A trip to Cannes and Nice France

I visited Cannes France on March 23, I took a bus early in the morning at Andorra to Toulouse en route from Marseille to Cannes

Cannes is amazing it live up to its hype, it's very popular. As when it approaching midnight more and more tourists arrived most of the more economical hotel rooms were filled, price increasing as it approaching to  from midnight into the wee hours

                                                           Hotel Alantis Cannes

The red carpet building where they host the award giving ceremony for the festivals of films

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/

                                                          French Riviera 

The best selling Singer Taylor Swift  had attended the Cannes festival 

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/2022/05/27/cannes-2022-taylor-swift-dodges-a-bullet-by-missing-her-boyfriends-premiere/

She was scheduled to  perform at the Singapore Sports Hub in her upcoming tour, on next year in 2024 April in the sold out 6 concerts, with around 300K fans coming from all over South East Asian countries, she is performing only  in Singapore  at this region

She was so popular, with billions of views in her videos, with many of her albums top the charts

                                                        

                  France Riviera image taken from behind the Cannes railway station

                                            The Red Carpet Beach Cannes

Incidentally Blackpink a South Korea pop group concert performed in Singapore Sports Hub was sold out in 25 minutes 

https://forum.allkpop.com/thread/140447-blackpink-tickets-sold-out-in-55k-capacity-singapore-national-stadium/

Blackpink in Cannes France https://www.lifestyleasia.com/sg/entertainment/celebrities/asian-celebrities-at-2023-cannes-film-festival/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackpink

                                                             Cannes street

 

The French Riviera Nice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoSDw3EXWo8

                                                                      

                                                                Nice

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/nice/new-town-promenade-des-anglais/attractions/promenade-des-anglais/a/poi-sig/1196798/1342247

Zita Tse 謝霈臻

 One of the most amazing singer I come across - Zita Tse Pui Chun

 謝霈臻

She can sing such wide repertoire of songs in Cantonese, Mandarin and English

She was a model, actress Contract Singer with Polygram and BMA, and was awarded: Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation - Rookie Silver Award Metro Broadcast Hit Awards - Rookie Gold Award Metro Broadcast 104 Awards - Rookie Gold Award Published mega-hit EP: 『七日鮮』while awarded the ‘Dream Valentine Award’ in the ultimate year of Metro Broadcast Banana Club Starred in films “Rumble Ages 1998”, “Your Place or Mine!” Never fails to showcase her unique voice in numerous hotels, lounges, wedding banquets gigs. Having a repertoire of Cantonese, English, and Mandarin pop songs

Her voice was smooth and coherent

She is a motivated leader and able to work with wide range of personalities

After I listen to her singing I won't felt tired to listen again and again

Old Airport Road Hawker Center

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyDQ0vHwJQg 

Mark Wiens reviews of Old Airport Hawker Center and Toa Payoh Rojak 

My favorite hawker center of Circuit Road and Haig Road

My 3 top photos with more than 30K views each

My photos with 30K plus views

https://www.flickr.com/photos/henryleong/5473345714/in/album-72157633299030539/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/henryleong/2266926782/in/album-72157633299030539/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/henryleong/8659726249/in/album-72157603666846815/

My 3 amazing blogs reaching a milestone of over 200,000 views

 My 3 amazing blogs viral up and reaching a staggering 200000 views

The amazing tricycle

This type of tricycle you rarely find nowadays, that every morning, I woke up at 4 am, 364 days cycled to Sims Drive, from Mattar Road, loaded it with containers of foods.

Covered it with a piece of plastic  put my bicycle on top of it. My mom sitting behind, rain or shine, even the tyres punctuated, after unloaded the foods at Sims Drive hawker centre.

Cycled to Upper Aljunied Technical School, after school cycled the tricycle back to Mattar Road from Sims Drive in the 1970s.

World Record (Free Style) Soccer Juggling Feats?

All he years since 1986 until recently finally,  Eric  to agreed he had seen me juggling a standard football 3,400 times in one hour and 20 minutes, keeping the standard soccer ball in the air, without letting it drop on the floor at Woodsville Secondary School in 1986 from the beginning to finish, in different patterns, using my body, shoulders, neck, head, back, thigh, heel instep and outstep except my hands.  

