Oscars 2017 Best Picture Screw- Up ;

           

Standard Chartered Marathon 2014 Video

       This was my 9th marathon ; at the age of 50 something, I can say I wasn't too disappointed with the hand timed result of 6 hours 2 mins, 28 secs. It was a warm morning, starting at the Wisma Atria pen for the 4 - 6 hours zone (this was based on my last few marathons), I recall that there were cheerleaders dressed in the Marvel comic book heroes, the Brazillian Conga boys and little else. 

      My best time (so far) was in 2007 at 4 hours : 48 mins, followed by 4 : 52, 4 (2004) : 59 (2005). My first marathon was the Penang Bridge Marathon all the way back in 2003 and that time was 5 : 30 mins.

 

        My hobby and love for running hopefully will keep me going on for some years to come. Its not a simple hobby, there is plenty of technicalities in the training and there are lots of books and magazines which cater to the marathon set ; I bought Runner's World to keep me inspired to firstly, improve my body shape and conditioning, eat right by following the recipes inside there, training tips and schedules and daily motivational quotes.   

       I hope to finish 25 before I call this hobby a done deal. 

  

Video from 1991 ;

         This was taken in 1991 December or so ; the start of the video shows my Dad Geoffrey entering the house, he was 70 then, still very strong and sprightly. Also our pet cat Tommy, who was crouching by the side of my car. It was the first car I owned and it was an Alfa 33 TI (twin injection) system. A 1.5 litre black roadster, it hugged the roads superbly though it gave me no end of small headaches just taking care of the fuses which blew ever so frequently, the power windows broke down (2 in all). The car's acceleration and road handling was superb, (considered a sports sedan then), the manual stickshift was not easy to handle, and the clutch,brake and acceleration foot pads were all positioned so close I could practically operate all 3 from one foot (though I never did it), hence the reaction time to accelerate and brake was faster than many other cars. 

       I had owned the car from 1987 - 1993 till the year I got married, or 6 years. 

       This car took many of my foreign principals from Frank Rigley and his family, to Mr. Hehl (the then Weiss Technik MD) to Ito san (8 Sangyo), Shimizu san (Sunteh) and Genda san (Yoshida Seiki)

       I was still a singleton then, and the car was my constant companion. Its black colour was quite appealing though inside it, the car (being something of a 'black body' absorbed more heat that only lighter painted cars and hence it was sweltering inside, much to my disdain. In addition, the indicator arms were opposite to that of conventional Japanese models, so it was a challenge when I switched and drove my Mother's Mazda 626 from time to time (when the Alfa was in service workshop for example). Frank Rigley's family took the car once and later decided to take a taxi to meet me in town, for subsequent gatherings ! It was that hot inside ! Coupled with a weak air-conditioned blower and the car was (I must admit) nice to look at but not too comfortable for transporting passengers.   

       The second half of the video shows the front of the house, my room's windows and heading to the back, in the kitchen was our Sri Lankan maid, Mary. The backyard was chock a block full of undiscarded stuff which my Mother used to keep (horde more like).

      The video camera was a Sony VCR7 bought in Akihabara district famous for its electronic goods. I can testify fully that the salesman's who sold this to me, his pitch that "Made in Japan" products like this one - made in Japan and sold to Japanese domestic market, was truly superior to the other electronics products made in (then) Malaysia and Thailand (this was way before the Chinese factories started making all the world's electronics good in late 90s - early 2000s.).  This camera gave me great service, never once breaking down or exhibiting any problems with recording, editing or playback. 

      Well, it does bring back lovely memories for me.   

Sorry State of Affairs when you cannot trust the guy at the top

This short clip shows President Trump being challenged on the number of electoral votes which he won in Nov 2016 ; he boasted that his margin was the widest by any President since Ronald Reagan.
(1980 - 1988)

When fact checked by the reporter, and told that Obama had more votes than him, he said he meant Republican President. When the reporter pressed on with the fact that George H W Bush (Bush Senior) had won 356 votes, much more than his 304 votes, he quickly said " Oh Iwas just handed this sheet of paper" I don't know about it.    

