Chinese Garden and Mid-Autum Festival

For the past few years, I've been meaning to visit the Chinese Garden during the Mid-autumn or Mooncake festival but just never seemed to get around to doing so. Everytime I look at the photos of the various lanterns on display in the newspaper, I regretted not going. This year, I was determind to do so.

And so on Tuesday night, both hubby and I made a trip out to Jurong to the Chinese Garden to look at the lanterns on display.

It has been years since I went to the Chinese Garden. I think the last time must have been when I was in Primary or Secondary school, during one of those school outings. There just doesn't seemed to be enough of a pull for me to want to travel all the way there. I have very hazy memories of this place..except for the pagoda.


One of the entrance

There are 2 themes this year.... insects (????) and icons of the world. I gotta to admit that some of these 'insects' are pretty cute.



And some of the icons...I don't think I need to say what they are.




Of course, the Chinese icon (The Great Wall, with a flapping dragon and phoenix) is one of the biggest and the most elaborate.... like all things Chinese.


There were various stalls set up... including one from Osim.. offering free massage. Hmmm.... There are the usual stuff.. like sparklers, lights, ice-cream etc being sold. They also had a sort of fun fair going on..mainly for the kids. There weren't really many 'traditional Chinese' stalls. Maybe there are more during the weekend. The one stall that is traditional was this dough figure maker. Cute right?






The one thing that I did remember about the Chinese Garden was the 7 story pagoda. I don't recall this pair of 3-story pagoda. They looked rather pretty though, especially with the reflection in the water. Of course there were lots of people taking photos. A group of teenagers was attempting to try to take a self-timer photo by placing the camera below, with them on the 2nd level!

I was just telling hubby, somehow in my distant memory, the 7-story pagoda seemed larger than it is now. I think it will look really pretty on Friday, with the full moon. We climbed to the top and looked at all the twinkling lights below us. It would have been rather romantic..except that you're sharing this romantic view with about 20 people. That didn't seemed to stop a young couple though, who was quite 'busy'. I'm sure there are lots of dark bushes in the garden below. Must be the moonlight.


It was rather busy for a Tuesday night so I dread to think of the crowd during the weekend. I wish I had a lantern whilst I was there. I saw many in the crowd holding one but just couldn't figure out where they were being sold. Although I must say most of them (especially the children) were holding a football lantern???!!! But really, I guess it was not so strange on hindsight now... as we used to have lanterns like ultraman, hello kitty, boat etc. That's why we loved lanterns then because they came in so many shapes and sizes.

The pond here has lots of koi....all looking rather fat and plump. ^^






I think I would have enjoyed myself better if I could have walked around the place at a much slower pace and also visit the Japanese Garden, which was just next door. As it is, it felt just a tiny, tiny bit of a let-down. And it wasn't cheap either. During this festive season, it's $8 for adults during weekdays and $10 during weekends. Ouch!

One of the last photo before we left.. hehehe! How do you like my warrior? Yes, I was bored.



Just some information on the Chinese Garden:
Built in 1975 and designed by Prof. Yuen-chen Yu, a well-known architect from Taiwan, the Chinese Garden's concept is based on Chinese gardening art. The main characteristic is the integration of splendid architectural features with the natural environment. The Chinese Garden is modelled along the northern Chinese imperial style of architecture and landscaping.

Taken from Asia-Planet.net. They have more information about the garden on their site.

You can see some photos from this site

What are you going to be doing this Friday night?

I'm all prepared already..

I've got my lanterns, my mooncake, my pomelo, my tea....and my hubby... hahaha!

Happy Mooncake festival everyone! ^^

Children's Day

Did you know that it was Children's Day yesterday? Those with children in the primary school level and below would know. There would have been lots of celebrations in school on Friday and it would have been half day for them.

Anyway, as in every year, the volunteers at SHG- CDAC would plan food and games for the kids. And so on Saturday, 30th September, our kids got to celebrate Children's Day one more time. (See my blog on SHG & CDAC here)

Actually, there were lots of activities going on that day as CDAC had a couple of events on as well. The kids were having a wild time watching and participating in the fun. Naturally, they were alll distracted and it required conjoling, stern warning and bribery to get the kids to even study for that just one hour.

Finally, at 3.40pm, the kids were let off and it was time to party!

The Food Spread







Food for the kids...volunteers not included and... close encounter of the food kind

The Kids
What were they playing?

I discovered that they have a Hello Kitty version of the game UNO..I think I very 'suaku'.


Two of my charges- the boys in red t-shirt and striped t-shirt.



The Games
You know, kids will be kids, whether you are 10 or 13. When we thought of the games, we were alittle hesistant as we weren't sure if the kids would find it interesting. But guess what, they enjoyed themselves immensely. There were different stations and points were awarded for how well they do at the stations.

This proved to be more difficult than we thought for the kids as not many of them could do it. I tried it and managed to knock down the .....box. hahaha! Well, all the cans did fall but no points.
:(

A look of concentration as he attempted to pick up as many marbles as possible. I was quite amazed as most of them were quite adept at this..though they weren't necessarily holding the chopsticks right way.

This was probably one of the easiest game.... mini basketball.

Memory game- you have to match the cards. Obviously some did better than others. Hehe! I like this kind of game and often play it on my PDA.

The kids were supposed to fold their own paper aeroplanes and fly them. This was easier said than done but I think the boys enjoyed it especially. When was the last time you fold a paper aeroplane?

We thought this would be difficult for the kids but they seemed to have no problem as well. Should have asked them put 2 bean bags on their head. hahaha!


Waiting for the results....who won the top prize? That was the one most important question.

And the answer is......... Nicole!

I think his winning points was in the bean bag station where he managed to do 15 times. Nicole is in Primary 6. Rather naughty but I must say quite good looking. Don't know whether he will become more trouble when he goes to Secondary 1 next year. I suspect there will be girls problem...if he doesn't have them already.

The brothers

I really like this photo. The older brother is now in Secondary one. For the past 3 years, he has been been coming to CDAC. This is his 4th year now. And ever since I can remember, he has always been scolded by all of us for being naughty, for being rude, for being a sore looser, for crying easily. And yet, he still comes to the centre on a Saturday afternoon when he could be out with his new friends. I mean, when you are 13, do you really want to hang around younger kids and do work on a Saturday afternoon? But he and some other kids that we've been teaching still come down and seemed to enjoy it too. If nothing else, it keeps them off the street and the danger of mixing with undesirable characters. I guess we must have been doing something right somewhere along the way.

