Leong Jee Yin's 1st Birthday Party

Start:

Jan 22, '11 6:30p

Venue : The Bayshore Function Hall (Club house in front of the main swimming pool)

The Bayshore Condominium. (NOT Bayshore Park)
Here's the location map.
http://www.thebayshore.com/images/pop-map.jpg

Nearest MRT is Bedok MRT where you can catch the Bayshore Shuttle for $1.50 (I think) or if you're coming by cab, ask for The Bayshore Condominium.

Buffet dinner will be served.

Confirmed;

Moon
Sally
UrofPersia
MKY
Moose
Debbie
SnowyB + Family

The Bayshore - our temporary abode

Travel - Kuching, Sarawak 3rd-5th December 2010

Fort Margherita, Kuching, Sawarak, Malaysia

Fort Margherita on the north bank of the Sarawak River was completed in 1879 by Charles Brooke, the 2nd Rajah of Sarawak to guard his capital city, Kuching against pirate attacks. Named after Charles Brooke's wife Ranee Margaret Alice Lili de Windt, it was built in a late English renaissance style. The guns have never been fired in anger. The Fort has been under 4 different administrations, the Brooke Dynasty, Imperial Japan, the British Colonial government and currently the Malaysian State Government of Sarawak.

Project - La Crystal, Somerset (North-East Monsoon Season of 2011)

Latitude 1°17'46.72"N
Longitude 103°50'13.08"E

Singapore Riverside/Bayside Nightscape 2010

F1 Singapore GP 2010

Bleh, don't spend money for a grandstand seat. Can't see anything except some fast blur with a loud noise passing by. Go for the walkabout tickets and find a nice corner where the cars need to slow down if you want to really see the cars in action, braking, turning and overtaking before zooming away.

Spent only 5 minutes at the grandstand and the rest of the time walking the edge of the fence.

Baby Attack!

Grabbing, gripping, biting, ripping,
His mouth a drooling wonder.

Yelling, murmuring, laughing, slobbering,
One bite and its all over.

by Angry Boar

MidAutumn Festival BBQ & Sohan - 18th September 2010 (+ and -)

There's something magical about kid's and their lanterns during the mid-autumn festival.

Soft flickering candlelight, throwing light and shadow onto thin painted coloured paper, swinging, swaying, on its fine wire/bamboo frame, in the tiny cherubic hands of excited children, happy smiles on their lantern fire-lit faces, eyes wide in wonder as they carefully try and shepherd the tiny dancing flame in a riotous procession of dancing colours marching around the moonlit pool.

BBQ @ Bayshore Park 2010

Hi guys, another year and another invitation for a BBQ and mooncakes at my place.  We'll have Sohan over again this year, taking a break from the dreary expanse of the Arabian desert to munch his way through kaya toasts and guzzle on local brewed kopi.

Who's coming?

18th September 2010

7:30pm

BBQ Pit (by the main club house - Dolphina)

ps. this should be the final mooncake gathering we'll be holding at Bayshore Park.  Next year will be at a very different place so try and make this.

The Buona Vista Battery

The Buona Vista Battery had two Mark II 15-Inch Guns and was thought to be located within the current Police Training grounds east of the junction of Clementi Road (Then called Reformatory Road) and Ulu Pandan Road. However, we were recently contacted by the management of a neighbouring housing estate when a 2m deep sink hole opened up within their estate across the road from the Police camp.

We went to take a look and from what we can tell, it is certainly possible that this is the magazine room for one of the 15 inch guns, buried unknown for decades until recently exposed by the heavy rains when a portion of the top slab collapsed in.

The depth of the top slab (shown by the broken reinforcement bars) from ground level is 2.2m. The water level is at 3.5m below ground level. A weighted rope was lowered into the chamber which looked like it has at least one side faced with iron, and what we found was a total depth to the chamber floor at approximately 10.7m below ground level. The caretaker who discovered the sinkhole said that he initially saw a concrete floor at the bottom before it was filled by rain water, meaning the chamber was dry up until only relatively recently.

