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A Birthday and A Farewell
2008-04-09 16:11:00
We just came back from a birthday dinner celebration and it ended as sort of a farewell. We celebrated with people, David and I meet up with, every Wednesday for bible study. As I am leaving next Thursday for Kuala Lumpur, not knowing when I will be back and one of the girls will be finishing her work contract in June, we probably won't be seeing each other for some time.I felt emotionally charged but didn't know how to express myself. Though I've known J a short period but we've shared our lives intimately through prayers. The power of Christ has created a bond over bible studies. J will be returning to Ireland in June after spending a few years in China.I will miss her...Thank God there is Facebook! :)
More About: Personal , Religion , Friends , Birthday , Farewell

This Is Meaningful
2008-04-08 09:33:00
Indexed is cited as Time.com's top 25 blogs.This picture is taken from the blog post titled,"No matter what the DNA tests says".I thought it is apt to be reminded of what it takesto become adoptive parents.
More About: Personal , Meaningful

He Ain't Heavy, He's...
2008-04-06 18:39:00
My nephew, Tobey. Isn't he adorable - Michelin babe!Picture taken courtesy of Wee Lee.
More About: Family , Heavy

Qingming Holiday
2008-04-06 14:50:00
It was the Qingming holiday on April 4th, a Friday which means a long weekend. Motivated by people telling us that spring blossoms at the West Lake in Hangzhou is a worthwhile visit, we decided to drive there yesterday. Too bad, it got hazy in the later afternoon and we discovered that we are 2 or 3 weeks late!No matter, it was a relaxing trip and a fruitful shopping one :) Thankfully we did see some blossoms, albeit withering ones but coming up close to a tree full of flowers is a bonus.Of course another highlight when we visit Hangzhou is fellowship at church. We recognize more people now and were happy with the chance to catch up with some Malaysians.The sermon today was about friendship and how it is described in the bible. It was a refreshing reminder and I guess a few important points I took back with me today were that you can only have friends once you start a relationship with people. Otherwise people are just acquaintances. Also friendship is a 2 way thing - always a balan...
More About: Pictures , Travel , Holiday , Driving

A Few New Ventures
2008-04-05 04:33:00
I have not been silent because I have nothing much to say. In fact, I have lots. First off, on a personal context, David and I will be adopting a baby in May if all goes well. I've started a blog on our struggles and finally our journey to adopt but it is still a bit raw and very personal so I haven't decided if I want to make it public. We are excited but also anxious - a thousand and one thoughts are racing through my mind every time I sit and contemplate a life with a child. There are also the legal complications which may delay us traveling together with the baby to China. Surprisingly I am not tearing my hair out - it is not my usual character to be calm when things are not in my control - I think God's refining fire has worked to hone my patience in these past 2 years. So we wait expectantly and praying unceasingly."All things work together for good for those who love God" Romans 8:28.So that is our first 'venture'. Another venture is a little trading business which I hav...
More About: Personal , Work , Ventures

A Cut Above
2008-03-28 10:20:00
My experience with hair salons in China have been pretty good so far and I must say that the service is almost excellent plus you get extras like a head, shoulder and hand massage and ear cleaning service (for the brave). I was brave today and let them clean my ears but I didn't really enjoy it that much.I used to love having my ears cleaned when I was young. I'd lie down on my side with my head on mom's lap and she would use a cotton bud to do it. It was a nice tickly sensation and throughly enjoyable!The massage was a short one but very nice and I am very happy with my haircut. This is all thanks to Vivian, my local friend in Ningbo. She introduced me to the place and also bought me lunch. The price is also reasonable and I am singing praises.It is very competitive doing business in China and with the hair business even more so. There are literally 2 or 3 hair salons at every street. Within a 1 km radius outside our apartment, I can already count up to 8. And there is a constan...
More About: Personal

