Archive for 2004

Philanthropy - Giving with a Reason

Thursday, December 30th, 2004

Philanthropist isn’t a term reserved for tycoons with more money than they (or their extended families) can ever use in their lifetime. In the spirit of Christmas, we are reminded to remember those who are in need.
Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and […]

Christmas 2004

Sunday, December 26th, 2004

Christmas has come and gone, with feasting and celebrations aplenty. Here’s a short summary:
Feasting:

Savi’s Christmas party on Friday at Downtown East (and pre-Christmas celebration the day before) - although the fun part was actually the water rides, not lunch at McDonald’s.

Dinner on Friday night at Uncle TS’s home. Lots of food, and family […]

Christmas Penitential Service

Monday, December 20th, 2004

Catholic churches all around the world organise penitential services before major feast days. The intent is that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is an essential part of our preparation to celebrate Christmas.
Confession is invariably the most daunting of all sacraments that Catholics are expected to receive on a regular basis. It requires humility and […]

Marriage of Unequals

Saturday, December 18th, 2004

I attended a wedding today, a regular Singapore-style feast to celebrate the union of husband and wife. Although it was a lunch (in Singapore, most weddings culminate in a dinner), the hotel and menu and settings were very much like that of a typical celebration.
This union was a little unusual because the groom was […]

Taiping

Thursday, December 16th, 2004

Taiping is a sleepy town built at the bottom of Bukit Larut (Maxwell Hill). It is one of the largest towns in the state of Perak, in the northen half of the Malayan Peninsula, but has missed out on the economic boom that overtook Malaysia in the late 20th century.
The town still boasts the […]

Malacca

Wednesday, December 15th, 2004

Anyone interested in the history of the Malayan Peninsula must visit Malacca. This ancient city was the capital of the first recorded Malay Kingdom founded by Parameswara in the 14th century. It flourished because of trade in the Straits of Malacca between India and China and carving a niche between the Thai and […]

Servicing The Toyota

Wednesday, December 8th, 2004

I sent in the Toyota for its first service: at 1000 km, it’s a minor checkup, where Borneo Motors (the authorised Toyota dealer in Singapore) cleans up the car, changes the oil and returns it to the owner almost-spanking new. The service centre (of which there are currently five in Singapore) was very comfortable […]

Investing in Singapore Real Estate

Sunday, December 5th, 2004

The Suntec City forms a significant portion of Singapore’s Marina downtown. Its five office towers and connecting shopping mall were built on reclaimed land off Beach Road - it is now a prime destination, attracting shoppers and diners in the weekends and power suites during the weekday.
Singapore has launched several real-estate investment trusts (REITs) […]

Canton Wok in Serangoon

Saturday, December 4th, 2004

How do I know I’ve recovered from an illness? When my appetite returns. Although my tonsils are still sore, my fever has been lifted today and I had the chance to bring my parents out to dinner at a new place in Serangoon: Canton Wok.
Its a small restaurant that serves mouth-watering Chinese dishes […]

Prolonged Fever Spell

Wednesday, December 1st, 2004

It’s now my third day of high temperature and aching joints. It doesn’t seem very much like a flu to me, because the fever hasn’t broken yet. I’m still aching and my body feels hot to the touch - it looks like this is a nasty bug.
The most frustrating part is that I […]