Goodbye 2012

Today is the last day of 2012. It is unbelievable that a whole year has gone by and is ending at the stroke of midnight tonight.

I had my usual morning golf with my buddy and her spouse. It was a good exercise, pulling our trolleys and hitting the little white ball down the green fairways and across the ponds.

Getting in and out of the bunkers is par for the course. It only takes a shot that shanks and you find yourself in a deep bunker, deeper than you are tall. At 06:34a.m. the moon could still be seen in the sky!

It was a very hot morning despite it only being 06:50 hrs. when we teed off at the ninth hole, our last for the morning.

Returned home to do the laundry and trim some of my plants. This was followed by a simple lunch of stir-fried noodles at a downtown hotel restaurant.

Tonight our church is having potluck and the combined congregation of both the English and Mandarin services will bring our dishes to share with everyone.

As for the countdown, I doubt I will be able to stay up late enough to welcome in the New Year but I do hope that it will bring better fortune to everyone, considering how badly many people have suffered, their homes inundated by floods or destroyed in landslips, razed by fires or simply having fallen prey to burglars. I also hope that criminals will be brought to book, whether it is rape-murders, baby killing or snatch thefts. Justice has not only to be done but also seen to be done.

Happy 2013!

Women Helping Women

SWEPA is an NGO which firmly believes in women helping women. This organisation comprises women entrepreneurs and professionals who are successful career women, many of whom own several businesses. They meet regularly to network and to help one another progress.

This afternoon saw the launching of the video series of women who came forward to share their knowledge with their counterparts and other women.

Three ladies, including the president, vice-president were sponsored by the US embassy to go on study tours of different parts of the country where they joined selected ladies from other countries to learn more about the strategies of entrepreneurship. They also shared knowledge with one another. Our ladies brought home many tips on how women can improve their entrepreneurial skills.

Some of these tips were condensed into videos which can be accessed on SWEPA's website and also on Youtube. Clips of these videos were shown at the launching this afternoon as well as sharing of their experiences by these three ladies.

The afternoon ended with a photo session and high tea.

Missing You & Branded Different

I have a book self-published by Xlibris.com.au It contains poems about love, life and death as well as a short story based on a cousin's life.

It is also available on amazon.com

I hope you can support me by getting this book and let me have your feedback. Many thanks.

Church Jumbo Sales.

We had our annual fund raising jumbo sales for our church this morning.  Many church  members came early to set up their stalls in the church grounds.  Those with good culinary skills cooked different types of food  to serve the folks who had bought coupons.  Others had stalls selling fruit, finger food, fresh vegetables, plants, drinks, ice cream, cakes, sushi and handicraft.  My daughter and I set up a book and magazine stall.

We had lovely ladies’ magazines, the National Geographic, Reader’s Digest, novels, biographies and other books for sale at steal-away prices.

Unfortunately, many of the folks that came to the jumbo sales hardly glanced at the books and magazines.  There is no reading culture these days, especially among the younger generation who are more at home with social media, smart phones and tablets.

However, there were a discerning few who snapped up some of the books and issues of the Reader’s Digest which were bundled at 3 for RM5.00. The National Geographic magazines were sold out bought by two teenaged boys who liked the photography.  Another lady purchased some of the ladies’ magazines for her beauty salon. Despite the knock out prices, there were hardly any takers except for this young lady.

It is such a sad thing to note that the love of reading has not been instilled into the young by their parents.  Indeed I personally consider it tragic that these young people will never know the pleasure and joy that reading will bring to them.  This is apart from the other benefits such as a better proficiency in the language together with the acquisition of a wider range of vocabulary.

The sales ended just before noon. Many of the stalls did good business, selling out their stock. All in all the easy camaraderie and cooperation among the church members made the event a success and fostered better bonding.

Last night we attended the 30th anniversary of the La Sallians’ class of ’82 at a well-known hotel. The turnout was very good, 25 tables of ten pax per table. Former students who now reside in different parts of the country and globe came together to celebrate with their former school principal, Datuk Brother Charles O’Leary, now a venerable 87 years of age, as the guest of honor.

There were four classes in the graduating class of 1982, 2 science classes and 2 arts classes. I was the form teacher of 5 Science II. All the four form teachers as well as subject teachers were invited and feted to a grand dinner. Dancers and a live band provided entertainment throughout the evening.

This function also gave their former teachers an opportunity to meet and renew friendships as we all have retired and no longer see one another.

These old boys have done their school and teachers proud. They donated a princely sum of two hundred thousand Ringgit to the school. They also presented to each of their teachers a Tissot wristwatch. We were most touched by their generosity and their remembering us.

What makes the teaching profession a satisfying vocation is the knowledge that the students have done well in life, are successful and they still remember their teachers. It makes a teacher very happy when former students, especially after having left school 30 years ago, come up to you and ask, “ Do you still remember us? You taught us.” Young boyish faces have now become middle-aged faces but they haven’t forgotten us.

