Friday, November 30, 2007

Update Dennis 2

From Aunty Janice, Dennis' wife.

November 30th
Dennis was transferred from ICU to Cardio Thoracic Care Centre on Wed 28 Nov.  He was doing well that day but was dozing intermitently.  However, late that evening he had rapid heartbeats and then suffered nausea.  He was nauseous the whole of yesterday, which robbed him off sleep and he couldn't eat.  The doctors couldn't put a finger on what caused him to be nauseous.  So , please continue to pray for him.
 
Several of you have kindly enquired about visiting Dennis which we really appreciate.  However, the nurse in charge has recommended that he be given as much rest as possible to help him recuperate quicker.  So, if you could hold off visiting him until Sunday 2 Dec, that will really help his heart to settle down after the trauma.  Hope you understand.
 
Finally, we managed to get clearer details re the surgery from one of the registrars who was involved in it.  He said that the actual surgery began around 8:00 PM on Mon 26 Nov and took more than11 hours - they expected to be done within 4-5 hours.  There were lots of complications because of some radio therapy treatments administered on him when he had cancer of the lymph nodes and his non-stop bleeding.  He was given 14 litres of blood transfusion.  Actually, at one point the team became quite nervous because his body became cold and they were fighting for his life.  One of the registrar who had been assisting several surgeries from 7 AM on Mon finally had to call for relief around 2 AM on Tues.  Instead of one bypass or bridge, Dennis ended up having four!
 
We were told how fortunate Dennis was.  The 95% blocked artery supplies blood to to other arteries and together the carry the two-thirds weight of the heart function!  Should at any time the 5% opening closes up, Dennis would have been history!  He could have suffered a heart attack in the process of house moving.
 
It is God's grace and mercy and all your concerted prayers that Dennis is alive today.  It was the Holy Spirit who repeatedly told Dennis to go get an immediate check up while he was praying on Monday 26 morning.  Praise God for His grace and mercy and for everyone of you.
 
Blessings
 
Janice
 

Dennis status

Just heard that Dennis is recovering in the hospital after a complicated 11 hour surgery.
 
The team of specialists/surgeons could not perform his surgery until 7:00 PM that evening.  They don't normally operate after 7PM but because they are worried that Dennis' artery might closed up completely, they have decided to stay back and do the surgery

But he had a rough time  on Wednesday evening; suffering pulpitation and nausea.

Keep on praying for Dennis!!


Back again

I'm back again to Melbourne. Spent 3 days up in Brisbane to be with my relatives in their time of bereavement. It was moving to see their family gather together to honor their father/grandfather. I was especially touched by my aunt's attention to her mother. She would help her change, warm her legs with tiger balm oil. Amazing.

The grandchildren cried at the funeral. I envied them. He was very close to them. I hardly knew my grandfather; I wouldn't describe him as friendly or kind.


Monday, November 26, 2007

Great Labor ideas

Great ideas that Labor may use.

1. To help alleviate congestion in our national highways and to reduce our greenhouse emissions, the speed limit will be reduced to 30km/h.  Anyone caught breaking the limit will be fined $100 for every km exceeded. This will also help encourage people to use bicycles more often.

2. A special driving lane will be reserved for cars belonging to Union, Labor, and Green party officials.

3. Discounts on airfare will be given to people travelling to climate control forums.

everyone pray for Dennis Gillis

Dennis, one of my pastors, was admitted to the surgery room this morning 6.45am St Vincents Hospital. Open heart surgery. One of his arteries is 95% blocked.

Labor wins in Australia - Banana Republic here we come

Amazing. John Howard has not only lost his office, govt, but even his own seat. One of the best prime ministers Australia has ever lost his electorate to a sweet talking news reporter. That's like George Bush losing the Presidential election to Boy George.

Its incredible. When John Howard got into office- the Australian economy was in a terrible state. The National Deficit was running into the billions. Unemployment was close to 10%. Interest rates was over 10%, and inflation was out of control. The banks were defaulting due to bad loans. People were queing up for miles to get one crappy job. We were heading to become a banana republic and all we got was Paul Keating's bum.