Eric recently arranged a gather together with Francis  and his family of his children and wife at the Circuit Road market, we took some wefies together.

Incidentally Francis lent me the extra bicycle for the feats filmed and broadcasted in the TV few months before the record breaking feat.

I had made numerous attempts to verify it before.

Guinness Book of World Records could admit and recognise it one of these days base on different criteria or category?

Archivedhttps://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Page/straitstimes19851201-1.1.24

                                  

The Straits Times interviewed by Janice Seah

I had wrote to Ms Jackie Chan of the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation Executive producer now Mediacorp to verify my record breaking feats as the 2 tapes which I and my friend recorded, was damaged by mould, she agreed and replied me through  email. 

The video recording of my amazing (Free Style) football juggling feats and cycling feats had been erased long time ago

It was broadcasted in 1986 in the program World of Sports, Channel 5, Sunday 10 am

Letter from Ms Jackie Chan

The amazing interview with Surekha Yadav of Today newspaper

Archived  https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/today20060320-1.2.24.6

Today newspaper

 

My 10 most popular photos

I started taking photos when I was a few years old. These are my 10 most popular photos in Flickr

https://flic.kr/s/aHsjENqRy8

Otters spotted at Kallang River

Otters spotted at Kallang River beside Upper Boon Keng Road HDB the National Geographic team went there to film it

NatGeo film crew at Upper Boon Keng beside the garden HDB

Otters were seen active at Kallang River

https://www.facebook.com/otterscene/posts/987890628082746?comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22O%22%7D

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/bishan-otters-defeat-marina-rivals-again-in-kallang-basin-clash

Amazing Mediacorp artistes was seen filming in various locations

                           Sora Ma filming Fatefully Yours at Upper Boon Keng

                            Felicia Chin filming Jungle Survivor at Odean Tower

                                       Zheng Geping filming at Kallang River

                            Jeanette Aw filming Dream maker at Raffles MRT

                                     Fann Wong filming at Bugis j\Junction

                              Rui En filming Mister Flower at Cavenage Bridge

                      Carrie Wong filming Hello Miss Driver at 77 Robinson Road

                         Kym Ng and Quan Yi Fong filming at Lavendar Street

                                         Zoe Tay filming at UOB Plaza

                           Chen Tien Wen filming at Bouna Vista kindergarden

                                    Jesseca Liu filming at Geylang Road

                                       Vivian Lai filming at Bugis Junction

https://www.flickr.com/photos/henryleong/50623138622/in/dateposted-public/ 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/henryleong/35866210141/in/dateposted-public/

The amazing Baltic

This amazing photo taken from the castle at the Estonia border overlooking the Russian border, I wondered can I consider I had travelled to another country?

My amazing experiences in sleeping in the street

My dad was a bag maker, which at time he earned only $15 per month in the sixties, when I was few years old he passed away from illnesses.

Left  6 of us, my mom, my 3 sisters, my brother and me to fend for ourselves.

We lived on social welfare and picked cans to sell for a living. Many times we survived on dark soya sauces and plain rice at times with an egg.

Than someone teaches my mom how to cook food to sell. Steaming the glutinous rice and yam cakes 2 hours made the room very hot. The heat didn't dispersed until the wee hours in the morning

The Yong Wah Radio and Electric Service store, which used to be a makeshift  wooden store ran by the mom and her eldest son, I frequently repaired our kerosene stove and tricycle there in the earlier days at Geylang

The pushcart quite similar to the makeshift wooden pushcart, when I was a few years old from Mattar Road to Circuit Road Block 67 pavement to hawk the food, before I went to my primary school

The type of wooden pushcart which I put the foods inside and above it covered it with a piece of plastic

Even after the cooking stopped, the room still hot with the heat generated around.
I usually avoid staying at home due to the heat by sitting in the staircase downstairs for hours watching the days went by, playing Chinese chess at the coffee shop and catching fishes at the Pelton canal etc.

My 2nd sister after married brought her 4 children to come to stay at our one room rented flat. So at night there were hardly any place to sleep.

