Tag Archives: Daily

The One With Christmas – Two Celebrations In A Row

7 January, 2015 5:20 pm | Leave a Comment |

Have you had a great Christmas? Mine was very, very memorable.

Christmas Eve was spent in the company of some dearest friends. Food galore! We had western, Indian and Japanese all on one table. Champagne was literally free flow. We had a good few hours of merriment before hitting the street to paint the town red. It has been a good few years since we had a gathering like this.

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Second Christmas party, this time at my place. We hosted Ted’s friends for a night of eating, drinking and (yes) dancing. On hindsight I should have been a little light-handed in serving-tray-of-shots; we had rounds of whiskeys, vodkas and baileys. Not to mention champagne and wine. Food took second stage. And when Spice Girls hit the stereo, all hell broke loose.

I know I had it good when policemen came knocking. Now that’s what I call a good party!

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(On a separate note, now I’m left with a house sparkling with glitter. Even the toilet. How did it get there?!?)

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The One With Happy New Year – Of Drones, Fireworks & BBQs

1 January, 2015 10:14 am | Leave a Comment |

Sometimes the best plan is not to plan at all.

My New Year’s Eve celebration started with a surprise cheese-and-wine at home, followed by a steak dinner. The night was still young so we joined our friends for a rooftop BBQ and a crazy countdown on a rooftop.

When the clock hits midnight, we cheered amidst booms of fireworks going off at the harbour. Blocked by buildings we could only see glimpses of it, but here’s one courageous drone going into the fireworks!

I couldn’t remember the last time I drank this much. It was so much fun, definitely worth the hangover I have on the first day of the new year.

On another note… did I just agree to go to Songkran this year? It was too hazy a night of chicken wings, sweet potatoes and grilled fish!

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Hong Kong Funeral

3 September, 2009 1:29 pm | Leave a Comment |

I went to pay respect to the mother of a friend of mine just now, who has recently passed away. It was my first Chinese funeral in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Funeral

The solemn but loud occasion took place in a centralised funeral parlour located in Hong Hum. My friend’s was located at the third floor, sharing the facility with four other family. The highly efficient machine of Hong Kong commerce was humming along effortlessly.

What astonished me was how Hong Kong people transformed the ritual of a funeral into a spectacular art form on its own. Colourful paper offerings, loud clanging music, heart-stopping movement, and hypnotising chants filled the hour I spent gaping at it all.

But lest I got distracted by the unfamiliar bangs and noises. The pain of the family was real. Behind his stoic expression and watery smile, I sensed a deep well of sadness behind my friend’s eyes.

Stay strong, Vincent. My thoughts are with you.

(Photo Credit: filmmaker in Japan)

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My H1N1 Experience

10 July, 2009 8:46 am | 7 Comments |

Before you start to panic, let me just clarify that I did not get the dreaded virus.

But I was very paranoid of getting Swine-d. In my second week in Hong Kong, I developed a severe (and productive) cough, which lasted for weeks. It caused much inconvenience to my colleagues around me. They were unsure if my cough should be a cause for alarm, or it was just because of the level of pollution here.

Seeing doctor in HK wasn’t of much help. Despite finishing the plethora of medicine prescribed to me, my cough did not recover fully.

And soon it was time for return to Singapore for my birthday party.

I didn’t take any chances on the plane. The mask didn’t contribute to my aesthetic value.

The day before my birthday party, I was trawling all over town running errands. I guess the hard work plus the lack of sleep didn’t agree well with me. Towards the evening, I developed a slight fever.

My fear for H1N1 returned. And I told this to a dear friend. She kept asking me to get it checked out. What if I was indeed Swine-d and infect all my party guests?

So I did exactly that. I went to Mt. Alvernia hospital, and I tweeted my way through the experience. You should read these tweets bottoms up.



My fellow Twitterers complimented me for being socially responsible and doing the right thing. Some commented following my tweets was like following a reality show.

To be honest, all I wanted to do is to make sure the party can go on the next day. I mean, it is not every day a man turn 30, is it?

And oh, my cough has been totally cured. After one dose of medicine from the Singapore doctors.

Really, I don’t want to compare between Hong Kong and Singapore, but this really speaks for itself.

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