Rice Dumplings

Although the dumpling festival day was about 10 days ago, it's still within the month of the festival.

The community has an online activity to get residents involved for the festival today.

The ingredients and such were delivered to home yesterday. Today was the online zoom even where the expert will show the participants how to wrap the bah-zhang properly. :)

And yeah, the ingredients were pre-cooked prior to delivery as well. So participants just have easier life to just start wrapping during the event, plus cooking of course.

Karinna was the one doing the wrapping. She signed up for it. :)

I had to bring Zyan for his swimming, as usually. 

When we got home, the wrapping was half-way done. 

Not too bad a progress I guess.

Anyway, she and our helper proceeded to finish wrapping the bah-zhangS, total 12 of them.

Wah. Dun play play hor.

Then it's cooking time, immersing all the dumplings into hot boiling water.

Guess the hard part was typing the dumpling properly. It's a technique that needs to be practised.

Reminded me of how my mum used to tie the dumplings effortlessly. 

After 1.5 hours of cooking the dumplings, the result:

Due to poor tying technical, I think 1 of it wanted to evolve itself into dumpling soup. :P

It's all good. Time to taste the food.

Not too bad. Can't say that it is great, but still pretty ok.

I myself had 2 of them. Size is not that big actually, so 2 is ok.

While waiting for the dumpling to be cooked, there's also a dragon boat making session. 

More for the kids to get involved.

In this event, I was the kid. Hahaha

Just cut out the provided shapes etc, and mix and match them up with double-sided tape etc.

Not difficult, just filmsy.

Cannot expect too much from this type of art and craft.  

Swee boh? Steady right?

Also got some prizes for the participants.

Need to upload some dumpling making picture, and the dragon boat picture.

The ones with the most likes will get some NTUC vouchers.

Huat ah!

疫苗

今天早上， 去到联络所打了我的第二剂疫苗。

就和上次一样，很快就登记好。 打针也挺快的。

只有在等候三十分钟的那段时间就无所事事。

其实这两次的打针， 都没感觉那根针有扎疼到我。没啥感觉， 而且很快。

等候三十分钟的观察时间， 上上网看看有的没的， 时间很快就过了。

叫到我了， 确认没事， 他们就放人走了。

我打的时辉瑞疫苗(Pfizer)。

 一整天下来， 还好没有特别的不良反应。

下午就觉得上手臂有点酸麻， 其他的都还好。 

希望明天不会有发烧， 头痛的副作用。那就太完美了！

你怕针吗？针？有什么好怕的？！？！？

SG Wannabe

 Last week I watched "Hangout with Yoo", and it featured a group called SG Wannabe.

Its latest project is to create a vocal group like SG Wannabe, who has been around since around mid-2000s.

It's to get a few singers (preferably those who have not hit big time in the industry) who can sing well to produce songs like how SG Wannabe used to do with their vocal prowess.

In that recent episode (17 April 2021), the group SG Wannabe came on as guests to help the host listen to the voices of the applicants for the new group MSG  Wannabe.

In the episode, they sang a few of their songs.

Wah!!!!

I don't know Korean of course, but hey, the songs featured were simply amazing.

Since then, I have been listening to it almost everyday.

This is the link to the songs featured in  the show.

Good voices, nice songs, great interactions between the guests and host (which is not in the youtube link).

Have to say again, simply amazing! 

There's also some story behind the group.

One of the current member joined only after a former member left to pursue a solo career.

Few years after, that former member committed suicide, and as a group, the current members stopped performing as a group as remembrance and mourning of the loss of a former friend.

Not disbanded, just had hiatus for a period of time.

Anyway, with the recent appearance on the show, seems like they enjoyed newfound success from the show.

Good for them.

Meanwhile, I will listen to the songs again.

I am doing that while writing this blog post actually.... :)

Coleslaw Adventure

Nice coleslaw?

Well, it’s a food that is ‘hard to come by’. Literally!

I ordered it on Qoo10 few days ago, on 4th Nov, and arranged it to be delivered on 6th Nov, 3-6pm, as it was indicated to specify a timing for the delivery, so that the food can stay fresh.
Sounds good!

So yesterday waited for it, 3-6pm. Nothing came.
At 6+, I had to leave home to pick penny from dog grooming.
While on the way, the seller called me, and said the delivery guy did not go and pick from her. She only  told me the problem, but never provided any further step to do.
Wait or not to wait? Cancel or not to cancel.

Back home, around 7.30pm, I texted seller to ask for information, until around 8pm, said the Qxpress team will call me. Indeed, someone called, and ask me if I still want to food. 
Sure, why not? Then hang up.

Then, no news … … …

At 9+, close to 10pm, seller texted me and said the delivery guy still not there to collect.
Woah!!
Again, I asked seller what should we all do.
Silence.
I even offered to go and collect from her myself, looking at the time being 10pm already.

Seller then messaged and said it’s getting late, suggested to arrange for tomorrow.
Well, I am not hard-up for the coleslaw to be delivery at the hour, so it is fine with me.

Best thing happened, seller called me at 11pm, and said the delivery guy just reached her place, and ask me if it is ok to delivery the coleslaw.

Although not very willing, just want to close the episode, I said fine. I will wait.

From Tiong Bahru to Joo Chiat, probably 20 minutes should be more than enough.

So watch some TV and waited.
Phone received a SMS at 11.09pm, said the delivery is completed.
What?!?!?!?! Huh!??!?!
Went out to take a look, nothing.

11.30pm, no one appear.
11.45pm, nothing happens. Went to check physically at my gate in case some clever delivery guy just leave it outside the house.
Don’t have.

