my country is in trouble...

there is so much to say, nothing said will help... everything is sensitive, sentiments and anger run deep... every issue will bring us back to the racial, political and economical rut we're in... but we just sit back and watch, as the sampan were on springs a leak... sigh... oh, we sigh too and throw our hands in the air and say there's nothing we can do...

i think it's time we get on our knees and start praying real hard...

Lina Joy case

baby titus

a month of mountains

well, most of you know i've been hitting the trails quite a bit this month... went herping last night in janda baik for a few hours... must say the jungle there is quite a serene place at night... not so for ledang where giant cicadas cause loads of noise, and little grey birds make sounds that echo through the trees... too bad ledang is closed to hikers for the time being... anyway, what are my blogs without pictures? here are some shots from 1st may ledang trip with the guys...

things about kk

Sorry for not posting for so long... Photobucket has been abit of a pain while uploading... Here are some things i observed about kk...


1. people here are friendlier
2. there are 4wds everywhere
3. they have many mini round-a-bouts
4. lots of people speak hakka
5. this city seems alot safer
6. utensils and sauces are kept in a big plastic container on tables in makan shops
7. there are churches all over
8. public toilets are in every corner (and clean!)
9. sunsets are not necessarily nicer than in kl (only you actually have time to sit and watch)
10. parking tickets are still the system here (creates job opportunities!)

:P

Satisfied Shiekhs and Such...

This post is a week late. We made sinking sheikhs in class. Law of pressure and bouyancy. Lesson was that regardless of ups and downs, we sould be content. Just like the satisfied sheikhs were smiling all the time...





after meeting game...

welcome baby Ryan!

Ryan Low Tian Wang was born 5:51pm on the 13th of April, 2007.

小天望


Congrats to Adrian and Cindy and proud 3rd time grandparents!

Jim

Jim was quickly losing it. The more time he spent in his truck on the job, the more time he had to think about things. The more time he had to think about things, the more he felt he was going crazy. His behaviour had began to change. He got irritable very quickly and became agitated over small, insignificant details. He lashed out at his friends whenever they stepped on his toes. He realised this change but couldn't seem to control it. He grew moody and his emotions would fluctuate between two ends of the spectrum. One moment he would be angry and tense. The next, he was shedding a tear over the sight of two children playing. He was happiest when he didn't have to think. Watching movies and playing computer games were a good means of escapism. He filled his schedule with activities and kept himself busy, but he knew it was only a matter of time. He couldn't trust himself to be alone. He would feel like cutting himself or ramming his truck into a tree. Suddenly taking his own life seemed like an option. He knew that was something he should never consider but he was slowly losing his grip on reality. Life began to feel like a cruel game. One that had no restart option. He thought through all the various ways he could get it done. He could even plan it to look like an accident. Then suddenly he was sure suicide was not the way. He had to practise what he preached. Too many people were counting on him. He was too responsible then to do something as foolish as that. But it was precisely his responsible nature that was causing Jim all this anxiety. He had always been taught never to run away from a problem. But today was going to be different. It was his 3rd delivery of the day and it took him to the outskirts of his small hometown. However, instead of turning into the lane that would bring him to Mac's Hardware, Jim drove on and didn't stop. He floored the pedal and the roar of the engine made his heart pound. He was no longer going to be Jim. As the distance between him and Soundry town grew, Jim realised he could no longer be Jim. He was driving away from his life as he knew it. His family, his job, his friends and everything that made him Jim for the past 28 years. He was a free man, and it felt incredible in a frightening kind of way. He was no longer Jim, Jim was gone, dead, killed...

Paintball!

Jon invited me to join his friends for paintball war last sunday. This place in Kuang, Sg. Buloh had great landscape. They had jungle (which we didn't go into) and urban scenario with huts, trees, barricades etc. Great fun! Here are some pics.



The group before us... check bottom of post for video...




Our 'enemies'...


Half of our team... Masks on!


jeng jeng jeng...


Discussing strategy before action...


In action... i squat like a girl, haha... but it's the best to keep low, and ready for take off...


