10th Birthday - King of the day

King-Li surrounded by his knights, Sir Justin (left) and Sir Ben (right)

10th Birthday 4 May 2008

King-Li (my youngest son) made his own birthday "chocolate fudge" cake. We iced the cake and decorated it with hundreds and thousands and sprinkles. Oh and he made frog in the pond and decorated it with cocktail umbrellas.

Baby Goh Jee Anne

This is Jee Anne, my niece. She is my eldest brother's baby girl. She's about two months old.

Act of Friendship

I have read this story many many times. I don't know if it's real or fiction. It is a simple story about an act of friendship that changed some one's life. Hope you enjoy it.

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.' I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses; went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives.' He looked at me and said, 'Hey thanks!’ There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friendsHe said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack ofbooks again. I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday! 'He just laughed and handed me half the books. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.. When we were seniors we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship. Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd.

He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great! 'He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. 'Thanks,' he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began 'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends... I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story. 'I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. ‘Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.' I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.

I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize its depth. Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse. God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way.

Happy Mother's Day

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Wishing all mothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day.

Hope you all have an enjoyable day.

Rainbows and Double Rainbows

Rainbows and more rainbows

Rainbows

I saw some of the most awesome rainbows recently.
If I had a better camera these pictures would have turn out much better. Anyway, hope you enjoy them. I did!

Dream Big

DREAM BIG

If there were ever a time to dare,

to make a difference,

to embark on something worth doing,

it is now.

Not for any grand cause, necessarily --

but for something that tugs at your heart something that's your dream.
You owe it to yourself to make your days here count.

Have fun. Dig deep. Stretch.
Dream big.

Know, though, that things worth doing seldom come easy.

There will be good days.

And there will be bad days.

There will be days when you want to turn around,

pack it up, and call it quits.

Those times tell you that you are pushing yourself,

that you are not afraid to learn by trying.

Persist.

Because with an idea, determination,

and the right tools, you can do great things.

Let your instincts, your intellect, and your heart guide you.

Trust.

Believe in the incredible power of the human mind.

Of doing something that makes a difference.

Of working hard.

Of laughing and hoping. Of lazy afternoons.

Of lasting friends. Of all the things that will cross your path this year.

The start of something new brings the hope of something great.

Anything is possible.

There is only you.

And you will only pass this way once.

Do it right.

Author unknown

10th Birthday

My youngest son turns 10th today.

Happy 10th Birthday my son.

He had two special friends come to our house to spend the day with him. There were sword play, light saber fights, jumping on trampoline, cricket etc

Pizza for lunch and then we went to the movies to watch Spiderwick. They had popcorn and drinks and fortune cookies. The movie was good. We came home. Lighted candles and sang birthday song. Ate some more - cake and frog in the pond. More play. Played on super mario dance mat. Lots of fun.

All in all it was a wonderful birthday.

Friends & Forever Friendship

Sometimes in life,
you find a special friend;

Someone who changes your life
just by being part of it.

Someone who makes you laugh
until you can't stop;

Someone who makes you believe
that there really is good in the world.

Someone who convinces you that there really is an unlocked door
just waiting for you to open it.

This is Forever Friendship.

Updates on father-in-law

My father-in-law is out of hospital but will have to go back for a biopsy on Tuesday. They found two tumours around the throat/tonsils area. Please pray for a good outcome for the test. GK flew to Malaysia this afternoon to see his father and also to provide support for the family.

Baby's name

GOH Jee Anne

Good news. I finally found out the name of my niece. What a pretty name. I blogged a few weeks back announcing the arrival of my eldest brother's first child. Jee Anne is 3 weeks old and is very cute. I havent got an pictures yet. Will post them when I get some from my eldest brother.

Happy Birthday

Happy

Birthday

Chris

Wishing my sister a very happy birthday. Thanks for being my sister. I could never ask for a better sister. I am so grateful for the memories we share and for having you in my life through thick and thin. Life takes us through different paths, journeys and countries. Nothing will ever change the ties between us. You are special and I love you.

