Happy New Year 2014!

Aunty Jo Jo with Jared and Justin during Christmas 2013

How is it even possible that we're bidding Farewell to 2013 and saying Hello to 2014?  This year has really flown by! As always, I've had more than my fair share of fun and many blessings for which I'm truly grateful.

• Family and friends have been front and centre this year.  The Yeoh family witnessed a double birthday celebration with both Mum and Dad turning 70 this year - hearty, healthy and happy - and we really thank God for His goodness. My Penang cousins introduced two beautiful babies - Bryan and Min Yee - to the family. I also had the pleasure of welcoming many loved ones to Singapore including my parents, my sister Julie, my beautiful goddaughters Kiersten and Katelynn, Corrine from Austin, Grace from Melbourne, Glenn from Perth, Thiam Kit from HK, the Gekoskis from Philadelphia and my long time friends from England.

• Seeing Donny Osmond sing Puppy Love ten feet away from me was a dream come true!!  Swoon...  

• Wonderful trip to New Orleans in January.  Enjoyed the charm of The Big Easy, while learning more about the after-effects of Hurricane Katrina.  I also got to pretend to be Scarlett O' Hara while staying at Oak Alley Plantation - a beautiful antebellum mansion on the Mississippi River.  The only thing missing was Rhett Butler.  Haha!

• First trip to Japan in June opened my eyes to another culture so rich in beauty, elegance and precision. Loved the rustic charm of the seaside town of Atami, the beautiful symmetry and elegance of historical Kyoto, the frenzied madness of Osaka.  Loved the inns, bullet trains, bento sets, cute little desserts, latest cosmetics and the sushi and sashimi is just so...oh....to die for!

• A surprise second trip to US for work saw me spending a lovely weekend in San Francisco and a week in Vegas.  A friend has been teaching me to appreciate jazz this year and can't wait to hear Wynton Marsalis and Chris Botti live.  Thanks RP :)

• Two work trips to Hong Kong allowed me to indulge in many happy meals especially roast goose and dim sum . It was very good to catch up with Simon and Helina Wong, and their two adorable boys, Marcus and Isaac. 

• Work has been very intense yet rewarding this year.  One of my projects contributed to a win for "Best People Management" at the World Mail Awards in May while I also won the "Best Passive Talent Influencer" Award from LinkedIn in April.  And yet these public awards, while flattering, have not given me as much satisfaction as the privilege of training over 350 staff in Emergenetics - a profiling tool that helps individuals to understand themselves and team mates better.  It's been so rewarding to see people appreciating each other's strengths and striving to become all that God created them to be.

It really has been an amazing year and I wish you and your families all the very best for a fruitful and blessed 2014.

All my love,

Joanna a.k.a Aunty Jo Jo

Christmas with the Changs

So blessed to spend Christmas this year with the Changs - my family in Singapore.  This year, we headed to the Royal China at Raffles Hotel for dim sum.

My godsons, Justin (in checks) and Jared (in blue shirt) are incredibly patient with their lunatic Aunty Jojo.  We have so many fun and crazy conversations and I have really enjoyed seeing these boys grow into fine young men. Yes, I have been reminded time and time again not to hug in public but do I care?

Lu Meng and I first met in classroom 30 years ago and have been good friends ever since. God has been very good the both of us and we are eternally grateful for His wonderful grace.

The Chang family, including daddy Jimmy Chang, are my de facto family in Singapore.  We've had so many Sunday dinners together that we often miss each other if too many weeks go by without our regular catch up.  Especially when I'm travelling.

Wet winter day in Hong Kong...

...makes for a great mood photo huh?

(Taken from a tram in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong island)

Double Birthday Celebrations

We've been blessed with double birthday celebrations this year.  Both my parents turned 70 - hearty, healthy and happy - and we thank God for His amazing goodness.  They celebrated these milestones with family and close friends by hosting two Chinese banquet dinners in Penang.

 Daddy and his "not-so little girl" at his birthday dinner in January 2013

Mummy celebrating her 70th birthday with the entire Yeoh clan and church friends in December 2013

Hidden surprise in Armenian Street

I love stumbling onto little surprises in the city I live in. Today, I went for a walk in the Museum district and discovered this hidden gem. A little garden in the grounds of the Armenian Church just off Hill Street. It was the first church built in Singapore.

This aesthetic delight was built in 1835 by the Armenian community, and designed by George Coleman who was the mastermind architect behind most of the colonial structures in Singapore. 

Some of the loveliest tombstones I've seen outside the French Quarter in New Orleans. They belong to members of the Sarkies family, the prominent Armenian family that owned some of the most luxurious hotels in the Far East including the Raffles in Singapore and E&O in Penang. 

Here lies Vanda Miss Joaquim, after whom Singapore's national flower is named. She was a keen horticulturalist who unveiled the famed orchid at a flower show in 1899, for which she won a prize of 12 dollars. 

