The Iconic Minis, Legendary Giant Dreamers of the 60s

June 9, 2013 Leave a comment

The 1960s produced many legends. Mini icons that left giant legacies. This was the era of the birth of the Mini Cooper, the Mini Skirt, the new colour tube, the baby bloomers, the man who floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, the Beatles who crossed Abbey Road, the Chinese farmer who grew new seeds of ideology and rallied the entire nation to march, a new King named Junior who had a dream and a spaceman’s small step that became the biggest leap for mankind.

This is what I love about the 60s – the era when the minis overcome big odds and achieved the impossible big dreams and ambitions. Their legacies, marvels and voices echo to this very day.

Singapore is one of these legendary minis of the 60s. Perhaps being small is one of the key success factors of Singapore. Psychologically, this disadvantage propelled our forefathers to pursue excellence. It made us more hungry, desperate to succeed, stronger sense of unity and more ambitious to prove ourselves that we can’t be easily taken. We were after all a small nation with big dreams.

This is exactly what we need today. No matter how small we are, we must be bold and daring to weave big impossible dreams. Dream like Martin Luther King, leap off like Neil Armstrong, punch like Muhammad Ali and brave tears like Lee Kuan Yew. It takes big passion and deep faith of these mini individuals to achieve big legacies of tomorrow. Let the spirits of the 60s live on today.

Filed under Jo's Thoughts

Sky High Reunion!

June 2, 2013 1 Comment

Our last separation was the shortest ever – merely 2 weeks apart. It is June vacation and my 2 darlings are back in Hong Kong yesterday afternoon! 30 days of good family-bonding and lots of noise/mess/disruptions/laughters/movies/video-games/hugging/wrestling/home-cooked food!

Right from the moment they dropped their luggages at my tiny apartment, I brought Felicia and Elkan to all their favourite places – Coco Curry at Causeway Bay, window-shopping at Winsor House, toy-hunting at Sham Shu Po, movie at Elements, duck-watching at Harbor City and dinner at Tsui Wah!

It was clear blue sunny sky today. The sun was baking hot. At 36°, it was too hot to go outdoor. Visibility was at its clearest today (and thanks to a timely suggestion by Chowpo), I brought them to ICC’s Sky100 (天際100) Hong Kong Observation Deck. Standing at 492 metres, the ICC (International Commercial Centre) is currently the world’s 4th tallest commercial building. The viewing deck is located on the 100th floor, 393 metres above sea level (and 2 storeys below Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong Hotel).

Since its opening 2 years ago on 17 April 2011, I have no intention to visit this viewing deck. I thought the “free view” at the Hong Kong Peak is much more appealing than this. I was proven wrong today. On a good clear day like today, ICC offers the best – unparalleled 360° city panoramic view of Hong Kong. Entrance fee is quite expensive at HKD168/adult and HKD118/child. We got 10% discount off using my HKID card and making payment through Union Pay card.

Was it worth it? Absolutely yes – provided you come on a clear sunny day and absence of hordes of obstructive tourists. We made a very impromptu visit this afternoon – I arrived at the wrong timing and without my professional lenses. I bet the best view would be at dusk when the sun set in purple-orangish hues and the Hong Kong skyline lit up with beautiful buildings’ lights. Nevertheless, it was a rewarding trip for us. The sun was extremely bright and the sky was superbly clear. A large group of tourists has just left and we had the whole place to ourselves. Hong Kong was stunningly beautiful today. Even the photos on the iPhone turned up picture-perfect. Above all else, I had the best sight-seeing experience at 100th storey high, in fully air-conditioned environment with my dearest loved ones by my side. What a great place to celebrate our June reunion! Enjoy the photos!

Filed under Family, Life in Hong Kong, Travel

Eat Play Work Thailand – Bangkok Trip

May 29, 2013 10 Comments

Many are not going to believe this. The truth is I have never been to Bangkok –  I finally broke this curse and made my maiden trip to this vibrant city on 24th May. Over the past 7 years, there were at least 6 times when I planned for the trip but cancelled them due to all sort of reasons (the Thailand Coup in 2006, the riot of 2009-2010, the Thailand Flood of 2011 etc). It is almost impossible for a Singaporean like me who loves traveling and shopping and never make it to Bangkok. My clients were in disbelief when I told them I am heading to Bangkok for the first time in my life. I was so paranoid about this trip that I was so worried that something bad may hinder my journey. Thankfully, I had an experienced guide (my colleague Chowpo) with me, I landed with ease and spent 2 fulfilling days at Bangkok.