Now after reducing the deficit, fixing up the economy, achieving the lowest unemployment in 33 years, this is how the voters in Australia reward John Howard - by kicking him out of office and replacing him for an amiable TV reporter. Outstanding eh?

Labor being what it is- will end up screwing up the economy and ruining society with bad social justice laws. They can't help themselves- they're socialists. Big hearts. Small brains. Their track record in managing anything has been totally dismal.

Oh, Australia will run ok for a few years. The new PM, Kevin Rudd, inherited a huge surplus from Howard- so it will take him at least a year to spend that. But after that... Labor will just use their same old tactics of raising tarriffs, increasing taxes, and tear the country apart.

Its happened before and it will happen again and again. (lol to BSG fans)



Friday, November 23, 2007

My Brilliant Brain : Born Genius

Just watched an amazing documentary on childhood brain development. They studied how the formative years of a child from 3 months to 7 years is absolutely crucial to their brain development. Children that received special schooling were able to learn language faster, speak more coherently, and able to perform much better at school and later in getting good jobs.

There was also a very sad story about an abused child who was kept locked up by her crazy parents until their crime was found out when she was 8 or 9 years old. Because they did not speak to her, treating her worse than an animal, she initially had the mental capacity of a baby. A childhood psychologist tried to teach her and found her very intelligent. However, perhaps because her horrendous neglect - she was unable to recover. Placed into several foster homes, including one which sexually abused her, she is now placed into a "home".

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Celtic Woman Songs

Celtic Woman is a musical group comprised of several Irish female musicians. Awesome voices and musical playing. They sing songs from Enya, traditional Irish folk music, classical hymns, and movie soundtracks, notable are the songs from the Lord of the Rings and The Mission.

Check their albums out. I'll post some of their songs on this blog when I have the time.

In the meantime, you can check out one of their performances here on youtube.


Wednesday, November 21, 2007

QUICK STEP ON IT!!!

I found this stick insect in my backyard yesterday. Looks cool eh? It was about 30cm long. I guess it must have been staying under the roof to avoid the heat. It got to 36C yesterday.

On other news, scientist have discovered a man size scorpion size claw embeded in rocks. It seems that giant size spiders and scorpions roamed the earth in the past. The next time some greenie starts whining about the wonderful life our ancestors once lived - give him a quick kick in the bollocks and step on his head.

Click here for more details: OMG GODZILLA SCORPION


(update: photo added)


VW Day Show

Start:     Nov 25, '07 08:00a
Location:     Cranbourne Racecourse, Victoria, Australia
The VW Club of Victoria is having its annual show day at the Cranbourne Racecourse this Sunday. Plenty of classic VW will be on display including the fabulously pretty Karman Ghias, Porshe 356s and hopefully a Porsche 550 spyder. The earlier Porsches all trace their lineage to VW which was run by the Porsche family at the beginning.

Useful Exercise and Diet Advice

I was having a lot of trouble working out at the gym in the later afternoon/evenings. Really felt dog tired and lightheaded.

I think I know why. Not enough rest. Too much stress. And not eating the right food.

I wasn't eating crap. But I think my problem was not eating a more balanced diet - like brown rice, mince meat, more vegetables like carrots, etc.. I usually had a heavy lunch at 1pm - and nothing else until 5pm. Eating a small meal prior to the workout might have been more helpful.

I found this advice sheet from the American Council on Exercise. It makes a lot of sense - read it.

DO YOU HAVE TROUBLE exercising at noon or after work even though you’re truly committed to exercise and it’s the only time you have to work out? Do you feel so exhausted that you just can’t face the gym? Your diet—rather than simple sloth—may be the problem. If you tend to skip meals in an attempt to save calories, you may be robbing yourself of important fuel for your workout.

While skipping meals may temporarily make your stomach feel flatter, doing so can also leave you feeling tired, irritable and unfocused. Then, you’ll be tempted to forego your noontime workout, or go home, eat and stretch out on the couch in front of the TV after work.

