I LOVE Hungry Chef!

His blogs always leave me salivating with pure hunger for more!!

This I gotta try one fine day...

Focaccia With Roast Heirloom Tomatoes

http://www.onehungrychef.com/2009/12/somethings-burning.html

The Power of Belief.

Twas reading Nat de Rat's blog (http://www.natthefatrat.com) ...

and was struck by the power of two simple words:

"I believe..."

That no matter what life dishes out~whether good or bad~at the end of the day, it is what I hold on to that counts. And the "what" better be trustworthy and reliable, not a sandcastle or a deceptive lie.

Here's what I believe in (even if it may not compare with the Rat's musings, it's still good):

i believe in God the Father, His only Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

i believe that life is worth living.

i believe in family and relationships ~ even if it feels like bread&butter, sandpaper, glue, vitamins & scalpels, building bricks, what have you...

i believe in the power of the word.

i believe friends are the undeserved gifts from heaven.

i believe i have been fearfully and wonderfully made.

i believe coffee and desserts are such life-savers, particularly with friends.

i believe i've been blessed with much, and grateful for all...

Delayed Reaction

The other night, while cuddling Lionel ~ Xtra TCL time, instead of regular bedtime routine of prayer & kiss ~ he suddenly asked, "Mommy, did you make your will before you go to heaven?"

Surprised, I replied, "Yes, did one with Daddy, but why the question?"

Then he started to tear up. Said he felt sad at the thought of missing me when I die.

Stunned, I tried to comfort him by saying that I will be around for quite a while longer. (I asked God sometime back to keep me alive & kicking till I see my child's children...)

Yes, but he said he's still sorrowful, just thinking about it. I didn't know whether to try to cheer him up s'more or cry with him. Now that he's mentioned it, there's been that odd twinges in my chest lately....

This evening he mentioned that there were other bouts of tears in bed at the thought of missing his friends in Kunming, elsewhere in China and the US. I'm glad there's that bit of delayed reaction coming out of him now, since we've been back end-July. Wonder when's mine gonna set in...

love Etsy

u just gotta love etsy's site

for all things handmade...

anybody wanna

get a crocheted floor throw for me?

http://www.etsy.com/index.php

sexy eggs =P

this guy can make
even poached eggs
look sexy!

http://onehungrychef.blogspot.com/2009/10/real-eggs.html#more

Mixed Rasa

Yesterday had "cabin fever"...

felt like breaking out of here!

Still wondering when the green lights going to light up

at the cross-road junction.

It's good to have a selah time,
but then some don't understand,
that until my
sabbath season passes, i'm constrained

to wait,
till He lifts His hand off of me,
then i can be
released into the
next season.

Aaahh.. time for teh tarik* again;
it's percolating period for now.

"I will wait upon the lord

wait upon the lord

as I wait I keep my eyes on him

I wait to be restored

For I seek his holy touch

his anointing fills my cup

i will wait,

till he lifts me up..."

* http://www.cultureshiok.com/2007/10/teh-tarik-in-singapore.html

Son's School Grades (Fall'09)

Lionel made it at #32 out of 34 in class! At least, after one-month-plus of studies, he wasn't the last @ #34, so... NOT bad at all =)

His classmates were rooting for him, kept calling out "Liang Jian, Liang Jian" as the teacher, Ms Lok, went down the list from di shi ji pai hao... that was sweet.

Result:
Malay 29%
Mandarin 35%
Kexue (Chinese Science) 35%
Shuxue (Chinese Math) 49%
Daode (Moral) 56%
Math (in Eng) 85%
Science 88%
English 96%

Well, now I know where he clearly needs to work on during this school hols. And I know he is getting happier & not so bored (his euphemism for being overwhelmed) these days.

Can't help control the amount of homework, but can at least coach him on. Quite proud of son, actually, for facing the giant of local school system. And so grateful to God for providing him with kind, helpful teachers and nice classmates!

Liang Jian, Jiayou!

Liang Jian, Jiayou!

Liang Jian, Jiayou!

Pumpkin Pie =P

Thanks to one hungry chef, i found a great pumpkin pie recipe!
Now waiting for the right time to bake it!

http://onehungrychef.blogspot.com/2009/10/this-is-missing-something.html

Noa!

Found this lovely singer's website & blog. Noa is a lovely Israelite singer with a delectable voice. Love her!

NOA
A SINGER/SONGWRITER OF YEMENITE/ISRAELI/AMERICAN ORIGINS.
mother of 2, musician, married to dr. asher barak
more onWWW.NOASMUSIC.COM

"Known in Israel by her given name Achinoam Nini, Noa is Israel's leading international concert and recording artist. Born in Tel- Aviv in 1969, Noa lived in NYC from age 2 until her return to Israel alone at the age of 17. Her family is originally from Yemen. After serving the mandatory two years in the Israeli Army in a military entertainment unit, Noa studied music at the Rimon School where she met her long-time partner and collaborator Gil Dor.