He Will Carry You by Scott Wesley Brown

HE WILL CARRY YOU

There is no problem too big
God cannot solve it
There is no mountain too tall
God cannot move it

There is no storm too dark
God cannot calm it
There is no sorrow too deep
God cannot soothe it

If he carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know my brother that He will carry you
If he carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know my sister that He will carry you

He said 'come unto me all who are weary and I will give you rest'.

There is no problem too big
He cannot solve it
There is no mountain too tall
He cannot move it

There is no storm too dark
He cannot calm it
There is no sorrow too deep
He cannot soothe it

If he carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know my brother that He will carry you
If he carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know my sister that He will carry you
HE WILL CARRY YOU

Ethaniel saying goodbye to his mom

I watched this video on my sister's blog and it was so touching.

My sister wrote this on her blog "He made a video "Goodbye Message". It was meant for me to watch it while I was away from him. It was shockingly touching. He was in tears telling me that he loved me and to remember him, everyday".

Deep Black hole

Deep black hole

Sweet sleep where are you?
sweet sleep you escaped me
I am exhausted, where are you?
My mind getting cloudy
O hole where are you leading me?
it is very dark and I cannot see
it is getting darker and darker
Where did the sun go?
did someone turn off the light?
I am alone. I am scared.
Sweet sleep where are you?
Sweet sleep you escaped me
I am exhausted, where are you?
Please come and let me sleep.

I'm all alone, I am scared
please let me go and dont take me into that hole
it is very dark and I cannot see
it is getting darker and darker
it's taking me into the big black hole
no, not more sadness, pain and despair
no, please dont sucked me in
I am spiralling into the deep black hole
oh please let me go

Please pray for my father-in-law

We received news that my father-in-law is very sick. He is in ICU in Subang Hospital, Malaysia. His condition has stabilised but they will have to conduct more tests. Can you please remember him in your prayers.

I liked my father-in-law. He is very quiet and gentle. He is kind and generous and has always provided well for his kids. Most of his children were educated overseas and he took good care of them. From stories I heard, he was always generous with them lavishing them with money and overseas trips. He has never shown displeasure, given any unkind look or said anything unkind or harsh to me. My eldest son adores his grandfather and I think the affections are mutual.

I admire my mother-in-law too for all she has gone through and being a wonderful wife and mother.

We all make mistakes in life and not letting our mistakes rule our lives and to come out with head held high is courageous and admirable.

3L Live Learn Love

When things are going well it's easy to live. It's only when you are down in the dumps and your whole world seems to crash down on you that you wonder how you can go on living. I have often heard about people suffering from depression and couldnt even get out of bed but I could never understand how that is possible. Well guess what? I had a small taste of that recently and wished I could crawl in a hole and hibernate for a while. Unfortunately I couldnt find a hole my sons didnt know about (haha) so couldnt hide. Oh well!

So, I guess my solution was to hide/escape by listening to music. Yes, music is food to my soul and spirit. Should have thought about that earlier. Darn!

What else did I do? I wrote reminders & notes to myself, sit in the morning sun to get my daily dose of Vitamin D - I find sunshine has an uplifting effect and did some pruning and raking in the garden.

What else can I do? hmmm not sure. Actually there are lots I can do but they are not options for now. On the other hand, I'm thinking about getting a punching bag. I heard it's good therapy :)

I realize that in life I didnt really have a plan to cope with down times. Now is a good time to plan for that.

3L - Learn

LeSsONs i LeaRNed anD am lEArniNg :

An action has many reactions.
An action can lead to many consequences.
What sorrow means - you wont know it till you experienced it.
We all wear many different hats and masks.
Life is separated by a very thin line between life and and death - that saying in the twinkle of an eye is sounding quite true.
You can hide the pain but eventually it will come out, somehow and somewhere.
Whether I like it or not, my social background, childhood experiences, culture, ethnicity ... do affect who I am . Doesnt excuse the behavior or take away personal power to change but knowing and understanding some of the cause and effect helps.