If, however, you follow some simple, sensible dietary practices throughout your day, you’ll get that workout done. And rather than feeling lightheaded and exhausted afterward, you’ll be energized and refreshed.

Stay with Feel-good
One key to staying motivated to exercise is to keep the amount of sugar in your blood—and thus, your energy level—stable to prevent ups and downs. You can best do that by eating a series of small meals throughout the day—as many as five or six—that are composed of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain breads, beans and other vegetables, whole grain crackers and fruit. If you plan ahead and make time for grocery shopping, you can easily pack some simple meals and snacks to take to work with you.

Eating complex carbohydrates helps keep your blood sugar stable because they are digested and absorbed slowly into the blood and don’t require your pancreas to produce much insulin. Refined carbohydrates, such as potato chips, doughnuts and cookies, are absorbed very quickly and trigger the pancreas to produce produce large amounts of insulin. So, while they may give you an initial boost, your energy will drop off quickly, and your mood will  follow.

The amount of sugar in your blood is also related to the amount of serotonin in your brain. Its an important chemical (called a neurotransmitter) that helps to regulate mood. If your level of serotonin is where it should be, you’ll have a sense of well-being and confidence—and feel ready to tackle the treadmill. Should it drop, you may feel tired and depressed. If you often experience a craving for carbs, this may be your brain’s way of telling you it needs more serotonin.

Cut the Caffeine
What about caffeine? Good question. Many athletes rely on caffeine for the initial kick it can provide. Remember, though, that caffeine can also affect the amount of insulin, and thus, sugar, in your blood. Further, it can cause dehydration, which can also sap your energy. While drinking a caffeinated beverage may help get you to the gym, within an hour you may feel tired and too lightheaded to complete your workout, or to do it well.

If you plan to engage in running or other highly vigorous activity, remember that some forms of caffeine, coffee in particular, can lead to mild gastronomical distress, as can some bulky foods. So, you’d be wise to limit the amount of coffee, tea and soda that you drink for a number of reasons.

Suppose you’re an early bird, and your best time to work out is in the morning before you go to work. For quick energy, drink some juice upon rising and avoid coffee. Once you’ve completed your workout, have a more solid breakfast of whole-wheat cereal or toast and fruit to fuel your concentration for the morning’s work. If you work out and eat too lightly, chances are you’ll get “the drowsies” by 2 p.m., if not sooner.

Keep in mind that finding the right combination of food and drink to energize your workout— whatever time of day you choose—may take some experimenting. It all depends upon your individual tastes and your metabolism. With a little patience, an open mind and a little creativity, you’ll determine which foods suit you best.


Tuesday, November 20, 2007

My car to the market

A real terrible day on the markets. A whole bloody sea of red. Really wished I had sold the whole lot prior to coming back to Australia. I feel like a total moron. Everyone now reckons that the US economy is headed for a recession thanks to the subprime loan crisis. I really let the ball down on this one. Got too complacent. What the hell am I doing?

On other parts, I restarted my old vintage VW Beetle tonight. It hasn't been run for over 12 months, I got it going after the 11th turn of the key. Naturally it was a little sluggish and felt very tight - but it drove no problem.

Its still noisy - I really regretted fitting in a racing engine into the car. Its a 1641cc engine with racing components and torpedoed a big hole in my wallet.

A slightly modded 1200cc engine would have more than suffice.

But no, I got sucked in by all the beautiful show cars featured in the VW magazines - and I dreamt that I would get my car to look ubercool. So I lowered the car, installed anti-sway bars, new wheels...

One big problem is that none of my friends (including me) are mechanically competent or overtly enthusiastic over car repair and restoration. So each problem usually has to be dealt by a mechanic - I must have spent over $20,000 on the car.

I did try and fix it up myself- but its really beyond me. I guess eventually I would have been more mechanically competent but without a good teacher, I would have taken decades if ever to get the hang of repairing the car.

Its a "romantic" idea tho. (I mean romantic in the idealistic  sense not eros). But like all crazy dreams its got to come to an end. So I'm pulling the plug and saying good bye to this. 

