Happy Memories Of New Year's Eve At The Tanglin Club

New Year's Eve headwear. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

 One of the questions in the impromptu speaking session at a Toastmasters club in London was, if you could spend New Year's Eve anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I started thinking about past New Year's Eve celebrations I had attended. What were my favourites 

I have fond memories of New Year's Eve at The Tanglin Club in Singapore. In the hallway was a giant green Christmas adorned with red and gold baubles. The base of the tree had mock parcels tied with bows. The tree was surrounded bytransparent reindeer,

On one side of the tree was a large carved wooden armchair for Father Christmas who would arrive later to sit and stand alongside excited children and their parents for photographs. Wandering entertainers included a stilt man.

Every child received a tote bag, toddler size or adult size, containing two or three goodies. A red Santa Claus hat. Something to decorate. a puzzle or drawing book.

A free photo booth had a table of hats, masks and funny spectacles to wear for a photo against a choice of three backdrops, and three sides of an indoor awning, it's back wall, right wall, or left. 

You could pay for a seated dinner. The first sitting was 7 pm to 9 pm. The second sitting was 10 pm to midnight. One year the midnight dinner was booked so we settled for the ealier one. The one ending with Champagne at midnight was dearer. One year both sittings were booked. 

But those not booked on seated dinners could enjoy the buffet next door. Free. Or rather, included in the price you paid every month for your membership of the club in addition to a few thousand pounds for joining.

The club did fantastic buffets. Rice, and chicken. Potatoes. 

Chocolate cake. Assorted shaped chocolate or gingerbread biscuits. Six point stars, and bells, triangular trees, diamonds and other shapes. 

Small dice shaped pieces of Christmas pudding. Long triangles or cubes of bread and butter pudding, so delicious.

Afterwards, if you were lucky, a porter would light the flashing signal to tell passing taxis that a customers was waiting. If you had no luck in five minutes, they would phone for a taxi. You could stand outside the front doors in the clammy heat of tropical Singaapore. When your taxi arrived at the bottom of the flight of red carpeted stairs, the porter would wave to you. Down to the taxi. Tell hi your destination. Your name and address and credit card would be registered with one or more or all of the txi companies, and an uber. The taxi took you to your condo door. 

Now the Tanglin club is taking bookings for Chinese New Year. starting January 19th 2025.

If you keep a stock of items such as table decorations and hats and headgeat to wear for Christmas and New Year's Eve, now is the time to pick up bargains from supermarkets and corner shops and online clothing and party shops. Headbands with the date help you date photos of the participants. However, ones that simply say Happy New Year can be saved for the next year. 

Useful Websites

Private Clubs - eg The Tanglin Club

https://www.tanglinclub.org/events/calendar-of-events.

New Year Headbands eg Partyrama

https://www.partyrama.co.uk/happy-new-year-assorted-headbands-pack-of-4/

Tanglin Club Singapore, Xmas tree decoration, lights, choir

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. 

Tree

The Tanglin Club in Singapore celebrated Xmas with a Christmas tree light-up. This year , 2023, a reinder was in blue lights. 

Santa

Santa as usual paraded around, then sat, so people could be photographed standing alongside. 

Choir

A choir sang carols from the sweeping senu curcular staircase.  

Stitl walker

Other entertainments included a stilt walker. You could be phtographed alongisde.

Photo Booth

My favourite was the photo booth. This was free. They had a series of hats and decorated glasses, headbands, beards. After having my photo taken, I went back to look at the table of accessories. I had seen somebody wearing somthing I preferred to what I had chosen. I was considering queing up again but the queue was too long. So I decided to wear it and ask somebody else to take my photo. Nobody was to hand. So I reversed the camer on my mobile phone and took a selfie.

Then I spied another head dress which I fanced wearing. Nobody in charge noticed or cared. So I took selfies of myself with all the props in turn.

Wine Lounge opens in the Tanglin Club, Singapore, and The Affordable Wine Section - What's In It for you?

 White wine by the glass and the new wine menu at the Lounge bar. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

What do you do with an empty space, a tea lounge which has no customers after 6 pm? Convert it into a wine lounge. The Tanglin Club already has a bar in the Tavern restaurant where you can perch on bar stools before a sit down dinner. The wine lounge is a good place to go if you are waiting for a table in the Tavern.  Or don't like bar stools.

The Wine Lounge is closed Monday and Tuesday. Open Wednesday to Sunday. The menu shows lots of wines by the glass including the Prosecco which I had. Cold cuts (meat) and cheese platters can be ordered to go with the wine.

Angela Lansbury,wearing grape and wine theme blouse, enjoying the white wine she chose to buy, plus anjoying the free cashew and mixed nuts provided to celebrate the opening of  the new Wine Lounge, evenings Wednesday to Sunday at the Tanglin Club in Singapore. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

My husband and I were able to promote TAWS, The Affordable Wine Section, which meets in the club for a wine dinner once a month. You pay a year's membership (as well as your monthly fee the club if you are a member, and get free leftover drinks at the end of the year party. You can invite guests who have to pay a bit more as they are not paying the wine section member ship fee, which is used to buy the wines for the wine dinners in advance of receiving the payments for those signing up to attend. If you are a member of one of many clubs worlwide which have a reciprocal arrangement with the Tanglin club, you can arrange to attend by getting a letter of introduction emailed, and/or by finding a friend who is a member of the club.

