Pictures from my Home trip

Back to Dallas

Hello everyone, I am back to Dallas after 1 week plus home trip in Singapore. It was a short and sweet holiday for me ( and for my good friends back home). Thanks to the festive season, there is no shortage of party, food and booze to go around with. Rest assure that I will be posting all the photos taken with you guys after I get some sleep later on from the Jet lag.

The short week surely was pack with activity from "chionging" session at Dragonfly, 3 house warming party, a Christmas eve party, my family reunion dinner, movies and a farewell dinner 1 day before I flown off. Really appreciate the time you guys and gals spend with me, thank you thank you.

The return flight on SIA SQ016 make a stop over at South Korea Incheon Air Port. Throughout the flight, I have 2 occasion (during take-off and during landing) to chat with a young Air Stewardess who came from Malaysia. Her name is Yow which translate to Rao in Chinese. What a rare surname. Chat about the ranking system if the Air Stewardess, how long she work, where she from, where I am from, What work I am in, about San Francisco and whether I can be a SIA pilot. Sad.... the entire flight crew was changed during the 1 hour stop over and I never meet her again. Very sweet girl, when I mention it was snowing outside, she was really excited and said like a little girl "Wow, its snowy...I like snow". The last word exchange between me and Miss Yow was "Happy New Year". Ahh....cannot forget her sweet smile and voice.

Next leg of flight to San Francisco took 9 hours and I have to camp 6 hours at San Francisco Airport for the United Airline 0456 flight at 1830hrs which was delayed an hour due to foggy condition. So the flight only took off at 1930 and reaches Dallas at 0030 local time. Ricky picked me from the Airport and we head off to IHOP for supper. Got some updates from him about work and the RSAF car accident in Arizona.

Whee....I am still wide awake! Thank god its Sunday and I will be working at 3pm on Monday so I have more than 24 hours to tune my circadian rhythm back on track.

Favourite 80s Song, New Orders - True Faith

This is a real classic, although the MTV was kinda weird in the beginning with people slapping each other but still one of the few great 80s song. Don't hear clubs playing this song anymore otherwise its will be nice to dance with.

True Faith? How can we judge faithfulness of someone to ourselves or someone else? Is it a quantitative or qualitative? Does spending long time together represent faithfulness or just that we don't have any idea where to go at all? If we only meet once a week, how do we represent our faithfulness to each other? The short hours spend at Dinner, the movie or in the bed?

Today True Faith is Benazir Bhutto. She came back to save her country despite the obvious danger of assassination. She was assassinated by a combine shooting and bombing during a open rally in her home country Pakistan. Her faith for the good of her country and its people certainly cost her life.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/28/world/asia/28bhuttocnd.html?hp

Once a store room with a spoilted desktop

While the kingdom was abandon for months and years, the territory was slowly devoured by the rampaging invaders from neighboring kingdom. Surprisingly not a single act of pillaging and arson was evident in the now desolate Kingdom. Somehow the invaders have run out of space within their own walls and came with no swords or spears but boxes and boxes of excess supplies of the Golden Years to be stored in this Kingdom. The Kingdom hereby is renamed the store room.

But in the corner within the walls lies the key of knowledge and entertainment of the former ruler, its here where he rules his Kingdom, demonstrate his artistic flair of digital arts and collaborated with overseas pirates for Anime, MP3 and music. Its the PC. Alas, due to months of inactivity the hard drive dies a natural death and never to boot up again.

The Ruler return after a 1 years absence to restore his favorite corner within the walls. Together with a Toshiba laptop, a Trendnet router and the whole of this morning...he restore connection of his former kingdom with the outside world once more.


But for now, the Kingdom is still a damn store room... hahahah

SteamBoat at Renhan and Angela new apartment

I hope I could post of the Christmas eve gathering at Alfred's and April's place but I haven't get the photos from Alfred yet. So fast forward to Christmas Day itself where we brothers are invited to Renhan's new apartment for a house warming c.u.m Steamboat lunch gathering. Nice apartment, really spacious and very thoughtfully designed.

Slurp!!! Seafood buffet! I love the pig liver. Renhan woke up early to shop the grocery for the seafood steamboat.

Big Bro and 4th Bro patiently waiting to start the makan session while staring in thin air.

Good food is nothing without a great company of my bros and their wife. From left to right, Eddie, Renhan, Angela, April and Alfred.

Renhan's Daughter...Baby Celeste having her lunch out of the bottle. Much much more healthy compare to our sinful diet of the day.

Funeral in my neighbourhood.