Updates on Joel

I'm happy to let you know that Joel is feeling better. According to my sister's blog, he was admitted to hospital on her request. He was put on drips, given medication for stomach cramps and headache. By late afternoon he was feeling much better. Thanks for praying.

Ethaniel & Chris

The adorable Ethaniel. He is so cute.

This is Ethaniel, my nephew. He is 6 and is younger brother to Joel. Joel & Ethaniel are my younger sister's children. Since we all live in different parts of the world, I dont get to see them often. Joel and Ethaniel are lovely boys and my sister, Chris, has done a wonderful job raising them.

My sister, Chris & Ethaniel

The most difficult thing about living away from families, is missing out on families' stages in life, milestones and family ocassions. We miss birthdays, Chinese New Year, Christmas, and all other get togethers. Of all my families, I miss my sister the most. We are really good friends and we can talk about anything and laugh over everything and nothing and have the best fun.

Please pray for Joel Chong

My nephew, Joel, 11 is unwell. My sister has taken him to the hospital. He has a bacterial infection and is on antibiotics. They lived in Bangkok, Thailand. Please remember him in your prayers. For more pictures and stories about my nephews and sister, go to http://psalmone21.blogspot.com/

Life and death

As mentioned earlier, I drove to Phillip Island on Friday to be with my boys. It was a gloomy day and it rained on and off. As I was not driving my usual Tarago but the Merc, I chose to travel at a slower speed than usual and to take my time and not rush. The traffic was reasonable and roads not that busy. At a roundabout I was to make a 3 o'clock turn towards Phillip Island. Half way, without any warning, my car spin 180%. It was so sudden. I was stunned at what happened. Thank God there were no cars at a close distant. Because I was driving slow and paying attention I did not lose control and the car did not spin out of control. A young man stopped to see if I was ok. He was at the roundabout when it happened and he witnessed the entire incident. He said it happened so fast he was stunned too. According to him the road was probably greasy and when it rained, it got slippery. I am just grateful that I 'escaped' unhurt and unscathed. I realized that life and death is separated by a very thin line. In one quick moment life could have been taken from me. I am grateful for another day.

More good news - A baby on the way

It's wonderful when we get one good news after another. My youngest brother Eric and his wife Saori are expecting their first child. Very excited for them. A baby bring so many changes to your life. Nothing can compare to the life changing experiences of motherhood and fatherhood. I look forward to becoming an auntie again in 33 weeks.

Congratulations!! A New Life

On Sunday my eldest brother, Michael became a father. He and his wife had a little girl. Both mother and baby are doing fine. This is a very joyous ocassion for the GOH family as she is the first baby that carry our family name. Cant wait to find out her name. Will keep you posted.

Phillip Island

Picture taken near the Nobbies.

My kids were in Phillip Island with their dad for a week and I joined them from Friday to Sunday. The drive usually take 1.5 hours. The weather was not that great. It was cold and wet but we didn't let it dampen the fun. For More information about Phillip Island check www.visitvictoria.com and follow the link.

Sand Art

This is very good. Nice background music too.

Trace Bundy - Pachelbel's Canon D Major

This guitar version is great. Hope you enjoy it.

Richard Clayderman

I loved this the moment I heard it in my teenage years.

More changes

Yes, I made some changes again. Don't think it's final but i like this heading better. This is my blog - my 'cyber' space. So I have decided to name this blog MY LEARNING DEN.

Easter

Happy Easter. Today, followers of Christ all over the world celebrate his resurrection day. Easter is the fulfillment of so many prophecies and promises. It's a day to celebrate in a meaningful way. If the only thing you do is eat more chocolate eggs and that is your way of remembering the day... that's sweet but is it enough? Happy hunting. May you find lots of eggs and the real meaning of easter.

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday. This is a most sacred and holy day to the Christian Faith. Christians all over the world reflect on Jesus' crucifixion. He died so that those who believe in Him might live.

The BEST mirror

Does anyone out there know where I can buy this mirror. Gosh it is the BEST mirror I have ever come across. I need it badly, so if you know where I can buy it, please leave a message here to let me know. Thanks.