President Trump is obviously applying double standards ; when he accuses the press for providing 'fake news' which he our his staffers cannot substantiate, he goes on and on in a diatribe.

When he is cornered by a reporter with the actual fact that he is wrong, he quickly said he is given the piece of information and brushes it off.

The reporter questioned the logic that the information provided by the Press and they report it is 'fake', and when he himself goes about purporting the very same standard of 'fake facts' and hoping to pull off a fast one.

It is sad. A major embarrassment for the world's superpower and their citizens. 

The First Years 13 1975 Sanya Samaki Trip Swimming Club

L to R : John, Carl Chan, Mrs. Wee, Konrad Wee, Kenneth Ng, Tuck Fook

        That first trip to Bangkok in 1975 opened up a range of possibilities for our young swimmers at the Swimming Section then to bond and to have an objective to train for. In addition, it was a hit amongst the parents of all the swimmers because it provided a nice getaway holiday for the Mums and Dads who sacrificed their personal time for their children's well being. I do not recall much about that first trip apart from the incident in Hat Yai.

        As a mediocre swimmer, I learnt from watching the elder swimmers like Adrian Tan and Felix Chenong how they led the younger swimmers. There were plenty other swimmers who were fast and strong like Sng Tong Hoe, Khoo Teng Chuan and Teng Cheong, plus Audrey Tan who was Adrian's sister.

      I would be most happy and excited if we could all get together to reminisce about the good old times !!     

Song from that era the happy '70s ; Kung Fu Fighting

Carl Douglas was a One Hit Wonder with Kung Fu Fighting 

     Around the time of my swimming club days, I listened to whatever was playing on the radio, and one of the more recognisable songs of the day was "Kung Fu Fighting" (Carl Douglas, I never knew the singer to be really honest) and watched in awe at Bruce Lee movies as well as popular shows like 'Combat and Hawaii Five - O (starring Jack Lord)'. 
    
    In the late 60s, we watched 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' and 'The Avengers'.  

    The main stars are probably all no longer here now, but what uncomplicated times those were. Just study, go for swimming at the Swimming Club, some homework (token as I recall) and the usual hangouts with the kids from the neighbourhood.

   


       Opening Theme from the Hawaii Five - O in the '70s. 

The First Years 12 - Swimming Club Days and adventures

With Club friends L to R ; Tan Sian, me, Kelvin Wee, Gillian Khoo, Audrey Tan

     My parents joined the Singapore Swimming Club (SSC) in mid 1974, my brother and I were then enrolled in the swimming program helmed by coach Neo Chwee Kok, one of the top swimming coaches in Singapore.  As a late entrant into swimming, I was not much of a fast swimmer, partly due to my body shape (thanks to the Indian 50% gene) which left me with a belly, skinny legs and arms and starting at age 11, I had to play 'catch-up' with the much younger kids - some starting as young as 5 years old. 

     Fortunately, after about 1 year of swimming, I was able to represent the club in the Sanya Samaki regional swimming competition  amongst the ASEAN countries. There was SSC, the Penang Malaysia Ikan Bilis Club, Thailand's Bangkok Sports Club, Philippines Manila Polo Club swim section and Indonesia's Jakarta Swim Club. The first swim competition I took part was in 1975 in Thailand, and in those days, the entire swim section
headed by Swim Manager Mr. Henry Chan and the whole group of dedicated and fun-loving parents arranged for us to go to Bangkok by coach bus. It was a delightful regional experience for me and my brother, as I was 13 and visiting neighbouring countries was a great eye and brain opener for me. I was fortunate to travel to Europe (London and Greece) in 1973 - courtesy of my wonderful father and saw with my pre-teen eyes the cultured West.

    In December 1975, Club's swim section took off by bus from Singapore, through KL and Penang - those heady days there was no smooth North South Highway. I remember vividly the horribly filthy toilet (no flushing system at all, just a hole in the ground !) where are the human waste was piling up in the hole and the disgusting odour, ugh ! That place was the piss stop called Ayer Hitam (Black Water) and tour buses would stop at the eating centres and we would all bundle out into the dusty open air food centre just to stretch our legs and go to ease ourselves. 

