Thursday, 19 May 2016

香港游

趁着出席在香港举办的亚太平洋癫痫研讨会,到香港逛一逛。
上一回(也是第一次)游香港是在三十多年前,当时也是在飞往台湾出席医学生研讨会途中,在香港转机时,小住两天。

第一天
乘搭早上九点多的新航班机,抵达香港机场时再转搭机场快线到九龙地铁站,连接接驳吧士到Hotel Panorama. 把行李放好后,便开始逛街去了。



经酒店服务人员的介绍,在附近的隍豪点心大排档,吃了点心(没有想象中的好),然后一路从尖沙嘴(吃利强记北角鸡蛋仔),步行经过佐敦,油麻地,旺角(女人街走马看花,路边摆卖玩具多过衣服;同样的衣服在这里叫价港币80,而在花园街则40),至太子站 (花园街路边夜市买衣裤,许留山喝芒果饮料)。晚上搭地铁回尖沙嘴,在酒店稍微歇会儿,又再步行到附近的维多利亚港湾看夜景,过后在酒店对面街一家大排档吃了相当可口的一碗云吞麵。就这样结束了第一天的行程,走得脚豆软了。


鸡蛋仔

小巷里的大排档


闹市

女人街




维多利亚港湾




第二天
早上在酒店附近一家大排档吃了皮蛋肉粥后,便搭地铁到东涌,再乘搭缆车往昂坪去游大屿山。
登山时乘搭水晶缆车,可从透过透明的玻璃地板,一目了然欣赏脚下的景观(海岸,山坡,丛林,爬山步道),往下亦可一睹附近的机场。









大屿山上的天坛大佛(雄伟的坐落在高峰上,俯瞰世人沿着梯级,辛苦慢步爬上斜坡,来接近他,沾沾佛气)与心经简林(一片片刻上心经全文的扁木,高高竖立于山林中,給人一种"心静自然凉"的感觉),值得一游。名闻暇尔的宝莲禅寺斋食及山水豆腐花就没那么好吃。








心经简林






斋堂
斋食

过后,再搭大巴到附近的享有"香港威尼斯"美誉之大澳鱼村一游。鱼村的乡土味蛮重,行人沿着两排简陋木屋间中的小径步行 (档口摆卖熏干了的海产)。村内有座小桥,过了小桥后,购买了两张船票,乘搭小游艇观赏直立于河床沿岸的高脚木屋,然后再直奔岛外的附近海域看海豚(只是惊鸿一瞥,看到粉红色的光影飞快的潜進海面所溅起的浪花)。觉得这渔村并没什么特别,走马看花,待了一会后,便往巴士站排队候车,回昂坪去。














從东涌站搭地铁到深水渉站,品尝添好运点心后(其所陈现的点心,十分爽口,我们都吃得津津有味,新加坡分行根本无与伦比),去逛附近的批发衣服商店,及摆卖廉价服饰的路边摊,再吃了一碗维记猪肝麵(够嫩且香),打包俩个不同口味的碗仔糕(红豆与黑芝麻),便回酒店领取行李,搭地铁后步行到Renaissance Harbour View Hotel 去。抵达酒店时已经是将近九点啦。


添好运点心甜品

第三天
早上研讨会没有节目,便在吃了丰富的早点后,乘搭地铁到黄大仙祠去参观 (香火蛮盛, 信徒游客皆有),然后再到佐敦品尝澳洲牛奶公司吃早餐配套(烘牛油面包,花腿通粉,咖啡),及蛋白燉鲜奶与杏汁燉鸡蛋(从没吃过类似的甜品,好味,值得一试)。过后我便与老婆分道扬镳(我回去湾仔上课,而她继续逛附近街坊)。
住房窗口外景-维多利亚海湾



黄大仙广场

黄大仙祠





牛奶公司的招牌甜品

第四天
晚上到中环逛逛 - 品尝一乐烧鹅,泰昌饼家的蛋挞(香味可口),龟苓膏;体验全世界最长的“登上斜坡”的电动扶梯,再乘搭巴士到维多利亚顶峰看香港夜景(雾蒙蒙,抹杀了夜景)。


烧鹅面线与饭

龟苓膏与二十四味


古早味十足的石块梯级







第五天
研讨会节目排得满满,到晚上九点多才结束,所以没得玩。
我老婆则到铜锣湾附近看人家“打小人”,并到中环去买烧鹅,蛋挞(以便带回家吃)。

打小人



人气蛮旺的打小人阿婆
第六天
吃过早点后,便在9.30离开酒店,到机场报道。乘搭下午12.30的班机,将近五点才抵达新加坡。

游后感:
对于成人来说,香港最令人流连忘返的应是其真才实料的美食,感触良多的是人挤人的街景。也许是生活步骤太过紧逼,每个人都三言两语的草草解答或急着要你回复问题,人情味较薄。
香港地铁服务素质,地铁车轨的行驶频密度,不同路线的接驳效率与方便性质,数一数二!