Well, called the seller. Couldn’t get through. Nice, off the phone and went to sleep I guess.
Track the delivery and saw the driver’s memo stated as delivered (as per SMS’ timing) that has a contact number.
Called, but line was forever engaged.

Gave up.
Decided to go back to do my own things and then sleep.

Morning came, my help came to me and said the coleslaw was hanging outside the house.

What the cuckoo brain of the delivery guy. Food leave outside the door in the middle of the night.
Some food party is it?

Now got dilemma.
Should still eat the coleslaw or throw away?
Decided to keep and eat lah. At most go toilet more often. LOL

While the delivery was really bad this time round, totally unprofessional, I have to agree that this is technically not the seller’s fault.
However, being the seller, there is obligation to ensure things are done smoothly, especially when the problem was known to her right from the beginning.
I am sure seller would see my missed calls, and SMS in the morning.

Guess what? Nothing heard from seller.

Oh well, should I order again from same seller in the future? Hmmmm … 

写给自己的五十

写给自己的五十

人生有几个五十

到达一个变事实

做人终归得踏实

活得精彩有价值

迎来第一个五十

还有老花和近视

身体僵硬或不适

记得要去烦医师

你说你快到五十

功名利禄试一试

成败不会在一时

竭尽全力在一世

他说他已过五十

回头望恍如隔世

云淡风轻最真实

庸庸碌碌过一世

我说我现在五十

你说要再拼几次

他说平凡是写实

我该如何去诠释

人生第一个五十

感叹会有一丝丝

继续前进做战士

不忘行善与布施

人生有几个五十

换来无限的睿智

陪伴无需多奢侈

天伦享受一辈子

Lunch at Swenson

Cracked Tooth

As you can guess from the post title, my tooth cracked.
It on the left upper part, 2nd last position molar tooth.

This tooth problem dated back to around end-2019.
At that time, I felt my tooth was sensitive, but I felt it on the lower jaw of the teeth.
After checking through, the dentist confirmed it is on the upper jaw, and the knocking test showed that particular tooth is sensitive.
Other than that, nothing else was wrong with the tooth.
No crack, no filling needed, nothing at all. So it was then said to take some medication and see how it goes.
In fact, I went to see the dentist twice then, even took a memo from him just in case I need to go for 2nd opinion or even ENT doctor to check.

At that time, the sensitivity of that tooth took around 3 weeks to 'feel better'. After that, I was more careful with food intake etc, as that took still feel sensitive, and at at lower degree.

Then around 2 months ago, when all the coronavirus precaution measures were started, I had a sharp pain on that tooth, and it lasted around 1.5days. After that pain, I could feel the gum area was swollen, and could feel that it was 'badly swollen'.
The swell lasted about 3 weeks, then it subsided. The tooth still feel somewhere sensitive, but no pain, nothing at all.
However, I could feel some discomfort on the tooth when I feel around it with my tongue. That was about all I could do.

And yes, I delayed till today then I go and see the dentist.

I briefed him the story since the last visit, and then he checked the tooth.

Once checked, he said no need checked already.
Crack. Only way is to extract.

Wah!!! So scary. Had not extracted tooth for past 40 years or so.
The thought of it is simply, devastating. LOL
Until almost peed in the pants. Nah, I went to toilet to pee. :P

Still had to face the music.

StyloMylo, but stressed. 

So we moved on. With the injection to numb the nerve area and everything, we were ready to rock!
Yeah!
The assistant was told to hold my head to prevent my head from moving here and there.
*cringe*
Then he started pulling ... ...

Twisting here and there with his tool, having no regards to how my mouth and lips were pressed. Still had to breathe in and out properly to calm myself down, hearing him pulling, and can 'feel' the sound of the tooth being 'creaking' out of my gum.

But I must say, it was pretty fast. I felt it was done within 2 minutes, faster than cooking maggie mee.

Then he asked if I wanted to keep the extracted tooth.

D'uh! What for? Said no. Then after a short while, I said yes, to show Zyan. Hahaha.

Big molar tooth!

Paid for it, took the medication from them, and went off.
Trauma over, but the pain will come later.
Sigh.

Hair Cut

The last hair cut I did was probably in March, around the school holiday period I guess.
It's been a while.

With Covid-19 and its various circuit breaker measures, salons are only recently re-open for hair cut.
Last week actually.
Didn't go last week, as it was expected to be quite crowded, and it actually happened to be long queues for some places as reported in the newspaper.

Anyway, waited until this week to go.

Brought Zyan along, as we are buddies when going to hair cut. :P
We do it in Marine Parade.

Went around 3pm. Ohhh! The shop closed!
We usually cut at this place called Snip Avenue, which is relatively cheap. $3.80 per cut with pre-paid member card, and they give 2 free haircuts. 12 hair cut for $38. Pretty good deal.
But it's closed! Due to Covid situation, they shifted to Bedok Reservoir.

Too lazy to go, thought of going back home.
Then, saw opposite row of shop has a hair salon. $6 per cut. OK, why not?

Do the required SafeEntry and temperature check, and off we go, hair cut with mask on.

Weird to wear mask to have hair cut, but situation requires it, so just live with this little inconvenience.
Thus, bring my 三千烦恼丝 to become 两千？
LOL

The shop also has pre-paid membership card price. $30 for 10 cuts! Nice!
However, didn't sign that up for now. Need to check out on using up the previous ones first. :)

Feels good after the hair cut.
Looks neater now.

Hopefully, when going for next hair cut, the situation is back to a lot more normal than new normal.