The Top View

October 10, 2010 Leave a comment

(Photo taken: The Singapore Flyer at Marina Promenade)

Filed under Life in Singapore

Ice Ice Braty

October 2, 2010 Leave a comment

(Photo Taken: National Geographic’s Freezing Chamber at Vivo City – We thought this is one good way to keep a hyperactive child still. Elkan was jumping wildly and having a good time in the minus-2-degree glass box. He attracted more attention than ever. We decided to let this brat out of his cage.)

Filed under Life in Singapore

Universal Studio Singapore

October 1, 2010 1 Comment

Today, we joined thousands of children celebrating Children’s Day at the Universal Studio Singapore. I was told by many that the USS is smaller and “less attractive” than Disneyland Hong Kong. My verdict (after visiting the place): Both themeparks are very different. In my opinion, USS offers more action and drama than Hong Kong Disneyland!

My favourites are the “Revenge of the Mummy” indoor semi-dark roller-coaster ride and the highly-entertaining explosive “WaterWorld” show. “Steven Spielberg’s Special Effects Studio” is awesome! The destruction effects are spectacular! (It surely shocked my kid to the back of the room!) I will give them full marks if they add in the wind / big waves. “Shrek 4D” surpassed my expectation – the show jolted me off the chair with unexpected physical “sensations”.

My only complain is the hot weather. The park management should install more “mist blowers” to cool down the heat. Everything else is great. I am looking forward for their new expansion and add-on attractions in the coming future!

Filed under Life in Singapore, Wahbiang

A Warm Welcome for the Ho Family

October 1, 2010 1 Comment



(Photo Taken: “Makansutra Gluttons Bay”, Singapore – The same crowd for our usual Hong Kong weekend gathering – except this time, we are all in Singapore – welcoming the Ho Family!)

Filed under Life in Singapore

In Love with Singapore. Again.

August 21, 2010 Leave a comment


I have been away from home for almost 9 months. Thanks to a recent business trip to Indonesia last week, I am able to transit in Singapore for a short while to see my family and friends back home. Goodness, Singapore has changed so much in the last 9 months! And it is good enough for me to fall in love with her once more. 

The first difference I noticed is the large casino billboard on the wall at the airport arrival immigration hall. This is so different from the usual clean, good-city image that Singapore has been portraying for decades. I can feel the city is transforming.

Out at the taxi stand, there are so many types of taxi. Taxi now comes in all shapes and colours. They all look new, sparkling clean, sporty, spacious and comfortable. My cab driver was chatty throughout the trip. He actually mistook me as a Taiwanese as he said my Mandarin accent doesn’t sound local. (Haaa…wait till some one hears my son speaking Mandarin – Elkan struggled his Mandarin like an Ang Moh.)

On the way to my hotel, it was such an eye-opening journey. At the top of Singapore’s longest bridge “Benjamin Sheares Bridge”, it offers one a spectacular panoramic view of our city. You see some of our world record breakers here – the World’s largest outdoor swimming pool at the new Marina Sands Sky Park, the World’s largest Ferris Wheel – Singapore Flyer, and the World’s first double-helix bridge. I also saw the YOG Flame at the new Marina Reservoir Water Stadium (where Singapore is now hosting the 1st Youth Olympic Games). Not to mention the preparation works for our 3rd Night F1 Racing that will take place in September.

Kalinda and Meijie were my tour guide for the weekend. Without them, I will be lost for sure. Orchard has changed so much since my last visit. I feel it is finally back on the chart to re-reign its status of one of Asia Pacific’s best shopping districts! Other than the 2 infamous floods and sandbags, the quality of shopping, dining, entertainment are world class! Certainly, the pretty girls of Orchard are back too! (And there are so many Apple shops now!)

Despite the short weekend stay, I managed to revisit some of my favorite haunts – Parkway Parade, Tampines Mall and Katong. Thanks to Karen and Charlie, they brought me to Jalan Kayu (the famous roti-prata street) on my last night!

Well, it is an exciting home trip. I felt like a tourist! Maybe I should skip my Dubai or Cairo visit this year and bring the family home to Singapore for our Christmas holidays! We certainly need at least 5 good days to orientate ourselves back home!

