Dark Days at Gotham City
July 25, 2012 Leave a comment
(Photo Taken by Istagram: Dark and gloomy week, 23rd – 28th July 2012. Last Tuesday, Hong Kong was hit by the biggest typhoon since 1999.)
24 Happy Hours
June 16, 2012 4 Comments
Just when I least expected… I received one of the most special birthday gifts of my life – presence of my loved ones (My 139th and 140th new HK visitors – Chester and his friend)! Thanks for making my day so special and unforgettable. I am touched by your blessings and love. Just like what I wrote in my last blog post – “It is never about the gifts I received. It is about the people I love and miss most. It is their presence I long for.” Thank you very very much!
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You are the best gifts of my life
June 15, 2012 Leave a comment
Thanks to all the great birthday wishes I received last year, I had the happiest and the most fulfilling year of my life. Looking back at all the past year’s blog postings and photographs, I was blessed by all the love showered by God and my loved ones back home. Be it work, love or family life, it has been a colorful and amazing year for me! Every day is a new gift for me. There is always something new to look forward to.
Despite away from home, I had many great reunion times with my wife, son, father, mother and friends. From my last birthday celebration in Gold Coast to icy cold Christmas at Harbin, I have visited many new places with my favorite travel-mates (Kalinda, Tracy, Meijie, Felicia, Elkan and Harshad). Many friends flew in regularly (brothers like Gareth, Francis, Jimmy, Desmond, Meijie, Cousin Bin and Yei) to light up my lonely weekends. 2 visitors I missed most are my dad and mum. In their presence, I felt like their little boy. For some strange reasons, I miss their nagging. It is a great feeling to roam the streets with them, have dinner together and live under one roof. Thanks to my mum, she has been imparting family recipes to me during my past visits back to Singapore.
Whenever there is reunion, there is goodbye. I have a love-hate relationship with both Changi and Hong Kong airports. Despite so many years and countless farewells, I admit it is not my strongest attribute. I still find saying goodbye difficult. Especially to my son and wife. (mmm…also my dad and mum too!)
Thanks to all my friends in Hong Kong, they made me feel at home. My clients and my colleagues are wonderful friends. Not to forget that I have the 2 most faithful and supportive souls around me everyday – Harshad and Tracy. Gosh, I see both of you every minute of my life for the last 3 years (okay, maybe not for Harshad.. Sorry that I abused you badly at work.) Back in Singapore and Shanghai, I have a group of friends that I can 100% count on. They are always there whenever I need them.
Looking back at all my birthdays. It is never about the gifts I received. It is about the people I love and miss most. It is their presence I long for and not the presents they give.
It is my birthday today and I want to say a big thank you to all of you. Thanks for filling my days with so many colorful memories, tons of whatsapp/QQ/Facebook messages. You are one of the key reasons why my blog exists! Thanks for being there with me during my low and high periods. Thanks for being there with me virtually, physically or sometimes durianfully. Thanks for understanding me so much (in fact, I don’t quite understand myself as much as you do). And thanks for remembering my birthday (even though quite a few of you sent me greetings 2-3 days earlier..including my mum!) You are the best gifts of my life. And thanks for another 365 happier days.
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Rooooaarrr….My name is “Made in China”
June 10, 2012 Leave a comment
(Photo Taken: An installation art by Chinese artist Sui Jianguo – Harbour City, Kowloon Hong Kong – China has been producing million tons of toys for the world. Sadly, many consumers do not remember the brand names of these Chinese-made toys. What consumers constantly see is the mark “Made in China”. Sui Jianguo’s inspiration came from the tiny toy dinosaurs that are mass-produced in China. He transforms these cheap, plastic objects into a monumental work of art. Since the words “Made in China” is more recognizable that any other Chinese brand names, Sui decided to name his iconic dinos “Made in China”. These “M.I.C.” dinos aren’t cheap at all. In 2008, the gold Dino was auctioned for HKD650,000. Now, that is quite a massive name.)
