Whisky and cheese

It’s been a busy year with friends and relatives visiting from December 10th. Not yet charp gor mair but we continue to entertain with much fun thrown in. Lucky me, among the presents were a gold medal Medoc, a 15 year old Royal Salute, a 16 year old Lagavulin and a Bowmore 18 years old..

In KL I had dinner with LS who brought with him a Medoc and a Meursault which he bought in London some years ago. I had almost forgotten that Meursault was one of my favourite wines but a published newspaper interview with David Chan ( at 27 choirmaster of the Metropolitan Orchestra) reminded me of it. The paper said that David Chan so loved burgundy that he has organised concerts in the region.

From the US, SB sent me via Australia excellent Dutch cheeeses: Reypenaer VSOP, Wijngaari XO and Wijngaard Chevre affine (goats’ cheese). So excellent were they that I have abandoned my low ranking of the Dutch as cheese makers

And that was not all. HL brought me a DVD of the great Netrebco and a very entertaining Rene Fleming piece. Also ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, which I shall have a look at when the visits stop.

This year, the firecrackers have quietened down There used to be six houses opposite us that had lion visits during the New Year but this time only one up the road invited them. The nights are usually quiet but a few nights ago there was a nut on the hill opposite who sang karaoke till 1.30 in the morning, after exploding monster firecrackers at midnight.

Had dinner with eight of KH’s class mates and learnt that when Cantonese and Teochew bring you oranges you gave oranges in return but not so with the Hokkien whose return gifts need not be the fruit. I don’t remember anyone bringing us oranges when I was a kid.

I thought my friends had finished their New Year celebrations but was happily reminded that we had 15 days of it when A came last night with a bottle 15 yrs old Grouse.