PUB had sent investigators late last year to try and go into the chamber but they gave up after they found their ladders didn't go that deep but they took photographs of inside the chamber just above the water level. We are trying to obtain those photos from PUB. Meanwhile, the sinkhole continues to widen as more soil falls through the broken slab after every rainfall. We have advised the residential management to seal the hole with timber and canvas and backfill the hole with soil to prevent more erosion.

This warrants further investigation. An RA student will be tasked to start a document search of the old archives here as well as those at the British Library to see if we can find out exactly what is located here before deciding on our next move.

Baby's Mustang

DONE!!!!

Mozi - Chinese Text Project

http://chinese.dsturgeon.net/text.pl?node=101&if=en

Stereograms

"More than meets the eye."

Gonna try my hand at making dem 3-D pics.

How to view stereograms :

Normal viewing requires the eyes to focus at only one point on a picture. Stereogram viewing however, is different. It requires the eyes to be unfocused and looking straight forward, focusing beyond the picture you are viewing.

Place the picture in front of you and relax your eyes, focusing into the distance (or to infinity). The picture in front of you should look blurred. However, as you focus your eyes further and further behind the picture, you would start to notice the two blurry images start to come closer and closer together. Keep focusing your eyes further and further away until the two blurry images come together at the center. Hold your focus there when this occurs and you should see the image as a 3-D picture!

May astronomy trip to Punggai

Start:	May 14, '10
End:	May 16, '10

Repost for Remus

*************************
Dear Astro-Friends,

The registration for the upcoming May astronomy trip to Punggai is now
open. The dates concerned are 14-16th May 2010 (Friday to Sunday).

Transport arrangements would be similar to previous trips, and time of
departure would be in the evening of Friday (14th). Everyone will
arrive back in Singapore on Sunday afternoon. The cost of the trip
(SGD$130 per person) covers two-way transport, accommodation and
meals.

As May as a popular season for stargazing, with the Southern Milky Way
high up, there are lots to see (albeit susceptible to weather
conditions), do decide soon if you would like to join us.

Note: If you are keen to go earlier in the day (of Friday), do let us
know as well. Same cost.

Link to photos of past Punggai trips:
http://www.celestialportraits.com/CP_expeditionspunggai.php

Clear Skies!
Remus

Leong Jee Yin - Facets of Fashion

The Liang Zhixian Private Collection

Borrowing strictly prohibited without the expressed permission of the collection owner.  Story readers however, are most welcome.  Must have good reading vocals and an expressive face a plus.

"Be a Winner: Get going and enjoy life's victories", Hung Chi-Sung, Asiapac, 1999

"Best Chinese Names", Liu Xiuyan, Asiapac, 1996

"Grandad", Rachel Elliot, Little Bee, 2009

"Little Miss Giggles", Roger Hargreaves, Penguin Group, 2008

"Mr. Cool", Roger Hargreaves, Penguin Group, 2008

"Origins of Chinese Festivals", Asiapac, 2007

"Ramayana Parts 1 to 12", Dreamland Publications

"Sunzi's Art of War: World's Most Famous Military Classic", Asiapac, 2000

"Strange Tales of Liaozhai", Pu Songling, Asiapac, 1997

"Tanks and Artillery", Ian Graham, Silver Dolphin, 2003

"The Art of Peace: Practical Teachings of Mo Zi", Asiapac, 2004

"The Great Mariner Zheng He: 600th Anniversary of Zheng He's Voyages to the West", Huang Yao Chieh, TCZ Studio, 2005

"The Legend of the Little Blue Love Puff", Jane S.Kreisman, Hullen Ridge Press, 1989

"The Singapore Lion: A Biography of S.Rajaratnam", Irene Ng, ISEAS, 1010

"郑和:和平的使者", 亚太图书编辑部, 2005

Leong Jee Yin's One Month Celebration

Thank you everyone for coming! Jee Yin slept thru most of it and despite many attempts to get him to open his eyes, he continued to snooze while people ate, talked, laughed and kids ran circles around his stroller.

I hope the food was adequate. The drinks ran out towards the end of the party probably as the weather has been very, very hot. Old friends, new friends, relatives and neighbours all came, and even my old JC teacher from 20 years ago! :D

Thank you everyone for the well wishes, angbaos and for the presents. Thank you Jos and Ur for the book on S.Rajaratnam which I shall keep wrapped for the next 12-16 years until Jee Yin is able to read it, and special thanks to Liu for the gift box of toys and clothing all the way from lovely Brittany. That was a pleasant surprise.