We were members of the club for twenty years and never made any friends. I used to go to the bridge club where you sat in silence playing cards. However, after joining some of the sub-groups and finding people with common interests, we started making friends. It also helps to get on a committee since you are in regular touch with minor queries. The same as in Toastmasters International Clubs. 

Useful Websites

https://www.tanglinclub.org/

https://www.tanglinclub.org/dining/tea-room.html

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Restaurants, Bars and Dress Codes - Secrets of Sports Centres, Sporty and Casual or Smart?

  Ah - dress codes. If you are wearing shorts after sports, a suitable place to stop for a cold drink is the drinking area of a Sports Club. 

For example, the  outdoors Sports bar on the ground floor of the Tanglin Club sports centre. Across the road from the main house with the fancy restaurants with their dress codes.

I have been going to the Tanglin for ages and never knew about this Sports bar. I knew about the upstairs indoor eating area. But not the outdoors one.

Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Just the place if you are a Singaporean used to tropical weather, or an Ozzzie who likes the outdoors and informal, casual clothing. Or a Brit who likes escaping from winter weather in the UK with year round summer clothing and outdoor dining and drinking.

I see tables and dining chairs, high tables and bar stools with backs, a canopy, and green parasols and greenery.

The Balut group's section of the club website refers to The Fireplace and The Wet Bar.

Across the road in the main building, The Wheelhouse, beside the swimming pool, is a place where adults and children can be dressed casually.

If, on the other hand' you are dressed up for a date night, where can you go?

For entertaining a guest somewhere elegant, you might prefer The Tavern, The Churchill Room, or upstairs the Tang Yun Chinese restaurant has a main area plus private rooms.

Many hotels and clubs offer a similar variety of dining options. I like to carry a long sleeved blouse and a sarong length scarf.  Indoors the air conditioning is sometimes quite blowy. If you just had a shower, or a swim, have wet hair, you might find the air con chilly and a sarong gives you instant elegance. 

Useful Websites

http://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/sports-recreation.html

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

https://www.facebook.com/133543463370562/posts/our-terrace-sports-wet-bars-are-back-come-try-our-new-house-cocktails-specially-/3817666064958265/

Tanglin Club Taws Wine Dinner With Bottles Bearing Artistic Labels

 The Tanglin Club offers members and guests two wine clubs which organize dinner on a regular basis. The more expensive wine club offers better, more expensive wines. 

The Affordable wine club offers wine dinners with cheaper wines at an affordable price. We have been to both.

In April 2023 the TAWS (The Affordable Wine Society) offered a buffet dinner featuring four wines from Australia's Margaret River. The Margaret River is on the west coast of Australia, you would fly into Perth as we did a couple of times.

The feature of the bottles of this wine company, Leeuwin Estate, is the labels showing different colourful works of art. Inspired, yes, you might have guessed, by the Rothschild Wine bottles.

(The Rothschild wine bottles had famous artists such as Picasso and Salvador Dali designing their labels.)

The TAWS society is run by a committee. On the evening they are aided by the knowledgeable Rose of the Tanglin Club who is studying for a qualification from WSET. I took level one. She is two levels above me, a bright jolly young woman.

Art Series bottles from Leeuwin Estate.  Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Useful Websites

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/dining.html

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Chinese Food at Tang Yun Chinese Restaurant in the Tanglin Club, Singapore

The portions were huge. Large enough for you to take home for another meal. If so make sure to take a frozen item to put in your cool bag, even if going home by taxi.

The mushroom starter with truffles was very aromatic.  

 We received a money off voucher for my birthday to be spent in one of the restaurants of the Tanglin Club in Singapore. Our wedding anniversary is about four weeks later, so we usually combine the two events.

This year, for a change, we decided to try the Chinese restaurant upstairs, Tang Yun.

The Delectable Drinks

We chose to go on a Tuesday because that is the night when you can bring your own wine. (The Churchill Room has a different day.) My husband is a wine educator so he knows a lot about wine and buys and collects special bottles.

The tree in front of the Sports centre was lit.

The walkway from the Sports centre to the main building was  lit.

Lights on the bridge from the Sports Centre to the main block of the Tanglin Club. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The lobby had a huge flower display inviting a photo.

Angela Lansbury shows the grand staircase at the Tanglin Club leading up to Tang Yun Chinese Restaurant. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

The Wine

I ordered a glass of Prosecco. 

The waiter kept saying, 'Champagne?' 

We kept retorting, 'No, not champagne! Prosecco!'  

Firstly, the Champagne was dearer. 

Secondly, Prosecco is not Champagne, which is a place name. The name is a protected brand so that no other sparkling white wine can claim to be Champagne.  Although, there is methode Champenoise, meaning Champagne style.