This is a working-cum-recreational trip for me. For years, due to my job nature, I always wanted to visit its new airport and downtown duty free shop. This trip, I managed to do some site recce at some of Bangkok’s top and most popular shopping malls. I must say I was very impressed by some of the local’s retailing standards. Within our first day, we managed to comb 4-5 shopping malls (Siam Center, Terminal 21, Siam Paragon). It was a very hectic exercise but a very rewarding one. In the end,  I took hundreds of photographs for future work reference.

Just before the sun set, we managed to rush over to Chatuchak Weekend Market for a quick tour. It is the most popular shopping destination for many Singaporeans and Hongkies. I was pre-warned by Chowpo that I may not have enough time for browsing. She was right. This market was massive! The stalls were closely packed and there were just too many lanes to comb. It was very hot and humid and too congested to navigate around the market. Too many things to see, so little time to shop. The sky was turning dark and I decided to cut short my trip and headed back to my hotel.

We parked ourselves at one of the top and finest boutique hotels in Bangkok – The Hotel Muse at Langsuan. The stylish and top-notch hotel brings together the essence of Eastern and Western cultures, French and Thai design through its posh interiors and settings. Great underground bars, roof-top terrace and infinity pool! I strongly recommend this hotel to holiday-makers who want to experience something different. Do visit the Starbucks next door. Uniquely designed, this is Starbucks’ first “Community Concept Store” in Asia Pacific.

On my last night, I managed to sneak out and visited Bangkok’s most famous red light district – the Soi Cowboy at Sukhumvit. Flashing neon lights, scantily dressed hot bods and beautiful faces lined up along the narrow street. Quite a temptation for me to pop in to check out the joints and the ladies. However, I encountered too many beautiful transvestites at the malls earlier that day. I simply didn’t have any appetite to explore further. After a couple of quick shots, I took a cab to Chinatown at Yaowarat for late-night supper.

The next morning – on my last day in Bangkok, I decided to visit 2 other “must-visit” attractions – the Damnoen Daduak Floating Market and the Maeklong Railway Market. Chowpo and I woke up at 6am for this short morning tour. We took a 90-minute car ride (70km outside Bangkok City) to visit these 2 unique markets. The Damnoen Daduak Floating Market is the pioneer and  largest floating markets outside Bangkok City. We hired a “motorised shopping boat” for 90 minutes. There were lots of floating shops and stalls offering touristic souvenirs and fresh cooked food. The crowd were mainly tourists and I did not see a lot of locals shopping there. Somehow, the authenticity of this floating markets was long gone due to the influx of tourism. Nevertheless, it was still an awesome first-time experience for me.

The Maeklong Railway Market is legendary. Stalls are lined up centimeters along the railway tracks. 4 times a day, these make-shift stalls (on rollers) make way for the passing trains. When there is no train, shoppers walk along the narrow train tracks to shop. I didn’t see many tourists around.  These stalls are mainly catered for local customers. I wished I have more time to observe the locals and explore the markets. By noon, we made our way to the airport (for one last work assignment recce).

My first taste of Bangkok isn’t that bad after all. I was very lucky to avoid the notorious traffic jams. I love the diversity, the richness and the buzz of this city. Messy, disruptive and colourful, Bangkok has so much to offer. It left me with such a strong sense of desirability and curiosity that lures me to return, to explore and to discover this magical kingdom.

Filed under Cool Stuffs, Jo's Thoughts, Life in Hong Kong, Travel

Eat Play Work Thailand – Phuket Trip

May 29, 2013 2 Comments

Leaving my friends and family behind, I flew off to Phuket to join my colleagues and clients for a 5-day luxury conference at The Westin Siray Bay Resort and Spa. The luxurious bay-front resort offers panoramic sea views, hill-top infinity pools and big private pool-suites. For 3 days, we were stranded indoor for the conference, it was quite a pity that we were unable to spend all 5 days out in the water and on the beach (we managed to spend 1 good day out in the sun, on the beach team building). Despite the rainy weather and enduring 2 disruptive hot humid nights due to Phuket’s worst blackout since 1978, I enjoyed my stay at Phuket. Great resort, sumptuous Thai food, great company of old friends and colleagues and genuinely superb fun at this year’s conference! Best of all, I managed to squeeze some time off in the early morning to take photographs of this beautiful resort.

