Goodbye pedometer, hello Runkeeper

For the past 10 years or so, I have been using a pedometer whenever I go for my brisk walking exercise. A pedometer is a device that you clip to your waistband and it measures the number of steps you take when you walk or jog. Whilst it doesn’t measure the distance I have covered, unless I take the trouble to convert (for me it’s approx 1250 steps per km), it is good enough as a barometer to check my exercise level; and prod me to get off my butt when the end of the month approaches and I am behind target.

But lately, I have decided to ditch my trusty pedometer, which had followed me even when I travel overseas, because I have found a new love …. Runkeeper. This is a really cool app available for Android as well as iPhone. Besides measuring the distance you have traveled in km, it has a number of advantages over the pedometer. It can store your data (and share with your friends on Facebook – which I don’t), measure your speed and even plot your route on Google Maps. Now how cool is that. And it is also free. The pedometer which I have purchased from Mustaffa Centre – so far I have used 3 – costs about $20+. There are other features which I am too lazy to figure out. The above are good enough for me …. for now.

And so it’s Goodbye pedometer, hello Runkeeper.

Haha …. In case you wonder why I took so long to complete the 6.2 km route around the Pandan reservoir; I kept stopping to take photos to share with friends on Facebook.

GMY Book Contest #8 - results

Congratulations to reader, Chew. The correct answer is Jurong Road. My friend James Tann who shared this photo from the 1980s said; “This photo of Jurong West as taken from the Jurong Road roadside at Hong Kah Village. Location should be somewhere near today's Green Haven Halfway House that was beside the old Bulim Cemetery.” 

The sign which I had blurred out actually says; “Bulim Community Centre"

But I am still having trouble pinpointing the exact location because in the 1980s, the PIE had already been constructed; and yet in James’ photo, the HDB blocks looked so near. If this place was indeed near the Green Haven Home, they should be much further away. Anyway, I hope readers can throw some light.

 

From 1981 street directory

Actually, I have blogged about this area before here. In the old days, when we travelled to Safti via Green Bus 175 or 174 to Nantah, we would pass through this stretch of Jurong Rd. However, we were usually too tired or sleeping to note the surroundings. As I mentioned in the earlier article, we also did a lot of topo training in this part of Spore which we called Hong Kah.

Here are a few more photos of Jurong Rd between Bukit Batok Road and Green Haven taken in April 2007.

PS – Chew, pls email your address to me so I can send you a copy of my book.

GMY Book Contest #8

First to identify this place gets a free copy of my book Good Morning Yesterday.

Photo credit: James Tann

But no prize for identifying the street in this 1960s photo from Tim Light.

Wedding restaurants I remember

You may have seen this photo before. It was taken by Mike Robbin’s friend, Ray Kirkman, some time in the mid-1960s. You would certainly recognize the Lido Theatre. But do you know the name of the building on the left? More importantly, do you know the name of the Chinese restaurant inside?

During my recent meeting with my “new old friend”, Mike Robbins, he presented me two souvenirs that he had kept for more than 40 years. One of them is this menu from the Peking Restaurant, and the other was an invitation to wedding dinner at the Capitol Imperial Room at Capitol Cinema.

Man ... just look at those mouth-watering prices!

The Peking Restaurant has special significance because it was here that my dear, recently-departed sister, Pat, had her wedding dinner. Except for my eldest brother, Chun Chew who had his at a special place – The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Hill Street – the rest of the Lam siblings held ours at restaurants, as was the custom of those days. I thought it would be interesting to list the restaurants that I can remember where my family and friends held their wedding dinners, and see if readers can recognize the names. So here goes. I hope friends do not mind. And I hope you will share yours as well.

My elder brother David has his at the Oxford Restaurant at RELC, I had mine in Charming Garden Restaurant in Orchid Inn and my younger brother James had his at Cathay Restaurant. Besides the Cathay which is still around, albeit much changed, the others are probably gone. In fact, the Orchid Inn at Dunearn Road is in the process of being demolished.

My dear friend Chia Yew Heng had his at Sin Leong Restaurant in Upper Serangoon Road, next to the Fountain Night Club. I suspect he probably had this one for his Singapore friends and colleagues and held a separate one in his home town in Malaysia. My old friends Heng Tew and Ros held theirs in Omei Restaurant at a hotel in Orchard Road called Hotel Grand Central. Recently, I attended the wedding of their eldest son. How time flies.

My old friend from ACS, Simon Chu had his in a restaurant at Bukit Merah Central. I cannot recall the name; probably Oriental. I think it is probably still there. My sister-in-law, Bee Wan had hers at the Phoenix Restaurant. All I remember is that it was in Ang Mo Kio. When it came my dear friend Chuck Hio, it was in the 90s, and by that time, the trend was to have the wedding dinners at hotels. His was at ANA Hotel. I cannot remember the name of the restaurant.

One last name that comes to mind is the Tai Nam Tong (大南唐) Restaurant where my parents sometimes had their birthday celebrations. But I cannot remember where it was located.

Join me for a trip down memory lane

Dear friends,

I have been invited to present a talk-cum-slide show tomorrow evening at the Baby Boomers (Facebook Group) Social cum Business Nite gathering.

Venue:          Pearl Centre Office #04-13

Date/Time:  Friday, 26/4/2013, 7.30pm

I will be speaking about Growing Up in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s. Will be covering more or less the contents that I covered during my presentation last month at the 50PlusExpo organized by the Council for Third Age – with lots more photos and interaction of course; as that talk was very rushed.

For more information, please visit BBS Facebook page here and indicate if you are attending so as to facilitate logistical/refreshments arrangements. You can purchase my book Good Morning Yesterday at a special special price.

See you there.