Essential Oils! My first video

I'm no trained expert but I've made essential oil blends which soothes backaches amazingly (not cheap though - I used lavender from Mt. Blanc) and my friend who runs in marathons swears by that concoction after each race. I mean, it soothes her when she applies it to her aching muscles.

Here's a video about a different blend. The purpose of the blend tickled my friend. It's about the upper-class luxurious experience of my shoe rack. First, I wiped each pair of shoes with anti-bacterial wet wipes then, this! Enjoy!

Day before Flight to Italy

Never expected to bring prettier tops to Italy. I put in the effort to bring dress pants too. I realized that I really have nothing but clothes for work or clothes for home. Is this a call to start shopping? May it never be!

I also googled reviews on Ataturk, the airport in Istanbul, where I have to spend 5 hours waiting for the connecting flight to Bologna. To my horror, reviews are all about its filth, it's lack of seats and it's now serving twice the number of passengers it can handle. Mentally, I made a note not to wear the ironed dress I wanted to wear. I'll now wear the traditional costume for miners: t-shirt and jeans to brave through the transit. 

I also went to get my whitening hair dyed, my malnourished toenails painted. I should be ready to look like I respect Italian's way of dressing on the streets on my arrival at the doorstep of my family host. 

Joshua Ip + LKY + Terry Pratchett

https://www.facebook.com/joshua.ip.man/posts/10101718433177937

1. LKY red box

SINGAPORE - Throughout his life, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had kept a red box close by. About 14cm wide, it contained all of the things he was working on at any one time.

Education Minister Heng Swee Keat revealed this and provided a glimpse into what was in the box, in a touching five-page essay about his former boss that was released on Tuesday.

Mr Heng, who served as Mr Lee's principal personal secretary from 1997 to 2000, said: "The diverse contents it held tell us much about the breadth of Mr Lee's concerns - from the very big to the very small; the daily routine of the red box tells us how Mr Lee's life revolved around making Singapore better, in ways big and small."

Mr Lee's Red Box by Minister Heng Swee Keat

Mr Lee Kuan Yew had a red box. When I worked as Mr Lee's Principal Private Secretary, or PPS, a good part of my daily life revolved around the red box. Before Mr Lee came in to work each day, the locked red box would arrive first, at about 9 am.

As far as the various officers who have worked with Mr Lee can remember, he had it for many, many years. It is a large, boxy briefcase, about fourteen centimetres wide. Red boxes came from the British government, whose Ministers used them for transporting documents between Government offices. Our early Ministers had red boxes, but Mr Lee is the only one I know who used his consistently through the years. When I started working for Mr Lee in 1997, it was the first time I saw a red box in use. It is called the red box but is more a deep wine colour, like the seats in the chamber in Parliament House.

This red box held what Mr Lee was working on at any one time. Through the years, it held his papers, speech drafts, letters, readings, and a whole range of questions, reflections, and observations. For example, in the years that Mr Lee was working on his memoirs, the red box carried the multiple early drafts back and forth between his home and the office, scribbled over with his and Mrs Lee's notes.

For a long time, other regular items in Mr Lee's red box were the cassette tapes that held his dictated instructions and thoughts for later transcription. Some years back, he changed to using a digital recorder.

The red box carried a wide range of items. It could be communications with foreign leaders, observations about the financial crisis, instructions for the Istana grounds staff, or even questions about some trees he had seen on the expressway. Mr Lee was well-known for keeping extremely alert to everything he saw and heard around him - when he noticed something wrong, like an ailing raintree, a note in the red box would follow.

We could never anticipate what Mr Lee would raise - it could be anything that was happening in Singapore or the world. But we could be sure of this: it would always be about how events could affect Singapore and Singaporeans, and how we had to stay a step ahead. Inside the red box was always something about how we could create a better life for all.

We would get to work right away. Mr Lee's secretaries would transcribe his dictated notes, while I followed up on instructions that required coordination across multiple government agencies. Our aim was to do as much as we could by the time Mr Lee came into the office later.

While we did this, Mr Lee would be working from home. For example, during the time that I worked with him (1997-2000), the Asian Financial Crisis ravaged many economies in our region and unleashed political changes. It was a tense period as no one could tell how events would unfold. Often, I would get a call from him to check certain facts or arrange meetings with financial experts.