Filed under Life in Hong Kong, Travel

Market “Beautiful” – PasarBella

May 22, 2013 Leave a comment

If you miss the buzz and mishmash of Australia’s marketplace, pop by to Singapore’s latest shopping concept space – PasarBella at the Singapore Turf City.

Newly opens less than 4 weeks ago, PasarBella is an European-themed marketplace with lots of interesting stall concepts. Here you find Singapore’s largest community of fresh food traders, crafts retailers, bakers, connoisseurs and niche concept shops. From the second we stepped into the space, PasarBella reminded Felicia and me of Perth’s Fremantle Markets. The diversity of offers and the way the stalls are decorated made this place a colorful treasure trove of multi-sensorial discoveries. If you are a novelty-hunter like my Auntie Amy, you must pop by this “beautiful” rustic market!

Thanks Juliana for recommending this new place to me. (Enjoy the Photos!)


Filed under Cool Stuffs, Life in Singapore, Wahbiang

Little Discoveries at Esplanade

May 22, 2013 3 Comments

It has been a while since we watched a performance together. Last Sunday, Felicia brought Elkan and me to watch a puppet performance “Sticks, Stones, Broken Bones” at the Singapore Esplanade. The act was hilarious and very very entertaining. More than just a child’s shadow play, the Canadian artist, Mr. Bunk embedded little life values in his play. Truly motivational and creatively different. This is what art is all about.

After the play, three of us went to explore around Esplanade. We made many little discoveries (Anamorphic Arts) and had lots of fun cracking codes (The Labyrinth). Seating by the bay with Felicia and Elkan, overlooking Marina Bay Sands and the new Singapore Skyline, the feeling of being at home with my loved ones is pricelessly terrific.

Filed under Cool Stuffs, Family, Life in Singapore

Reunion – Class of 86

May 22, 2013 Leave a comment

For years, I am so used of being called “Joe” that I almost forgotten my Chinese name. Even my mum doesn’t call me by that name, she calls me as “Peng”. The only time when someone calls me by my Chinese name is when they are really angry with me.

You can imagine the surprise look on my face when someone called me by my Chinese name on the street. Instinctively, it must be someone from the past. Someone close and someone familiar.

It was Wei Qiang, my kindergarten friend. He was one of my closest primary school buddies and the captain of our volleyball team from 1985-1986. Wei Qiang led the team into the National Finals – one of the proudest moments in my childhood. (Don’t think my parents know about that.) Those were our happiest and most glorious days. We were the champions of the Eastern District. Our team was the most successful volleyball team in Kuo Chuan Presbyterian school. We were the legends. (Too bad, most of the guys were in the all-boy class, we didn’t get any special attention from the girls.)

We went on our separate roads after PSLE. His family moved out of the neighborhood and we lost contact. The last time we met was almost 20 years ago at the Air Force training school. He was an officer cadet and I was servicing my last months at the admin dept.

I was so happy to see him! That familiar smile, the familiar bond of yesteryears. It felt so good to embrace a lost brother of the past. We exchanged our Facebook IDs and I connected Wei Qiang with the rest of the old PBS boys and girls.

Last Sat, some of the PBS boys decided to gather at Jago Coffee Shop. Francis Toh (another kindergarten friend of ours) is the owner of the famous Jago Carrot Cake stall. Simon, Joachim, Wei Qiang (Eric), Caofa (Victor) and I decided to give Francis a surprise! After all, they haven’t meet for over 25 years!

Over the past few days, Facebook reconnected all the primary school friends. We setup a alumni group. Photos, stories and secrets were shared. It is a great feeling to see the old clan of yesterday active today.

Fate was kind to me for a second time. I bumped into another old PBS friend, William, on my last night in Singapore. Life is just so amazing. Just when you thought your old friends are a past distant away, they turned up at every corner unexpectedly.

Filed under Life in Singapore Tagged with , , ,

BayDay! Diving with the Sharks!

May 22, 2013 Leave a comment

Never judge a lady by her cover. For those who don’t know Tracy well may find her bubbly and sweet. The truth is, Tracy is a gutsy lady. She has more guts than most “macho-looking men” in my circle. I am very selective whenever we pick a holiday destination. She would “pressure” me to accompany for some dare-devil stunts. She is one person who doesn’t know the concept of fear.