   I remember vividly us using Malaysian currency, (I think after separation from Malaysia in 1965 Singapore established its own Singapore dollar) and although Singapore's economic growth was tremendously large (something like 15% year on year from 1974 all the way to 1985) the early to mid 70s saw our Singapore dollar having the same valuation as the Malaysian ringgit. That meant that in the early to late 70s, $S1 or 1 Singapore dollar was equivalent to 1 Malaysian Ringgit. Today, some 40 years on, the S$ 1 is equivalent to 
RM 3.2, which reflects on how strong the Singapore economy has grown all these years compared to our neighbour.  

    The first night en route to Bangkok, we all stayed at a hotel in Hat Yai. It was really a 'cowboy town' then. Another vivid recollection I had was when we stayed at this hotel in Hadyai, after dinner, the teens (boys and girls) were all camped up in our rooms playing blackjack or something when we heard loud "bang ! bang ! bang !". My first instinct was that someone had pushed down a large metal cabinet and it had bounced on the floor. My logical mind told me that that was not possible. Then it dawned to me that those were gunshots in the lobby of the hotel ! 

    My Mum and the other lady chaperones rushed into our room and after checking we were all accounted for, went down to take a look. Apparently there was some altercation between businessmen and shots were fired. We were shocked and I dare say, no one ventured outside that night !

    The next day when we checked out we found out that the businessman was drunk and he let loose on some hotel staff. Fortunately no one was injured or killed, but it brought me to the realisation that this big world was full of uncertainties and people with guns and other 'bad things'.

    We set off for Bangkok the next day, and the rest of the trip is another story.  

     

Trump and The Social Contract in the Western World

        The Trump Presidency has made me, for one, an ordinary citizen in the far end of the world (not so far if you count the social network) very concerned about what is happening in the (dis) United States of America. With all the news and 'fake news' that has been going about, I have been having a dialogue with some good friends about what democracy and the Social Contract means to me, the ordinary citizen. We do not learn this in class but we experience it in daily life through experiences and from what we have experienced living in a democracy or a socialist democracy.

         I watched videos on Stephen Bannon, who explained through his his town meetings with the Tea Party (centre right) groups, is alarmed that the US is on the path to a sorry end, and what, if they (Trump and his team) were elected, they would do. He mentioned the phrase Crito Contract, which led me to reading up on it. Its available on the Internet Encyclopaedia of Philosophy.

        

          In the early days of the Greek democracy some 2000 odd years ago, Socrates argued that Crito, a Greek citizen, who had committed a crime and was sentenced to death, had to serve out that crime as he was a domicile, hence a resident of Greece, hence he had to accept the laws of Greece rather than to escape and flee, thereby breaking the contract.            

         The theory is of the view that a person's moral and political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement (this is never formally discussed, you just assimilate into it, by virtue of your birth into that society) among them to form the society in which they live.  In the social contract, a  person living in a society has to obey laws in exchange for others in the same society to obey these laws. So just and equal men and women subject themselves to the convention of justice and the power (the state or the monarch) will dispense justice to those who break the law. 

          Thomas Hobbes, a latter day thinker, lived during the period of the English Civil War, from 1642 - 1648. The Monarchists then, preferred living under the authority of a monarch clashed with the Parliamentarians led by Oliver Cromwell. The present day USA is a breakaway faction of those Parliamentarians who fled to seek life anew in the New World. Hobbes rejects the early democratic view, that power ought to be shared between Parliament and the King.He also rejects Robert Filmer's view that the king's power and authority was invested in him by God (Judeo Christian) and such authority was absolute, no one could ever question the decision of the king. 

        The basis of political obligation lay in our obligation to obey God absolutely and through His divine investment in the King and / or Queen of the day. Then, according to this view, this political obligation is subsumed under religious obligation.