The Elmo Song..

Images of the Lunar New Year Geng Yin 4707

Xin Nian Kuai Le! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Singapore Sentosa Integrated Resort - Central Zone - 28th January 2010

Baby Leong s/o Leong

First Month "Man Yue" Celebration for Baby Leong

Start:	Feb 28, '10 11:00a
End:	Feb 28, '10 3:00p
Location:	Bayshore Park Function Room

Venue : Bayshore Park Function Room
Time : 11am to 3pm
Date : 28th February 2010 (15th Day of the 1st Month of 4707)

... notable events : New life

He was 17 days early.  His expected due date was supposed to have been the 14th of February 2010, Valentine's day and the 1st day of the Chinese New Year and therefore a Tiger.  Instead, he decided to be a Bull and come out early.  The morning before, we had the doctor's appointments and imagine our surprise when both doctors declared that she was already in labour....  The rest of the day till the time we registered at the hospital at around 9:30pm was spent in a daze.  Niangzi even went back to her office to hand over her work to her colleagues while I went back home with the maid to prepare the baby cot and things.  A slow surreal McDonald's meal later and we were at the hospital's delivery room.

9:32pm entry into the delivery room

9:47pm registration

10:12pm waterbag is punctured

11:50pm epidural

12:34pm alls quiet and asleep

The soft barking sound of the recording machine times the contractions and baby's heartbeat as the mother slumbers.  I sit quietly in my corner reading, sipping coffee and surfing the net.  This is going to be a long night, but one that promises to be both exciting and nerve-wreaking... nothing short of life-changing.

The matron has estimated between 6-8am would be when the contractions are sufficiently strong for delivery.  The doctor is expected then.  Meanwhile, the regular barking sound and the lone nightlight are my only companions as my niangzi sleeps.  She will need her strength in 6 to 7 hours.

The room is cold, thankfully my parents came by earlier despite my protestations, bringing a thermos of hot coffee and a light jumper.  They weren't allowed in by the nurses, but everyone understood their excitement, including the night duty guard at the door whom I chatted with briefly after my parents had left.  Everyone was excited, who could blame them for being soon to be grandparents.

It had been a hectic, almost crazy couple of weeks leading up to this.  A new maid, the final weeks of my project, switching of doctors, choosing of name, working out schedules, finding out information on birth and national registrations as well as residential status for my yet unborn son.

The barking sounds from the monitoring instrument seemed to have stopped, a quick peek reassures me after seeing that the heartbeat is still constant, only the peak intensities of the contractions seems to have dropped, hence the lack of sound, but the frequency has increased.  A slight moment of worry when the monitor strapped to her swollen belly moved a little when she woke up to shift her position a little and the machine, unable to detect a heart beat, made urgent and insistent beeps.  Clicking the call button, the elderly matron soon arrived, clucking and reassuring us and deftly repositioning the monitor back where it belonged.

2:56am.  Stil another 3 to 4 hours to go.  Niangzi is sleeping again.  I try to catch naps but it is hard, what with the expectations of whats to come, and the 30min regular visits by the nurses to check on things.

I fell asleep and snored... at least that what niangzi said when we both awoke to yet another insistent beeping sound.  It is 5:42am.  I went to take a look and apparently one of the drips had finished.  I was just about to look for the call button which had slipped off the bed when a nurse walked in and chided us for not calling them.  *shrug oh well.

5:53am.  Is it time yet?  Its freaking cold, or at least I am.  Niangzi who is wide awake now says she's toasty warm under her blankets.  Well.

6:15am.  Time to wake up!  In 15 minutes, practice pushing!  Niangzi gives me that worried look.  Completely dilated.

Pushing and holding, timed with the contractions, but he refuses to come out.  The night duty nurses change shift and give way to the morning duty nurses.  "Push and hold, push and hold, push and hold."  1 hour later and still he refuses to leave his comfortable cocoon. Niangzi, collapses back in exhaustion and pain.  "Doctor is coming." the nurses say.

