Is It Real?

The line, 如夢非夢花落紅, came suddenly into my mind on morning as I was checking out of the JW Marriott, Singapore. The first draft was completed during the delayed flight to Bangkok.

1 若真若假若夢中, Seemed real, seemed surreal and seemed in trance,
2 如醉如獃如相逢. Like in a stupor, like puppy eyed and like when we met.
3 舉杯獨酌舊人見, A cup lifted, a lonely drink for one from the past,
4 可憐明月照空空. Pity the bright moon shining to emptiness.

5 是往是今是一生, Whether in the past, whether in the present, a life lived,
6 花開花配花落紅. A flower bloomed, a flower betrothed, a flower fallen in red.
7 水流東盡何逆回, How can river flow to the east be reversed?
8 蓬山重聚去匆匆. If knowing where paradise is, with thee I be with in no time.

4 To the outside world, there is only one person drinking.

6 The flower is a metaphor for the poetic’s love who died young.

7 All rivers in China flow in an easterly direction due to its geography of the land. Literal translation of the line is “When flowing waters had reached its end in the east i.e., the ocean, how could the course be reversed?”

8 蓬山 is the mountain on one of the Three Blessed Isles situated in the Eastern Ocean. The dead cannot come back, only the living can go forward to death.

Friday, September 16, 2022

Too Beautiful To Leave

The last day in Bali on a beach near to the airport where an expensive seafood dinner had taken place. The food was really fresh but the style of cooking and taste was so-so. Only in Bali where one can dine like a millionaire. The price came out to be 1.6 million Rupiah. Even after conversion to US$102.65, it was still more than what I usually pay for in the US. I felt that I had been fleeced. Had to console myself that I this was an experience of a lifetime dining on soft beach sands with a wonderful view of a sunset , the cool breeze to wash away the heat and humidity; and this poem to take back home.

1 海風微奏波浪聲 The breeze gently orchestrating the music of the sea waves,
2 夕陽西落水深青 The sun sets and the ocean turning into a deeper blue.
3 雲霞漸暗星月罩 Covered by the moon and stars, fiery clouds slowly darkened,
4 醉戀人生醉戀情 Intoxicated by life, intoxicated in love.

4 醉 also sounds like 最 and hence the entire line sounds like, “What I love most is life and in it, what I love most is love”.

Sunday, September 11, 2022

A Glimpse Of Paradise

It would be too boring to stay in boring Singapore for 40 days and 40 nights due to some personal affairs that I had to take care of. One can only eat and shop so much. It would be better to break up the monotony by going to Langkawi, Bangkok and Bali since Japan and Taiwan had closed their border due to the Covid pandemic. This will be my first time and the last for Bali. It wasn’t as glamorous as I had imagined. I had been spoiled by the movie Bali Hai. The only thing for the entire trip that I enjoyed is the two hours spent on Melasti Beach and even so it is a beautiful beach with warm waters and fine sand, one still has to pay an entrance fee. Everywhere I go, I felt I was being nickeled and dimed to death as a tourist. At least in Singapore, I had no such feeling. I suppose it is the difference between a rich and a poor nation. All I got from this trip are the inspired poems I created while being on this so called Island Paradise.


1 白浪一波又一波 Wave after wave of crashing white,
2 總是敲擊人生過 Always pounding away and yet life must still go on.
3 蓬山更比天涯遠 Far is the world’s edge but farther still is paradise,
4 雲烟緣何再不鎖 Why are the mists and fog no longer enshrouded?

3 The mountain on the main island where the immortals dwell.

4 Like the mists of Avalon, it is believed to prevent mortals from reaching the Blessed Isles.

Sunday, September 11, 2022

Nature's Songs Of Love

I had just finished touring the Holy Water Temple and the heavy rain had stopped.  It was late  when passing by this Green Terrance Café in Bali where I had a bite to eat and a glass of cold coffee… I was the only patron at the place and so quietude and silence reigned.

The first two lines were inspired by this picture.

And the last two lines from this photo.  At first, there was someone, perhaps a staff member was swinging himself into the air but when I took this photo, he was gone but the swing was still in motion.

1 雨過稻台一遍清 After the rains, a swarth of purity in the terraced padi fields,

2 田水如鏡無風靜 Silent is the wind and field waters reflected like mirrors.
3 韆鞦獨搖人未到 The swing already in sway even before the arrival,
4 忽來蟬蟆震天聲 When suddenly noisy cicadas and toads came quaking the heavens.