         That obligation has in the last several centuries had a major paradigm shift  with the numerous revolutions, the French Revolution being the most celebrated. While living under a sovereign (in the past) can be harsh, with the sovereign having the authority for the execution of the contract to be successful, it was better than anarchy and having people follow the universal laws of human nature. This State of Nature states that human beings are selfish and motivated their better our own situations and satisfy as many of their own (family and tribal groups) individually considered desires  as possible. So self interest (at the expense of others) is the main driving factor of each human individual. As these will ultimately result in conflict (living in close proximity as in society), a human being living in a society will have to give up or subjugate some of his desires as with other individuals in that society for safety and fairness, in short, justice for all.

       A good example of the State of Nature is exemplified in the hit TV series "the Walking Dead" where rival groups of human beings survive the nuclear holocaust and have to make "rules" and fight against other groups in a sordid post apocalyptic world with 'zombies' as backdrops. 

       Thomas Hobbes believed that the State of Nature would be very brutal and given the nature of man to be first and foremost naturally and exclusively self interested, man is more or less equal to one another. Given the limited resources each person has or accumulates in a group, there is no power able to force men (and women) to cooperate. However, as men (and women) have the ability to reason, empathise and rationalise, a reasonable conclusion is that over time, man has decided to submit himself to a higher, political, authority who would oversee the state of society.   

      

Houses of Parliament and the Thames River

     So what does President Trump want to do ? According to his chief strategist Dr. Stephen Bannon, the Crito Contract has been changed in the last few decades for the American peoples. I disagree. It has nothing to do with the Crito contract. In essence, it should be redressing the economic imbalance between the haves and the have-nots in society to create a fairer, more just a society. 

International Business - Fly, Drive, Train and Boat

On the road in Thailand

     We live in the 21st century, lets not forget that. The world is globalised, people are moving from continent to continent, through many time zones in the same day. We are eating practically the same foods (Steak, Sushi, Indian, Chinese, Italian, Korean you name it, major cities all have them), we talk the same languange of business and possibly leisure (many people speak second, third and even four languages fluently). So, it is the age of Internationalization of the mind, the inter-connectedness of the world at large (OK, China has blocked Google, FB and Whatsapp) and the flying road warrior. You cannot email a handshake, you can't pat his back on a job well done, you need to see their limited space for their a)equipment b) server c) layout.  

     In short, the selling process is still a 'person to person' interaction. People 'buy' people. They want to see, feel, shake the hand of the man who will 'sell them the dream'. To smell the same air... ok, I will stop there.

   When we do international business, we need to use the existing infrastructure of the country / territory we visit ; in this case, Thailand. Its accessibility is very easy, so is its ease of doing business. I have been too often dependent on the local representatives to get around the country. In fact, the Mass Rapid Transit is so convenient, anybody can access it from the Suvanabhum airport to the major capital Bangkok. All major cities, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, Shanghai (and many first tier Chinese cities) have that connectivity all setup.

    I have only started to use the Bangkok system and it is so efficient. So, a typical day for me is to fly in to the airport, hit the ground running, and visiting customers and being dropped off at the MTR or BTS station for me to take to the hotel. Sometimes, I take the boat to my hotel if it is beside the Chao Phya river.

The BTS line and the Airport Line 

Hence, Fly, Train, Drive and Boat ; Four efficient modes of transport in this City of Angels.

Flyboard - disruptuve technology ; coolest new way to get around. Regulation on air space needed !

         This technology which took 20 years to develop is really a cool one. Somthing out of the Green Goblin's transport options (see Spiderman movies for reference), I believe it requires to fly above water for some unknown reason, and it is definately not for the faint hearted. Massive tests and accidents are waiting to happen but above water, with a sound and careful flyer, this will literally 'take off' 


       I categorically state I do not own rights to this video and would like to get one for Christmas !!! 

Tiger Tiger Burning Bright - a poem read to me by my Dad

TIGER, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies	5
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?	10
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp	15
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?	20
Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

                                                          Willam Blake 

                                                       English Poet William Blake 

this was the first poem recited to me (or at least I can remember) when I was a toddler by my father, Geoffrey. I was too young to understand the significance of poetry, inner meanings, innuendoes and implications as a young child (I think I remember this from 5 years old) but now 50 years on, my mind is able to take a broader and more mature understanding of this poem.

Geoffrey Abisheganden

circa 1965

   

7 weeks to go -Schneider Paris Marathon 2017 ; time is of the essence !