Doctor arrives.  "Ok give it one big push, forget about the next push and put everything into the first one." he says.  Kicking, screaming he is dragged out into this world.  Smiles all around, exhausted faces with silly grins, niangzi completely expressionless in her exhaustion and pain.

I turn papa-razzi, taking pictures of everything, the weighing scale, the baby screaming, the tired mother, cutting the umbilical cord with the scissors the nurses passes to me, like a VIP at a ribbon cutting ceremony.  "Cut the cord between my fingers but don't cut my fingers." she says.  Ok, maybe not quite like cutting ribbons.  I must have had that wild-eyed look brandishing the scissors in my hand.

His first cries are recorded with my sound recorder, pictures and videos are taken, even today's Straits Times I have kept to be sealed for posterity.  The nurses count his fingers, his toes, checks his ears, clears his nose... Niangzi asks, is he ok?  I smile.

The text messages start to arrive.  "How?", "Any news yet?", "Can we come now?" anxious and newly minted grandparents text excitedly.  "Yes." was the only word I needed to text back.

Postnote: Baby born on the 29th of January A.D. 2010 (Chinese date 15th day of the 12th month in the year 4706)

The 99 names of Allah

The 99 names of Allah;

1. Allah Allah, He who has the Godhood which is the power to create the entities.
2. Ar-Rahmaan The Compassionate, The Beneficient, The One who has plenty of mercy for the believers and the blasphemers in this world and especially for the believers in the hereafter.
3. Ar-Raheem The Merciful, The One who has plenty of mercy for the believers.
4. Al-Malik The King, The Sovereign Lord, The One with the complete Dominion, the One Whose Dominion is clear from imperfection.
5. Al-Quddoos The Holy, The One who is pure from any imperfection and clear from children and adversaries.
6. As-Salaam The Source of Peace, The One who is free from every imperfection.
7. Al-Mu'min Guardian of Faith, The One who witnessed for Himself that no one is God but Him. And He witnessed for His believers that they are truthful in their belief that no one is God but Him.
8. Al-Muhaimin The Protector, The One who witnesses the saying and deeds of His creatures.
9. Al-^Azeez The Mighty, The Strong, The Defeater who is not defeated.
10. Al-Jabbaar The Compeller, The One that nothing happens in His Dominion except that which He willed.
11. Al-Mutakabbir The Majestic, The One who is clear from the attributes of the creatures and from resembling them.
12. Al-Khaaliq The Creator, The One who brings everything from non-existence to existence.
13. Al-Bari' The Evolver, The Maker, The Creator who has the Power to turn the entities.
14. Al-Musawwir The Fashioner, The One who forms His creatures in different pictures.
15. Al-Ghaffaar The Great Forgiver, The Forgiver, The One who forgives the sins of His slaves time and time again.
16. Al-Qahhaar The Subduer, The Dominant, The One who has the perfect Power and is not unable over anything.
17. Al-Wahhaab The Bestower, The One who is Generous in giving plenty without any return. He is everything that benefits whether Halal or Haram.
18. Al-Razzaaq The Sustainer, The Provider.
19. Al-Fattaah The Opener, The Reliever, The Judge, The One who opens for His slaves the closed worldy and religious matters.
20. Al-^Aleem The All-knowing, The Knowledgeable; The One nothing is absent from His knowledge.
21. Al-Qaabid The Constricter, The Retainer, The Withholder, The One who constricts the sustenance by His wisdomand expands and widens it with His Generosity and Mercy.
22. Al-Baasit The Expander, The Englarger, The One who constricts the sustenance by His wisdomand expands and widens it with His Generosity and Mercy.
23. Al-Khaafid The Abaser, The One who lowers whoever He willed by His Destruction and raises whoever He willed by His Endowment.
24. Ar-Raafi^ The Exalter, The Elevator, The One who lowers whoever He willed by His Destruction and raises whoever He willed by His Endowment.
25. Al-Mu^iz The Honorer, He gives esteem to whoever He willed, hence there is no one to degrade Him; And He degrades whoever He willed, hence there is no one to give Him esteem.