His little brother is in Primary 4 this year and is just as naughty. I've been taking him for the last few months when I waa recalled back to help out. Often, I have to tell him not to behave like a gangster. But boys will be boys and there are often fights and quarrels amongst them. But 10 minutes later, they will be sitting next to each other and be the best of pals. So it's a real test of judgement to decide if you should play mediator when quarrels break out.

But I really like the kids I've been teaching and hope that they will benefit from their brief interaction with me.

The whole gang

Volunteers and children.

Children are always a treasure and it is a joy to watch them enjoying themselves. That's what childhood should be about.

Happy belated Children's Day to all... the young and the young-at-heart.

Libraries

As I mentioned before, I love books and it was one of the reason that I worked in a bookshop for the first 5 years of my working life. Up till today, I'm still involve in the book industry... most recently by importing books and magazines from Korea. haha!

Anyway, though my family wasn't poor, they certainly weren't rich enough to indulge in my craving to buy a book every other day. Buying a book was a treat. So most of the time, I borrow them from the libraries. Often, it would be the one nearest my place, which was in Toa Payoh. But when I got older, I would sometimes head down to the National Library in Stamford Road. Most of us would remember the red-bricks building in Stamford Road.

That building has since been torn down to make way for the new Singapore Management University. There were efforts to save it as it held much fond memories for most of us. Unfortunately, it didn't work and on 31st March 2004, it was shut down permanently.

The National Library sits in a new site today nearby- spanking new, bigger and with better facilities. Really first rate in terms of facilities. In fact all the new libraries are much better equipped nowadays. It has multi-media galore, bright color seats, and even tucked-away corners for that privacy. You can reserve books and renew them online. You can also return books 24/7 at the drop-off point in the libraries. Very convenient. In other words, a strive to dispel the boring, old, stuffy image of the traditional library and encourage the young to come in.

A end result of all these is that it has often become very noisy in the library. At least, that's the way at the library near my place.

Call me old fashion, but a tiny, tiny, tiny part of me like the libraries of yesterday that I once knew.

The slightly musty smell, the hushed tone, the concentrated, absorbed look as each of us search for treasures amongst the rows and rows of books on the shelves.

There was an air of reverence in the library, as if it is a door to another magical world. And to me, it was.

I still remembered, after a trip to the National Library, armed with books, I would then head to the small food place next to the library. This is not the S-11 that was there in the last few years but an older, small hawker centre with a mish-mash of food stalls. One very popular stall was this ice-kachang stall there. The stall was always teaming with bees but that didn't stop any of us from enjoying the very delicious ice-kachange espeically on a hot day. Come to think of it, the rest of the stalls there weren't any cleaner either. But the place was always full. It's a wonder none of I never got any food poisoning.

And then after a visit to the library, I would make my way to MPH, a major bookshop in a very prominent red and while building just firther down the road. You would think after a visit to the library, I would be sick of seeing more books. But far from it, a visit to MPH was like a visit to wonderland. It was 3 stories high and was crammed full of books, toys and stationries. Even if I couldn't buy anything, it was still a thrill to window shop there.

Sadly, even that MPH is no longer in existence today.

Oh the building is still around as it is gazzetted as a national mounument.

But it is no longer a bookshop.

In the march of time, all things change... I just wished I had taken photos of the these two places as they were then.

Anyway, two days ago, I went to library to borrow 2 books on gardening, hoping to bring some more life to my tiny balcony.

But that is another story. ^^

Enjoy your weekend everyone.

Books

I love books. I'm one of those who hates to fold pages, cut them up or draw in them, (beyond writing my name on the first page of the book). I try to keep my books in good condition and really, really hate to throw out books...even if they are trashy ones.

I used to read alot when I was younger, unfortunately, I just don't have as much time to do that now. Then, I could bury myself in a book, slumped in a chair and be lost in another world for the rest of the day. It was very easy to entertain me.

As much as I love movies, books are really quite something. Without the moving pictures and the sound, you have to use your imagination to 'view' and 'feel' what the author has written.

Hubby subscribes to this club in the UK called the Folio Club- they published books in hard cover. Not just hard cover... but bound in leather or cloth...you know... the old fashion type.

The type of books that belong to old, wooden shelves, in a nice library, and where you can imagine yourself sitting down in front of a fireplace/ balcony/ garden, with a cup of tea and reading the book. You get what I mean?

As much as I love the books that I read now, it's the books that I read in the past that I have fond memories of...

Mostly alot of Enid Blyton's like the Malory Towers, the Famous Five, the fairy tales etc. The Borrowers, Mary Poppins, Beautrix Potter, Heidi, Chronicles of Narnia, Little Women... they all accompanied me through my childhood years.

Do children read these nowadays? Or is it mainly all those ghost/ monster stories that fascinate them?

One of the series that I liked was the Anne of Green Gables series. It was even filmed into TV series a few times but I still prefer the book.


It's a simple, simple story.

A little orphan girl was mistakenly sent to an elderly couple by mistake, who had actually requested for a little boy...to help them out in the farm.

This sparky little girl never lets anything her down, is always optimistic and adventurous. She is direct but not mean and loves those around her. Naturally, the elderly couple grew attached to her.. and loved her dearly, as she did to them. The rest of the story is really about her stay there on the farm, her adventures as she grows up.

See, it's a very simple story right? In fact, somebody would probably say it's too goody-goody. Thank goodness for such 'goody-goody' books when I was young then.

Even today, it's still good to reach out and read these 'do good, be good and feel good' novels. It's great to escape from the real world for awhile and relieve the age of innocence.

I wonder if anyone will laugh at me if I go out and buy the entire Fanous Five series. Maybe I can pretend that I'm buying them for my nephew....


Isn't the illustration beautiful?

Weekends

What do you all do during the weekend?

Me? I'm constantly divided between

1) What I have to do... laundry, tidying house, baking, clearing paperwork
2) What I am required to do... volunteer work (I've been recalled due to shortage of volunteers and have been back at CDAC for the past 2 months)
3) What I would like to do.... catching up friends, sleep, eat, read

and

4) What I usually end up doing...which is a mish-mash of no 1 to no 3, depending on how productive or how lazy I feel. Of course, you always never ever end up doing what you have to do or would like to do. So hubby's and my common grouse on Sunday night at 11pm- why can't there be 3 days of weekend instead of just 2 miserable days.

