Sime Cemetary

The Sime Cemetary is now unused. Is that possible? When does a cemetary stop being 'used'? Anyhow, I discovered some great off-road trails for my mountain bike, and it's all overgrown and empty and trippy (and only sometimes spooky) and if you really explore, you can find some lost trails that drop you through the jungle and in to the Polo Club. I came across some of these beautiful stone sentinels around the graves (notice their hairdo's) and one of the graves are even guarded by fierce Sikh guards resplete in uniforms, bandoliers, rifles and even a puppy-dog by his feet! Riding by quickly is ok, but a much more effective deterrent than the guards are the clouds of mosquitos - watch out and move quick!

Ngian

Tia is having some routine work done with Dr Ngian. She loves going to the dentist. No, it's not the politically correct thing to say (Mo IS a dentist after all!), but it really is painless and quick. Mara also has great choppers (and a beautiful smile!) and we all have our regular check-ups, but I'm the only one terrified.

Little Juicy

Qun Zhong Eating House - a great little dive. Listen, anyplace that has a dish labelled 'Little Juicy Steamed Dumplings', + has a bunch of foodies waiting outside most anytime - has to have some magic. It's at 21 Neil Road in Singapore, and since I will be living away for long lengths of time I don't mind sharing this little juicy secret. Go get steamed, and the noodles and the chinese 'pizza'..... Reminds me of Sun Tai Sam Yuen, off Columbus Ave. in Chinatown, San Francisco.

Kristin is awake after 20 meetings - how?

Yup, twenty meetings later, PS Café and powering on. I don't know how. Here's proof though..
We (Bill was also there) managed to get her the 'Exile in The Forest' documents. Done.
Kirstin & Sarah

Zip

Mara's got a zip - in each ear. I suppose that's better than some intense body-piercing I've seen around. It's sortof cool. And they are earrings. And they do come off...

viral haemorrhagic fever

viral haemorrhagic fever. It sounds oh so lethal. It is. That's Dengue Fever for you. I thought I had it, bodyaches and a splitting head (too much wine) - and I hurried over to Dr. John (not the rapper..) who did his usual 'rest & plenty of fluids' routine. I didn't have it. Hooray! I AM being sane about it however, lots of mosquito repellant - 'yeeecch' say Mo & the girls, but y'know what, it's a one-way slide into hell with Dengue. All your organs leaking, bleeding from the gums and even from your eyes (I know, I know real sci-fi horror stuff!). So I read up about it on Wikipedia, and it's no walk in the park - transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. Whatever, I'm staying away from that sucker.
A TEM micrograph showing Dengue virus.
The Aedes Aegypti

Three Traumas

I've heard that there are three major traumas in a persons life - A death in the family, a divorce, and moving home.
Well, this moving thing is really intense. I've got too much stuff, and even though I don't (maybe) need all of it - and I'm trying to toss all the bits and unnecessary pieces away - I probably don't have enough discipline and/or the will. I DO have a nostalgia set of boxes - those got filled right away; my work stuff - video, animation and all the computer gear is a major, major pile of stuff - but what about all the little bits, all my clay from claymation matérial, the animation hardware, the kilometres and kilometres of cables and other bits, all my art supplies, all my DIY tools, all that lighting gear, TB's of hard disk drives, my bicycling gear, all the projects that are yet unfinished....
Krikka our big, big short-haired pointer, Sushi and Yu-Li the cats - they'll do the 30 day quarantine and will be off soon.
The moving chaps said we need a 40ft hi-cube and another 20ft container. And then there's the car - talk about baggage! I WILL try and get rid of as much as possible, but..... my books, all that great art - bronzes, stone and clay and ceramic sculptures - contemporary and kitsch and folk-art. No way I can leave them.
I told Mo earlier today, what if we just took the kids, one bag apiece and just walked away from it all.
It could be done, but.....

Where is Lottie Da?

Bill, this one's for you.
Lottie Da was definitely spotted at Din Tai Fung at the Paragon in Singapore - Sunday 15th!
On a slick vinyl shoulder-bag. This I couldn't resist.

New Coordinates: 37°59'18 S - 145°1'59 E Melbourne

So this is our new location (from September). It has lots of room for our friends. A great wooded neighborhood and 400m from the beach + close to hundreds of km of bike trails! We're 10 min from the cafés at Hampton & 20 min. from downtown! Looking forward to the move. Our address will be - 1 Anita Street, Beaumaris, Melbourne Vic. 3193 Australia.
Here's a link for the map.

In a Vice-Like Grip.....

Imagine being locked in a vice-like grip between the thighs of some large muscled female wrestler! Well that's what I thought of (my twisted imagination running away..) - when I saw the temples of Téy Phrom with all the trees wrapped around them. There are coils of the stuff, everywhere, like liquid toffee - as though someone had just poured the roots that completely envelop the stone in some fantastic embrace!

Cambodia distilled