Above the Equator

2024 was the first time I spent the Chinese New Year in Singapore, probably even the first time outside of China. Xinye and I, with two lovely daughters, spent a quiet holiday here in Katong, Singapore, going nowhere else. My only social event was to visit my colleague's church on a sunny Sunday. Although my colleague invited my wife and daughters also, I declined because I knew this would be torture for them. Xara and Rebecca are 11 and 7. They are very opinionated. Both of them have been staunch atheists from a very young age. I feel proud of them. I only have to complain that most Chinese restaurants remain closed during the Chinese New Year. On the other hand, compared with those in mainland China that would close for about one week or longer, Singapore Chinese restaurants only close for the first three or four days of the lunar new year. Also, in Singapore, I can choose an Indian restaurant. I have to admit that I love prata. Today is the fifth day of the new year. Traditional...

  It’s  a good thing to have a daughter who loves food. She bought a canned yellow peach at PLQ yesterday and made this fruit platter herself.

The whole family had a lovely vacation on Bintan Island between 25 and 29 December 2023. The two sisters had a great time in Bintan. They tried snorkeling and enjoyed various delicacies in the hotel. We also visited the mangrove forest and the Blue Lakes, I don’t want to be emotional and make myself touched. But 2023 is an extraordinary year. If not the whole family, at least the two kids have left tyranny and a society becoming more and more morbid and unrestful. In Singapore, the days are more predictable and safe. The elder daughter is particularly excellent. She passed the AEIS test and entered a nearly public school. This is a significant achievement for her, which will help her build confidence in the future. Wish us all the best in 2024.

Finally, Mommy arrived in Singapore tonight at Changi T4!

Mommy is finally coming! She'll be arriving late at night on Monday. I can't wait to see her! 2023 has 14 days left; maybe we still have time to plan a vacation trip to Thailand or Indonesia. I can also join this time. Even though I'm busy, I think I can work anywhere with the Internet.

We hadn’t visited the famous Night Safari in the first six months after we arrived in Singapore. Last night, we finally did it. We aren’t disappointed. It was an enjoyable experience and took us four hours, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. We walked through all four trails, had Hainan chicken rice and Char Kway Teow, and took the tram as our last program. I cannot remember when I last walked on a dim outdoor track, opening my eyes wide and trying to find animals hiding in the shadows or swimming in the water. When we arrived home and went to bed, it was already midnight. It is worth remembering that Rebecca tried curry for the first time in the Mystical Bar. She said she loved it. That’s true. This morning, Rebecca and I went to eat prata again, and she ate a lot of curry this time!

China's recent outbreak of respiratory illness worries me. In the last few weeks, reports have come out from Northern China that hospitals have been crowded by children who have flu and pneumonia symptoms. WHO openly demanded China to publish more information. China's authority replied on Thursday, saying, “There has been no detection of any unusual or novel pathogens.” But the problem is: who will believe it?  It's not easy for the world to forget what happened four years ago when the news of the COVID-19 outbreak was covered and suppressed. No one should forget about that. This kind of thing always reminds us this is a dangerous world and you cannot trust somebody only because they represent a so-called “government.”