Easter Sunday
2008-03-25 13:46:00
Drive by shot of the blossomsWe celebrated Easter Sunday by joining fellow worshipers at the Hangzhou International Christian Fellowship. It was a 2 hour drive so we had an early start to the day in order to reach Hangzhou by 10.30am.It was good to be reminded of the love of God, the sacrifice of Jesus and the hope and salvation for all people who believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins.We had lunch at Grandma's Kitchen before we headed back to Ningbo. It was a nice Sunday out where we saw traces of spring everywhere - blossoming trees full of flowers. We spotted a blossom tree. Not quite sure if they were cherry or plum blossoms but it didn't matter since it was such a beautiful sight after seeing only naked trees and dead bushes during winter.Too bad we didn't get a chance to see them up close. When we were driving in Ningbo we also spotted magnolia trees - a sparse little tree but full of white magnolias and some magenta colored magnolias.Another reminder of God's t...
More About: Personal , Religion , Travel

Photoshopped!
2008-03-12 11:35:00
Look what my cousin did with photoshop for me! Cool and I love it. Find it at Kenny's blog.
More About: Personal , Family

Glory Travelmart - A Truly Malaysia Company
2008-03-07 04:29:00
There are wonderful places to explore in Malaysia - the country where I am from. Wonderful beaches, the highlands, rainforests - a tropical heaven with warm weather.I've been to most states of Malaysia - traveling as a child with my parents and also with friends during my student days but somehow a lot less now that I am an adult. My travels have so far taken me out of the country these past years to places which are beautiful and wondrous but somehow I still yearn for the sandy beaches of Tioman Island or Redang or even Pangkor. I've heard of Gem Island which is off the east coast of Terengganu and have been wanting to spend a week there, lazing by the beach and drinking cocktails under the hot sun.I might just do that with the help of my friend Jocelynn and her company Glory Travel mart which specializes in travel within Malaysia. I am going back to Malaysia middle of April and wouldn't mind a few days by the beach!
More About: Company

Ordinary
2008-03-02 04:52:00
What is wrong with being ordinary? About being mediocre? About being normal?In this day and age, we strive for success, excellence and glory. In essence trying to be extraordinary, different from other people and outstanding in everything and every aspect of our lives.The story is told of a Mexican fisherman...An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, "only a little while." The American then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. The American then asked, "but what do you do with the rest of your time?" The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll i...
More About: Personal , Ordinary

@ Ningbo
2008-02-28 09:45:00
We are back in Ningbo after traveling for over a month. It is good to be home and blogging. Many things have happened in the past month and as I blog, I am essentially organizing my thoughts.We flew Air Asia X to Hangzhou from Kuala Lumpur. We had been waiting for this route since the announcement end 2006. As the fare was quite reasonable, we decided to splurge and booked the XL seats which is really business class without the frills. There were only 4 of us in that section so it was pretty quiet and there was no queue to use the toilet. I have only 1 complaint. The crew on this particular flight was unusually talkative amongst themselves which was a bit disruptive when we were trying to sleep. Otherwise, the crew was as efficient as can be.We were picked up by car from Hangzhou and the drive back to Ningbo was uneventful. It did save us a lot of time and the hassle of having to take the train.It is still rather cold with temperatures of around 11C during the day and about 5C durin...
More About: Personal

So Much To Tell...
2008-02-21 17:11:00
so little time.It has been a good holiday which I couldn't quite manage to share chronologically. So much has happened - it wasn't only the traveling which I need to relate but also the events during the travels which are significant. Much will change in the next few months and I hope to gradually share as time permits.The most significant of all is the getting together of family, the meeting of old and new friends and the forging of friendships which need to survive distances. I am glad to have the opportunity to catch up with them during this period. Family and friends and also our family in Christ are important to me and I know that they will support us as we embark on another stage in our lives.We fly back to Ningbo next week and there, I will have more time as life settles back to its routine and I will have an opportunity to reflect upon events past. It will be there that I will have the chance to recharge and regenerate with God close by in preparation for the journey we wi...
More About: Personal

Sydney
2008-02-08 01:50:00
It's a holiday in itself when we stay in Sydney with David's brother and family. Peter has a house by the bay. It's is only 15 minutes to the city centre by bus. From his house, we can take a 10 minute canoe paddle round the corner and we can see the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We wake up every morning to the view in the picture below! It is amazing and having breakfast on the balcony is another highlight. The only unfortunate thing is that this is probably the wettest summer every in Sydney. Our last 2 visits around this time have been great and we've only had sunny days. It's been raining almost everday - not just rain but thunderstorms. The weather has really gone crazy. We are still glad of the rain in Sydney over the snow in Ningbo and the rest of China. I am not sure how true it is but we heard that it snowed in Guangzhou. We are just enjoying the city and getting to know David's nephews better. The twins are a delight and very boisterous. Their little brother Ethan is more q...
More About: Personal , Family , Travel , Friends

