This morning I awoke from a fragment of a dream. In the dream there was a rat who was inside a metal cage located in a field surrounded by a fence. The cage appeared to be for storing food and was above the ground. The rat could easily enter and exit from the cage as it was intended to keep out the dogs who lived in the field. Inside this cage that had no 'creature comforts', the rat was safe and well-fed.
The field had grass and wild flowers but the dogs posed a danger to the rat. Although the field was more appealing, it wasn't as safe as the cage. Outside of the fence that surrounded the field was a meadow, a forest, and all sorts of other animals including other rats. The lone rat who lived within the fence would have to make an extreme effort to get out and then would face potential threats that did not exist inside the fence.
I woke up wondering what the rat would do. Would he stick with the not so comfortable but secure cage or make the effort to go out into the wide world filled with possibilities? I also wondered if I am the rat. What do you think? What would you do if you were the rat?
Friday, March 2, 2018
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Issue # 22
Prayers for Singles
A wonderful women gave me a tiny booklet entitled Prayers for Singles. At first I thought it would be filled with prayers asking for someone else to fill the supposed void in our (the single person's) life. Had that been the case, I would not be sharing this with you. Instead, what I read was that the author, Father William Rabior, was not "lacking understanding of what single people experience. As a priest, I too, am single." That was enough to get me to turn to the next page, and then to the next.
I am going to share the entire first prayer verbatim - it is entitled Lord, Bless Us Singles:
Lord Jesus, we are such a diverse group, we singles. We come from all walks of life both by choice and by chance. Some of us have never married; some are divorced, separated, or widowed. We live alone; we live with people dependent upon us for their care.
We are career people with exciting jobs, people with very ordinary jobs, unemployed. Our educational levels and our interests are as varied as we are. And yet, we all have one thing in common: we are alone - alone with our responsibilities in times of decision making, in crisis situations, in special times.
In a world of "twos" we are "ones".
It's so easy to feel like a half and not a whole. It's so easy to feel left out and over-looked.
Sometimes, Lord, it seems that even our religion hardly bothers or acknowledge or affirm us.
Yet, in our singleness there lies a strength which should not be overlooked. In our lack of "two-ness" can come a sense of "one-ness" from our union with you. We can focus on you, Lord, because our life makes you so accessible. You understand us and our needs so very well since you, too, were a single person here on earth.
Lord Jesus, I ask your blessing now not just on myself but on all single people everywhere. Most of them are unknown to me, but they are my brothers and sisters. We share a common bond.
May we learn to focus upon the good we can do. May we come to realize a fullness of life - a sense of well-being, self-love, and inner peace.
Thank you, Lord, for being aware of me just as I am- a single person. And thank you so much for the great love you have for me. Amen.
A wonderful women gave me a tiny booklet entitled Prayers for Singles. At first I thought it would be filled with prayers asking for someone else to fill the supposed void in our (the single person's) life. Had that been the case, I would not be sharing this with you. Instead, what I read was that the author, Father William Rabior, was not "lacking understanding of what single people experience. As a priest, I too, am single." That was enough to get me to turn to the next page, and then to the next.
I am going to share the entire first prayer verbatim - it is entitled Lord, Bless Us Singles:
Lord Jesus, we are such a diverse group, we singles. We come from all walks of life both by choice and by chance. Some of us have never married; some are divorced, separated, or widowed. We live alone; we live with people dependent upon us for their care.
We are career people with exciting jobs, people with very ordinary jobs, unemployed. Our educational levels and our interests are as varied as we are. And yet, we all have one thing in common: we are alone - alone with our responsibilities in times of decision making, in crisis situations, in special times.
In a world of "twos" we are "ones".
It's so easy to feel like a half and not a whole. It's so easy to feel left out and over-looked.
Sometimes, Lord, it seems that even our religion hardly bothers or acknowledge or affirm us.
Yet, in our singleness there lies a strength which should not be overlooked. In our lack of "two-ness" can come a sense of "one-ness" from our union with you. We can focus on you, Lord, because our life makes you so accessible. You understand us and our needs so very well since you, too, were a single person here on earth.
Lord Jesus, I ask your blessing now not just on myself but on all single people everywhere. Most of them are unknown to me, but they are my brothers and sisters. We share a common bond.
May we learn to focus upon the good we can do. May we come to realize a fullness of life - a sense of well-being, self-love, and inner peace.
Thank you, Lord, for being aware of me just as I am- a single person. And thank you so much for the great love you have for me. Amen.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Issue #21
So What is Wrong with Biofuels?
13 April 2013
Yesterday, I saw a sign at a bank. It had a picture of an ear of corn and read, “Soon corn will be as good an investment as cotton” or something in that vein. Next to that, on the same sign, was a picture of the wing and jet engine of an airplane. The text stated, “One day we will all fly organically”. I realized that the sign was making reference to biofuels and I was aware that there was controversy around this renewable replacement for fossil fuels because it is using land that should be growing food.
I know that cash crops such as cotton, tobacco, rubber, and sisal have been a reality since at least colonial times and maybe longer. I remember studying the impact on third world economies of growing things that people could not eat, so that the resulting produce could be sold to developed countries. I wondered how are biofuels different from other cash crops and why are they causing this controversy. So at dinner I brought up the topic; this is what I learned.
There are too many people. The problem is one of overpopulation. “The world’s population is now more than 7 billion and continues to grow by 82 million people per year.” http://www.populationmedia.org/issues/population/?gclid=CLCrhNL5yLYCFUuG6wodZRwAMg . What had seemed to me to be a brilliant solution, use renewable organic material as fuel, is actually short-sighted. It requires land which is not renewable and is quickly becoming a scarce commodity. A better solution is required.
