玩具 Toys

小孩有玩具。我家的毛孩也不例外。它也有自己心仪的玩具。

Three toys

Almost all children have toys to keep them company. They don't have to be fanciful or expensive; as long as they are something accessible, and can offer some comfort and happiness in their free time.

Our pet dog, Mantis, also has his favorite toys -namely shark, tortoise, and recently lobster.

Just woke up from afternoon nap...

抉择 choices

人生长途上，往往会在交叉路口上，做个抉择。

俗话说，条条大路通罗马，但有些道路弯弯曲曲，费时又费力；有些则能在事半功倍的情况下顺利完成。只要在不犯法，不损人的情况下，选择轻松途径上路，是务实的，也是最佳选择。

选择扶手电梯，还是用苦力慢慢爬上梯级呢？

When facing choices in life, should one opt for easier path? 

My thought is - as long as the easier path does not run foul of the law, and does not cause any harm to others, it is okay to take the easier path. We don't have to endure unnecessary hardship to achieve similar results.

The Chinese saying 吃得苦中苦，方为人上人 does not mean that we have to endure hardship all the time. It just means that sometimes, success does not come easily - one has to persevere to succeed.

Puff of cloud 云朵

早上驾车去上班，在十字路口的交通灯前等候交通灯转绿时，目睹了上空的云朵，与前方的蓬头树叶造型蛮相配，于是马上掏起手机·，捕捉那景象。

Chanced upon the scene of puff of cloud hanging in the sky, right above the canopy of tree leaves. They cast a similar shape.

平民住宅起居，与豪华酒店之分 Classy lodging for the rich, and crowded apartment for commoners

一分钱一分货，现实就是那么残酷。

如果有能力且愿意花钱入住豪华酒店，享受人生， 就能体会到舒适的入住环境。

Luxurious lifestyle and accommodation are only applicable for those who have deep pocket, and willing to splurge their money. The surroundings and services provided are most certainly pleasant.

View of luxurious hotel

the surroundings of the hotel

pleasant river view from the hotel

而一般平民也只能集居于稠密的多层建筑屋。也必须在附近的杂货店购卖日常所需。路边摆卖的摊位，虽然杂乱无章，但价钱实蕙。

For common laymen, crowded high rise apartment, with economical amenities nearby is probably the best option. 

 

Postbox 邮箱

Recent improvement in wireless internet connection has drastically changed how we communicate with one another. WeChat, Whatsapp, Telegram, Messenger chat are now the popular means of communication. Messages are delivered promptly. The snail- paced letters are now a rare breed - as a result, postbox is almost extinct nowadays.

Postbox wedged between two pots of plant, hidden at one corner

邮箱是一个濒临绝境的物件。随着科技的突飞猛进，网际网络的发达，生活步伐的不断加速，缓慢的硬体书信已难以让人接受。无线通讯，一来一往，刹那间便能得到回复。视频上的通讯，更加直截了当。

邮箱已逐渐沦落成古董，抑或是旅游景区的一个打卡的摆设品。

Residential buildings in Scotland 排列整整齐齐的住屋

Residential buildings in Scotland - they remind me of Lego set building blocks. The block of houses are arranged neatly in a pleasant style. Coupled with row of wind turbines in the distant mountain - the view is simply fantastic. 

排列得整整齐齐的住屋，在远处风力发电机及漂浮于天上朵朵云层的衬托下，显得更迷人。此情此景也只能在地广人稀的国家才能看到。

冷暖人间 cool light/warm light

夜深人静，隔邻住家的阳台，分别亮起白灯，（橘黄色的）暖灯，着实醒目。它们似乎通知我们世间人情世故，也会有冷暖之分。

Traditionally, most Asian families prefer to use bright @ cool light to lit up their home at night, whilst Caucasians prefer warm light.

I only started to use warm light at home when I was staying in US (because the default light bulbs were warm lights). When we moved back to Singapore, we fall back to cool lights again at home. 

Somehow, I feel that visibility is better with cool light, and the brightly lit home is not that warm under cool light.