Happy Chinese New Year - Year of the Ox

On 3 occasions we witnessed Chinese New Year celebrations in Hongkong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. It's very colourful, noisy, crowded and joyous in Chinatown. Food of unimaginable kinds abound the streets. Reds and Golds dominate the colours and the golds specially are shimmering. Firecrackers are exploded, usually after a chinese parade of dancing dragons in colourful trimmings. Chinese girls dancing and a show of martial arts exhibition are also featured in various locations. It's their answer to our Christmas and New Year.

It's the year of the Ox...so happy chinese new year!

God Bless Barack Obama

I was late to work today because I got stuck watching the highlights of the inauguration of newly elected president of the USA, Barack Obama on TV. Apparently there were about 2 million people who attended the event. The National Mall was full and DC was just overflowing with people. Must have been the most attended inauguration ever.

I was inspired by his speech as it holds a lot of promise not only for Americans but for most people of the world presently feeling the crunch of the financial crisis.

At the end of his speech he said, God Bless YOU and God Bless America. Very simple but with so much impact.

I did not pay much attention to the US presidency and all the blah blah that goes with it but somehow this one kept me watching and quietly rooting for Obama..

Now that all is done and dusted, we shouldn't all sit back but be inspired and learn from his monumental inaugural speech and I think that we will all go through this nasty financial crisis if we do most of the things he said.

Just my political thoughts...what's yours?

vacation is over, been putting away the chrismas trims

I blended with the christmas decorations

The vacation is over and so is the festive season so...it's back to normal..which is work tomorrow.


It was a nice restive christmas, we stayed home for a change as we've been travelling a bit during christmas time since


Dec 2001 to the USA/Japan (took advantage of the cheap fare after 9/11)

Dec 2002 back to the USA/Korea as a gift for Ray who was the DUX in his primary school graduation.

Dec 2003 to Sydney and Canberra Australia

Dec 2004 to the Philipines/Hongkong

Dec 2005 to the Philippines/Kuala Lumpur

Dec 2006 to Melbourne Australia

Dec 2007 to the Philippines/Singapore

Dec 2008 just at home and around Brisbane

One of the reasons why we can't go anywhere aside from our renovation project is Milo-the cat. We love her so dearly that we can't let her stay in the cat hotel yet as we want her to be more matured.

Will go to sleep now as I will be waking up early tomorrow for work.

The photo was taken on my birthday celebration last November 2008 on our way to Byblos. David took the photo.

Happy New Year everyone!

At long last, Christmas had passed and it's now 1st of January 2009, another year over, and a new one has begun (John Lennon).
It's 6 AM and next to New Zealand, Australia welcomes the New Year while some of you out there will soon be having your turns. I've slept after 12 midnite when housemates were busy watching TV. Now they are all asleep so I could blog in peace.

After all the parties before Xmas, we had a very restive relaxing lunch and dinner at home, each of us pitched in either in the food, gifts, cleaning, washing up, baby sitting the cat or just being there as a family. We decided to have it just for the family instead of attending some Filipino reunions, for a change.

It's chaotic inside the house as we are doing major renovation work to our old house so we opted to have dinner at the verandah that David built. It was our first time to do this and guess what? we loved it and we've been having our meals there since. It's cooler outside the house than inside especially during these summer days.

On boxing day (26/12) we had dinner with Armi's family. We are friends for 20 years now and they also immigrated to Australia about the same time as we did. They live more than an hours drive from our home and we met them for supper in a Thai Resto to enjoy food that someone had cooked for us. We have to pay..of course Our children had grown together and they are 'family' to us here.

Then...it was time for New Year Shopping. We have worked out that the bargains begin after Christmas so we saved a lot of our shopping then. Vivis, Ray and I headed to the DFO outlet near the Airport, leaving David in peace to continue his renovation work as he is not fond of shopping. Ray came along to help carry the shopping bags (bless him)


New Year is now here and will soon organise lunch again. They are all asleep so I might have a nap after greeting you all a Wonderful New Year...How did your holidays go?
More photos by clicking here.