How coincidence can it be? I came back to my apartment welcomed by 2 Chinese funeral. 1 under my block and another one at the next block across the road. Got startled up from my bed early this morning by the funeral musical procession bang trumpets and cymbals. For the first time in a years, i was woke up by something other than my alarm clock and there is no way to snooze it.

This is a Uniquely Singapore experience not to be found in tourist brochures. It serve to remind us how fragile life is and it often end with lots of music and a 500 degree flame...dust to dust, ashes to ashes.

Life is about balance of Material and Mental Wealth. Material = Shelter, Food and Water which is a life sustaining force for Health. Mental = Compassion, Wisdom which is our spirituality. When a human pass away, he/she no longer needs the Material of life but the action of his/her Mental continue to live on in our world from the people compassion have touched and wisdom have guided. When someone mention that our spirits still linger on earth after death, its not exactly ghost we seen in movies or stories, its just the results of what he/she did, be it the good or the bad that carry on through others life. Thats Spirituality in my own worlds.

What is Love??? I can't explain it... ha ha. Thats something we all don't really understand right?

RSAF serviceman involved with Accident

http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_189336.html

THREE servicemen from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) were involved in a car crash that killed an elderly American woman in Arizona, US, last Wednesday.

The car, driven by Mr Teo Ming, a Singaporean, collided with the car driven by Ms Jacqueline Faircloth-Bair, 64.

The New Paper reported that there were two other passengers in Mr Teo's car who escaped unhurt.

Ms Faircloth-Bair died shortly after she was sent to hospital, while Mr Teo was treated for minor injuries.

A spokesman from Singapore's Ministry of Defence said the men were in Arizona for training and they were off-duty and driving their own car at the time of the accident.

He added that the men are assisting the authorities in the US with investigations. -- TNP

*Above extracted from Straits Times Online

I hope we don't have to take chartered bus to work from now on....

Back to home!!!

Phew....finally finish setting up the home wireless network in my apartment. My sis have subscribed to Starhub MaxOnline while I was away but was always confined to using the internet near the router because there is not wireless router at home.

I brought back a Trendnet Wireless Router to setup a home wireless router to free my family from chaining themselves to the 4 ft network cables. After struggling 2 hours with settings and troubleshooting, I could almost shoot myself for not realizing that the router does not connect to the Internet because I failed to restart all the device, from the Cable Modem to the Router and finally the laptop I am typing on now.

So now, I am back online wirelessly with my first blog in Singapore. Time is short for me in Singapore and 1 day have already pass since I landed. It was a good first day in Singapore. Went to re-contract my dads Starhub mobile lines (under my name) with a new, discounted Sony Ericsson K850i for my sis. Next I went to the traffic police department to get my replacement driver's license which was lost in USA. Than my family head down to my Uncle Yong Tau Fu store at Aljunied for lunch before heading back home for a rest. The evening was spend with my 2 brothers, Alfred and Eddie, chilling out with a can of beer and couple of winning Eleven 9 games on PS2.

This morning, me, my sis and dad headed to Prata Place along Sembawang Rd for breakfast. Mum is tired from work so she is still in bed. I super miss having prata for breakfast. Its been almost 9 months lor. My Singapore Saturday routine was running in the morning and Prata and Teh Tarik to replenish the energy.

I sense a strong prata presense here. 1 Kosong, 1 Onison and 1 Teh Tarik

Human beings are at the top of the food chain while wheat from prata are the lowest in the chain.

Ok got to go now. Heading out for lunch and than to Peicong's Christmas gathering.

Leaving for Singapore....soon

I typing this today from my base on the last day of work before I hike an American Airlines flight to Los Angeles later on in the evening. Next will be SIA SQ001 all the way from US soil back to Singapore. Weather predicition for 30% precipitation (fancy name for rain) in Dallas and I hope my flight will not be delay. I wonder how much my country have changed or how much I have lost touch with it. I am eager to learn how everyone of my friends and family have changed or how much I have lost touch with them. Most of all, I hope for pleasent surprises and a jolly good Christmas celebration back home, with family or friends.

1 week is really too short, now I realise. I only have a single weekend to spend upon touch down for I will be taking a morning flight on Saturday 29th back to US again. Already there is plan on my mind to change my return flight to Sunday 30th instead so I have at less half a weekend in Singapore.

Wish the jet lag don't hold me back from all the activites. :)

Sun Rise In Peace Prairie Detachment

A CH47D preparing for a morning sortie in the background.

Kawaii Neh!!!!

Passenger are advice not to look up when going through the underpass.

Man's Best Friend and Mattress.

A gift wrapping guard duty

Its Sunday and I'm on Guard duty. No one is working on Sunday obviously and I am by myself and have to whole luxury of spare times to do what I want. No movie watching today, no Nintendo DS, its a whole day dedicated to gift wrapping.