3 Someone waiting on a swing for the lover to come but grew tired of waiting and left. Perhaps the person was delayed by the rain or got stuck in the muddy road.

4 Insect and frogs start their songs at sundown.

Friday, September 9, 2022

Lychee Smiles

While in Singapore, being invited to his place for dinner,  to a friend gave me a tour of his condo complex. I was not interested in the tour because of the oppressive tropical heat and humidity. Suddenly the a line, 廿五絃音撥雲開, came into my mind. It was a great distraction for me as I began to work on the structure of the poem.  However, this line was edited out in the final version as it no longer worked in the scheme of things.

1 華清池浴撥雲開 A bath in the Pool of Flower Purity swept all the clouds away,

2 霓裳羽衣飃下來 The feathered dress and the rainbow skirt came wafting down.
3 嬌態橫掃力無意 Her languid bewitching repose came so naturally,
4 樂盡明君看癡獃 Befuddling even the enlightened emperor into endless joy.

5 八百騎飛朝暮塵 Eight hundred miles, morn to dusk, the imperial dispatch covered in dust,
6 千萬星辰宇宙蓋 And in nights, under the canopy of countless stars and constellations.
7 早膳難得妃子笑 ‘tis not often to see the imperial concubine to smile at breakfast,
8 回眸魂失半天哀 One backward glance, souls be lost, half the celestial court in distress.

1 Name of a warm spring in the Tang Palace. Those with special imperial permission are allowed to enjoy the waters. When Emperor Tang Hsuan Tsung favorite, the imperial concubine Wu passed away, he was inconsolable. All serving directly under him knew no peace as the emperor would throw into fits of anger for no reason. His personal eunuch, Gao Li Shih, suggested that the emperor should take a peek at his daughter-in-law taking a bath in the pool to see if she was acceptable. The Tang dynasty would have lasted longer if she were not suitable at all.

2 The feathered dress and rainbow skirt was a tune composed by the emperor when he visited the moon in a dream and the dance was choreographed by Yang Guifei. Later she would wear such a robe in the dance. Thus, this garb is forever associated with her. This line is ambiguous. It could be describing that of a striptease or that she was descending like a fairy in her dance!

3 From this line and the next, we can deduce that the pool scene was described.

4 In popular literature, Tang Hsuan Tsung is known as the enlightened emperor for his reforms made the dynasty rise to its greatest height. It is ironic that he is the one who also caused its decline. In this way, the Chien Lung Emperor of the Ch’ing Dynasty is very similar to the Tang Emperor but for different reasons.

5 八百飛騎 does not mean “800 flying riders” but horse riders speeding through 800 miles from Canton to Changan. It could mean either the military dispatch is covered with dust or rising dust made by the galloping horses.

6 “in the night” is not explicitly stated in the original line but implied.

7 Lychee is Yang Guifei’s favorite fruit which is grown in the tropical areas of the empire such as Canton. Because of this, the tastiest variety is named as “the imperial concubine smiles”. As such, this line can be translated literally or “lychees are such a rarity to see on the breakfast table”. 食, “to eat” is not used because a slight change of tone sounds like the word for death. Instead, 進膳 – “entering meals” are used.

8 “回眸” is lifted from Po Chu I’s, “Song of Eternal Sorrow”, 長恨歌. This line is also ambiguous. “soul lost” could refer to the emperor as her backward glance is so alluring or a fearsome look to the servants that the fruit did not taste good enough. “Half the heaven” then can taken to mean either “half the empire” or “half the imperial court”. I am more inclined to the second interpretation.

Saturday, September 3, 2022

Love And Friendship

Passing by Plaza Singapura on the way to Dhoby Ghaut MRT station to go to a friend’s place for dinner…

1 他人榮華他人幸 Glories of others, it’s their fortune,
2 我是風清我是貧 I am the wind of purity, I am poor.
3 莫怨莫歎天下苦 Blame not heaven nor sigh at bitterness in life,
4 有情有義蓬山恆 With bonds of love and friendship, paradise will be forever.

2 清 can either mean pure or “clear”. 兩袖清風 – pure wind [billowing in] sleeves denote an official who does not succumb to bribery and hence upright and incorruptible but penniless.

4 蓬山 name of a mountain on one of the three islands of paradise.