The Food

Mushrooms starter

We ordered mushrooms for me as a starter. Mushrooms in truffle sauce. I could easily recognize that there were at least two sorts of mushroom. Teeny mushrooms with long thin stalks. Bigger mushrooms, about button mushroom size, were chopped in half. 

My husband ordered shellfish as a starter. I am allergic to shellfish. He was very partial to the shellfish. He threatened to come back and sneak into the restaurant for lunch on his own just to enjoy the shellfish.

Main Courses

I ordered chicken with cashew nuts. A classic Chinese dish. I had wanted something unusual. However, I opted for something I was sure I would like.

My husband ordered the beef. Ragu beef. Very tender. Chopped off the bone With a long bone alongside.

We had told them that we were celebrating an anniversary. When I asked whether the chef could write Happy Anniverary on the dessert plate in chocolate for a photo, the waiter looked doubtful and said he was not sure they could do it. It was not normally done.

I frowned and replied, The Churchill Room can do it. Could you ask their chef?

The waiter returned a bit later to whisper to me (perhaps so it would surprise my husband), the chef says we do not have chocolate, but can give you a (I didn[t catch the word) which is traditional chinese for such occasions. Will that be all right?''

I nodded, enthusiastically.

Desserts

Ice cream was off the menu. They had run out. They said they could serve all the dishes without the ice cream. I asked, 'For the same price, or less?"

The desserts arrived. Very shortly afterwards, the Happy Anniversary plate. 

Two little dumplings with the top pinched into a peak, and red colour added. Red is good luck or auspicious in Chinese culture.

The words Happy Anniversary were written in the red, maybe from the same dripping or drizzling device.

Not as neat as the plate from the Churchill Room. On the other hand, the new dessert bites were a novelty. My husband was perfectly happy. He said, 'They managed to spell Happy Anniverary correctly." Yes, despite two sets of double letters. They either knew, or carefully checked. 

The green decoration was another thoughtfully added touch. Savoury. Odd that. For dessert, in a Western restaurant you might have added mint. Never mind. Visually it was perfect.

Happy anniversary, plate at Tang Yun Restaurant in the Tanglin club. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

They served longevity buns, which are tradiional for celebrations such as anniversaries and especially birthdays. The buns are white if they are steamed.

(Served savoury, similar looking buns might be sao pau which are pork buns, made with minded or pureed pork meat, lard, honey and other ingredients, which would not be halal nor kosher nor vegetarian nor vegan. But very popular with the Chinese who like pork.)

The meal was expensive. But we had had two pre-dinner alcoholic drinks, two starters, main courses of chicken, ragu beef, two desserts. Tap water. No added service charge. (Instead, you, members, do get asked to give a specified sum, I think it is a three figure sum, to Club staff at Chinese New Year, for a red packet.)

On the left the white bowl is almond milk with a stuffed dumpling.

On the right is a mango dessert. It has small pieces of fresh mango, in a kind of mango soup. It came up steaming. My husband said that was dry ice. A bit of drama. It went too fast for me to get a photo.

The picture of the chef is on the board outside the restaurant.

The restaurant has two side private rooms if you have a party. Or a business lunch. 

Coffee

For coffee we went downstairs to the bar in the Tavern. The bar stools don't have backs. This does not suit me.

My husband was quite happy. 

In the bar's favour, I should say that it has a padded edge so you can learn forwards and support yourself on your arms or elbows. 

I liked the nifty little Nespresso cups which are designed so that the little white cup sits securely in a deep disc shaped hollow.

As a foodie, I also liked getting a small chocolate chip cookie with the coffee.

If you are living in Singapore, on business or holiday, visiting on a cruise ship, consider the Tanglin Club's restaurants.  The Tanglin club website tells you which clubs overseas have reciprocal arrangements. There are loads of them. All around the world. The UK. Australia. The USA.

Useful Websites

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/

See also previous post from two back, last but one, which also includes information on The Churchill Room. A later post will include the Tavern and coffee.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Wedding anniversary drink and dessert at Tang Yun Chinese Restaurant in the Tanglin Club, Singapore

 We received a money off voucher for my birthday to be spent in one of the restaurants of the Tanglin Club in Singapore. Our wedding anniversary is about four weeks later, so we usually combine the two events. Most years I choose the Churchill Room. This is my photo from last year.

Angela Lansbury's birthday and wedding anniversary dinner at the Churchill Room restaurant in the Tanglin Club, Singapore. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

The Churchill Room was both Chinese and Wesern style food and a pastry chef who can write happy anniversary or Happy birthday on a plate, with a candle.

This year, for a change, we decided to try the Chinese restaurant upstairs, Tang Yun.

The Delectable Drinks

We chose to go on a Tuesday because that is the night when you can bring your own wine. (The Churchill Room has a different day.) My husband is a wine educator so he knows a lot about wine and buys and collects special bottles.

The tree in front of the Sports centre was lit.

The walkway from the Sports centre to the main building was  lit.

The lobby had a huge flower display inviting a photo.

Up the grand staircase.

The Wine

I ordered a glass of Prosecco. 

The waiter kept saying, 'Champagne?' 