I guess I can still carry on the restoration on the car- it just needs a bit of rust repair, new gromits,  a good respray, and re-upholester of the interior and a new muffler. That would probably set me back another $5,000 if not 10. That was the plan.

But I've lost interest in it. If I do proceed with the restoration, I'm just going to end up with an old car that is still not as quick or safe as a modern car - and needs a fair bit of fiddling.

Time to move on.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Today's message by Charles R. Swindoll

I'm clearing my records and I found this daily message book- it was opened to this message:

"If you're wrong in what you're doing, stop. No rationalization will make it right. It will only confuse the issue. The main thing is that you please the Lord with a clear conscience."

How appropriate.

Elizabeth the Golden Age

Rating:★★
Category:Movies
Genre: Drama
In short, Cate trying her best to be like Helen Mirren. Golden Age is a dismal film. Plenty of fluff that should have been edited out- a lot of ridiculous iconic moments - like the swirly panoramic views of Blanchett just standing looking idiotic. Its all the fault of the director. He ought to be forced to watch the 2005 superb HBO/BBC tv production with Helen Miriam as Elizabeth I one thousand times. The latter had witty lines, a tighter script and was a whole lot more enjoyable to watch. EGA just fell apart esp in the middle part - a lot of scenes just looked totally raw and straight plonked out of the storyboard. Anyhow, don't bother watching Golden Age - I instead highly recommend you "HBO's Elizabeth I". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465326/

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Sipadan Dive Trip - Mabul

Start:     Dec 10, '07 06:00a
End:     Dec 17, '07
Location:     Sipadan, Borneo
Marcus et al has organized a dive trip up to Sipadan - one of the top premiere dive spots in Asia - in December. Staying at Mabul resort. 18 boat dives (12 @ Sipadan), 6 full days diving, appx S$1.1k (AUD$800) all in (excld gear). Airfare will probably cost about S$250 flying from Johor tho.

dec 10 depart
dec 11-16: dive (3daily dives x 6days = 18dives)
dec 17 return

total cost 1.1k (in excess, extra will be refunded). price is for EVERYTHING except gear. No need to pay for anything secondary (food/main land stay/transport all covered)

Accommodation is on Mabul island. but the most most most mostmost mosst rustic of accommodations called Billabong Scuba (like kelong).

Maldives LoB Dive Trip

I've been invited for a dive trip up to Maldives in May/June... hmm... now how can I say no to that?

Since I'm stuck here in Australia until March at least, I'm already going to miss out on the big dive trips in Dec/Jan.

So yeah, with a big grin, on my face, I'm signing up for it!

It should be absolutely fantastic. You haven't really lived until you go diving in clear clean blue sea waters and swim with the great fishes.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Food in Australia

Man, people in Australia are really fat. I mean really fat. Its easy to just pig out and eat fatty food. You might as well be drinking lard. Fried chips, fried chicken, Mackays (MacDonalds), Pizza, Fried Fish, Cheese, Wine, Bread and Butter, Biscuits, and the cream pastas... oh man... I'm back to my bad old ways again.

Eating fatty food is ok every now and then. Its no point being a fanatic. But when fatty food is a stable diet - that's really horrible.

Despite living in a land filled to the brim with fresh food - there are so few outlets selling the stuff at affordable prices. A sandwich here sets you back $10 at least. You've just to DIY everything here.

Speaking of fat people, I need to go for a good run. Haven't exercised a single bit since I've arrived. Gardening, mowing, doesn't really count.

I'm going to wake up tomorrow and go for that Ruffey Park run. Well, just half way. Its 10km in total. And way too difficult to attempt in my current condition. lol.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Australia needs more foreign workers

As I flew into Australia, I was just overwhelmed by the vastness of the land. A lot of people, esp. Singaporeans, can't get over the sheer size of the place- they reckon that a trip from Brisbane to Cairns is about an hour by car, or the distance between Perth and Melbourne is similar to Changi and Jurong. LOL. Its a continent for crying out loud. Its take 3 days to get from Melbourne to Perth by train.

