filling of glutinous rice, dried shrimps and groundnuts. the first time, i made the ‘rice kueh’, they were too hard. in a subsequent attempt, they turned out to be too soft. i am very determined to succeed because my mother thinks that i will not be able to master the art of making them. my mother makes the best 'rice kueh'.

kranji war memorial

kranji war memorial honours the men from britain, australia, canada, sri lanka, india, nepal, malaya, the netherlands and new zealand who gave their lives for freedom in world war ii.

marked graves of 4,000 servicemen who died during the japanese occupation stand in neat rows on manicured lawns. another 24,000 names of soldiers and airforce men who died but whose bodies were never recovered are inscribed on 12 columns.

kranji war cemetery began as a hospital burial ground during the japanese occupation and became a military cemetery after the war. bodies of servicemen buried in other parts of singapore were exhumed and reburied here.

the place is also the burial ground of Singapore's first two presidents.

i have been to the cemetery twice, late in the evening, prior to my last visit. each time i found the gate closed. now, i have found out that they have opening and closing hours; they open at 7.00 a.m. and close at 6.00 p.m.

ivy is back from melbourne


ivy was on flight sq238. touched down at changi international at 15:53 on tuesday, 20 june. we - ida and i - were at terminal 2 to meet her. when we saw someone brushing and touching her hair at the duty free counter, we knew that ivy was back in singapore.

from the airport, we went to kheng cheng school to pick her mom before proceeding to novena terrace to visit a family friend. ivy could not wait to taste local food immediately upon touch down but we had to wait till about 6.00 p.m. before we had our dinner. we had fried oyster, har chong cha kai, sambal kangkong, fried baby squids and yam basket for dinner at a food stall at 7th mile bukit timah food centre. we also had sugar cane juice.

we headed for jelapang after dinner. ivy distributed her presents as she unpacked her luggage. her bag was filled with chocolates, tam biscuits and nougats.

singapore city gallery - worth more than one visit

singapore city gallery is located on the 2nd and 3rd storeys of the ura centre, 45 maxwell road (next to the very popular maxwell food centre). opening hours are:9.00am – 5.00pm (mon to sat) admission to the singapore city gallery is free. the nearest mrt stations are tanjong pagar and chinatown. the bus services that stop at south bridge road are 51, 63, 80, 103, 124, 145, 166, 174 and 197.

if you have children of school going age, you must take them to this gem of a place. you can spend a few hours going through an enriching learning journey, from which you will learn more about our rich heritage and also find out what the future holds for us in the form of urban development.

you do not have to climb a skyscraper to catch a glimpse of singapore’s central hub. at the singapore city gallery, you can catch an amazing bird’s eye view of singapore’s central area, and see the fascinating 11 by 11 metre architectural model, the only one of its kind in the world. it is so up to date that you can see a model of the integrated resort that will be built at the marina.

there is an interactive quiz show, during which the viewers can take part in a quiz hosted by gurmit singh. with more than 30 hands-on interractive exhibits, a visit promises to be an enjoyable self-discovery.

changi point boardwalk

this signboard proclaiming the boardwalk is just next to the entrance that leads to the changi sailing club. the boardwalk hugs the scenic changi coastline from changi beach club to changi sailing club. the boardwalk actually extends, through foothpaths, all the way to the changi ferry terminal.

the boardwalk is made up of four segments:

sunset walk for a splendid view of the sunset over changi point, amid a backdrop of huge boulders.

kelong walk: a stretch of the boardwalk with kelong stilts built over water, reminiscent of the 'good old kelong days'.

cliff walk: located just below the hilltop chalets, allows a walk through lush greenery. viewing decks along this stretch at vantage points provide panoramic views.

sailing point walk: near the changi sailing club provides open views of the sea.

according to 'wild singapore', the best way to enjoy the boardwalk and the heritage trees in this area is to join the free guided walk by the green volunteer network.

we stayed at one of those government chalets that faces the sea at changi- called the fairy point - many years ago, long before aloha took over the administration of bungalows. this chalet is very close to the changi sailing club. this club has been the breeding and training ground for many of our national sailors.

dinner at cheng li yuan, tanjong pagar - 5 june 2006

when we were having dinner at empire cafe at raffles hotel towards the end of may, victor decided that he would reciprocate the treat by taking us to a chinese restaurant at tanjong pagar. at first, i thought it was a restaurant specialising in fish head curry. no, it turned out to be a family restaurant that serves northern chinese cuisine.

although there had been a write up about the place in the straits times, there was no crowd on that monday night. apart from us, i counted 3 other tables occupied.

we had mao's favourite meat dish, broccoli with egg white and fish, some soup, siao long pau and a pancake dish. the food, a bit on the oily and salty side, was good. the prices were also reasonable and the lady who served us was attentive.

victor could not locate the place at first until he saw the japanese masks on one of the buildings. he uses it as a landmark to locate the restaurant, which is just opposite this particular building. we were surprised to find the adjoining street - duxton hill - all lined with pubs and we were even more surprised to see the many nubile thai or indonesian girls, skimpily dressed, hanging outside these pubs. victor commented that the place was not so exciting and enticing in the day.