Inspiring words for me

I really have to 'step up my game' several notches and clock in 50 - 60 km per week for an average of 5 weeks if I want to make it within 5 : 30 for the Paris marathon. The spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is weak. I know time is of the essence with age not on my side. However, giving excuses is not my philosphy so I want to ensure that I will make this marathon one to remember and savour.

Lets get going !  

Bloody Past of London - Yeoman Guards

Tower of London - a bloody past

Great English Pub Grub and Excellent Service

One typical serving at Burger and Lobster

    This was our first night in London, and my wife suggested we eat the world famous Burger and Lobster, which is famous for, you guessed it, burgers and lobsters. Our orders for a whole lobster and fries cost GBP 20. Take the Tube to Green Park and you're in Mayfair area (rich neighbourhood).  It is located at 29 Clarges Street, just off the main road.

    We were very fortunate, on that night (I recall), was a Monday evening, and the placed, while packed (it normally is, and it was coming close to Christmas), we only waited 10 minutes which was very fortunate for us. Many reviewers of the restaurant said waiting time could take up to 1 hour.The service was extremely good, the wait staff lady was so polite and professional, sitting us down and taking our orders with genuine warmth.

  

     The Brits (Londoners) are regarded as aloof  to strangers, but this most recent trip changed my perception totally.The numerous people I met, dining at ramen restaurants,

simple burger places,this restaurant and a waterfornt dining establishment at the Embankment all had top rated service. Even the front doormen were so professional and courteous I was taken aback by their professionalism and friendliness. You can say London really won me over for its multiculturism and people. The anti-terrorist checks and level of alertness is definately there, police and special weapons teams are patrolling the Tube and making their presence felt by random checking of passersby.  Vagrants idling around the stations  (ours was Earl's court) were first checked for abode, and then encouraged to leave. People who were idling around also were checked. Nothing is left to chance.That is indeed a good thing.   

      The service industry, especially the wait staff, beats Singapore's so-called service hands down. I am sad to say, Singapore is light years away from the good (don't even consider excellent) service of our neighbours in Asia. Japan would be No.1, Australia No. 2, S Korea No. 3. In S.E. Asia, I daresay, Singapore's service for ordinary cafes and family restaurants ranks near the bottom with only Malaysia faring worse. Generally speaking, our service staff are poorly trained, not renumerated well, and have an evasive or bad attitude to customers. Much of the blame lies on the restaurant owners who in their bid for focussing on profit, often hire part-timers and people who are in between jobs, displaced staff, staff poorly or not at all trained in customer service hence the low level.     

Lousy Service and you'll be chucked in the Tower of London ! 

    Coming back to the food at Burger and Lobster. The lobster was tasty and tender, and the portion was big. The fries were crisp and large and portions were served on a plastic wrapper right on the table. I had a dark ale to go with my food. 

      The packed joint at Clarges Street was full of after office people and we fit right in with the crowd. I am hoping they will set up a branch in Singapore sometime soon. So in a nutshell, good food, great service and a cold winter's night sets the stage for a good appetite which was satiated by the evening's end.  

Amata Golf and Country Club - Thailand

The buggies awaiting the golfers

    Some 1 and a half hours from Bangkok, in Amata City in the province of Chonburi, I was fortunate to be invited to have lunch at the Amata Golf and Country Club. What a treat for the eyes. 18 holes of championship golf course awaits the golfer. I have long given up golf, and taken up marathon running in 2000 and have not looked back since. Still, I was most appreciative of the lunch and meeting up with my friend Krid's friend, Khun Thon.  The greens are a welcome sight for a sore bum and I had stepped off the plane after a 2 hour 15 minutes flight, to be taken by Krid by pickup for another hour or so and here I was, in the oasis of greenery. 

Undulating greenery

       Thailand's Chonburi province is the 'Detroit of the South East Asia' with as many as 30 plus car and truck manufacturers setting up huge factories employing tens of thousands of skilled and non-skilled workers. In addition, there are thousands of supporting companies providing the entire supply chain of parts and subassemblies for these car assemblers and manufacturers (the difference between the manufacturer and assembler is that manufacturers have Research and Development divisions and can, in theory, design new models direct from their factory to suit the territory and/or marketplace. 

