i can blog too...

(285) happy birthday, laogong...

2010-07-28T08:18:00.003+08:00

my present to laogong...

And the LORD God said,
'It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a companion who will help him.'
Genesis 2:18

Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life.
She will not hinder him but help him all her life.
Proverbs 31:11-12

(284) quote of the year?

2010-05-24T23:38:00.002+08:00

好马不吃回头草

(283) 七步诗...

2010-05-05T11:38:00.002+08:00

煮豆燃豆萁
豆在釜中泣
本是同根生
相煎何太急

zhǔ dòu rán dòu qí
dòu zài fǔ zhōng qì
běn shì tóng gēn shēng
xiāng jiān hé tài jí

(282) selfishness...

2010-05-03T18:08:00.000+08:00

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.
Albert Einstein

One of the greatest diseases is to be nobody to anybody.
Mother Teresa

(281) love one another...

2010-05-02T23:38:00.001+08:00

Jesus said: A new command I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
(John 13:34-35)

Today's gospel reading is so apt....
I am a disciple, NOT!

(280) 三字经...

2010-05-01T10:38:00.004+08:00

Talk Is Cheap
Speak No Evil
Hear No Evil
Do No Evil
Holier Than Thou
Silence Is Golden
VENI, VIDI, VICI

(279) hypocrisy...

2010-04-27T20:38:00.000+08:00

Better to be known as a sinner than a hypocrite.

(278) fact or fiction?

2010-03-26T23:38:00.002+08:00

It takes 7 secs for your food to get from your mouth to your stomach.

One human hair can support 3 kg.

The average man's penis is three times the length of his thumb.

Human thigh-bones are stronger than concrete.

A woman's heart beats faster than a man's.

There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.

Women blink twice as often as men.

The average person's skin weighs twice as much as the brain.

Your body uses 300 muscles to balance itself when you are standing still.

If saliva cannot dissolve something, you cannot taste it.

Women reading this will have finished by now.

Men are still busy checking their thumbs....

(277) judge not...

2010-03-16T19:18:00.001+08:00

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged
Condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned
Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven
[Luke 6:37]

(276) the best poem in the world...

2010-03-12T19:08:00.000+08:00

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
as I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
by the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
who made me sputter and gasp...
the thieves, the liars, the sinners,
the alcoholics, the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbour
who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought
was rotting away in hell,
was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, "What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

And why's everyone so quiet,
so sombre? Give me a clue."
"Hush, child," said He "They're all in shock.
No one thought they'd see you."

Judge NOT.

(275) forgive & forget?

2010-03-08T13:08:00.002+08:00

He's the talk of the town... the supposedly role-model who gave life lessons via his movies. Many expressed disbelief when it was made known that he is a Christian. Forgiving such indiscretions and for hurting his family is not easy. He is damn lucky his magnanimous wife has forgiven him.... or has she??

Ephesians 4:32 tells us to forgive each other as quickly as God forgave us.

Romans 12:17-18 tells us not to seek revenge, to do what is right and to live at peace with everyone as far as it is possible.

John 18:15-18, 25-27 & 21:15-19 Jesus forgave Peter, even after he denied knowing Jesus three times.

Luke 23:34 Jesus didn’t need someone to ask for forgiveness before He forgave. While He was on the cross, He forgave those who crucified Him.

(274) Lent 2010...

2010-03-06T21:18:00.002+08:00

Faith, if good deeds do not go with it, is quite dead.

[James 2:17]

(273) distress? destress?

2010-03-02T23:38:00.000+08:00

Dealing with stress in life:

1. Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

2. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

3. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

4. If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

5. When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

6. We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colours, but they all have to live in the same box.

(272) don't worry, be happy...

2010-02-25T11:08:00.005+08:00

The five simple rules to Be Happy...

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive
2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen
3. Live simply and appreciate what you have
4. Give more
5. Expect less

(271) merry christmas???

2009-12-25T14:48:00.003+08:00

I am a failure.

(270) it's all about...

2009-11-18T11:08:00.006+08:00

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than
the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure,
than successes, than what other people think or say or do.
It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill.
It will make or break a company... a church... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding
the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...
we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.
We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is
play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me
and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you...
we are in charge of our ATTITUDES.

by Charles R. Swindoll

(269) i'm a sinner...

2009-10-31T14:18:00.005+08:00

I'm not a particularly holy person, but today's incident made me think harder what it means to be a 'good Catholic'.

To many, it seems that being a good Catholic means toeing the 'party' line and being overly busy with all the right activities, for eg Bible studies. In some circles, a good Catholic can speak or pray well in public and is involved in many church activities - going to this, that and other church-related events. If this is so, then I am a sinner! (But the good news is that Jesus came to save sinners)

But is a really good Catholic one who is so involved in 'Christian activities' that he hardly has time to play catch with his kids? Is a good Catholic one who prays daily but does not treat people around him with basic courtesy? Pray, tell me how should a really good Catholic live his day-to-day life, at home, at work and at play?

(268) sunday school...

2009-10-25T23:28:00.001+08:00

An atheist was walking through the woods.....

"What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!" he said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in on him.

He looked over his shoulder again, and the bear was even closer. He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw and raising his right paw to strike him.

At that instant the atheist cried out, "Oh my God!"

At once, time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a powerful voice came out of the sky. "You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist and even credit creation to cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?"

The atheist looked directly into the light, "It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps you could make the BEAR a Christian?"

"Very well," said the powerful voice.

The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed.

Immediately, the bear dropped his right paw. It then brought both paws together, bowed his head and spoke:

"Lord bless this food which I am about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen."

(267) perks of reaching 50...

2009-10-16T22:38:00.001+08:00

1. In a hostage situation, you are likely to be released first.
2. No one expects you to run - anywhere.
3. Things you buy now won't wear out.
4. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.
5. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.
6. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.
7. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size.
8. You can't remember who sent you this list. And you notice these are all in big print for your convenience.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
(If you're 50, tell this to everyone you can remember right now!)

(266) shut up and sit down...

2009-10-10T15:08:00.006+08:00

Anybody can become angry - that is easy,
but to be angry with the right person
and to the right degree and at the right time
and for the right purpose,
and in the right way - that is not within
everybody's power and is not easy.

Aristotle (Greek philosopher, 384BC – 322BC)

(265) 三十六計...

2009-09-30T23:38:00.001+08:00

借刀杀人
jiè dāo shā rén

(264) believe it or not...

2009-09-15T23:38:00.010+08:00

Horrors.... I was taking my lunch when a 1.5cm long fishbone got stuck in my throat!

I tried to get it out by clearing my throat as if there was lots of phlegm stuck there but to no avail. Then I stuck my finger down my throat. Nothing.... except for some saliva and spots of blood. How do anorexic girls do it??

My throat hurt terribly and I was about to go to A&E when Rowina, my Filipina help said hesitantly, 'Ma'am, I don't know if you believe or not but I want to do something.' Quickly, she took a long fishbone from my plate, rinsed it, put it on my head and told me to be patient.

I didn't know what to think or say! So I cleared my throat again at the sink with a fishbone stuck in my throat and another on my hair. Rowina reminded me to be patient and to wait a while more. Then I decided to gargle my throat whilst tilting my head in such a way that the fishbone on my head would not fall off. As I bent my head forward carefully to spit out the water, I felt the fishbone in my mouth! I spat it out in great relief!

Rowina told me that she had to say a prayer after placing the fishbone on my head. She added another way they do it in the Philippines was to get a cat and wind its tail round one's neck! Old wives' tales?

But it was really amazing cos it was all over in a less than 2 minutes after the fishbone was placed on my head! Maybe I should give Rowina the $70 A&E fee!

(263) love...

2009-09-09T23:38:00.011+08:00

366 couples in Singapore tied the knot today even though it falls within the Hungry Ghost Month, the 7th month of the lunar calendar.