Here is my class of '82 who were present last night.

All the forms had their photos taken together with their former form teachers.

Thank you class of ’82 for remembering your teachers. It was a great evening that will be remembered for a long time but some of us will not be around at your next reunion in five years’ time. Viva ’82!

An Unusual Pedicure in Shenzhen

We had an interesting experience in Shenzhen last weekend. My friend and I had been shopping and we couldn’t find the way back to our hotel. As we walked among the crowds we came across a small shop offering pedicure and manicure services for a small sum.  We decided to try it out.

No sooner had we sat down, soaking our feet in warm water when a middle-aged man came up and he checked my friend’s foot.  He offered to do “feet scraping”, i.e. scraping the dead skin from the soles of the feet for a sum. This is different from scrubbing which the nail salons do back home. They have a special tool which had a sharp blade.

Then after pressing her sole, he declared that she had three corns and these were causing her shoulder pains. He stressed that the removal of those corns will alleviate her shoulder pains and he could do it without causing any pain. This would cost extra money.  My friend decided to go for it.

As for me, my feet were attended to by a younger man.  He scraped the soles of my feet.  I didn’t have any corns but I had ingrown toe nails which were in fact causing me pain intermittently, depending on how far and how long I walked.  He said that he could remove the ingrown part of the toe nail and this would be painless.  Besides, the nail would not become ingrown again.

I was wary because I wasn’t sure that it wouldn’t cause pain or bleeding.  He said he would do one toe for me.  Indeed there was no pain and he did it very swiftly using a special cutting tool. I saw the part of the nail he had removed.  So I agreed to let him do both the big toes for me.  It was a tad expensive but I reckon it was worth it. Now my big toes no longer hurt when I press them and they are soft, not hard like before.

After that, he said I should have a small growth removed from the bottom of my right sole as it was the cause of numbness in my calf. I was surprised because indeed, my right calf often became numb. Since he had removed the ingrown part of the toe nails and I didn't feel any pain, I decided to have the growth removed. It has been a few days since I returned home and so far my right calf has not gone numb. Keeping my fingers crossed!

After this two women did the usual pedicure for us, trimming the nails and buffing them.  We declined to have the nails coated with nail colors.

When we finally got back to the hotel, my friend was astonished to find that indeed her shoulder pains had disappeared! She regretted not having done the other foot as the other shoulder still had some pain. Unfortunately we didn’t have the time to return to the shop as we had to go for dinner with the rest of the group.

Gardens by The Bay, Singapore

A few years ago when I visited the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, work to construct the Gardens by the Bay had already commenced. The number of workers and the amount of material that lay at the site could not prepare me for the stunning vistas that are a reality today.

Although I have yet to visit Singapore again to see these magnificent gardens personally, I would like to share this link that came to me via an email.

You will see the amazing Supertrees that have been built and there is a day view as well as a night view of the Gardens. So click here for the link and feast your eyes. Enjoy!

New Moon

This morning before 6:00 a.m. my daughter called out excitedly to me that there was a beautiful crescent moon and a star hanging in the sky.

I rushed out to see and indeed it looked like a dangling earring, with the star and the crescent moon against the backdrop of the clear sky.

Normally the moon would not be sighted at this time as it is still Ramadan, the fasting month which all Muslims observe. It had been announced that the night of 18th of August would be the date to sight the moon so that if it is sighted, then the following day would be the celebration of the Hari Raya Adil Fitri, the culmination of a month’s fasting.

However, when I asked the old lady who had come to weed my garden about it, she said this sighting is not the one that will determine the end of the fasting month. The moon is not in the correct sector of the sky. According to her it should be on the other side, above the ocean. This morning’s sighting was on the land side, near Mount Kinabalu.

I defer to her explanation as she is a Muslim and she’s old, wise and experienced in these matters. She said that Hari Raya will be celebrated on this coming Sunday and she will not be coming to weed next week.

Flexibility and Balance for Seniors

As we age, we grow stiff. Somehow the joints aren’t that flexible anymore. It is more difficult to get out from a car and even to sink into the seat, if you are a front passenger. Getting up from a chair also makes your knee joints protest. If you stand too long you may find your knees have “locked” and it can cause some discomfort when you try to “unlock” to walk or sit. Are you familiar with any of these?

I am and have been falling quite often lately. Not that I want to fall but somehow I find myself on the ground or floor depending on whether I’m indoors or out.

My doctor has been very kind and I attend her weekly exercise clinic at the hospital where senior ladies do their exercises under the nurses’ supervision. Balance and strengthening our muscles are what we do in our weekly sessions.

I have to do exercises to strengthen my hand and leg muscles so that I can “break” my fall or suffer less injury when I do fall. The exercises I do are for muscle strength and muscle power apart from improving my balance.

Balance is most important so that you won’t fall should you find yourself losing balance. You can quickly take steps to stop yourself from falling.

