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Published: January 8th 2019
Blue-Ginger gallery closed for winter, as usual, at Christmas and during the three days after Christmas all the beautiful artwork melted away and we were once again left with bare walls and emptiness. However many times I do this, it’s always a shock to see it disappear before my very eyes. Kenji was home for Christmas and we had a lazy indulgent day at my sister’s house where we were spoiled with all the Christmas food and family without doing all the hard work. It always sets the scene for my winter break. Then in a whirlwind of a week the gallery was emptied, Lottie dog went off on her holidays with friend Tutu in Somerset, Pun and her family came to stay, and then Susan came down from Glasgow and we caught up on news. Lists of tasks to be done and full instructions for every ( we hope) situation were made. Goodbyes to family and friends. Susan dropped me off at Birmingham airport for a New Year’s flight to Singapore via Istabul. The airport was empty and the flight to Istanbul only 1/3 full so I was congratulating myself for saving money and avoiding the crowds while everyone else
must be partying and seeing in the New Year. However, when we landed in Istanbul just before midnight the place was heaving with other travelers in transit so I ditched my hopes of three empty seats on the next leg of the journey . A muted cheer went up from one of the airport bars as New Year came into Istanbul and went on its way backwards towards the U.K. Friends in Japan, Australia , Thailand and Singapore had already greeted 2019 and were probably all sleeping soundly. Bleary eyed passengers boarded the flight to Singapore which left just before 2am
(Turkey time) I had a window bulkhead seat which meant I could stretch my legs out and also get out of my seat without disturbing the two men sitting to the side of me: a huge Russian man and his son. Luckily the slimmer son was seated next to me and his muscle-bound father wedged uncomfortably into the isle seat. They seemed to be in a group of Russian men all bound for Singapore with the older men built like tanks and the younger men trim and athletic. There didn’t seem to be anything in between! The flight attendants
were busy in the kitchen beside us and seemed to be constantly sliding the metal food trolleys in and out and rearranging them. They didn’t seem to fit or slide easily and the women really had to manoeuvre them and put some shoulder and hip action into getting them back into place. They were slightly hampered by the older Russian men constantly striding purposely into the kitchen area in search of whiskey and vodka. Eventually everyone was fed and watered , all the debris from the meals collected and deposited in the correct bins and trolleys and the lights were dimmed and the flight assistants kept a low profile unless the service lights above the seats was triggered by needy passengers. What a job! I had a chat with one of them while waiting my turn for the loo and she said they’d have one night in Singapore before doing a return flight Singapore-Istanbul the next day. But she did say that they all liked doing an overnight stop in Singapore. I only watched one of the movies - The Shape of Water-and just kept checking how long we had left to go and what time it was in our
destination, Singapore. I can’t stand those little earplugs from the head sets and find it difficult to hear conversations. Also managed to finish off one murder thriller book ( thank you Carol) and a strange, sweet little book by a Japanese author ( thank you Lois)
At last we prepared for landing and arrived in Singapore an hour earlier than scheduled. I had the usual problem with my thumb print in immigration. Ever year I’m sent to a special desk. I think I must do a bit more cleaning than usual just before I leave, and my thumb print is worn away. Only seems to be a problem in Changi airport.
Because I was early I was able to buy a bottle of duty free for friend Kathy and have a bit of a wash and brush-up in the loo before joining the queue for taxis, and go straight to dinner with the Lim family at the Park Hotel. My mother-in-law was already there with some family members and then everyone else turned up, including Stevie who’d arrived from Tokyo a few days earlier and my friend Kathy who always welcomes us to her home and puts up with us.
She’s created a hub for all her old friends who no longer live in Singapore. My mother-in-law always looks very elegant and beautiful despite being fragile and frail these days. She always gives me a heartfelt welcome. The dinner was a western buffet with a wide variety of beautifully cooked and presented food. Hard to do justice to the ‘eat as much as you can’ rule of thumb for buffets, but I enjoyed my last Christmas dinner of the season and managed to tackle some delectable mini desserts. It was New Years Day evening in Singapore so we toasted 2019 with champagne too.
We said our goodbyes and my sister-in-law, Penny gave Kathy, Stevie and I a lift back to Kathy’s apartment. So good to have Stevie here this year to help carry my luggage up the 5 floors ( 10 flights of stairs ) to Kathy’s appartment on the fifth floor. Off to bed, but not off to sleep of course: body clock primed with champagne , lots of talk and food . Singapore heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightening outside. So the dawn was breaking before I fell into a deep sleep.
I woke when Kath came
Kay and Karunna
An evening of champagne and caviar at Kathy’s home from some voluntary work she does, collecting, collating and pricing donated items in readiness for a charity sale in June. We went to a local hawker centre for lunch. A healthy, freshly cooked meal for under £2 ( even with the poor rate of exchange for sterling) an afternoon doze didn’t help with the body clock problem. Stevie was out for drinks at the Tanglin Club with his dad and Kath and I walked down to the bottom of the street to meet him later for curry and murtabak (a sort of fried Indian bread) as the day turned into a warm evening and the lights came on. Birds chirping loudly in the trees, their branches bending from the combined weight of the cheerful chatterers Terribly greasy and so many calories-but delicious. Very full -and the walk back up the road seemed very long. I was very tired and dropped off to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow ...... only to find myself wide awake a couple of hours later ...... thoughts racing around my head. Fell into a deep sleep at about 5am and woke at 8am with bad dreams: burning airplanes , engulfed in
Clementi .