Ushering In The Year of The Rat
2008-02-06 02:37:00
It will be the Chinese Year of the Rat tomorrow. We've been in Queensland, specifically Brisbane for the last 2 weeks and have only just arrived in Sydney yesterday. We've already had a reunion dinner with David's brother and his wife, Conny's family and it was a great dinner. Wish I had taken pictures! It was really fun to see the twins again and the newest addition in the form of Ethan, who is not quite 2 yet. Our last trip to Sydney was in 2003 and the twins were only 3. They've grown so much and are now really fun to play with. Ethan is still very shy so I have to work very hard to get him to warm up to me. He apparently prefers boys/men and don't take to girls/women. It is not generally very festive here in Sydney during the Chinese New Year but I am sure the atmosphere will be lively in Chinatown and I can safely say that, that's where we will be headed tonight for dinner with our friends from China who are here on holiday. For those celebrating the Chinese New Year, h...
More About: Personal , Year of the Rat

WhiteWater World, Gold Coast
2008-01-27 15:09:00
We had a splashing day at WhiteWater World today. It took us only about 40 mins to drive from Brisbane to Gold Coast . Ling and Mike ended up purchasing a 2 year pass to both Dreamworld and also WhiteWater World since they would be here for the next 3 years. We bought a day pass to the water park.I was getting quite excited because the park was well designed and most of the rides were close to each other. From the map that was given when your ticket was purchased, you can get all the information you need to navigate the water park. They also designed it well with lots of sails and shades so that you don't fry out there on a hot day.It was rather hot today but very breezy. There were some cloudy moments which made it really cold especially when you are wet and waiting on the high steps for a ride. All of us were shivering!The queue was sometimes a pain. It took so long to get your turn and the splashing fun only lasted about 20 seconds! Still it was great. It was like a wet roller co...
More About: Fun , Travel

Australia Day
2008-01-27 11:17:00
Brisbane river by South Bank.My best shot without a tripod.I love the midnight blue sky color.Yesterday was Australia Day and there were celebrations lined up in every state in Australia. As we were in Brisbane, we made our way to South Bank by the river to see the firework display.The throngs of people walking from the car park to the riverside was not as large as it would be at these kind of events in China and I was glad. The crowd had already built up by the time we were by the pier and most of the nice spots were taken by Aussies celebrating their National day. Everyone was there to catch the fireworks display. Everywhere you see patriotic Aussies with the Australia flag tattooed on their faces, arms or dressed in their flag colors. Some were waving flags around.I didn't have my tripod but made do with David's shoulders to try and take a night shot of the fireworks. I did manage to take a video of the finale which was a really burst of color and sound. I am trying to upload t...
More About: Entertainment , Travel , Australia Day

Encounters in Melbourne
2008-01-23 07:35:00
We had a wonderful few days in Melbourne and besides catching up with Ai Ling and Gavin, we also got in touch with our old friends as well. We met up with Michelle who is my primary school friend and we've known each other since we were 10.Ai Ling and Gavin were great. They really made an effort to take us around during the weekend we were there. Instead of telling you a boring story about our trip there, why don't I just give you a pictorial.Ai Ling and I with Shinju the Malamute at Albert Park. Notice how huge he is. He greeted us when we let ourselves into the house - good thing he didn't bark or else we would have peed in out pants! He looks frightening but is actually more of a gentle giant. I tried to sit by him so that David can take a picture of me and him but he growled and my legs turned to jelly. I scooted off so quickly!Shinju and Shep having a tug of war with a branch. The dogs are well behaved enough to be let off their leash at Albert Park. There were quite a lot o...
More About: Family , Travel , Friends , Encounters

