Gift from Heaven

Check out my new "SHOP" :-)

2011-05-20T16:04:00.000-07:00

Party time again!

2011-05-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

I don't remember I spent my childhood is such a vast social interaction called "parties". Ok, probably twice or thrice a year. But my son just had 4 birthday invitation in a MONTH!

Beach time!!!!

2011-05-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

And proudly presenting, this is the place we stayed - Bluff Centre is a family fun Bed and Breakfast. It's positioned right on the cliff facing Trebar beach (down below)

The Moment...

2011-05-15T12:00:00.001-07:00

ONE happy family once again.

2011-05-03T16:35:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention
OUR PRINCE AND PRINCESS HAD TIED THE KNOT! Bidding our congratulation to HRH Prince William Arthur Philip Louie and Princess Catherine Elisabeth Middleton!
My son's school even made a mug with the couple's name on it!

My Consultant is HOME!!!

2011-04-22T16:35:00.001-07:00

I initially tempted to title this entry "my soldier is HOME!". Alas, I realise being consultant there is nothing to comparison of being a soldier - except for being deployed far from home often, that's it.

Anyway, yes... after 4 months of work and deadlines, my consultant is home for easter. I would like to thank those who has been praying for him and our family all this while. It's been 8 months since we adopt a lifestyle of "skype" family - eat dinner together (via skype), have a webcam kiss and hug, even my son invent how to do hide and seek using a webcam!

While many people tend to sound pitiful on the way we lived. I should said me and my family is VERY fortunate. First, me, my husband and my son has this grace from the Lord to be able to accept things that we can't change - this means no one complains about the situation, just flow and enjoy the ride. Secondly, if the same circumstances happens 50 years ago before internet and skype are widely used, we may have a complete different story. And when the time has come, we are looking forward to be reunited as a family not via skype!

Other update round about our family life : my son now has officially played piano with both hands. He reads notes much faster than me - mainly to the fact he can read notes first before he can read alphabet, so his brain translate notes into place on the keys faster. So, we had 1st grader and 4rth grader (that's me) competing for teachers attention now.

And also, yesterday was my son's last day with the his childminder who has been caring for him for more than 3 years.
It's never easy to say goodbye. Harder on me than on him - Julie is a gift from the Lord. She is a great childminder and a great friend alike.
But, a "goodbye" means there will be a "hello" elsewhere. Josiah will be starting his school fulltime this May!

The other big update is about my work situation. The parent company in Germany decided to either close our office in UK or sell it off. It's not the nicest situation to be, but I give thanks to my Lord for I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.
I've been to worse situation than this years ago, and God turn all the cards around and it immerse to be a substantial blessing.

So, that's my updates. I'll be enjoying more spring weather and will soon updates you with more pictures! Meanwhile, I bid you all a wonderful resurrection day!

Lord, I need you!

2011-04-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

My duck...

2011-04-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

A picture perfect day :-)

2011-04-09T18:03:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and....

2011-03-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

We are missing our Daddy!

Traditional Javanese Wedding

2011-03-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

Peace...!!!

What do you think a 4 year old can do?

2011-03-11T13:51:00.000-08:00

In fact, I am quite amazed just in 4 years time he had learn so much, more than me when I was 4 year old!

Miss You!

2011-03-09T13:47:00.000-08:00

To those of you who just realise that lately I've not taking pictures much. Those that being uploaded was actually taken by my husband, who is currently living 3000 miles from here.
I've been lending my lens to one of my colleague in office, who travelled around the world in 7 weeks, and this week, I just get this little baby back!

How I miss you!!!

The Swap

2011-03-08T12:56:00.000-08:00

my son refuse to do his homework today, so I challenge him to do homework swap *evil smile* (no...honestly, I will be very pleased to do the deal).

Unfortunately he quickly disagree when I point out my homework include washing up dishes, warming up his milk, packing his school bag, preparing tomorrow's lunch, and wake up at 6am to figure out breakfast.