In 2006, The Children of Men, a futuristic film, explored the idea of a society where the population had stopped growing. The film begins 18 years after the last child on Earth was born. Schools and playgrounds are abandoned. There is generally a lack of hope. Without future generations, it would seem, arts and sciences are futile. For whom are we creating?
If human beings do not find a way to curb the population explosion, Mother Earth will. Through disease, famine, drought, and natural disasters, she will shake us off, like fleas off a dog’s back.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Issue #20
24 March 2013
Last month we completed a 30-Day Challenge at Curves and I was asked, along with others of the participants, to write something inspirational. I have been extremely remiss in writing the AFB but I hope you, my esteemed readers, will accept this humble offering.
I was changing after my workout when I remembered that when we were little kids, my younger sister commented that she wished we had parents who played with us. Our parents were too old and too tired to play active, children’s games. They were about 54 and 52. They were old because they believed they were old and the society we live in supported that belief.
I am grateful to the Curves team for supporting me in my goals to stay young and active.
Last month we completed a 30-Day Challenge at Curves and I was asked, along with others of the participants, to write something inspirational. I have been extremely remiss in writing the AFB but I hope you, my esteemed readers, will accept this humble offering.
Age is Not a Number; it’s an Attitude
This year
Madonna and I will be 55 years old. She
isn’t showing any signs of slowing down and neither am I. Madonna has a team of people to help her look
that good and be that fit. I do too –
the Curves team!
By having
fun challenges like the 30-Day Challenge, Curves keeps things interesting. My goal this year was to get back to where I
was last February. At the end of the
challenge I had lost a ½ kilo and 5.5 centimetres. My
percentage of body fat is, finally, back to being under 30. This is all great news and very encouraging.I was changing after my workout when I remembered that when we were little kids, my younger sister commented that she wished we had parents who played with us. Our parents were too old and too tired to play active, children’s games. They were about 54 and 52. They were old because they believed they were old and the society we live in supported that belief.
I am grateful to the Curves team for supporting me in my goals to stay young and active.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Issue #19
Happy Holidays and all the Best in 2013!
Bob Armstrong, the owner of the Curves gym where I work out, asked some of the ladies to write something inspirational as a 'gift' to the other members. My story is a 'Christmas' story of sorts so I decided to share it with you, my readers.
______ How Curves Saved Sasha’s Life
Bob Armstrong, the owner of the Curves gym where I work out, asked some of the ladies to write something inspirational as a 'gift' to the other members. My story is a 'Christmas' story of sorts so I decided to share it with you, my readers.
______ How Curves Saved Sasha’s Life
My name is Andrea Brandle and I started working out at Curves Marine Parade in September 2010. At that time, I weighed 98 kilos and was so out of shape that I would get short of breath walking up the stairs to our 3rd floor apartment. Luckily for me, Bob was offering a special promotion. If I worked out 18 times in the first 6 weeks, the registration fee would be waived. This got me in the habit of going to Curves 3 times a week.
In late November 2010 my cousin’s acquaintance brought his tiny, frail, old cat to stay with us while he went back to England for the holidays. Her name was Sasha. On her first morning in our apartment she fell or jumped out of the window and was on the bracket that holds the air conditioner. My cousin isn’t very tall and couldn’t reach her so she woke me up. I am tall but the only way that I could reach Sasha was by leaning very far out of the window and stretching my arms down as far as I could. Once I grabbed hold of her I had to use my abdominal muscles to bring us both up and into the window because I couldn’t us my hands; they were both firmly holding Sasha. I think I must have pulled a muscle because I was in pain for a few weeks afterwards but I realized that if I had not been going to Curves regularly, I would not have been physically able to rescue her.
I do not feel that I have had to overcome any major obstacles on my path to fitness. I have learned that if I don’t attend regularly (3 times a week), I gain weight but I enjoy going to Curves so it is not a hardship. My advice to all the members is to think about exercise, a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, and getting enough sleep as part of the good care that you deserve. And remember to smile and dance like nobody is watching!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Issue #18
An Apology and a Eulogy
27 Oct 2012
I must apologize to my devoted readers. I do not know what possessed me not to write since April.
Today I went on-line to search for an old friend only to discover that he died eight years ago. I am aghast. So I have returned to tell you about this special man. His name was Gernot Lachner but to all who loved him he was Geri. I met him when I was a bartender in Botswana and he was a guide who frequented my bar at the Okavango River Lodge.
In the early days of my acquaintance with Geri, he offered me a tip. Tipping is not common in Botswana, and I don't know if it is in South Africa. He pulled from his pockets all of his loose change. Among the coins were a couple of washers, those metal rings that are used as part of a bolt. I told him I wanted them so that I could make them into earrings which I did.
Another time, after returning from guiding a group of tourists into the Delta, he brought me back a bracelet braided from the tail hairs of a water buffalo. I looked forward to his visits to the lodge because I had come to think of him as a good friend. When he went to Johannesburg, where his family lived, he called me and asked what I wanted him to bring back for me. He knew as well as anyone who lived in Maun that there were things that were difficult to obtain. I asked for music.
When I returned to Canada, with a broken heart, he would call me when he was drunk. It was the autumn of 1989 and the internet was not available to everyone but Geri had started to communicate with the world via bulletin boards and chat rooms . He would catstigate me for not being more technologically up-to-date. He would also offer to marry me.
My friend Rob got me 'on-line' by setting up an email account for me and he communicated with Geri but somehow we lost track of him. I have thought about him often but never managed to reconnect. I miss him. http://www.jenniferjo.com/gernot_lachner.htm
27 Oct 2012
I must apologize to my devoted readers. I do not know what possessed me not to write since April.
Today I went on-line to search for an old friend only to discover that he died eight years ago. I am aghast. So I have returned to tell you about this special man. His name was Gernot Lachner but to all who loved him he was Geri. I met him when I was a bartender in Botswana and he was a guide who frequented my bar at the Okavango River Lodge.
