SINGAPORE 60's: ANDY's POP MUSIC INFLUENCE IS A PERSONAL MUSIC, MEMORY TRAIL. BLOGGER DOES NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO VIDEOS, AUDIO TRACKS AND IMAGES. THEY ARE UPLOADED FOR FUN, EDUCATIONAL, ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES AND HAVE BEEN CREDITED. BLOG IS NOT SPONSORED NOR ADVERTORIAL IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER. INFORM BLOGGER OF COPYRIGHT ISSUES AND POST WILL BE DELETED IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT COPY THE POSTS; GET PERMISSION N CREDIT ME IF YOU DO. ANDY LIM LA (NOVEMBER, 2008) -
(新加坡六十年代安迪的流行音乐影响力), SUDI MAMPIR !
Showing posts with label Winnipeg Connection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Winnipeg Connection. Show all posts
The best story is from this posting where I met a true blue lady who knows about these supernatural beings. Check her out...
Indeed a very mysterious woman. Her revelation of being able to see dead people walking around her and hearing the dead screaming at the crematorium is scary. She could have been asked to leave because of the chills she gave to customers.
It is a good write-up and I think she was telling the truth. Careful of bewitching eyes. I once told someone off who laughed when I told her what I had told you about my chilling, scary, experiences. She thought I made it up. Unbelievers are those who never had these encounters.
“They say that every snowflake is different. If that were true, how could the world go on? How could we ever get up off our knees? How could we ever recover from the wonder of it?” -- Jeanette Winterson, Author
We hope this letter finds you in good health and fine spirits, enjoying whatever aspects of the season’s activities you celebrate, and surviving the festive mayhem. As the end of the year races toward us at warp speed, it is a reminder to take time for family and friends who mean so much to us.
Thankfully we are both in good health, as are our families and our beloved cats Patootie and Minnie.
In spite of pandemic constraints, 2021 was as full a year as ever for us. In January we bought an electric car and are very happy with it. In the spring we managed to sell our old car (which we both found surprisingly emotional; best car we ever owned, still running like new; we did regular maintenance, but never had to repair it... imagine!).
Our seemingly endless litany of home projects continued. We finished our bedroom, did window repairs, replaced our sinking front porch, put up a pergola on the back patio, and amidst some argy-bargy’s managed to put up a few gallery walls of our collected art. The next room for wall repairs will be done in January... at last!
"When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbing along"
Most of the summer was spent indoors, sadly -- extreme heat and toxic smoke from surrounding forest fires made outside a miserable place to be. Garden work was minimal maintenance only, no new projects. Still, nature restored us in so many ways. As examples: In the spring we had large flocks of dozens of robins in the neighbourhood and in our yard. Until now we had never seen more than 3 gathered together at a time. We had about 15 monarch caterpillars in the garden (significantly more than last year), and many of them made it all the way to butterfly, one of which I was able to witness taking its very first flight. Autumn was so long and mild that several plants continued to flower until mid-November, when a heavy snowfall shut that down. The monkshood was particularly lush, and it only began to bloom in October!
But ... the pièce de résistance was our very own backyard nature adventure. In June/July we happened to see a pregnant rabbit building a nest at the base of our Manitoba maple, from the start of her digging to her final brilliant camouflage of the entrance. Once the babies were born, we were also blessed to witness -- on 3 occasions -- her feeding and grooming them. (This usually takes place overnight, so it was a real treat.) Mama was a fierce protector of her babes; we swear she didn’t sleep a wink while they were in the nest. If a crow, a squirrel, a cat or even a butterfly intruded on that area of the yard, mama rabbit would fly out of the shrubbery and be on them like a heat-seeking missile, driving them away. Once the babies began to venture out of the nest for short forays, we watched her coaching them on the ways of their world, and when they finally left the nest, we also watched two of them grooming each other in the garden. Needless to say, we were very invested in this little family. A friend even put up a large umbrella to keep the hot sun off the nest area. We had the perfect view from all the back windows of the house, and were very protective of their space.
Travel was out of the question for us, and we remain apprehensive going forward. We long to visit family and friends and to visit those places on our bucket list -- snatched from our plans in 2020 -- but... still biding our time. We are grateful though for the cheering visit of two friends, who hit the road in their camper van, and made time to be with us when passing through Winnipeg... a true highlight of the year.
Since late summer we have been going out more to restaurants, visiting with friends in small groupings, and are back at our physical activities and martial arts training. We now go to some concerts and plays in person, but continue with online options for others. That balancing act of living our lives and reducing our risks, at which we all have become so adept. I am not a huge fan of technology, but Zoom and Skype have been a boon, helping us remain connected with people near and far. And ... importantly, we make sure we have at least half an hour of chuckles and belly laughs each and every day, for sure in the evening, but as often as possible. It really is the best medicine.