Uni mid semester break

oh... and uni is having the mid semester break too. Yeah!!

Term 1 ends

Yup, school's out and the kids will be having their first term school break. Happy Holidays!!

Feeling words

In the last few weeks, our lecturers have been encouraging us to learn more feeling words so that it will enable us to articulate feelings more accurately. Most of us 'lump' our feelings into general categories because we lack the specific word to express the extend of our feelings. For example, 'I am happy' to express joy or happiness. Other words that can be used include, ecstatic, overjoyed, thrilled, delighted, pleased, contented, glad, joyful, blissful, cheerful and in high spirits. 'I am sad' to express sorrow or sadness. Some other words to use include miserable, troubled, depressed, shattered, devastated, broken hearted, heart breaking, heart rendering, distraught, distressed, miserable, unhappy and gloomy.

Though the words are quite similar in meanings, there are some differences in terms of the levels of feelings or intensity of feelings.

Weather

Today's cool change and tonight's colder weather is wonderful after 5 days of scorching heat and the record highest temperature of a March night 26.5C. Maybe I can finally get a good night's sleep tonight. Have been getting bad headaches, feeling tired and lethargic.

My sister

My blog has a new header thanks to my sister. She designed it for me. Yeah, my sis is very sweet. She currently lives in Bangkok. By the way, if you want to check her blog out it is awesome. http://psalmone21.blogspot.com/ Lots of information about her experiences in Thailand. Lots of interesting pictures of places, people and yummy food. You can see lots of pictures of my nephews, Joel and Ethaniel.

So check it out http://psalmone21.blogspot.com/ By the way, it might not be a good idea to do it when you are hungry. You'll find out why when you scroll through her blog.

Social Work Subjects (Units)

What subjects am I doing? I have four subjects each semester. They are

1. Social Work Theories
2. Human Development in Social Context
3. Interpersonal & Communication Skills
4. Social Welfare: History & Current Context

All the subjects are really interesting. It is taught in the social work context, so it is practcal and applicable to our work in the future.

Life in University

I hope to blog more about life as a mature age student in university. This is my second year as a full time student. What is it like to be a student? Very intimidating in the beginning. Totally overwhelming. Everything is new and nothing is familiar. I am grateful that I have kept up with technology which means I have been able to adjust more quickly to using emails as the normal means of communication with lecturers and other students, checking library resources online and doing a lot of research on the internet. After the inital shock, life becomes rather normal. I am learning to do new things and old things differently. Help is always available. One just needs to ask. The problem is not asking for help when needed and suffering in silence. The staff, lecturers, tutors and even students are supportive and helpful. Most mature age students are helpful, supportive and encouraging too. I have gotten to know many younger students. I find many of them really nice.

What about the lecturers and tutors? Like everything in life, you get some very organized, structured and good lecturers. They turn up on time, have all their lecture materials planned and ready to go. Then, you get a few that are too easy going; where everything seems to be okay, no structured plans, no concrete datelines, everything is negotiable style. You be the judge which style suits you, but as for me, I prefer the former.

Quote of the Day

The best quote I read today came from Jane Fonda.

"It's not so much physical beauty that creates beauty as much as what's coming from inside - it's how you feel about yourself. In a way self-esteem is the best recipe for beauty"

Jane Fonda

The correct way to weigh yourself

If only I had discovered this much earlier in my life. It would have saved me from the many trips to the gym and a personal trainer. Darn! Guess, it's never too late anyway :))

Changes to my blog

As you can see, I made some major changes to my blog today. I changed the headings because in the last few weeks, I am reminded again and again that life is about learning. We learn new things everyday and no matter how much we think we know, there are always a lot more we don't know. In view of that, I have decided to rename my blog Triple L for Life Long Learning and Double L for my initials. I hope I will keep learning and that the journey of my learning continues till the day I die. Thanks for sharing this journey with me.

A Remarkable Polar Bear Encounter

A friend forwarded these pictures. The photographer was sure that he was going to see the end of his huskies when the polar bear appeared out of the blue. But something remarkable happened.

