Silversea Water Cooler: Part 3, Welcome!

Watching Trumps news conference and the confirmation hearings. All of it truly intriguing.

happy belated birthday to Chris.

Sophia, i saw the snow in Athens, looked very beautiful, but you are far from Greece! Hope the snow is a fluffy blanket of white and you can stay warm and enjoy it without having to shovel or drive in it.

Have a great day all. We can't live in the past nor in the future. Live in the present, only do what the moment allows, every day is a new gift!

Steaming here in Sydney. 38 degrees yesterday

Jane

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Slow week here in Albany. Not a bad thing!

We have a three day weekend here and we're (1) not working, and (2) not rushing to the airport tonight to fly somewhere, so it's a rare thing. Tonight, we'll relax at home. We do have to spend a night away this weekend, visiting Chris' Dad but that won't be too stressful.

My sister is having an anniversary party tomorrow in San Francisco but after much agonizing, we just couldn't get up the energy to fly cross-country for a day and go. It's only been a few weeks since Geneva, and we're off to India soon, so another long-ish trip in the middle just didn't appeal. The flight choices were to either rush out of work tonight and get there after 11PM California time (pushing 3AM our time), or get up and catch the 6AM flight tomorrow, get in around noon, go to the party, and come home Sunday. Gives me jet lag just thinking about it!

Plus, we're sticking closer to home for now until Ashley (ancient cat) declares her intentions. So far, she has been doing great and today I tapered her prednisone down to 2.5 mg every other day. She's eating well, and back to her usual pesky behavior. Her balance is a little off but near normal. The vet was quite impressed with her recovery when I took her in yesterday. But, who knows how long it will last and it's important to watch her as I reduce the prednisone dose. I hope she's off it by the time we go to India...

Thanks all for the birthday wishes for Chris. We went to dinner at a new steak and seafood restaurant in town that she's wanted to try. It was quite tasty though the portions were gargantuan. In our heyday we would have tried to finish, but now that we're (older and) wiser, we brought leftovers home. We've had nice steak sandwiches for lunch the past two days. :D

Preparations for the India trip are coming along. I got our e-Visas already, and now I'm investigating the money situation. Apparently they've devalued some of their old currency, and they don't have enough new currency to go around? I've heard that the ATMs are short on money, and it's a bit of chaos. Hopefully those reports were old, and things are back to normal, but you never know!

Weird weather here. It was well above freezing the past two days, reaching the mid 50s yesterday. Now, getting colder by the hour and well below freezing tonight. Time for a bottle or two of wine, and a roaring fire!

Enjoy the weekend, all.

We have just got back from a food focused tour of Chinatown with Rene Ng of Urban Adventures.

It was fantastic. Only 3 of us - all Australian. Not only did we get a tour with great food, but also went to Singapore City Gallery where we spent time looking at the history and development of Singapore. I could spend a lot longer there on another day.

We started off walking around Chinatown getting our bearings and hearing the history of area. We were taken "off the tourist track" if that is possible, and walked around Chinatown Complex where not many tourists were to be seen. We sat and talked while Rene bought us a sugar cane juice and about 5 different meals to share. We were all given a local plate of Hainanese chicken rice as well - delicious.

After a tour of the "wet market" we walked down the road and through the Maxwell Centre to the cooler City Gallery. We spent about an hour there.

Starting to flag, we again entered the Maxwell Centre for more food, and a thirst quenching drink made with some kind of little lime.

Rene was a wealth of knowledge and we felt we had a great overview of Singapore.

It was hot though!! We haven't had many hot days this summer so haven't had a chance to acclimatise.

Tomorrow we fly to Yangon for 18 days with 11 days on the Irrawaddy River.

We haven't been to that part of the world so are looking forward to it.

Good afternoon Coolers form another hot one in Singapore.

Spins, if I had a vote I'd vote for a new TV channel called "Trump3" (Trump-free ... geddit ..... ) so I could live my life without having to constantly shout at the TV.

