Leon Meets Elkan

July 13, 2008 Leave a comment

Yesterday, I had a surprise visitor. Cousin Leon, my 2nd Visitor, was in town for only 1 short day. Leon only called me at 2pm and we met at 2:50pm (how last minute!) Most importantly, it is a very significant visit for him. Leon visited me 3 times in Shanghai but he never gets the chance to meet my boy. Poor timing I say, Elkan was in Singapore when Leon was in Shanghai.
 
Finally, two of them met yesterday afternoon and both of them clicked like old friends at the very first second. “Mmm…this gor-gor look very nice”, Elkan smiled. “Mmm…and you also smell very nice.” Haaa.. Elkan was referring to the strong perfume Leon was wearing. Man. he was so full of praises for Leon. Unlike his usual shyness towards stranger, Elkan was very friendly and held Leon’s hand throughout our 3-hour outing.
 
At 4:30pm, Leon left for Xiamen. We sent him off at the HK Express Train Station. Elkan asked Leon “You must come and stay at our house.”
 
“Elkan, Leon is flying off now” I said. Elkan gave a disappointing look and sighed
 
“Then, you must promise to visit me 2 more times, okay?”
 
How sweet and charming his words are! Guess this meeting is worth-waiting afterall. 3 years…it is never too late to know one another – between uncle and nephew.

Filed under Family

Elkan’s 1st HairCut (by himself!)

June 15, 2008 1 Comment

The last time Elkan got his haircut here, it took about 5 men to distract him and calmed him down. Surprisingly yesterday, Elkan sat through the whole session all by himself. Like a true adult, he displayed such coolness and “ordered” the stylist with his likes and dislikes – like “water too hot”, “gel higher” etc. The girls in the salon love him so much. He had 3 pretty shampoo girls all by himself. Every girl wants to chat with him but couldn’t understand his strange English. (Poor old daddy…he had no one but a shampoo boy.)

Filed under Family, Life in Shanghai

Happy Father’s Day

June 15, 2008 Leave a comment



I was away in Hong Kong the last 4 days. Felicia and Elkan did this Father’s Day e-greeting card for me. (Feli took the photos and Elkan wrote these words in Photoshop using a mouse). Gone are the crayons and pencils – yet this e-card didn’t lose its personal touch. It captured a priceless and timeless expressions of my boy and his pixelated handwriting. Quite impressive, I thought. (Details: Elkan only writes Daddy ending with a curvy "y")

The concept of being a father slowly gets into my head. All the while, I thought Elkan was a new member of the family. So cute, so adorable and so vulnerable. He has replaced many loved ones in my heart – that including my own Xbox and toys. He is the greatest test of my patience and also the reason behind many of my decisions. Not bad for a 3.5 year-old child – who is able to influence many around him.

I never recalled any drawing I rendered for my own dad for father’s day. Mmmm, I don’t even remember seeing my dad keeping any handmade father’s day gift from me. But fatherhood enlightened me a lot about my own relationship with my dad. I learnt to appreciate him so much more than ever. To be mushy, my father played such an important role in my life – he transformed me into a creative person.

With humble pay and a normal job, he endured the expensive fee to ensure I completed 6 years of private art classes (from aged 6-13). Of course, in return, I did him proud when I won my first 1st-prize trophy when I was only 9. He laid strong a significant foundation in me – that art background allows me to pursue my creative career until today.

When I look at my little boy, I wondered "what man will I be making out of you?" I have no answer or any expectation. Is a man’s path pre-determined by destiny or can be inspired by his own father? What do I see from that little cute eyes of Elkan?

Perhaps this poem (which I read it somewhere) best describes my feelings right now.

"I shan’t walk in front of you, cos’ I want you to seek your own path.
I shan’t walk behind you, cos’ I do not wish to be your burden.
I shall walk along with you, so we can accompany and take care of one another."

Happy Father’s Day to all.

Filed under Family

Elkan is Back!