In the early days of my acquaintance with Geri, he offered me a tip. Tipping is not common in Botswana, and I don't know if it is in South Africa. He pulled from his pockets all of his loose change. Among the coins were a couple of washers, those metal rings that are used as part of a bolt. I told him I wanted them so that I could make them into earrings which I did.
Another time, after returning from guiding a group of tourists into the Delta, he brought me back a bracelet braided from the tail hairs of a water buffalo. I looked forward to his visits to the lodge because I had come to think of him as a good friend. When he went to Johannesburg, where his family lived, he called me and asked what I wanted him to bring back for me. He knew as well as anyone who lived in Maun that there were things that were difficult to obtain. I asked for music.
When I returned to Canada, with a broken heart, he would call me when he was drunk. It was the autumn of 1989 and the internet was not available to everyone but Geri had started to communicate with the world via bulletin boards and chat rooms . He would catstigate me for not being more technologically up-to-date. He would also offer to marry me.
My friend Rob got me 'on-line' by setting up an email account for me and he communicated with Geri but somehow we lost track of him. I have thought about him often but never managed to reconnect. I miss him. http://www.jenniferjo.com/gernot_lachner.htm
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Issue #17
From the Ridiculous to the Divine
14 April 2012
A couple of weekends ago I went downtown to Funan DigitaLife Mall, billed as "Asia's leading IT shopping mall", for the first time. I had to pick something up at John 3:16 Photo Supplies. Yes, that is the actual name of the shop but more about that later. The store was crammed with people so I decided to go have a cup of coffee and wait for the crowd to subside. I ended up in Cawaii Koohii Maid Cafe. For those of my readers who do not know Japanese, cawaii means cute and koohii is coffee. The waitstaff are all young women dressed in little french maid costumes. Photography is not allowed but it is possible to pay to have a picture taken with the 'maids'. I have attached a photo from their website.
When I finished my coffee, I went back to John 3:16 Photo Supplies. It was still packed with people but there was an available chair against the wall next to someone else who looked like she was waiting. For those of my readers unfamiliar with the New Testament of the Bible, chapter 3, verse 16 of the Gospel of John is, according to Wikipedia "one of the most widely quoted verses from the Christian Bible and has been called the most famous Bible verse." Mixing business with religion has not hurt this enterprise one bit. In fact, the photography shop across the aisle from John 3:16 was empty. When I commented to Samuel Gan that they must be doing something right, he just smiled and said "Praise the lord!" www.john316photo.com
14 April 2012
A couple of weekends ago I went downtown to Funan DigitaLife Mall, billed as "Asia's leading IT shopping mall", for the first time. I had to pick something up at John 3:16 Photo Supplies. Yes, that is the actual name of the shop but more about that later. The store was crammed with people so I decided to go have a cup of coffee and wait for the crowd to subside. I ended up in Cawaii Koohii Maid Cafe. For those of my readers who do not know Japanese, cawaii means cute and koohii is coffee. The waitstaff are all young women dressed in little french maid costumes. Photography is not allowed but it is possible to pay to have a picture taken with the 'maids'. I have attached a photo from their website.
When I finished my coffee, I went back to John 3:16 Photo Supplies. It was still packed with people but there was an available chair against the wall next to someone else who looked like she was waiting. For those of my readers unfamiliar with the New Testament of the Bible, chapter 3, verse 16 of the Gospel of John is, according to Wikipedia "one of the most widely quoted verses from the Christian Bible and has been called the most famous Bible verse." Mixing business with religion has not hurt this enterprise one bit. In fact, the photography shop across the aisle from John 3:16 was empty. When I commented to Samuel Gan that they must be doing something right, he just smiled and said "Praise the lord!" www.john316photo.com
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Issue #16
Chinese New Year 2012
18 February 2012
If I had a car, I would get a bumper sticker which read, "My readers are the best!" One third of the people to whom I send my newsletter responded as I requested in The AFB - Issue #15 and the vast majority of them wrote very supportive comments. Thank you, muchas gracias, arrigato gosaimasu!
This issue is about interesting cultural activities that I attended last Saturday and the Saturday before. On February 4th, Monica and I went to Sam's house and after dinner we went across the street to the small park. A stage had been erected and the performers were preparing in the area behind the stage. Sam pointed out to me that the structure was made in the the traditional way with bamboo lashed together. An aluminum step ladder was lashed to the front of the stage and throughout the opera stagehands would walk out on stage and climb down the ladder. This activity did not disturb the actors; according to Sam it is part of the show. The performance was an opera performed in Hokkien. Like many spoken languages in Singapore, Hokkien is influenced by other languages and it has borrowed many words from Malay and English including the name for this type of performance. Wayang, according to The Coxford Singlish Dictionary, was "originally a Malay word meaning 'theatre performance', it now means an act of pretence."
"Eh, we all saw you take his wallet. Don't come and wayang, okay?"http://www.talkingcock.com/html/lexec.php?op=LexLink&lexicon=lexicon&keyword=WAYANG
On February 11th we went to a Lunar New Year celebration at Kampong Ubi Community Centre. Now an industrial estate within our neighbourhood, Kampong (village in Malay) Ubi (tapioca in Malay) used to be a rural area. Tickets for the dinner were $2 SGD (that is not a typo) and included lots of yummy food from the different cultures that live in our area. We also got gifts of hats, pens and cup covers and I won a $10 voucher from the FairPrice supermarket. The highlight of the evening was the museum. Items that were used in the kampong homes were displayed and there were old photographs which captured images of life in the 'good old days'.