In the years that I worked for him, Mr Lee's daily breakfast was a bowl of dou hua (soft bean curd), with no syrup. It was picked up and brought home in a tiffin carrier every morning, from a food centre near Mr Lee's home. He washed it down with room-temperature water. Mr Lee did not take coffee or tea at breakfast.

When Mr Lee came into the office, the work that had come earlier in the red box would be ready for his review, and he would have a further set of instructions for our action.

From that point on, the work day would run its normal course. Mr Lee read the documents and papers, cleared his emails, and received official calls by visitors. I was privileged to sit in for every meeting he conducted. He would later ask me what I thought of the meetings - it made me very attentive to every word that was said, and I learnt much from Mr Lee.

Evening was Mr Lee's exercise time. Mr Lee has described his extensive and disciplined exercise regime elsewhere. It included the treadmill, rowing, swimming and walking - with his ears peeled to the evening news or his Mandarin practice tapes. He would sometimes take phone calls while exercising.

He was in his 70s then. In more recent years, being less stable on his feet, Mr Lee had a simpler exercise regime. But he continued to exercise. Since retiring from the Minister Mentor position in 2011, Mr Lee was more relaxed during his exercises. Instead of listening intently to the news or taking phone calls, he shared his personal stories and joked with his staff.

While Mr Lee exercised, those of us in the office would use that time to focus once again on the red box, to get ready all the day's work for Mr Lee to take home with him in the evening. Based on the day's events and instructions, I tried to get ready the materials that Mr Lee might need. It sometimes took longer than I expected, and occasionally, I had to ask the security officer to come back for the red box later.

While Mrs Lee was still alive, she used to drop by the Istana at the end of the day, in order to catch a few minutes together with Mr Lee, just to sit and look at the Istana trees that they both loved. They chatted about what many other old couples would talk about. They discussed what they should have for dinner, or how their grandchildren were doing.

Then back home went Mr Lee, Mrs Lee and the red box. After dinner, Mr and Mrs Lee liked to take a long stroll. In his days as Prime Minister, while Mrs Lee strolled, Mr Lee liked to ride a bicycle. It was, in the words of those who saw it, "one of those old man bicycles". None of us who have worked at the Istana can remember him ever changing his bicycle. He did not use it in his later years, as he became frail, but I believe the "old man bicycle" is still around somewhere.

After his dinner and evening stroll, Mr Lee would get back to his work. That was when he opened the red box and worked his way through what we had put into it in the office.

Mr Lee's study is converted out of his son's old bedroom. His work table is a simple, old wooden table with a piece of clear glass placed over it. Slipped under the glass are family memorabilia, including a picture of our current PM from his National Service days. When Mrs Lee was around, she stayed up reading while Mr Lee worked. They liked to put on classical music while they stayed up.

In his days as PM, Mr Lee's average bedtime was three-thirty in the morning. As Senior Minister and Minister Mentor, he went to sleep after two in the morning. If he had to travel for an official visit the next day, he might go to bed at one or two in the morning.

Deep into the night, while the rest of Singapore slept, it was common for Mr Lee to be in full work mode.

Before he went to bed, Mr Lee would put everything he had completed back in the red box, with clear pointers on what he wished for us to do in the office. The last thing he did each day was to place the red box outside his study room. The next morning, the duty security team picked up the red box, brought it to us waiting in the office, and a new day would begin.

Let me share two other stories involving the red box.

In 1996, Mr Lee underwent balloon angioplasty to insert a stent. It was his second heart operation in two months, after an earlier operation to widen a coronary artery did not work. After the operation, he was put in the Intensive Care Unit for observation. When he regained consciousness and could sit up in bed, he asked for his security team. The security officer hurried into the room to find out what was needed. Mr Lee asked, "Can you pass me the red box?"

Even at that point, Mr Lee's first thought was to continue working. The security officer rushed the red box in, and Mr Lee asked to be left to his work. The nurses told the security team that other patients of his age, in Mr Lee's condition, would just rest. Mr Lee was 72 at the time.

In 2010, Mr Lee was hospitalised again, this time for a chest infection. While he was in the hospital, Mrs Lee passed away. Mr Lee has spoken about his grief at Mrs Lee's passing. As soon as he could, he left the hospital to attend the wake at Sri Temasek.

At the end of the night, he was under doctor's orders to return to the hospital. But he asked his security team if they could take him to the Singapore River instead. It was late in the night, and Mr Lee was in mourning. His security team hastened to give a bereaved husband a quiet moment to himself.