April 4, 2008 4 Comments

Tracy made a surprise “Welcome Poster” for Elkan – pasted at our 18th floor lift landing. Felicia and Elkan saw the poster first…(when I was still in the lift carrying the luggages). She rushed back into the lift and gave me that estascy look!Below: Just 5-hour before – A happy send-off by Joanne and mum-in-law.

Filed under Family, Life in Singapore

Refreshing Taipei

April 4, 2008 2 Comments

Last weekend, I gave Felicia a surprise trip to Taipei. I hid her passport in my bag and wanted her to send me off to the airport. Being my partner for 15 years, she managed to sniff out my trick even before we left the house. Still, she acted dumb and played along. Tsk, tsk, this is what you get after 15 years of togetherness. She becomes the “worm in your stomach” (a chinese slang). Yucky!

I love Taipei (I guess I said that to many places I visited). Okay, I be more specific this time. I love Taiwan girls. They are known for their sweet tune and pitch (something most female readers disagree in disgust). Somehow, these personalities project a very sweet image of them. The hotel and retail girls are just so sweet that you want to give them a good hug. Both Feli and I refer them as “Chups-alike”.

It was a work-&-leisure trip. So, we didn’t really go out too much for sight-seeing. Taipei is another good shopping city. It is less crowded than Hong Kong and offers more varieties than Shanghai. Things aren’t cheap like Bangkok but you can find a lot of trendy goods (targeted for the youngsters). I saw one of the biggest magazine collections in their 24/7 bookstore – it is huge! You find tons of magazines covering all types of content (toys, lifestyle collectibles, premium gifts, handphones, hang-bags, fashion accessories etc).

Just like my London trip, I have a list of “must-hit” places – Taipei 101, ShiLin Night Market, Memorial Hall of Dr Sun, Forbidden City Museum and Ximan Ding. And I also have my list of “must-eat” – Taiwanese sausage, Hand-roll Prata, Bubble-Tea, Ice Jelly and Oyster Mee Sua. And the most important memento from Taiwan is a close encounter with their infamous “Betel Nut Beauties” (aka Ping Nang Xi Shi). That is a MUST-MUST for me. I have heard so much about them – I must see and touch it for myself. I mean the Betel Nuts..not the Beauties.

Well, I did covered most of those on my lists. Except, the hot and spicy Betel Nut Girls do not want to be photographed. We were rejected by a couple of them until we found one sweet, innocent, decent Betel Nut Girl. She must be the most conservative one along the street. (Anyway, you don’t see a lot of those RA type in Taipei…they are all further away from the capital city.)

We came to Taipei at the right time. President Ma just won the election. And coincidently, Feli and I “rubbed shoulder” with ex-President Lee Teng Hui. We walked pass each other at Sharaton Hotel. Strange thing is the police cleared us to walk near Lee. We have a close proximity with him. He was there to attend a wedding dinner (could be his relative).

So, this is Taipei… and I am back to Shanghai with my “prankster” and ever-so smart-yet-act-dumb wife.

Filed under Family, Life in Shanghai, Travel

My Big CNY Feast 2008

February 10, 2008 1 Comment


(Photo Taken: Wahbiang CNY Reunion Dinner on 10 Feb / CNY Gathering at Auntie Amy House on 8th Feb)

For the past 5 years, I haven’t been spending enough effort to meet up with my relatives, especially my favourite cousins and elders. Ever since Granny’s death, the whole clan lost their togetherness as one big family. When I was young, CNY is the most anticipated festival for me. It was a time when all the big 7 families gathered and the bonds were very strong. When Granny is gone, no elders manage to lead and continue our family’s tradition and legacy. Over the past 9 years, we celebrated our own CNY in our own micro family. We only visit one another and it is so difficult to get the big family back together again.

This CNY, I decided to pay all of them a visit. One house after another, the feeling was really good. I guess everyone miss the good old days but no one ever think of rounding up the families together. When I visited Granny at Bright Hill, I told her my little wish – that is to rally the families together in 2009 CNY. Let’s bring back the old glory of one big family. Or should we want to wait for another funeral / wedding to gather?