We kept retorting, 'No, not champagne! Prosecco!'  

Firstly, the Champagne was dearer. 

Secondly, Prosecco is not Champagne, which is a place name. The name is a protected brand so that no other sparkling white wine can claim to be Champagne.  Although, there is methode Champenoise, meaning Champagne style.

The Food

Mushrooms starter

We ordered mushrooms for me as a starter. Mushrooms in truffle sauce. I could easily recognize that there were at least two sorts of mushroom. Teeny mushrooms with long thin stalks. Bigger mushrooms, about button mushroom size, were chopped in half. 

My husband ordered shellfish as a starter. I am allergic to shellfish. He was very partial to the shellfish. He threatened to come back and sneak into the restaurant for lunch on his own just to enjoy the shellfish.

Main Courses

I ordered chicken with cashew nuts. A classic Chinese dish. I had wanted something unusual. However, I opted for something I was sure I would like.

My husband ordered the beef. Ragu beef. Very tender. Chopped off the bone With a long bone alongside.

We had told them that we were celebrating an anniversary. When I asked whether the chef could write Happy Anniverary on the dessert plate in chocolate for a photo, the waiter looked doubtful and said he was not sure they could do it. It was not normally done.

I frowned and replied, The Churchill Room can do it. Could you ask their chef?

The waiter returned a bit later to whisper to me (perhaps so it would surprise my husband), the chef says we do not have chocolate, but can give you a (I didn[t catch the word) which is traditional chinese for such occasions. Will that be all right?''

I nodded, enthusiastically.

Desserts

Ice cream was off the menu. They had run out. They said they could serve all the dishes without the ice cream. I asked, 'For the same price, or less?"

The desserts arrived. Very shortly afterwards, the Happy Anniversary plate. 

Two little dumplings with the top pinched into a peak, and red colour added. Red is good luck or auspicious in Chinese culture.

The words Happy Anniversary were written in the red, maybe from the same dripping or drizzling device.

Not as neat as the plate from the Churchill Room. On the other hand, the new dessert bites were a novelty. My husband was perfectly happy. He said, 'They managed to spell Happy Anniverary correctly." Yes, despite two sets of double letters. They either knew, or carefully checked. 

The green decoration was another thoughtfully added touch. Savoury. Odd that. For dessert, in a Western restaurant you might have added mint. Never mind. Visually it was perfect.

Happy anniversary, plate at Tang Yun Restaurant in the Tanglin club. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The meal was expensive. But we had had two pre-dinner alcoholic drinks, two starters, main courses of chicken, ragu beef, two desserts. Tap water. No added service charge. (Instead, you, members, do get asked to give a specified sum, I think it is a three figure sum, to Club staff at Chinese New Year, for a red packet.)

On the left the white bowl is almond milk with a stuffed dumpling.

On the right is a mango dessert. It has small pieces of fresh mango, in a kind of mango soup. It came up steaming. My husband said that was dry ice. A bit of drama. It went too fast for me to get a photo.

The picture of the chef is on the board outside the restaurant.

The restaurant has two side private rooms if you have a party. Or a business lunch. 

Coffee

For coffee we went downstairs to the bar in the Tavern. The bar stools don't have backs. This does not suit me.

My husband was quite happy. 

In the bar's favour, I should say that it has a padded edge so you can learn forwards and support yourself on your arms or elbows. 

I liked the nifty little Nespresso cups which are designed so that the little white cup sits securely in a deep disc shaped hollow.

As a foodie, I also liked getting a small chocolate chip cookie with the coffee.

If you are living in Singapore, on business or holiday, visiting on a cruise ship, consider the Tanglin Club's restaurants.  The Tanglin club website tells you which clubs overseas have reciprocal arrangements. There are loads of them. All around the world. The UK. Australia. The USA.

Useful Websites

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/

Valentine's Day, Singapore and Worldwide: Dinners and heart shaped pattern clothes, chocolate covered fruit and heart shape biscuits

Pink lights on the trees in Scotts Road where it joins Orchard road at the heart of Singapore. The centre of Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

 On Monday Feb 13 I was at a wine dinner at the Tanglin Club's group, The Affordable Wine Society. They organizers wondered why they had fewer people than usual? Was it because they were serving white wine, Chardonnay, from France, South Africa, Argentina, and New Zealand? 

I reckoned it was because many people, like us decided that they didn't not want to eat out at large, expensive meals with food and wine two nights running.  The Tanglin Club has more than 4,000 members, and The Churchill Room restaurant was fully booked for the Valentine's Day evening dinner, costing  188 Singapore dollars (116.50 pounds sterling per couple, which is just over 58 pounds per person), without wine. The price was  228 Singapore dollars including matched wine, which was just over 141 pounds meaning about seventy pounds per person including wine. That was a multi-course meal.

We chose to go to the wine dinner instead. Others might have chosen to opt to go out and splurge on Valentine's Day. We treated our wine dinner as our Valentine's night and I wore hearts in black.

Angela in black heart top. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Angela in an outfit featuring pink hearts for an online Zoom meeting with the them of love.