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The Walking Dead (of Democracy) II
June 10, 2012 Leave a comment
(Photo Taken: 10th June Protest, Hong Kong – Marching blindfolded, thousands of people took on the street today in black and white to mourn the recent mysterious death of Chinese labor activist, Li Wangyang. Li was arrested on 9th June 1989 for his advocacy for independent trade unions. He was imprisoned behind “labor camp” for the past 20 years. It was reported he hung himself in the hospital 1 year after his release. His “mysterious suicide” raised suspicions amongst the other activists who demand the Chinese government for explanation and investigation.)
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20th Anniversary March of Falun Gong
May 7, 2012 Leave a comment
(Photo Taken: Falun Gong March, Mongkok Hong Kong – Banned in China and other countries, this is one rare sight we will never get to see back home. On 6th May, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners marched down Nathan Road in Hong Kong to celebrate the sect’s 20th Anniversary Founding Day.)
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My Favorite Cough Syrup (川貝枇杷膏)
April 23, 2012 Leave a comment
(Photo Taken: Chuan Bei Pi Pa Gao (川貝枇杷膏) Giant 3D Bottle, Guangzhou Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street (上下九步行街) – This may be the world’s largest cough syrup bottle (certainly need a big spoon to go along with this). The visual presence actually worked! Instantly, I developed this deep craving for the syrup. This Chinese Herbal Syrup is 100% tastier/sweeter than the western cough syrup. It is a blend of 15 herbal ingredients which helps to relieve cough and sore throat associated with common cold, influenza or similar ailments.)
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M+M (138 and counting)
April 23, 2012 Leave a comment
(Photo Taken: Good friends from Tokyo, The Peak – Finally, Martin and Mari (my 137th and 138th Hong Kong Visitors ~ David Ng was Visitor 136) are here in Hong Kong! It is really good to have them here over the short weekend. We had a great gathering at the peak this evening – watching sunset and “food-tasting” with Winston, Tracy, Eric and Dorothy at Central.)
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Mammoth Love at IFC Hong Kong (12 Apr – 10 May 2012)
April 15, 2012 Leave a comment
Meet “Lyuba” (meaning “Love” in Russian is a 42,000-year-old mammoth) – She is the world’s most valuable archeological discovery of our times. She is very special and unique as she is the most perfectly preserved baby mammoth ever discovered. She provides archeologists a never-before-seen view of prehistoric life in Siberia. Discovered in the frozen soils of north-west Siberia by a reindeer herder, Yuri Khudi in May 2007, Lyuba was found lying along a riverside 42,000 years after her birth. However, Lyuba mysteriously disappeared the next day. She was stolen when Yuri and the archeologists arrived. It took the government and army lots of effort to rescue Lyuba from the poacher who intended to sell her to a merchant.
Mammoth died out around 8,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. Injecting the mammoth DNA into an egg of today’s modern elephant, a team of Japanese scientists are now on their way to bring back the long-extinct mammal back from the dead. It was reported that we will be able to see a living mammoth clone in the next 5-10 years. (Haaa…Big Bird and Wooly from Sesame Street will have a real friend to play with!)
It took IFC 2 years to bring Lyuba to Hong Kong. The exhibition opens from 12 April to 10 May 2012 (and it is free!). Unlike previous exhibitions at the IFC which were more commercial/brand-driven, this is one very rare, valuable and educational archeological showcase for the public. It took me a long time to squeeze through the crowd to come face to face with Lyuba. Check out the amazing discovery and recovery story of Lyuba’s below. For more information, visit: http://ifc.com.hk/lyuba/
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Remembering Leslie Cheung (12 September 1956 – 1 April 2003)
April 1, 2012 Leave a comment
(Photo Taken: Mandarin Oriental, Central Hong Kong – Loyal fans from all around the world paid their respect to the late Cantonpop star, Leslie Cheung who leapt from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel on 1st April 2003 at 6:41pm. A victim of depression, Leslie was 46 then.)
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Days Away from Home
Singapore Blog Awards Finalist 2013
Singapore Blog Awards Finalist 2010-2012
Proud to be part of the Singapore Memory Project
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