Beautiful scenery from the clubhouse

The Clubhouse is setback some 0.5 km from the main road, and the transferrable membership stands at 2 million baht (this is expensive than some apartments and condominiums near Bangkok !). The Japanese expatriates who work in and around Chonburi would surely form a big part of the membership. My host, Khun Thon is a business owner dealing in the manufacture of paint for industrial, car and domestic use.     

Lunch 

    I may one day, retire to a less strenuous hobby like golf, and get used to applying the sunscreen on my parched skin, get a golf cap, bag, shorts, a decent pair of clubs (my current scorpion clubs are, in one word, old)  and do what tens of thousands of middle aged folk in business do and socialise and get sunburnt, while working to lower down my handicap. 17 years ago, after I had taken up the game for about 10 years, I had come to the conclusion, I had no talent in golf, and the time factor, the social network, the early mornings and weekend sacrifices would take its toll on the family bonding. I said 'forget it'. And never played a game again since.  

    But then again, I ask myself, why do a stupid thing twice ??   

2017 - same sluggish growth for Singapore ; We better do things for ourselves !!

My Peanuts character 

      The much awaited CFE or report for the Committee for Future Economy helmed by 2 ministers, 30 top brains and 80 meetings later, with 9000 people's feedback garnered has not sprung any new surprises. While it is too early to cast or criticise the proposals, lets just say that as an ordinary small enterprise owner, I was not expecting any handouts from the Government from the word 'go'. The trading world has been in a downward protectionist trend about 2 years, and it has been reflected with last June's Brexit, and the election of the non-partisan Donald Trump into the highest office in USA. As things go, he is enacting very closed door policies and tallking (and tweeting) of trade protection for US made products. The very anti-thesis of the last 25 years of non-stop globalisation. 

    Singapore with its open economy and zero reserves is facing multiple challenges on many fronts, an aging society, painful structural changes in the economy, many jobs are lost forever, and many managers, professionals are in the void with inappopriate skill sets especially in the manufacturing,services, ship building, rig building, oil and gas sectors. In addition, there are new disruptive technologies like Artificial Intelligence which is rapidly making many jobs redundant in the near future (5 years or earlier). Soon, it will be an aging society, looking for jobs which can be easily be replaced by robots, and automation. 

    What jobs will remain plentiful and profitable by, say, 2022 ?? 

   I have a clear and focussed plan for my small business. It will be tough, but we will be bringing the bacon home for the next 5 to 10 years. If we wait for the Government to implement policies, or even pursue Government contracts, it may be too little and too late.

     

Baby - Time Crawls ; Toddler - Time Walks ; Youth and Teenage - Speed Walking ; Young Adult - Run ; Middle Age - Sprint

Outside the Valley of the Kings, Luxor

      This unforgettable holiday in 2009 we took with a tour group to Egypt shows how fast our children have grown. Its been 7 years and you can see the vast difference physically at least. Now, Noel is an adult 22 years of age and serving the National Service in the Civil Defence corp (Fire fighting Unit). Andrew is 19 and finishing his Polytechnic studies in Biomedical Engineering while doing his internship at a local company. Both are maturing and developing their own unique identities and exerting their independence. I am proud to be their Dad. Although many challenges await them, we as a family will always have each other.  

By the Mediterranean Sea, Alexandria

L : Ooi Wing Sun, Ooi Yen Sun, Noel and Andrew

    My wonderful wife of 23 years, May, is the bedrock of the family. She is very capable and manages all the issues of the household with strict discipline and love. Its a blessing that we have this bond throughout the years and hopefully for the years to come. The boys have become men, and will contribute to Singapore or perhaps in the international sphere. The have the whole world and hopefully we have guided them with the right skillsets and emotional resources to move ahead in this disruptive society where the traditional jobs are disappearing and new ones are few and so much harder to attain, yet alone maintain.   