After...


So many places to hide...


here's a video of the other team playing...

Teens games...

more marbles!


paper, scissors, stone... move, move!

---insert title here---

what is this i feel?
frustration eating from inside out
gnawing at the corners of my soul
who am i?
what have i become?
flights of fancy, moonless nights
soaring high on dragon back
as the petals hit the ground
and salt runs down the cheek
sad songs ease the piercing hurt
andrenaline dilutes the hate
but will not calm the storm
tea leaves swirl and dance
and i cling on to the promise made

Marble Madness...

Ok, so i had to think of an interesting title for this blog. Part of last week's teen's club lesson was a task to build a marble roller coaster track. Roller coasters being the subject of the day. Ups and downs, twists and spins, all add to what make roller coasters fun. Of course the lesson was that life is fun and good too, if we keep to the track. Imagine what happens if a roller coaster car goes off the tracks, well many people's lives are like that if they don't allow God to be in charge and keep them on the right track. My lesson seemed to fall flat right from the beginning because only one of the children had ever taken a roller coaster ride! Yes, only one... sigh... I had to show then videos on my laptop, so they had a virtual ride :)







Failures are a part of learning


Finally, it works!


Two more tracks, if you have to chose only one video to watch, this is the one!


Oh, we also celebrated Adrian, Hsin Ren and Karnan's birthdays. Actually the cake belongs to Adrian courtesy of Aunty Sharon but we sang for the others as well...

Roscoe the great hunter...

Here's Roscoe with his catch of the day!

Soap images...

Take a step back away from your pc and tell me if you see a pig and a bear on the soap...

Happy Chinese New Year!

Pics are not so nice cos they were taken on the phone...

Beginning...




Mummy all dressed and ready to go visiting...




Me and Josh


Cheryl, Jess and Ben


Tiffany's a cutiepie!


Cheryl and Tiffany


All over...

Mimi's got a new home! ( and a new name, i hope..)

Don't get me started on irresponsible pet owners. People who buy a dog for example, just because it looks cute. And then have no time to care for it and neglect it. Poor Mimi was finally adopted by a friend of a friend who needed a doggie to replace one who had died of old age. Because the late doggie's friend was lonely ;)



Mimi stayed the night in our home before we passed her to Lynn, Han's colleague. Her fur is so matted that she'll need a shave...



She has a waggy tail and a licky tongue :D Just a little timid cos she was prob beaten, but I'm sure her confidence will return with lotsa tlc.

Soo Aun went shopping...

... for ladies clothes.

Ok, so now i have graduated from shoes to clothes. YC told me about the sale on weds but i wasn't in the office. Wouldn't quite have dared venture up to the 20th floor of amoda building all by myself anyway, visions of crazy aunties and sale crazed women grabbing at bargains don't really attract me. Ah, but after having lunch with YC yesterday, she took me there and surprisingly things were pretty civil, considering the bargains. The words i heard most often uttered in the short half an hour i was there were, "wah, dai do lan ah!", loosely traslated as it's so worth it, it's rotten!
After getting used to my surroundings and feeling more comfortable, i was able to slowly become less dependant on YC. Soon she had to go back to the office, but not before showing me some good deals and discussing if cheryl or mei could fit into them. I would have happily checked out the shoe section too if my dealer hadn't called to say he was waiting for me in my office.
So, thanks to YC and hurray for sales! i leave you now with pics of the best bargains of year 2007! i have officially purchased a designer skirt and pants!






couldn't resist but to let the original price tag show slightly...

Karnan gets big air!

Finally fulfilled our promises to take the siblings to the waterfall today. Here's a video of Karnan displacing water and Kumar doing the dead man drop...

Bathing Roscoe

Unlike Bloc, Roscoe hates having a bath. Initially Cheryl tried bathing him with warm water in our shower, but now she just bathes him on a hot sunny day out in the garden. It's not fair you see, what if Bloc suddenly calls it favouritism and want to bathe in our shower too?! Haha...









No pics of him getting blown dried tho, sorry...