A Toastmasters International Club came up with a fun idea for those without a Valentine's Day Date Online

Shein blouse printed with small black hearts.

Tesco shortbread assortment, bought before Xmas 2002, a gift to Angela Lansbury.

DIY Valentine's Day pop card by Angela Lansbury. Heart shaped shortbread biscuit in tin box from Tesco, UK. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

BISCUITS

Tesco heart shaped shortbread biscuit. There were two of these in the box.

I made the card by drawing a heart and filling in the red with a watercolour pencil. You will find them in large stationery departments of book shops, supermarkets, art shops, department stores. I have bought them from Wilko in the UK, WHmith in Brent Cross, Mustafa's in Singapore. See my other posts on watercolour pencils.

TOASTMASTERS THEMED MEETINGS

Un-Valentined - A special meeting for Single Toastmasters who have absolutely no plans for Valentine's Day evening. 

Eligibility Criteria:

1. Single

2. Valentine's Day evening plan is to sulk at home

3. Enjoys the company of Toastmasters

Date: 14th Feb 2023

Time: 9 pm (IST) | 3:30 pm (UTC) | 10:30 am (EST)

Zoom Meeting

POETRY MEETINGS

Poetry groups run the theme of Valentines or love.

See Facebook Groups. For example, the Fertile Brains. They have a WhatsApp group.

Useful Websites

Tanglin Club, Singapore

Toastmasters International Find a Club

UK

Berry Bouquets

12 chocolate covered strawberries. Twelve pounds.

https://berrybouquets.co.uk/questions/milk-choc-gift-box.html

USA only- cake petits fours

Box of little cakes in various colours and designs. Picture of cakes' insides on website.

https://www.swisscolony.com/p/valentine-petits-fours-003191.html

Worldwide

https://www.facebook.com/ediblearrangements

Tesco Recipe

https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/funfetti-heart-biscuits.html

Edible Bouquets

https://www.ediblearrangements.ae/fruit-bouquet-detail.aspx?ArrangementID=611

Edible biscuits heart shape

https://www.fairmart.app/store/costa-rhu-indian-supermart/britannia-little-hearts-biscuits-264oz-750g-biscuit-de-patits-coeurs-soft-and-delicious-biscuits-kid-03582?utm_term=&utm_campaign=CostaRhu_Purch_PerformanceMax&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=5402163297&hsa_cam=18866472471&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAiA_6yfBhBNEiwAkmXy50vIg1iUB8MNwCLr_RvlI4g5836NosgNi4OLJ2Bd0bc1MVTUKlft4RoCx40QAvD_BwE

Watercolour pens and pencils

https://www.amazon.sg/Faber-Castell-PL154312-12-Piece-Water-Colour/dp/B008UOTXO2/ref=sr_1_2?adgrpid=97178868873&gclid=CjwKCAiA_6yfBhBNEiwAkmXy546pD8TFkMVeK2l11v4_ybiQr_owzrlN-ZCRDlmYkcbulUEaoZ2_gBoCflAQAvD_BwE&hvadid=587401505212&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9062509&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=17528429277747009784&hvtargid=kwd-256622149&hydadcr=13813_339767&keywords=watercolour+pencils&qid=1676371197&sr=8-2

Valentine's Day worldwide, DIY cards, edible cards, heart shape cakes, chocs, edible flowers, or Dinner for two S338 at the Tanglin Club, in central Singapore, and Love sculpture photos

 Expect prices to go up for Valentine's Day. What could you enjoy. A live band, and roses, at the Tanglin club. 

A meal with matching wines.

Heart shape decorations.

Toastmasters Clubs for aspiring speakers and business leaders, including teachers, sales people, life coaches, have the theme of love.

Singapore has a sculpture with the letter LOVE. There are many more in the USA, Canada, and Asia.

Couples used to have their wedding photos taken by churches and waterfalls. Other romantic locations include bridges and flower gardens.

If you are not a member of the Tanglin Club, ask around your friends and colleagues to see if anybody is a member.

If you are a member of a club in another country, it may have reciprocal membership with the Tanglin Club. For example, in London many including the Cavalry and Guards Club, in Australia RAC clubs and several city clubs, the USA, China and many more countries and clubs.

Any club you are a member of is likely to have valentine's Day dinners, or decorations in the lobby or restaurants which provide photo opportunities.

Alternatively, have dinner a day early, Feb 13, and have cards and flowers and chocolates saved for the next day. Make up a rhyme and print it off with hearts and flowers. 

Historical Pictures

Valentine's day stocking with red hearts.

Valentine's Day in Spanish, Feliz dia del Amor.

St Valentine shrine in Ireland. 

There's another in Italy.

Valentine's day chocolates from Japan, including heart shaped chocolates.

Valentine's day balloons from Mexico.

Current 2023 Pictures

Hallmark pop up musical card with lights, about ten dollars minus a cent. In the USA kerbside pickup is available.

Valentine's Day started as a Christian festival and is increasingly commercial and celebrated widely. In American teachers and pupils receive and send valentine's day cards and schoolchildren make cards for their teacher and their parents.