We usually make a plea for world peace at this time of year especially -- and we still do, fervently -- but this year we are focusing our energies towards the requirement for significant and meaningful progress re: limiting & ultimately reversing climate change. If we collectively don’t get this right, nothing else will matter. Surely, together, we can heal some of this wounded planet we all call home. If we don’t get it right, there will be no universe large enough to contain our grief and rage. We will not give up hope; without hope none of us could go on. In the meantime, we endeavour to live in the moment, to find joy daily, and to celebrate and be grateful for every blessing in our lives, and for every beauty and wonder in the world ... of which there are so, so many.
We wish you and yours good health and every happiness this festive season and throughout the New Year, and the experience of wonder on a daily basis.
Joy and many blessings to you and all those you love,
DAILY TEMPERATURE DURING WINTER -5 DEGREES CELCIUS TO -20 CELCIUS.
The city of Winnipeg is actually a Christmas card in itself. Snap a scene anywhere during Winter and you have an instant picture to paste onto the greeting you wish to send. Here's a note from dear friend Jane who writes about the beautiful city as it is today. Thank you so much Jane for taking time to write during these challenging times. I haven't met Jane since, these 35 years...
Hello Andy,
As promised, a bit of a Winnipeg update for you to use however you see fit in your blog. Again, sorry, am unable to supply photos, but have added a few links that hopefully you can use to help illustrate things.
Warmest and fondest,
Jane
Michael Buble - It's Beginning To Look Like Christmas - YouTube Video. From the Canadian guy himself. Thanks Michael.
Warmest and cheeriest holiday greetings to you and your family and sincere best wishes to all of you for a very Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy 2021, rich with many blessings.
I am writing to you on our first real snowy day this year here in Winnipeg - a.k.a. "Winterpeg". We have had on and off light snows since early October, but never more than a light dusting, but overnight last night we had a light snowfall that has blanketed the city in a beautiful white, and it is still snowing and blowing a bit, below the sun in a pale blue sky ... a lovely winter day. It is not yet very cold - hovering between zero and minus 5 Celcius, but come January we are expecting more typical temperatures that will take us to minus 20 or colder for a few weeks at least.
I was talking with a friend the other day, who came to Winnipeg from South America. I said the weather here lately is crazy and unpredictable. He replied that the weather lately is completely standard for Winnipeg -- crazy and unpredictable is normal here. We know the winter will be cold in winter and hot in summer, but beyond that... every day anything can happen.
I am not sure of what years exactly you lived here - time is a blur for me - but I think you would find the city changed significantly since your time here.
First of all at the University of Winnipeg... [above] the campus has expanded significantly. Spence Street (along the west side of the main property) is now pedestrian-only, with some of the houses turned into student residences or offices and classrooms for specialty programs, and the rest gone and replaced by a massive fitness complex, available for use by students, faculty, alumni, and eighbourhood residents. Among other things, UofW has built a large modern science complex on Portage Avenue, a large residence nearby which can accommodate families, and has taken over a number of nearby buildings covering several blocks for offices & classrooms.
The downtown Bay store [below] permanently closed its doors earlier this month, and the magnificent building now stands empty. It has an historic designation, so must remain, but what will become of the inside, no one yet knows.
How much activity was there at The Forks when you were here? The large area downtown where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers join. It has been a meeting place for aboriginal peoples for thousands of years, and is now a fabulous place for both locals and tourists -- with museums, restaurants, a permanent farmers' market, specialty stores and other types of shops.
There is an outdoor area for dancing in the summer, skating in the winter; an
aboriginal-specific gathering place; a permanent outdoor stage; and a beautiful walkway along the river with historical interpretations posted to describe the great floods that have happened here in the past 150 years or so; plus many other attractions.
At The Forks we also now have the Human Rights Museum, the first national museum built outside Ottawa. It is an impressive structure, and the interior is absolutely stunning, with alabaster walkways, spaces for contemplation, and always interesting exhibits, both permanent and changing.
The Provencher bridge from downtown to St. Boniface (our French quarter) has been rebuilt and is very beautiful. It has both a vehicle and a pedestrian bridge, and has a restaurant in the middle (sadly, currently unoccupied).
While we don't know how many of them will survive once the pandemic is over -- indeed, some have already shut down their businesses permanently - Winnipeg has many more restaurants now than before (mostly from varied cultures), many more specialty bakeries too -- one of which only bakes with heritage grains; and several new stores that feature locally-produced foodstuffs.
