Enjoy the little things ; Rain Dance 29th June 2021 morning

 

I am blessed abundantly to have an open section at the roof of my house. This is my little treat which I give to myself every single day. It doesn't cost me a cent anymore (of course it cost quite abit when we designed the house with the open section of the top floor bathroom with a jacuzzi and a rain shower - literally.

So this morning, with Swedish House Mafia hit Greyhound playing loudly in the background, I had the privilege of doing a rain dance, while I was soaping myself with Cussons Royal Soap, and Head and Shoulders Cool Mint shampoo. I literally had my shower in the rain. I really enjoyed every single second of it ! 

So while I was at it, I did a little jig to celebrate life and all its challenges, joys, some pain and of course the immense satisfaction of just being a little kid again.

All those years back in the 1960s, at Adis Road, we had run and danced in the rain. 

I was transported - for a brief 4 and a half minutes - to those carefree times.

Carpe Diem. 

Time for a Good Run Tomorrow - 3rd July 2021

 

Not the Best of Times but a Finish Nonetheless 

Saturday 3rd July 2021 

I will try to go for a run of about 6.36 km (around Pandan Reservoir)- no push, no expectations no hard pace, no nothing.

This is about finishing the distance set out by me, regardless of how difficult or laborious the task.

It is truly about the triumph of my spirit over my body.

Lets see how it went. 

Eulogy for a Friend

 

Outside Han's Pop Up shop at East Coast Parkway (2017)

Our time on this Earth is short, so it is with a heavy heart that I write this much belated eulogy for a friend of mine, a Belgian who restarted his second life in Singapore in 2000, became a Singapore PR and rebuilt his business from scratch. 

Hans Brys. 1968 - 2020 ( 12th July)

I only knew him for about 6 short years, when he was introduced to me by my good friend Fang Kim Soon. Hans was bald, and he rebuilt his life and married his then girlfriend Marilyn and had a lovely daughter.  At the time, 2014, we both had small businesses, I had a food supplement company called VivaFresh and he had his company called Branchly. We discussed about cooperating in business opportunities going forward then. Sadly, both our respective companies have since been wound down. 

As far as I knew Hans, his business in Singapore from 2010 till the day he left Singapore in 2019 was difficult. He was hardworking, an excellent father, and the last venture he tried was in food imports and pasta.

Pasta 101 at Chevron House Basement

He had some success with his pop up store at East Coast. This lasted about 3 months then, he moved his shop to the basement of Chevron House next to Ocean Financial Center. Pasta 101 as he called it was doing pretty OK for at least close to 1 year (2015 till end 2016). A dispute with the landlord led him to not extend the lease contract after it ended. 

Me, Fang Kim Soon and Hans at Il Fiore 

He tried his hand at many things food related, and encountered much roadblocks at each turn. True to his spirit, he never gave up. He was a chef with Emmanuel Stroobant's restaurants and was intent to make a comeback of his life. 

In mid 2019, he told me he was stricken with lung cancer. I was shocked and sad to see that happen to a person who had so much zest for his life, his family, and his work. he went to the US for some further checks and then remained in Belgium living out his last year until his passing on 12 July 2020 - right in the midst of the raging COVID pandemic. 

Hans,  after almost 1 year since your passing, I am penning this belated eulogy to you.

You were a good friend, and I miss the frank talks we had over coffee and beer all those  years not so long ago.

Till the next time, wherever, whenever. 

Logic Error made in Sudoku Game

My comments are written in the picture above

My favorite mental game (apart for Solitaire) is Sudoku. I can play it every day if I have the time and the mental acquity for it. .

Recently I played a game from my favourite site the Daily Telegraph (UK) which is free for all to try each day with different levels of difficulty. Thurday 17th is considered "Tough" and I went about it with my usual zest.

When I reached the square marked with the "?",  I calculated that the yellow square to my right on line "A" horizontally had the possibility of either 6 or 7. On the vertical side, line 'B' there is the possibility of either 6 or 7.

Naively I thought then since both the Green and Yellow squares were 6 and 7, then the "?" should be 8.

I put '8' in and reached an error point later.

The logic is wrong. This is because these are possibilities on 2 LINES and not 1 LINE. Therefore it doesn't necessarily mean then that the "?" is the number 8. 

Hence you could get both numbers 6 in the green and yellow squares (ie. 6 and 6) and still be correct or both numbers 7 in the green and yellow squares (ie. 7 and 7) and still get the correct answer.

This is a note to myself for future Sudoku games 

Below is the emotion attained when I win a diabolical ranked game.

   

 

One Last Hurrah

 

5 Dec 2010 Finisher Pic 

   Time, like a flowing stream goes on incessantly

   I who reside in Time's realm faces the reality of it all,

   Once I was a young babes

   Boy, Teen, Young, Middle Aged 

   Today, I am reaching the Old Man stage

   Not so fast, father Time

   Not so fast, 

   I have so much more to do

   So much more to see

   So many things to complete

   

   Soon I will become  just a faded memory lost in the backwaters of the WWW

   I must make time for...