I'm not sure what the other couples do but I've been told that hubby and I lead a very unusal lifestyle as a couple. I think probably the fact that we don't have children and my in-laws aren't around help fuel the kind of lifestyle that we have. Thankfully, even though my family lives just 5 minutes away, they have never expected us to be back during the weekends, fully understanding that as a couple, we need our own quality time together.

So we have time to go to concerts, plays, walks in the parks, visits to the museum, gym (bleah!) etc

Last Saturday, we went to one of our favourite place- the NIGHT SAFARI

Alright, you can stop laughing now. I'm not sure why people seem to think it funny that we both like to go to zoo and the bird park. It was one of my favrouite place when I was young too and I was always very excited when we go on such a school trip. It

Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari in Singapore have both won many acolades for providing as natural an environment as possible for the animals. And it's always a joy to watch them- not behind bars in a cage. Of course, given a choice, we shouldn't even have a zoo but I guess it's impossible for that to happen.

Actually, to truely enjoy the Night Safari, you should really keep quiet and just observe (except when you are watching a animal show of course). This is esepcially so when you go on the tram ride and you really want to observe these animals. Unfortunately, it doesn't normally happen... sigh.... Often, I have to repress my urge to tell to just 'shut-up'


Here kitty, kitty.... I believe this is what they call a Fishing Cat. Isn't it cute? hehe!

Basil- the recycling otter


I've always like the animal shows and isn't Basil adorable? I remembered my Korean guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves at the animal show when they came down for a holiday last year.

My one complaint? - the limited eateries available and the exorbitant prices that they charge. $4.50 for a cup of lemonade??

Every weekend evening, and especially on Sunday, a few groups of men would be playing Singapore men's favorite past time- football.



Frankly speaking, most of these men don't err.. look very fit. In fact, more often than not, their tummy is hmm.... a little round. And most of them aren't exactly young. Still, they seem to enjoy themselves running around in the field and getting all sweaty and smelly.

I've often wondered, are they glad to be out of the house and just kicking a ball around with thie kakis? Perhaps the wives and girlfriends are just as glad to have some breathing space once a week? hehe!

And no, hubby doesn't play football. ^^ He brews beer instead.

One of the highlight of last weekend- at least for me. A delicious meal with a group of friends. No, they are not just fellow fans anymore, but really friends. Both bb and Jos have blogged about this.

Yes, it was really, really fun that night. I shan't talk about the food much except that I was really, really surprised at how good the satay soup tastes. Both of them have described in depth about the delicious food. I can only say that i felt like a round fishball at the end of the meal. We could hardly move. Jos and me were leaning back in our seats, trying not to make our stomach look too fat and round.

One funny incident. Just as we were about to start eating, bb suddenly shouted "take photo, take photo." And so, there we were, Jos, bb and I clicking away. I guess it came as no surprise that the 3 of us are active bloggers. bb said it's a blogger's symptom. haha! And that's why you see the same photos in all our 3 sites. ^^

Chilli crab


Steamboat


Yes, it was true that we talked about BYJ (hey, we are all BYJ fans), but we also talked about other stuff.. and it was such fun reminiscing about the old dramas and movies. But that's when age truely shows up, when only V and I could remember certain shows. The rest of them looked at us and went: "not our era." Sob! Sob!

Haha! And after this makan session, Jos has started another BLOG. This time it will be all about food. Gosh... looking at the recipes. I'm salivating. Jos.. you going to cook for us? hehe!

In case you want to go try the very delicious steamboat that we've been raving about..

Paradise on Earth
200 Tanjong Katong Road T: 6345 9272

4 more days to the weekend.

Back to normal

Well... after about a week-and-a-half of shift duties, life has gone back to normal with the arrival of the new maid. Whew! How did our grandparents cope with a large brood, housework and earn a living at the same time?

People always say that's because life was simpler then.

I figured it's because we have made life complicated for ourselves.

A cup of coffee would be just a cup of coffee back then.

You can have 'kopi-o' (coffee without milk) or 'kopi' (coffee). There is only one size.

Now? Step into any of the coffee chain and you are presented with so many choices.

Coffee latte, cuppocino, coffee black, coffee with cream, coffee with milk.

Short, regular, tall...

and the list goes on.

Maybe that's why Korean dramas have become such a hit almost everywhere with its simplistic storylines.

Of course, they are mostly fairytale stories, meant for dreaming and escaping from the world for that few hours. But how boring life would be without the world of make believe.

Anyway, I escaped from my usual life for a short while recently due to the Korean tornado that swept into town on the first week of September. It was truely, really fun.

To read about it, go to my Kimchi blog about Kimchi tornado.

Sorry about this short post...life will definitely be back to normal soon. ^^

Grandma

I've been helping my grandmother to shower for the last few days as part of my shift duties. We're in between maids at the moment and the new maid will only arrive later this week. In the meantime, my aunties and I are taking turns to go on shift duties.

Don't be mistaken. Grandma, who is a perfectly healthy 90 years old lady, is capable of taking care of herself but she does need that little help.

Like holding the shower head whilst she cleans herself (vigorously too, I must add), helping her to take off and put on her clothes etc.

Standing behind her, seeing her wrinkled body, a strange feeling came over me.

I remember the countless times when she bathed me when I was very young. Grandma is 50 years older than me, so I guess she would have been in her 50's when she appears in my earliest memory.

My grandmother is a very strong woman.

She has to be.

She arrived in Singapore when she was in her early 20's. I don't know much about her hisory, only that she came in search of her husband, my grandfather. Like most early Chinese migrants then, they didn't have much money and had to work hard. Through the Japanese occupation and poverty years, she raised 6 children pretty much alone. You have to be strong to do that.

I remember her temper.. her flashing eyes when she got angry, her loud voice (she still has a very loud voice. I think it runs in the family), her sturdy body. I especially remember the few rare times when I was caned by her.

But I also remember her holding my hand as we crossed the road, buying toys for me at the 'pasar malam', and cooking my favourite food.

Then, grandma to me was a formidable woman. At times, I was even a little afraid of her. But I could always depend on her.

When did it start to be the other way round? When did she start to depend on me instead?

Where once she held my tiny hands in hers and coaxed me to see the doctor, now I hold her hands rough hands in mine when I bring her to the hospital for check-ups.

Where once she bathed me in a little tub, now I help her to shower whilst she sit on a stool in the bathroom.

