春风若有怜花意 可否许我再少年

青丝白发一瞬间  年华老去向谁言。

春风若有怜花意  可否许我再少年。

满堂明灯照我衰  残酒倚楼咏苍髯。

空馀物色是谁住  更添怨色寄寒潭。

元 o 李之仪 | 咏苍髯

AND POOF! CNY IS OVER

我希望我会永远童心未泯。

Another year older.  

Japanese writer Haruki Murakami once said, "People don't grow old gradually, but in an instant." Growing old doesn't begin with the first wrinkle or the first gray hair, but with the moment you give up on yourself; only those who don't give up on themselves can live a life that "never grows old."  日本作家村上春树曾说：「人不是慢慢变老的，而是一瞬变老的。」人变老，不是从第一道皱纹、第一根白发开始，而是从放弃自己那一刻开始；只有对自己不放弃的人，才能活成「不会老」。

Fri 27 February.  Had zhi char dinner with Mian and gang.  Susan is back from New York for CNY so she got invited too!  I haven't seen her in years!  Always nice to catch up with good people.

Tue 3 March.  Chew Ling had whatsapp'd me the day before: Yo! Tomorrow is the last day of CNY and we haven't met up!  Free for tea tomorrow afternoon?

And so we met at Han's.  Chew Ling and I always have way too much to talk about.  Scary!

Wed 4 March.  Vivien and Ollie are in town!  I haven't seen them for at least year and a half.  I wanted to take them to Kok Sen for claypot yong tofu but they were left with just outdoor seating when I called.  It had been raining late afternoon so we didn't want to take the risk.  So we opted for Thai food at Fourgather, which is hidden within a temple, just 2-minute walk from where they were staying.  

The restaurant is inside the Amoy Hotel.

The hotel entrance is a temple.  The restaurant is behind this.

Sat 7 March 2026.  Roamed around Ang Mo Kio Hub with Eunice.  She insisted on buying me dinner, claiming that I had taken care of the bill for this and that the last time with met.  I remember none of that.  #aging

So here we are at A-One Signature.

Mon 9 March.  A frightful blood test is upon me.  Is it too late to start morning walking?

Wed 10 March.  Today's morning walk ended at the wet market.  Our fridge is close to empty so I bought a large bagful of fresh veggies.  Spotted a new variety of cabbage.  The vendor tells me it is from Taiwan.

Apperently, pointed cabbages have been "in" for some time.  I just need to get out more. :)

佛向性中作 莫向身外求

你拜的是佛还是自己的执念？ 很多人觉得佛学是求保佑， 可金刚经说：凡所有相皆是虚妄。 佛像不是你跪的偶像 而是照见自心的镜子。佛陀从不说要你拜我，只说人人皆可成佛。你不必执着于烧香磕头的形式。若能在起心动念处觉察，在待人接物中慈悲，便是拜自己本具的佛性。修行从不是向外索取庇佑而是向内唤醒觉悟。

WINTER HAS ARRIVED IN SINGAPORE

Today I feel as if I am back in Taipei.  The temperature has dipped to 21 degrees C.  I want to bring out my PUFFTECH Parka!

A photo of plum blossom taken recently in Taipei

有梅无雪不精神 有雪无诗俗了人

日暮诗成天又雪 与梅并分十分春

宋.卢梅坡

雪梅二首.其二

'TWAS THE WEEK BEFORE CNY

Eunice commissioned me to make rock cakes, and I got to charge her $18 for a bottle (about 12 pieces in a bottle).  Hee hee hee!

Wed 11 Feb.  My mum was out for physio therapy with our helper in tow.  I roasted some chicken wings for lunch.

Thu 12 Feb.  Had a small CNY reunion lunch.  All the usual suspects were there - my mum, my aunt, Eugene, our helper, and I.  Back at the old-fashioned Cantonese Lai Wah Restaurant.  All the dishes were fantastic, except for the fish which was one great big disappointment.

In the previous years, I'd go for a CNY Set Menu but there was always way too much food.  This time, I opted for just five dishes from the ala carte menu.  Yusheng is a must.  Then a vegetable dish, a yam ring, a fish, and finally a yifu noodle.  We still appeared to have over-ordered. :)

Creative cooking - half steamed, half deep-fried.  The entire fish was overdone and tasteless.  

Hugely disappointing.

悦己

人的一生除了发自内心的幸福和盗不走的健康 没有什么是值得炫耀的 。

经历得越多越会明白 幸福是养自己的心 而非养别人的眼。 

做人要 cool 一点 凡事先讨好自己 至于别人 ... 看心情 分交情。

TAIPEI - HUASHAN 1914 CREATIVE PARK

Monday 2 February 2026. Spent a few hours in the Huashan 1914 Creative Park.  From 1914 to 1987 the site was used for winemaking and camphor manufacturing.  It is now a cultural events platform.

Who knew Snoopy has a brother?  His name is Olaf.

We came across these extremely intricate art works by Johan Cheng. Please take the time to explore her website.  She creates more than just postcards.The paper sculptures are breathtaking and more creative than you can ever imagine.  

Photo by Mayz

Mayz and the artist herself.  Gosh!

I bought two little postcards and Johan signed one for me.  "Why the bunny?" I asked Johan.  Turns out that her Chinese horoscope is the rabbit.

Met a heron

We had joined a Day Tour in the beginning of the week.  Our guide, Raymond, went on and on about how Chun Shui Tang 春水堂 invented the world's first bubble tea (pearl milk tea 珍珠奶茶) in the 1980s.  There is now a teahouse inside the creative park.  (The original location is in Taichung.)

Yes, we did go in for a drink.

Next year, I'd like to pay a visit to the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park.  It was once a tobacco factory.

DAY OUT IN RUIFANG, TAIWAN

On Tuesday 30 January 2026 we bought a Day Tour via Klook!  It took us to Yehliu 野柳, Shifen 十分, and Jiufen九份.

Early start.  By 8:15AM, we were at Exit 5 of Ximen Station to join the rest of the tour group.  

But not before taking photos of the Ximen Red House 西门红楼 and the rainbow crossing.

Our first tour stop was Yehliu Geopark 野柳地质公园.  I've never been to Yehliu before this.

My friend, Mayz, commented that the Queen's Head resembles the Eygptian Queen Nefertiti.  According to Google, the Queen's Head is renowned for its striking resemblance to a bust of Queen Elizabeth I. Created by over 4,000 years of sea erosion, the neck has thinned significantly, leading to ongoing conservation efforts to prevent it from collapsing. 

It goes to show the damage the elements can do to your face and neck.  Irreversible aging.  Remember to stay moisturised, hor?

Shifen Old Town.  Shifen was a major early 20th-century coal mining town developed during the Japanese occupation to fuel industrial growth. The town’s historic Pingxi rail line was originally built in 1918 to transport coal, shaping the area's development before it transformed into a tourist destination famous for lanterns. 

I felt most disappointed that the train did not come through the town.

Shifen Waterfall

Mayz took this magnificent shot.

Jiufen Old Town.  Jiufen, a mountain town in New Taipei City, Taiwan, transformed from a small village into a major "Gold City" during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945) due to massive mining operations. It was known as "Little Shanghai" for its prosperity before mining ceased in 1971, later revitalized as a popular tourist destination. 

Photo by Mayz.  Stunning.

We ate fishballs here.

I just want to tell you that the address is No. 93

We were dropped off at Ximen Station at around 5:30PM.