Monday, 30 June 2025

Humour

Life would be dull, and gloomy if people did not have a sense of humour, if there were no laughter. It is through humour, and laughter, that we soften some of life’s demand on us. And once we can find laughter, no matter how painful the situation might be, we can survive it.

Cultivate, and develop your sense of humour because it is when things are not going well that we need our humour most.

The following images are taken from Facebook pages and Whatsapp messages. I hope they bring on a chuckle or at least put a smile on your face. May your days be filled with laughter.

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Wednesday, 25 June 2025

Holidays in Spain

So, here I am again in Benalmadena, Malaga, Spain. I arrived on Monday hours before Qatar closed the airspace. This is my seventh visit, and I will be here for the next five weeks on a home-stay holiday. As usual, I will be staying with my friend, Roger.

I have written about my visits to Benalmadena. I think I have covered quite a bit about the place and people here in my past visits. For those who have followed me for a while, you would have a rough idea of what Benalmadena is like. I will try to look for interesting stuff to post, and not repeat too much of what I have posted. For new followers to my blog, stay tuned to find out about Benalmadena. You might want to pay a visit here one day.

Benalmadena is a small town in the province of Malaga in Spain. It is located on the Costa del Sol, Spain’s immensely popular holiday destination, at the base of a mountain range.

Arroyo de la Miel, where I will be staying, is one of the three urban centers and districts that make up the municipality of Benalmadena, along with Benalmádena Pueblo and Benalmádena Costa. Pueblos refer to the villages, and Costa is the Costa del Sol, the coast. Arroyo de la Miel is the town center between the Pueblos at the base of the mountains and Costa del Sol on the coast.

In the town center, there are many holiday apartments owned by Europeans who come here to escape the cold in Winter, or to enjoy the sun and sand in Summer. So, basically, Benalmadena is a town of holiday makers and retirees. The pace of life here is slow and laid-back. Life is simple, and affordable. The locals are friendly and accepting.

The town is self-sufficient. There are many little shops and supermarkets all within walking distance. One doesn’t have to go far for the daily necessities. The city, Malaga, is half an hour by train.

And that, is a brief introduction of Benalmadena. I will write when more comes to mind.

This is the view from Roger’s balcony.

This is where we have our dinner, as we watch the sun set behind the mountain range. We take turns to cook simple meals. Roger cooks western cuisine, I cook Chinese.

After dinner, we will have drinks, and talk about anything that comes to mind. With over 140 years of living between us, there is a lot to talk about.

You can click on the picture for a better view.

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Saturday, 21 June 2025

Trivia / Fun Facts

Trivia, and fun facts about this WWW – Weird, Wonderful, World, courtesy of Facebook pages ‘Colours of Nature’, ‘Ancestral Stories’, ‘Weird Facts’, ‘Unbelievable Facts’, ‘Today I Learned’ etc… These are interesting fun facts, but I do not know if they are true.

There is so much we do not know about the world we live in. Images

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Friday, 20 June 2025

My Second Painting

This is my second painting. It’s an acrylic painting of a scene I saw on the internet.

My painting is self-taught. I have no idea what I did was right or not right. I saw a scene from a photo I like, and I try to paint as closely to it as I can.

This didn’t turn out quite like the picture I had, but never mind. It is a practice piece. I am still learning.

I saw some time-lapse paintings on TikTok. The artists made it seem so simple. In reality, it is not. I guess it’s “if you know how, it is simple,” otherwise it never is.

A very rough outline of the scene.

I started painting – a ‘draft’.
It took me a few sessions to finish the painting.
“Art is the expression of ideas and emotions through a physical medium, like painting, sculpture, film, dance, writing, photography, or theatre. If you love the creative process, maybe you'll devote your life to art.” – Unknown

You can click on the picture for a better view.

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Wednesday, 18 June 2025

Chinatown

Chinatown is one of Singapore’s most historically and culturally significant districts. Known as “Niu che shui” in Mandarin, “Gû-chia-chúi” Hokkien, and “Ngàuh-chē-séui” Cantonese – all of which mean "bullock water-cart". This is due to the fact that Chinatown's water supply was principally transported by animal-driven carts in the 19th century.

The origins of Chinatown can be traced back to 1819, when Sir Stamford Raffles first established a British threshold on Singapore’s grounds. Under the Raffles Town Plan of 1822, areas in Singapore became designated for different ethnic groups, with the Chinese allocated to land Southwest of the Singapore River. – Wikipedia

The district became a place of commerce, clan associations, cultural institutions and home for Chinese migrants in Singapore, eventually growing into the area we now know as Chinatown. Chinatown grew from a racial enclave into a vibrant hub, best known for its shophouse-lined streets, and traditional markets. Today, Chinatown functions as both a heritage attraction and a commercial hub.

This used to be the Food Street. Opened in 2001, it was part of STB’s efforts to revitalise Chinatown. The 100m stretch of street which was closed to traffic had popular hawker food carts serving favourite food fare. Then Covid happened. Businesses suffered and whoever was running the place had to give it up. The place has been empty since. However, new developments are on the way.

According to a Straits Times (local news paper) report, “The new plan aims to revitalize the area with a variety of food and beverage offerings, new dining concepts, and community programming. The project also aims to showcase the traditional trades and cultural heritage of the area.  This rejuvenation project is set to restore its former vibrancy, driving greater footfall and ensuring Chinatown remains a must-visit destination for years to come.”

Photos in and around Chinatown.

You can click on the picture for a better view.

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