As Mr Lee walked slowly along the bank of the Singapore River, the way he and Mrs Lee sometimes did when she was still alive, he paused. He beckoned a security officer over. Then he pointed out some trash floating on the river, and asked, "Can you take a photo of that? I'll tell my PPS what to do about it tomorrow." Photo taken, he returned to the hospital.

I was no longer Mr Lee's PPS at the time. I had moved on to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, to continue with the work to strengthen our financial regulatory system that Mr Lee had started in the late 1990s. But I can guess that Mr Lee probably had some feedback on keeping the Singapore River clean. I can also guess that the picture and the instructions were ferried in Mr Lee's red box the next morning to the office. Even as Mr Lee lay in the hospital. Even as Mrs Lee lay in state.

The security officers with Mr Lee were deeply touched. When I heard about these moments, I was also moved.

I have taken some time to describe Mr Lee's red box. The reason is that, for me, it symbolises Mr Lee's unwavering dedication to Singapore so well. The diverse contents it held tell us much about the breadth of Mr Lee's concerns - from the very big to the very small; the daily routine of the red box tells us how Mr Lee's life revolved around making Singapore better, in ways big and small.

By the time I served Mr Lee, he was the Senior Minister. Yet he continued to devote all his time to thinking about the future of Singapore. I could only imagine what he was like as Prime Minister. In policy and strategy terms, he was always driving himself, me, and all our colleagues to think about what each trend and development meant for Singapore, and how we should respond to it in order to secure Singapore's wellbeing and success.

As his PPS, I saw the punishing pace of work that Mr Lee set himself. I had a boss whose every thought and every action was for Singapore.

But it takes private moments like these to bring home just how entirely Mr Lee devoted his life to Singapore.

In fact, I think the best description comes from the security officer who was with Mr Lee both of those times. He was on Mr Lee's team for almost 30 years. He said of Mr Lee: "Mr Lee is always country, country, country. And country."

This year, Singapore turns 50. Mr Lee would have turned 92 this September. Mr Lee entered the hospital on 5 February 2015. He continued to use his red box every day until 4 February 2015.

- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/mr-lee-kuan-yews-red-box-heng-swee-keat-20150324#sthash.MY9EjYgn.dpuf

Gili Trawangan

DAY 1

EXPENSES (Rupiah)

Car and boat pick up from airport 950,000 (for 3 pax)
Fresh Juice at Taliwang Raya 15,000

It's a 4-hour flight to Lombok from Singapore. Direct flight by Silkair!

As we reached at 6.30pm, the public boats are all not in operation. We arranged for the hotel to pick us up at the airport and we had the speedboat all to ourselves. 

6.30pm pick up

7.20pm dinner

8pm continue to the private 'harbour' called Little Egg by Vila Ombak. 

8.30pm reached Vila Ombak!

The view you see above is the jetty we walked onto. It's floating so we had a jolly unstable walk to the resort :)

  

The room was really spacious. We had the Deluxe Family Bungalow. Although the water from the taps are salt water, there's a small jar of fresh water for patrons to have a last rinse after using the salt water for a bath. I think this is a great idea. There's no need to disturb the seabed to build massive pipes to transport water to the island. 

DAY 2

EXPENSES (Rupiah)

Chartered a boat trip for 10.15am to three islands 800,000 (for 3 pax)

a horse cart to Sunset Ombak 15,000

batik bag 125,000

two cocktail and a beer 15,000

dinner 30,000

  

The breakfast selection was great. It was wonderful to hear the waves fall on one another like muffed music in the background. The restaurant plays traditional Indonesian music so the sound of the sea is really in the background. After breakfast we had a walk in the alley next to our hotel. And our experience of this seemingly sleepy island changed. 

There were restaurants, hotels, boat trip agencies and shops. There was one particular shop that had 'Gili Trawangan' beautifully labelled on their items like a museum shop. This was where I bought the batik bags that could be folded to look like a little pouch. 

unfolded into a light-weight shoulder bag

foldable into a little pouch

At night, the music can be quite loud but the moment we step into Vila Ombak, we couldn't hear those sounds anymore. Really love the quietude in our own resort and the close proximity of a different world here. Oh! And I love it that there's no motor vehicles on this island. Take a horse cart and dust flew in our faces. I'm not complaining; I feel good that I'm not contributing to the carbon output of a city folk level. 

I love Sunset Ombak. The view out at sea is romantic because of two swings. 