Last night was Sam's birthday party and one of his guests asked me when he was going to get his autographed copy of Memoirs of a Cat Named Dog. Steve has been waiting patiently for a year. I told him he was at the top of the list as soon as it is published. That was when he suggested that I should get the names of all of the people who want to buy my book to assist in convincing an agent to represent me. Monica suggested that I should offer a sample to the people on the list. Please write to me if you would like a sample of Memoirs of a Cat Named Dog and you will buy a copy when it is published.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Issue #15
A Second Holiday Season in Singapore
15 January 2012
One of my readers asked me to write about how I spent the festive season this year. This was my second Christmas in Singapore and I noticed some things that I hadn't noticed last year. For example, the wait staff in all of the restaurants were wearing reindeer antler hairbands or Santa hats. Also, roasted turkeys with "all the trimmings" were available from most restaurants to cater Christmas dinner.
I spent Christmas Eve with my new friends starting with lunch and shopping with Venita in the afternoon of December 24th and then joining Jennifer and Rukesh for more food, drinking and merriment later in the evening. The 'drinking and merriment' went on until dawn. Christmas dinner was eaten again this year at Santa's house and as before, there was plenty of food, wine and good company. We were even treated to Christmas carols played on violins by two charming, young sisters.
New Year's Eve was celebrated at Tai Mai Shu in Chinatown. This small pub is a little bit like the hostess bars in Japan. The girls who work there are from the Phillipines and although they were working they were also celebrating. There was singing, dancing, food, and yes, you guessed it - drinking! And that was the last alcohol that I consumed. I resolved to eschew alcohol in 2012 and it has been 15 days and counting. (ed.note - I managed to last 6 weeks and caved under peer pressure)
In the interest of determining how many readers the AFB can claim, I am asking you to hit the reply button and return this to me. Although I really appreciate the feedback I receive, it is not necessary to write anything unless you really want to. I am trying to determine how many of the newsletters I send actually reach their intended recipients. I suspect that some end up in people's junk mail. Thanks for your help with this. (ed. note - there is no reply button on this blog but feel free to comment)
15 January 2012
One of my readers asked me to write about how I spent the festive season this year. This was my second Christmas in Singapore and I noticed some things that I hadn't noticed last year. For example, the wait staff in all of the restaurants were wearing reindeer antler hairbands or Santa hats. Also, roasted turkeys with "all the trimmings" were available from most restaurants to cater Christmas dinner.
I spent Christmas Eve with my new friends starting with lunch and shopping with Venita in the afternoon of December 24th and then joining Jennifer and Rukesh for more food, drinking and merriment later in the evening. The 'drinking and merriment' went on until dawn. Christmas dinner was eaten again this year at Santa's house and as before, there was plenty of food, wine and good company. We were even treated to Christmas carols played on violins by two charming, young sisters.
New Year's Eve was celebrated at Tai Mai Shu in Chinatown. This small pub is a little bit like the hostess bars in Japan. The girls who work there are from the Phillipines and although they were working they were also celebrating. There was singing, dancing, food, and yes, you guessed it - drinking! And that was the last alcohol that I consumed. I resolved to eschew alcohol in 2012 and it has been 15 days and counting. (ed.note - I managed to last 6 weeks and caved under peer pressure)
In the interest of determining how many readers the AFB can claim, I am asking you to hit the reply button and return this to me. Although I really appreciate the feedback I receive, it is not necessary to write anything unless you really want to. I am trying to determine how many of the newsletters I send actually reach their intended recipients. I suspect that some end up in people's junk mail. Thanks for your help with this. (ed. note - there is no reply button on this blog but feel free to comment)
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Issue #14
Seasons Greetings and All the Best in 2012
23 December 2011
As the new year is only a few days away I though it was time that I wrote about William 'Billy' Duncan. He was born on the 15th of June, 1949 in Scotland and by the time I met him on the 31st of December 2010 in Penang, Malaysia, he was living, albiet with no fixed address, in Kuantan, Malaysia. I thought, when I met him, that he lived in Penang and would later learn that he was so fond of Penang that he wanted to buy a house there. I wrote in my journal,"I don't remember any of their names but I hope they will contact me because it would be so fine to have friends in Penang."
Well, Billy did contact me. He called a couple of weeks later to say he would be in Singapore and would I like to meet up for drinks. Actually, I am denying his comic genius. What he said was,"Is this Miss Brandle? Would you like a gin Martini?" That line isn't as funny without the back story - so here it is.
It was New Year's Eve 2010 and I was drinking a martini at Farquart's Bar at the Eastern and Oriental Hotel in Penang when Billy and his cohorts arrived. That was the only drink I paid for, and rest assured, I had many, many more! Later Billy would recount how he had never met a woman who could drink so much and was worried that if I died as a result of consuming such an awful lot of alcohol, he would be responsible. (I think I just heard my Canadian friends sniggering.) Photographs will attest that I was already pissed when we left the E & O. We continued on to other of Billy's favourite haunts. It was thanks to Billy that my New Year's Eve was such a blast!
As the new year is only a few days away I though it was time that I wrote about William 'Billy' Duncan. He was born on the 15th of June, 1949 in Scotland and by the time I met him on the 31st of December 2010 in Penang, Malaysia, he was living, albiet with no fixed address, in Kuantan, Malaysia. I thought, when I met him, that he lived in Penang and would later learn that he was so fond of Penang that he wanted to buy a house there. I wrote in my journal,"I don't remember any of their names but I hope they will contact me because it would be so fine to have friends in Penang."
Well, Billy did contact me. He called a couple of weeks later to say he would be in Singapore and would I like to meet up for drinks. Actually, I am denying his comic genius. What he said was,"Is this Miss Brandle? Would you like a gin Martini?" That line isn't as funny without the back story - so here it is.
It was New Year's Eve 2010 and I was drinking a martini at Farquart's Bar at the Eastern and Oriental Hotel in Penang when Billy and his cohorts arrived. That was the only drink I paid for, and rest assured, I had many, many more! Later Billy would recount how he had never met a woman who could drink so much and was worried that if I died as a result of consuming such an awful lot of alcohol, he would be responsible. (I think I just heard my Canadian friends sniggering.) Photographs will attest that I was already pissed when we left the E & O. We continued on to other of Billy's favourite haunts. It was thanks to Billy that my New Year's Eve was such a blast!