Great to hear the news for JP Towers and all that is going on and it's great to hear of Ashley's improved appetite for life. Hope it continues onwards.

We're back in the suite consuming the mini-bar at the moment. Changes at the hotel haven't been met with overwhelming enthusiasm from the staff or customers from what I am hearing. They have done away with the hot buffet service at both breakfast and cocktail/happy hours and basically you ask and you are served. At happy hour they decide what to serve you removing all choice. The rationale for this is different depending on who is telling you. Manages say htat customers requested it and staff generally say it is a group standards thing. It is difficult to see how the business users during the week would prefer to be wait and be served rather than simply grab what they want from the buffet. My agreed terms are that we can have room service brekkies ie anything on the menu for free but we don't bother. Wifey pops down for tea but it takes so long she finds it not good. So we're not really using the lounge much this trip. They have destaffed a little and the pressure on the lovely ladies in the lounge seems a bit too much to us. The new manager here knows our village well as he comes from Winchester in the UK.

Today we walked up to Little India and then across to Little Arabia and had some Adana and Beyti kebabs with salad and crinkly cut chips. Frozen crinkle cut chips are de rigeur along the Bosphorous apparently ....

Soapy and all UK'ers ... hope the snow and winds are subsiding now.

Anyway the Absolut beckons.

Have a great day all ..

Jeff

We have just got back from a food focused tour of Chinatown with Rene Ng of Urban Adventures.

It was fantastic. Only 3 of us - all Australian. Not only did we get a tour with great food, but also went to Singapore City Gallery where we spent time looking at the history and development of Singapore. I could spend a lot longer there on another day.

We started off walking around Chinatown getting our bearings and hearing the history of area. We were taken "off the tourist track" if that is possible, and walked around Chinatown Complex where not many tourists were to be seen. We sat and talked while Rene bought us a sugar cane juice and about 5 different meals to share. We were all given a local plate of Hainanese chicken rice as well - delicious.

 

After a tour of the "wet market" we walked down the road and through the Maxwell Centre to the cooler City Gallery. We spent about an hour there.

Starting to flag, we again entered the Maxwell Centre for more food, and a thirst quenching drink made with some kind of little lime.

Rene was a wealth of knowledge and we felt we had a great overview of Singapore.

It was hot though!! We haven't had many hot days this summer so haven't had a chance to acclimatise.

 

Tomorrow we fly to Yangon for 18 days with 11 days on the Irrawaddy River.

We haven't been to that part of the world so are looking forward to it.

So glad you enjoyed your visit Jilly.

The Chinatown complex was where I took the piccies I posted a couple of days ago, and yes it is odd because it is the largest food hawker center in Singapore but most tourusts do not visit. We were there again yesterday for more char siu pork and duck and noodle. Maxwell center has a famous (Bourdain made it so) Hainesse Chicken Rice place and is probably one of the more popular hawker centers amongst locals and visitors.

Have a good flight and cruise Jilly,

Jeff

Sounds like you are all enjoying life and leisure these days.

We are 38 sleeps until we fly, and packing and purchasing is in full swing. I am only "slightly" annoyed that since I last flew, the airlines have reduced the size allowance for carry-on luggage. That prompted an unexpected new luggage set purchase. The old one will probably be donated this week. Good news is that I believe I will be able to get everything into the new bag, even though it is 2 inches smaller.

I cannot wait for my first Silversea cruise!

Sounds like you are all enjoying life and leisure these days.

We are 38 sleeps until we fly, and packing and purchasing is in full swing. I am only "slightly" annoyed that since I last flew, the airlines have reduced the size allowance for carry-on luggage. That prompted an unexpected new luggage set purchase. The old one will probably be donated this week. Good news is that I believe I will be able to get everything into the new bag, even though it is 2 inches smaller.

I cannot wait for my first Silversea cruise!

I'm really enjoying the power of your excited anticipation of your next cruise.