At Assiniboine Park (our largest) there is now a permanent art gallery of exceptional quality. The Zoo has expanded its offerings to focus on conservation, animal rescue, and education. It now has an outstanding and very large polar bear exhibit (called Journey to Churchill; among other things, one can now watch the bears swimming: their pool is built over and around a glass viewing tunnel... beautiful and fascinating. We watch them, and they watch us. The bears there are now exclusively rescues, bears that for one reason or another have become unable to survive in the wild.
Because of the pandemic, the City has created many more outdoor skating areas throughout the city, especially on the many small man-made lakes created in newer neighbourhoods. We are all encouraged to get outside as much as we are able this winter.
I hope this gives you a small glimpse of some of the changes in Winnipeg since you were here. The city has also grown a great deal, with many new neighbourhoods having been built in all corners of the city, most of them completely unfamiliar to me.
Do take care and stay safe. Wishing you and your family the very best of the Christmas season and every blessing in 2021.
Written by Jane from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
The bears are rescue bears and will not survive in the wild, for one reason or other.
A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM SINGAPORE - TO JANE, ADRIAN, ALL READERS, FRIENDS, CONTRIBUTING WRITERS, AND UNI-MATES FROM WINNIPEG, BRANDON, MANITOBA.
Write in when you can under COMMENT page below. CLICK IT.
Images from Google.
A home in Winnipeg, sometimes small, sometimes huge but mostly cool in Winter.
Downtown Winnipeg with its Christmas decorations and lights galore and snow, snow, snow.
Dewy December on the Equator, usually sizzling,
but this year so, so. More rain actually.
In SUNNY Singapore, we're as warm as ever and when the rain comes down and the weather turns cooler at night, we scream when it goes to 22C. Many Singaporeans love to experience the weather in Winnipeg.
Hi Andy, As promised, some updates regarding Winnipeg ... if you ever come back you will find the city very changed since you were here. A partial list of a few highlights: U of W (University of Winnipeg) has several new off-campus buildings - some in re-purposed buildings, some in new builds, including a new science complex, a new residence that even has apartments in it for families, new theatre studies building, and others (images: 2, 6).
There is a beautiful walkway (image: 5) along the downtown portion of the Assiniboine River and along lengthy portions of the Red River (mostly downtown), plus an extensive parkway alongside portions of the walkway. New developments at The Forks as well, including a hotel, new gardens, and of course the Human Rights Museum (image: 3), the first national museum in Canada that is not located in Ottawa. It is a stunning building, a beautiful and thoughtfully-conceived museum, and it hosts multiple educational programs, conferences, and other human rights-related events throughout the year.
For those people who like to eat out (count me in!) the restaurant scene in Winnipeg is thriving, with many new restaurants opening up every year, reflecting cuisines from all over the world. During some lovely evenings, my neighbour and I go out to a new Middle Eastern café (one of many many new ones). Winnipeg has welcomed many Syrian refugee families in the past few years, and many of them are very skilled in business, opening up successful restaurants, specialty chocolate manufacturing, a fabulous ice cream parlour, and others.
Local micro-breweries are also popping up all over Winnipeg, featuring locally-brewed small batch beers and other delights. There are several new suburban developments now - most (but not all) in the southwest and northwest corners of the city. Every time I turn around, another neighborhood has been transformed (images below). I even get lost sometimes when I am out running errands because streets no longer lead where they used to...! At rush hours, we even get traffic jams now in some areas, believe it or not.
One of the best groups from Winnipeg that is known internationally, famous for their hit, American Woman and other songs. YouTube. Can't think of anything else at the moment, but Winnipeg is definitely hopping. Hope all is well with you and yours. All the best always, Jane.
NB: The Guess Who: A Winnipeg, Manitoba band that started in 1964, they became a hit with their popular numbers like, American Woman, Shakin' All Over, Laughing, These Eyes, Share The Land, Undone and others. Together with Bachman Turner Overdrive, Guess Who with Anne Murray, Paul Anka and Neil Young, Canada became the source of other pop groups, bands, and singers that started around the 60s. Even up till today, these top stars are active.
Coming from a religious and loving background Jane and her folks have always been family after her mum welcomed me to their home during Thanksgiving, a long time ago when I was in the country.
Celebrating December 25th and 1st January in chilly, open-air Winnipeg was like living inside a white and wintry Christmas card, with flurries, deep snow walks and unbelievably cold winds that bite the nose. And to see the polar bears in their natural habitat you need to go up north toChurchill where you may find them in abundance still?
There's the other extreme. In the warm and cozy home and bouncing around like a red rubber ball was Santa Claus with a cause; he was always near the fire-place with loads of goodies to give away as the family gathered to welcome the Blessed days.