Australia needs a lot of infrastructure development. Roads, dams, bridges, canals, electric cabling...

There are parts of this land which are dying due to the lack of water- yet there are other parts which are flooded. The country needs a system of dams, canals, reservoirs, and pipes.

The problem is that the cost of labor here is - relatively speaking- very expensive, and that hampers development here.

Here's an idea for my Aussie friends- it'd be great if your govt could allow companies to bring in temporary foreign workers (from India, Korea, China) into Aus to build the great infrastructure projects - who are happy to be working at a fraction of the cost. Its a win-win situation.

In Singapore even the Aussie construction companies here are employing cheap foreign labor to do the job.

Such a task is of course mammoth and would take decades to complete. But hey, rather than spending the money on useless stuff like the Melbourne Arts festival and dubious social welfare ventures - why not pour the money into the country. It will provide a valuable resource for generations.

But does Australia have the will power and vision to do it?



Monday, November 12, 2007

Bible verse for today.

This was my morning bible devotion for today. I went like... huh??? Now who says God doesn't have a sense of humor?

Song of Solomon 5 (King James Version)

Song of Solomon 5

 1I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

 2I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

 3I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

 4My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

 5I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

 6I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

(Sounds as if he could have done with some viagra. lol)

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Wandering in the Wilderness

Sometimes you just might need to spend sometime in the wilderness, wandering around, doing dead boring stuff, and wondering what the hell happened. Case in point: Moses. Read about him in the Book of Exodus in the Bible or you can pick up the video(s); lol. He spend roughly 40 years living the life of a Prince in the Court of Egypt - the absolute lifestyle of luxury, then after killing a bully, he was forced to run off into the desert to spend the next 40 years of his life living as a shepherd. That's a bit like Bill Gates losing it all and ending up as a clerk.

It was at that point, when Moses had given up all hope of power and glory, that God called him to be the Leader for his people.

It does seem strange why God waited so long to call Moses. Why not at 20? or 40? when Moses was in Pharaoh's court. Why not at 50? or 60? when Moses probably harbored a deep desire to go back to Pharaoh and kick his arse? Why at 80? When Moses was old and decrepit?

But that's the thing. Moses wasn't ready until that moment. He just needed to spend time in the wilderness, doing seemingly mundane things, letting go of his worldly desires.

Maybe if God had called Moses before when he was still in Pharaoh's court, Moses may have simply staged a court revolt, and usurped Pharaoh's throne, and ignored the call to lead God's people into the Promise Land.

Drat its 4.40am now...


Friday, November 09, 2007

Unless the Lord builds the house...

I'm just going through the accounts over here and I've found something quite amazing - an old letter - dated 2003- from one of my companies asking me to purchase their shares at 3.5 cents. I usually throw away these things but there it was- at the back of my drawer.

A long time ago I invested in this gold mining company here in Australia. The mine closed and the company practically drifted down to zero. Then from 2001 - 2003, as the price of gold started rising, the company started issuing more shares from 2001 - 2003 at between 1 - 4 cents. I just shelved all their request for more money; I gave up all hope on the b@stards.

Now the company- Alliance Gold - is worth nearly $2.00 a share. It even managed to hit a high of $3 awhile back.

That's a real kicker.

I've been pondering a fair bit lately. In all honesty, the share trading was total shit-hause. I've lost a huge amount of cash over the last ten years and its really depressing. Sure I had some spectacular wins but they were eclipsed by huge trading losses- most of which were totally avoidable in hindsight.

This might sound strange to some people. But I think God has been withholding His blessing on my trading. As the bible verse goes- "Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain." These last ten years, I've been backsliding really. My heart hasn't been 100% for the Lord. I've allowed myself to fall into temptation. Course, I didn't murder, commit violence or do any "terrible" sins... but sin in casual ways. But anyhow, I felt God's calling me back all these years.

As Christians our bodies are supposed to be a living temple for God - a place for prayer. But for myself I've allowed it to become polluted.