azlinda's wedding - 4 june 2006

yesterday, i was at blk 128 to attend azlinda's wedding. when i reached the void deck at about 12.30 p.m., i thought that i had gone to the wrong venue/address. i could not see any member of admiralty staff around. anyway, i helped myself to the drinks and a little while later, sabiah and nazlin appeared. it was then that i realised that, all this time, sanisah and her family had been there, seated at the next table but hidden by a pillar.

a little while later, we were joined by julie and her family. ms winders came after that. jennifer was there with her boy-friend. ms winders had to leave earlier to attend a performance by surya at the sub-station. like me, she handed the 'gift' to azlinda's father.

we had rice with vegetable, chicken, beef rendang and fried fish. for dessert, a few of us had more than one helping of lopes. there were also assorted cakes and bubor cha cha.

madam tang and her daughter arrived together with esther. maniam and mdm ang also joined them at the same table. yap, eng tann, ai ling, hamimah and fahizah arrived at about the same time. chee kiang came brought her baby in a pram.

when it got too crowded, we decided to take our leave but not before taking a group picture with the bride. i had wanted to be in the picture but they would not let me sit next to the bride on the dais.

it occurs to me that it is not difficult to scrounge a free meal in singapore. you just have to make your appearance at a wedding, decently dressed, and no one is going to stop you from helping yourself to the food, especially if it is buffet style, like at a malay wedding.

admiralty primary school's family day 2006



this year's family day was held at the same venue as last year's. we had considered a few other places like woodlands crescent, sentosa and the zoo, but decided that it was more practical and affordable to hold it at sembawang park. the park was not that far from the school; so, should it rain, it would not be too difficult for all of us to make our way back to the school for the wet weather programme. the seaside environment was a more carefree one compared to one surrounded by blocks of flats.

diana came back at the right time, to help plan and organise the day. we decided to pay an external vendor, whom she contacted, to conduct the games and the magic show. she made all the arrangements and negotiation with the vendor.

normala contacted the ice-cream woman to make an appearance at the park. there was a bit of a problem with the park authority regarding this but it was amicably settled. the ice-cream seller was advised to cater to people in the admiralty family only.

exco members contributed money towards the buying of goodies for the children and the prizes for the lucky draw.

the door gifts for adults were sponsored by my former pupil. we had contacted nestle and singapore pools but they were not very forthcoming. the reason they gave was that they had been committed to other groups and organisations.

the family day banner was created by hong ghee. some exco members were at the park earlier to help put up the banner and decorations.

satay at 10 cents a stick

when i was a young boy, satay was a luxury food item which we could only afford during the chinese new year festive season. at other time of the year, it was not easily available. it could be that it was not profitable to sell satay outside the festive period as not many people had the extra cash to buy. it cost 10 cents a stick and there were two types of satay: beef and mutton.

we would buy one or two sticks each time but would sit around the stall for a long while to finish the precious bitefuls of skewered meat. the itinerant satay hawker was a neighbour of mine. he was a wiry malay man whose wife was double his size. selling satay was a seasonal and part-time job for him.

because we treasured the meat so much, we would not start on it till we had finished the slices of cucumber and big onion that came with the satay. we would ask for more gravy and he would always provide. sometimes, without our asking, he would slice more cucumber and onion for us.

when i was studying in a secondary school at bras basah road, i used to walk to the tay koh yat bus terminal at beach road to catch a bus. around this place was the original satay club. as i reminisce, i seem to be getting a whiff of the smell of charcoal grilled meat.

the day the swirling wind blew everything off the table at moe changi coast adventure centre

on the 2nd day - 1 june 2006 - of the camp, at around 3pm, the siren was sounded. prior to that happening, the camp coordinator had been telling us that a storm was brewing and that we should be prepared for some interruption to the programme. all outdoor activities would have to cease.

the kayaking group had just finished their session in the sea. it was change-over time; the rafting group was supposed to get into the waters and the kayaking group would try their hand at constructing a raft.

the field cooking group had finished cooking their eggs and mixed vegetables earlier and they were given time off for a water break.

the other activities were still in progress when the siren went off. mr daniel lim announced for all the campers to seek shelter in their respective lodges. the anchor teachers and teachers who were assisting stayed with the children in the lodges.

the wind was so strong that it blew all the utensils off the tables in the dining hall. not a single item was left on the tables; everything went to the floor or onto the road. plastic bags, papers and plastic cups were swirled around.

this went on for about twenty minutes before the rain came. the heavy rain lasted for more than an hour before it petered to a drizzle. by then, we had to make a decision regarding the campfire to be held that night. some 470 parents had indicated that they would be attending. we had to disappoint the parents because the ground was wet.

this reminded me of a storm we encountered at the stretch of sea near changi many years ago. it happened while we were conducting a 2-day sea expedition during a school camp for secondary 2 & 3 students. we started from pulau ubin and were headed for pasir ris beach.

when the storm came, all the canoes capsized, including the singles used by the camp instructors. most of the canoes managed to stay together to form a raft but two were swept away, out to the south china sea. we had to sought the assistance of the marine police; the bumboat operators, who plied between changi creek and ubin, also came to our assistance. they managed to rescue the two canoes that were separated from the rest.