This is my work desk and I spend hours right here in a small corner of the base cutting, folding and sealing gift wraps. Its easy task if you are not really particular of presentation for the content beneath the wrap is whats matter. Seriously, I never wrap so much gift in a single day and I almost felt like I am some kind of Store assistant during Christmas Day helping customer do gift wrap. Now I know why some store actually charges money for doing so. Its pretty time consuming.

Few hours, a lunch break and many hours later...



Voila!!! Every gift neatly wrapped and tagged to the correct recipients. I actually prepared extra Christmas gift in case of contingencies. Every gift have a gift tag on it but I leave most of the "To:" empty while "Riccardo" is written on all the "From:" section except the gift for my mum where I wrote my Chinese name instead. Its kinda satisfying feeling to know that my Sunday have been put to good use besides serving the Nation by doing guard duty in Base. Its not really well wrapped and masking tapes are sticking out in every corner.

Everything neatly back to the big Oakley bag I brought along. Wah...its already sunset. Time flies, it begin in the morning and ended in the evening.

Decided not to buy take-away dinner outside the Base and have Cup noodle and Apple for dinner tonight. Ok, looks like everything is almost prep up for my home trip. I got the Christmas gift done up, my passport and air ticket are in the hands, all its left is to pack the luggages. Monday will be an off day and 1 more working day on Tuesday before I say Sayonara to USA... Mmmm....Chilli Crab is almost within my grasp!!!

Song Of The Day: Madonna, "Like A Prayer" 1989

Santa Riccardo coming to Singapore

3 more days to go and I will be on my way back to Singapore for my second home trip. Its been almost 9 months since my last home trip and Singapore still feel refreshing as ever to me. Unlike the last one, I am really looking forward to Singapore this time round. With the festive Christmas period during my 1 week plus stay in Singapore (from the 21st to 29th December) I was invited to attend 3 Christmas party from Saturday onwards, just one day after I touch down in Singapore.

First off will be house warming cum early Christmas gathering at Peicong and Aijuan new apartment on Saturday evening. On Christmas eve I will be heading to my dear brother Alfred and April apartment's Christmas celebration at his new apartment at Sembawang and also to Renhan and his wife place later on in the evening. Phew.....seems like everyone is getting married and getting new apartment.

Whats a Christmas celebration or gathering without present? As a more than 1 years resident in the US of A, with the great shopping outlets all around the place...there is almost limitless gift idea to choose from. So Mr Riccardo will be Santa Claus back in Singapore this time round. I might not be a worshiper of the true meaning of Christmas so to me its a day where we exchange gift with each other in appreciation and gratefulness of the friendship, brotherhood or intimate relationship for the past 1 years.

Of course not to forget the family bonding of my Dear Sis, Mum and Dad who all deserve all the quality time I can give during this festive period. I am going to bring them all to a nice restaurant (Chinese food of course!!!) for a nice quality family Christmas Day dinner to make up for all the family time lost when I'm away.

I am not spared Guard Duty for this weekend even with my home trip looming in the background. Well, the few shopping excursion have net almost 15kg of gifts for friends and family and thats gonna take time to wrap. I don't think I have the time to go through the scissors, gift wrap and masking tape when I'm back in Singapore so I decided to tackle this necessary Christmas chore during the Sunday guard duty. At less I got the whole day and all the stationary supplies I need in base.

Watch me transform 15kg raw shopping items into neatly wrapped present in tomorrow blog.

So looking forward to my home trip because of her too. Alas, I guess we both finally could have a little spark going back in our relationship. Somehow that period of separation and cool down period helped us both to understand each other better and reignited my affection for her back again. When work and lifestyle overwhelmed my daily thoughts of her and I almost loss her from my mind...she came back into my life again from a simple message on a post card. I only regret that with only a week in Singapore, I just have that little amount of time to spend with her that I wish I could have 1 week more in Singapore. But I know in my heart, its all gonna be good from now when we both put our heart and soul in it.

Adult and Children in a deserted town, a ghost town

What if we squeeze 40 adults into a small Ghost Town and they have to work together to rebuilt and revitalize it while at the same time live, eat and sleep with each other? 20 adults of 20 different country. They probably kill each other, divide into groups and build fences or someone will proclaim king and enslave the rest of the unfortunate residents. In the face of land without law, fear and skepticism rules. Everyone wants to be the leader and everyone wanna kick someone out during the town meeting each week for a million dollar in prize is at stake in the end. Welcome to the tv serial "Lost" or reality show "Survivor".