Where once she would whipped up a few delicious dishes for lunch, now I help to put the food in a plate for her.

Where once she would hide her modesty by closing the door to change, now she couldn't care less that I could see every inch of her wrinkled, naked body.

Where once her word was law, now she listens to me.

In my teens, I used to feel so embarrassed to be seen together with her, wild horses couldn't drag me to go out with her. And yet for the last 15 years or so, I've been on holidays with her almost every year. She's been to Shanghai, Beijing, Su Zhou, Hang Zhou and Hong Kong etc.

When did this relationhip change?

I don't know either.

A person reverts back to childlike behaviour and thinking as one gets older. I guess now, grandma is the 'baby' and I'm the adult.

I'm not sure how grandma feels about this reversal of relationship. If you are a child, and you depend on adults, you don't mind because well, you don't understand and know much. But when you do know and understand, it's a little more difficult, isn't it?

In truth, I feel a little emotional and there is a slight tug in my heart as I write this and remember all those years long ago...which really, wasn't too long ago.

I'm not too sure what that little tug is for and who it is for.

Perhaps at the passage of time.

Perhaps at the the inevitable that will happen one day.


The Circle Game
by Joni Mitchell
Yesterday a child came out to wonder
Caught a dragonfly inside a jar
Fearful when the sky was full of thunder
And tearful at the falling of a star
....................
....................
And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
Were captive on the carousel of time
We cant return we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

My office life is so exciting

Working on my own has its perks. Flexi hours, comfortable dressing, no boss to report to, no office politics, no gossips.

Actually, I lie.

I do miss the gossips. I miss hearing them from colleagues, the conspiracy type of human interaction.

In other words, I miss being a kaypoh.

Last night, over dinner, as usual, I would asked: "How was your day?" Now hubby is not a gossip person. But people can't seemed to resist telling him stuff. Maybe because he's so quiet, he looks harmless. So I hear the usual office stories of who's left, who's joined, who's in, who's out etc. Unfortunately (I supposed I should say fortunately) he doesn't say alot... in terms of juicy details.

Sigh...men just don't know how to tell stories.

I wanted to tell him about my day too. So I racked my brain to think of the most exciting thing that happened that day..

1) Someone new has moved downstairs. I know because I saw the empty cartons and the kitchen windows were opened.

2) There was a lizard in the bathroom. It was big, fat one.

My office life is so exciting.

忙与盲

Woke up to heavy rain this morning. Such a refreshing change from the hot weather for the past few days.

Days like that, I wish I could just curl up with a good book, accompanied by a cup of hot tea and good music...


忙与盲
(Busy and Blind. In chinese, they have the same pronounciation)
Singer" Emial Chou 周华建

曾有一次晚餐和一张床 (once there was a dinner and a bed)
在什么时间地点和那个对象 (when, when and with whom)
我已经遗忘 我已经遗忘 (I've already forgotten, I've already forgotten)
生活是肥皂香水眼影唇膏 (living is like soap, perfume, glasses, lipsticks)

许多的电话在响 (phones are ringing)
许多的事要备忘 (alot of things to prepare)
讦多的门与抽屉 (doors and drawers)
开了又关 关了又开如此的慌张 (open and shut, shut and open in a hurry)
我来来往往 我匆匆忙忙 (to-and-fro, in a hurry)
从一个方向到另一个方向 (I go from one direction to another direction)


忙忙忙忙忙忙 (busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy)
忙是为了自己的理想 (busy because of one's dream)
还是为了不让别人失望 (or so that we will not disappoint the others)
盲盲盲盲盲盲 (blind, blind, blind, blind, blind, blind)
盲的已经没有主张 (blind till I've become indecisive)
盲的已经失去方向 (blind till I've lost of direction)
忙忙忙盲盲盲 (busy, busy, busy, blind, blind, blind)
忙的分不清欢喜和忧伤 (busy till I can't differenciate between happiness and sadness)
忙的没有时间痛哭一场 (busy till there's no time to cry)

To listen to this song, click here


忙是为了自己的理想 (busy because of one's dream)
还是为了不让别人失望 (or so that we will not disappoint the others

希望大家忙是为了自己的理想
I hope everyone is busy because of one's dreams.

Music is a universal language

It's been a few days since I posted. The few times when I wanted to, I was so tired, I was falling asleep over my laptop.

I thought I'd be able to do it over the weekend when I don't have to work. But as usual, my weekend is even busier than my weekdays....

You know, I have often heard people comment that there's nothing to do in Singapore. I know I do that sometimes too (hey, I'm a Singaporean, so complaining is one of my forte). But if you look around you, there are actually lots of events going on...

Over the weekend, I attended 2 different concerts/events that could not be more opposite in terms of content and environment.

Singapore Symphony Orchestra SSO



The SSO was formed in 1979 and consists of local and foreign musicians. I don't think Singapore has enough of a pool to have a wholly Singaporeans only orchestra.... yet.

Attending the SSO concerts have been a regular thing for us for the past 10 years or so. I was initiated into it by hubby (who was my boyfriend then). It was one of our regular dates. I must admit, I probably would not have thought of attending a classical concert then. But hey we were dating and I was in love.. so anything for him lah.

Over the years though, I've actually come to enjoy the concerts. No, I don't know how to play the piano or the violin or any of the instruments for that matter. Neither am I very 'cultured' as some of my friends suggested.

I don't profess to like all the pieces and indeed, sometimes I go "huh?" at the end of a piece and occassionally I fall asleep too (which can be rather rather embarrassing, as our seats are rather in front and normally in the centre). But generally, they are rather enjoyable and I have discovered that I actually know many of these classical music... more than I imagined.

And when the musicians play well... it touches and moves your heart.. even if you are not musically trained.

The SSO has moved from VCH to the The Esplanade (or the durian as we locals would call it). Since the move, I noticed that the audience has become more well dressed. I don't mean they come in ball gowns or tuxedos but you can tell that they have made an effort to dress up and treat it as a respectable event. I think it's rather nice and makes the night special. Indeed, it's all rather civilised as people sipped their glasses of champagne or wine during the break.

That night's concert was entitled The Fire, The Romance, the Passion.
Royal Fireworks by George Frideric Handel
Oboe Concerto in D major by Richard Strauss
An American in Paris by George Gershwin (who could forget Gene Kelly dancing away?)
Bolero by Maurice Ravel

Just before playing the last piece, I asked hubby, as I sometimes do, if I knew the piece. He said "yes, it's a very well-known piece."