                                                    Outside the Library at Alexandria 
                                    L: Ooi Yen Sun, Andrew, Xavier and Noel


     What will happen to Asia now with a messy Trump administration, a very divided and bipartisan Senate and Lower House of Representatives ?  With the Trans Pacific Partnership gone, the NAFTA under major scrutiny and a White House filled with first timers and people who are masters of the dark arts (read spin witch doctor ala Kelly Conway), a spokesperson who is full of contradictions and a never seen or heard befor pronouncements of 'alternative facts' - that of size of attendees of President Trump's inaugaration to downright half-truths and total mangling of the truth (read Bowling Green massacre which was, in fact, not a massacre, a total non-event).The Trump administration of of cover-ups and lies by the media, lead us ordinary folk all around the world to either cower in fear, or shake our collective heads in dismay at the total comedy being played out daily 

     Somehow, we the billions of people around the world who have access to internet or a smart phone have to tell out children that the world is all right, that we will wake up to a better tomorrow. We are praying for a stable, progressive and peaceful world. 

    Our children and future generations livelihoods hinge on it. 

Port Vell Barcelona - a hidden gem

Duquesa de Cardona - Barcelona

View from the  Open Deck Terrace on 6th Floor ; W Hotel in the distance

       A fantastic value-for-money boutique hotel in Barcelona is the 4* (in my opinion 5*) Duquesa de Cardona hotel. Situated at the far end of the Passeig Colom (Column Street), it is easily accessible from the road and the front staff are 1st class in their service. 

      I requested for a quiet room in the back and we had a huge bedroom with great bathroom / toilet for the price we paid (EUR 151 including taxes). As winter is not the high season, the price was the cheapest amongst all the 3 major cities we stayed in. Plus points for the hotel :

a) Breakfast - fit for a king ; with Balotta Iberico cured ham, plentiful cheeses, salads, eggs

                      done in any style, omelette (with ingredients or not) ,sunny side up, nespresso

                      breads (multigrain,panini,ciabata, croissant the lot). I will remember the 

                      breakfast for a long time !   

Tapas Chicken Salsa and a Vermouth

b) Top Rated Front Service staff - Manuel was the first front desk staff who attended to us ;
     Friendly, polite and so efficient, we were really impressed by his professionalism. He       
    was knowledegable about everything from best tapas, to taxis to sights and an incredible 
    resource.

c) Location , View of Hotel - Overlooking the marina, the view of this hotel is absolutely 
    stunning ! I made the best of my time one early evening while my wife was out shopping 
   and went to  the Terrace Bar on the 6th Floor. You can see the entire Port Vell area, as 
   well as the 'W'  hotel in the distance, and a slight peek into Barcelonetta beach, the 
   sounds of the La Rambla, as well as the human traffic are not there, so its so pleasant. I 
   must say this was THE view of the city, in my opinion.  

                       Night comes early, around 6.30 and the pretty waterside is all lit up

    

d) Room - Huge ; at least 400 square feet, ours was at the back and the window facing     

   was  the courtyard, most preserved buildings have this kind of design.Very modern 

   amenities, and super clean. It was a very pleasant respite from the days walking and 

   exploring. But all in all, very quiet and clean.No residual smoke smell at all which is the 

   worst thing I most experience in hotels in China.

e) Accessibility -  From the airport, take the Metro to Placa de Catalunya, from there its a 
   short taxi ride (EU 10) to the hotel. Turn left and within 10 minutes, you are at Born district,    turn right, in 10 minutes you are at the start of La Rambla and the Metro. So convenient.

   Would I come back and stay here ? Certainly ! Amongst the 3 cities we visited, Barcelona is the most interesting in architecture, food and Mr. Antoni Gaudi's signature works like La Perdrera and Sagrada Familia. 

  

I'll soon be 55.

Visiting the Tower Bridge in Dec 2016  

      This year marks another milestone for me, the 55 year old mark. In the old days people would regard this as the age of retirement and soon to be end of life. In today's age, the 21st century the 3rd Millenium (after Jesus' birth at year 0 according to the Georgian calendar), age 55 is still considered Middle Age, but hardly young. There was an episode on BBC today regarding the end of life and after-life and the presenter mentioned things like cryogenics which basically keep the cells alive, although the body may be brain-dead and heart not pumping. There are literally thousands of dead individuals in cryogenic labs all over US and other places where the bodies are kept in cold storage in saline solution and induced heart and respiratory conditions waiting for technology to revive them maybe in 30 to 50 years time.