Every morning 364 days, rain or shine. I woke up early in the morning at 4 am brought the foods down and push the cart from Mattar Road to Circuit Road  to sell. At that time if the estate officers caught us selling foods they might confiscated it.

The heat in the room and worrying about the food been confiscated exacted  heavy toll on my 3 sisters and mom health.

Later we got a stall to rent at Sims Drive. Situation improved a bit. After that I am able to buy a 3 room flat.

                                                      Sims Drive market

Every night after all my neighbors slept at around 11 pm plus I brought the cardboard and a pillow out to the end of the alley to sleep, until 4 am woke up to help to sell the food.

It is not safe sleeping outside at the corridor of the rental flat. There were constant fightings around the area at that time. Sometimes raining and strong winds I moved inner,. At the end of the corridor which the open air were cooler.

 

After we got the rental stall at Sims Drive every morning 4 am I woke up, brought the food down to the tricycle covered it with a plastic and put my bike on top of it and my mom sitting behind. cycled to Sims Drive food stall.

Rain or shine 364 days I got to cycle it to the stall as the whole family of 10 depend on it, If the tyres punctured I pushed it there.

After unloading it I will cycled to my school in Upper Aljunied Technical School to study after finished the classes cycled back to Sims Drives to bring back the tricycle home.

 

At Upper Aljunied Technical School

Things begin to improve, A master printer who print the Lianhe Zaobao stayed nearby came to my mom stall, encouraged me to work in Singapore Press Holding.

After I started working one year plus I got the good fortune to buy a 3 room HDB flat at 27 years old, which officially end my journey of sleeping  on the street .

I worked 7 days a week then with the overtimes and bonus to build up the finances and started to invest, which a colleague introduced me a broker at 30, so I am able to afford to buy a flat.

I regular borrow book to read at the mobile library at 10 years old, which came every Wednesday in Macpherson Community Club building up my knowledges and interest in travelling.

To avoid staying at home I train regularly with my ball juggling and cycling which the medias found it interesting and came to record and broadcasted it.

 

                                                 At the National Library

Subsequently Singapore Press Holdings called me up for the award. And published my story in the internal Newsletter.

                                               Singapore Press Holdings

Macpherson Community Club

How I started travelling

My friend James drived me to Johor Bahru in 1986 which is my first time travelling out of the country. The second time is my coworker  organised a group trip to Genting Highland to Malaysia in 1989

Undoubtedly Johore Bahru is my most visited foreign states, the next was Batam of Indonesia which I whiched 4 times and enroute to Selat Panjang. Since than I had visited 37 countries

Numerous countries I travelled more than one time, all the countries I travelled to is holiday.

I hoped to travel to all the developed countries around 30.

My criteria for frugal travels are accomodation near the city spectacular view and chinese foods. I used all mode of travels. Backpacking, free and easy follow group tour and solo.

I had travelled to 4 continents 

Between 1998 to 2007 I had stopped travelling bring up 2 children

My travels photos https://www.instagram.com/p/BqEO9Zbg0zY/

Doha Qatar

http://travelguide.sg/Article/37-and-counting/

An interesting meeting with the Lianhe Wanbao reporter and the photographer与联合万宝记者和摄影师的有趣会面

Last Tuesday, I finally met up with a Chinese reporter after 33 years. Where 33 ago I had  my first interviewed in the medias at 1985 by Straits Times Janice Seah, where most of my interviews were conducted  in the English with medias, with the Chinese Lianhe Wanbao reporter this is the first time, which I shared my story. We spoken mostly in Mandarin. She asked me numerous questions about my story, it was quite a long interview lasting around an hour.

It is interesting to note that I was supposed to be interviewed or broadcasted by channel 8 which never materialised in 1986, where I and my friends went down to meet the channel 8 producer at the then  Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (presently Mediacorp), last minute it was switched to the English channel 5, my feats were filmed in 4 different locations in 2 days, at East Coast Park which lined with linear metal poles, Singapore National Stadium, Woodsville Secondary School Football field and Sims Drive children playground

If it was broadcasted  in Ch 8 of my skills in free style football juggling feat and amazing bicycle stunts, I had often wondered will my destiny was different if it was broadcasted in Channel 8, the 8 pm varieties show rather then Sunday morning 10.30 am where many were sleeping?