Noa's strongest influences come from the singer-songwriters of the 60s, like Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. These musical and lyrical sensibilities, combined with Noa's Yemenite roots and Gil Dor's strong background in Jazz, Classical and Rock, have created Noa and Gil's unique sound, manifested in hundreds of songs written and performed together. Noa plays percussion, guitar and piano. She is married to Dr. Asher Barak, they have two children, Ayehli and Enea, and live in Israel."

Truly admire her tenacious courage to sing for peace in the midst of the Arab-Isreali conflict.

Another new discovery (at least for me!), she sang the theme song ~ Beautiful That Way ~ for the italian, Roberto Benigni-produced movie, Life Is Beautiful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAhSf4NKeLA&feature=related

Another fantastic song on peace.
It's called Shalom, Shalom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPKOwOmfbYc&feature=related

Knitting

God loves knitting ~ especially babies!

Psalm 138:13-14 ~ for You created my inmost being, You knit me together in my mother's womb. i praise You because i am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, i know that full well.

New Outlook

So finally go this new lens... blue rim, bloom-etched sides, multi-focal (confession: yup, i'm 'low-fa' ady)...

Good to hv two new "eyes". Not blur anymore lah...

Outlook

What happened on Sunday evening, you may ask?

Mashed my spectacles (yup, the good old-fashioned word) with my bottom and had to get a new pair of 'eyes'. Sb thought it's a deliberate act.

Gives a new meaning to "getting a fresh outlook on life". Still waiting though, bcos can't find old pair whilst waiting for the new.

In the meantime, Ctrl+ helps to turn online stuff into old-folksy large-print pages.

Trying not to read so much...

It's so good to be Home. Home as in my passport country, the kampung (aka KL) I lived in as a teen & young adult. I feel blessed after being away for about 25 yrs (with home-ward relocations for a few years in between). Thank You, Lord.

It's Mother's Day today. Wished my Mom (in Pangkor Island with Dad & Ann) and sms'd tons of mom-friends...

Good to celebrate an important milestone.
Especially seeing Lionel's growth, it's worth it all.

Good God

I am seeing the light at the end of a dark, turbulent tunnel.

Thank You for the grace of forgiveness, for being able to refine the buried dross from my heart. Thank you for what You are resolving hidden hurts between me and mafia lady, and in my folks. I entrust their bright future in your mighty, loving hands.

Last week was another in a long-running series of crises, but this time it's different. Instead of being sucked in & stuck in the mire, you used 2 books (the shack & hadassah) to show me Your utter goodness & trustworthiness. You are surely orchestrating a good heart-closure to my time, work & relationships here. Truly You are YHWH God and I am not. I love You dearly.

read The Shack. will not see God the same any more...
He really knows how to mess me up.

theshackbook.com

attended Family in Transition workshop today.

really good. help me process this transition phase. what to prepare for. what to expect/not expect. i'm a tca & we have a tck son. it's ok to grieve, to be sad, mad, glad. i'll get through this by God's help.

just chillin

so, change of plan agn... overnite deluge & morning rain showers --> no soccer.

what a really nice break. just chillin.
it says 23C, but outside's like 17C, like Cameron Hlands at nite.

sb commented: april flowers bring on may showers?
me: must b de march hare (har har...)

feel like being silly, get rid of cobwebs in my head.

Life is good

Enjoyed nice May Day break today.

Lionel started his art project for the Art & Writing Competition this month (dateline 15th).
It's fun to model to him, and finding a personal pleasure in doing b&w sketch of tree lines -- desert, grassland, rainforest & alpine.

A strong shower of rain was very much welcomed, after days of dry weather where you wake up some nights with scratchy throat & needing to take sips of water. Now it's a lovely 15 deg indoor and the moistness in the air is just delicious!

Soccer is on tomorrow at Cai Jing Daxue (Yn Finance & Econs Uni) grounds. T&D called off instead.
Life is good.

Guess what?

It's my Dad's Birthday!! Loh Swee Keong is now 65 years old, and I just turned 40, so er.. you can do the math! How time flies, eh. (That's my dad & mom with their newest grandson, Micah Iskandar)

Just skyped him. Pa's on the way to Setiawan with his cell group. Can't talk for too long coz he's driving. At least grandson wished him birthday greetings & chatted a bit.

Lionel & I have homeschool holiday today on account of somebody's birthday, hehehe... But hey, it's May national holiday here as well. =D

Gonna bake apple cake/make veg salad with egg dip for Sunday picnic with the gang. Stil dunno whether Brazuca found a new field & will have soccer training tmr. If yes, gotta be soccer mom & may miss t&d outdoor session... Then next Sat is Lionel's 9th birthday. What to plan...Decisions, decisions...

First Blog

hi. so this my very first blog. fun.

wanna connect with my cyberworld, but
gonna find balance with private musings...

where am i now in life? well,
-got abt 2 n half months more before leaving china for good. kinda emo...
-my desk's cluttered with stuff to sort out, music cds/tapes to convert to mp3, etc... n ultimately to clear up for good...
-slowly but surely giving away books, clothes even tho some (like my suede fur-lined jacket) really wanna keep, but when would i ever get to wear it in hot Msia...
-plugging away at homeschooling my Boo... he's a trouper, puts up with my perfectionistic moods, aiya...

so far, so good.