Red: Bus

During our monster garage sale for the children of Africa at Mt Albert Baptist Church. I chanced upon this perfect Arnot biscuit bus. It was in a mint condition. Some one kept it for a lot time and had love it very much.

The last time I saw Jean, she said, they raised more than $3000 which is very satisfactory. The money would be taken to Rowanda. My oldest daughter always remembers what it was like at Rowanda.




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Scenic Sunday/Sunday bridge: Old bridge in Singapore

There are some very old bridges in Singapore.




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Scenic Sunday: Fishing in New Zealand

Recreational fishing is very popular in New Zealand. There is a quota, and fisheries officers often check on the fishermen.



We didn't catch this blue cod. I bought it, 18 inches long and more than 1 kg. A fairly big fish, and it fed 3 hungry people in my house. I steamed it the Chinese way, 12 minutes, garnished with spring onion, ginger, tomatoes, capsicums, a dash of oil and soya sauce and a sprinkle of white pepper. If you came too late, the fish is all gone.










Both sets of my ancestors had fish ponds. It was more fun harvesting the fish than eating it, especially when you have to clean the fish. The Chinese like to have the fish whole. In the restaurant, when you order the whole fish, you know it is fresh.

Blue cod, Parapercis colias, is a temperate marine fish of the family Pinguipedidae. It is also known variously as Boston blue cod, New Zealand cod, sand perch or its Māori names rawaru and pakirikiri.Blue cod (Parapercis colias) are endemic to New Zealand and are one of the best fish for eating. The Chinese restaurants here serve them as an expensive fresh whole fish.

It is exclusively found in New Zealand in shallow waters around the rocky coasts of up to the depth of 150 m, though it is far more common south of Cook Strait. It is bluish green to blue black above with white toward the belly. Large examples are usually greenish blue in coloration, while smaller ones are blotched in varying shades of brown. An adult may grow to 60 cm in length and weigh from one to three kg. It feeds mainly on small fish and crabs. Blue cod is strongly territorial. Spawning takes place in southern spring. Blue cod can also change sex from female to male.

Blue cod produces good fillets, but it has a very low oil content. It can be served battered, crumbed, pan-fried or baked. It is an important recreational species in the South Island and is commercially harvested. Blue cod populations are managed sustainably under New Zealand’s fisheries quota management system, although are becoming scarce in some small areas due to fishing pressure. Annual catch range is between 1,300 to 2,000 tonnes.


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Frangipani

Had a bit of discussion recently about the Frangipani.

In South East Asia, this is known as the grave yard flower, and plants are seen in Muslim cemetaries. When I was living in Singapore, in Nanyang University, at the entrance to some apartment blocks, the authorities had planted two Frangipanis on either side of the entrance. There was some talk about this. Why of all flowers did they grow the Frangipani.

Someone did kill himself jumping down the apartment block. Bad Feng Shui, people said.

In modern Polynesian culture, women wear them to indicate their relationship status - over the right ear if seeking a relationship, and over the left if she's been taken.

I was flying home one day from Australia to New Zealand.

The cabin crew announced, "Down the plane is the beautiful __________, in the front is the beautiful ___________, and I am the most beautiful of them all."

Sir Charles Branson must have trained them all. One of them had a frangipani in her ear. I forgot which ear.




Frangipanis are used by the Polynesians to make leis to welcome people. My polynesian students tell me that when a woman wears the Frangipani on her ear, you need to be careful. If she wears it over her right ear, she is available. If she wears it over her left ear, you should not flirt with her, otherwise her husband will not only cop your ear. He will cop your head.


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Skywatch Friday: Singapore

My friend James Wong from Sarawak went with his wife Roseline Lee for a very special occassion. This is his photo taken by his Sister. The entry ticket to the Sky Park is $20 per person. The lift is fast - about 25 secs to reach 56th floor!

At Marina Bay Sands Hotel (56th - 57th Floor) SkyPark. The time is 7:20 pm.

I connected with James via facebook, it was through posts of a mutual friend. Whilst chatting, we realised that we knew someone else. I could have seen James when he was a little boy. His sister was my classmate. I used to go to their house when I was in primary school.