Embankment and the river Thames

    The scientists who were interviewed were specialised in the wood-frog species which eat and store foods in the form of sugar and then somehow induce their bodies to below living temperatures and 'hibernate' or decelerate their life support functions (heart, lungs and brain) to such low levels that they appear 'dead'. Their feasting during the summer and autumn months in preparation for winter and spring cold (it can fall to -40 deg C) is indeed fascinating, but we are talking about amphibians which have completely different functioning systems as human beings.

      On a cellular level, the frogs are alive, and after the days get warmer, somehow, the entire body system turns 'on'. 

     I can do without all such elaborate immortal living. I believe God created us for a purpose and for a limited life span so when my time is up, that's it.   

'Animal' - my favourite character from Sesame Street

Cool Cat or whatever 

     My favourite character from the Muppets on Sesame Street is Animal. He is normally on a leash and he plays the drums in the band. A totally out of control chap, he is so physically and visually incorrect he is the coolest muppet in my opinion. Such irreverance to the expectations of society and doing whatever comes to his mind, such as chewing the band sticks to spewing incomprehensible words he is comparable to Cookie Monster in terms of 'lovable'.

    Those days of innocence are long gone, the 70s. Long Live the 70s !   

The First Years 11 - Swimming Club Days ; training times

At the Singapore Swimming Club, circa 1975. John and I with our 

maternal cousins Wendy and Angela

       Palma Qui Feruit - the motto of Singapore Swimming Club. Our parents signed up the family membership with the Singapore Swimming Club in late 1974. We (my brother and I) still continue to be members (thats a total of 43 years including 2017!). My Dad Geoffrey very soon after that (1975) was elected into the Management Committee of the SSC and appointed as its then legal convenor, first under the President of Mr. Henry Chan, followed by Mr. Cheong Boo Hong and finally Mr. Teo Khiang Hwee. 

     I was 12 and John was 9 then. We signed up for the swimming programme under the well known coach, Mr.Neo Chwee Kok. The other assistant coaches were Mr. Mohammed Salleh and Mr. Chan. Mr. Neo very sadly passed away in the late 80s due to cancer while the other 2 I have lost contact decades ago. Mr. Neo was an Olympian representing Singapore in the 1950s and early 60s and was known then as the 'Flying Fish'. High praise for such a warm hearted and humble man. I remember him as a strict coach who would yell and sometimes beat out heads with a kick board (styrofoam) if we did not swim according to the speed required or do something stupid like swim against the stream of swimmers 

   Mr. Neo had a much gentler and kinder side to him and he would always offer to drop my mother and us back on days when Mum's car was in service or when she didn't opt to drive.

Regarding swimming training the schedules were such :

Monday  5.30 - 7.00 am or 5.00 - 7.00 pm 

Tuesday 5.30 - 7.00 am or 5.00 - 7.00 pm

Wednesday  - Off day

Thursday  5.30 - 7.00 am or 5.00 - 7.00 pm

Friday   : 5.30 - 7.00 am or 5.00 - 7.00 pm for either the morning or evening children 

Saturday : 6.00 - 7.30 am 

Sunday : shorter training from 6 -8.00 am in mornings and then followed by water-polo (friendly) ; only morning sessions on Sat and Sundays

     My mother was an extremely active member of the swimming club, she would be very active in many activities. After work on weekdays, she would go for the following : swimming (first) and perhaps a game of badminton (after the swim) while waiting for us to finish the training.

Mum, Anna and me, 1964

    Over the years she was an active member taking part in the following ; badminton, swimming, kong chian (some Chinese martial art), tennis, jogging, jazz ballet (the group even performed overseas at some stage) and squash. I owe my massive interest to sports and many outdoor hobbies to my mother's insatiable interest in the 70s right up till the last few years of her active life.

Mum's Jazz Ballet friends from SSC