The Polar Bear returned every night that week to play with the dogs!!!

Quote of the Day

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart.

Helen Keller
US blind & deaf educator (1880 - 1968)

Some updates

Sorry for not updating my blog for weeks. Here is a list of things I missed blogging :

1. Back to School - 1st Feb 2008
My boys are back in school, and just when they have adjusted to life back in school, the Term 1 school holidays are just around the corner.

2. Chinese New Year, Year of the Rat - 7th Feb 2008

3. Back to University for me - 25th Feb
My 2nd year studying social work

4. Primary School Athletics Day - 12th March
King-Li participated in a range of events and won 3 ribbons. Well done!

Better late than never - Happy Chinese New Year - Gong Xi Gong Xi

"GONG XI FA CAI , XIN NIAN KUAI LE"

Last day of school holidays

All good things must come to an end. Today is the last day of school holidays. Term 1 2008 commences tomorrow. We have had a reasonably nice long break. My eldest son enjoyed his first overseas trip on his own. The youngest had mom all to himself and we have enjoyed doing things together. In preparation for school, we have to shop for new shoes, sneakers and lunch boxes.
How did we spend the last few days of school holidays? Sleeping in as much as we could. Getting the boys back to a routine which means cutting down to 1 hour of TV and computer and going to bed earlier.

I have a few weeks more to go before I go back to University so I am trying to get things organised so that it will be a smooth transition again as i get stuck studying again. There is lots to put in place and implement.

Australian Open 2008 - Finals

We were lucky to be given tickets to the Australian Open 2008 finals. We watched the mixed double finals and Men's finals between Novac Djokovic and Jo Wilfried Tsonga. It was my first experience watching live tennis matches. By the way, SpongeBob Square Pants found a new friend - Bob the smiley face tennis ball. Of course, his imaginary friend Bob was there too.

Lake Catani, Mt Buffalo

Bright and Beautiful

Bright is a beautiful place, more beautiful than I remembered. It normally takes 3.5 hours drive but we took at least double that since we detour to Milawa Gourmet Region. If you are into gourmet food and love food & wine tasting, you are in the right place. There is the Milawa Cheese factory, Milawa Mustards, Olives, Honey and my favourite, Brown Brothers selections of wine. http://www.milawagourmet.com/

We stayed at Bright Resort, which is about 1km from the town centre. The resort has a pool, spa, sauna, games room, mini golf and lots of room for the children to run around. When it rained and rained on the first 2 days, we welcome the rain with open arms and spend our time doing whatever the resort offered. The next couple of days we spend exploring Bright, the surrounding areas and Mt Buffalo.

One the best thing about Bright is Ovens River. You can swim, kayak or go tubing. We did all three and what a marvellous experience it was. Cherry Walk (3 km, 1.5 hours) is a must if you love walking along the river. Canyon Walk (also 3 km, 1.5 hours) offers a beautiful high up view of the river. If you enjoy bushwalking like me, this is one experience you must try. It is so peaceful and beautiful. Stop and listen and you hear the running water, the birds singing, skink and blue tongue lizards scuttling around in dried barks and twigs and the leaves rustling. Another interesting activity for the kids - panning for gold. http://www.brightvictoria.com.au

By the way, if you like blueberries, and if they are in season, go pick your own at Blueberry Farm at Feathertop Rd, Harrietville. At $6 kilo, it is the best value in Victoria. Pick and weigh and place money in money box. This must be one of the very few places that still operate on honesty. By the way, don’t just pick from the first few rows, as there are 6 different varieties and each taste different. But they are all yummy. http://www.harrietville.com/

Vacation - Bright, Victoria

I am off to Bright for a week. It’s meant to be birthday present for my eldest son and a break for us all. We planned that last week, knowing that school starts in 2 weeks. It will be a good opportunity to rest and enjoy their company. Life gets busy and hectic when everything gets back in motion. If I have access to internet and if I feel like it, I may blog. Otherwise, talk to you soon. I'll bring home some pictures to show you. In the mean time, enjoy browsing through my blog. You have a good week too.