The Lianhe Wanbao reporter and the camera man interviewed me in a variety of topic one hour at 5 pm in different locations and the photographer took lots of pictures. 

My amazing story was translated by google:

上周二，我终于在33年后遇到了一位中国记者。 33年前，我第一次接受海峡时报Janice Seah在1985年的媒体采访，我的大部分采访都是用英语和媒体进行的，中国联合万宝记者这是我第一次分享我的故事。我们大多用普通话说。她问了我很多关于我的故事的问题，这是一个长达一个小时的漫长采访。

值得注意的是，我应该接受第8频道的采访或广播，该频道在1986年从未实现，我和我的朋友们去了当时的新加坡广播公司（现为Mediacorp）的第8频道制作人，最后一分钟切换到英语频道5，我的专长在2天内在4个不同的地点拍摄，在东海岸公园，线条金属杆，新加坡国家体育场，伍兹维尔中学足球场和模拟人生儿童游乐场

如果它在第8章中播放了我的自由式足球杂耍技巧和惊人的自行车特技的技能，我常常想知道如果它在第8频道播出，我的命运会有所不同，晚上8点的品种展示而不是周日早上10点30分。很多人在睡联合万宝记者和摄像师在不同地点下午5点一小时采访了各种话题，摄影师拍了很多照片。我的惊人梁谦和

lianhe wanbao 联合晚https://www.wanbao.com.sg/

Featured in the TV

I shared some photos in the TV Channel U Facebook page, they featured it in the TV programThe World this Week

Flam Norway

Queenstown New Zealand

Whole family chant together

This amazing whole family chant together in front of gohonzon in harmony

https://www.facebook.com/groups/nammyohorengekyo.global/permalink/10157170819363475/?comment_id=10157172402428475&notif_id=1528398701681577&notif_t=group_comment

https://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/wnd-1/Content/133

The amazing journey to the Balkans states and Venice

Balkans states travels were challenging, we flied from Singapore to Belgrade.
Afterwards when to see a church and when to a ruin fortress.

I  reach the hotel in Venice Hotel Noventa from Slovenia in a coach. I asked the reception, I was fortunate at night at least one hour of prayers and in the morning one hour of chanting, to ask the for directions to my destination in Venice islands, Venice consisted of around 150 islands is the main trading port during Marco Polo time in the Fourteen Century.

I need to take bus from the hotel to the railway station to the  Venice islands, for around at least one and the half hour trip there.

The morning I set out, I walk a distance as directed for more than 10 minutes which I asked a few persons where to take the bus to the  train station to the Venice islands.

Fortunately I  met a student he told me he was going to the train station too, so he brought me to buy the tickets to and back home at the store, to take the bus nearby, where he sit next to me.

On the bus he asked me various questions about Singapore. When we reach the station he direct me to the counter and explain to me how to take the train and left to take bus to his school.

When I reached Venice island I went to the counter to buy a whole day ticket for travelling whole day by boats to all the islands, I met a ltalian lady beside me who is studying tourism and offered to bring me to the island Murano.

After some time I decided to take the boat to another island Burano. After taking numerous pictures and my lunch, I decided to asked the ticketing agent which is the 3rd popular island to go. He told me Tocello island.

After taking numerous pictures, I decided to go back, fortunately I met a lady from France she assured me that she will help me all the way to back to the station where I came, as we needed to changed the boat 2 times. She asked numerous persons on the way, as she know how to speak Italian.

Later she asked me to drop at the berth of my station, and she continued her journey to San Marco in boat.

I went back to the area where I dropped from the boat took numerous pictures, look for a Chinese restaurant.

I took train back to the station near the hotel and asked the Chinese store owner beside the station, he told me to take this bus before 8 pm as after that there will be no more bus, I got to take cab back. 

So I took the bus back and went to the emporium beside the hotel to buy some snacks and the golden beer, which were specially imported from Holland, at nearly 9 pm.

What an amazing journey.

.


To be continue