Me and Ah Chu flames, falling to the ground in a bleak landscape.
It was now Thursday and high time I got this body clock under control. Ah -also I haven’t had a coffee since I left the Uk. I think I drink far too much, so I’m planning to reduce it drastically and then only allow myself one a day. Stevie has chosen this week away from Japan to give up smoking. Japan still has such a smoking culture that it’s difficult to give it up. Stevie says that they are planning to ban smoking in restaurants by 2020 when it’s the next world Olympic Games. Anyway it means that Stevie and I are both a bit jittery!
In the afternoon Kathy gave us a lift to my mother-in-law’s house to have chat with her after her afternoon nap. Her voice is very soft and low volume so it’s difficult to have a conversation in a restaurant with all the background noise. She offered us some particularly scrumptious pineapple tarts ( special nonya new year treats) and some other snacks I’d forgotten all about. And we left with some of the treats to take home with us. In the evening we met Gail
and Ausaf’s daughter Hani at the food market stalls in Holland village. Lots of local delights to share including laksa lemak -seafood and noodles in a spicy, coconutty sauce . Delicious. We rounded off the evening with drinks in Walla Walla ...... sitting outside in the warm humid Singapore street surrounded by good natured chatter and lovely cooking smells from the surrounding cafes and restaurants. Hani regaled us with her latest family news as she’s just returned from visiting family in Hawaii. We popped into a pharmacy nearby and Hani recommended that I try taking some Melatonin to send me off to sleep and break this sleepless at night cycle. I tried it that night and had the best night’s sleep so far.
Next morning was Friday and Stevie and I planned some quality mum/ son time together. Firstly Kathy dropped us off in Holland Village and we went to Tiong Bahru Bakery to meet up with my sister-in-law, Penny. I managed to resist the coffee and have tea instead. The Danish pastries were delicious. Loved the soap , brand name Chewing Gum in the bathroom there : “ so good it’s almost illegal “ (chewing gum really is illegal
in Singapore)
Feeling replete, Stevie and I headed for the MRT (railway system) and made our way down to the famous Gardens by the Bay. They’ve been there for some time now and have become an iconic symbol of modern Singapore with enormous cooled conservatories where plants unable to withstand the heat and humidity of Singapore can flourish. Outside there are also the towering ‘tree’ sculptures, overgrown with tropical plants that grow and tumble down the branches and thick trunks. There’s also the landmark hotel with the Infiniti pool that looks like a boat, seemingly balanced high up between two towers. All things that normal tourists to Singapore have seen. But it’s a first time for me. When Kenji was here the other year, he saw a while family of wild otters crossing the pathways in the gardens. We saw the signs warnings that otters were about, but it was too late in the day and too many people about. Another Singapore lunch of satay, a walk around the bay and a stop off for a cold beer before heading back to Kathy’s. Just in time to freshen up from our sweaty walk and be ready to greet old friends
Singapore
Leaving grandma’s house with snacks! Kay and Karunna . We enjoyed lots of lively memories and Stevie chatted about Japan while we nibbled on Russian caviar ( thank you Penny) and champagne (thank you to the friends who gave it to Kathy for her birthday)
On Saturday morning Stevie and I went to Clementi Mall to meet up with Ah Chu and her daughters Carina, Jasmine and Cecilia. The girls are so well travelled and they work hard to pay for trips all over the world, often taking their mum along with them. So we caught up with what they were doing while enjoying some Vietnamese food. They helped me to find the market so I could get some orchids for Kathy. It’s such a pleasure to get a big bunch of them.
In the afternoon Kathy and I enjoys hair wash and blow dry at a hairdressers nearby. The best thing about this is the shoulder and neck massage that accompanies it. So very relaxing. And you’re left with squeaky clean hair too.
In the evening we met the Lim family at a famous nearby seafood restaurant, Chin Huat. Twelve of us sat around a huge circular table while the dishes came one after
Singapore .
A lovely visit the other. Noise from other parties if diners and restaurant staff shouting orders to each other made it very difficult to hold any sort of conversation with anyone other than those directly next to you. Lots of goodbyes to Stevie as he’s going back to Tokyo tomorrow.
Stevie had a night flight, so we spent the day pottering around the shops in Holland Village where I was able to buy some gifts for the next stage of my trip. In the evening Kathy took us to a great restaurant near the MRT station. Last meal in Singapore for Stevie, and he set off to get a train that takes him right into the airport. There’s only a one hour time difference between Singapore and Tokyo, so he’s back at work on Monday. Fed, rested and relaxed. New year. Chinese year of the pig ( Stevie’s sign) so let’s hope it’s good for him.
My last day in Singapore and went with Kath to collect some donated clothing for her charity sale. I met her friend Rahu and we went to Bukit Batok for some delicious rending curry for lunch.
I’ve packed my bags now. Ready for the night flight to
Singapore food .
Sunset Way Indian food Melbourne. The next stage will be all new to me: my first trip to Australia. Great to spend time with Kathy again, and she’s booked her flights to Chiangmai so I’ll be catching up with her again in Thailand.
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