Princely Treasures

I visited this superb exhibition last Saturday but it's taken me a whole week to summon up the courage to write a post because of one word - Liechtenstein.  This principality in Europe sandwiched between Austria and Switzerland may be tiny in size but presents quite a mammoth challenge when it comes to spelling and pronunciation.  Nevertheless, it is to the Prince of Liechtenstein (yes, I did it again!) that we owe a debt of gratitude - for lending his priceless collection of Renaissance, Baroque and Flemish art to be enjoyed by the residents of Singapore.

The Princely Treasures exhibition is on display at the National Museum of Singapore from 27 June - 29 September 2013.  It really is a stunning collection of art, which I've seen often in the galleries of Europe, but is totally new and novel to Singapore.

The first two galleries hold collections from the summer palace.  There are some beautiful ornaments from the Baroque period, including this gorgeous clock which I would have love to own but  alas...perhaps one day my prince will come bearing a beautiful Baroque clock :)

Another unique piece from the artisans of Florence.  This ornate chest is decorated with pictures made by piecing together shards of cut coloured stone.  Obviously very meticulous and time-consuming work from the Renaissance period.

Then came the galleries containing the high art of Europe including this Raphael from the Renaissance period.  While the subject of the portrait may not be the best looking Renaissance man around,  it is clear that the master artist was able to command his brush and paint to bring to life the brilliance of his art, which has been admired for centuries.

This was my favourite painting in the entire collection.  It is a picture of little Clara Serena Rubens, painted by her adoring father, Peter Paul Rubens, just a few years before her death.  The innocent face of a little girl staring adoringly at her papa is so beautifully captured, I returned more than once to stare at this painting.

A roomful of Rubens - right here in Singapore!

The lovely galleries in jewelled tones 

Another treat was a gallery dedicated to the Brueghels, a talented family of 16th century Flemish artists from Belgium, famous for their landscapes and peasant scenes.  This lovely winter village scene by Pieter Brueghel the Younger is a fine example from the period.  There are so many details of life in the picture that it's more a study of anthropology than of art, if one were to really take time to enjoy all of it.

All in all, I would highly recommend a visit to the Princely Treasures from the House of Liechtenstein.

Reflections of Japan

Every journey yields its own epiphany and Japan is no different.   

It was my first visit but I've fallen completely in love with the Land of the Rising Sun.  There is so much to admire in her people, culture and cuisine.  

Perfection in every action and incredible attention to detail

The gardens are set out in pristine order.  The shinkansen (bullet trains) arrive and depart on the dot.  Plastic bags are used to cover shopping bags made of paper.  Cushions are discreetly re-arranged whenever a guest leaves the lobby.  Excess umbrellas are removed from the stand so that nothing juts out.  Purchases are gift-wrapped in pretty paper.

Every meal is served to please the senses: arranged in dainty dishes, cooked to perfection.  Every egg is boiled with the orange yolk still slightly runny.

How do they do it?

Interesting practices and sense of humour

Cooking shows that feature only one ingredient.  Females made up to look like dolls - no such thing as the au naturale look here.  Everything kawaii (cute) is cool.  Even adults wear Hello Kitty boots and raincoats. Drugstores every 10 meters feature every type of cosmetics and row upon row of fake eyelashes.  In every colour.  Kinda creepy.

Beautiful travel companions

I have to say a big THANK YOU to my two travel companions, Julina and Li Ki, for the endless hours of shopping, mad scrambles for trains, sharing of desserts, testing of cosmetics, sampling of strange foods, sipping of coffees, silly conversations, giggles and laughter.  It was indeed a pleasure to be your mama san.  Sorry my business development skills fell a little short of expectations :P

  

4th generation innkeepers

It's not often that a traveller can set foot into an inn and feel as if they've stepped into their grandma's home.  That's exactly the sense I got when we arrived at Kikokuso Ryokan (Inn) in Kyoto.  The all-embracing warmth and genuine hospitality of the Yoshimura family is what really made the stay so special.  It has to be personally experienced to be believed.

The ryokan has been in the family for four generations and the current owners are preserving the 140-year tradition of caring for their guests with great pride.  Every meal served, every bed made,  every bath drawn, every slipper laid out is done with the guest's sole comfort in mind.  And every act is accompanied with a gentle smile and respectful bow.  It tells a tale of timeless grace.

Mrs Yoshimura is a very special lady.  Her demeanour and manners are from a bygone era and she is always immaculately dressed and groomed.  Her friendliness more than compensated for the halting English conversations we had.  Here she is showing us the book where she is featured as one of the leading lady innkeepers in Kyoto.  

Here is Mayu Yoshimura, the daughter-in-law, preparing green tea for us on our arrival at the inn.  She was very friendly and chatty, eager to find out about our lives in Singapore.  For some reason, she thought I was a nurse!

