And Now, the end is near

Indeed, we did it our way. You might have read about us (here). And we mentioned that in life we did it the way we liked. Not necessary the outrageous but not exactly the conventional either.

When we started this blog just over three years ago, we were full of energy churning out a post every alternate day. In fact, you might have read about us scheduling posts ahead – sometimes months ahead… (including this post). Yep, that was the amount of energy and commitment we put into this.

But you know situations change.

And just like how fashion trends come and go, new fads and attractions come up. So the new focus in our lives is to concentrate on the last hurrah to accelerate our quest to be financially independent. We had touched on this subject on occasion, but it gets more ‘urgent’ as one hurtles towards the sixth decade of their lives. Yeah, cost of living is going to be higher and career cycles shorter. Time to sharpen those claws and go hunting. And strengthen the streams of income we have outside of having to labour away everyday.

But we are not stopping our writings. You might have read our earlier post that we do an enormous amount of it. Just that ~98% are not shared. Because we are also too cheap to buy space with wordpress to load all of our precious writings and pictures. Plus now that we have a renewed focus, our energies are channelled in another direction.

So it’s not really goodbye as the picture below might suggest, but farewell. Hopefully some the words in our past posts do not fade away for you.

 

The MRT series – Punggol (NE17)

The final point of the Northeast line! Well this current (yes an extension is being considered) terminus of the MRT line also brings a lot of memories back for Mel. He who spent weekends taking a bus to Punggol village set by the sea. Why? For canoeing practice (not kayaking like now) to be an instructor!

Where once you had to canoe to it, Coney island is now connected to the mainland. And like Sengkang, the entire place has become an oasis of nature. Mel enjoyed the sunrise tremendously and we are sure you will too when you come.

←Sengkang (NE16)

Part of the MRT series here.

Our private writings

We have written previously that this blog contains but a fraction of our private writings. Since the late 90s we had been writing about each of our travel journeys. In those early days we actually printed them out and bound them into volumes. Don’t believe us?

Heheh… well here’s proof:

You see, first we have a large collection of books. Then we have our own ‘publications’. Not that you will see them on the shelves of the nearby bookstore anytime soon though. Heheh. The only thing is that as time went by the volumes got thicker and the number of years included in each became less.

Why?

Because each story got lengthier. The transition was made from film to digital (remember this post?) and we started to dig deeper into the destinations that we touched, such as the food we ate etc… you get the picture (no pun intended)… Today we have completed three volumes that exceed 1500 pages. Volume 4 is on the way and probably due by 2021. Only folks who physically visit our home get to read these volumes and the corresponding beautiful photo albums Suan produce.

Coincidentally the name of our private volumes are the same as the recently concluded newsletter. Recently we have started a new monthly circular aptly named “New Horizons”. But it is privately circulated and not published.

As social media continues to evolve, we are beginning to witness the rise of private groups and networks that are not public. Are you catching on to that too?

Compass gets you lost – seriously

Did you know that the physical north pole of our spinning blue planet is not the same as its magnetic pole? Heheh… for that matter do you know what the magnetic north is? In case you really needed it, here’s a Wiki on this subject.

If this article is accurate, then you might want to update that iPhone of yours soon.

Assuming you read the article in the link above (could be a stretch), you might recall we wrote about the alphanumeric signs painted on the tarmacs of airport runways here. Honestly, after reading this article we are not sure if we are that ‘grounded’ afterall. We mean that the earth beneath us appears to be not only dynamically moving and churning, but at a seemingly rapid clip too!

At the time of writing this post, we had read of large oar fishes (that live at a depth of 200-300m) had turned up on the coasts of Toyama Japan. Their appearances had been associated as being harbingers of impending seismic events. Coincidence or not, Mother earth surely acts in mysterious and many ways. So many things and events are interconnected.

Got you worried. Don’t be. It’s all part and parcel of living on this beautiful blue marble that spins around the golden egg that is the Sun.

The MRT series – Sengkang (NE16)

Another of the ‘gangs’ (港)… did you remember our post of Choa Chu Kang (here)? Well this is yet another old fishing village from yesteryear of our little red dot. The little harbour along the Serangoon river is named as a prosperous one (盛港), perhaps an indicator of the times.

Today it has beautifully manicured parks and gardens set amidst the new apartment buildings. Nature is close at hand for a walk and one can jump onto a light rail should it become too onerous. It is a little far from town, but hey it’s a piece of tranquillity from the maddening business district!

←Buangkok (NE15)

→Punggol (NE17)

Part of the MRT series here.

Topics for travel writing

Recall our earlier post about travel topics (here) to write about? We are afterall a travel focused private blog though we do have very diverse interests ranging from financial to history & politics.

As you might have read in another post (here), one of the issues for most bloggers is the a mental ‘block’. Authors of best sellers have it, journalists fear it, and it seems bloggers will meet with this too… don’t tell us you’ve not experienced this! Of course we shared a link.

Well fret no further, for even Wiki has a link for those who run out of ideas here.

Of course the links and suggestions we have shared are but just ideas. And the creativity in you will surely morph them into something else. Something unique, with a different paradigm or focus. Good luck!