Remembering My Wonderful Mum Anna 1930 - 2011 ; Happy Mother's Day !

Mum in her cheongsam, or qipao 

          Today is Mother's Day ; the 2nd second Sunday each year, billions of people around the world remember their mothers and spend some time reflecting. My mother was a WONDERFUL MOTHER to me and my brother John. True, people can remarry and the children can have step mothers and the like. And some stepmothers do handle their motherly duties even better than their biological mothers. Born Anna Wen in Guangzhou, she was the eldest of 4 daughters of the late P.C. Wen. He was the stationmaster of Guangzhou train station and was a very talented individual. I only met and knew him fleetingly when he suffered a stroke and came to Singapore to stay in our house for 3 years before heading back to Hong Kong. My brother and I called him Ah Gong. 

Taken in 1957 

            Mum was a very hardworking young lady when she came to Singapore probably just after the 2nd World War. Singapore was just picking up the pieces after the Japanese Occupation and the Federation of Malayan States was formed in 1957. There were numerous political parties, the Workers Party, the People's Action Party and Singapore was also under the influence of the Communists through the Middle Schools and Unions. 

          During her school days, she was the Girl Guide Troop Leader in the early 50s after the 2nd world war and even walked Prince Philip (of Edinborough) around the Padang showing off her troop ! 

           Mum landed the job as the Personal Assistant to the Perm. Secretary for Health in the 1960s soon after I and my brother were born, and she kept at that job for over 40 years. A very people centric person, she managed our household keeping the finances well under control as she was very thrifty till the mid 90s, but she showered her love and resources to John and I.

         

At the Singapore Cricket Club 2010

         She went for her honeymoon with my Papa in Japan as well as Cashmir. After we were born, she was really involved in firstly her work, then after joining the Singapore Swimming Club in Dec 1974, the Club was here second home, and we all went to several Swimming Competitions (Sanya Samaki Cup) at each year end starting from 1975 (Bangkok and Penang), 1976 (Manila), 1977 (Thailand), 1978 (Indonesia). Those were halcyon days for my brother and me. I was an above average swimmer and nominated at Swim Captain for my House, and also the Boys Captain from 1977 to 1978. In 1979, during my first year at the JC, I captained the Barracuda  team to the swim championship within the club swimmers. A mean feat as I was the weakest 'strong' swimmer amongst the 4 captains ! 

On the swings in 1964 outside our house at 6 Adis Road

          Mum then devoted her time mainly participating in badminton, kong chian, tennis, squash, swimming jazz ballet etc. You name it, shw would have taken part in it. A true blue tryer !  

Mum with her Jazz Ballet 'Gang' 

         Well, to my Mum up in Heaven. Happy Mother's Day. Have Cake and Rest Well. 

         Much Love from your Son, May and the 2 grandsons. 

        

   

Kumite Free Sparring - Shitoryu

           This was done some years ago. The emphasis should be on front blocks and kicks and neutralise the attacker. Faced with a larger and bulkier opponent, I have to be more aggressive in taking down the fighter with a direct or indirect punch followed by a flurry of kicks. 

           See for yourself. Its all done in a controlled manner. Sports karate is about attaining points and not injuring or mortally wounding the opponent. 

Great Popiah, Mee Siam and Pie Tie at My Cosy Corner, Cornonation Plaza, #02-02

Mee Siam (without prawns) for S$ 4.80 ; with prawns its S$ 5.50

       Tucked away at the corner at 02-02 of Coronation Plaza, next to the Coronation Clinic, is a hole in the wall shop, called My Cosy Corner. Managed by the Leong family, for the last 30 years, it is a veritable gem of a food shop, which specializes in the selling Peranakan (Straits Born Chinese) food since my teenage days. The shop seats a maximum of 18 7 tables of 2 to 3  and a long table outside of maximum 4. Come at off peak times (peak is usually luch from 12 - 2.30pm) and savour the most delectable Peranakan dishes.

       The mee siam (pictured above) is really good, an acquired taste for many Singaporeans. It is basically rice vermicelli or bee hoon, and granished with the famous mee siam gravy (I need to reserach what goes inside there, but coconut milk definately is inside). The meal is practically vegetarian, some fried dough fritters, spring onion garnishing  with a boiled egg and small lime to top it off. 