Filed under Jo's Thoughts, Life in Singapore

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

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

And the award goes to…

December 26, 2007 Leave a comment

This year, Wahbiang celebrated their 2007 Christmas 5 days before the big day! Jimmy and Serene played host to another great party. The food was great, the venue was ideal. Our party was getting more eventful. Kids were crying, parents (MC & Charlie) stranded at home, adults working the next day, lost handphone woes and old friends just touched down Singapore.

This year, folks in Shanghai (Felicia and Tracy) added a new item in our Christmas Party. We organised the 1st Wahbiang Awards (maybe the last – cos we do not want the same people winning every year!) The voting received 90% of the participation. And the award voting was fair and open. Karen Loo was our Guest of Honor for the night and she gave out all the awards.

Here are some of the winners:

Busiest Man of the Year: Jimmy Teo
Best Supporting Role: Wang Meijie
Best Male Singer: Gareth Tan
Best Female Singer: Kalinda Low
Worst Singer: Huang Yifu
Most Popular Female: Felicia, Lusia
Most Popular Male: Duuk, Meijie
Best Couple: Duuk and Juliana
Fighter of the Year: Juliana
Best Comedian of the Year: Gareth Tan
Single of the Year: Wang Meijie
Flirt of the Year: Joe Chua (I hid the award..so no one can “swan” me that night)
Best Christmas Party: Kalinda’s House 2004
Newcomer of the Year: Kaylene
Naughtiest Kid: Elkan
Top Winner: Wang Meijie (3 medals)

As the night was getting late and parents-with-kids were leaving. We broke our tradition of “gift-exchange” games and did a quick gift-exchange. Lusia was very sporting that night. She encouraged the games to go on. We played 3 rounds of “really funny” games.

Filed under Life in Singapore, Wahbiang

A Black Day

August 29, 2006 Leave a comment

Exactly one day after the arrival of “Grey”, my life went into a few days of “Black”.
In fact, this happened about 1 week ago – last Wednesday to be exact. I was having a late meeting (here in Shanghai) when I received a call from Felicia. It was 730pm. She was sobbing over at the other end.
That was the 2nd time I heard Feli crying over at the other end. Living overseas, there is no such thing as “a good place” or “a good timing” for someone to break a bad news. The 1st time when Felicia called crying was when Elkan hit and cut his head. My heart sank when I heard the news but I regained my senses almost immediately – to mentally-prepare for the next step. Thankfully, it was just a couple of stitches and my little boy was hopping about the next day.

“Dear…there has been an accident…” Felicia cried. “…..A car accident…”

My heart broke even before I get to hear the complete story. In that spilt second, everything paused around me. I looked outside the window… lots of images flashed across my mind – like a sudden power surge – I saw images of my mother, my father, my friends and my son. It was the “scariest and longest second” I ever felt in my life. Yes, I am preparing for the worst.
“What happend…?” I asked.
“Dear…you know, this morning, they left for Malacca… something happened…one of the cars overturned….and one of our auntie died on the spot, “ she sobbed.
That was all I could take. My heart sank…and my knees turned weak. I walked out of the conference room, found a quiet corner and sat there. Earlier that day, 2 Singapore cars left for Malacca. My mother-in-law and Elkan were in one of the cars. For that one moment, my mind told me that I have already lost my son. My head was blank…My heart stopped beating… nothing else matters now.
“Is… Elkan…alright?” I trembled. I was expecting for the worst. My head was already calculating all the exit plans – air ticket, project hand-over, etc etc.

“Yah..he is okay…Mum and him were in the other car…” Felicia assured me. It was a relief and that is all I need to hear.

I couldn’t sleep that night. Feeling so lost, sad and worried. My heart went to my cousins and uncle – who lost a lovely mother and wife overnight. I can understand their loss, their pain. This could happened to my son or anyone dear to me.
Life is so ironic. I experience both the extreme joy (of birth) and sorrow (of death) in less than 24 hours. Life is so fragile – as what Joanne said to me – we may not even have a chance to say goodbye.
For my late auntie and her family who loves her. My deepest condolences.

Filed under Family, Life in Shanghai, Life in Singapore

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