New Prescription Glasses
2008-01-23 03:03:00
My glasses broke in two last year and I got them replaced with a minimal fee since there was a guarantee. The restriction was that I had to get the same pair of frames.Well guess what?They new pair broke in two again. This time within 8 months as opposed to 18 months. I actually noticed a hairline crack before it broke so I contacted the distributor and lodged a complain. Their first response was to tell me to change to the same frames again and if I wanted to get a different frame, I'd have to pay more to upgrade. That to me was unacceptable!I have been wearing glasses for over 20 years and nothing like that has ever happened and it happened twice with this brand. I was seriously upset because I was in Ningbo and didn't trust the opticians there and I had to go blind every night after taking out my contact lenses.Anyway I managed to sort out something with the distributor but the whole experience just put me off the brand which is known to be a good product. I also have a strange...
More About: Personal , Glasses , Prescription

@ Pudong International Airport, Shanghai
2008-01-13 07:09:00
I am so sleepy!I have been up since 5am, spent about 3 1/2 hours on the train, another hour on the airport shuttle bus and the last 2 hours at the airport cafe having lunch and surfing the net to kill time before we check in.We wore very light clothing, not wanting to be bogged down my thick winter coats and having to lug our suitcases as well and we had a taste of the bitter cold as temperatures dropped yesterday. We've been told that we are escaping the worst of winter as January is mid winter and coldest. In that sense we are looking forward to the warmth of Kuala Lumpur and have dressed in layers so that we can take off everything and leave just a T-shirt on when we land in KLIA. I know I will start perspiring immediately the moment I step onto the airbridge.It's almost time to go check in and instead of counting down the days, we are counting down the hours. I can't wait to see if MAS will serve nasi lemak on board! They might only have it for breakfast :)Bye for now.
More About: Personal , International , Travel , Airport , Shanghai

A Short Hiatus
2008-01-11 09:12:00
The Christmas and New Year celebrations have certainly tired me out. I have also been sick. Getting a cold in winter is positively, no fun! It seems to take longer to get well. It could very well be that I haven't quite observed prudent practices like washing my hair less often. Having lived in a tropical country all my life, certain hygiene habits are hard to break.I have been home and resting from the time my friend who visited, left. I have also been clearing the house in preparation for our trip back home this Sunday - putting away the winter wear and bringing out our summer clothes, buying presents and packing our suitcases.We leave on Sunday and spend a few days in Kuala Lumpur before flying to Australia for a whole month - that is another story altogether. Suffice to say that we live like nomads now and though it may sound like, life is a holiday - it isn't actually all that fun.When life deals you lemons, make lemonade and when it deals you tomatoes, make Bloody Marys!!So ...
More About: Personal , Travel , Hiatus , Short

Ningbo Through My Lens
2008-01-06 04:55:00
Black and white shot of a pagoda at Moon LakeA few autumn leaves.Bare naked treeA modern building in the background of Moon LakeSkinny trees
More About: Pictures , China , Lens , Ningbo

2008
2008-01-05 05:09:00
The view from the 14th Floor of our hotel -Seventh Heaven right on Nanjing East Road.Another year has gone and it's already 2008 . Time seem to pass by relatively faster now that we've hit middle age. Years come and go and we don't seem to realize its passing. For our friends who have kids, time is marked by their children's birthdays but for us, the new year is just like any other day.I do celebrate the season and enjoy the end of the year festivities but I celebrate it more because of Christmas and the new year is just the week after, making it a long celebration. I also enjoy the month of December because of my birthday :)I don't believe in New Year's resolutions because I believe that whatever that needs to be changed, achieved, or started can begin "now" rather than to wait for a new year, so for me, the new year isn't a time where I reflect on life. I already do that on a daily basis!Still a new year brings with it significance to a lot of people and it is a time when we...