And he was right. It's not only well-known. It's a very lively and beautiful piece. Makes me want to tap my fingers and dance. Click here to listen to the music. (Credit- The MIDI HALL)

Did you enjoy that? I did. It was indeed a very pleasant way to end a night.

World of Music, Arts and Dance WOMAD

If SSO was quiet and civilised then WOMAD, which I attended the following nights were lively, casual and slightly wild.

WOMAD brings together musicians from all over the world- South America, USA, Indonesia, China, South Korea and India to perform.

They are not your usual pop groups and most of the time, I may not have heard of the artistes. It does not mean that they are not well-known. It just means that their music is not played on the local radio stations 24 hours a day.

Like SSO, we have been attending WOMAD at least 8 out of its 9 years here... if not all the 9 years. I didn't need hubby to ask me to come along for this. We were both interested.

Attending WOMAD is like going for a big picnic outing.

Held at the Fort Caning Park, the place has a carnival feel to it. Most people would pack a picnic basket, bring along a mat and generally just chill out under the stars. For the classical concert, infants or toddlers aren't allowed in- which is understandable. But for WOMAD, it's really a family and friends event. Drinks, food, music and family/ friends. What more can you ask?

But if you are asking for more.. than there are always the little stalls selling nick-nacks, palm reading and workshops to attend. In fact, we always felt torn as many events overlap.

What I've always found special about WOMAD is the energy and liveliness amongst the crowd. Who said Singaporeans are not spontaneous? They should come and see how the crowd would be grooving away... including me. And some of these artistes do really play up a storm that gets you on your feet.


Dancing the night away

Have you ever heard Indian, Korean, Australian and African music being played together at the same time? No?

Ahh...I did say music is a universal language didn't I?

One group that I was particularly interested in was Dulsori from Korea (for obvious reasons). Someone has put up a short clip on Dulsori on Youtube. Take note of the short part where a group is playing on 3 big drums. Click here

And here's a photo of this very dynamic group, consisting of mainly young girls.


WOMAD plays around the world in different countries, with different artistes. The next stop is... Korea! But no go, hubby said no, cannot go... :-( Guess I'll just have to wait for WOMAD to come around to Singapore again in August next year.

Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without. ~Confucius

Let the music play on..... ^^

The efficient civil service

The Singapore government has always harped about productivity and efficiency. Of course, at the same time, must also be courteous. The civial service departement especially, is always coming up with new ways to improve and be more productive. On Wednesday, I came into contact with the efficiency of a civil service department which.

I had to renew a license for hubby. This department was located in the super, grand IRAS building - Revenue House.

Finding the place was easy... the rest required a little more work.

The departement was on the 9th floor. There was no reception counter and the door was controlled by security pass. You have to press the bell and then yell into the microphone for the whole office department to hear the purpose of your visit.

As I wasn't too sure if it's the right department, I thought I'd make a call to confirm.

You know, all these recorded phones information is supposed to help you right? But seriously? Most of the time, you just want to stranggle the phone.

"To hear this in English, press 1. To hear this in Chinese, press 2."

And then it's repeated in Chinese.

"Press 1 for xxx, Press 2 for xxx, Press 3 for xxx".

And then you duly press 2

"Press 1 for xxx, Press 2 for xxx, Press 3 for xxx".

You didn't hear anything that seemed to be the right department. So you press a number that you think might be the right one.

"Press 1 for xxx, Press 2 for xxx, or Press 0 to speak to our officer."

You still don't hear anything that seems to be right, so you press 0 to speak to a human being.

"All our officers are engaged at the moment. Your call is important to us. Please hold and we'll get back to you shortly."

This is followed by some Richard Clayderman or Kenny G music over the phone. I'm assuming the music is supposed to calm you down.

After about 1 minute, you hear the "your call is important" message again and so you listen to the very soothing music on for another minute. And then this message comes on.

"I'm sorry all our officers are engaged at the moment and cannot attend to you. Please press 1 to leave a message or you may continue to hold."

You didn't want to wait anymore, so you press '9' to leave a message and is greeted by this:
"I'm sorry the message box is full. Pleaae call again later."

Click.

Ok, ok, the above was not exactly what I went through when I called but it was close enough. You can imagine my frustration then.

Anyway, I finally managed to get into the office, only to find out that the cashier may be closed.

Wait, I didn't tell you about the timing? You see, you can only go down from Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 4.30pm. They must all think we don't need to work and our sole purpose in life is to go down and renew a silly license. I mean, you can't even opt to go down during lunch time!

Sigh..

The officer was kind enough to check to see if the cashier is still opened, so we trooped down to the 7th floor.

Why? Because the cashier is on the 7th floor.

Luckily it still was. I managed to pay and collected my receipt.

And then I had to go back upstairs to the 9th floor again... to collect the license.

I guess there must be some logic behind this arrangement and I'm sure it's probably the best solution, after much deliberation,.

But I'm afraid the reason has escaped me, the normal citizen.

Maybe that's why I've never applied for a job in the government sector. I'll never make a good civil servant.

All the world's a stage

It's been a long time since I watched a Chinese play.. 真的是好久，好久。

I'm not sure...but I think one of the first Chinese play I watched was probably the play, 我在湖边等你 (I'll wait for you by the lake) by 戏剧盒 (http://www.dramabox.org). Whilst I can't really remember much about the play, I do remember that there was a beautiful song in it.

The theatre scene here had it's infancy when I was in the university..which was a long, long time ago. Theatres or dramas were not as common before then and many of the 'veterans' today were involved in the varsity theatres then. Karen Tan, Daniel Boey (who is today a hugely successful dance choreographer), Ong Soh Chin (who is a very respected senior editor in ST). In fact, The Necessary Stage was formed back then.

I remember the times we often skipped lunch to go to lecture theatre 13 to watch a play. It was always fun to watch somebody you know on stage. Wonder if they still stage plays during lunchtime.

Anyway, thanks to CDAC (hahaha!), I got to watch a Chinese play last Friday night.

Snakes and Lover (再见白蛇传)


Produced by ETCeteras or 海燕等人, it stars Cai Li Lian (蔡礼连) and Shen Wei Jun (沈炜竣).

It's sort of a play-within-a play, love story.