26. Al-Muthil The Dishonorer, The Humiliator, He gives esteem to whoever He willed, hence there is no one to degrade Him; And He degrades whoever He willed, hence there is no one to give Him esteem.
27. As-Samee^ The All-Hearing, The Hearer, The One who Hears all things that are heard by His Eternal Hearing without an ear, instrument or organ.
28. Al-Baseer The All-Seeing, The One who Sees all things that are seen by His Eternal Seeing without a pupil or any other instrument.
29. Al-Hakam The Judge, He is the Ruler and His judgment is His Word.
30. Al-^Adl The Just, The One who is entitled to do what He does.
31. Al-Lateef The Subtle One, The Gracious, The One who is kind to His slaves and endows upon them.
32. Al-Khabeer The Aware, The One who knows the truth of things.
33. Al-Haleem The Forebearing, The Clement, The One who delays the punishment for those who deserve it and then He might forgive them.
34. Al-^Azeem The Great One, The Mighty, The One deserving the attributes of Exaltment, Glory, Extolement,and Purity from all imperfection.
35. Al-Ghafoor The All-Forgiving, The Forgiving, The One who forgives a lot.
36. Ash-Shakoor The Grateful, The Appreciative, The One who gives a lot of reward for a little obedience.
37. Al-^Aliyy The Most High, The Sublime, The One who is clear from the attributes of the creatures.
38. Al-Kabeer The Most Great, The Great, The One who is greater than everything in status.
39. Al-Hafeez The Preserver, The Protector, The One who protects whatever and whoever He willed to protect.
40. Al-Muqeet The Maintainer, The Guardian, The Feeder, The Sustainer, The One who has the Power.
41. Al-Haseeb The Reckoner, The One who gives the satisfaction.
42. Aj-Jaleel The Sublime One, The Beneficent, The One who is attributed with greatness of Power and Glory of status.
43. Al-Kareem The Generous One, The Bountiful, The Gracious, The One who is attributed with greatness of Power and Glory of status.
44. Ar-Raqeeb The Watcher, The Watchful, The One that nothing is absent from Him. Hence it's meaning is related to the attribute of Knowledge.
45. Al-Mujeeb The Responsive, The Hearkener, The One who answers the one in need if he asks Him and rescues the yearner if he calls upon Him.
46. Al-Wasi^ The Vast, The All-Embracing, The Knowledgeable.
47. Al-Hakeem The Wise, The Judge of Judges, The One who is correct in His doings.
48. Al-Wadood The Loving, The One who loves His believing slaves and His believing slaves love Him. His love to His slaves is His Will to be merciful to them and praise them:Hence it's meaning is related to the attributes of the Will and Kalam (His attribute with which He orders and forbids and spoke to Muhammad and Musa -peace be upon them- . It is not a sound nor a language nor a letter.).
49. Al-Majeed The Most Glorious One, The Glorious, The One who is with perfect Power, High Status, Compassion, Generosity and Kindness.
50. Al-Ba^ith The Reserrector, The Raiser (from death), The One who resurrects His slaves after death for reward and/or punishment.
51. Ash-Shaheed The Witness, The One who nothing is absent from Him.
52. Al-Haqq The Truth, The True, The One who truly exists.
53. Al-Wakeel The Trustee, The One who gives the satisfaction and is relied upon.
54. Al-Qawiyy The Most Strong, The Strong, The One with the complete Power.
55. Al-Mateen The Firm One, The One with extreme Power which is un-interrupted and He does not get tired.
56. Al-Waliyy The Protecting Friend, The Supporter.
57. Al-Hameed The Praiseworthy, The praised One who deserves to be praised.
58. Al-Muhsee The Counter, The Reckoner, The One who the count of things are known to him.
59. Al-Mubdi' The Originator, The One who started the human being. That is, He created him.
60. Al-Mu^eed The Reproducer, The One who brings back the creatures after death.
61. Al-Muhyi The Restorer, The Giver of Life, The One who took out a living human from semen that does not have a soul. He gives life by giving the souls back to the worn out bodies on the resurrection day and He makes the hearts alive by the light of knowledge.
62. Al-Mumeet The Creator of Death, The Destroyer, The One who renders the living dead.
