Happy & Prosperous New Year!

This is a persistence problem which gets louder the closer you are to the Lunar New Year. Discarded furniture, opened box cartons of new television sets purchased all being dumped at a stairway cum lift landing where it is supposed to be your fire escape. Few years back two from a family died when they tried to escape a big fire when they ran into stuffs that blocked their way. These are educated Singaporeans, maybe with better education than me, live in condominiums and are successful people. What happen? Why can't they pay $10-20 and get the cleaners to dispose at the same time reward some one for work? What's education for? We have to clean up our souls my friends. You can take a man out of the gutter but it is harder to take the gutter out of the man!

I nearly wanted to tell off an old man who got into his car after paying for his petrol. There was a long queue but he took his own sweet time. What was he doing? He was talking on his mobile phone while next to the pumps! I was observing him and was getting upset and was about to approach him when he decided to drive off. I would have told him: "Hey I still want to play golf you know!" It is very dangerous to use your mobile phone while filling gas. I spoke to several kiosk attendants and they said there are many such self-important idiots out there. I reminded them gently that they have a right to tell this people off. Come on people, why are you like that?

When it rains it pours. Look at the rain coming down recently. The music of Burt Bacharach can make you feel - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbYWkegobTU

This is what you will see if the rain is too heavy and relentless coming on to your windscreen where even your wipers could not react quickly enough even at maximum speed. I never failed to love this song from the Cascades since young.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQstQST1GiM

How about Supertramp: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8lVYLbeub8&playnext=1&list=PL2B57A0039252E43A

Rain - coming to a windscreen near you, er. I mean coming to a cinema near you.

Rain in Ninja Assasin - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwDzJN_BBMM
(closest to Bruce Lee in fat content in body).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll_pu3mD9m8 (Paramore)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScKDHMM3QLE&playnext=1&list=PLD89F9C6DE4DF4B08 (Weather Girls)

Once, I saw four guys total age combined about more than 200 over years old getting stuck in the rain one afternoon. In a matter of hours they consumed 17 bottles of beer. Amazing! Where did these old fools get their money from? And the time?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjFoQxjgbrs (Carpenters)

and I never forgot this song and could even serenade you with the Everly Brother's Crying In The Rain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz0Sscke9z4 because when you cry in the rain, nobody can see and know you are crying.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAwTXYkUgX0&feature=related

What Are Your Fave Cookies?

Kueh Bahulu, Kueh Bangkit, Pineapple Tarts, Love Letters, some are traditional and others new age. I have found the perfect one-stop place for all your CNY cookies and delights. It is at Teck Neo @ Telok Blangah Rise. They have almost everything you need and they are mostly of a high standard in terms of quality and taste. Their pineapple tarts are very good and so is the "hebi hiam" which has a very fragrant and spicy "shiok". Love letters with sesame is fabulous. Pineapple to the Chinese is symbolic since pineapple in dialect "ong lai" means prosperity comes. Pamelo is not only refreshing but "yu" means "to have" so don't call a pamelo beautiful and say "mei yu" which sounds like don't have. Meanwhile at Tong Heng which gives us the best egg tarts, they have one of the best "nian gao".

Beccarino @ Tanjong Pagar is quite innovative too and popular among working folks here.




















The Chinese God Of Fortune & Prosperity visited me and wish me a bountiful new year. I told you I have connections and friends in "high places" didn't I? Here is the proof.

It is the tradition to eat "pek tor" fish, a type of rabbit fish aka the Prosperity fish because during its breeding season which is during the Chinese Lunar New Year the female has a lot of roe while the male has "bau" which is actually sperm. It is best eaten after steaming and dipped in a specially prepared chili sauce. The fish becomes very expensive the closer it gets to the Chinese New Year. Abalone are useless until the Chinese eat them to exorbitant prices. Pek Tor fish is a delicacy to the Teochew who traditionally believed that it brings prosperity.

Rabbit Year

Rabbit fish for rabbit year. Even frogs depicted in children's story books go: "rabbit, rabbit". So what is good about the rabbit. They have long ears for clear and sharp hearing especially when predators are around. They have powerful hind legs for sprinting. Rabbits are constantly aware of their surroundings. They have a remarkable wide field of vision including overhead scanners. When in danger, they survive predation by burrowing. When cornered they delivered powerful hind kicks. Their strong teeth can bite to escape a struggle. They have a very high and rapid reproductive rate breeding easily for nine months in a year. In one season, a single rabbit can reproduce 800 children and grandchildren.

These are traits of a rabbit and if you were to possess some you are on the way. If you are even half a bunny in terms of reproduction, I am sure the government will award you the title of Bunny Of The Year!

Prosperity

Why is prosperity important and why don't we say or wish people just wealth, health or happiness? You see "Prosperity" is a state of success, thriving, flourishing and good fortune and often encompasses wealth and not just wealth but also include other important aspects of life as in health and happiness. So when you prosper, you can prosper in health, wealth, happiness, in work, career, business, in relationship, in golf. You can prosper in anything and everything. It is a very powerful word. In the next two pictures, you will see my wishes for you and your family.

Have A Blessed, Happy & Prosperous New Year! Huat Ah!!!