Entrance to the ryokan

Lovely Japanese garden viewed from the dining room

Kaiseki

"Kaiseki" is a traditional Japanese multi-course dinner, which Kyoto is well-known for.  This is the highest form of food art, with perfection on every plate - both in terms of sight and taste. Words will add nothing to this highly sensory experience, so please just sit back and enjoy the pictures.

Our beautiful hostess and ryokan owner, Mrs Yoshimura, dressed in a traditional kimono, presented each kaiseki dish.  She explained the use of seasonal ingredients as well as the sequence in which the dishes were to be eaten.  I was (and still am) in total awe of her grace, feminine manners and ability to kneel and bow with perfect precision!

Dish 1 (Clockwise): Radish in sesame sauce, anchovy, fish jelly, fish paste, snail

Dish 2: Sashimi

Dish 3:  Grilled prawn with yuba (Japanese yam)

Dish 4: Sawara (Spanish mackerel) with pickled ginger shoot

Dish 5: Tempura of fish, lotus root, okra and shitake mushroom

Dish 6: Sliced conger eel and pickled cucumber salad

Dish 7: Rice & miso soup 

Dish 8: Dessert of peeled Kyoto grapes and kiwi fruit

Kyoto

Kyoto was the imperial capital of Japan for over a thousand years and history is evident on every street corner. The city is dotted with palaces, castles, temples and shrines and is often considered the cultural seat of Japan.

We arrived in Kyoto just ahead of tropical storm Lipi and it rained the entire time we were there.  Although we didn't do justice to all the historical sights, we bravely battled the elements to visit a few special spots.

Here we are at Nijo Castle, the home of the Tokugawa Shogunate.  The most fascinating feature of this castle are the "nightingale" floorboards, which "whistle" every time anyone steps on it. Frankly, I thought is just sounded like regular creaking. Just think of it as the earliest known form of a burglar alarm system :)

We spent quite a lot of time at Nishiki Market, the Kitchen of Kyoto, because there were so many interesting ingredients, cooked food and tempting desserts. And also plenty of shade to keep us dry!  I ended up buying two special Japanese kitchen knives for my sister and I to try out our Iron Chef skills.

The Gion district is a historical area dating back from the Middle Ages, which is now more well known as the home of the geisha.  In spite of the inclement weather, we were very fortunate to spot a geisha leaving her home on the way to work.  While she was protective of her privacy, I couldn't pass up the photo opportunity.  Happy to have witnessed yet another cultural icon of Japan.

Bento Heaven

After just 2 days in the seaside town of Atami, we city girls decided we'd had enough of the countryside and took the first Shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo.  After wandering around Shinjuku and Harajuku for half a day while filling up on Starbucks coffee and green tea lattes in between, we headed back to Tokyo Station where this lovely photo was taken.

Once inside the station, we were looking for somewhere to eat when we stumbled into basement 1 of the Daimaru store and discovered BENTO HEAVEN!

..

From appetisers...

...to sushi bentos

From salads...

...to croquettes and all manner of fried meatballs

Not forgetting the sashimi bentos....

...and tempting tempura

This dizzying display of delicious delights left us speechless and it took several rounds of surveying and sampling before we finally decided on what to pack for dinner.  All three of us agreed that it was definitely the highlight of the day and worth making a day trip into Tokyo for.

Atami

The seaside town of Atami, in Shizuoka prefecture is situated 70 miles away from Tokyo.  This quiet little town gave me my first experience of Japan.  The town is famous for its onsen (hot springs), seafood delicacies and Museum of Art.

View of the bay from Atami Castle, which was more like a viewing platform than a real castle

If there is one thing that stands out in Atami, its the proliferation of "kiam hoo" (salted fish) shops.  Everywhere we turned, there stood yet another dried seafood shop.  However, I must give credit to the high standards of cleanliness in Japan.  While we saw them often, we didn't smell them at all.  In fact, I was often awed by the creative displays and packaging for dried fish.  

This beautiful dish on my first night in Atami led me to conclude that "you ain't had sushi until you've had sushi in Japan".  It's incomparable to any sushi I'd ever eaten.  Each mouthful is just bursting with fresh fish goodness and the rice is only a vehicle to transport the heavenly morsels.  The hint of wasabi (horseradish paste) is just enough to add the requisite bite.  Simply divine!

I will never forget this meal as long as I live.  Fresh tuna belly over a bed of rice and miso soup.  Clean, fresh, melt-in-your-mouth tuna is to die for.  I kid you not.  Unbelievably delicious! And it only cost USD9 in a delightful little "mom & pop" eatery called Treasures of the Sea.

No meal is ever complete without dessert and we girls were very fortunate to stumble upon a lovely shop that served the best creme brule custard (green tea flavour of course!), mochi with red beans and yuzu (a cross between orange & lemon) jelly.  They served free green tea so we kept returning every day for the sweet treats.

And last but not least, allow me to introduce you to my two lovely travel companions, Julina Halim (in green) and Li Ki (in red).  This photo was taken at the tranquil tea garden of the Atami Museum of Art.