  

  

We had a little surprise when a lady on a horse past us on the beach. This is 'Gone with the Wind' indeed. At night, we bought ticket to watch movies along the beach in front of Vila Ombak. The ticket includes a soft drink. That was a good time thinking about responsible men, coming-of-age and American youths as we watched '500 Summers' (I think that's what I watched)

Day 3  

EXPENSES （Rupiah) 

Boat and Car to Living Asia Resort and Spa 750,000 (for 3 pax)

After a good look at the beachfront at Gili Trawangan, we took the boat to go back to Lombok at 11.30am. The boat didn't depart on time as we apparently were waiting for another 5 passengers.

We reached the private jetty before 12,30pm. The driver suggested that we do some shopping at a local craft shop and we did! The drivers always talk to us about looking at pearls but when we reached the craft centre (between Little Egg jetty and Living Asia resort), there were bags, table runners, polo T-shirts and cutleries. Pearl jewelry designs were limited so none of us bought any of them. I spent a total of SGD 103 buying cloth with silver and gold threads woven in. I also purchased some shirts! I got some pants at IDR59,000. The pants were the cheapest stuff in the shop.

  

The necklace on my wrist cost IDR40,000 because I bought 3 necklaces in Gili Meno while having lunch. All these pedlars are very friendly. They may be persistent but they are not aggressive. I hope they will always keep the charms of gentle and warm Indonesians when they try to sell their goods. The way to do buisiness is really interesting. If I like a sarong of a certain colour, they'll ask the other pedlars if they have the goods. They'll then show me the goods of the other pedlars! There is no aggressive protection of their own 'turf'.

LIVING ASIA RESORT AND SPA

Room toiletries

Stayed on the second floor of the Ocean View Room

From the balcomy of my room

Sunset at the poolside

Living Asia Resort and Spa is not near any shops or any other hotels. This means that the whole beach belongs to the hotel patrons! Yippeeee!

I love the room, the shower room, the view from my balcony (slightly blocked but still able to hear and see the ocean), the free high tea at 4pm, the sunset and the massage! Indonesian massage is really good - there is no unintentional glide of any fingers on my skin in Indonesia. I'm a little tickled when fingers glide unintentionally on my skin. Indonesian masseurs have never done that to me. 

Lunch and Dinner menu are different. And as a Gado-gado lover, I must say the gado-gado here is great too. The only thing I miss is the Sasak chilli. There's no spicy food for the chilli lover in this resort. 

 DAY 4

 

EXPENSES (Rupiah)

taxi to airport 275,000

This is the last day in Lombok, Indonesia. And we'll be leaving the resort at 4pm to take the 1.5 hour ride to the airport by the blue taxi. After check-out at 12 noon, we lazed at the deck chairs in front of the beach. And at 1.30pm, we proceeded to have a spa! I took the Deluxe Room package which included a relaxing massage and a milk bath. The time taken was 90 minutes. It cost a total of IDR430,000.

That concludes the very refreshing 4D3N trip I had in Lombok, Indonesia. I love everything from the beautiful sea to the (yes, even the non-spicy food) delicious food. 

玄武湖

Get IT OFF my chest!

 

图解：每个阴影后面，有着一个充满希望的笑容。

老实说， 我都不清楚我是怎么了。 就是觉得胸口有个莫名的石头。 那石头悠哉地坐在心头上， 默默不语，不加解释的存在着。

是因为受不了叫骂声？ 朋友乱喊、乱诅咒的习惯是我感到压抑？

是因为工作太顺利， 乏味了吗？

是因为没有过去拥有过的知己而孤闷吗？

是因为我还没去过我真正应该过的日子， 所以生命力失去光彩了吗？

我只很清楚一件事：我有股想逃的冲动。 我要逃避什么呢？

丈二金刚摸不着头脑。

Stolen: Tete d'Arlequin by Picasso

Tete d'Arlequin, 1923

Art Theft in the Netherlands

Today's news was quite eye-catching.

Stolen art in Rotterdam Khunstal Museum include
The paintings are Pablo Picasso's "Tete d'Arlequin", Henri Matisse's "La Liseuse en Blanc et Jaune", Claude Monet's "Waterloo Bridge, London" and "Charing Cross Bridge, London", Paul Gauguin's "Femme Devant une Fenetre Ouverte, dite La Fiancee", Meyer de Haan's "Autoportrait" and Lucian Freud's "Woman with Eyes Closed".