I asked if he still blogged, and since he didn't, if I could borrow this. This photo showed a part of Singapore that wasn't there when I was there. No wonder, people dub Singapore as Lego land.

Thank you James.



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Watery Wednesday: Learn-to-swim programme

See this beautiful tranquil lake. I loved it there. This is a private waterway of the houses here. It looks so peaceful, but it could be deadly. Deadly if you can't swim. My brother Joseph just sent me this email.


Ray from No 13 saved a kid at 9 clear water bay from drowning yesterday. He jumped into the lake to save a child fallen off the jetty. Without Ray, the kid would be dead.

Joseph tells a friend to teach his kid to swim and he comes up with a lame excuse that the wife is worried about ear infection.


For Joseph, his wife Audrey takes the boys to swimming lessons at least once a week until they are 7 years old. They are always very vigilant at the jetty and pool.

Just yesterday, we have this good news.

Learn-to-swim programme a bid to end drownings

Thirty-seven thousand Auckland children are being given free swimming lessons in a bid to stop the high number of drownings.

Water Safety New Zealand has contributed $500,000 towards the Sport Auckland learn-to-swim programme, which will provide more than 320,000 free lessons throughout this year.

Sport Auckland chief executive Daniel Gerrard said it hoped the lessons would change the alarming fact that only 21 per cent of 12-year-olds could swim 200m - the benchmark Water Safety NZ considers necessary to swim and survive in the water.

"Last year, Auckland recorded its highest number of drowning deaths [30] since 2002. It's alarming when you also look at the declining swimming standards of New Zealand children," Mr Gerrard said.

Last year, 131 people drowned in NZ, a rise of more than 50 per cent on the year before - the worst annual drowning toll on record since 2003.

The learn-to-swim programme is part of the Greater Auckland Aquatic Action Plan (Gaaap), launched last year, which provides free swim and survive skill development to Year 3-6 children in decile 1-6 schools.

They are provided with eight to 10 free 20-minute swimming lessons from a qualified instructor. If there's no school pool, the lessons are held at a council or private pool.

Mr Gerrard said the additional half a million dollars would enable the programme to reach 200 more schools.

Water Safety NZ chief executive Matt Claridge said the joint initiative would play a significant role in helping reduce Auckland's high drowning toll.

Of the funding, $200,000 is earmarked for an existing learn-to-swim programme in Papakura and Franklin which will now come under the Gaaap umbrella.

The $300,000 balance is to combine with investments from ASB Community Trust, KiwiSport and Sir John Walker's Find Your Field of Dreams to enable Sport Auckland and the Regional Sports Trust Alliance to deliver swim and survive lessons throughout the wider Auckland region.

Mr Gerrard said the goal now was to secure additional funding to extend Gaaap beyond the current age and decile parameters, to deliver free swimming lessons to more Auckland children.


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Ruby Red/Rednesday: Color analysis

This is Jo Clary, she is a Leading Image Consultant in Singapore from Canada. A few years ago when I was still in Singapore, I organised a Mum-Daughter dinner and workshop evening with my American friend S. We organised this for the NTU Residents Nanyang Connect where I was a co-founder.



My photo taken by Kelly, The newspaper Aucklander had featured me on 3rd June 2011 , Words of healing on my Book, Diary of a Bereaved Mother.

Many years ago, I was given a chance to have my color analysed using The Suzanne Caygill Method. The analyst said I was a winter person, and the colors I should wear were dark red, dark blue, black and dark green. She used different colored fabric and draped, over my shoulder. What was interesting was, these were the colors I was attracted to even before the analysis.

What was more interesting was my Chinese name is snow. My uncle had advised my dad to change my name. He said it wasn't good to give such an icy name to a daughter. Did I have a frosted character?

My friends in NTU would attest to the fact that I was a very good PR person and made a lot of friends.

As for the color analysis, it saves me a lot of money, because by buying clothing of such colors, I am unlikely to make the mistake that I buy something I don't like and end up with things I would stuff at the back of my wardrobe. I am happy with the few items I have and I don't shop a lot.


The only thing is, when summer comes, I am very tired of the dark colors, I ignore the advice and wear pale colors.



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