   One last Hurrah

   to Seize the Day 

12th October Dongguan Park  2017 

Superb Greek Food - Alati Divine Greek ; Amoy Street - 12th June Takeaway Menu - My review

 

Kotopoylo Psito 

Rated as one Singapore's best Greek restaurants, we took the advantage of 'ta pao' our Saturday dinner as 'dine in' is still forbidden under Singapore's Phase 2 Heightened Alert of partial opening of society in lieu of the still evolving COVID - 19 situation. 

I ordered my food through Oddle Eats, a portal with access to numerous good dining options, and it was simple with the automated sign in, order the food in the basket, and state my choice of pickup time. Now comes the fun part, eating and reviewing :)

The food was ready within the appointed half hour time frame (7.00 till 7.30 pm) and since it was non dining period, the restaurant was empty (do spare a thought for the Food and Beverage people, they are reeling from this second lockdown and I personally feel for the employers and staff in this hard hit sector. Tips should be given freely to help their plight).   I managed to park outside, while my son went in to collect the food. They were packed in recyclable brown carton disposable boxes and he was handed a brown paper bag. Kudos to their going green efforts !

Kotopoylo Psito

The grilled chicken was in one word, amazing. It was marinated in roasted pepper and yoghurt sauce for 24 hours, the sides were fried baby potatoes and there was a topping of yoghurt honey sauce on toasted pita bread and pine nuts. One bite and I felt I was a Greek god - haha. 

It had the distinct sour taste of the yoghurt, but interplayed with sweet and the texture of the yoghurt was smooth to the tongue. Would I order it again - "YES".   

Paidakia with Chablis (Domaine Millet 2016)

The lamb cutlets (6 pieces) were also another standout dish. The sides were couscous, caramalised onions and swimming in lemony sauce. The Aegean flavor (whatever that is) really made it one of the BEST lamb cutlets (most tender and flavorful, not at all gamey) I have EVER eaten. 

Food for the Greek god ? "YES"  

The chablis which was paired with the fish and lamb was a superb 2016 Domaine Millet from Ginett Bistro at Middle Road. I bought it on the cheap (1 for 1) as they were having a sale this month of June. 

Bakaliaros 

The beer fried cod, with lemony quinoa and herb garlic sauce, was a little bit of a let down. The fish tasted frozen (something like the Dory sold in fish and chip shop at Balmoral Plaza). The quinoa was quite tasty, like pea puree. This was the only 'ordinary tasting' dish amongst the 4 we ordered.

Halloumi Salad 

The Halloumi Salad was lovely to taste. The cheese was outstanding, as was the yoghurt. In the salad, there was the charred cauliflower, zucchini, pan seared cyprus Halloumi, feta cheese sauce, roasted pine nuts, fresh chervil (whatever that is) and truffle oil

Again, really outstanding.  

My Review 

Food : 4.8 / 5  < Excellent, Zeus and company would have loved this meal ! >

Wine : 4.9 / 5  < Chablis is great pairing for the Lamb Cutlet >

Price : $ 130.54 (no Service Charge as it was takeaway) ;  

US$ 100 for 3 to 4 persons (Maid got to eat too) ; Reasonable $$$ 

Alati Divine Greek Cuisine 

73 Amoy Street

Singapore 069 892

Tel : 6221 6124 (or book through FB).  

 

           

Hard Run 4K, 2K return stopped by rain, then another 1.8 K back ; Total 7 K plus

 

5th June ; satisfied after a run punctuated by heavy rain 

Today's run was a hard one for me. I had been having a really busy week, and had little time out of the weekdays to run at my favourite spot, the East Coast Park. So this morning, after my dental appointment at Bedok, I made the effort to lace up my running shoes. My plan was to run 4K for the front leg, and return 4K for the back leg.

As I was held up changing to my gear, I started out pretty late in the morning 11.28 am.

The pace was good, on average 6 mins 33. 8 / km for the entire 4 km.

The sun was blazing hot, but I was thankful I had no aches in the joints or elsewhere. 

At the intermission, I ran another (slower) 2 K at 7 : 15 / km pace. The heat was sweltering but my tension headache and all the other stresses were gone. 

I was in the zone. It got too hot at the 6 km mark, so I stopped to catch my breath

It started to pour as I was walking abit, and I sought shelter at the nearby restaurants. 

Finally after about 20 minutes, there was a break in the rain, and i ran helter pelter back to the car at a decent 6 :45 / min pace.

Thats the picture of a happy me at the car park with my sunshades still on and all wet from the rain and the sweat.

I treasure having a balanced lifestyle with ample exercise, controlled diet and mental challenges in the form of work, IQ games and good stimulating conversations with my family and friends.