I’m most grateful to the doctor who is very caring and concerned over her charges whom she calls her “beautiful princesses”, among whom are those who have had knee replacements, fractured bones and who have twisted ankles and tennis elbows. We are all there each week to strengthen our muscles and to build better balance. It is a privilege to attend her special clinic, a rainbow privilege.

A Rainbow of Joy

A rainbow that has given me joy and satisfaction is the discovery that I can publish my writing on Amazon.com. I stumbled upon it by chance as I was browsing through the Amazon website.

The fact that anyone can publish on Kindle and have your own book shelf displaying your work was good news. Creative writing has been one of my hobbies and I’m very happy to share that I now have a short play “The Golden Orchid”

and a two part series short story entitled “The Legacy Part I” and “The Legacy Part II” now available in the Kindle store on amazon.com.

A selection of poems and two other short stories have also been completed and they will soon be available as well.

If you have enjoyed reading my blogs, please give me your support by purchasing these Kindle books which are very, very affordably priced. I thank you for your support.

God has created a wonderful world for us, a world full of color inhabited by man and animals, birds and insects, inter alia. I would like to share some of the lovely flowers that are blooming in my garden which brings me a lot of joy. I do not know all their names but this does not matter as it is their beauty which never ceases to amaze me, the beauty that God has endowed for all of us to enjoy.

The following are the flowers of the Flame of the Forest which I planted outside the entrance of my house. The branches are low enough for me to snap the glorious flowers.

The beautiful fragrant multi-layer jasmine is one of my cherished plants growing in a dragon urn.

This pink rose has an extraordinary fragrance that is very sweet and strong. In fact its scent pervades the whole lounge when the cut blooms are in a vase placed before my late mother's portrait. She used to love roses.

The ixora are blooming nicely because of the spate of hot weather.

There are lots more flowers but I guess this will do for the moment. Glory to God for the beauty that surrounds us.

Each Happy Event is a Color in a Rainbow

My rainbow has beautiful bright colors, especially during the past few days.

The first is the lovely color of joy on my grandchildren's return to our home for the last week of their school holidays. Their laughter, their tales of school and their holiday, their easy camaraderie with their former schoolmates as they spent the day together at home brighten and liven the otherwise stillness of a home without the presence of youngsters. They have grown so much taller.

The second is the color of wonder and awe at the beauty of God's creations. The tiny white orchids that look like birds half hidden among the leaves of my mango tree that has been giving us delicious golden fruit are a wonderful surprise. These tiny flowers last only one day before they wither.

Another is the color of love from my children as they celebrate my birthday and keeping in touch. My grandchildren gave me a lovely pink cover for my new phone. My son flew in to spend time with us and we had lovely dinners together. Pearls are my favourite and the pearl ear studs that I had selected became a gift from my younger daughter while the lovely bracelet is from my son. My elder girl is giving me an expenses paid trip to Shenzhen. The gifts are tokens of their love for their mum and I know they love me very much, as do my grandchildren, who selected their gift by themselves.

Yet another color is the love I receive from my close friend who remembers my birthday. A lovely lunch and beautiful flowers from her garden made it a great day. I enjoyed the company and table talk.

Calls and good wishes from my faraway siblings are colors that make my rainbow more beautiful. Most deeply felt and appreciated is the lovely rainbow of blessings from God who loves us unconditionally and who has given us a beautiful world to inhabit.

A Sumptious Wedding Dinner

The wedding dinner was an eight course affair where each dish was served with sufficient time in between to allow the guests to mingle with others in the grand ballroom. Instead of helping ourselves to the food, we were served with our portions by the waitress who was delegated to our table.

A renowned band played and sang golden oldies which only the older generation could appreciate and enjoy, ensuring that all of us had a good evening.

We started off with the hot and cold combination dish comprising Japanese scallop skin with jelly fish, salad scallop which was served in a pastry cup, bean curd roll with kani stick and friend yam dumpling which was absolutely delicious.

Next came the braised shark’s fin soup with fresh crab meat.

Roasted crispy chicken with oriental barbecue sauce followed.

The next dish was steamed whole garoupa fish with home-made soy sauce.

We then had a combination of wok fried live tiger prawns with butter sauce and crispy egg floss and Marmite prawns.  I enjoyed the Marmite prawns as I don’t like butter sauce.

The next dish was stewed assorted mushroom and vegetable with gluten puff and abalone sauce.

The last dish was rice fried with chicken, green peas and silver anchovies followed by dessert which was sweet red bean soup with lotus seed and Chinese pancake.

Red wine and Chinese tea flowed freely through the meal. Those who preferred hard liquor were not disappointed.

The wedding cake specially baked by the bride’s cousins was sliced and distributed to guests who enjoyed the delicious and unusual cake, very different from the usual wedding cake served by the hotels.

All guests went home replete,  with a cute souvenir of a pair of love birds salt and pepper shakers in hand.