Today is the start of a new week.
I had a walk up the Bukit Timah Hill, last sat. Feels very good to be able to relax myself. I love the greenery and it's cool to walk in the forest. And my friend brought me to the quarry.
A colleague recently came back from a Brazil trip and he bought me some coffee... Funny thing is the farm that grows coffee beans is called FAZENDA SANTA IZABEL.

Bali

This is Tanah Lot, one of the places i visited in Bali. I can never forget the beautiful sceneries, the beaches, the yummy food, the spa and the handicrafts. Xiaoyan took a picture of my backview while I was strolling down the streets. I remember we even bought a few scarves that cost about SGD$2 per piece.

Below is the view we got at Jimbaran, where the whole stretch of beach sells seafood. Most people were early to have drinks and to watch the Sunset. We were there enjoying the view at Sharkey's.

These were the places i visited last year, 2005. Still recall that XY just quit her job and wanted to go for a holiday. Coincidentally, I was also going for interviews and got my current job during that period of time.

I had to told myself to be more thick skin to apply for leave because i had been going on leave for interviews! And just 3 months back I was on leave to go Taiwan. Ha, but this was a fruitful trip. And this is the place that I want to go again! The next time I go, I will make sure that I have a good camera to capture the beautiful shots.

We spent one afternoon suntanning at Kuteda, Seminyak. How relaxing to sit there the whole afternoon reading, enjoying the view, having delicious finger food and drinks...

Saturday, 11th Nov 2006 was Desiree’s BIG day.
I was early there for the holy matrimony. The Pastor preached about Ecclesiastes…. God created everything beautiful in its time…

The wedding service was held at Conrad. It was a pretty cool place, and the couple was really creative… Instead of having photo albums, they displayed their photos in frames and placed them around the area. They even made their own souvenirs for the guests, some aromatherapy candles placed in small glass containers. Really appreciate the efforts they put in to make it a great event for the guests.

Thereafter was lunch. It was delicious and the couple even danced… The bride’s gown was a blue, flowing dress. It was tailored made…

Unfortunately, my photos didn’t turn out that great. Time to get a new camera…. Sigh.

Night time, we went to send Vanessa off at the airport because she was going away…. To France to work… Me also want to go Europe! It was a funny scene because she had her family members and friends sending off and it feels as though she was going away for 3 years when she is only going for 3 months. Hahaha.

Yeah! Today is Friday, the most awaited for day of the week!
I have been looking for a story about the dog statue that I saw in Shibuya… finally found it -
Chu-ken Hachiko (lit. the faithful dog Hachiko) was born in Akita in 1923 and was first brought to Tokyo in 1924. He and his owner, Mr. Eisaburo Uyeno, were inseparable friends right from the start. Each day "Hachi" would accompany Eisaburo, a professor at the Imperial University, to the train station when he left for work. Upon returning, the professor would find the dog patiently waiting, tail wagging. This happy routine continued until one fateful day in 1925, when the professor was taken ill on the job and unfortunately died before he could return home.
Despite the fact that Hachiko was less than two years old at the time, the bond between dog and owner was strong. Hachiko continued to wait each day at Shibuya station for a friend who was never coming back. At times, he wouldn't return home for days at a stretch.
The Akita became a familiar sight to commuters as he kept his vigil for over ten years. On March 8, 1935, Hachiko finally went to meet his master. He died on the very same spot he last saw his friend alive.

Last Sunday was the same old schedule. Morning i had church and then afternoon was following Nic around…

Well, service was like a finale to Pastor’s preaching about giving to the building fund and everyone gave their pledges, including me. Ever since I learnt about His Word, I have been more generous in my giving, especially to people around me, even when it comes to birthday gifts. I have learnt not to give something that does not cost anything to me.