Muslims are not supposed to copy non-Moslem festivals nor to drink alcohol, but (according to an answer in Quora) it would be fine to send flowers to your wife on Valentine's day or give a gift to your child on their birthday - and if it is on Valentine's day or any day.

Sweets and Edibles

You can make edible cards and gifts. cut shapes in marzipan, icing, 

Rice paper. Edible decorating colours and piping pens. Or a piece of paper, removable. 

Or edible flowers.

Savoury

Try cutting bread and toast, or fried or poached eggs.

If you have more money than sense, oops, I meant time, you can spend 80 dollars on a bouquet of flowers, a small teddy bear and half a dozen chocolates. 

Since we already have the bears and chocolates, we can do this ourselves and spend on a gourmet lunch or dinner the next day. 

Useful Websites

Photo Opportunities

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

Clubs

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/events/social-events/valentine%E2%80%99s-day-dinner-13february2023/individual-registration.html

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/reciprocal-clubs/reciprocal-clubs.html

Cards

https://www.123cards.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiArY2fBhB9EiwAWqHK6iqxOaOt2QB94RBZYg_5ugYEiL7MOyEKytO22lt0pYwM1XX-oU75PRoCaKMQAvD_BwE#google_vignette

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day

https://www.hallmark.com/valentines-day/valentines-day-cards/

DIY CARDS

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Valentines-Day-Card

Flowers

https://www.marksandspencer.com/for-the-love-in-your-life-vase-bundle/p/flp60614876

EDIBLE FLOWERS

https://www.amazon.sg/Cupcake-Toppers-Wedding-Birthday-Decoration/dp/B0829KMVDY/ref=asc_df_B0829KMVDY/?tag=googleshoppin-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=404214624474&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11772662749942218768&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9062509&hvtargid=pla-1543662888924&psc=1

https://www.redmanshop.com/shop-by-category/baking-ingredients/edible-decor/edible-flower

https://www.floweradvisor.com.sg/occasions/singapore-valentines-day?t=0-2-1-1

https://www.floweradvisor.com.sg/occasions/valentines-day-sg-fa25280 (Baby bear, flower, chocolates, 83 dollars Sing.)

Astonishing, Agile Lion Dance On Columns, Plus Rabbits At The Tanglin Club Celebrating Chinese New Year in Singapore

 

After entertaining the crowd in the lobby, the lion took a tour of the building, visiting the kitchen, The Tavern restaurant, and other parts of the building.

Useful Websites

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/reciprocal-clubs.html

How To Attend A Club Event - Paid For Or Free

The Christmas Tree in the Tavern Restaurant, Tanglin Club, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

How could you get to attend if you are not a member? You might be invited to an event because>

1 Guests - Family and Friends

The organizers are selling tickets guest and member tickets which are reduced price for members (who are already paying the organization and annual fee or a montly fee, as well as the joining fee) but often only slightly more for guests. If you have lots of friends through one club, they are likely to know members of another club or to be a member of two clubs. Some clubs allow members to take in friends or family as guests. 

2 Keep asking all your Singapore friends, are you a member of a club? In my early days as an ex-pat, I met lots of Americans through the American Women's Association. You could join this if you were waiting to be a member of the American Club, or in Singapore insufficient time to make it worthwhile paying the joining fee. Members of the association could meet at each other's homes for events such as bridge games and end of year parties, attend festive meals such as Thanksgiving, and attend moderately priced events in hired rooms such as the bridge game with sandwich lunch or tea. Full members had full use of the club including the swimming and could book tables in the restaurant. On a couple of occasions, one of the 'bossy' or busy or proactive ladies would suggest we all went for coffee or lunch in the restaurant. She had to book the table and the payment would be invoiced to her at the end of the month. We could either secretly slip her cash afterwards to compensate her, invite her back to our club or out to lunch if she was a friend. Or if only one person out of five was not a member, one of the other women who was a member might airily say, "don't worry, this is on me".

Free

Another system. When I first arrived, I knew nobody and was very lonely when my husband was away travelling. I would invite people to lunch at the club, but most of them were too busy with their own families and friends or work. I was desperately hoping somebody would accept and was happy to pay the cost of their lunch. My husband was having meals out with business associates all day every day. I was not even getting a Saturday evening meal out with him. He could hardly begrudge me one meal with a friend or acquaintance. 

On one occasion I invited a VIP lady organizer of a group, a bridge group, or a book group, or one of the national associations (American Club, Japanese Club, Australian club). She arrived with a gift for me, a silver picture frame. She explained, "I cannot reciprocate by inviting you back to my club because I am fully booked all week and we are going back to America." I then  realized that some people just accept that life is swings and roundabouts, sometimes you pay for a stranger, sometimes they pay for you. Other people like every transaction and relationship to balance, so if you invite them to a meal, whether at their home or a restaurant, you don't wait for an opportunity to reciprocate, because that might never come if one of you travels elsewhere or falls sick. You take a gift for the host. 

How do you do this at short notice? It's like planning for Xmas. If you do it on a regular basis, you can plan in advance. You and buy in the sales. You have a box or basket labelled gifts. 

