Photo Shoot

Jazzy here. Mom and Dad got a new camera and are having a lot of fun with it. (Well....they borrowed it from the Wee Kim Wee School. It is a Panasonic Lumix DMC G6). Here is my first photo shoot ;)

Whew.....being a model is exhausting! ( so is being a photographer ;) )

Chris here. What a whirlwind the past few weeks have been!

Melissa and I have become much busier with work—which is going quite well all in all. New responsibilities as a faculty member keep my schedule full with classes and research meetings while Melissa’s job keeps her busy with treating a new patient load. However, we are still doing our best to go out and explore some the different neighborhoods and attractions of Singapore.

 Recently, we went to MacRitchie Reservoir Park for a sizable hike (roughly 6 miles) and to see the star attraction—a 250 yard treetop canopy suspension bridge 75 feet above the forest floor. 

On our walk we were greeted by some curious long-tailed macaques (AKA: monkeys), who really wanted to share my snack. The entire troop came running as soon as they heard the crinkle of the foil wrapper in my pocket. It was reminiscent of cats running toward the sound of an electric can-opener. We laughed and smiled jovially without fully realizing that we were playing into the hands of the macaques that collectively recognized us as easy targets. Our smiles dropped as we realized no longer were the macaques the attraction, but that we had become the main show. The macaques dared closer and closer and Melissa and I sensed that the time was right for us to hustle on before some kind of heist ensued.

 Later, after the heat was off from our macaque-venture, I took a few photos of one of our furry neighbors while he yawned—as his mouth split into a deep yawn his face went from sleepy and cute, to rather terrifying as he bared the canines he quietly harbors. It was a good lesson to remember that at first glance they look cute and cuddly, but to be cognizant that they are WILD and they can be aggressive too! So after a couple of close encounters we decided to move along and continue the trek to the canopy walk.

The canopy walk was really, really cool—although I have to admit, being up that high on a bridge that sways with the breeze was a bit frightening, but I think that I managed OK. Melissa had no problems, although one poor guy behind us wasn’t enjoying his time on the canopy walk. All in all, it made for a great day-trip and we will certainly have to go back to explore some of the other hiking trails around the reservoir.  Enjoy the pics!

Chinese New Year (CNY)

Kung Hei Fat Choy! 

Melissa here.....Chris and I enjoyed our first Chinese New Year here in Singapore. The celebrations last for about 15 days and there we so many events around town that we could not possibly attend them all. But here are some highlights.....

Yuesheng with colleagues. We had a blast performing "Lo Hei" with new friends! 

Yúshēng” (鱼生, aka “Yee Sang” & “Yu Sang”), literally means “raw fish” in Chinese but since it sounds like Yúshēng (余升) which means an increase in abundance. Chinese living in Singapore & Malaysia (especially businessmen and working people) love to eat this dish during the Chinese New Year (CNY) season as it is a symbol of abundance, prosperity and good fortune. For those unfamiliar with this dish, it is an Asian-style salad with various shredded vegetables and served with assorted toppings, a sweet plum sauce and slices of raw fish (usually salmon sashimi or mackerel). Each ingredient added is well thought of because there is a corresponding auspicious greeting with it. Eating Yu Sheng during CNY is a cultural activity for Chinese living in Singapore and Malaysia, but not so much in other Chinese-populated countries such as Hong Kong, where the practice is almost unheard of. This may be due to the origins of the dish, which was created by 4 master chefs in a Singapore restaurant kitchen way back in 1964. Yu Sheng is one of those few local foods born and popularized in Singapore.

In a ceremony known as “lo hei” (Cantonese 撈起 or 捞起), families, friends and colleagues gather around the table.

1) Say 恭喜发财 and 万事如意 when putting down the Yu Sheng on the table.

2) Say the auspicious greeting for each ingredient as it is added to the plate.