Enya - May it Be

This is beautiful. Most of you know Enya and I think She does not need introduction.

Hayley Westenra - Who Painted The Moon Black

Hayley Westenra is from New Zealand and sings beautifully. When she recorded this song in 2005, I think she was only 16. Hope you enjoy this. For more of Hayley's songs, search YouTube. They have many of her songs.

Quotes with a sense of humour # 4

I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.
-- Bob Hope

I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it.
-- W.C. Fields

We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress.
-- Will Rogers

Sometimes things don’t

Sometimes things don’t
Sometimes in life, things do no turn out the way we want them. Despite how much you plan and how hard your try the results were not what you expected. You plan for a picnic and it rained. Or you want to give your best but it turn out bad. Or sometimes, you wanted to go East but instead ended up going West, not because you got lost, but because you had to detour for other reasons. When things do not turn out the way we want, and though the consequences are not always bad. We will feel the disappointment, anger and pain for a lost ‘hope’ or ‘dream’. Note: Not sure why I wrote this??

Badminton

It’s been a long while since I played this game but recently some friends suggested it and we have been playing every week for a month. Hopefully we can continue playing regularly when school starts. Playing badminton reminds me very much of home and of school days (yes, it has been that long). I used to love playing and I still enjoy playing it today although I don’t move as quick and I lack the strength for high returns and serves. The days of competitive playing have long gone and it’s nice to play for fun and to keep fit. Actually I dont feel fit... i feel sore and my shoulder ached. But after a day or too of limited movement I am back to normal till the next time we play.

Teenagers

Dear Polar Bear,
Today you enter the world of Teenagers. Teenagers, as you know, loves their mom, are very helpful and handy at home, are hardworking, loves to be generous, kind and very caring. They never answer back, they are respectful of their peers and elders. They are well organise. They clean their room and make their beds. They clean up after themselves. They wash and fold their own laundry. Sometimes, they even offer to do the ironing. They produce the best projects, homework and assignments.

They enjoy sleeping in and giving their moms peace of mind and rest. They have the best fun. They love life without destroying it. They stay away from alcohol, drugs and cigarettes. They love tacos, nachos, pizzas and peking duck. They act when asked. They say, 'how high?', when told to jump. They are ever so polite when talking with their moms. They are loving and not shy to give their moms hugs and kisses.
Love you.
Mom

p.s. Try and live up to these expectations. Be a good sport.

Happy Birthday Polar Bear

Happy 13th Birthday my son.
Hope you have a great day with your friends.
Love you, Mom

My youngest son

My youngest son is 9. Like my eldest, he chose a character to represent him. He is crazy about SpongeBob SquarePants. SpongeBob is a sponge (yes, he is). My son has a whole stack of collections of DVDs, soft toys, posters, key chain and T Shirt of SpongeBob. He has an imaginary friend name Bob (surprise! surprise!). No, he’s not a sponge but a bunny rabbit :). I will share more about my boys in later blogs.

Lunch with Polar Bear

Had lunch at Kobe Japanese Restaurant with mom today. We ordered teriyaki pork schnitzel on rice and a bento deluxe meal. Umm and that’s all for now folks. See you soon. Ha ha ha
Blog by Polar Bear a.k.a. my eldest son.

We had a really nice lunch together. It’s been a month since I saw him. Polar Bear spend a month in Malaysia with grandparents and other extended family. He told me about his trip, what he did, where he visited and what he ate. He had a wonderful time there. After lunch we went to get the super size slurplee at 7 Eleven cause he kept away from ice for an entire month.

Count Down - One more sleep

My eldest son will turn 13 tomorrow. Yup! He’s going to be a TEENAGER. Gosh I feel old. He’s taller, bigger and stronger than me. I wanted to share his picture but he said no. Instead he said I could use an animal, which he picked, to represent him. It’s also a nickname his friends gave him. This animal and my son share similar personality traits.