(Photo Taken: CNY Gathering at Xuejun’s house on 12th Feb / CNY Gathering at Gugu’s house on 12th Feb)

It is on the dinning table where we chat our lives and share our joy. When I dine at Gugu’s house, I tried so hard to hold back my tears on the dining table. There was one particular dish that reminded me of Granny. It was that special taste. Each bite brought back memories of my childhood with Granny. Sigh…I am getting sentimental again. (I guessed I will look really stupid if I cried that day – my dad and mum would think I choked on some bones or what!) I excused myself in the midst of dinner, went to the living room, clear my eyes and throat and came back with the camera.

I wish I can expressed more that day. I want to tell them how much I miss Granny’s cooking and those days back in Koon Seng Road. It was simple family-cooked food but the feelings are so different. No other food can compare with this. It is a family recipe, passed by word-of-mouth from mothers to daughters. And soon, all these will be lost and our new generation will have nothing to pass to their next.

The best thing in life may not be the most expensive one. Like the animation “Ratatullie”, it is the reminiscing of one’s fondest memory that completes the perfect taste of that signature dish. It is not made up of the best and most expensive ingredients but it consists the “taste of pure love” which touches our hearts.


(Photo Taken: Lunch Gathering with Qianqian and Alvin on 16th Feb. / Chalet at Downtown East on 17th Feb.)

Filed under Family, Life in Singapore, Wahbiang

Dad’s 60th Birthday Ride

February 10, 2008 1 Comment

On Dad’s 60th Lunar Birthday, I planned an unusual dinner night for our family. They were of course, thrilled. This is our first time dining on the “Cheng Ho Vessel”. Everyone is excited. The vessel departs at Marina South Pier at 630pm and it is a 2.5 hour ride around Singapore southern islands. It cost only S$55/head and the buffet dinner is only so-so. Like the Junk I sat in Hong Kong, this ride promised an unforgettable experience (with fireworks and open-air deck). Before boarding, my mum, aunt and dad were very excited and happy. They were so eager to get onboard.

The story wasn’t the same after the vessel departed the pier. Auntie Amy was giddy, my mum was vomitting, our children were screaming and my poor old dad didn’t really get a nice 60th Birthday. Look, half of his guests were either sea-sick or staying very still. Even my brother-in-law didn’t finish his cup of beer. At the end of the 2.5 hour ride, everyone is looking forward to shore. It is amusing to see how the guests “suffered” the ride.

I am sure they remember this day. And poor dad, he didn’t even have the chance to blow his cake. 😛

Filed under Family, Life in Singapore

Shanghai – Snow City

January 29, 2008 Leave a comment

No, this is not an architectual model. It is a real photo taken from my window this morning. Shanghai is experiencing her heaviest snowfall since 1949. The last heavy snowfall was recorded in 1984 and it wasn’t as heavy like this. To many locals, it was their first time seeing thick snow right outside their homes. For me, it was like traveling to another snow city. Overnight, every place I have been has taken on a new look.

The strangest thing is about the temperature. It has fallen to minus three now but it isn’t as cold as it was like 5. The sun came out today and the thick snow is still there. Many people are happy about the snow. It is a good sign to them – “Finally, the good old snow is back in Shanghai”, exclaimed my cab driver (who is in his 50s). “You see, in the old days, Shanghai used to snow like this. But the pollution changed the weather so much. It is like back to the old days.”

This is my first encounter of snow. And it is certainly a wish came true. I was planning to see snow last Christmas but I ended up back in Singapore. Thus, you can imagine how happy I was today. To me, everything is refreshingly beautiful. Snow, is just like “ice kacang”. And yes, snowball is as painful as rock. And very dirty too.

Today, I took a 3-hour lunch and skipped off to Fuxing Park with my two close colleagues. (It was the best AWOL I ever made.) It was amazing!!! I was so thrilled and high! The city is awaken with excitement and joy! You see adults having snowball fights on the streets, children and parents building snowballs everywhere (on pavements and even on cars!). Like a kid, I was so hyper…capturing all sort of things with my Canon Camera. I built my first “snowgirl” today! Okay, I didn’t really get my hands cold and dirty, I did add the finishing touch to it (the black nipples!) My colleagues Alicia and Calvin did most of the hard work.