Now, who said it is fun to be an adult? Someone needs a reality check.

Great powers comes with responsibility - Spiderman

The broken planes

2011-02-26T12:06:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to take an off day from work.

Ok, today is indeed saturday. But remember I need to work as many saturday as possible this whole 3 month (refer to my earlier post).

Anyway, today turn to be the day the Lord humbled me the most.

We went for piano lesson, both me and my son did pretty well this morning. We are equally enthusiastic to beat each other as who is going home with more songs - and this morning it was a tie! Then we head to see the Pavitts, our missionary friend in Corby. Mrs Pavitts had recently done a big surgery to remove her breast cancer (again, refer to my previous entry). Although she is still in a lot of pain and unable to use her hand, we are thankful to those who read this blog and has been faithfully praying for her. Her scan reading was clear, that means the cancer has not spread elsewhere and she does not need to do any chemo.

I probably blog about the Pavitts before. But I thought it worth mentioning who are they again. Colin Pavitt was an alcoholic before the Lord saved him and give him a new life. Years later he was called to preach and wedded Rosalind, who was he met in bible college. They had a daugther from their marriage - whom already home with the Lord in such a tender age. They had never had any children since. But the sorrow of losing their only daughter does not stop them to serve the Lord. Pastor Pavitt then had problem with his sight which doctors couldn't do anything about and he was declared partially blind a few years ago. And this year, his wife found a lump on her breast and had to go on complete mastectomy.

To cut the story short, me and my son comes to visit them today. The idea is to accompany and encourage them. Little did I know that it will work the other way around.
While I was around to accompany Rosalind, pastor Pavitt make use of the opportunity to run to town and distribute few hundred tracts. Then when he came back, he took us to KFC and treat us for dinner. Later on back to the house, he was packing some little gift he had for my son... some coloured pencil, colouring books and a few puzzles. But not satisfied with that, he run upstair and came back with 2 delicate looking model aeroplane in his hand.

I thought, he couldn't be letting Josiah play with those. That's does not look like toys, in fact it looks expensive! - let alone a toy for 4 year old rough lad. Probably he just going to show Josiah some of his collection (yes, Pastor Pavitt loves aeroplane). But to my surprise, not only he allowed Josiah to touch them, he was actually giving those to him. In my disbelief, I confronted him, "Are you sure Pastor? Sure enough my son will break those if you give it to him". But he was so sure and there is no way I can say no. He packed those things inside a box and let my jumpy little man have it.

Now my boy is lying like a log on his bed from tiredness. I had a chance to see those 2 aeroplane up close. Carefully, I stroke them with my hand to see the beautiful detailing underneath some old dust. And after a few minutes I realise, these planes was not perfect, one missing it's propeller and the other one missing it's tail light.

The thought suddenly strikes me - how this imperfect aeroplanes has reflect the condition of the giver.

The Pavitts probably is not the most fortunate people in the world - at least from my human eyes.
At 40 something, they are still living in small rented property in some dodgy estate. From the things they do and kept inside the house - I can tell clearly that they are pretty thrifty people on themselves and try to get by with as little spending as possible. Their clothes looks not colour coordinated and worn well. They only have 1 main meals a day, and they does not use much heating. Certainly not the way I would hope myself and my family to be in the next 10 years or so. And to add on that, he has lost one of his eye sight and on the way to lose the other one. And then her wife fell ill with cancer.
But yet, this kind of imperfection in their life is what makes them more beautiful than any other humanly "perfect" Christian I met.

Put it this way. I have 2 good eyes, yet I read less bible than a man with only 1 good eyes and on the way of losing the other. I have one healthy body, yet I serve the Lord less than a woman with cancer. I had a job, my husband earn well, we went to holiday around the globe, we had more than 1 property, yet our giving is easily beaten by a husband and wife who lived in rented property and having little to eat. How often we saw the "less-fortunate-than-I" person who lived more Godly life than us?