With respect to your luggage, I'd just double check with your airline whether you can enjoy the luggage rules prevailing when you booked as it is often the case that service changes that are personal ie not effectively blanket may well be protected for existing bookings. If not ask if they would pick up the additional cost (if any). If they confirm that the rules that apply to you were those when you booked keep a print-off of their conformation when you travel.

Jeff

My body’s a write-off in waiting, so why have all these repairs?

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/my-body-s-a-write-off-in-waiting-so-why-have-all-these-repairs-60m37cn7l?shareToken=dcfa86fab6744b0e8f2eb614bc569983

Greetings Coolers!

J...Thanks so much for posting that Times article. I laughed so hard that tears were streaming down my face! Loved it!

Have a great evening all!

Good Afternoon Coolers,

So glad you enjoyed Jeremy's page .... which I though summarises my own philosophy! Today was a great day because I've finally after a whole week got my walking legs back. After a rotten winter in Blighty I find the alks are so short I very quickly get totally out of condition. And a week ago I could barely walk here, The main reason for our visits over winter are basically to walk and get back into condition. Obviously the heat doesn't help but everything was complaining. Knees. hips, ankles, feet the whole lot. I was doing what Bruce Forsyth calls " the old man walk". But today for the first day after walking through the pain theshold every day I am like a bambino. I feel really great. So when I get back and lose a few pound I'll by zagging in and out of pedestrian traffice like a Hong Kong taxi driver after all the young firm nubile jeune filles.

Today was a walk through Botanic gardens ...... just a few piccies as I took far too many.

Jeff

For lunch we made a special trip to Tiong Bahru food market to visit our favourite Fried Kway Teow stall. The market is in one of the original housing estates and you really only see locals here from the estate. This stall has been around for the last 25 years andthis is the only thing they make so I guesss by now they have got the hang of it. All day .... every day .. they are likely to be the only stall that is still selling their fried kway teow at just S $2.00, although we splashed out for a S$4 plate although i think it wasn't twice the size of the small one - but more than enough for both of us to share. . If you visit during lunch, you could see a longish queue forming right in front of their stall and each order is cooked to order so you multiply each person in the queue by around three minutes. I waited for twenty or so minutes for mine and it was before the lunchtime rush.

The owner, Mr Tay Soo Nam, 87 years old was there when i visited. He started frying the kway teow when he was 24 years old on a push cart along Kim Poh Road before moving into old Tiong Bahru Food Centre in 1968. He has not been doing much of the cooking these days but i was lucky to have my plate of kway teow done by him. He even cleans the edges of the slurp on the plate before handing it over.

This was just the highlight of our eating since we arrived. Although it looks like nothing it was wonderful and one of his secrets is he uses two types of noodle, the standard thin chinese noodle and a flat chinese noodle as well as the kway teow, I think it is dan mein or gan mein. There is some salty fish and I think some mussels and all sorts of secret stuff with a bit of crunch here and there. It looks so plain and simple but it was heavenly.

 

Jeff

 

 



 



 



 



 



 

 

 

Greetings Coolers! Another brrrrr morning here.

J...the pictures of the Botanical Garden are beautiful! The food market pics are great as well. Your meal looks delicious. I would choose flavour over presentation any day!

Have a great day/evening all!

Good Day All......loving the photos Jeff and the food looks delish...making me feel hungry!

Weather has warmed up here a tad but still quite depressingly gloomy......looking forward to Spain next week to catch a bit of sun...and always lovely to look forward to the next cruise in April....closet planning already!!

Happy Day

S[emoji4]

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Hello all.

Enjoying reading the posts.

Am at sons house as he had neck surgery Thursday.

I would make a statement that men are in general horrible patients, but that would be sexist ( even if true).

DH holding down fort at home.

Difficult for him as well.

Spins....hope your son's recovery goes smoothly!

Good Morning Coolers,

I guess you shouldn't count on decent food in this place ....

Jeff

The gardens are quite beautiful and I have seen many.

The day I toured the a gardens I walked over 30km.

Chance I may be overnighting in sin in a month or two and will bookmark your fodder stops.. :-)

The gardens are quite beautiful and I have seen many.