Walking under the trees can be a hazzard. When the wind blows, piles of snow will just fall on top of your head. And it can be really painful. Running on thick snow is also fun, you can’t really see the real terrain below and I had a couple of bad falls. But I am just so happy, who cares! It is snow!

Here is the bad news. Since Sunday, more than 3,000 people were admitted to hospital for broken bones (due to slip-falls). And over 30,000 people are still stranded at Shanghai train stations and airports. Both Pudong and HongQiao airports were closed due to heavy snowfall. And yes, I am flying tomorrow and I have no idea if I am able to get a flight back. Just heard that DragonAir has stopped all flights to Hong Kong (quite a major disruption for their aviation history). There is no confirmation if I can board my SQ flight tomorrow.

Mmm…(here another wish) maybe the snow can just stop for 1 day so that I can take a flight back home for my CNY tomorrow. (Yeah, just heard on the TV that the snow won’t come back until this Friday!)

Filed under Family, Life in Shanghai

A White Sunday Morning

January 27, 2008 2 Comments

I was in my good old lazy sleep when Felicia shook me up from my bed. “Come out to the balcony, look at the roofs outside!”

It was a pleasant sight. The roofs out there were all white. The cars in the parking lots were all white. The grass, roads, playgrounds and pavements were all white. I quickly ran back into the bedroom and dragged “frustrated” Elkan out of his sleep. Sure, he was like me – pulling the blackest face. I yelled “Elkan, let’s go down and play snow!” It was only 730am.

In no time, the three of us geared up and dashed downstairs. I nearly slipped off the pavements as it is coated with a very thin layer of ice. Everything was coated with snow. I bet what Joanne and Tracy are thinking right now – “Ai yah, miss that!”

Elkan was having fun stepping on the icy ground. Felicia was shivering. And me, clicking the photos away! I had such a wonderful week –  at least I managed to see snow in Shanghai before I fly back to Singapore. While the snow wasn’t thick enough for a game of snowball, it was just an elevator ride away. White enough to fulfill my little humble wish.

Filed under Cool Stuffs, Family, Life in Shanghai

A happy and foggy dreamy birthday

January 8, 2008 Leave a comment

Elkan was jumping on the bed. Felicia went and picked up 2 wrapped gifts from the living room. Tracy was “preparing” something in the kitchen. Me? I was arguing with Elkan on the actual timing.

It was the eve of Felicia’s birthday. 2 mins to 12am, 7th Jan. Felicia showed me a e-Greeting photo done by Joanne on Facebook. Elkan was singing his own version of Happy Birthday. I told him that it wasn’t 12am yet, he pointed to the super-fast clock in my bedroom and he was right – it showed 12:10am.

I dragged Felicia and Elkan out to the living room. Tracy came out just in time – with a cake on her hand – singing happy birthday. There were only 2 candles (double 3) on the cholocate cake – that excite Elkan – who couldn’t wait to blow out the candles. We had the usual cake-cutting and gift-opening. 4 good gifts on the first hour of her big day. (From Meiling, Tracy, Jovel and me!)

It was a very foggy day. I would say it was the most foggy day I ever see in Shanghai. It was like walking on clouds. Low clouds, super foggy and magical. Felicia received a mystery flowers from an unknown sender. Tracy MSN me and told me it is from Felicia’s secret suitor. Haa…. I thought it was from Meijie.

We had a very nice birthday dinner later that day. Echo, Francis, Grey and family (mum and dad) joined us at Ruijin Hotel. We had good food at a very “heritage” place. The weather, fog, old building and atmosphere created a mixture of magic for our night.

This is Felicia’s 2nd birthday in Shanghai. The third one in this house. And possibly her last one in this city.

Filed under Family, Life in Shanghai, Wahbiang

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