All ready wrapped with fancy paper and ribbons. (The Japanese always expect gifts to be fancily wrapped. In China and Singapore even money must be presented in a lucky red packet.)

Then, if you are on the phone and are invited out and have to leave now, no time for shopping, you simply grab a gift from the box. If you like you can add the name of the person on the gift tag, and a nice message such as to my new friend, to my good friend, or thank you for the lovely lunch.

Reciprocal Clubs

If you are a member of a club, or the company you belong to has membership for all staff, you can get reciprocal arrangements overseas. For example, members of the UK civil service can join the Civil Service Club. I met him through a local Writer's club in London. He introduced me to a Toastmasters International Club. He is a member of several clubs, including some connected with Indian language groups. He arranges a Christmas dinner at the Civil Service Club for his friends.

You can visit many clubs just to be shown around with a view to becoming a member. Whilst there, look at the lists of activities. Some will be cultural. Book clubs, film clubs, national clubs. If you are sporty, you are sure to see a group such as football, cricket, squash, and cabinets of trophies or lists of events. If you are not nearby, you can check them out online. Find our what arrangements they have with clubs in your country.

If you are into sales, you might hire a table at a Christmas fare, to sell wine, jewellery, clothes, candles, food, books. You might have a customer who is a member of the club.

The Tanglin Club's Reciprocal Clubs

In Australia alone there are many reciprocal clubs, for example, several branches of the RAC club in different cities. In India, the Cricket Club in Mumbai is one of several.

Guests can book rooms in the club. See the club website for details.

Useful Websites

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/reciprocal-clubs/reciprocal-clubs.html

Colourful Costumes of Entertainers And Fun Food At The Xmas Tree Lighting Event At The Tanglin Club, with Santa, choir, fancy dress, novelties

Tanglin Club, Singapore, fancy dress pair of entertainers. Photo by Angela Lansbury
 

Costumed character entertainer, left, with Angela Lansbury, right. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The Xmas fair novelties for sale included white candles in shapes such as houses, like Xmas cakes. Lickable lollies, each surrounded a stick with flashing lights.

The promised choir was assembled on the grand staircase. Strolling through the crowd and posing for photos were a a pair of red cheeked marionettes, a cuddly bear and a lady on stilts. The stilt walker had to bend low to accompany the other fancy dress characters into the lift.

Xmas Food

The mince pies were tasty. After the lighting the club members could eat the light refreshments from the buffet. Those eating in traditional order started with the savouries. Generously large chicken legs and wings, chips, rather dry and cooked to a crisp, vegetables in white bread sandwiches. Some fish sandwiches. 

Chocolate roll (Yule log). Photo by Angela

Mine pies with tiny plastic fir tree decoations.

Assorted seasonal biscuits. Photos by Angela Lansbury

For me the highlights were the chocolate roll cake and the biscuits including white six point stars - they were the best, and three other kings of biscuit. Fruit punch or water could be retrieved from a dispenser.

Children could line up for photos with Santa. And collect balloons twisted into animals and other shapes.

Free Photo Session

I lined up for a photo. I asked, "Is this for the club magazine or just for us?" 

"Just for you."

"Is it free or do we pay you?"

"It's free. The club has already paid us."

You received one or two printed colour postcards of yourself, your child, yourself and your child. Or your fancy dress group. 

Fancy Dress Hats

They had a table of hats and props. An orange wig. Headbands with antlers. At one point I saw a mock wooden champagne bottle. 

By the time I reached the table it had gone. Was it swiped by a child or guest? Or exchanged by the organizers to create variety in the props? 

Never mind. I was soon distracted by alternatives. Instead, I posed with the words Selfie, and I am a Star.

Alas it is over. Only the photos remain. Do you have to wait another year to visit the club or look at my photos of birthdays, anniversaries, and previous year's Santas and trees?

New Year's Eve

This event was free, included in the monthly membership that members pay. What else is there to look forward to? Other events at the club include Xmas Eve, which is a paid for event with a choice of early or late, the big champagne dinner, or the shorter drink and snacks. 

Past & Future Wine & Dine Dinners

Throughout the year there are wine dinners organized by a wine society which has a membership fee. In November I went to a dinner in the large, grand Churchill Room restaurant, with large round tables for ten, with white cloths, by the wine club. It ended with an auction of a couple of bottles of leftover wine. (In London leftover wine is drunk by those who stick around, continue to the bar, or take it home.)

I have also attended two wine dinners organized by a different group, The Affordable Wine dinner group in the smaller Terrace Bar which has cosy, wooden tables for six.

Useful Websites

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/events/calendar-of-events.html

See my previous post for the unobstructed view of the Xmas tree in the club lobby.

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Christmas Tree & Tree Decorations in the Lobby of the Tanglin Club, Singapore

 

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The tree is the centrepiece of the lobby. The tree is even better close up. You can admire the individual decorations. I liked the snow-capped roof and the arched windows on the model building.

Xmas tree decoration. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

I wonder how many people spent how many hours decorating the tree.

The official Xmas tree light up is on Sunday, November 27th, the last weekend in November.