09/09/09 is a very special date because the number '9' or '九' is pronounced 'jiu', which sounds the same as '久' which means 'long-lasting' or 'forever'.

One person said: 'I believe that getting married is a lifetime commitment, and so I would like it to be an auspicious date like today 09/09/09. It means forever and we hope we can be together as long as we live.'

So many chose 09/09/09 as their wedding day, hoping that the date would bring longevity to their weddings and lives. But whatever date a couple chooses, they should bear in mind the following quote:

No one falls in love by choice, it is by chance.
No one stays in love by chance, it is by work.
No one falls out of love by chance, it is by choice.

(262) lesson of the day...

2009-08-07T21:38:00.006+08:00

One day, a farmer's donkey fell into a dry well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey as it was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway.

The farmer grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried even more piteously. Then it quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit its back, the donkey was doing something amazing. It would shake the dirt off and take a step up.

The farmer continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal. As he did so, it would continue to shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest well just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

OK...... enough of this crap! Later, the donkey came back and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him. The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died from septic shock.

REAL LESSON OF THE DAY
When you do something wrong
and try to cover your ass,
it always comes back to bite you.

(261) ROFL...

2009-07-22T23:38:00.009+08:00

Most Chinese will recognise these three deities. They are 福禄寿 or Fú Lù Shòu, which means Good Fortune, Prosperity and Longevity. Statues or pictures of them are hardly sold by their own since they provide symbolism as a trinity and enhance each one's powers by this union.

This is the Tianzi Hotel in Hebei Province, China. Apparently this 10-storey hotel holds the Guinness World Record for the 'Biggest Image Building'.... whatever that means!!

(260) have a break...

2009-06-27T20:18:00.002+08:00

London.Paris.Lourdes.1
London.Paris.Lourdes.2
London.Paris.Lourdes.3
London.Paris.Lourdes.4

(259) crazy...

2009-05-22T11:38:00.002+08:00

OMG.... I stayed up 6 days/nights to finish the
25 episodes of that Korean drama 'Boys Over Flowers'??

It is all Emily's and BTG's faults for making
me watch the first episode last Saturday!

(258) old chinese proverb...

2009-05-11T18:38:00.002+08:00

Those who play the game
do not see as clearly as those who watch!

(257) pissed no more...

2009-05-08T15:38:00.004+08:00

He who angers you, Conquers you.

He who endures, Conquers.

(256) confucius says...

2009-04-27T23:38:00.000+08:00

Better to be pissed off than pissed on

(255) damned pissed...

2009-04-12T15:08:00.003+08:00

Damned if I do,
Damned if I don't.

(254) R & R...

2009-03-19T15:38:00.001+08:00

Recession & Reduction....

Ouch!

I've got a really huge paycut!

Got to tighten my belt and cut the kids' allowances!

Maybe it's time for them to pay their own phone bills.

(253) health management...

2009-03-11T15:08:00.006+08:00

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies....

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION:
Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you!

(252) MCQ option 4...

2009-02-28T14:38:00.002+08:00

Why Option 4??

Option 1: Diet
After his annual check-up on Monday, Laogong asked to go on a diet because his doctor said he should get rid of 9kg! I decided to do it too so that we can motivate each other. Our 3-day diet/detox programme ended yesterday. Emily says that we will probably pig-out till our next session which is in 2 weeks' time. We weighed ourselves this morning - Laogong and I lost 2kg each :D We shall eat in moderation and shall not snack! We have to prove Emily wrong!

Option 2: Exercise
Laogong and I try to exercise daily but it's a rather sedentary 45-min walk. We have increased our pace and if we're up to it, we carry weights as we plod along. Jon tells us to jog but our knees won't be able to take this sudden 'attack'. We'll just stick to brisk walking for the time being!

Option 3: Wardrobe Update
Times are bad. So we'll just ransack our cupboards for clothes that we couldn't fit in since eons ago. Oh gosh.... more vigorous exercise and detox sessions before we can fit into those clothes!

WISH US LUCK!!

(251) MCQ option 3...

2009-02-22T15:18:00.005+08:00

Perhaps, the correct answer is to get myself new clothes??

Because when you hang something in your cupboard for awhile....

Somehow it shrinks two sizes!!

And I have finally found out what Victoria's Secret is....

The secret is: Nobody older than 30 can fit into their stuff :(

(250) MCQ option 2...

2009-02-18T17:28:00.001+08:00

So is exercise the answer??

I don't exercise at all.
If God had wanted me to touch my toes,
He would have put them up higher on my body.

If I do exercise....
The only exercise I get is jumping to conclusions.

Anyway, I'm in shape....
ROUND is a shape.

(249) MCQ option 1...

2009-02-12T22:08:00.005+08:00

But do diets really work??

Chocolate is a vegetable.
Huh??
Well, chocolate is derived from cacao beans.
Bean = vegetable.
Sugar is derived from either sugar CANE or sugar BEETS.
Both are plants, which places them in the vegetable category.
Thus, chocolate is a vegetable.

Did you ever see the customers in a health-food store?
They are pale, skinny people who look half-dead.
In a steakhouse you see robust, ruddy people.
They're dying of course but they look terrific!

(248) MCQ...

2009-01-29T22:38:00.006+08:00

I'M SERIOUSLY OVERWEIGHT!

SHOULD I....
(1) go on a diet?
(2) exercise daily?
(3) buy new clothes?
(4) select all the above?

(247) reflections for CNY 2009...

2009-01-25T00:38:00.016+08:00

The article below was written by Lee Wei Ling for the Sunday Times, 04 Jan 2009. She is the Director of the National Neuroscience Institute but is most likely recognised for who her family members are.

I had been so busy the past weeks that I didn't have time to read her article. But now that my CNY preparations are almost completed, I sat down and slowly digested its contents....

Lee Wei Ling: My house is shabby, but it is comfortable....

In 2007, in an end-of-year message to the staff of the National Neuroscience Institute, I wrote: ‘Whilst boom time in the public sector is never as booming as in the private sector, let us not forget that boom time is eventually followed by slump time. Slump time in the public sector is always less painful compared to the private sector.’

Slump time has arrived with a bang.

While I worry about the poorer Singaporeans who will be hit hard, perhaps this recession has come at an opportune time for many of us. It will give us an incentive to reconsider our priorities in life.

Decades of the good life have made us soft. The wealthy especially, but also the middle class in Singapore, have had it so good for so long, what they once considered luxuries, they now think of as necessities.

A mobile phone, for instance, is now a statement about who you are, not just a piece of equipment for communication. Hence many people buy the latest model though their existing mobile phones are still in perfect working order.

A Mercedes-Benz is no longer adequate as a status symbol. For millionaires who wish to show the world they have taste, a Ferrari or a Porsche is deemed more appropriate.

The same attitude influences the choice of attire and accessories. I still find it hard to believe that there are people carrying handbags that cost more than thrice the monthly income of a bus driver, and many more times that of the foreign worker labouring in the hot sun, risking his life to construct luxury condominiums he will never have a chance to live in.

The media encourages and amplifies this ostentatious consumption. Perhaps it is good to encourage people to spend more because this will prevent the recession from getting worse. I am not an economist, but wasn’t that the root cause of the current crisis - Americans spending more than they could afford to?

I am not a particularly spiritual person. I don’t believe in the supernatural and I don’t think I have a soul that will survive my death. But as I view the crass materialism around me, I am reminded of what my mother once told me: ‘Suffering and deprivation is good for the soul.’

My family is not poor, but we have been brought up to be frugal. My parents and I live in the same house that my paternal grandparents and their children moved into after World War II in 1945. It is a big house by today’s standards, but it is simple - in fact, almost to the point of being shabby.

Those who see it for the first time are astonished that Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew’s home is so humble. But it is a comfortable house, a home we have got used to. Though it does look shabby compared to the new mansions on our street, we are not bothered by the comparison.