The day I toured the a gardens I walked over 30km.

Chance I may be overnighting in sin in a month or two and will bookmark your fodder stops.. :-)

Thanks.

I suspect that the Botanic Gardens are the best of their type in the world ... they are extraordinary. They employ so many people to keep it perfect.

Today we walked to Golden Mile but our favourite coffee shop in the hosuing estate outside no longer sells beer so a long walk was unrewarded. In the end wifey didn't feel like eating there and told me that what she really yearned for was one of my egg and ham salad sandwiches with salad cream in wholemeal, so I made us some and we had it in the suites small garden.

Jeff

I'm really enjoying the power of your excited anticipation of your next cruise.

 

With respect to your luggage, I'd just double check with your airline whether you can enjoy the luggage rules prevailing when you booked as it is often the case that service changes that are personal ie not effectively blanket may well be protected for existing bookings. If not ask if they would pick up the additional cost (if any). If they confirm that the rules that apply to you were those when you booked keep a print-off of their conformation when you travel.

 

 

Jeff

The excitement grows every day! We bit the bullet and bought a new set of luggage with 2 carry on bags that are well within spec. DH decided it would be nice to have new luggage and luggage that all matches for this cruise.

My body’s a write-off in waiting, so why have all these repairs?

 

 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/my-body-s-a-write-off-in-waiting-so-why-have-all-these-repairs-60m37cn7l?shareToken=dcfa86fab6744b0e8f2eb614bc569983

Thanks for posting the link, I needed that laugh! :D

Hi All.....

Spins....hope your sons recovery goes well, never easy when our kids are under par.

Jeffers...well done you for producing the homemade butty for Mrs Jeff........sometimes all we want is something quite simple......beans on toast or egg and chips can be a great comfort amidst all the fine dining!

We have a new local food delivery service here..a one man band who will pick up from any restaurant or fast food joint and deliver to ones home for just £5......going to try it out tonight for dinner as I've been out all day and not in the mood for cooking......problem is trying to decide what l want! [emoji6]

Happy Day

[emoji4]

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Hi All.....

 

 

We have a new local food delivery service here..a one man band who will pick up from any restaurant or fast food joint and deliver to ones home for just £5......going to try it out tonight for dinner as I've been out all day and not in the mood for cooking......problem is trying to decide what l want! [emoji6]

 

Happy Day

[emoji4]

 

 

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Sounds interesting! I would love that services, but it wouldn't be worth it where I live. I am a good 20-30 miles from the major food hubs! I wouldn't trade living in the country for anything, but sometimes there are major drawbacks.

Today marks 5 weeks exactly to when I fly out! I cannot wait!

On the subject of deliveries: we are the only house in our postcode. In spite of this and the fact that on every sat nav and on Google maps putting in our postcode takes you right to the gates we often get mildly panicky phone calls from delivery drivers. Largely, it seems, because they are directed up what looks like a dead end road and lose confidence before they arrive at the house.

And one time, when we lived in France, we were expecting some guests who rang us to ask where exactly we were. It was only after a good few minutes we realised they were in a similarly named village over 200 km away! He blamed his sat nav, his wife and his map book rather than admit to only putting the village name into the nav rather than the coordinates. Plonker.

Hi All...[emoji4]

Last nights delivery went very well...l was really impressed and will use them again.

Shots.....up until two years ago l lived in the country and there was no chance of anyone offering this service, but l agree I would rather do without it and live rural although I'm still semi rural but with perks! [emoji6]

TTS.....when l was oop north....as you know, l had a post (zip) code in one county...a telephone number in another and a council in yet another....talk about complete confusion....nobody could find us!

Do hope you and Mrs T are keeping well...how's furry baby doing?

On another subject.....my annual health review beckons in the morning with the most delightful Sgt Major Nursey....l fully intend to be the perfect patient and just tell her what she wants or indeed needs to know and shall escape as soon as l can to join my friend to celebrate her birthday at our local hostelry.....

Happy Day

Sophia [emoji4]

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