Chingay Parade

We got four front seat VVIP tickets to the Chingay Parade this year.  We sat almost right next to the deputy prime minister.  The tickets were from brother Patrick and he couldn't make it so we accompanied his wife and son and got the chance to feel patriotic for the night.  It was really kind of fun.

We Didn't Know This  Was Going to Happen

He Did a Complete Somersault without missing a beat

Like the Slogan

Speed Painting right in Front of US

Fire Dancers

Now We know Where that Recurring Nightmare with the Boat
Driving Down a Crowded Street Comes From

Now These Guys Had a Firecracker up their Butts

The Final Float had a Ladder Pulled out of it.  A guy later climbed it
and fired off a sparking type fire cannon but we didn't get the picture.

Pretty not Bad fireworks

Lo Hei and Singapore

At this time of year we do the Lo Hei ceremony several times to wish health, well being and prosperity.  Of course this year we added the chant for good weather for our crossing to Alaska.  Today was the second time we did it. Afterwards we decided to walk over to Marina Bay Sands.  This resort didn't open until after we left, though it was under construction for an eternity before we left.  Anyways, every few years I get the chance to snap a picture of the Singapore skyline, though this is usually done from the deck of a boat. I realized the first one I ever took way back in 1980 from the decks of the R.C. Dunlop, the seismic boat I used to work on was from very near where we were now walking.  Of course any one who knows Singapore realizes how much Singapore has expanded on reclaimed land.  But the thoughts of that first photo that was caught more by accident as I was trying to get a photo of the Concorde taking off compelled me to once again take the snapshot and share it with you.  Of course the Lotus Flower (Singapore Art Science Museum) kind of blocks most of the view, the sentiment is still there.  Let's have a Lo Hei wish for Singapore as she readies to celebrate being fifty years old!

The Lo Hei ready to be mixed and tossed

Part of the Singapore Skyline.  Of Course now there is a Whole Bunch Behind us and a Bunch More Behind the  Lotus Flower!

Oh one more thing this bay where we sometimes docked and almost always caught bum boats back to our ships has been sealed off from the sea and has become a freshwater reservoir.

Here are a couple more pics taken Monday night from the top of the Sands

Family Reunion Dinner

This is the first time all the Wong family clan was together for Chinese New Year in a long while.  It is also unlikely we will all be together again for at least a few more years.  Brother Patrick felt it warranted a private room at Lei Gardens.  Great Chinese food!

Keeping the Orthopedic Doctor in Business

While we are here in Singapore we thought it best to get our medical stuff out of the way before the big crossing and the even more scary price of medical treatment in the USA.  So Pauline went through her yearly check the other day and Mark had his blood tested.

That only lightens the bank account a little, so off we went to the orthopedic specialist that a friend recommended.  It turned out to be the same guy who did Pauline's foot before we went cruising so we decided to do a two for one deal.  Mark had his knee partially fixed.  A torn meniscus, some bone spurs, and a cyst drained and Pauline had a screw removed from her foot.  So now it is just a recovery process for a while.