When he came to Singapore, he wanted me to go to lunch with Margaret Say, the Regional Director of the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council. He assured me that this dynamo was someone I should network with. I was unable to go to lunch the next day with him, Margaret, Simon and Jimmy. I never saw Billy with his eyes open again. A few weeks after his visit to Singapore I received an invitation to a dinner being sponsored by the USAPEEC. I smiled knowing that Billy must surely be behind it.
I don't think that I have mentioned yet that Billy was a bit of a technophobe and he was proud that he couldn't be 'googled'. He wouldn't use Facebook or Twitter, wouldn't email or text but he would use the telephone and, as I found out, the fax machine (unless he got someone else to send his handwritten note by fax to me). In between the evening in Singapore, which by the way did not cost me a penny, and the arrival of the invitation by post, I received a fax. I had sent my non-techie friend a good, old-fashioned thank you note. I wrote it on hand-stencilled note paper that Bev Worthington had given me for Christmas long ago. Billy had been all over Asia so in my note to him I asked his opinion regarding different destinations such as Langkawi, Malaysia; Bali, Indonesia and Phuket, Thailand. He responded to my query by fax. Included on his fax was contact information for Armo; part friend, part guardian angel.
I promptly prepared a response and faxed it back. And I waited. I didn't realize that the office fax had not successfully sent a fax since we had moved to the new office four months earlier. We thought we had resolved the fax problem when we discovered a month after moving that we hadn't received a single fax - not even the usual spate of junk faxes selling services to businesses. Apparently, we had only resolved the incoming part of the problem. After waiting and then waiting some more, I checked the machine and then tried several more times to send it again. Finally, I scanned it and sent it to Armo's email asking him to give it to Billy.
I sent one of the cat cards my sister Pat gave me for Christmas one year to thank him for arranging the invitation and to tell him that I looked forward to seeing him again. I began formulating a plan whereby I would buy a stunning ensemble to wear to Carmen & Ramon's wedding and give it a 'dress rehearsal' at the USAPEEC dinner. I looked good! I stood gulping red wine, sucking in my tummy and trying not to sweat. I faced the entrance trusting that Billy would come striding in at any moment. Instead, a very tiny woman walked briskly toward me and speaking just as briskly asked, "Are you Billy's friend?" "He is in hospital in critical condition." "I don't know what happened, you should call Jimmy." She gave me her card and I gave her mine and then she was gone to be MC etc. on stage because she was hosting this event.
I stood there absolutely stunned. I drank a couple more glasses of wine (here in Singapore a glass of house wine costs between 8 and 15 dollars so if it is free it would be foolish not to have a few) thinking that Simon would appear and clear up the mystery; fill in the gaps, as it were. When he didn't show, I decided to call him. He was just back from the Phillipines or New Zealand and had not heard a thing. I asked him to call Jimmy and let me know the details.
By the time I reached home, Simon had forwarded a text from Jimmy written in uppercase, it read "IN ICU NOW. HE GOT LUNG INFECTION. HAVING RESPIRATORY DIFFICULTY. HE ALSO GOT MULTIPLE BRAIN ABSSESS (sic). HE IS IN COMA CONDITION RIGHT NOW. TKS JIMMY" In a state of confusion, I replied as though I was replying to Jimmy in Kuantan but, in fact, was sending to Simon in Singapore. I wrote, "Jimmy, tell him I want him to be well. Tell him that I want to dance with him. If you tell him, he will get better but you must believe!" The next day I wrote emails to Simon, to Margaret, to Armo, even to the generic sales@primafood address. Someone had to have more information!!
Gradually it dawned on me that I must go to Kuantan to tell Billy in person what I had told Jimmy to tell him. I knew from having done some research that Firefly (Malaysian Airlines local/commuter airline) has direct flights from Singapore to Kuantan. I also knew that they offer air and hotel packages. The one catch was that you must book at least one week in advance. I found out on Tuesday night that Billy was in hospital. I did not know until Wednesday afternoon in which hospital or even in which city. If I had been willing to wait until the following Wednesday I could have bought a package on-line but I wanted to go for the weekend. I checked on Zuji, the on-line budget site, and other airlines went but it would cost more than $600 SGD for the flight. I am not a cheapskate, a skinflint or a tightwad but honestly, I am not affluent enought to spend that much money to jet off for a weekend!
On Thursday I called the telephone number provided on Firefly's website and booked a flight - they were not able to get me a room. Those of my readers who have known me since I started travelling will tell you that the 'old' Andrea would not have hesitated to arrive in a place without accomodation arranged in advance. But I am not young and I have learned that I like to know that I can spend my first few hours in a new place getting oriented rather than trying to find a bed for the night. I let Armo, who I had never met and who had no reason to care one bit about my comings and goings, know my flight itinerary. I then proceeded to try and find accomodation near the hospital.
The flight was on a prop plane and it has been a very, long time since I flew that way. We were delayed leaving Chiangi but the one hour flight was uneventful. Peanuts and a juice box were provided free of charge. When we arrived in Kuantan the heavens opened and a deluge poured down. Armo was waiting for me. He called the proprietor of the homestay I had arranged on-line and pronounced it unsuitable. Apparently, it was very far from the hospital. He brought me to the Greenleaf, a moderately priced hotel near the hospital.