Most of the world and much of Singapore will lament the economic downturn. We have been told to tighten our belts. There will undoubtedly be suffering, which we must try our best to ameliorate.

But I personally think the hard times will hold a timely lesson for many Singaporeans, especially those born after 1970 who have never lived through difficult times.

No matter how poor you are in Singapore, the authorities and social groups do try to ensure you have shelter and food. Nobody starves in Singapore.

Many of those who are currently living in mansions and enjoying a luxurious lifestyle will probably still be able to do so, even if they might have to downgrade from wines costing $20,000 a bottle to $10,000 a bottle. They would hardly notice the difference.

Being wealthy is not a sin. It cannot be in a capitalist market economy. Enjoying the fruits of one’s own labour is one’s prerogative and I have no right to chastise those who choose to live luxuriously.

But if one is blinded by materialism, there would be no end to wanting and hankering. After the Ferrari, what next? An Aston Martin? After the Hermes Birkin handbag, what can one upgrade to?

Neither an Aston Martin nor an Hermes Birkin can make us truly happy or contented. They are like dust, a fog obscuring the true meaning of life, and can be blown away in the twinkling of an eye.

When the end approaches and we look back on our lives, will we regret the latest mobile phone or luxury car that we did not acquire? Or would we prefer to die at peace with ourselves, knowing that we have lived lives filled with love, friendship and goodwill, that we have helped some of our fellow voyagers along the way and that we have tried our best to leave this world a slightly better place than how we found it?

We know which is the correct choice - and it is within our power to make that choice.

In this new year, burdened as it is with the problems of the year that has just ended, let us again try to choose wisely.

To a considerable degree, our happiness is within our own control, and we should not follow the herd blindly.

(246) Hello 2009...

2009-01-01T23:38:00.001+08:00

I fell ill shortly after I got back from the family trip. Sadly, I am still sick from this terrible flu on this 1st day of 2009!

So I wish for myself a Very Healthy New Year! And I wish everyone a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year!

Many people look forward to the New Year
for a new start on old habits.

May your troubles in the new year be
as short-lived as your resolutions.

AND....

A New Year's resolution is something that goes
in one year and out the other.

(245) goodbye 2008...

2008-12-31T23:38:00.014+08:00

As usual, December was too much of a good thing! Everyone, especially the kids had too much fun - birthday celebrations, chalets, sleepovers, late-night suppers, wedding anniversary celebrations, outings (to foodcourts), Night Safari and the family trip to KL/Genting (again?!!). And the adults refused to lose out and had tons of 'F's.... Figure-wrecking Food!

Judith's & Bosco's Birthday Dinner at Nihon Mura

23rd Wedding Anniversary (We were caught by surprise! Tsk, so sloppy!)

2nd Family Chalet for 2008

Doing the touristy stuff during the KL-Genting Trip

Maternal Grandparents' 52nd Wedding Anniversary at Prima Restaurant

There was more! We also celebrated paternal grandmother's dinner (food again!). Unfortunately the kids were all too busy having fun to upload their pics so I'll just have to wait :(

(244) conman...

2008-11-18T23:28:00.006+08:00

I was in the toilet when the phone rang at 9.03am. Within 2 minutes, it rang again. This time, I managed to get to the cordless phone but Ben picked up the other phone at the same time. I heard Ben answer with a 'hello' to which the distressed male caller blurted out: 爸爸, 我出事了!

Ben and I hung up almost simultaneously. I ran downstairs to confirm with Ben what we had just heard. Ben then told me that there was no response when he answered the first call. Despite the fact that Jon was away in Batam on a school trip, the incident was really laughable..... Jon wouldn't have spoken to us in Mandarin!

Gosh, this con stuff had been in the news for quite some time already. Did that trickster really think that he could get away with it? He must have thought Ben was a dad who didn't go to work today. Well, Laogong was still at home at that time..... fast asleep!

(243) oktoberfest...

2008-10-28T23:38:00.018+08:00

LOL, Judith asked for an update when she could have just gone into Facebook to view the pics! So here you are....

During the first week, the maternal family and I had a short but relaxing break at the SAF bungalow at Changi Village, courtesy of Uncle Joe. The bungalow was brand-new and very comfortable, for eg: 4 spacious bedrooms, each with its own LCD tv. So Darren and Emily watched movies the whole night, fell asleep with the tv on and woke up the next day, just in time for afternoon tea!

Then came mid-week and my xxth birthday! Laogong wanted to take me out for dinner but I decided not to... must save! Emily bought me a birthday cake! She must be feeling very rich from all her part-time jobs! I was in the study room when I heard a sudden 'whooosh' sound..... Ben lit the candle with his blowtorch and melted the top end of the candle and a bit of the cake!!

Then we had Porpor's birthday celebrations on the third week! Bosco (from the paternal side of the family) who often joins us on our Sundays at Porpor's home wanted to be a part of it. He surprised Porpor with a present and a bouquet of roses. Bosco wanted to 'score points' as well as secure his visits to Porpor's house for the rest of the year!

But October fun is not yet over! Ben's 21st birthday is just round the corner! 2nd sis-in-law and I had asked Ben if he wanted a 21st party but he declined. So it will just be our annual Ben's birthday-Halloween-family party.

(242) tenacity...

2008-09-26T12:18:00.002+08:00

(241) faith...

2008-09-21T15:38:00.008+08:00

Today's sermon touched a little too briefly on faith. So, what is faith? Well, I think it is best summed up below....

The teacher was going to explain evolution to her class of six-year olds. She started off by asking one of the little children:

TEACHER: Jimmy do you see the tree outside?
JIMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Jimmy, do you see the grass outside?
JIMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Go outside and look up and see if you can see the sky.
JIMMY: Okay. (He returned a few minutes later) Yes, I saw the sky.
TEACHER: Did you see God?
JIMMY: No.
TEACHER: That's my point. We can't see God because he isn't there. He just doesn't exist.

A little girl in the class spoke up and said she wanted to ask the boy some questions. The teacher agreed and the little girl asked the boy:

LITTLE GIRL: Jimmy, do you see the tree outside?
JIMMY: Yes.
LITTLE GIRL: Jimmy do you see the grass outside?
JIMMY: Yessssss!
LITTLE GIRL: Do you see the sky?
JIMMY: Yessssss!
LITTLE GIRL: Jimmy, do you see the teacher?
JIMMY: Yes.
LITTLE GIRL: Do you see her brain?
JIMMY: No.
LITTLE GIRL: Then according to what we were just taught, she must not have one!

BURN!!!!!!!!!!!

FOR WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT - 2 CORINTHIANS 5:7

(240) MIA...

2008-09-10T23:38:00.005+08:00

I can't believe I had not posted for more than a month! My friendster is dead while my facebook is zzzzzZZZZZZZ! And please don't take offence if I don't reply cos I don't check hotmail regularly either.

Many people tell me I've got loads of time on my hands now that the kids are old enough to take care of themselves! Yes, I'd stopped tutoring them eons ago. Lately, I'm no more a 24/7 chauffeur though occasionally I ferry the kids (if 17 to 22 year olds are still considered kids) about. Oh yes, i still do a bit of nagging on and off

So what had I been so busy with? Errmmm.... I blog-hop, tag boards here and there, read the news, check-out the stock market but mostly, I visit my favourite forum. Hahahaha, if you want to know what forum it is.... Well, besides trashy romance novels, I have always loved mystery and detective novels. So this forum is about a real-life still unsolved 'whodunit' police case!

But hey, in between all these surfing, tagging and being an amateur armchair detective, I DO do real work!

(239) a date with...

2008-08-04T23:38:00.024+08:00

Dynasty & Infamous

After the Asian Invitational held in Desaru, these young men sailed in and flew out of Singapore, all in less than a day.

