Cup of Friendship

A Cup of Friendship
A Cup of Love
A Cup of Memories
A Cup of Singapore

A very big cup for everyone to bring happiness.

Just like "Coffee with a friend is like capturing Happiness in a cup".

The year 2015 for SG50 has just passed.   It was a busy year for me with activities to keep me occupied with blogs as a hobby, and brought me personal happiness to share.

Its better late than never to acknowledge so many friends and strangers to email me their kind words to encourage me their positive and constructive feedbacks.  Many had taken their personal efforts to cheer me up after a long, hard day.

Photo taken in 1983 with my former colleague Black Tan

My daughter could not recognize me with moustache when she was a child. She would not let me carry her and when her hand touch the moustache, she ran away from me and said "Daddy gili gili (itchy in baby lingo smile emoticon After that I shaved off the itchy hair above my lips ... hahaha. Any moustached fathers with such experiences to share with us smile emoticon

I think this was the only photo I had of me with a moustache just for fun and posted to my Facebook timeline.

Thanks to my Facebook friend, Ms Ivy Chwee Neo Tan, sent me this comments:

"I think that I can share her reaction (being my young daughter's) ... I wld hv done the same thing.....anyway...you don't need a moustache to dress up your face ..you can let your face be the mirror of the vision around you...this for all the interesting articles on your blogs & posts...

Thank you, Ivy.

Another long-time friend and supportive blog reader, Ms Sim Hui Hwang:

Yes James!  Ir is a privilege to have time for others while most ppl are still struggling to eke out a living.  The community needs more active senior citizens to lend a helping hand n a listening ear.  It certainly must have brought so much joy to u as your contributions are immeasurable n invaluable for those whose lives u have touched!  Keep up the good work, James!

Thank you, Hui Hwang.

Its really nice to hear kind words of encouragements to motivate me to keep on blogging.  Thanks to all my blessed friends.

Memories of Chinatown on Chinese New Year Eve 2016

This young boy sitting on the shoulders of his father had the best view above the heads of everybody else in Chinatown.  Lucky boy!

Photo taken when they were near the Chinatown Food Street.

Another little girl on her father's shoulders to watch the performances on the stage for the Chinatown Chinese New Year Countdown Party at New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street.

It is wonderful for many Singaporeans and foreign tourists and visitors with their families to join the Chinese New Year celebrations in Chinatown.

The little girl puts on a monkey mask and Dad laughed.  Good business for kid toys at the stalls.

Walk Down Memories of Chinatown

After a reunion dinner at home, I decided to go to Chinatown to absorb the real experience on Chinese New Year Eve on 7 February, 2016.  Its over 20 years since my last visit there on this occasion.

Alighting from Outram MRT station, I walked towards the heart of Chinatown to feel the pulse and heartbeats where the heat and happenings on a hot night began.

I was greeted by a row of brightly lighted lanterns above the road and the various monkey-shaped lanterns near the road dividers.  Cheerful and cute monkey lanterns!

Chinese New Year Shopping at Chinatown in the past

As we turn the clock backwards in time to the same places in Chinatown over 50 years ago, lets take a look at the juxtaposed photos with the courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore to share on this blog.

More related topics are available here     

The babies were sleeping quietly at mothers' back while the mothers carried on with shopping ...

Pomelo stall at Chinatown during Chinese New Year ... then and now!

Chinatown Shopping Now

The last-minute shoppers on Chinese New Year Eve at Chinatown was increasing bigger and bigger by the minutes.  It was getting hotter and my shirt was wet with perspiration .....

The heated oven where the temperature grew was the stretch of stalls at Trengganu Street offering candies, flowers and goodies at half prices for value for money bargain.  

People were grabbing the stuff as if its free .....

Ad posters to attract the customers

It is a common traditional practice to sell the fresh flowers at discount offer prices at Chinatown during the Chinese New Year Eve.

Sales Pitches With Loud Voices

"See ... so many extra pieces to fill up the whole bag for $5.00 only.  Cheap, cheap!  Last night offer!

Spotted an old friend in the crowd

Through my camera viewer, I noticed a familiar face with long hair ... Ronald Lam, my long-time friend and former colleague.  I grabbed his arm and gave him a surprise.  So nice to meet him after so many years.  We are Facebook friends who contacted regularly though.

 We had a "wefie" for memory!

Food for the Hungry Shoppers

View from the Top

The Chinatown Complex at Block 335B, Smith Street is the tallest building in Chinatown built by the Housing & Development Board (HDB).  

To capture the breath-taking photos of the scenaries, I took the lift to the 24th storey for this blog.

The Chinatown MRT Station 

Travelling to Chinatown by MRT is the fastest and most convenient for public transportation to and from any part of Singapore.

With the courtesy of Mr Johnny Tan to upload the YouTube video, "Walking Down Chinatown On Chinese New Year's Eve" to enjoy.