God helps us.

*********

So now, those aeroplane with missing pieces, sitting on my boy window sill - proclaiming a great faith of a hand of imperfect man, who the Lord... has made perfect.
O Lord, how I am truly humbled.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. - 2 Cor 12:9

Wedding shots - Ji Liong & Dion (part 2)

2011-02-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

The reception

And a good time was had by all!

Wedding shots - Ji Liong & Dion (part 1)

2011-02-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

It has been a great blessing for me to be able to attend the wedding of Dji Ji Liong and Dion Natalia in Graphe Independent Baptist Church in Jakarta (Indonesia). Not only they are a lovely and God fearing couple, but I also have the chance to work on my rusty photography skill. You see, I have not been taking any interesting shots since a few months back in our last holiday in Turkey. Anyway, I'll let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy.

For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Matthew 19:5

The preparations

The procession

The service

Strange...

2011-02-10T13:57:00.000-08:00

These few weeks has been very strange to me.
Read this as good surprises between the line, but it was just something I can't exactly explained.

First was happening at my workplace. I suppose to go back to work fulltime next month - visa and income is the bottomline. It will be nice one day I don't have to think of all this.
I was discussing with my husband few weeks ago that I wanted to take an unpaid leave to accompany him back in south east asia during long summer break - but I am worried about the minimum income requirement for applying permanent resident, which is due next year.

Then...a week ago this big boss from Germany suddenly said we need more workforce in UK... badly! However, it has proven quite difficult to fish for talents in our niche field, hence they resort for us to work extra hour...paid!
I know this may not be an ideal situation for many, but for me it was an answer prayer. For me working on saturday is not such a big deal (especially when it is paid!). I mean, I've experience much worse stuff. During my working days in singapore, overtime (until midnight), weekend job, only merely rewarded with a taxi voucher or thank you lunch. While in UK, the number of my overtime (that is until 7pm) can be counted using fingers on one hand. Secondly, my company has already allow me to do part time for few months to ease me on childcare issue. So... I reckon it is time to return the favour.

Not only that, recently I also found the perfect housemate. Yes, not satisfied being a landlord, I decided to rent out one out of 3 bedroom in my house. Call me greedy - but I feel it is odd if I just use 1 bedroom and locked out the other 2 - what a waste. But I am very particular about looking for one. So after months of waiting, the Lord finally decided it is time to introduce me to my new housemate. I did state on my advert I only accept female professional, with no benefits, no pets, no car (very difficult to park 2 car in front of my house) and non smoker. However, what I get even beyond my own expectation, not only she is female professional with no car, no pets, not smoking and no benefits, she is also a christian! what a blessing :-)

Anyway, I did actually plan to close this blog. But again, God overturn my plan... and here I am sharing the proof of his faithfulness - yet again.
God bless.

When something happen to someone you love...

2011-02-07T22:43:00.000-08:00

Pain and suffering is a part of up and downs in life.
Yet no matter how much we encounter it in our life, we seems to have to learn it altogether again - everytime. The shock. The disappointment. The grieve. But of course - the Hope and the Courage! Thanks be unto the Lord Jesus.

And what can be harder than facing unfortunate things happens in our own life? that must be watching our loved one to suffer.
Last week we've learned our beloved pastor's wife suffer from breast cancer. They are not clear about how much it has spread. Our hearts were broken to see such a lovely couple would have to face such trial. But the Lord remind us of Job - despite all the sufferings he encounter, he clearly knows who is in control!

Please pray for her as she undergo a major surgery this thursday. Prayers do wonders. Especially those that said by the saints - those forgiven sinners.

Should I close my blog?

2011-02-06T07:58:00.001-08:00

I've been thinking about this for awhile.
Mainly because in my new life (which not quite so new anymore) I have more things to do - it's natural that I come to forget and abandon things that is not as critical.

Namely - my blog.