It was from Armo that I learned the details of Billy's illness and hospitalization. He was a good friend to Billy and as I know very well, a good and true friend is like a guardian angel. Firefly only flies from Singapore to Kuantan and back on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, so I took the Friday off work to make this weekend trip, which means that Armo was interrupting his work to fetch a stranger from the airport and find her accomodation. Due to my late arrival, I was unable to visit Billy until later in the day on Friday. Armo came back to the hotel to bring me to the hospital and show me the procedure. I have no doubt that I would have managed somehow to figure all this out on my own but I am also quite certain it would have been much more difficult.
I have never seen a person in a coma before, films not withstanding, and it was a bit of a shock to see this robust, vigorous man laid out flat with tubes and wires everywhere. But I had a mission and I was not to be dissuaded. So I held Billy's hand and I rubbed Billy's feet and I stroked Billy's brow. I talked and sang (they should consider piping music into ICU). I joked with the nursing staff telling Billy how pretty they were and telling them how much he liked pretty women. When people, both Muslim and Christian, told me they would pray for Billy, I thanked them because I know the power of prayer.
There are no morning visiting hours in the ICU at Kuantan General Hospital so I wasn't going to be able to see Billy on Sunday morning. I kissed his forehead Saturday evening and told him that I would come and visit him when I returned from Spain. I told him that I wanted him to be awake when I visited again. The following Monday morning at 8:30 a.m. Billy decided to 'shake off this mortal coil' and left behind his pain and troubles.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Issue # 13
05 November 2011
I must apologize for the long wait for this issue of the AFB. I am finishing Memoirs of a Cat Named Dog and was busy preparing a book proposal for the Bukowski Agency in Toronto. For those readers just joining us, AFB stands for Asia For Beginners because Singapore is the easiest place to manage in all of Asia.
My neighbourhood is, by day, a colourful place with plenty of local eateries and shops housed in historical buildings. When the sun goes down it becomes the famous Geylang redlight district. Three evenings a week I walk home the length of historic Joo Chiat Road from the gym where I work out. The girls who work this street wear six inch heels and six inch skirts. I, by contrast, wear comfortable shoes and office appropriate attire. I have my gym bag and purse slung over one shoulder and my lunch bag and shopping in the other hand. This doesn't stop some men in cars from slowing down to take a closer look. I have even been honked at a few times. My friend Lydia used to say "There is a hammer for every head" and this proves it. Maybe they think it would be a bit kinky to have sex with a woman who doesn't look like a prostitute!
I must apologize for the long wait for this issue of the AFB. I am finishing Memoirs of a Cat Named Dog and was busy preparing a book proposal for the Bukowski Agency in Toronto. For those readers just joining us, AFB stands for Asia For Beginners because Singapore is the easiest place to manage in all of Asia.
My neighbourhood is, by day, a colourful place with plenty of local eateries and shops housed in historical buildings. When the sun goes down it becomes the famous Geylang redlight district. Three evenings a week I walk home the length of historic Joo Chiat Road from the gym where I work out. The girls who work this street wear six inch heels and six inch skirts. I, by contrast, wear comfortable shoes and office appropriate attire. I have my gym bag and purse slung over one shoulder and my lunch bag and shopping in the other hand. This doesn't stop some men in cars from slowing down to take a closer look. I have even been honked at a few times. My friend Lydia used to say "There is a hammer for every head" and this proves it. Maybe they think it would be a bit kinky to have sex with a woman who doesn't look like a prostitute!
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Issue #12
My Favourite Things about Singapore
10 August 2011
Yesterday was Singapore's 46th National Day. It occurred to me that Singapore might be the youngest country and largest city in which I have ever lived. With the help of Google and Wikipedia I learned that, in fact, Botswana is one year younger than Singapore having been granted independence in 1966 and that Toronto has the same population as Singapore (five million). Even though it isn't the youngest or largest it has many things that make it special. Following is a list of my top ten favourite things in Singapore. They are in no particular order.
1) Changi Airport - It has won over 360 awards for customer service and security and has free internet and free massage chairs.
2) VISA debit cards - The convenience of a credit card without the debt and interest charges.
3) MRT goes directly to Changi Airport - It is so convenient, some people go to the airport just to go shopping!
4) Many styles of clothes are acceptable - From Dior to burqas; from Manolo Blahniks to flip-flops.
5) Multicultural with lots of mixed races - There are 4 official languages; English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil
6) Religious tolerance and respect - Buddhist and Hindu temples, mosques and churches neighbour one another.
7) Every kind of food and drink including a few things I am hesitant to try (see The AFB -Issue #1)
8) Trees, flowers & fountains everywhere
9) Security and safety - My bank account came with a device that produces a code that adds an additional layer of security to on-line banking.
10) Chilli Sauce - yummy :-)
10 August 2011
Yesterday was Singapore's 46th National Day. It occurred to me that Singapore might be the youngest country and largest city in which I have ever lived. With the help of Google and Wikipedia I learned that, in fact, Botswana is one year younger than Singapore having been granted independence in 1966 and that Toronto has the same population as Singapore (five million). Even though it isn't the youngest or largest it has many things that make it special. Following is a list of my top ten favourite things in Singapore. They are in no particular order.
1) Changi Airport - It has won over 360 awards for customer service and security and has free internet and free massage chairs.
2) VISA debit cards - The convenience of a credit card without the debt and interest charges.
3) MRT goes directly to Changi Airport - It is so convenient, some people go to the airport just to go shopping!
4) Many styles of clothes are acceptable - From Dior to burqas; from Manolo Blahniks to flip-flops.
5) Multicultural with lots of mixed races - There are 4 official languages; English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil
6) Religious tolerance and respect - Buddhist and Hindu temples, mosques and churches neighbour one another.
7) Every kind of food and drink including a few things I am hesitant to try (see The AFB -Issue #1)
8) Trees, flowers & fountains everywhere
9) Security and safety - My bank account came with a device that produces a code that adds an additional layer of security to on-line banking.