1 town away is yet another Ghost Town populated by 40 children all below the age of 12. They name their town the Bonanza City and it was recently broadcast on CBS. An interesting reality show "Kids Nation", 40 kids been challenged to live in an abandon town far away from civilization and their parents for 40 days. 3 of them become homesick and gave up while the remaining 37 work together through the daily challenges. In the end, there is no bloodshed but a creation of bonding and great friendship and tears of goodbye. The show teach us all that in the adult world of office politics, rivalry, power struggle, jealousy and backstabbing, its the children that show us all what real cooperation and team work is for someone who have not even pass their PSLE.

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/kid_nation/

Kairi, The Yanny, The Wolf, Yes I am...

A blog from a girl of faith name Yanny,

http://www.mercyfallout.blogspot.com/

2007 Forth Worth Alliance Airport Airshow

Fort Worth Air Show 2007

Another crazy MTV - Wen Bie

What is love?

Love is patient and Kind.

Love is not jealous or boastful or pround or rude.

It does not demand its own ways.

It is not irritable and it keeps no record of being wronged.

It does not rejoice about injustice

but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

My tuition student is now an RSAF Pilot

Man...time really flies. During my Polytechnic days, I juggle between my Mechatronic studies and giving tuition to 4 Secondary School kids who have a tough time comprehending Math. One of my ex-student was Darren. Bright kid who just need a bit of guidance in his Math homework. I did also teach Darren younger brother with Math too but somehow he is more towards the Artistic, Right Brain area of talent.

Its been almost 5 years since I first started tutoring Darren. He was recently commission as 2nd Lieutenant after passing his Air Grading Course over at Australia. Early next year Feb, Darren will be heading to France to train on the A-4 Skyhawk which should lead him on to piloting the F-16 Falcon or the future F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jets.

Ha ha... The tuition teacher becomes a Technician while his student went on to be a Fighter Pilot. But you know what?I am really happy to know he is doing well in life and embarking on a prestigious and exciting career as a RSAF fighter pilot. Too bad, he is not coming to the Helicopter community else it will be really great to see him with the Chinook.

The people we met in our life affect the outcome of the future differently.

A 5 min blog to kill the bored Vampire in me

5.07am early in the morning. When everyone is getting up ready for work and the rooster is cuckolding... here I am, on my bed with my Sony Laptop blogging away and getting ready to sleep. That's the reality of my life this week working the graveyard shift like ghost and zombies. Work at 6am and got home at 3 to 5am in the morning. When the sun rise, I go to bed.

Good thing I still love garlic and the sight of the Cross cause no discomfort to me. I check my pulse, yes its still beating and I have not succumbed to 4 days of darkness. One more day to go, and it will be the weekend! Oh, speaking about the weekend remind me of my Saturday guard duty in Base. A day of just just staying in the base with a partner from 8am to 8am next day. Well I already have plans for this 24 Hrs stay at my workplace.

First, I am going to finish the entire Season 4 of "Cold Case" which should burn away 4 hours of the day. Next I gonna buried myself after lunch on my Nintendo DS Lite from RuneFactory to Legend Of Zelda Phantom HourGlass. In the evening, if its not too cold, I'm intending to go for a evening run around the base before heading out to buy Dinner. Finally surf the net a while after dinner before hitting the bed....Zzzzzz.

Thats how the guard duty is carried out.

Oh did I mention I will be doing guard duty again next Sunday? Well, its not too bad doing 2 weekends because I will get a day off on Monday on both occasion. So a guard duty on Sunday 16th, Day Off on Monday 17th, will request another Day Off on Tuesday 18th and finally fly out of Dallas on Wednesday...a 18 hrs flight back to Singapore to meet all my family, friends and the wonderful variety of Singapore food! So looking forward to that 1 week break in Singapore.

Brought so much stuff during Thanksgiving shopping for Christmas gift back in Singapore that I need to dedicate next Saturday as gift wrapping day. Need to prep those presents before flying back on the 19th December. There will be a early Christmas cum house warming at Peicong new home on the 22nd and on a Christmas Eve gathering at Alfred+April house. Looking forward to the Gift exchange ceremony.

Tired liao...going sleep...ZZZzzzzzZzzzz

My first E-Bay USA sale!!!

2 x 512 MB Laptop RAM for Sale! Which equals to 1GB! Its DDRII and its fast! Free Shipping to anywhere in United States and Singapore

My Favorite Animation is now in 3D!!!

From the Creator of "The Nightmare Before Christmas", "Corpse Bride", "Edward Scissors Hand", "Batman Return", "Sleepy Hollow". Acclaimed Director Tim Burton now brings you "The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D"!!! First shown in 1993 as a stop animation or clay animation film is now remake in 3D with all the original creative dark themes of a Tim Burton's work.