This post is a personal one and written by Jane because I requested it. It does not promote any particular place, educational institute, service or product. Images are from the pages of articles about Winnipeg found on the Internet. If for any reason, they are copyrights reserved, do write in on the Comment Page below and they will be deleted immediately.
There is no intention to degrade strip clubs or the ladies who work at these places. Stripping is, after all, a job and for many people, the act is an art. The story below is just an experience I had as an adult. George Orwell's Year 1984.
NEARLY 2,000 VIEWS
The only strip queen I heard or read about in Singapore was locally famous Rose Chan (last image below) who was a hit in the 1960's. But I had never even seen her live on stage. And the only strip joint I had ever visited in my life was during the first year of my studies abroad.
So when I went to a Strip Club one evening with a group of university mates I was surprised by the act and what the show had to offer on stage. It was my first time at such a night spot. I cannot recall the name of the club but it could be Teasers (as most are called).And what a tease I had.
Quite an experience. We proceeded to the Club at about 7.30 pm. The first thought of going to a strip joint was exciting, my imaginings of seeing a half-dressed lady on stage and doing her thing. It was a bit of a walk to the place with the air crisp and night cold.
Two factors here unmentioned. One, that the Club was near the University and, two, that the place was Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was one of my unique Canadian experiences in 1984.
Song One: As we walked in, the background music accompanying the lady on stage was familiar. I told myself, it's Prince again announcing his freak weather condition, Purple Rain.* Purple, rain, purple rain, Purple rain, purple rain, Purple rain, purple rain, I only want to see you bathing in the purple rain.
It had haunted me throughout my stay in Canada and was the number one hit that year. This agony song was heard everywhere. Similarly, in the club, the refrain just went on and on. Not much of a crowd with mostly bored but tough-looking Winnipeg guys in lumberjack checked shirts and thick-soled protective shoes. Each had a can of beer in hand. And the act on stage? Our poor lady looked so tired and so unexciting that I wanted to leave my little glass of Bacardi Coke and quit the place. But I couldn't. I had three other friends with me, all native Canadians.
'PURPLE RAIN' - PRINCE OFFICIAL VIDEO
YOUTUBE
And I told myself, first and last time at a strip club. She looked like she was dancing for an Osmond Family Concert. What the place needed was Tom Jones and Tina Turner performing, Hot Legs.
(BTW, I'm not much into beer and homegrown Tiger Beer is a Chinese New Year treat. But light beer which is common in Canada... Well, put it this way, I prefer my mix. Or just drink ice-water.) It was near November and Winnipeg was its usual chilly self. Cold actually for a Singaporean. Into Autumn and coming to early Winterpeg. Luckily no purple rain outside.
A week-night outing with no place to go. My first and last time in a strip joint. Luckily we left early at midnight! I was told the joint opened till four. Or 24 hours. Can't remember. Song Two: As we walked out of the club, a new act came on stage and livened the atmosphere with another 1984 hit! The music played the alternative National Anthem for the year. It was Wham's ever incessant pop that had also bugged me in Winnipeg called, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go. The young man living above my apartment used it as a morning alarm to rouse him out of bed. It was so loud the whole neighbourhood could hear the call. But what irony: It's cold out there But we'll stay in bed They can dance We'll stay home instead.
WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO.
GEORGE MICHAEL - YOU TUBE.
Song Three: Then there's this third number. I can still remember it was another 1984 hit by Tina Turner. Together with Wham's, they were released in May that year. This Singapore girl who lived on the other apartment block across from the campus had a way with this Turner pop-charter. Whenever we visited her, this particular song was on. And she was crying on the phone, talking to mama. She kept telling mama she wanted to go home, that it was cold and she missed her Singapore cuisine, satay, rojak, chapati and char kway teow. But actually, she was star-struck by blue-eyes and blonde hair i.e. a Caucasian guy and couldn't tell mama the truth. So What's Love Got To Do With It? 😍 Strange though that this track from Turner's Private Dancer album was never played that night in the strip club. I guess we left too early.
There you are folks, three songs that kept me going. Listening to songs can trigger the places you visited, the people you met and even the weather you faced. What songs trigger your memory?
*Prince explains what the song means: "When there's blood in the sky, red and blue equals purple which pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love; letting your faith/god guide you through the purple rain." The Same phrase appeared earlier in Top Ten Songs, 'Ventura Highway' (America:1972). Images: Google and a private collection. Videos: will credit soon.
Ms Rose Chan who was well-known in the 60's period for her performances on the cabaret stage at the amusement parks in Singapore. Song Four: And here's the best song to remember. As good friend Tan Soo Khoon explains, it's The Stripper by David Rose and his Orchestra from YouTube [below]. Thank you Soo Khoon.