10) Chilli Sauce - yummy :-)
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Issue #11
Andrea in Indonesia
25 May 2011
Earlier this month I had an 'overseas' trip to the Indonesian island of Batam. I had purchased a "1 Day Batam City/Shopping Tour with Live Seafood Lunch" for 1/2 price ($35) from Tip-it, an on-line discounter. I had never used Tip-it before but as this was the only package I had ever seen on these deal websites (Groupon, Deals etc.) that didn't state that you had to buy 2, I thought I'd get it. I am a "glass is half-full" person; in fact, I'm more like a "glass is brimming" kind of person and the silver-lining in the using Tip-it cloud is that I was introduced to Winston Kwek of Asiapoint Travel Brokers. I suspect he doesn't think of me as the silver-lining in this mess. The voucher I received indicated that bookings with Asiapoint were required. There was an address and a string of numbers that turned out to be a phone number. There was no email address nor website indicated. On my first attempt, I was not able to get up to the 6th floor because I arrived after 7 p.m. so the next time I got there about 6:35 p.m. and went up but the door was locked. I dialed the 8 digits and heard a phone ringing on the inside. I let it ring until my phone automatically hung up. No message offering office hours or taking a message came on. I returned home, Googled Asiapoint, found an enquiries email address and wrote a scathing email asking if this was some kind of scam. I then forwarded the email to customer service at Tip-it. The Tip-it people wrote back telling me to contact Winston and they then provided his email address. I called him to see if we couldn't get this sorted. It was Friday the 3rd. The non-refundable voucher stated "bookings to be made by 4 Jun 2011" and I wanted to go to Batam on Sunday the 5th. He knew immediately who I was I when I said "May I please speak to Winston?" He said "Is this Andrea?" Anyway, to make a very long story marginally shorter, he ended up having to send his daughter along because there was a minimum two pax per booking rule for this package, a fact Tip-it had omitted to mention.
Jennifer is the coolest person I have met in Singapore. She sports a funky hairstyle and has already done many things in her life worth writing about. She was crew on an oil tanker for a year! Thanks entirely to her, a rainy Sunday that would have been less than a footnote in my Singapore story became a truly enjoyable day. I hope to go back to Batam when the sun is shining.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Issue #9
6 April 2011
This issue of the AFB is coming to you from Lisbon, Portugal and is about Barcelona, Spain.
An entry in Lonely Planet: Spain 8th Edition led me to Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu in the El Raval area of Barcelona. The Lonely Planet lures its readers to the "architectural masterpiece from another age". What the guidebook omitted to tell me, but what I will tell you, is that nestled within the gardens of the central courtyard is an alfresco restaurant. Go to the El Jardi even if history and architecture are not your passion. Order un litro of sangria and watch the entertaining array of people who frequent the interior courtyard of what is now the Biblioteca de Catalunya (Catalonia's National Library).
Not a fan of sangria (theirs comes with large chunks of fruit in it)? Then eat! The menu has 'typical' Catalan tapas such as tomato bread or black pudding with onion and classics like Gazpacho Andaluz or Patatas Bravas. If you want more than one tapa, El Jordi offers combination plates called degustation on the menu, as well as salads and desserts.
The menu advises that on nights when there is live music prices increase by 1€. They are open from midday to midnight.
This issue of the AFB is coming to you from Lisbon, Portugal and is about Barcelona, Spain.
An entry in Lonely Planet: Spain 8th Edition led me to Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu in the El Raval area of Barcelona. The Lonely Planet lures its readers to the "architectural masterpiece from another age". What the guidebook omitted to tell me, but what I will tell you, is that nestled within the gardens of the central courtyard is an alfresco restaurant. Go to the El Jardi even if history and architecture are not your passion. Order un litro of sangria and watch the entertaining array of people who frequent the interior courtyard of what is now the Biblioteca de Catalunya (Catalonia's National Library).
Not a fan of sangria (theirs comes with large chunks of fruit in it)? Then eat! The menu has 'typical' Catalan tapas such as tomato bread or black pudding with onion and classics like Gazpacho Andaluz or Patatas Bravas. If you want more than one tapa, El Jordi offers combination plates called degustation on the menu, as well as salads and desserts.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Issue #6
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
02 February 2011
Today is the first of 15 days of Chinese New Year. Last night was the eve of CYN and was celebrated with 'reunion' dinners. Thought by many to be the most important part of Chinese New Year, the reunion dinner is a time for families to gather. Special food is eaten and some is offered to the gods to ensure prosperity in the coming year.
I have never before lived in a country where Chinese New Year is a national holiday. According to the 2010 census, 74.1% of the 5.08 million people who live on the island of Singapore have Chinese ethnicity. According to Yen Feng in The Strait Times,"The two traditional religions of the Chinese still have the largest following in Singapore..." with 33.3% Buddhists and 10.9% Taoists. Jeremy Au Yong reports in the same newspaper, "Mandarin remains the most widely spoken language in Singapore homes, contrary to the notion that the language is losing ground to English." So it is not surprising that Chinese New Year is such a big deal here.
Tonight I am going to Chinatown and to see a display called River Hong Bao. Stay tuned for more about Chinese New Year in Singapore.
02 February 2011
Today is the first of 15 days of Chinese New Year. Last night was the eve of CYN and was celebrated with 'reunion' dinners. Thought by many to be the most important part of Chinese New Year, the reunion dinner is a time for families to gather. Special food is eaten and some is offered to the gods to ensure prosperity in the coming year.
I have never before lived in a country where Chinese New Year is a national holiday. According to the 2010 census, 74.1% of the 5.08 million people who live on the island of Singapore have Chinese ethnicity. According to Yen Feng in The Strait Times,"The two traditional religions of the Chinese still have the largest following in Singapore..." with 33.3% Buddhists and 10.9% Taoists. Jeremy Au Yong reports in the same newspaper, "Mandarin remains the most widely spoken language in Singapore homes, contrary to the notion that the language is losing ground to English." So it is not surprising that Chinese New Year is such a big deal here.