Legend says that Xmas trees were originally brought into homes in Germany and northern Europe in the darkest months and used as supports for candles. (A bit of a fire risk. Nowadays, for convenience and safety, we have artificial trees and electric lights with circuit breakers.)

The event will include Santa Claus posing for photos with children and families. (Judging by last year, you may have to queue - Americans say line up.) Members can also expect light refreshments and entertainment from a choir and stilt walkers. 

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Biscuit Sales kiosk like a giant gingerbread house. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Useful Websites

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/

https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltagov/en/getting_around/public_transport/rail_network.html

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/events/social-events/events-promotions/1583-christmas-tree-lighting.html

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Tanglin club winners at - and a winning dish dinner Thursday 17th November

Chefs at the Tanglin Club

Five chefs from the Tanglin club won contests with dishes at the show at Expo this week. Upcoming dinner at the club, about 168 dollars for members, 178 for guests.

Several of the starter dishes have crab and I am allergic to shellfish, but in my previous experience they can usually offer an alternative.

useful Websites

www.fhaHoReCa.com

https://www.singaporeexpo.com.sg/

https://tanglinclub.org.sg/

https://tanglinclub.org.sg/images/FHAGoldMedalWineDinner-17Nov

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The Tanglin Club's Tea-time Cheesecake, Musical Chairs and Two Chefs

Chocolate Banana Cake and Black Forest cake at the Tnaglin Club. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

I have had lunch twice in the last two months with my long-standing friend, close friend, Caroline. Both of us have relatives who are members. 

On the most recent occasion when we both visited the Tanglin, when The Tavern restaurant closed at the end of lunch time, we had to move. Where next?

It was tempting to go into the lounge for coffee. Dentists warn that you should not snack all day, but give your teeth a break from food so your saliva can clear up. If you can clean your teeth after a meal to prevent the build-up of plaque, so much the better. 

Caroline had a business meeting and had to disappear onto the outdoors front terrace because the use of mobile phones and laptops is forbidden in several areas of the club, including the lobby. 

Tanglin Club lobby. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Despite, my memory of the dentist's warning, I decided to go to the lounge. But the lounge tables were all full. 

The Rest Room Flowers

So I took fancy photo in the lovely Ladies toilet. Americans say restroom, and if you want to rest, it does have a chaise longue (French for long chair) in the mirror and power room area. The Ladies has flowers by the mirrors in the entry room.

Angela by flowers in the Tanglin Club Ladies toilets. Selfie. Copyright Angela Lansbury.

The Lobby Flowers

Then I took a photo of myself with the lobby flowers. I considered going to the library and sitting at the online screen. However, I decided to sit in the lobby where I could watch my friend to see when she finished her online meeting.

How quickly an hour can pass. From three o'clock to four o'clock.  Time for tea. Tea for two.

We returned to the tea lounge where we had a choice of vacant tables. The window area overlooking the pool has an away from the world table in corner. Another table, even more secluded, for private whispered conversations, or noisy laughter where you won't annoy others, is in an alcove, hidden behind a big barrier wall, beyond the attractive, glassed, walk-in wine bottle shop with bottle and barrels.

Air Con

We tried the seats at both window tables. Both suffered from the same problem. A howling gale from the air conditioning overhead. We were chilled in one minute. I had worn a scarf to protect myself in case anywhere in the club was chilly. But the combination of window and air con was too much for me. And for Caroline. 

Musical Chairs

So we went back to the public area, to a table in front of the deli area serving cake. The advantage is that you can hail the waiter or manager to give an order. Despite the walked through area the other side which can be distracting. However, having passers-by gives the faint possibility that somebody you know might pass.

Nobody we knew passed. The attention getting people who passed were two chefs with their grand and distinctive tall, pleated white hats. 

Chefs in the tea lounge at the Tanglin Club, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Two Chefs

What were the chefs delivering? I did not see. But later I learned that when we ordered a pint of pink watermelon juice, it was not made in the lounge but by the chefs in the Tavern kitchen.

We had had the same at lunch. I thought I would try starfruit for a change. But that was unavailable.  Back to watermelon juice.

What to eat - scones or cheesecake?

The scones are cheaper than the cakes. But no cream or strawberry jam. 

Takeaway Teatime Treats

On a previous occasion when my husband visited the club to take photos of historic presidents for his book on the history of Singapore's then Singapore-Malaya railway, I asked him to bring home a scone. We added our own whipped cream from a can and Bonne Maman jam from a jam jar.

You need to heat the scones and add butter so that the butter melts. Salted butter is best. But my husband buys all purpose unsalted butter so it can be used in both sweet and savoury recipes and so he knows how much salt to add since he has control over added salt.

We opted for American cheesecake.

That strawberry on top looks like a refreshing fruit. No. It's a cleverly disguised piece of praline, or something similar.

I had previously preferred the Starbucks crumbly New York Cheesecake. But Caroline loved the creamy cheesecake. And the crunchy biscuit base. Her enthusiasm was infectious. Yes, I agreed. I was pretty good.

Useful Websites

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/dining/terrace-bistro-bar.html