Tuesday, 26 April 2016

没有车的日子

结婚后一年,才开始拥有汽车。

新加坡汽车价钱昂贵,举世闻名。当时刚在职场上工作2-3年,月薪不高,只能分期付款购买一辆二手1000毫升的小型汽车Toyota Starlet. 从那时起,便成为拥车一族, 极少乘搭公共交通工具。

回想哪一段没有车的日子,苦多与乐。

高中时期,宿舍远在裕廊已被“下架”的南洋大学。单单从南大到华初的旅程就要花费一个小时的时间。结果凌晨天还没亮,一群同病相怜的学生,便得拖着疲惫睡意惺惺的步伐,乘搭第一趟从南大巴士站出发的巴士车(sbs 174)。幸好上车的都是我们一群莘莘学子,没有其他闲人,因此都有位坐,美其名闭眼养神,其实是会周公去了。一路上有多少人断断续续上下车,都无关痛痒。到学校时,通常都会有同学互相照会,以免过站。

遇到周末,如要外出看戏,便得花超过一个半小时,才能抵达市区内的电影院。往往在回宿舍的时候,就得人挤人上巴士,一路站到文礼那一带才能有位坐。幸好高中时,我向来很少出门。

上大学时,第一年所住的学生宿舍就在新加坡中央医院的对面,附近就有巴士总站,也靠近牛车水一带。出门搭巴士,或步行到附近的电影院,都蛮方便。第二年,宿舍搬到国大后面的肯德岗去,搭巴士就没那么方便了。需步下斜梯,透过国大医院,再越过马路,才能抵达巴士站候车。大学第三至五年,会被分配到各个医院去临床上课。当时没有地铁服务,幸好同组单位有位同学是拥车族,有顺风车可搭,不然匆匆忙忙的来往医院与国大讲坛,不累死才怪!

毕业后,在新加坡中央医院当实习生,住在专为实习生所设的实习生宿舍一年。过后,搬到金文泰租赁组屋,与李隽“同居”了两年以上。当时出入都得搭地铁或巴士。往往在出门前,都得腾出一刻至半个小时的时间,以免迟到。

有一回在值夜班后,搭巴士回家时,睡意蒙蒙,遗失了钱包;里头的身份证,信用卡全泡汤,找不回了。

开始去上班时,走了一段蛮长的巴士旅程(1个半小时,直通车);后来经过朋友的提示,才发现另外一个捷径(只需半个小时便可抵达,但需转换一辆巴士)。

拍拖的时候,送了女朋友回家后,便得再乘搭巴士回家,往往会在巴士上昏沉沉的睡着,偶尔到站时还需车长唤醒。后来我的岳父大人会“顺路”用自己的租用德士,载我一程。

过后我的室友在我结婚后搬到自己的私人公寓去住,也在那个时候,我购买了第一辆汽车。不久在领取政府组屋后,我也搬到蔡厝港的政府组屋去住。

习惯了自驾的自由,没有车的日子,相信会很难熬!

Sunday, 10 April 2016

Ah Boy to Man... the beginning

Today (7 April 2016) is the day that CK is enlisting into National Service.
We (my wife and I, togethe with CK) took a shuttle bus from Pasir Ris Bus Interchange at 9am, reached Changi Point ferry terminal to take a ferry to Pulau Tekung.
Walked through the introductory station --> took a tour on bus round selected spots of the camp --> witnessed the oath ceremony --> took lunch at the canteen --> waved bye-bye to CK and departed from the camp. The whole event took about 4 hours in total (from 9am-2pm).

CK called us at 9.30pm. He brought us the good news that he is scheduled for interview for NUS Medicine tomorrow (with 3 other fellow recruits in the same camp). He was obviously delighted, and so were all of us in the family! Wishing him all the best tomorrow! (It turned out that there was no interview, but members of the selection committee for NUS Medicine had come to brief the shortlisted candidates the paper work needed (personal portfolio/ referreee letters etc) prior to their skill stations test in about 1 week's time).

Time flies, truly.
It was only "yesterday" that he was a boy who always cried "leg pain" when he did not want to walk further (when touring Statue of Liberty in NY, walking in the city etc).
He was the one who put a pebble into the tiny opening in the passenger door lock of our Toyota Corolla when we were on a road trip in Tennessee; as a result, we were unable to close the passenger door, and had to tie a  string to secure the door while driving. Finally, we managed to find a kind soul in a nearby village; he used a screw driver to dislodge the pebble.
It was him who alerted us that his younger brother (who was around 2 years of age) had swallowed a lithium battery; he was 3 years of age then.
He usually did not finish his milk; leaving it for his younger brother...

He always asked for "discount" when doing Maths homework in primary school.
He cried his heart out when getting back his O Level results (because he faired unexpectedly bad in his Higher Chinese), landing him in Anderson JC unexpectedly.

He suffered throughout his 2 years in AJC, because he was "looked down" by Chinese scholars.

But now, he has finally "arrived"- scoring straight As in his A Level exam, got shortlisted for admission assessment in one week's time.