So help me God to make my body a holy temple for your Spirit.

Its very hard. And I've formed a lot of bad habits. But by His grace and strength, He will enable me to overcome.

(Update: This is bizarre. But just after I completed this prayer - the kitchen clock started working again after over 5 - 8 years of total inactivity. And I found my favourite pair of leather gloves which I had given up for loss years ago.)

Songs from the heart

Start:     Nov 9, '07 8:00p
End:     Nov 11, '07
Songs by women and for women from medieval France presented by medieval music group, Troveresse

Songs from the heart presents a story in words and music of the lives and loves of medieval women.
Troveresse group:
Helen Dell (dir.): voice, portative organ;
Alex Connelly: voice, recorders;
Ann McCarthy and Anna Plotka: voice;
Karen Huckle: harp;
with guest artist Alistair Lord: percussion.

Date: 9-11th November 2007
Time: Friday 8pm, Saturday 8pm, Sunday 3pm
Venue: Gryphon Gallery, 1888 Building, Melbourne University, Grattan St. Carlton.

$25 full, $15 concession/group (6 or more).
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~emsv/whatson.html

Maldives Live on Board (LOB) Scuba Dive Trip

Start:     May 24, '08 09:00a
End:     Jun 4, '08
Marcus Royce has organized a 9 day dive trip to the Maldives on the MV Eagle Ray dive ship. It will probably cost about $2300 + $1000 (airfare).

Seems quite interesting. The trip is to coincide with the plankton chase by all the big fish: whale sharks, manta rays, pilot whales, etc..

24th May: 2035H SQ flight to Maldives.
Upon arrival stay at Candies hotel for the night

25th May: Check in to MV Eagle Ray.
Tour introduction & Formalities & Dive Gear Set up
• Maa Giri (North Male’ Atoll) Check-out Dive
• Kuda Giri (South Male’)
• Biya Giri (South Male’)
Over night at Guradhoo (Village)

26th May
• Guradhhu Channel (South Male’)
• Miyaru Kandu (Felidhe Atoll)
• Golden Wall (Felidhe Atoll)
Over night at Fotheyo (Sand Bank)

27th May
• Cherry Caves (Felidhe Atoll)
• Fushi Kandu (Felidhe Atoll)
• Golden Wall (Felidhe Atoll)
Over night at Felidhu (Fishing Village)

28th May
• Matha Kandu (Felidhe Atoll)
• Boli Rock (Felidhe Atoll)
4 hours channel crossing to South Ari Atoll
• Kuda Rah tila (South Ari)
Over night at Dhangethi (developed village)

29th May
• Don Tila (South Ari atoll)
• Didhu Goni (South Ari atoll)
• Rangali Manta Point (West Ari)
Over night at kuda Digga (deserted island)

30th May
• Kala Handi (West Ari)
• Hemandhoo Tila (West Ari)
• Malos Tila (West Ari)
Over night at Ranfaru (Reef ring)

31st May
• Malos Tila (West Ari)
• Fesdhu Wreck (Mid Ari)
• Fish Head (Mid Ari)
Over night at Faana Mudu (Reef ring)

1st June
• Fish Head (Mid Ari)
• Maya Tila (North Ari)
• Rashdhoo Channel
Over night at Rasdoo Ring

2nd June
• Rashoo Channel (Rashdhoo Atoll)
4hrs channel crossing back to north Male’ Atoll
• Lion head (North Male’ Atoll)
• Last dive by 1700H for 24h de-gassing period.
Over night at Merina

3rd June
After breakfast pack dive gear & luggage
2315H local time flight back to Singapore

4th June
Arrival Singapore at 0700H

(update: total cost is over S$3000.)

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Dear God...

Whilst I was busy cleaning up after the dead magpie and other stuff- I was unable to check my portfolio. Missed out on a good opportunity to sell on some shares and now they are back down to the original price I bought them at; some much lower.

The good news is that I'm sleeping much better. And the admin work here is keeping me busy.