When I think it comes to giving to the church, we really need to give with a vision. I believe for most people, it is a test of faith. Sometimes I could feel myself struggle, especially when people start to criticise or question my actions. Just like my insurance agent who was questioning about my financial-planning… She felt that I was throwing in money into something that I could not see, and rebuking me for not loving myself enough to save all the tithings for myself. Well, we are living in the same world but of different worlds. God is my Jehovah Jireh and I live in the expectation that He will bless me exceedingly abundantly. I want to live as the one who blesses, not as one who only gets the blessings.

Some people seated in the hall were in tears, I guess because they really were giving their best, to the very last amount in their pockets and most importantly an amount that God spoke to them about. Well, if we don’t sow in tears, would we reap in joy as written in Psalm 23:5?

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One of the units I visited yesterday after service was on the 23rd floor of Mandarin Gardens and gosh, the view was breathtaking. The living room has a sea view and the bedrooms were facing the city. No wonder it was selling for such a high price. Years ago I was there for a BBQ and the place has not changed much. The maintenance was probably well done.

And then dinner was at Parkway Parade. There was nothing much there and the mall was crowded. I tend to avoid crowded places nowadays because it’s really “sian” to see so many people after 5 days of hustling and bustling city life. Saturday at VivoCity was a nightmare… It was our gathering to celebrate Boing’s birthday and we couldn’t find a single seat at the Food Republic. Finally we gave up and went over to harbourfront for dinner.

But we discover that the rooftop of Vivocity was fantastic. I shall go over again when the Vivocity craze has died down. Anyway dinner was great at THE ORANGE LANTERN, www.orange-lantern.com. I finally have a chance to taste the Vietnamese coffee. Vietnam is one of the places I want to visit. Hopefully, my leave in Dec will be approved. I need a break man…

It's been a really hectic week. The project is coming to a peak and my boss is not around for these 2 weeks. Sometimes i wonder if I would be better off in another industry.

Wed, i attended Priscilla's wedding. It was wonderful and i thought her photographer was fantastic. The photos and videos were all very well done. I always thought photography is a good hobby to pick up, this is something i am thinking of picking up, just that a good camera costs a bomb!

Just happen to come across a photo taken months back. It was a BBQ at punggol with the bunch of wonderful friends from Singtel. Anyway, really must thank Desiree for being such a great host. The food was delicious, nicely marinated chicken and beef, corn, vegetables and corn... yummy.

The haze today is really horrible! I heard that it has reached a PSI of 130. I cannot see much out of the office window, everything has been hidden by the smoke. The air smells burnt... I feel so deprived of fresh air... I miss the bluey bluey sky and waters and the white clouds... :(
Some view I had in Batam of the blue sky and clear waters.

Today has been a pretty slow day... but it's always great to be off from work. yes, it's the weekend! Probably going to catch the world trade center later.
I decided to post some of my holiday pics here... Really miss the beach resorts and yearning for a holiday. Well, guess it's always holiday mood at the end of the year. Everybody's planning for trips to europe and australia... Let me just look at my photos to recollect my memories at my favourite places.

The Rawa Beach is one of my favourite beaches and it's great for a weekend getaway. It is a 30 min boat ride from Mersing, Malaysia... The water is clear and you can see fishes at knee length's depth water. It is a island with some chalets, that's all. You're on your own there.

There is a jetty where you can get a good view of the sunset. The whole island basically is quiet and peaceful and there a few locals there. We are probably the only group of asians on the island.

I went snorkelling and it was an amazing view underwater because the water is so clear and there is so much life in there! I actually stupidly stepped on a sea urchin during the high tide and gosh, my leg was numb for a moment. Thank God it was not serious. =)

At night we had barbecued seafood for dinner. After that it was games at the beach. The 10 of us played our childhood games. It was very fun and enjoyable.

The beach was pitch dark because the island had very minimal amenities. Our torchlights and handphones were our main source of light.

We left the island the following day after lunch. It was a very short getaway but I felt that it was really fulfilling because the island was very uncommercialised. Everything was in its most natural state. I went there august last year. Supposed now it is the monsoon period and there should be plenty of jellyfish... not so good for snorkelling. I am definitely looking forward to this island again. =)