Gratitude

Last month I was in UK attending the graduation ceremony of two of my daughters. After studying there for a good five years, they finally got their certificate to practice. Stephanie got hers last year and she has been helping out financially (in the areas of living expenses) for the other two sisters. Thank you Stephanie for supporting the two sisters and also their banker!
From August this year onward, all three are now working and they are all independent... and this also means paying back time! So on her pay day last month, Stephanie went to the teller machine and drawn two hundreds pounds twice and gave them to mum and dad separately! It was a nice feeling indeed to be on the receiving end first time!

Now, there is a  need to open an account so that they can continue to habitually deposit into that account from August onward so that the brothers will have an opportunity to study also later.
Talking about gratitude, I was saddened by what I read in the paper. Some children can be so heartless to forget about the sacrifices the parents put in. Read these two stories here and here.
I also notice that people are also very stingy when it comes to saying "Thank you". I was sitting in a coffee shop yesterday and observed a family across another table. As the father finished his meal, he stood up and went to pick up tissue papers for his two daughters and wife. As he distributed the tissue paper, not one of them even say thank you and worse, they look so unhappy and grumpy! Have you shown your gratitude today? If not, quickly go and say thank you to your parents or whoever.

feng shui 風水 Geomancy

I checked google translation and found that feng shui is translated to 風水 but not geomancy! So, are they the same thing? Anyway, that is not my concern.
Speaking very generally as they were sayings from my late parents:

1. Do not block the front of your house, especially your main entrance, it must be clear. 
2. Road must not "point" straight into the main entrance of the house; 
3. Pointed roof or whatever is not good; 
4. Kitchen must not face the entrance of another house; 
5. Main entrance must not point to a road leading to another house; 
6. Don't give away your own cooking utensils; etc... 

All this have to do with "wealth" and "fortune". Looking at ...

... this angle (from a house), it was envisaged that the good fortune might flow from one house to the other house (ie, if the saying is true)? So, to stop it, barrier must be built, eg, a tree could be planted (see picture above) or a wall could be built!
I know one thing for sure... talking across the fence is now not possible!
... Life is so interesting!

Parody election video

Singaporeans have been coming up with parody videos about their election experience and have been sharing them online. You need to understand mandarin to understand this video...

Enjoy! The joke came about from the way he pronounces some of the words.

CPA Curtin Borneo Business Challenge Results

The CPA Curtin Borneo Business Challenge came to a close yesterday evening. The top three prices winners...

Third place went to non Curtin students.

Second place... from Curtin

Champion... from Curtin

Group photo of everyone. To see all the photos, click here.

Blood donation today

Are you fearful of blood donation? Actually, it is not that bad... the experience is almost painless! First...

They pricked your finger to get some blood sample to ensure that you have enough blood and...

check the blood group if it is your first time. Remember to ask them to prick the side of the finger instead of the tip as it is a lot less painful. Well, there is actually no pain!

If everything goes well, you will proceed to take the blood pressure and then the actual procedure... purposely blurred here just in case you fainted!

She is obviously frightened because she expected pain! Later she told her friends that there was no pain as an injection is given first!

The group from the NGOs - Red Crescent, Lion Club (organiser), etc

Melilea was there to give out goodies also.
The rest of my photos will be posted on my facebook later.

Instant Nescafe from the tape

When I switched on the water tape this morning at 8:30AM, I was shocked to see how dirty is our water system! So, I quickly get a white bowl to collect the water...

See how brown is our water...

After running for two minutes...

As I pour out the water, I noticed this sediment in the bowl!

Update: I found out that someone is maintaining the water pipe leading to out house. That explain the dirty water!

Choo Tse Chien, Birding Maestro and Buddy

Today, 24th Aug 2011, we lost a birding maestro and good friend, a major player in the Malaysian bird photography scene.

Tse Chien helped us celebrate our first World Migratory Bird Day in Miri, our very first in Sarawak. He has been a constant inspiration to our own birding work here in Miri, supportive and forever ready to coach, goad, instigate and inspire birdwatching and bird photography activities locally. He was with MNS Miri on several occasions traversing rural villages talking to and inspiring little birders with his amazing bird images.



Always remembered as the kind and jovial person by whomever he meets, he helped us set up our very first Bird Photography Exhibition with his enthusiasm and beautiful bird imagery at Borneo Tropical Rainforest Resort on occasion of MNS National AGM 2009 in Miri, also a first such exhibition in Miri if not the Northern Division.



His mark was not only left in Miri. He actively contributed to the first Langkawi Bird Festival together with Irshad Mubarak, MNS Langkawi and others. He was also a regular contributor to the Sabah's Borneo Bird Festival ever since it's inception. He has inspired us and his many other photographer friends to the beauty of birds; turning photographers to birders from Perlis to Sabah. His images are almost always up close, personal and with his signature heavenly bokeh as background.

Choo Tse Chien, buddy, may you rest in peace surrounded by all that is beautiful and heavenly in creation.

We will miss you.