A special Payot event

It was a charming catamaran that was set to sail from the Singapore Yacht Club. It has been chartered by SPA, a subsidiary of Luxasia, for a special Payot event.

It was the first time that I was going out to sea with Elson and Jacky and taking a reprieve from our daily schedules. We sailed past St. John's Island and headed towards Lazarus Island to watch the sunset.

I have always enjoyed going out to sea. I used to be canoe enthusiast in my undergraduate days and on holidays, I particularly enjoy cruises. The sound of the waves was simply therapeutic, to say the least, and the winds always so invigorating. The guests were spoiled with plenty of finger-food, wine and soft drinks and the mood was totally relaxing.

We arrived at Lazarus island and the crew began preparing dinner. The spread included barbecued prawns, satay, chicken wings and fried rice. Soon, the sun began to set and the cameras were clicking away. On the return leg, Elson was invited to sing and that started a karaoke session. Joining in the fun, I sang a Chinese romantic ballad, titled Two Butterflies. It's been quite a while since I last sang karaoke.

I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Nature has its healing powers. If you ever feel like getting over your stress, just go listen to the sounds of the sea and enjoy the beautiful sunset. 

Great food and excellent hospitality, Japan will never disappoint you

I have always loved holidaying in Japan. It was my honeymoon destination and if you are looking for beautiful scenery, great food and excellent hospitality, Japan will never disappoint you.

I was in Tokyo for a couple of days in the second week of June. It was a free and easy trip and moving about in Tokyo was so easy. The trains are so efficient that they arrive almost immediately. You will not feel that you had been kept waiting and from the airport to my hotel in Hamamatsucho, Minato-ku, the cushion seats provided great comfort to every weary traveller who has just arrived.

There are endless shopping streets and malls in Tokyo and you simply cannot miss  the great offerings of Japanese confectionery, sashimi, sushis and noodles. There are sushi bars and noodle shops and if you have a budget for food and don't mind standing when you eat, then you might want to try the standing sushi and noodle outlets. Be assured that the food will be just as good. If you like to relish freshly caught fish and other seafood, head down to the Tsukiji Nippon Fishery Port Market, somewhat like the Sydney Fish Market, where you can also find juicy oysters.

One of the must-visit stores for me in Tokyo is definitely Tokyu-Hands. I like browsing and vividly remember my first visit to the store in 1989. Even now, Tokyu-hands still intrigue me with its wide collection of innovative items for kitchen use to office use. Tokyu-Hands has set up shop in Singapore but the outlets are small. You will never get the same shopping experience that their multi-storey stores offer in Japan.

Tokyo's Shibuya is another must in the internerary. The intersection outside Shibuya Station is famous for the massive crowds crossing from various directions when all the traffic lights turn red at the same time. The pedestrians would literally "pour" into the intersection like marbles spilling out of a box. You can get a good view of this phenomenon from the second-storey window of Mark City. And of course there is also Asakusa where you can find Senso-ji (the oldest temple in Tokyo) and Harajuku, where you will be able to feast your eyes on cosplay enthusiasts in their best outfits but only on Sundays. Although cosplay fever has only reached Singapore's shores in recent years, it started in Japan some 30 years ago.

The yen has dropped quite significantly during my visit. It was ¥1000 to S$1.10 and so things were relatively cheaper. You can't beat Tokyo for its standard of service and hospitality. Japanese paper-wrappings of anything you buy is a true art and sometimes you wonder why they pay so much attention to every minor detail. There is this personal pride in everything they do and they do it so well. , That's a culture that we seem unable to replicate in Singapore though we may have succeeded in achieving a similar standard of living. Like they say, we may be able to recreate the place but we may not necessarily be able to recreate the culture.

Kindness begets kindness

Her family is a beneficiary under Project Awareness but she can't wait to reciprocate. Tonight, secondary school student, Liani, joined me to visit a Malay resident in Tampines with Jacky.

Mdm Rohaini is in her early 60s' and live in a one room flat with her younger sister, a divorcee who works10 hours a day to earn $50 as a kitchen helper. Mdm Rohaini used to work as a cleaner earning $1,020 until this year when she had to stop working. She had a heart by-pass surgery 10 years ago and has to undergo another bypass. She has already gone through two heart surgeries and is due to be operated again soon.

Her monthly rent and utilities come up to about $300 and she is waiting for the outcome of her application to Comcare for financial support. On advice, she will be seeing her MP to help her reduce the rent as her sister is the only one working and she is incapacitated.

Mdm Rohaini needs a wheelchair to go out and has one on loan from her brother. However, she has to return it soon as her brother's mother-in-law,who suffered a stroke, needs it again. When we visited her, her mentally-challenged younger brother was there. He has come to help take care of Mdm Rohaini and was sitting by her bedside.

We left the flat but returned later from a nearby supermarket. Liani had helped us to pick some items for Mdm Rohaini. Besides rice and biscuits, there was also fresh ration as Mdm Rohaini and her sister still cook at home. This was the second time that Liani has turned volunteer. When I asked her about the visit tonight, she said she was willing to help out more often. 

Liani has set an example of how people who receive help can help others as well. Kindness begets kindness and that really keeps everything going in the right direction.