The play, "Madam White Snake" is being restaged one last time. Cai Li Lian (蔡礼连, as White Snake) and Wang Jia Yi (王嘉翊，as Master Xu) are going to get married the next day, after finishing the final night of the play. Shen Wei Jun (沈炜竣, as the abbot 'Fa Hai') has been in love with Xie Pei Shan (谢佩珊, as Green Snake) for 10 years. He has already proposed to her 98 times and has been rejected each time.

Li Lian, Pei Shan and the stage co-oridnator (oops, can't remember hwe name) have been good friends since childhood, with Pei Shan always taking good care of Li Lian.

As the story unfolds, we find out that Pei Shan is pregnant and the father is Jia Yi. Incredibly, it was Pei Shan who seduced him and yet, she doesn't love him... Her heart already belongs to someone else.

Complicated? Not really...

Boy loves girl...girl sort of loves boy...girl loves girl....

Seems everyone is doing a gay theme nowadays with the 'liberation' of the arts scene. Maybe the novelty of doing what was once taboo will wear off later.

Anyway, back to the play.

Perhaps because I did not have any expectation, it actually turned out to be better than expected.

The 3 femaale leads were actually pretty good, especially Pei Shan. The 2 male leads were so-so.... But Wei Jun drew much laughter from the audience, esepcially the children with his 'wooden' performance as Fa Hai.

However, the script was rather loose and many scenes involving the 'extras' were not necessary. Actually, at times I couldn't hear what these 'extras' were saying.

You know it's not easy being stage actor. It's very different from being in a drama or movie.

In plays, there are no re-takes, so if you make a wrong move, you have to think your way out of the tight spot quickly, on your feet. Acting before a live audience means that you get the response and reaction from them immediately. I find that rather nerve wrecking. There are less distractions in terms of sets, costumes and action, so all 'eyes' are on you. You have to ensure that you speak loudly and clearly. And whilst you should act more 'natural' in movies, it is the opposite for plays where every action have to be exeggerated.

And yet it is because of this interaction that I find plays so enjoyable.

Not many movie actors can be stage actors. But, there are quite a few stage actors who are good movie actors. Many actors who want to challenge themselves or want to be seen as credible, serious actors harbour thoughts standing on the stage eventually, someday.

I wonder if BYJ, with his habbit of "one more time" would ever do a stage play. It would be interesting, don't you agree?

For additional information on the story of Madam White Snake, please click here and here

Tired Tiffany

Am tired for the past 2 nights. Too many late nights...surfing the net and watching TV..... oo many things to do, too little time.

Must really try and sleep early. Ok, a little earlier than my usual 3 in the morning. Getting panda eyes and wrinkles..

Wanted to do a review of the books that I read during my holiday in Phuket but think will do that another day.

Hubby has recommended that I read this..



Hmm... is this his hint to me that I'm rushing around too much? Guess will start on that when I've finished my current one.... which is this:



What's so special about this book? Hehe! It's in Korean with English translation. Hmm... I guess the review will be done over at my Kimchi blog when I've finished reading it.

Why aren't there 36 hours in a day?

Be With Me- Eric Khoo

I finally caught the movie, "Be Wth Me" directed by our very own Singapore director, Eric Khoo.

"Be With Me" has been showcase in a few international film festivals and seemed to have received substantial rave reviews. And I did like "12 Stories" so I have rather high hopes of this movie.

"Be With Me" deals with love in different aspects through 3 different but linked stories. It is very, very quiet, especially in the first 20 minutes or so, with only one line of dialogue. And yet, far from being bored, I was captivated by the scenes and how they tell the story.. if you watch carefully. Think April Snow... though without any the good looking actors and pretty scenary...

And the music score captured the mood beautifully.

The only snag is, the character that was a link to the 3 stories- Theresa Chan.
Theresa is a real character, who is both blind and deaf. In the movie, she plays herself and the movie is based on her biography and the people that she met over the years.

Unfortunately, her part felt too much like a documentary and did not quite go with the other 3 stories. This is not to say her story is not worth telling. But perhaps it may have been better if it was dealt with separately. And it seems most critics did agree on this.

Still, it was well worth watching and I enjoyed the movie. The following would contain some spoilers to the movie, so be warned...

Meant to be
In this segment, Eric deals with love eternal and the pain of losing it in the twilight years. The movie opens with an elderly couple closing up their provision shop for the night. Somehow I find this scene very strong and moving...despite the fact that not a single one was spoken. In a way, that's how it is with old couples. Words are not needed. And then you see him in the market and subsequently cooking up a storm.....for his wife. Remember the scene in April Snow when In Soo was feeding his wife? In that scene there was no love though he was doing it dutifully and craefully. That was because they did not love each other any more. Here, in this scene, it was different as he lovingly, quitely fed her with the soup that he cooked painstakenly over the charcoal fire.

The old man (played by Chiew Sung Ching) does not say a single word during the whole movie. But you could feel his pain at tthe loss of his wife. He does not open the shop anymore, his wife's bowl and chopsticks is there next to him at mealtimes.

After a lifetime with your partner, what do you do when she leaves you? Because there is a void, an sense of emptiness in your everyday life, rituals and chores...especially the simple thing like food... there is no one to cook for anymore.

So In Love
If the first story was a quiet, plodding pace, then this is the opposite. Surprise, surprise... it is about 2 young girls in love. (Hmmm...the MDA actually passed this through) It is still a silent segment though as the young do not 'talk'. They text messages, they e-mail, they msn. I was not aware about this part as I didn't read the synopsis earlier, so I was quite surprised to find out that "Sam" and "Jackie" were 2 girls. And it was clever at the way it was revealed too.

2 pretty girls, in their teens...having a great time because they have found each other- their 'soulmate'. It is puppy love, yes. But as those of us who have been through this stage...a puppy love brings no less pain than a real love. And when one party loses interest and the relationship ends, it does seemed like the end of the world then.

How did the song go? 'Puppy Love' by Donny Osmond? Something like: "And they call it puppy love.."

Finding Love
Fatty Koh is a fat, sloppy guy. he eats alot. He shuffles and twitches his eye. In short, he's someone who may not be quite right, someone to be wary of.

He is secretly in love with this woman executive in his office.

He is well aware that it would not be possible but still he tries to work up enough courage to talk to her. We see him 'watching' her in the security cameras (he's a security guard), staring at her from her house below and following her from a distant as she goes shopping.