POLAR BEAR
They both like the cold. Love to eat and sleep. Live on a diet of fish and seafood.

Summer Holiday Destinations

Marysville, Victoria

It’s summer here in the Southern Hemisphere. While some of my Northern Hemisphere friends and relatives freeze in the cold, it’s been hot and getting hotter here. Summer is of course the time for family vacation. We are lucky that we own time shares and have access to some really nice places. My boys love going to Marysville. The resort at Marysville has all the important stuff for kids i.e. an indoor heated pool and spa, games room, computer games, and TV in the rooms. Around the area there are trout farms, a blueberry farm (which serves the yummiest pancakes with all the yummy berries and homemade ice cream) and to top it off – an old fashion lolly shop. It's Heaven! I like Marysville for its natural surroundings, the beautiful waterfalls, crystal clear river, the bush/forest and greeneries.

Australian Open 2008

The Australian Open started today in Melbourne (THE sport capital of Australia, if not the world). I enjoy watching tennis as many of the good matches are telecast live on TV. It’s great to see Justine Henin back in top form and good to see Lindsay Devanport coming back to play. If you like tennis, check out the official website for more information.
http://www.australianopen.com/

Quotes with a sense of humour # 3

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat. Alex Levine

My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.
Rodney Dangerfield

Money can't buy you happiness . but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery. Spike Milligan

I am opposed to millionaires... but it would bedangerous to offer me the position. Mark Twain

Until I was thirteen, I thought my name was SHUT UP. Joe Namath

What does love mean # 5

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4

Good for a smile # Finale

30. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
31. Never lick a steak knife.
32. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.
33. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we put the clocks back.
34. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
35. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven.
36. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.
37. A person, who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.
38. Your friends love you anyway.
39. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

Fun Facts about Australia

G’day is hullo, pronounced Gidday which is a shortened form of Good Day, and used mostly in informal situations.

Bloke is an Aussie male who generally is a hard worker and does the right thing. Eg., "Bill’s a Good Bloke".

Mate is Friend, mainly for males. Everyone in Australia is mate, so we would often say "G’day mate" or "Thanks mate".

Onya means Well Done, a shortened form of Good On You.

Population clock

On 13 January 2008 at 02:18:20 (Canberra time), the resident population of Australia is projected to be:
21,183,500

This projection is based on the estimated resident population at 30 June 2007 and assumes growth since then of:
one birth every 1 minute and 56 seconds,
one death every 3 minutes and 58 seconds,
a net gain of one international migrant every 3 minutes and 5 seconds leading to an overall total population increase of one person every 1 minutes and 42 seconds.

Australia, my home

G’Day and welcome to my blog.

I moved to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in April 1994. I have lived here for nearly fourteen years. In the early years it was not easy adapting to life here. Born and bred in Malaysia meant I am very much a Malaysian at heart. For those who are familiar with the Malay language, it was difficult getting rid of the ‘lah’ at the end of every sentense. Further, there were not as many Asians here but in the last ten years things have changed. Now one can see Asians everywhere. Asians restaurants, grocery stores, businesses are flourishing. There are a large varieties of food and very delicious too. Melbourne is a very cosmopolitan place. There are more than 150 ethnic groups that lived here. Melbourne has the largest Greek population outside of Greece. You can find Greek restaurants all over Melbourne. Italian food is also very popular here. Melbourne is the fashion and sport capital of Australia.

Last year, I adopted Australian citizenship. I am now officially an Aussie. Last November, I voted for the first time. Over the coming weeks I hope to post more information about Australia. Do drop by my blog again soon.

Thanks for visiting. Cheers

Somewhere over the "Rainbows"

I love rainbows. If you like them too please check this out.
Found it on YouTube.

Quotes with a sense of humour # 2

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
-- Mark Twain

By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher..
-- Socrates

I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.
-- Groucho Marx

My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe.
-- Jimmy Durante

I have never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.
-- Zsa Zsa Gabor

What does love mean # 4

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6

Price of fuel

And you thought the price of fuel is very expensive in your town.
It is nothing compared to this.