TSUNDOKU: THE COMPULSIVE ACT OF COLLECTING BOOKS WITH NO TIME TO READ THEM

Note that Mein Kampf is stuck
at the bottom, destined to remain unread.

I think I have been afflicted with an illness, possibly a mental illness. It's called Tsundoku, the Japanese term for collecting and hoarding books, and piling them up despite not having the time to read them. It comes from the successive dopamine hits of entering a bookstore, just looking at book titles, leafing through the pages, paying for the privilege of owning them, wrapping them with plastic, fashioning bookmarks for them, and then finally getting the chance to read them. Another term for this is bibliomania, which is even more extreme than bibliophilia.

Reading and savouring every page provides yet more dopamine hits, especially when accompanied by the music of J.S.Bach playing in the background on a CD which I had bought ages ago, and hearing them for the first time. 

The main problem is not the money spent, the storage space taken but the time needed to enjoy books to the full. A day has only 24 hours, of which a third is spent working to earn the money to buy books, CDs etc..., another third spent commuting, meals, sundry duties and feeding the cats, surfing the internet, watching YouTube videos..., a quarter napping and sleeping, which leaves precious little to actually read. And yet the books pile up...

The Asia collection

No to mention, the CDs also pile up... Is there a cure for this disease other than bankruptcy, total blindness or progressive dementia?

Gary Graffman gets pride of place

Even Janet has caught the disease,
albeit in a more organised manner.

This post is dedicated to my fellow bibliophiles Phan Ming Yen and Kevin YL Tan, who get far more reading done than I can ever hope for.... to be continued in Part 2 (if ever).

SUKA MAKAN: LUCKY STAR KITCHEN 118 @ COMMONWEALTH CRESCENT

We've returned to the unlucky Block 118 of Commonwealth Crescent. That's the corner that has such a great turnover of restaurants that it's difficult to keep up with. It's latest occupant is Lucky Star Kitchen 118, which other than its signs and displays, is identical to its predecessor Chuan Ye Seafood Zichar. Even the menu is the same, with no change in name. The serving staff are also the same.

The prices are for real,
unaffected by the Straits of Hormuz blockades

Can we expect the same high quality of cooking? Fortunately, yes. This time, my parents are present, so we decide to splurge a little by ordering my father's other favourite dish - crab. So, we get two Sri Lankan crabs, about 1 kg in weight, and have it in black pepper. The crabs are quite small, but the taste is right up there, befitting the status of Singapore's national dish.

As tasty as it looks

In addition, we also got White Beehoon, Prawns in Garlic sauce and one vegetable, as Janet always insists in greens. There are prawns and Asari clams in the white beehoon, and there's tanghoon (clear noodles) in the garlic prawns, so it's a duplication of sorts. However, the flavours of both dishes are different, so there's little chance of palate fatigue. My parents are more than satisfied, and this looks like a place to return, unless it closes down for the next turnover. So keep fingers crossed.

White beehoon is a classic dish

Lots of prawns here

LUCKY STAR KITCHEN 118

Block 118 Commonwealth Crescent

Singapore 140118

POLAND'S NATIONAL DAY RECEPTION @ CLIFFORD PIER

The Third of May is Poland's Constitution Day. It has been this way since 1791, making Poland one of the world's oldest republics. The Polish Embassy in Singapore held its National Day celebration early this year, cementing its long-time friendship with Singapore as nations that value rule of law and stand up against oppression. 

Strong ties built on cultural and trade exchanges were reinforced in a friendly atmosphere, where food and drink (important for both nations) flowed freely. Poland Shiok! has become a catch phrase and long may that be. Here are some photos at Singapore's historic art deco landmark Clifford Pier, now part of Fullerton Bay Hotel, where Poles and Singaporeans have a good time together.

Clifford Pier is the grand setting

The evening begins

Polish pianist Krzysztof Moskalewicz
performs his own transcription of 
Dayung Sampan and Chopin's Heroic Polonaise.

Polish ambassador to Singapore
Tadeusz Chomicki makes his welcome address

All stand for the national anthems 
of Singapore and Poland

The VIPs line up

Some historical photos from 1966:
LKY visits Warsaw during the Cold War

The musical community was invited, including
Julie Tan and the Miruckis, Jacek and Silwia

This was just the table of appetisers

Suka Makan Polish style

Must not miss out on the meat! 

Former SSO principal percussionist
Grzegorz Markiewicz has been in Singapore 
since 1980 and never left.

Calling all Chopin lovers,
including pianist Churen Li and
Dato Paul Supramaniam 

Mugging with Vivienne, Hengyue, Layla,
Milena & Agnieszka

Churen and Violetta join in 

Looks like the Chopin Society
will be busy pretty soon.

Clifford Pier by night,
called Red Light Harbour in Chinese, 
is no longer a sleazy place to hang out

SUKA MAKAN: KEEF THE BEEF @ ROCHESTER PARK

There are two types of food my father simply cannot resist - juicy crabs and juicy steaks. For his 91st birthday, we (my brothers and I) treated him and the family to the latter. A reservation was made at Keef The Beef, regarded as one of Singapore's foremost steak places, and we were not disappointed. This steakhouse was once located at Turf City Mall but has since relocated to one of the black and white bungalows at Rochester Park.

The restaurant fills the two-storey building and has ample seating including in the verandahs. We, the biggest party of eight, got a private room of our own, which had a faux fireplace in a form of a flat screen television. Janet and I were late, having rushed down from town after attending the Chopin Vs AI piano recital, and did not have to wait long for the two huge servings of meat, which were juicy and succulent, much like the way my father likes. Here is the photographic evidence.

Argentinian grassfed ribeye

The Tomahawk steak

Meet the Meat
@ Keef The Beef!

Janet does the Salt Bae

Tiramisu

All the desserts

Happy 91st, Dad!
Here's to many more steaks!

KEEF THE BEEF

2A Rochester Park

Singapore 139252

Tel: 8499-4745

Reservations Keef the Beef Bungalow – Keef The Beef Bungalow