People said everyone have a their own life, but to live your live is to choose the right priority for things around you. 2 days ago, I just found out that I may need work back fulltime and work on Saturday (paid, don't worry... my employer is very generous on this). So not only I have to juggle between housework, church, taking care of my son, taking him to lesson... I'll be soon have LESS time to do them.

I know now I even browsing internet lesser than ever. If you notice, I hardly leave comment on my favourites blogs anymore.
So, I've been thinking, would it be best if I stop blogging?

Maybe.

I've forgotten!

2011-01-29T13:02:00.000-08:00

I forgot that I have a blog...
I forgot that I need to update it...
I forgot that I've not done uploading all my holiday pictures...

What's hot at the moment...

2011-01-26T13:14:00.000-08:00

By Amy Chua (Amy Chua is a professor at Yale Law School and author of "Day of Empire" and "World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability." This essay is excerpted from "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua, to be published Tuesday by the Penguin Press, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Copyright © 2011 by Amy Chua.)

A lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder what these parents do to produce so many math whizzes and music prodigies, what it's like inside the family, and whether they could do it too. Well, I can tell them, because I've done it. Here are some things my daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to do:

• attend a sleepover

• have a playdate

• be in a school play

• complain about not being in a school play

• watch TV or play computer games

• choose their own extracurricular activities

• get any grade less than an A

• not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama

• play any instrument other than the piano or violin

• not play the piano or violin.

I'm using the term "Chinese mother" loosely. I know some Korean, Indian, Jamaican, Irish and Ghanaian parents who qualify too. Conversely, I know some mothers of Chinese heritage, almost always born in the West, who are not Chinese mothers, by choice or otherwise. I'm also using the term "Western parents" loosely. Western parents come in all varieties.

All the same, even when Western parents think they're being strict, they usually don't come close to being Chinese mothers. For example, my Western friends who consider themselves strict make their children practice their instruments 30 minutes every day. An hour at most. For a Chinese mother, the first hour is the easy part. It's hours two and three that get tough.

Despite our squeamishness about cultural stereotypes, there are tons of studies out there showing marked and quantifiable differences between Chinese and Westerners when it comes to parenting. In one study of 50 Western American mothers and 48 Chinese immigrant mothers, almost 70% of the Western mothers said either that "stressing academic success is not good for children" or that "parents need to foster the idea that learning is fun." By contrast, roughly 0% of the Chinese mothers felt the same way. Instead, the vast majority of the Chinese mothers said that they believe their children can be "the best" students, that "academic achievement reflects successful parenting," and that if children did not excel at school then there was "a problem" and parents "were not doing their job." Other studies indicate that compared to Western parents, Chinese parents spend approximately 10 times as long every day drilling academic activities with their children. By contrast, Western kids are more likely to participate in sports teams.

What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you're good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences.

This often requires fortitude on the part of the parents because the child will resist; things are always hardest at the beginning, which is where Western parents tend to give up. But if done properly, the Chinese strategy produces a virtuous circle. Tenacious practice, practice, practice is crucial for excellence; rote repetition is underrated in America. Once a child starts to excel at something—whether it's math, piano, pitching or ballet—he or she gets praise, admiration and satisfaction. This builds confidence and makes the once not-fun activity fun. This in turn makes it easier for the parent to get the child to work even more.

Chinese parents can get away with things that Western parents can't. Once when I was young—maybe more than once—when I was extremely disrespectful to my mother, my father angrily called me "garbage" in our native Hokkien dialect. It worked really well. I felt terrible and deeply ashamed of what I had done. But it didn't damage my self-esteem or anything like that. I knew exactly how highly he thought of me. I didn't actually think I was worthless or feel like a piece of garbage.

As an adult, I once did the same thing to Sophia, calling her garbage in English when she acted extremely disrespectfully toward me. When I mentioned that I had done this at a dinner party, I was immediately ostracized. One guest named Marcy got so upset she broke down in tears and had to leave early. My friend Susan, the host, tried to rehabilitate me with the remaining guests.