Christmas in Shanghai
2007-12-27 07:20:00
Christmas in Shanghai is definitely festive. Lots of lights, decorations, Christmas songs and carols at every outlet, hotel and street corners. We spent 5 days in Shanghai and had a blast. It was great meeting up with Ai Ling (David's sister) and Gavin. We showed them the sights and took them around the city shopping, which was top in their agenda! I really hope they had a good time. Here are some photos...Reindeer that change colorsAnother huge Christmas treeA few Christmas messages on oneof the skyscrapers on the Huangpu RiverView of Pudong from the BundAcapella group singing Christmas carols andsome popular tunes at Xintiandi
More About: Christmas , Travel , China

Blessed Christmas
2007-12-21 15:56:00
We are leaving for Shanghai tomorrow morning and spending Christmas there with David's sister. We expect big crowds in Shanghai because Christmas seems to be celebrated in China as well. I've not seen so many shops decorate and put up lights for this season. If I were in a Western country it would not seem odd but in China? I guess decoration and lights are really cheap here!Well as the rest of the world celebrate this season and usher in the coming new year and for whatever reason for the celebration, I would like you to know the reason we are celebrating.Luke 2:10-11But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."I take the verse and the words of Julie as written on my Christmas card, "May we never forget the reason for the celebration."Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas!
More About: Personal , Religion , Blessed

Train Journeys
2007-12-18 16:55:00
What do you do an a 3 1/2 hour train ride?Me?Well I worship the Lord during these train journeys. And I have been making a lot of these journeys on our trips to Shanghai. I just put on my earphones and listen to worship songs. It is a great way to sing praises to Him even if it is not out loud. I know He hears me.
More About: Personal , Religion , Train , Journeys

Fire!
2007-12-18 16:34:00
We were having a quiet lunch at the French Cafe this afternoon. The only activity outside on the street were passerby and curious locals staring through the window of the cafe at the desserts all laid out.Suddenly I noticed a few people running past. I was sitting facing out. Then a few more people running. And I also noticed they all carried fire extinguishers! Then when more people started to run toward the same direction it had to be a fire.We walked out to observe. It was a fire at a building opposite and on the next block - that was my first observation and my first thought was that we are safe! Second was that there were a lot of chefs outside - obvious by the chef's hat so we figured it was a restaurant.We were looking at thick black smoke billowing and David, the expert - being in the manufacturing of fire extinguishers knows something about fires. Immediately says they don't have the right equipment and will suffocate and let's go order our desserts!Anyway we take anothe...
More About: China , Fire

Shanghai Escapade
2007-12-16 05:31:00
We like arriving and departing from this station rather than the Shanghai Central Station.It is new and convenient.The Metro stops here and this saves us a hefty RMB50 taxi ride into the cityInside the Shanghai South Train Station.We like that there is an Italian cafe where we can get decent food.We saw this church building onCentral Tibet Road next to Raffles PlazaRaffles Shopping CentreI have taken countless pictures of this building near Renmin Squarebut until now do not know if it is a landmark.The lighted Christmas tree in frontof Shanghai Times SquareThe new touchscreen advertising media in taxis.Shanghai is like a second home to us now. The crowds during the weekend don't deter me anymore and the hustle and bustle of the Metro is just a background noise to me. In terms of transportation, it may not match the London Tube network, but it is a close second to me as it covers most of the main areas of interest.We've stayed in different branches of the Motel 168 and surveyed its...

My Birthday
2007-12-13 14:04:00
I celebrated my birthday yesterday. I already had cake and candles last weekend so it was a quiet day by myself at home and then dinner with David.I love my birthdays because I get tons of wishes from family and friends and it is really nice to know so many people remembered. Of course, now there's Facebook and people can't help knowing it's my birthday. Still, a lot of my friends made the effort to poke me, send me greetings and posted messages on my wall.David is a simple guy and not much for surprises. He did surprise me one year, when he managed to get enough points to redeem a one night stay at the exclusive villa rooms at the Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel. And that was the year that I preempted his whole surprise by launching my tirade on him for not planning anything! How was I to know that he did, that year!Well, like a friend once taught me, we learn to be happy when we learn to manage our expectations and I've learned not to expect surprises or gifts from David unless I s...
More About: Personal , Birthday

Another Birthday Video!
2007-12-12 05:13:00
We've watched him grow from a tiny baby and now he's just turned 3 not long ago. Clayton progressed from calling me Aunty CC and David, Uncle Vivid and now he can say my name so clearly and wish me as well. It is truly a blessed day for me.
More About: Video , Family , Friends , Birthday

A Birthday Present
2007-12-12 04:14:00
My nephews Ryan and Sean singing to me.Made my day!
More About: Family , Birthday , Present , Resent