Tracy’s birthday is here again. 4 birthdays ago, I gave her a “Reverse-Bungie” experience at Clark Quay. This year, I decided to give her a gift of “unusual-experience” – Diving with the Sharks at Sentosa. Unfortunately, Uncle Bay (her dad) disliked this dare-devil stunt gift and tried to dissuade her from accepting this gift. Tracy hated me for spilling the beans about her South Africa Bungie Jump to her old folks 3 years ago. (Wait till I tell them about her Skyfall at Macao Tower…)

Tracy’s dive with the sharks attracted my entire clan. My mum, dad and wife came specially to see the “show”. We were expecting to see her diving with the big white sharks. Luckily for Tracy, the great whites were in the other tank. What a shame, no drama.

Bradly, our business associate from Hong Kong also joined in the fun. I told him just in case if there is any shark attack, shield my colleague and buddy from harm. After all, I will be answerable to Tracy’s dad if anything bad happens to her.

The dive took place at the Singapore Underwater World where an experienced diver guided them for the 30-min dive. I had a back door access to go behind the scene where the water tanks are. There, both of them wore their diving gears and a quick crash course on “dos and don’ts”. It was more “don’ts” than “dos”. “Don’t catch the sharks, don’t wave your fingers at the sharks, don’t wander elsewhere and don’t take photographs here, sir!” The last “don’t” was for me. I was snapping the backstage of the underwater tunnels and the guide stopped me.

In the end, Tracy and Bradly had fun but struggled a little with the dive. Tracy made a couple of bumps. She wasn’t heavy enough to dive and the guide had to add more weight. We, the audience, were standing inside the tube under the water watching them. For a few minutes, Tracy and Bradly were enclosure attractions. Tourists snapped photos of their clumsy moves. It was certainly fun for the watchers (the children were wild when they saw them walking in the water). For Tracy, this is another different birthday experience she will remember for a while.

Filed under Cool Stuffs, Wahbiang

Never judge a building by its facade – Marina Bay Sands

May 20, 2013 Leave a comment

Marina Bay Sands Hotel is one of the most iconic buildings in Singapore. It’s unique shaped roof makes it one of the most recognizable casino-hotels in the world.

Despite having such fame locally and internationally, Marina Bay Sands fails to bring its 5 stars appeal into its service. I have stayed there 3 times and the experience was just disappointing. I wish the management put in more efforts in its hotel services. Here are my top Hates about Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

3pm Check-In
This is the most inconvenient and unfriendly policy, creating massive bottleneck and extremely long waiting time for guests checking in. For tourists who have just landed in Singapore, they find themselves stranded at the lobby. Queuing time takes up to 30 minutes. It is just unacceptable.

Inferior Reception Lobby
The lobby is an interior insult to its iconic exterior. The main hotel reception at Tower 1 is a plain, boring, uninspiring, institutional, flat design.

Waiting Time Music Performance
These are good respected musicians. Give them a proper stage and central space to indulge the waiting guests. Now, they are almost invisible and inaudible.

Shower Hot/Cold Knob
This is the most ridiculous feature in the hotel room. To adjust water temperature, one has to press the red button down and turn the knob. The knob was so tight that it took me massive strength to turn it. I don’t get it. What’s so special about this design that it creates so much inconvenience for the user.

Auto-Billing In-Room Mini Fridge
I was told by my colleagues that I should avoid opening the mini fridge. Cos there is a 10-sec auto-billing mechanic. Any item that is removed for more than 10 seconds will be considered as consumed and billed. Sneaky and very unthoughtful.

Outdoor Taxi Stand / Valet Parking Sofas
This is a posh hotel. Why are the guests waiting in the hot humid weather outdoor when the hotel can simply build an air-con waiting lobby. The valet parking sofas look like discarded old furniture in the middle of the road. It is just too odd looking for me.

Massive Jams at Tower 1
Somehow, this happened at every night during peak hours. There should be something the traffic controllers can do to smoother the flow. It is just ridiculous to wait 15 mins in the cab when we are just 100m away.

Many of my friends who stayed at Marina Bay Sands shared similar disappointment. It is just apathy that such a grand and iconic landmark holds little substance and style in its offerings. Never judge a building by its facade.

Filed under Jo's Thoughts, Life in Singapore, Travel

Ducky, is that yours?

May 4, 2013 Leave a comment

(Photo taken: Inflation! Exhibition, West Kowloon Art District – After a week of absence, the organisers finally got their sh*t up together literally! Mmm… wonder who left this giant pile of poo. “Fowl” play suspected.)

Filed under Cool Stuffs, Life in Hong Kong

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