Window Cleaners

I was in the pantry with Emily this afternoon. She was whinging about how difficult the HP digital camera was to use while as usual I ignored her and made tea.

Then these 2 guys popped up and she snapped this shot - they actually posed for us.

Ain't it cool?

Wild Wet Weekend

As you can see, I spent my weekend, skipping rocks, platform diving, sliding/floating/bumping my butts in a stream. Well actually 2 streams...

I went with Rae, Alex and Emily to Miaoli, 2 hours drive south-west of Taipei. It's called 溯溪 or River tracing, popular in Taiwan.

We were deep in Ayatal aboriginal lands, nestled amongst the beautiful mountains, where the air is pure, the stream waters icy cold and crystal clear, with birds & insects chirping and the sounds of water gushing down waterfalls... Being one with nature, and I loved it!

Altogether we walked in 2 streams. A baby one on Saturday and a much harder one with bigger rapids on Sunday. Thankfully I bought new booties just before the trip that comes with green-wool sponge attached. It's uniquely Taiwanese and creates very good grip on slippery rocks.

My camera isn't waterproof - but the others in the group had great pictures -http://photo.pchome.com.tw/spark00/082/

My pix - http://www.flickr.com/photos/8062670@N07/sets/72157606943035548/

I really enjoyed the weekend, the only thing that got me was the icy water temperature 22degrees.. brr!

After all that activity, I managed a nap, ahhh...

A Season for Everything

Ecclesiastes - Chapter 3:1 to 8

There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens.
A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.

I went back last week to attend the funeral of my beh-day (or Eldest uncle in Hainanese) - Cheng Sim Kin.

After my paternal grandparents passed away, he has assumed the role of patriach the last 3 decades, and he did so dutifully, responsibly, cheerfully, quietly.

So he returns to Jesus and we're left behind to pick up the pieces. Pls keep the Chengs in prayer. It was especially hard on the immediate family - my aunty and cousins.

Happy Birthday Singapore!

To 43 years of nation building - Majulah Singapura!

Funnily enough, it took me being out of my homeland to discover how much I love my country.

I had the national flag as my MSN picture since yesterday and was feeling all patriotic and all.

Over my boring lunch hour (I should be in the gym, I know, I know) I browsed Mr Brown and it killed me - I had to seriously stifle my giggles. http://www.mrbrown.com/blog/2008/08/singaporeans-in.html

To all your Singaporeans overseas - stand up and sing in 1 voice "count on me singapore!" cos the cold & paternalistic government of ours certainly couldn't care less.

Climbing 七星山 - tallest mountain in Taipei City

Finally I made it up 七星山 or 7Stars Mountain - which at 1120m is the tallest mountain in the district of Taipei City. We took about 2 hrs to huff and puff up and slightly over an hour to walk down. It was a beautiful walk up. After the midway point, we were enveloped in the clouds - the pictures I took doesn't do the place justice. It was simply heaven on earth.

After the walk, Peter scootered over the other side to show me 擎天崗 or Jintiangang. That's our next planned walk ;)