Chinese New Year

Gong xi fa cai to you all. 

Best wishes for the new year

Due to New Year celebrations we only had to work the Wed evening and Sunday. Except for the retail sector, businesses traditionally take a week off and schools much the same so there were lots of absences in our Sunday classes too. Having been away the weekend before we stayed here and enjoyed an afternoon of tennis on Thursday at Heather and Michael's followed by a BBQ at their condo.

 boys at the bbq

 girls tossing the Yu Sheng salad

On Friday we had a lazy, late start. Eric was trying to have a restful sleep-in when the Lion Dancers arrived at our condo to welcome in the New Year. There was much drumming and cymbal clashing before it was all over.  I went down and met Cynthia and Rafael who kindly took it upon themselves to enlighten me. I learnt that when the lions have finished with the offerings they will have arranged them in a particular manner. It is up to you how you read and then analyse the numbers. They showed me how today's arrangement could be read 6188 or 8819. Now I just need to learn how to analyse numbers.

Later we joined H and M to walk around Jalan Besar, finishing at Kampung Glam. We were more or less following a heritage trail which took us to some new areas we haven't chanced upon until now. We walked by the stadium, home of the Singapore Lions Soccer Team, some beautifully restored shophouses and a lovely temple with the largest prayer wheel I have ever seen, right on the street. 

We finished up our walk around the Sultan State Mosque in Kampong Glam, had lunch and then visited the Malay Heritage Museum which is housed in what was originally the Malay Sultan's Palace (what they call the Istana), right beside his mosque. The current one is in Dhoby Ghaut, this one dates back to 1819 but was recently restored and reopened in 2012.

Then we all took the new Blue MRT Line to Chinatown from Bugis. The boys went home while Heather and I scouted Dhoby Ghaut for a suitable starting point for the Great Race and tried for buttons at Spotlight, only to find it was closed. 

On Saturday we met Peter and Chen Guan at Nex then traveled to Ang Mo Kio where June joined us as we followed a trail from the AMK Hub through a hawker centre and the Teck Ghee Court Market (all mostly closed this morning due to CNY) and on to the lovey AMK/Bishan Park. We made our way to the Kong Meng Phor Kark See Monastery, one we have observed from a distance a number of times but not visited. It is the largest temple in Singapore and features two stupas, numerous prayer rooms and many statues and shrines throughout the gardens. It was great to have Chen Guan with us to help explain the different halls, prayer rooms and deities. 

Despite the large number of people visiting at this time, there was still an air of tranquility about the place. Many were making offerings to their ancestors whose ashes have been stored in the columbarium. 

I was most impressed with the Guan Yin (Kuan Yin) statue which represents the Goddess of Mercy (also seen on top of Kek Lok Si Temple on Penang), but here she is settled amid many statues of babies because she is believed to help young couples in their wish to have a family. 

We retraced our steps through the park and had lunch at the Food Park hawker centre before returning home where Eric set to work on a lamb roast. Yes, you read that right (he'd found a discounted small piece). It wasjust enough to feed three, so we shared it with Peter along with a Footbolt and chocolate self saucing pudding. 

And so it became Sunday and we had to return to work. In the evening the recently inaugurated Whiskey Appreciation Club met at Peter's new home in Kovan for a further sampling. That made getting up for the usual walk on Monday a bit difficult but we made it to Bayfront in time to join them for a walk through Gardens by the Bay and out to the Barrage. They have recently opened the children's playground section of the Gardens and there were many families there enjoying it. 

Looking at that amazing building I mentioned that we hadn't ever actually been up to the top deck yet, and very quickly we had volunteers offering to take us up on Tuesday evening. OK, why not? We caught the train back to Chinatown for lunch where we were joined by Peter and Leonie from AMK branch. There were still masses of people there but the street decorations are just amazing. 

In between all those outings he new sewing machine has been put to work on a piece of silk I couldn't resist some time ago and I am very happy with it. The machine and the progress on the new project. Didn't get it finished this weekend though as we were booked in for cocktails at the Ku De Ta Bar on top of Marina Bay Sands Hotel. It is on the pointy bit at the front (I guess you would say the stern).

The sky was disappointingly hazy but even so the views were stunning. I can imagine the hotel guests feeling pretty special staying here and enjoying this pool on the 57th floor.