Actually Ben and the Red Sevens were showing them around the fine city of Singapore for the day. Since Ben hasn't gotten his driving licence yet, I was roped in to help out!

I'm sure many local paintballers are really pained (yah, I'm so lame) that a middle-aged non-paintballing woman got to meet these awesome pros! LOL, my nephews, Iggy and Andrew, would have skipped school if they had known!

(238) more prayers...

2008-07-20T23:38:00.007+08:00

Unbelievable.... 'The Prayer' had jolted BK into attending mass today! So I've gotten a few more prayers for BK. Well, another prayer or two will break the monotony of reciting the same prayer night after night....

Computer Addict's Prayer 1
The Lord is my Programmer, I shall not crash.
He installed His software on the hard disk of my heart;
all of His commands are user-friendly.
His directory guides me to the right choices for His name's sake
Even though I scroll through the problems of life,
I will fear no bugs, for he is my backup.
His password protects me.
He prepares a menu before me in the presence of my enemies.
His help is only a keystroke away.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,
And my file will be merged with His and saved forever.

Computer Addict's Prayer 2
Dear God,

Help me log on without fretting
Guide me, as I am interneting
Bless my downloading and uploading
Keep my browser from exploding

May my website be protected?
Let not my password be rejected
Keep my line always connected
And all my inputs be accepted

Please keep my entire program alive
And to remember to back up my hard drive
And protect my computer from crashing drive,
From a virus that would make it nesting hive

Amen

(237) the prayer...

2008-07-18T14:38:00.006+08:00

This post is specially dedicated to BK cos he told me to update! As there are five of them, which one of the siblings am I referring to?

Well, this particular BK isn't very religious. He does not go to church often cos he's always tired out after the long hours at his computer. But I understand our dear Almighty (as he calls himself) has lately, been trying his very best to attend catechism class every Saturday. Maybe that's because there are many girls at 'cat' class??

So BK, here's a very special prayer just for you. Maybe, if you recite it every night before you go to bed, your faith will rekindle and grow stronger each day!

Dear Lord,

Every single evening
As I'm lying here in bed,
This tiny little Prayer
Keeps running through my head:

God bless all my family
Wherever they may be,
Keep them warm and safe from harm
For they're so close to me.

God, there is one more thing
I wish that you could do;
Hope you don't mind me asking,
Please bless my computer too.

Now I know that it's unusual
To Bless a motherboard,
But listen just a second
While I explain it to you, Lord.

You see, that little metal box
Holds more than odds and ends;
Inside those small compartments
Rest so many of my friends.

I know so much about them
By the kindness that they give,
And this little scrap of metal
Takes me in to where they live.

By faith is how I know them
Much the same as you.
We share in what life brings us
And from that our friendships grew.

Please take an extra minute
From your duties up above,
To bless those in my address book
That's filled with so much love.

Wherever else this prayer may reach
To each and every friend,
Bless each e-mail inbox
And each person who hits 'send'.

When you update your Heavenly list
On your own Great CD-ROM,
Bless everyone who says this prayer
Before the chance has gone

Amen

(236) dumb & dumber...

2008-07-09T21:08:00.000+08:00

It's better to remain silent and be thought a fool,
than speak and remove all doubt.

(235) fun, food and fats...

2008-06-30T18:18:00.005+08:00

The second half of June was a whirl of fun, food and good company! It kicked off with an early Father's Day celebration on 14 June with the paternal side of the family. Some people couldn't make it, so foodwise wasn't that great but the atmosphere made up for it.

Then BTG and two of her brothers (Bosco & Mayle) decided to sleepover that night cos they wanted to pick Judith from the airport the next morning. They helped Emily prepare two placards: 'Hello' and 'Judith'. LOL.... when Judith approached the luggage belt, Laogong and Emily held the placards the wrong way that they read 'Judith Hello'! They probably didn't have enough sleep cos Judith's flight came in at 5.30am!

In the evening, it was family time with the materal side of the family as we had an early Father's Day celebration too! The maternal grandparents were pleasantly surprised to see Judith as we had kept her very short trip home a secret from them! They were also surprised to see four more 'grandkids' - 'gatecrashers' from the paternal side of the family!

The Dads!

Judith & the Crashers at the Park

The Bona-fide Grandkids

The Feast! (the reason we had crashers)

The next day, Sunday afternoon, was spent shopping with Judith, Emily and BTG. They probably wanted me along cos I am their ATM machine. And to justify their many buys, the girls made me to get new clothes for myself. They said I needed a complete makeover. Phew, we got home in time to pick up Laogong and the boys to Nihon Mura for our own Father's Day dinner!

On Monday, as if we didn't have enough food and fun during the past three days, we made our way to the Safra resort for our annual 4D/3N family chalet! As usual, we had a bbq on the first night and a seafood dinner at Changi Village on the second night. But for the last night... we had leftovers! So sad, right??

Just when I thought the feasting was over, my cousin, Catherine invited my family for dinner. Lots of time, it was always 'Hi-Bye' when we meet. But this time round, we had a leisurely and cosy get-together last Saturday. What a pity Judith had to fly off one week earlier. She and Brigitte would had have lots to catch up on. Food was secondary but I must say Catherine's bbq was the certainly the best I ever had!

Sigh.... now for Great Singapore Workout to get rid of the excess kilos!

(234) work ethics...

2008-06-12T11:38:00.006+08:00

I have offended God and mankind because
my work didn't reach the quality it should have
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

Work ethics include not only how one feels about his job,
career or vocation, but also how one does his job or carry
out his responsibilities. This involves attitude, behaviour,
respect, communication and interaction; how one gets
along with others. In short, one must be dedicated and
committed to completing his work and tasks successfully

(233) accountability...

2008-06-09T18:28:00.001+08:00

The ancient Romans had a tradition...

Whenever one of their engineers constructed an arch,
as the capstone was hoisted into place,
the engineer assumed accountability for his work
in the most profound way possible...

He stood under the arch!

(232) happy vesak day?

2008-05-19T00:18:00.015+08:00

Brendan Mayle Kor Chong Li's birthday falls on Vesak Day this year. But he is sad because his mum is in China and it is his first birthday with no cake and no party. So what does he do? At 10pm, he rings big-mama to ask if he can sleep over.

At the magic hour, Emily surprised Brendan Mayle Kor Chong Li with an ice-cream, topped with a solitary PINK candle. Big-mama then presented him with an angpow and Laogong, Ben, Jon and Bosco (his brother who slept over too) boosted his spirits with the birthday song!

So Brendan Mayle Kor Chong Li is a happy boy once more!
(Look at him... gripping so tightly onto his angpow!)

(231) mother's day message...

2008-05-11T23:38:00.001+08:00

Whilst in the car today, Jon asked me what my purpose in life is. Maybe he asked because it is Mother's Day. I replied that I'm here to teach/guide my children to be good, kind, responsible, blah, blah, blah, blah (good stuff only) persons. But unfortunately, I'm at it so much that they think I'm a nagger. And on this special day, I have something really enlightening for all kids out there ....

Rule 1: Life is not fair. Get used to it.

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $40,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone, until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping - they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault. Don't whine about your mistakes - learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how 'cool' you are. So before you save the rainforest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try 'delousing' the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades, they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffeeshop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

CREDITS: Charles J. Sykes, author of the book 'Dumbing Down Our Kids'

(230) labour day...

2008-05-01T15:28:00.000+08:00

To commemorate Labour Day 2008, a new office policy will be implemented. Kindly adhere to the policy when you report for work on 02 May 2008.

Dress Code:
You are advised to come to work dressed according to your salary.
* If we see you wearing Prada shoes and carrying a Gucci bag, we will assume you are doing well financially and therefore do not need a raise.
* If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes, and therefore you do not need a raise.
* If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a raise.

Sick Days:
We will no longer accept a doctor's statement as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.