63. Al-Hayy The Alive, The One attributed with a life that is unlike our life and is not that of a combination of soul, flesh or blood.
64. Al-Qayyoom The Self-Subsisting, The One who remains and does not end.
65. Al-Waajid The Perceiver, The Finder, The Rich who is never poor. Al-Wajd is Richness.
66. Al-Waahid The Unique, The One, The One without a partner.
67. Al-Ahad The One.
68. As-Samad The Eternal, The Independent, The Master who is relied upon in matters and reverted to in ones needs.
69. Al-Qaadir The Able, The Capable, The One attributed with Power.
70. Al-Muqtadir The Powerful, The Dominant, The One with the perfect Power that nothing is withheld from Him.
71. Al-Muqaddim The Expediter, The Promoter, The One who puts things in their right places. He makes ahead what He wills and delays what He wills.
72. Al-Mu'akh-khir The Delayer, the Retarder, The One who puts things in their right places. He makes ahead what He wills and delays what He wills.
73. Al-'Awwal The First, The One whose Existence is without a beginning.
74. Al-'Akhir The Last, The One whose Existence is without an end.
75. Az-Zaahir The Manifest, The One that nothing is above Him and nothing is underneath Him, hence He exists without a place. He, The Exalted, His Existence is obvious by proofs and He is clear from the delusions of attributes of bodies.
76. Al-Baatin The Hidden, The One that nothing is above Him and nothing is underneath Him, hence He exists without a place. He, The Exalted, His Existence is obvious by proofs and He is clear from the delusions of attributes of bodies.
77. Al-Walee The Governor, The One who owns things and manages them.
78. Al-Muta^ali The Most Exalted, The High Exalted, The One who is clear from the attributes of the creation.
79. Al-Barr The Source of All Goodness, The Righteous, The One who is kind to His creatures, who covered them with His sustenance and specified whoever He willed among them by His support, protection, and special mercy.
80. At-Tawwaab The Acceptor of Repentance, The Relenting, The One who grants repentance to whoever He willed among His creatures and accepts his repentance.
81. Al-Muntaqim The Avenger, The One who victoriously prevails over His enemies and punishes them for their sins. It may mean the One who destroys them.
82. Al-^Afuww The Pardoner, The Forgiver, The One with wide forgiveness.
83. Ar-Ra'uf The Compassionate, The One with extreme Mercy. The Mercy of Allah is His will to endow upon whoever He willed among His creatures.
84. Malik Al-Mulk The Eternal Owner of Sovereignty, The One who controls the Dominion and gives dominion to whoever He willed.
85. Thul-Jalali wal-Ikram The Lord of Majesty and Bounty, The One who deserves to be Exalted and not denied.
86. Al-Muqsit The Equitable, The One who is Just in His judgment.
87. Aj-Jaami^ The Gatherer, The One who gathers the creatures on a day that there is no doubt about, that is the Day of Judgment.
88. Al-Ghaniyy The Self-Sufficient, The One who does not need the creation.
89. Al-Mughni The Enricher, The One who satisfies the necessities of the creatures.
90. Al-Maani^ The Preventer, The Withholder.
91. Ad-Daarr The Distresser, The One who makes harm reach to whoever He willed and benefit to whoever He willed.
92. An-Nafi^ The Propitious, The One who makes harm reach to whoever He willed and benefit to whoever He willed.
93. An-Noor The Light, The One who guides.
94. Al-Haadi The Guide, The One whom with His Guidance His belivers were guided, and with His Guidance the living beings have been guided to what is beneficial for them and protected from what is harmful to them.
95. Al-Badi^ The Incomparable, The One who created the creation and formed it without any preceding example.
96. Al-Baaqi The Everlasting, The One that the state of non-existence is impossible for Him.
97. Al-Waarith The Supreme Inheritor, The Heir, The One whose Existence remains.
98. Ar-Rasheed The Guide to the Right Path, The One who guides.
99. As-Saboor The Patient, The One who does not quickly punish the sinners.

 (extracted from http://malaysia-today.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29617:allah-not-only-word-banned-&catid=19:newscommentaries&Itemid=100131)