Man U in the Flesh...

Saturday 18 July 2009 - my first time ever, seeing Manchester United players in the flesh. Watching them on EPL telecast really isn't the same as seeing them live, running on the field in front of your very own eyes, with the players waving back at you. The atmosphere was indeed explosive, you might say, with the referee's whistles continuously being drowned by the spectators' thunderous roar. The number of fans for Man U easily surpasses that for Formula 1, which was last held here in 2008. (see past write-up). The visitors won 3-2, even though they were playing on a much more relaxed mood. Sean and I truly enjoyed this memorable day.

Sketchy sketch...

It has been a while, no...a long time, no...been years, no...been ages since I last made a proper drawing of anything! These mangoes somehow caught my eyes in the dim light while I was having breakfast one morning, and the way they were all cuddled up in the bag tickled my instinct to make a sketch of them. It really started very sketchy, but the more I drew, the more I began to feel the urge to complete whatever I started. I would not call it a great sketch, but a sketch which made me realize how long it has been since I last held a pencil to actually draw, and the end-result...wallah!!!

Gong Xi Fa Cai...it's that time of the year again!

Chinese New Year (or the Spring Festival) came early this year, on 26 January. For me, this year was quite different. There was a re-union of Old Xaverians for Class of '66 in Penang on 27 January. I was pretty anxious to see these people again, but when I arrived at the hotel in Tanjung Bungah, all I could see were unfamiliar faces! Well, I had no excuse but to introduce myself to whoever I came across. Faces have changed over the years and I could only remember names rather than faces. The anxiety and excitement slowly grew into sounds of joy and laughter.


With classmates


Classmates

On the family side, it was the usual yearly "ritual" with lots of food, food and more food! Also the visit to the very old Tua Pek Kong temple to pray for one's wishes to come true. The only sound I did not hear much this year was the sound of Lion dance. It is evident that many have even had the festivities toned down.


With Sue Lane


Sue Lane and Sean


Pretty maids all in a row

Irregardless, let us stay positive and look forward to a healthy and bountiful year of the Ox.

Happy New Year...what new year?

OMG...2009! We have come to the tenth year of the 21st century! I have never, ever made any new year resolutions in my life, as making these would seem pointless when out of 365 days in a year, as sure as the sun will rise each day, we should be thankful that we have lived another day! The hectic pace that people go through their lives these days, it would seem futile for anyone to make resolutions...many would end up having the same list, year in, year out.

With the global economic downturn during end 2008, those resolutions would have turned into dissolutions for some, and with the outcome looming over most part of 2009, we can only look towards a sustainable lifestyle...and with Chinese New Year around the corner, best wishes to all in the year of the Ox.

Happy Birthday, Sean

It is the end of the year, again! Whenever any birthday comes along, it always reminds us that one is a year older. When was it that everyone was so anxious about Y2K (year 2000)...how that would affect everyone's computer system at the stroke of midnight on 31 December 1999. Nine years have crept up upon our lives since then. Sean has grown up to be a wonderful son, and a brother to our daughter, Sue Lane. We have been so blessed with their presence and proud that they are holding respectable positions in their jobs. Sue Lane wanted a birthday treat for her brother, and together with Sean's girlfriend, Erica, we had a wonderful Japanese dinner on his birthday. To Beng Lean, Sean, Sue Lane and Erica...thank you all for being you. Bon appétit!

Eating-out "budget airline" style...no frills

The poster outside the restaurant says RM58 for a set meal for 4-5 people, which really seemed reasonable, at a time when food prices have been escalating. The set included 4 main dishes and 1 double-boiled soup. We went in, made our selection for the set and added 3 more side dishes. One would assume that the RM58 set would have included multiple servings of rice plus Chinese tea or just plain water. We were wrong, very wrong! We had to pay for every bowl of plain rice we ordered plus every cup of tea and plain water too! They might as well call it the "No Frills Restaurant", as in "Rice & Chinese Tea/Plain Water not included" Restaurant. Times have changed, but I feel that the owners of such outlets could have been more sincere about their advertising than to catch customers unprepared. As they say in advertising, "What the big text giveth, the small text taketh away". So, be warned, always look for the ( * ) followed by the small text! Even though RM110.52 didn't seem like a huge sum to pay, customers would feel cheated by the misleading advertisement, just for the outlet to attract customers. Then again, who ever said you have to be honest to be in business, anyway.

Something about Nothing...or is that Nothing about Something? Whatever...

I do spend quite a lot of time in my small patch of garden and there will always be some 'interesting' things going on there. There was this plant which I had trimmed some old leaves earlier and I was surprised to see some jelly-like resin formed at the cut. It looked kind of interesting...crystal-like stone appearance - nature is truly amazing! Then there was this wild strawberry creeper which I planted some days back. It gave me the first berry, three as a matter of fact. Unlike the real cultivated ones, this wild variety is rather small, about 7 mm across. I grew these out of curiosity as I wanted to see how big the berries will grow to become, with proper care. So, with my digital cam handy all the time, I might still capture something that may be really 'nothing' in the eyes of some, but as far as I am concerned, 'nothing' can sometimes mean something...confused? Hahaha...