Personal Days:
Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year. They are called Saturdays & Sundays.

Bereavement Leave:
This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, relatives or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have non-employees attend the funeral arrangements in your place. In rare cases where employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch hour and subsequently leave one hour early.

Toilet Breaks:
Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilet. There is now a strict three-minute time limit in the cubicles. At the end of three minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the cubicle door will open, and a picture will be taken. After your second offence, your picture will be posted on the company bulletin board under the 'Chronic Offenders' category. Anyone caught smiling in the picture will be sectioned under the company's mental health policy.

Lunch Break:
* Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch, as they need to eat more, so that they can look healthy.
* Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure.
* Chubby people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that's all the time needed to drink a Slim-Fast.

Thank you for your loyalty to our company. We are here to provide a positive employment experience. Therefore, all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternation and input should be directed elsewhere.

The Management

(229) maidless...

2008-04-22T15:28:00.000+08:00

16 days down, 11 more days to go.
Housework is something no one notices unless you don't do it!

(228) DIY...

2008-04-19T14:18:00.000+08:00

If you're stressed (see Post 227) and you can't
just pack up to go on that badly-needed vacation....

(227) stress test...

2008-04-02T08:58:00.000+08:00

This test consists of viewing a photo of 2 Dolphins...

* The dolphins appear to be nearly identical when viewed by stress-free individuals. The test is not sufficiently accurate to detect mild stress differentials, but is very accurate on individuals with higher stress-levels.

* Deviations in appearance between the 2 dolphins are indicators of potential stress-related problems and the deviations, if any, may also indicate the source of stress.

* If you experience significant deviations, you may want to consider taking things a little easier or perhaps go on a vacation...

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HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!

(226) tolerance...

2008-04-01T14:38:00.000+08:00

Human diversity makes tolerance more than a virtue;
it makes it a requirement for survival.

(225 ) 40 tips for a better life...

2008-03-28T14:28:00.000+08:00

Someone sent me this today....

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day... buy a lock if you have to.

3. Record your late night shows and get more sleep.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to ________ today.'

5. Live with the 3 E's - Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.

6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.

7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai-chi, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more food that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

11. Drink green tea and plenty of warm water. Eat blueberries, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

15. Realise that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed-out charge card.

17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

23. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

26. Forgive everyone for everything.

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

28. GOD heals almost everything.

29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

33. The best is yet to come.

34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

35. Do the right thing!

36.. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!)

37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for ________. Today I accomplished ________.

38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

40. Please forward this to everyone you care about.

Instead of forwarding the email, I took the easy way out - copied and pasted it on my blog ....

(224 ) super hot news...

2008-02-28T17:08:00.000+08:00

No no, this is not about Edison Chen and his harem of starlets!

From the AsiaOne website:
THE leader of the Singapore terrorist Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) network, Mas Selamat Kastari, escaped from the Whitley Road detention centre at about 4.05 pm on Wednesday, said the Ministry of Home Affairs in a statement.

A massive manhunt involving the police, Gurkhas and Special Operations Command forces, is underway to track down the escaped detainee, who walks with a limp.

'He is not known to be armed. Extensive police resources have been deployed to track him down,' said the ministry statement.

The forces have fanned out to areas in Beauty World in Upper Bukit Timah, Goldhill Avenue near Barker Road, and the men are knocking on homes asking residents if they have seen the escapee.

Yep, my estate was totally encompassed by scores of policemen and soldiers. Special operations personnel were all over the place. There were road blocks at the exit points of the estate. We even saw a car bearing the licence plate 'SPF 1'. No prize for correct guesses as to whose car that was! We also saw the top guy of our Gurkha Force.

I smsed the news to Ben and Emily and told them to 'train' to Newton Station so that I can pick them up. Guess what? They met up with each other at Orchard and told me they would 'bus' and then walk home together. They were such 'kaypohs', like their mummy!

Wow, the security personnel rang my doorbell at 12.40am, requesting to come in to check my garden and the backyard! The plainclothes officer and the young NSFs trooped into my house, boots and all. Gosh, Laogong slept right through all the noise!

Earlier, I had asked Laogong if we should go for our usual after-dinner walk. He replied, 'Why not? Tonight's the safest night ever to have a stroll!'

I hope our security forces apprehend that chap asap!

(223) choices...

2008-02-01T14:28:00.000+08:00

It was mealtime on a budget airline and the flight stewardess asked the passenger if he would like dinner.
Hungry Passenger: What are my choices?
Flight Stewardess: Yes or No.

NERD 1: Wow, where did you get such a great bike?
NERD 2: Well, I was walking along yesterday minding my own business when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike. She threw the bike to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, 'Take what you want.'
NERD 1 (nodded approvingly): Good choice, the clothes probably wouldn't have fit.

Sometimes life is difficult because of the number of choices we have to make. Some choices are very easy to make - it's either right or wrong, black or white. But many fall in gray areas. Sometimes we have to decide between what is good and what is better, what is just okay and what is right or best.

(222) damming evidence...

2008-01-22T15:38:00.000+08:00

Andrew asked for the photos to be put up asap.
He's the cool guy with the cap!
Somehow, he gets himself into every pic!

Even with two male cousins overseas, the girls are still outnumbered!

Look who we ~~caught~~ got here!
Andrew + Baileys = Underage Drinking!
When he was done, Andrew pleaded:
*Please sir, I want some more....*

*From the classics 'Oliver Twist' where Oliver asked his master for more gruel

(221) busy?

2008-01-21T07:08:00.000+08:00

I've been lazy.
Very very lazy!

(220) of men & fine wine...

2008-01-09T09:28:00.000+08:00

Men are like a fine wine.

They all start out like grapes,

And it's our job, to stomp on them and keep them in the dark

Until they mature into something you'd like to have dinner with.

(219) recap...

2008-01-08T03:38:00.000+08:00

Year 2007 came and went, rather swiftly I must say. Well, time really flies as one gets older! Anyway, it was a pretty good year and I hope Year 2008 will bring more goodies for me and everyone else!

December was certainly the highlight of Year 2007! Laogong and I, his parents and 4 nephews flew to Brisbane for Judith's graduation. While we were there, we had ~~excuses~~ reasons for the many celebratory dinners. We had a Thai dinner after Judith's convocation, an Indian meal when she passed her driving test and of course, a Chinese dinner on her 21st birthday! When we got back, Judith celebrated her birthday all over again, this time with a costume party.

Food, Fun & the Newbie Driver!

So Laogong and I had a very quiet 22nd anniversary celebration this year. And before we could lose those extra kilos we had put on, there was the annual Christmas Eve dinner with Laogong's clan, followed by the Christmas lunch with the maternal side of the family!

Finally, to round off the year, we set off on a long-awaited break on Boxing Day. It was only a 5-day trip to Genting/KL but as it had been quite a few years since the cousins had a holiday together, they were super-excited. Only about half of the entire clan could make it but we had the coach all to ourselves, 24 of us!

The kids had plenty to amuse themselves with on the coach, in their rooms and at the theme park. The adults had their share of fun too.... at the casino! And whilst in KL, the girls had a great time shopping while the guys had a go at ~~painball~~ paintball.

The Clan

Nocturnal Activities

四大美人


The Four Great 'Ah Sohs'

* For the uninitiated in Chinese literature: 四大美人

(218) the paradox of our age...

2007-12-26T07:38:00.000+08:00

We have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less. We buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life, not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour. We've conquered outerspace but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorces, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete....

Remember to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember to say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all, mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. by Dr Bob Moorehead

WISHING ALL A BLESSED CHRISTMAS!

(217) past, present, future...

2007-12-20T17:38:00.000+08:00

One day at a time -- this is enough.

Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone;

And do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come.

Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering.

(216) made in china...

2007-12-16T09:08:00.000+08:00

Whenever Laogong goes to China, he loves to buy stuff, stuff which I do not like or want. So this is a reminder for him.....