Ok, I'm a little biased here. I find the above slightly creepy actually. I'm not sure I want someone following me at my every move. But I'm sure if the character was played by a handsome Korean actor, I would have been melted at his love for her.

But seriously this guy is a mushy at heart. Because he finally took the step to write her a letter on a flowery paper. We also found out that he doesn't have a great supportive family and was probably even abused as a child. All these are through hints only- no script or dialogue. It is really amazing how words are often unnecessary.

I guess we all often talk way too much and do not listen and observe enough.

Theresa Chan
Theresa is a remarkable woman. Deaf and blind at a young age, she lives alone and takes care of herself very well-- including cooking and cleaning the place. She also learnt to speak English and type as well.

She is truely an inspiration. Unfortunately, her segment doesn't quite gel with the other 3 stories though she is the link in the final end.

And how does it all end? Ahh... there is a twist to it...I shall not reveal it here as I think you should watch the movie yourself. Let's just said that I found the scene when the old man and Theresa finally met really touching.

Here's some reviews and infomation about the movie.

MovieXclusive
TWITCH
Official website

And oh.... food seems to feature alot in this movie. Perhaps because it plays such an important role in our life and amongst Singaporeans. Coindentally, I'm also talking about food in my other kimchi blog. Click here if you want to read about it.

The shampoo lady

On Sunday, an auntie tried to sell me shampoo

I was in my neighbourhood store. The shelves are very close to each other. The aisle is just enough for 2 person...with their butts almost kissing each other. Any bigger butts, and they would be arrested for being obscene.

And in this very narrow aisle, the shampoo lady worked her sales pitch.

She approached this woman who was looking at the various shampoos on display and stood next to her.

"Your hair very dry. Why don't you try this?" she said.

The woman said nothing and continued looking at the shampoos.

"Your hair very dry! Try this one." she said louder, pointing at a particular shampoo

The woman ignored her and tried to carry on but she was obviously not comfortable with someone shouting into her ear on a Sunday morning about the state of her hair.

"Your hair very dry lah. You should try this." she said in a very determind voice.

By now, everyone in the aisle and probably half the shop was well aware about the condition of this woman's hair. Poor woman. She gave up and walked away from the aisle quickly. Needless to say, she didn't buy the shampoo that was supposedly good for her dry hair.

There was no one left in aisle. I knew I would be next so I tried to make up my mind quickly.

Too late. The shampoo lady saw me.

"Try this one. This one very good. Lots of advertisements. Top in Malaysia."

Huh?

Lots of advertisements = Good shampoo?

Ok, ok, I know it is often the case.. we are lured by advertisements. But err... isn't this a case of being too direct? How is that supposed to convince me that the shampoo is good for me?

Then again, it's not easy selling shampoo in a neighbourhood grocery store. Sometimes though, you don't need shampoo ladies to push the product, you just need the right face on it. Don't believe me? Read about it HERE

I grabbed thhe shampoo that I wanted and almost ran off...before the shampoo lady tells the whole world about my hair.

Whew!

And writing about buying things from the local neighbourhood store, I was reminded of an interview that BYJ did once. He said he couldn't just go downstairs and buy a pack of sweets (or something like that), his assistant has to do it for him. In my opinion, it's really quite easy. He just need to now how to dress. Just do want all the uncles/aunties do on a Sunday morning.

1- No make-up, better still if unshaven
2- Make sure hair is not neatly combed
3- Wear a striped t-shirt in dull colors and a pair of long shorts
4- Wear black sandals
6- Bring along a market trolley

I am sure no one will give him a second look.... unless the shampoo lady catches him.

Last but not least...

Well, I guess that pretty much concludes my Phuket trip. Sorry if my posts have turned out to be like a holiday resort brochure. Hehe! But I do hope that some of you will visit the place sometime.

Oh before I end off... do you know that the Koreans really, really, realy like Phuket? 진짜! I think half of the guests at my hotel are Koreans. hehe! Of course, I took notice alot more and prick up my ears when I hear Korean. I tried very, very hard to understand what they wree talking about but unfortunately, sigh...
성생님, 미안해요.

And during the diving trip, we met an American with his Korean girlfriend. He commented he realised how strong the 'Korean Wave' was outside of Korea as everywhere he went, everyone seems to be interested in his girlfriend. (Maybe he was disappointed the spotlight wasn't on him?) haha! Me too! Me too! I wanted to try out my borken Korean with his girlfriend but was very shy. I was afraid they would think i was some lunatic ajuma. Anyway, he was asking us about the Hallyu in Singapore and I had to literally stop hubby from telling him that I was involved in a fan club! Gasp! I would have been so embarrassed.

But I did tell him that I was importing in Korean books and magazines as there was a market. But I'm sure he noted the eagerness in my tone and how I pricked up my ears when they started talking about Korean stuff... hehe!

Hmm.... he said there's a market for teaching English in Korea. Perhaps I can persuade hubby to do that and then we can move to Korea.

Wahahahaha!

Ok, ok... one last photo from the trip....



I want to go on a holiday again!

Here, fishy, fishy....

Well, we had only one more day left, we were leaving the next day. There was only one more thing left to do- diving. Phuket is well known for diving, in case you didn't know.

Not me. I swim as well as a rock. Hubby of course. But I tagged along as well though by then I had developed the worse possible cold and cough. So it wasn't as enjoyable as it should be.

We went to Ko Raya Yai/Noi, which hubby went some years before...when he was free and single (I did quized him about any holiday romance then but he has adamantly denied having had any. Hmm..)

They did 2 dives- one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Again, all drinks and food provided. But simple meals lor. And oh yes, I discovered some basic dos and don'ts on a diving trip:

1) Do not go to the toilet when you are near the diving site, especially if you're going to be doing some 'major' business. Why? Because, it's straight from the toilet into the sea. So imagine if you're a diver beneath the boat and you suddenly see a piece of brown bit floating down... not very nice.

2) No throwing of paper or any none edible stuff down the toilet or anywhere into the sea. And in case you're wondering, there's a basket inside the toilet.

3) If you are going to throw up, do it stern (back) side of the ship. Nobody wants to see what you've eating for breakfast or lunch.

Hehe! Am I making you all lose your apptite? Again, not so bad lah. It's all quite logical.

Actually, you can also snorkle and swim..if you can't dive. But I'm afraid I can't do those either. :(

This dive company is quite good. They have a dive master with each group, which is normally a pair. Now that's another job you can consider if you're free and single and want to travel. Get a dive master's cert and then get a job as a dive master as you travel the world. Many of these diving companies hire freelance help.