Tonight I am going to Chinatown and to see a display called River Hong Bao. Stay tuned for more about Chinese New Year in Singapore.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Issue #5
Twenty-six years ago I bought my first piece of real estate. It was a timeshare condominium at a place called Cranberry Village in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. With the purchase of the condo came a membership in Resort Condominiums International. RCI functioned as the pool of timeshare weeks where members could 'bank' their week and swap it for a week somewhere else. To facilitate choosing where one would like to swap to, a catalouge, complete with coloured photos and amenities checklists, was provided. Remember there was no internet in those days!
I would pour over the descriptions of the multitude of places for which I could trade my week in Ontario. At that time, I had never travelled outside of Canada and the USA; I hadn't even been to Hawaii! The place that excited me most was Penang, Malaysia. It struck me as the most exotic of all the spots in the RCI catalouge.
All these years later, I went to Penang to celebrate New Year's Eve. I am no longer the naive, inexperienced , young woman that I was twenty-six years ago. I have lived in Botswana, Japan, Spain and,currently, Singapore. I have travelled to Australia, South and Central America; I have even been to Hawaii! Penang did not disappoint. :-)
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Issue #4
Season's Greetings
17 December 2010
2010 has sped by and the Yuletide is upon us once again. It seems only a short time ago that I was writing to you about Christmas in Spain. This year I am spending Christmas in Singapore and I will be having Christmas dinner at Santa's house. I can imagine a few of you non-believers are saying "Santa lives at the North Pole" or worse, "There is no Santa Claus" so I am attaching photographic evidence that the jolly old soul himself is here in Singapore. His workshop and the elves are at the North Pole but Santa, like me, prefers a tropical climate. Another little known fact is that St. Nick is clean shaven most of the year and begins growing his famous beard in September.
I took some photos of the Christmas lights on Orchard Road with my new camera. As I stood waiting to cross the street I found myself singing along to "Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart" which was booming from loudspeakers along the street. The sensory overload of this shopper's paradise contrasts completely with the serenity of Antequera, Spain. BTW, if you are wondering where I learned the words to the above mentioned pop song by George Michael, it was at a Christmas karaoke party in Yamagata, Japan.
Wishing each and everyone of you happy holidays and all the best in 2011!
17 December 2010
2010 has sped by and the Yuletide is upon us once again. It seems only a short time ago that I was writing to you about Christmas in Spain. This year I am spending Christmas in Singapore and I will be having Christmas dinner at Santa's house. I can imagine a few of you non-believers are saying "Santa lives at the North Pole" or worse, "There is no Santa Claus" so I am attaching photographic evidence that the jolly old soul himself is here in Singapore. His workshop and the elves are at the North Pole but Santa, like me, prefers a tropical climate. Another little known fact is that St. Nick is clean shaven most of the year and begins growing his famous beard in September.
I took some photos of the Christmas lights on Orchard Road with my new camera. As I stood waiting to cross the street I found myself singing along to "Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart" which was booming from loudspeakers along the street. The sensory overload of this shopper's paradise contrasts completely with the serenity of Antequera, Spain. BTW, if you are wondering where I learned the words to the above mentioned pop song by George Michael, it was at a Christmas karaoke party in Yamagata, Japan.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Issue #3
Happy Deepavali
05 November 2010
Julia Roberts, the American actress, was quoted as saying that she thinks the whole world should celebrate the Hindu Festival of Light.
She said: "Diwali should be celebrated unanimously throughout the world as a gesture of goodwill. It not only belongs to Hinduism but is universal in nature and in its essence too. Diwali ignites the values of self-confidence, love for humanity, peace, prosperity and above all eternity which goes beyond all mortal factors."
It made me feel lucky to live in Singapore. Deepavali is one of the eleven major public holidays celebrated here. These holidays reflect the cultural and religious diversity of this country and include Chinese New Year, the Buddhist holiday Vesak Day, the Muslim holidays Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji, as well as the Christian holidays of Christmas Day and Good Friday.
As I mentioned in my first issue, many people think of Singapore as not truly Asian, "Asia-lite", as some put it. Trying to buy a semi-permanent hair colour in a lighter shade (golden brown) has assured me that I am truly in Asia. Not since living in Japan have I had difficulty with this fairly mundane task.
05 November 2010
Julia Roberts, the American actress, was quoted as saying that she thinks the whole world should celebrate the Hindu Festival of Light.
She said: "Diwali should be celebrated unanimously throughout the world as a gesture of goodwill. It not only belongs to Hinduism but is universal in nature and in its essence too. Diwali ignites the values of self-confidence, love for humanity, peace, prosperity and above all eternity which goes beyond all mortal factors."
It made me feel lucky to live in Singapore. Deepavali is one of the eleven major public holidays celebrated here. These holidays reflect the cultural and religious diversity of this country and include Chinese New Year, the Buddhist holiday Vesak Day, the Muslim holidays Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji, as well as the Christian holidays of Christmas Day and Good Friday.
As I mentioned in my first issue, many people think of Singapore as not truly Asian, "Asia-lite", as some put it. Trying to buy a semi-permanent hair colour in a lighter shade (golden brown) has assured me that I am truly in Asia. Not since living in Japan have I had difficulty with this fairly mundane task.
Thank you to Madan Rao for the photo of Deepavali in Bangalore.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Ms Laly is a hero!
Ms Laly, a volunteer with the Singapore SPCA, took Mama, Black & White, Small, Medium and Large home from The Animal Doctors. She saved their lives, she saved the SPCA from the burden of having to care for or euthanize them, and she saved me from the anguish of having to bring them in to the SPCA shelter knowing that I had failed to rescue them.
She is a hero!
I will ask her for photos and post them :-)
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