A man went on a business to China and wanted to buy some presents for his kids. He went to a shop and found a nice-looking CD player. Wary of buying inferior goods, he asked the shopkeeper, 'What would happened if this does not work?'

The shopkeeper quietly pointed to the only sign in his shop. It was in English and it read: 'GUARANTEE NO SPOILT'

Thus feeling assured, he paid for the CD player and returned to his hotel. He tried to use the CD player in his hotel room but it would not even switch on.

He quickly returned to the shop and asked for a refund or an exchange for another unit. When the shopkeeper refused to give either, the businessman pointed to the English sign that had assured him of a guarantee.

The shopkeeper then said, '兄弟, you are in China. Here, we read from the right to the left.'

(215) i'm back...

2007-12-07T15:38:00.000+08:00

I flew down under on 26/11 for Judith's graduation and only got home last night. Ben, Em and Jon could not make it, so it was just me, Laogong and his parents. In the end, 4 nephews also tagged along cos their families' holiday plans were scuttled! We all stayed with Laogong's youngest sis. It was pretty tough balancing the interests of 6 boisterous boys (plus sis-in-law's sons) and 2 old folks. Despite that, we had fun and many hilarious moments.....

The boys swam every day, went for Laserforce challenges, bowled, did rock-climbing and had repetitious rides at the theme parks. They graciously attended Judith's graduation ceremony and shamelessly proclaimed that the best part of it was the refreshments! They then celebrated her graduation by pinching her champagne during dinner. The next day, they celebrated her 21st birthday with a yummy cake and a sumptuous Chinese dinner.....

(214) pooped...

2007-11-20T02:38:00.000+08:00

I was sending Em & btg to school this morning when our car stopped at the traffic lights outside Thomson Medical Centre.....

big-mama: Yuks, look at that dog. At least the owner is civic-minded enough to pick up after it. But it's so gross! You know, we clean our butts after shitting, but dogs don't do it.

btg: *grins*

Em: But dogs lick themselves clean!!

big-mama: Yeah, then they lick your face, hands... And they jump onto the sofa, your bed, your lap...

Em/btg: *grimace*

big-mama: Hey btg, your mum told me that you and your siblings have been asking for a dog, the cute little toy dog type. How? You still want to get?

btg: I don't want anymore!

I know, I know, big-mama is a meanie. Dog-lovers, no flaming please!

(213) momsense...

2007-11-12T08:38:00.000+08:00

Judith dedicated a post to me today...
Yah, mums have lots to say to their kids...
And 1 day's nagging is condensed into 2 min 55 sec!
Well, here's her dedication to her no-nonsense mum...

(212) neighbourliness...

2007-11-11T10:38:00.000+08:00

Sis-in-law gave me 5 pots of bird's nest fern.
They sat pretty in a row, along the garden wall,
Basking in the sun's warm embrace.

Last month someone ~~stole~~ took one of the pots!
Ok, no frets cos Sis-in-law gave me one more.
So my garden wall was pretty and green again.

A few days ago, I noticed a gap in the row again!
After I had replaced the ~~stolen~~ missing plant,
Someone had ~~stolen~~ taken yet another pot!

A good neighbour doubles the value of a house.
So, is my neighbourhood 'going to the dogs'??

(211) h is for...

2007-11-04T07:38:00.001+08:00

'H' is for HALLOWEEN
'H' is for HILARIOUS

Yes, that's Laogong & me!
Wow, our uniforms still fit?

(210) boo!

2007-11-01T14:38:00.000+08:00

Happy 20th Birthday, Ben!

The clan had a halloween party for the 2nd consecutive year,
much to Ben's glee! Hah, he celebrated his birthday once again
with the extended family and collected loads of ang-pows!
At least, he didn't have 'strange' guests this time round!

(209) the customer is king...

2007-10-29T11:28:00.000+08:00

During lunch today, Laogong told Em and Jon about his recent encounter with an obnoxious customer. I would have handled the situation differently and to my surprise, the kids agreed with the way Laogong had handled him.

So, the customer is NOT always king! And here's one of the many creative ways to handle a difficult one.....

WAITER: What would you like to have... Fruit juice, Soda, Tea, Chocolate, Milo, Wine or Coffee?

CUSTOMER: Tea please

WAITER: Ceylon tea, Herbal tea, Bush tea, Honey bush tea, Ice tea or green tea?

CUSTOMER: Ceylon tea

WAITER: How would you like it ? Black or white?

CUSTOMER: White

WAITER: Milk, Creamer or Condensed milk?

CUSTOMER: With milk

WAITER: Goat milk, Camel milk or Cow milk?

CUSTOMER: With cow milk please

WAITER: Milk from Freeze land cow or Afrikaner cow?

CUSTOMER: Ummm, I'll take it black

WAITER: Would you like it with sweetener, sugar or honey?

CUSTOMER: With sugar

WAITER: Beet sugar or cane sugar?

CUSTOMER: Cane sugar

WAITER: White, brown or yellow cane sugar?

CUSTOMER: Forget about tea. Just give me a glass of water instead

WAITER: Mineral water or still water?

CUSTOMER: Mineral water

WAITER: Flavoured or non-flavoured?

CUSTOMER: I'll rather die of thirst

(208) winners & losers...

2007-10-28T13:28:00.000+08:00

A winner is always part of the answer.
A loser is always part of the problem.

A winner always has a plan.
A loser always has an excuse.

A winner says: 'Let me do it for you.'
A loser says: 'That is not my job.'

A winner sees an answer for any problem.
A loser sees a problem for any answer.

A winner sees a green near every sandtrap.
A loser sees two sandtraps near every
green.

A winner says: 'It may be difficult but it's possible.'
A loser says: 'It may be possible but it's too difficult.'

What are you?

(207) SUPER-PISSED!

2007-10-16T04:38:00.000+08:00

Never ever assume...

Never take others for granted...

You may just upset someone's plans...

It's always courteous to ask first!

(206) is surrender an option?

2007-10-13T08:28:00.000+08:00

After all the hullabaloo...

After that run-in...

After Ben's pep talk...

Jon finally gave up DOTA...

Only to be sucked into the world of HALO 3...

To wage his war in defence of humanity!!

(205) mum can cook...

2007-10-11T12:08:00.000+08:00

I cooked lunch today. It was only fish porridge but it was very yummy fish porridge. Every spoonful was a generous serving of fish slices, strips of omelette, chopped spring onion and finely-sliced ginger. Laogong wanted a second helping but he was not allowed to cos he's supposed to watch his waistline.

Somebody woke up at 3pm today (and that was after I kept kicking at her bed). That somebody did not get up immediately. She continued lazing in bed and finally came downstairs at 4pm for TRUNCH! (TRUNCH = Tea+Breakfast+Lunch)

Because the porridge was cooked in a different way from the maid's, that somebody said, 'Wahhhh... you bought the porridge, is it?' Yeah, yeah... I know I seldom cook but that doesn't mean I can't cook!

(204) self-denial...

2007-10-02T12:38:00.000+08:00

I am not fat. I have not put on weight.

I can't believe I was doing it wrong all these years.

This is the CORRECT method to weigh yourself!

(203) if i can change the world...

2007-09-19T05:38:00.000+08:00

Yes, I know... I have not updated for quite a while.

Well, so many things have happened and are happening at the same time.

It's just too overwhelming!

Sigh....

(202) happy birthday...

2007-09-08T14:38:00.000+08:00

We went out for dinner today.

Just before we left home, I saw Jon taking out $$ from his savings pouch. I had wondered why. But it never crossed my mind.

To the littlest one in the family...

Thank you for giving us a dinner treat on your birthday!

Happy 16th Birthday, son!

(201) patience...

2007-09-05T09:38:00.000+08:00

The Cut Red Tape Movement was launched in Year 2000 whereby the public service actively looks at various ways and means to trim bureaucracy and cut red tape.