Hubby getting ready for his dive. There's this big piece of oxygen tank you have strap to your back and also weights to bring you down. Oh, another piece of information. If you're fat, you will need more weights coz it will be harder for you to sink. Hmm.. wonder how much weights I would have needed.

Each dive takes about 45mns to 60 mins- depending on how good you are,ie. how fast you use up the oxygen. The first dive is always the scariest I would imagine.

Initially I thought I would take a nap whilst he was diving but how to sleep with views like this?



And yet, what made the whole trip memorable for me was this:



These fishes and many others were swimming close to the boat. The water was crystal clear and it seems I could see the bottom of the sea. The joy and thrill I felt when I saw them was unimaginable..I know, I know, they're just fishes but it's really quite something to see a school of fishes swimming so close that you could almost touch them. If I could swim, I would have been down in a second. Oh well. This is a case of if I can't go to the fishes, then the fishes will come to me. hahaha!

Another photo with more fishes.. and no, we didn't have them for dinner. ^^



Nice hor... : )

Suddenly, the cold and cough didn't matter any more.

The Big 4Zero.. finally

I had a very pleasant surprise when I got back to the hotel room after the island hopping.... ^^



It was a cake, courtesy of the hotel management...

And no, I did not put 40 candles on it. Don't think there's space on the cake. But it was such a nice gesture from them even though the cake wasn't err...very nice. hehe!

That night, we dressed up, booked a cab and had dinner at a very nice and posh restuarant. The Boathouse This restaurant has won many awards and I can only agree with they deserve to win. The food was superb. The service was just right. I only wish I could post a nice photo of the place but unfortunately, the camera doesn't work too well at night. So...don't have.

Yes, yes, I've kept the photo small deliberately coz I look very fat. hehehe!

When I first started this blog at the beginning of this year, the title was THE BIG 4ZERO.

I did not know what to expect when I actually turned 40, afterall it is supposed to be an important milestone. But when I actually reached 40, I hardly thought about it.

There was no sudden enlightenment, no dramatic changes with flashing thunder and lightening. Whatever changes that occured, they did over the years gradually.

And I realised that most things aren't as important as I think they are. At this point, my good friend, Yee Lee would probably have given me some insights or quotes on zen. Me? I've not reached the nirvana stage yet.

But I've seen my fair share of marriages and divorces, births and deaths and had my fair share of heartaches and happiness.

Life can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be or as sad or as happy as you want it to be. If I'm going to be have to live another 40 years, then I would rather expand my energy on things that make me happy...

I think my baby niece has the right idea, don't you think?


And on this note, I would like to wish Singapore a very happy birthday and may it enjoy peace and stability forever.

Happy 41st Birthday, Singapore.

My name is Bond. James Bond

Special occasions with hubby are normally 'out-of-the ordinary'.
Our first holiday together was in Vietnam. We were climbing hill on an island off Sarawak on Christmas Day some years ago. Our honeymoon was in Cambodia and 2 years ago, I spent my birthday climbing yet another hill in Wales.

Comparatively, my birthday this year was rather mild really. We went island hopping.

Island hopping is a great actitvity to do and it can occupy you for just a day or more.. depending on what you want to do. And the views on these island are just breathtaking. We took up the Phang Nga Bay tour, which is at the northern part of Phuket.



You have to walk out to board the boat... and no.. this is not the boat... (Thank goodness). It's a medium size boat and fairly comfortable. All meals and drinks are provided for on the boat. Hubby's only regret- No beer lah.



Phang Nga Bay is well known for the limestone fomation...just like the Halong Bay in Vietnam and Guilin in China.



As always, when I see the vastness of nature...I realised just how small we humans are....really...



Our first stop was Lawa Island. It's supposed to be a sandy white beach for us to relax and swim. Unfortunately it was rather crowded. You can do some canoeing though which was quite fun...especially when you don't have to do the rowing. hahaha!

And then we visited the James Bond Island. Why is it called the James Bond Island? Because the movie 'The Man with the Golden Gun' was filmed there. We arrive on the island on a sea canoe and was immedtiately struck with the commercialism of it. There were rows and rows of stalls selling touristy stuff. But I guess that's normal. By the way, most of the sellers were Muslims, wearing their tudong. I read later that a good 35% of the residents in this region are Muslims.

Arriving on the island on a sea canoe.......


and inside a cave on the island..... (Below)


Presenting the James Bond Island....


Frankly speaking, I think it would have been a better experience if we had a little more time to explore but I guess that's one of the drawback of joining a tour. Still the view was good and it was quite fun.

This was followed by lunch on board. Yummy...and believe me... sea air does make you hungry so the the food was simply delicious.

After lunch, we visited the highlight of the trip...visiting the 'hong islands' or 'room island'.

You have to depend on the tide to visit these 'hongs'. It has to be high enough to float a sea canoe to go in but low enough for us to go through the 'doors'. At times, we have to lie flat on the sea canoe.

Entering the 'hongs'........


It does get rather crowded at times and this was considered as low season. Can you imagine what it will be like in high season? Nevertheless, it is well worth the trip because you are rewarded with these sights upon entering the 'hongs'.






During low tide, it is completely dry inside the 'hongs' but during high tide..this is what you get.

Our tour guide told us that during the tsunami 2 years ago, he was trapped inside one of these 'hong' for over an hour. He didn't know what happened and couldn't understand why the water kept rising and rising. I supposed in a way, it was lucky for him as he escaped the calamity.

It was really, really, really beautiful inside these 'hongs' and makes you marvel at the wonders of nature.

The tour guide (Alan) and his colleagues were all great and very considerate. I think they're called the James Bond tour or it might be the Sea Cave Canoe, I'm not too sure. He kept telling us to please spread the word to our friends if we find their service good.

Actually, the Thais are very easy-going and proud people. Unlike some of our trips in other countries, we have not encountered pestering, asking for tips or hassling etc (except for the tailors). They are quite happy to work to earn their keeps. So if you really want to help Phuket and its residents who were affected by the tsunami, then go visit the island. Contributing to the economy as a tourist is a much more sensible and sustainble way of helping them back on their feet.

At the end of the trip, we still had a little time left, so the tour guide said we could swim around for awhile... which a few did. Hubby of course, was one of them. How could he miss such an opportunity? If I could swim, I would too because the water was really clear.