Rating for me - Mee Siam 

Food Quality and Taste :   4.8 out of 5 (perfect sourness in the bee hoon and gravy

                                          is the right texture and flavour)

Service                         :  3.5 out of 5 ; it is prompt and for small foos outlet, they 

                                        are courteous

  

 Ambience                    :  3.0  (small and its just for the eat and go persons) 

The Pie Tie is another truly Peranakan Chinese dish.  The cups of fried crisp rice fritters are really crispy. The main ingredients inside are the bangkuang or turnip which has been steam cooked for hours. There is a smattering of boiled egg inside the rice fritter cups, and the final 2 garnishings which are a must are the Chinese parsely and the red chilly sauce freshly prepared. 

Rating for me : Pie Tie 

Food Quality  and Taste  :   5 out of 5 Superb !   

          In 2015, there was an island wide search of the best hawkers in various categories, and the Cosy Corner emerged champions in the Popiah (stuffed vegetarian roll) category. It is really stuffed full of bangkuang, some veges, crispy rice fritters and egg. I did not try it this trip but I am a regular diner of cosy corner. It is a piece of food comfort which no country except at home here in Singapore which makes me say : I am home 

    No. 1 amongst the top 3 ; there were over 600 recommendations from all over Singapore for more than 10 categories. 

Zayn Malik - Still Got Time ? Time is running fast away

This is the Lyric Video for Zayn's latest hit - Looking for Love ; Still Got Time ? 

Tian Tian Chicken Rice - Maxwell Road Hawker Centre ; my Review

$ 3.50 for a plate of Chicken Rice and another $2.50 for Bean Sprouts 

        Every Saturday I am in the vicinity of Maxwell Road Hawker Centte and I occasionally drop in for breakfast. There is always a long queue for Tian Tian's chicken rice. Frankly, apart from the fact that Chef Gordon Ramsay came and did the Hawker Challenge (and lost), the chicken rice is not typically outstanding. 

       The $3.50 plate of chicken rice serves maybe a dozen slices of chicken (breast or thigh you specify), some cut cucumber, rice and nothing else. The chicken is tender, and made flavourful due to the thick sauce or gravy poured over it. If you decline the gravy, it is nothing exceptional. The rice is fragrant but you can get very good chicken rice from the neighbouring 2 stalls if you are not bothered to queue. The chilli sauce and black sauce are also nothing exceptional. 

      There are some really good chicken rice restaurants in Wee Nam Kee in Balestier and Novena and if you like to try roasted chicken, there is a pretty decent Malay stall at Farrer Road Food Centre. I also like to frequent the Big Bird at Balmoral Centre off Bukit Timah. That chicken rice is really good with fragrant rice, but thinly sliced chicken. It is pricey though at $7 per plate on average. 

      90% of those in the queue are probably tourists who have never or heard about trying the 'famous' Tian Tian through the brochures and Gordon Ramsay's Hawker Challenge.

      I guess for first timers it is satisfactory. 

Demi Eurovision 2017 Finalist - this is love.

      This is one finalist of the Eurovision 2017 song of the year. Demi is the aritste. Thanks to my new Spotify account, I can keep current with all the top hits, from Europe, US, Japan, Korea and even Singapore.

      Disruptive Technology enables tremendous entertainment, information, communication and learning opportunities all in the palm of your hand. With great access to information and knowledge comes great responsibility to disseminate and lead the next generation wisely.

      

Cool Ad for Insurance featuring the NZ All Blacks

         This is really an inspiring advertisement for the insurance company in the video. The stars are the current NZ All Blacks and while Tokyo is obviously a very safe place, accidents do happen and these gentlemen have the psychic ability to intervene with seconds to spare. 

          Filmed mainly around the famed Shibuya station, the men go in all directions and tackle the bemused Tokyoites for no apparent reason. The idea for this is really fantastic as are the All Blacks who maintain a very stoic stone - faced expressions except till the end.
  
         Kudos to the advertising agency who managed this and full marks to the All Blacks who elevate the meaning of cool to a new level.