Sigh.... we are still waiting for their reply. Why are they taking so long? I suppose the key to everything is patience? You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.

(200) the aliens are coming...

2007-08-20T23:08:00.000+08:00

Some foreign visitors are flying in this afternoon. Actually, they are relatives from China....

Laogong's 4th cousin's son had gotten married recently but the young couple had long made plans to spend their honeymoon in Sin-City. When Laogong's dad heard about it, he told the groom to bring his parents along.

Then Laogong's mum's only sister was also invited to visit. And somehow, the group got bigger and bigger! '8' is a very nice number. It's Laogong's and my favourite number. But crazy lah... invite so many relatives at one go! This is going to be a 14-day nightmare!

And poor young couple... it's no longer an '二人世界' honeymoon!

(199) family ties...

2007-08-20T08:08:00.000+08:00

We celebrated Laogong's birthday 3 weeks ago with a steamboat dinner. We invited his parents and one of his brothers + his family.

We had another steamboat dinner last night because my sister and her family are back for their annual holiday. This time we had 2 tables - the kids dined in aircon comfort while the adults sweated it out in the kitchen!

Oh no, Laogong has just asked me to host one more next week!

(198) of prelims & the Os...

2007-08-19T03:38:00.000+08:00

1. Spend time studying every day so the work does not pile up

2. As soon as you get an assignment, do some work on it right away

3. Break big tasks into smaller tasks and mark off when you have completed each sub-task to show yourself your progress

4. Every time you sit down to study, set a minimal goal and accomplish it

5. If you get stuck, ask for help from a teacher or peer

6. Make sure your study area and materials are accessible and organized

7. Reward yourself AFTER the study session by doing something you enjoy.....

(197) frustration...

2007-08-17T14:38:00.000+08:00

We are still negotiating...

This is so exasperating...

There is so much red-tape...

Have you ever dealt with government agencies?

(196) thought for the day...

2007-08-15T14:18:00.000+08:00

When we cannot find contentment in ourselves,
it is useless to seek it elsewhere....

A harvest of peace is produced from a seed of contentment

(195) love is blind...

2007-08-12T14:38:00.000+08:00

UPDATE Sun 12/8: I posted the pics last night and woke up this morning to see this article in the Sunday Times. If you didn't buy the papers, here's your free read....

HER front brain is telling her he's trouble. Look at the facts, it says. He's never made a commitment, he drinks too much, he can't hold down a job.

But her middle brain won't listen. Man, it swoons, he looks great in those jeans, his black hair curls onto his forehead so adorably, and when he drags on a cigarette, he's so bad he's good.

His front brain is lecturing, too: She's flirting with every guy in the place, it says. His mid-brain is distracted by her legs, her blouse and her come-hither stare.

'What could you be thinking?' their front brains demand.

Their middle brains, each on a quest for reward, pay no heed.

Alas, when it comes to choosing mates, smart neurons can make dumb choices.

Sure, if the brain's owner is in her 40s and has been around the block a few times, she might grab her bag and scram. If the guy has reached seasoned middle age, he might think twice about that cleavage-baring temptress. Wisdom, at least a little, does come with experience.

But if the objects of desire are in their 20s, all bets are off.

A lot will depend on the influence of Mum and Dad's marriage, the gossip and urging of friends, and whether life experience have convinced these two brains that what they're looking at is attractive. She just might sidle over to Mr Wrong and bat her eyes. And he could well give in to temptation.

And so the dance of attraction, infatuation and, ultimately love, begins. It's a dance that holds many mysteries to psychologists as well as to the willing participants.

Science is just beginning to parse the inner workings of the brain in love, examining the blissful or ruinous fall from a medley of perspectives: neural systems, chemical messengers and the biology of reward.

LOVE REVELATION
It was only in 2000 that two London scientists selected 70 people, all in the early sizzle of love, and rolled them into the giant cylinder of a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner, or fMRI.

The images they got are thought to be science's first pictures of the brain in love.

The pictures were a revelation, and others have followed, showing that romantic love is a lot like addiction to alcohol or drugs.

The brain is playing a trick, necessary for evolution, by associating something that just happened with pleasure and attributing the feeling to that magnificent specimen right before your eyes.

All animals mate: The most primitive system in the brain, one that even reptiles have, knows it needs to reproduce. Turtles do it but then lay their eggs in the sand and head back to sea, never seeing their mate again.

Human brains are considerably more complicated, with additional neural systems that seek romance, others that want comfort and companionship, and others that are just out for a roll in the hay.

Yet the chemistry between two people isn't just a matter of molecules careening around the brain. Attraction also involves personal history.

'Our parents have an effect on us,' says Helen Fisher, evolutionary anthropologist at Rutgers University who studies human attraction.

'So does the school system, television, timing, mystery.'

Love, that one small word, stands for a hotchpotch of feelings and drives: lust, romance, passion, attachment, commitment and contentment.

The dance that leads, if we're lucky, to a stable commitment moves through several key steps.

First comes initial attraction, the spark. If someone's going to pick one person out of the billions of opposite-sex humans out there, it's this step that starts things rolling.

Next comes the wild, dizzying infatuation of romance - a unique magic between two people who can't stop thinking about each other. The brain uses its chemical arsenal to focus our attention on one person, forsaking all others.

'It's the love potion No. 9, the click factor, interpersonal chemistry,' says Gian Gonzaga, senior research scientist at eHarmony Labs.

The passion lasts for at least a few months, two to four years tops, says relationship researcher Arthur Aron, psychologist at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

As it fades, something more stable takes over: the steady pair-bonding of what's called companionate love.

It's a heartier variety, characterised by tenderness, affection and stability over the long haul. Far less is known about the brains of people celebrating their silver anniversaries or more, but researchers are beginning to recruit such couples to find out.

FACING THE FACTS
The forces of attraction are in many ways mysterious, but scientists know certain things.

Studies have shown that women prefer men with symmetrical faces and that men like a certain waist-to-hip ratio in their mates. One study even found that women, when they sniffed men's T-shirts, were attracted to certain kinds of body odours.

That initial spark can flash and fade. Or it can become a flame and then a fire, a rush of exhilaration, yearning, hunger and sense of complete union that scientists know as passionate love.

Key to this state of seeing a person as a soulmate instead of a one-night stand is the limbic system, nestled deep within the brain between the neocortex (the region responsible for reason and intellect) and the reptilian brain (responsible for primitive instincts).

Altered levels of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin - neurotransmitters also associated with arousal - wield their influence.

But passionate love is something far stronger than that first sizzle of chemistry. 'It's a drive to win life's greatest prize, the right mating partner,' Fisher says. It is also, she adds, an addiction.

People in the early throes of passionate love, she says, can think of little else. They describe sleeplessness, loss of appetite, feelings of euphoria, and they're willing to take exceptional risks for the loved one.

Brain areas governing reward, craving, obsession, recklessness and habit all play their part in the trickery.

In an experiment published as a chapter in a 2006 book, Evolutionary Cognitive Neuroscience, Fisher found 17 people who were in relationships for an average of seven months.

She knew they were in love from their answers to what researchers call the Passionate Love Scale. They all said they'd feel deep despair if their lover left, and they yearned to know all there was to know about the loved one.

She put these lovesick, enraptured people in an fMRI to see what areas of their brains got active when they saw a photograph of their beloved ones.

'We found some remarkable things,' she said. 'We saw activity in the ventral tegmental area and other regions of the brain's reward system associated with motivation, elation and focused attention.'

It's the same part of the brain that presumably is active when a smoker reaches for a cigarette or when gamblers think they're going to win the lottery.

No wonder it's as hard to say no to the feeling of romantic arousal as it would be to say no to a windfall in the millions. The brain has seen what it wants, and it's going to get it.