Saturday, September 3, 2022

02 The Holiday Inn Express, Orchard Road, Singapore

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18 Aug 2022 – 23 Aug 2022, 5 nights
04 Sep 2022 – 06 Sep  2022, 2 nights

This is a budget hotel but its location is just a five minute walk to Orchard Road, main drag for shopping in Singapore where most of the high end malls, restaurants and hotels are located.  Unless one is here for shopping and eating spree, there is nothing much to do in Singapore.  Three nights are more than enough for any tourist.  I was here because this was my hometown and I had to come back for some unfinished business to be taken care of.

I am impressed that they offer complimentary breakfast for all guests.  Even though the food can be a hit or miss, beggars can't be choosers.  Because of its location, it free breakfast, its friendly staff and the ease on my pocket, I did came back to stay for another two nights after coming back from Bangkok later in the month.

The modest main entrance as one leaves the hotel.

Behind the check in counter is the dining area for the complimentary breakfast.  I am impressed that they offer such a service to all guests.

The room is spacious enough for my needs. The mattress is firm and pillows are soft.  It is a quiet room.

I have to thank for ever present drapes to hide these monstrosity of these ugliness.

At least the bathroom is not some kind of an eyesore.  Much more modern looking than any North American hotel bathroom.

I like the use of glass paneling to separate the bathroom and the bed.  The design on the glass is gentle to the eyes, unlike the outside scenery.

The shower is hot and the jets powerful.  I have no complaint except for the fact that one has to be aware of the slippery floor.  When the shower door is swung out, the floor towel will be also swept away. 

At least the dinning view is not a monstrosity.

Despite the scrambled eggs looking dry, I was surprised that they tasted creamy and soft but not to the point of being soggy.  Even after being out for a long time, the steam from the warming pans did not overcook them.  I wonder what the secret is.

The chicken curry tasted great.

How can these go wrong?

The local Chinese style fried rice is excellent but I dare not have too much carbs.  I did pick most of the delicious slices of fish cake.

Looks good and tasty too!

The dahl was not shabby either.

This tastes terrible!  The meat was too finely ground and overcooked by the continuous steam from the warming pan.  A word of caution, never to even sample any delicate dim sum at a buffet.  This will be a perpetual problem.  Save your stomach for something else!

Supposedly cream of mushroom soup.  Not only it looks watery, it tastes like water!

Yesterday, it was Chinese styled fried rice, today, it is Malay/Indian style.

The chicken is good.

Shorter links today.  The only reason I ate them was because of their saltiness to go with the unsalted scrambled eggs.

This is so-so.  Nothing to write home about.

After yesterday's debacle of the cream of mushroom soup, I have no stomach to try their soups.

One thing about the local potatoes, they may not look as beautiful as the N. American ones, they sure pack plenty of punches in flavor.  Even with my eyes closed, I can detect their aroma.

I am sure these baked beans came from giant cans.  Save my stomach for local flavors.

My first plate...

My second plate.  I am still amazed at how they did their creamy scrambled eggs!

Bismati rice but they weren't flavorful at all.  Judging from the rice and noodle dishes they offer, I am sure most of their guests are from South East Asia, China and the Subcontinent of Asia.

Give me a good reason that I should be eating this! LOL

I thought I would be roti prata heaven.  However, they turned out to be fool's gold.  They tasted like solid cardboard! No amount of curry or sauce will make them tasty. Even if they were free, which they were, I will not let my tongue, my taste buds and my stomach suffer.

Again the chicken tastes good.  No complaint from me.

Again, the looks triumphs over taste.  I am now wondering if the hotel is providing health conscious food so that their guest will live long and patronize the hotel more often.

Finally some breaded fried chicken.  Not great but beggars can't be choosers!  At least had my deep fry fix.

The spaghetti looks great and colorful but I am not optimistic about the taste.  As expected, it was bland.

I was very lucky in that they had just came out of the kitchen and so they were crispy.  I am sure they will become limp as time goes by.

I did not have high hopes on the porridge.  I am expected it to be plain and not done in the Cantonese style of throwing the meats, etc. into it while it is being cooked.  Even so, with good condiments mixed into it, even plain porridge will be become very tasty.

As one can see from the photos, there was no condiment for the porridge and since I didn't want to waste food, I drink it like it was Chinese medicine.  Poor me!

I had to cleanse my palate with more fried chicken and use the saltiness of the sausage link to eat with the tasteless spaghetti and the unsalted scrambled eggs.  By now, the hash browns had become limp because by picking one up with the tongs, one can feel the tensile  crispiness.

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