Here is the corresponding CNY greeting of each ingredient:

- red items (carrot, red yam, red ginger): 鸿运当头
-green items (cucumber, green yam): 青春常驻
- white radish (daikon): 风生水起/步步高升
- pok chui crackers: 翩地黄金
- pomelo: 大吉大利
- cinnamon powder: 招财进宝
- Chinese 5-spice powder: 五福临门
- plum sauce: 甜甜蜜蜜
- crushed roasted peanuts: 金银满屋
- roasted sesame seeds: 生意兴隆
- olive oil: 多多油水
- white pepper powder: 招财进宝
- raw fish slices: 年年有余
- abalone slices: 年年包有余

3) When all the ingredients have been piled on the plate, then everyone, on cue, proceed to toss the shredded ingredients into the air with chopsticks while saying auspicious wishes (吉祥话 Jíxiáng Huà) out loud to mark the start of a prosperous new year. It’s believed that the higher you toss, the greater your fortune!

We had Harry (colleague's 10 yr old) translate the greetings for us.

Later we went to Chinatown to see the Lantern Light Up. After a fish spa (carp pedicure!), some shopping,  dinner at hawker stall and watching some mahjong, Chris and I walked around to see the lights. It was beautiful. The streets were lined with hundreds of silk horses and gold coins.

Fish spa....tickle tickle! 

mahjong

 

The next day went went down to Marina Bay to another CNY festival. Here we sampled sugarcane juice, rubbed the God of Fortune for good luck and went on a boat tour around the bay. 

God of Fortune. People were rubbing their dollars and lotto tickets against him and touching him for good luck.

Chris in the cabbage carriage. Cabbage is good luck too, this year!

Sugarcane juice. Not too sweet, but very refreshing on a hot day!

 When we got back from downtown, we took Jazzy on a walk to the Chinese Heritage Center and Garden, here on NTU campus. What a happy girl! 

Next CYN we hope to see a lion dance and to catch the fireworks. Here is to a great 2014! Happy and Prosperous Year of the Horse to ALL!

Chinese Garden

Melissa here...

Jazzy stayed home today while Chris and I went out for a day adventure to "Chinese Garden." We have noticed this stop off of the train many times as it is only a few stops from home so we decided to check it out today.

I know what you are thinking....HOW could we leave Jazzy behind and have so much fun without her??

Well a few reasons-

1. You can not take pets on the MRT (mass rapit transit) 

2. You can not take pets into most natural areas, such as public gardens (bummer, right?)

We were surprised at first that pets are not allowed in gardens or botanical areas, but then we realized why......

Picture it.....me resting naturally by the river....so calm and peaceful......

Chris snaps a picture and I turn my head to the right....and see THIS........................

 Is it a crocodile? Is a dinosaur? No, it is a HUGE Monitor Lizard!! (actually two HUGE monitor lizards!!) Look how big and long that tail is! The big guy was shading his body under the bush.

This was me immediately after seeing these guys....

"they can't get me up here, right?"

this smaller one came up out of the water. The baby?

Can you imagine what Jazzy would have done if she saw these creatures? Or what they would have done to her? Singapore has such vast and varied wildlife, that domesticated animals, like Jazzy, could compromise their habitats or affect their behaviors.  We also saw a sign posted in the park of a certain monkey that had been harassing parkgoers and begging for food. It was quite a funny poster, actually. Kind of a mugshot of the poor monkey saying "Do not feed this monkey. Please report him immediately." I am sorry we did not take a picture of that sign! 
We continued through the park visiting a 7 story pegoda that you were able to walk up to the top and look out from. it was actually kind of scary, but it was my favorite part of the walk. Next we visited a small garden with over 100 bonsai trees. That was Chris' favorite part of the day. 

We continued through the "Zodiac Garden" and took tourist pics with the Horse (celebrating this Lunar New Year) as well as our respective birth years.

1979- year of the goat 

1982- year of the dog

 We stopped to watch a game of cricket and then at a hawker center for food and a beer before heading back home to Jazzy. All in all it was a great day!