'At that point, you really wouldn't notice if he had three heads,'

Fisher says. 'Or you'd notice, but you'd choose to overlook it.'

Other studies also suggest that the brain in the first throes of love is much like a brain on drugs.

Lucy Brown, professor of neuroscience at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, has also taken fMRI images of people in the early days of a new love.

In a study reported in the July 2005, Journal of Neurophysiology, she, too, found key activity in the ventral tegmental area.

'That's the area that's also active when a cocaine addict gets an IV injection of cocaine,' she says. 'It's not a craving. It's a high.'

You see someone, you click, and you're euphoric. And in response, your ventral tegmental area uses chemical messengers such as dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin to send signals racing to a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens with the good news, telling it to start craving.

'The other person becomes a goal in your life,' Brown says. He or she becomes a goal you might die without. That one person begins to stand out as the one and only.

Biologically, the cravings and pleasure unleashed are as strong as any drug.

Surely such a goal is worth taking risks for, and other alterations in the brain help ensure that the lovelorn will do just that. Certain regions, scientists have found, are being deactivated, such as within the amygdala, associated with fear.

'That's why you can do such insane things when you're in love,' Fisher says. 'You would never otherwise dream of driving across the country in 13 hours, but for love, you would.'

Sooner or later, excited brain messages reach the caudate nucleus, a dopamine-rich area where unconscious habits and skills, such as the ability to ride a bike, are stored.

The attraction signal turns the love object into a habit, and then an obsession.

According to a 1999 study in the journal Psychological Medicine, people newly in love have serotonin levels 40 per cent lower than normal people do - just like people with obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Experiments in other mammals add to the human chemical findings.

Female prairie voles, for example, develop a distinct preference for a specific male after mating, and the preference is associated with a 50 per cent increase in dopamine in the nucleus accumbens.

But when the monogamous vole is injected with a dopamine antagonist, blocking the activity of the chemical, she'll readily dump her partner for another.

CHEMISTRY COUNTS
The front brain certainly gets involved as it ponders all of life's experiences and past mistakes, researchers say - but not just the front brain.

The nucleus accumbens, virtual swamp of dopamine that it is, is also holder of memories. Its quest for reward is influenced by childhood experiences, friends, previous failed engagements or the jerk who cheated on you.

And, as it happens, practical matters like whether a couple both like pina coladas do matter in igniting passionate love.

A research project headed by eHarmony Labs' Gonzaga interviewed 1,200 dating and newlywed couples. The results, reported in the July issue of The Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, found that those who reported similar interests and feelings were more satisfied.

'Those who reported chemistry said they felt at ease, relaxed, connected. They knew they had some things in common,' he says. 'Chemistry is more than just being hot or handsome.'

The free fall of love's first rush can happen at any age, whether people are 20 or 70, says Elaine Hatfield, psychology professor at the University of Hawaii.

What differs is that the older people get, the more memories they harbour of joy and trust, rejection and disappointment. And as people learn from experience, the front brain, with its logic and reason, probably gets a greater say.

'When you are young, passion and hope are so strong that's it's almost impossible to stop loving someone,' Hatfield says. 'After you've been kicked around by life, however, you start to have a dual response to handsome con men: 'Wow!' and 'Arrrrrrgh!''

Somehow, it all comes together, for better or for worse, the sum total of what's found in the mating dance of the ancient reptilian brain, the passion of the limbic brain and the logic of the neocortex.

Oh, what a ride.

(194) merry-go-round...

2007-08-08T14:38:00.000+08:00

I hate dealing with government agencies.

Most of the time, you end up talking to a machine.

And when you finally manage to speak to a human...

They never fail to send you on an endless roundabout!

(193) life is just a bowl of cherries...

2007-08-06T14:58:00.000+08:00

Today's mass was very good.....
All the three readings were meaningful.....
The sermon was equally meaningful, and short!

Life is just a bowl of cherries
Don't take it serious,
Life's too mysterious
You work,
You save,
You worry so
But you can't take your dough
When you go, go, go

So keep repeating 'It's the berries.'
The strongest oak must fall
The sweet things in life
To you were just loaned
So how can you lose
What you've never owned

Life is just a bowl of cherries
So live and laugh, aha!
Laugh and love
Live and laugh,
Laugh and love,
Live and laugh at it all!

Lyrics: George Gershwin

(192) men are from mars, women are from venus...

2007-08-05T13:18:00.000+08:00

A language instructor was explaining to her class that French nouns, unlike their English counterparts, are grammatically designated as masculine or feminine.

'House' in French, is feminine = 'la maison'

'Pencil' in French, is masculine = 'le crayon'

One student asked, "What gender is 'computer'?"

The teacher did not know and the word wasn't in her French dictionary. So for fun she split the class into two groups, appropriately enough by gender. Then she asked them to decide whether 'computer' should be a masculine or feminine noun. In addition, both groups were required to give four reasons for their recommendation.

The men's group decided that computers should definitely be of the feminine gender 'la computer' because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long-term memory for possible later retrieval
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it

The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be masculine 'le computer' because:
1. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on
2. They have a lot of data but they are still clueless
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you'd waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model

(191) cool bananas...

2007-07-30T14:08:00.000+08:00

Besides providing us an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy, bananas can help overcome or prevent a number of illnesses and conditions.....

STROKE:
According to research, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

BLOOD PRESSURE:
The banana is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to reduce the risk of blood pressure.

NERVES:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

PMS:
Forget the pills - the vitamin B6 a banana contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

STRESS:
Potassium helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates our body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thus reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

DEPRESSION:
According to a survey, people suffering from depression felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time!!

(190) super nanny...

2007-07-25T14:38:00.000+08:00

I have been asked to babysit the nephews and nieces on so many occasions that I could have started/run a creche or childcare centre.

I took care of 3rd sis-in-law's kids last Sunday. Anne and Clare are 'easy' as they are already 9 and 5. It used to be 'plonk the kids in front of the TV'. But nowadays, all you have to do is allocate each a computer and they can entertain themselves for hours! Hmmm... bad bad aunt!

As for Charles... I had not looked after a 3-year toddler for a really long time. And that included diaper changing and the spoonfeeding during lunch! Tots are quite draining (mentally) but I had Emily to play with him. Sorry Judith, you had to fly off the night before. Sorry BTG, you had some NDP rehearsal thingy that day.

Kids (not your own) are easy to take care of.... really. Just have some sweets, jellies and kiddy-size drink packs in your home. Throw in the computer games (toys for the tots), a 'bubble' bath and a trip to the neighbourhood playground and they are your slaves for life!

(189) money mind...

2007-07-19T10:28:00.000+08:00

'KA CHING!'
a show that
tests kids
on their
moneymatics
& gets them
to enjoy
learning about $$
at the
same time!

Catch Brendan Kor
on Kids Central
this Saturday at 1.30pm!

(188) friday the 13th...

2007-07-15T01:38:00.000+08:00

It was to be a surprise treat...

So we did not call home...

Supper...

Their all-time favourites...

Orh-lua from stall 73...

Hokkien mee from stall 54...

Black carrot cake from stall 28...

IF only we had called...

They wouldn't have had cup noodles...

Judith wouldn't have tripped...

She wouldn't have spilt soup on...

(187) sianz...

2007-07-08T06:18:00.000+08:00

(186) reduce, reuse, recycle...

2007-07-02T14:38:00.000+08:00

Jon is on the back page of today's issue of the Catholic News!

Actually it was the photo of the guys from the different uniformed groups that caught my eye first. When I realised that the drum major was Ian Chai (Jon's primary school classmate), I immediately knew that Jon would be in the pic too!

If you have a copy of the Catholic News and you are sharp enough, you will see that there are actually 2 pics of Jon on the back page! One of the photos is an old one - when he was in Secondary 3! Gosh, surely SJI has more than enough boys for their photo-shoots??