The bad news is I've received several invites to go scuba diving in Sipadan, Maldives, Ko Similan - in Dec/Jan. And I can't go cos I'm here in Melbourne! Well... I guess I can go... but it feels kinna sinful to spend the money on the air ticket to fly back just for a week of diving. If I made more money on the share market- that would be a different story).

Boy did I botch up the last two months of trading. I ought to hang a "L" plate on my head when I go see my share broker.

mmm.... dear God please make up shares rise up in price! So that I can go scuba diving!!!! Please!!!! Pretty please!!

Back again

Just got back from Brissie. Spent a bit of time with my granduncle, grandaunt, their children and grandkids - whom I got along quite well... I think if I spent more time with them I'd end up talking like a 10 year old. Oh boy.

It was very sad to see Granduncle in such a terrible state, just skin, muscle and bones. He has stomach cancer and just can't eat bugger all- just two eggs a day and about a glass of water. Grandaunt was also sickly, shuffling slowly. Its very sad. Both are in their 80s...

I don't want to go down that way. Maybe this whole idea of eating healthy and living longer is overrated.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Brisbane

I'm off to Brisbane for a quick visit to a dying relative. My grand uncle (mother's side) is very old and sick and has refused all food and water. I don't want to go. As harsh as it sounds, but I really don't feel like it. There's a mountain of work for me to do here - and I don't want to go visiting old dying relatives. BUT. It is an important occasion and feelings aside, honor and duty calls.

The air ticket though ain't cheap. Its gonna cost nearly $700 for this return trip. But its a sudden thing and no planning was involved. Besides its an important to pay one's respects to the living.

I have to admit harboring a idea to go scuba diving when I'm up north. But it seems entirely inappropriate. Slap!!!!

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Friday night Straits Cafe

Lol. Despite spending over a year in Singapore, I couldn't resist heading with my friends - Tav and Elena - to Straits Cafe (opposite Westfield Shoppingtown) and partaking of their fantastic Penang Har Mee and char kwey taui. Man, both dishes taste soooo great.

(Sorry no camera shots- I don't know how to take photos of food dishes.)

Came back and watched "Into the Blue" starring Jessica Alba and Paul Walker. This is a great film if you're into scuba diving. Those 2 metre sharks aren't CGI. There's this amazing shot of Jessica swimming with the sharks and catching the tail of one of them. Is that amazing or wot!!! I tried grabbing a screen shot of her- but can't seem to do that yet.

Tomorrow I'm off to St Andrews Market to get some wood fired baked bread and to chill out with my female friend, Carol... hopefully she's free.

(update: she has the flu so I'm off to the zoo instead with my lovable 4 year old nephew)

Friday, November 02, 2007

St. Marks Fitzroy Christmas Choir Concert

Start:     Dec 2, '07 2:15p
Location:     Fitzroy, Melbourne
The music director of St Marks Church happens to be one of the best. He really knows how to produce great music. I heard them in 2003 and was totally awestruck by the pure beauty. Really awesome stuff.

Melbourne Part 2

Its been over 4 nights since I've returned. Cleaned up the awful magpie mess pretty well- praise God. Robert - my trusty steam cleaner from my landlord days - came over yesterday and cleaned up the mess on the carpets beautifully. Highly recommended if you ever need a super man steam cleaner here in Melbourne.

Mum's feather down quilt was picked up and cleaned today by Superior Quilts - spotless! I did try cleaning it by myself but couldn't do it.

Next step is to do the garden- which is overgrown with weeds. I pray that my Hungarian gardener will show up tomorrow. The guy is really good but has gone AWOL for over 3 years. I'll probably do it together with another gardener. The trees and hedges could all do with a good trim too.

I'll post up more photos soon. But at the moment, I'm handicapped because one of my relatives used up my internet usage whilst I was away. So I'm down to 8kbs.

I'm off to see a book-keeper tomorrow to do my accounts here. God didn't bless me with the ability to keep records... and rather than fight a losing battle, I'd rather admit defeat and hand over the job to someone else who can do it much better and infinitely faster than I can.

Sometimes in life- that's the way. Know your limits and respect them.