87 year- old Japanese woman spoke English for the first time!

                                   HAPPY NEW YEAR!!( At the Japanese Association in Singapore)

            Kadomatsu (門松）is a decoration consisting of a set of  pine branches and bamboo .
It is places at the front door of the  buildings and houses  during the New Year holidays.
Kadomatsu symbolizes longevity and prosperity. [あけましておめでとうございます]is [Happy New Year} in Hirakana.巳 means a snake in Kanji(漢字）as 2013 is the year of the Snake by the  Chinese (and Japanese) zodiac.

                               
My husband and I spent our holidays in Singapore for 2 weeks.
During our stay,my mother- in-law(84) and her elder sister(87)joined us there.
We showed them around the island.
They were excited to experience the mixed cultures of the Chinese,Indians , Malays and British ;as they cannot get to see these in Japan.
Amazingly,they could learn many things in Singapore even in their eighties.
When we had an afternoon tea in the Fullerton Hotel,they started to speak in English with whatever knowledge they had in the English language.They had no chance to study English in Japan as it was regarded as the enemy language during the period of the war.
Mano,who was my son's English teacher,and currently 1 of my best friends ,and I were surprised;the sisters themselves were surprised too!They told us that her warm and kind aura relaxed them.
My another best  Chinese  friend,Ms.Kim invited us to her house which made them extremely happy as they knew the historical facts and did appreciate her very much.At the many places when they went to pray for the war victims beyond countries, they pleaded not to repeat history again.

                               The Chinese New Year is coming soon in China Town.

Afternoon Tea at the Fullerton Hotel which was the post office during British occupation.

By Indian culture 2 people are not allowed to be taken pictures....

So we followed the way..

Mano in full dress

Old post

They were so impressed with her polite expression in Japanese.

Her husband is very good at cooking!

Lovely Wedding photo (we were all invited !!)

She loves Japanese ornaments and arts.

This is 鏡餅(Kagami-Mochi) only for the  New Years days.

Popia is Asian crepe.

                                      at the fruit shop

                                    My regular Nasi Lemak (coconut rice and variety of meals)Shop

                                             First breakfast

water chestnut and lime juice

Fish Porridge =SD3

Nasi Lemak =SD3.6

                                                   Ice Kachan(Shaved Ice with syrup)=SD2

                                      3 kinds of steamed buns

                                     Indian Pan cake with curry sauce&spice tea

                                         I asked the coconut to crush to make coconut milk

                                       

                                          Selling Ota Ota ,Malay  fish cakes  with palm leaves !

                                        Kueh tutu

Spice shop

Wet Market

Drians

                                         Mangoes

                                         Small bananas!

At the local Chinese  restaurant

                                                     The Indonesian cake shop 

Variety of cookies

 At the  Peranakan Restaurant

                                         dessert


                           

                                 

Spicy  Pork Rib soup  (Bakute)

                                      Hokken-noodle , Gyoza

                                      Chicken Rice and Duck Noodle

At the hard -fought  of Bukit Timah 

                                       

                                       At the rooftop (56F)of Marina Bay Sands

Peranakan Museum

                                             Handworks of Beads

                                               

                                       Chinese medicine shop

Crispy local snacks with pounded peanuts and coconuts 

                                   Yong Tau Foo is the most healthy soup in Singapore.
                                   We can chose 6-7 kinds of  topping!

                                      My husband's favorite!

 Steamed bans

                                        The rice noodles with coconut soup (Lakusa)

                                                             

                                         Drying  with ploes!

God next to the menu of the shop!