The fact is that Chinese parents can do things that would seem unimaginable—even legally actionable—to Westerners. Chinese mothers can say to their daughters, "Hey fatty—lose some weight." By contrast, Western parents have to tiptoe around the issue, talking in terms of "health" and never ever mentioning the f-word, and their kids still end up in therapy for eating disorders and negative self-image. (I also once heard a Western father toast his adult daughter by calling her "beautiful and incredibly competent." She later told me that made her feel like garbage.)

Chinese parents can order their kids to get straight As. Western parents can only ask their kids to try their best. Chinese parents can say, "You're lazy. All your classmates are getting ahead of you." By contrast, Western parents have to struggle with their own conflicted feelings about achievement, and try to persuade themselves that they're not disappointed about how their kids turned out.

I've thought long and hard about how Chinese parents can get away with what they do. I think there are three big differences between the Chinese and Western parental mind-sets.

First, I've noticed that Western parents are extremely anxious about their children's self-esteem. They worry about how their children will feel if they fail at something, and they constantly try to reassure their children about how good they are notwithstanding a mediocre performance on a test or at a recital. In other words, Western parents are concerned about their children's psyches. Chinese parents aren't. They assume strength, not fragility, and as a result they behave very differently.

For example, if a child comes home with an A-minus on a test, a Western parent will most likely praise the child. The Chinese mother will gasp in horror and ask what went wrong. If the child comes home with a B on the test, some Western parents will still praise the child. Other Western parents will sit their child down and express disapproval, but they will be careful not to make their child feel inadequate or insecure, and they will not call their child "stupid," "worthless" or "a disgrace." Privately, the Western parents may worry that their child does not test well or have aptitude in the subject or that there is something wrong with the curriculum and possibly the whole school. If the child's grades do not improve, they may eventually schedule a meeting with the school principal to challenge the way the subject is being taught or to call into question the teacher's credentials.

If a Chinese child gets a B—which would never happen—there would first be a screaming, hair-tearing explosion. The devastated Chinese mother would then get dozens, maybe hundreds of practice tests and work through them with her child for as long as it takes to get the grade up to an A.

Chinese parents demand perfect grades because they believe that their child can get them. If their child doesn't get them, the Chinese parent assumes it's because the child didn't work hard enough. That's why the solution to substandard performance is always to excoriate, punish and shame the child. The Chinese parent believes that their child will be strong enough to take the shaming and to improve from it. (And when Chinese kids do excel, there is plenty of ego-inflating parental praise lavished in the privacy of the home.)

Second, Chinese parents believe that their kids owe them everything. The reason for this is a little unclear, but it's probably a combination of Confucian filial piety and the fact that the parents have sacrificed and done so much for their children. (And it's true that Chinese mothers get in the trenches, putting in long grueling hours personally tutoring, training, interrogating and spying on their kids.) Anyway, the understanding is that Chinese children must spend their lives repaying their parents by obeying them and making them proud.

By contrast, I don't think most Westerners have the same view of children being permanently indebted to their parents. My husband, Jed, actually has the opposite view. "Children don't choose their parents," he once said to me. "They don't even choose to be born. It's parents who foist life on their kids, so it's the parents' responsibility to provide for them. Kids don't owe their parents anything. Their duty will be to their own kids." This strikes me as a terrible deal for the Western parent.

Third, Chinese parents believe that they know what is best for their children and therefore override all of their children's own desires and preferences. That's why Chinese daughters can't have boyfriends in high school and why Chinese kids can't go to sleepaway camp. It's also why no Chinese kid would ever dare say to their mother, "I got a part in the school play! I'm Villager Number Six. I'll have to stay after school for rehearsal every day from 3:00 to 7:00, and I'll also need a ride on weekends." God help any Chinese kid who tried that one.

Don't get me wrong: It's not that Chinese parents don't care about their children. Just the opposite. They would give up anything for their children. It's just an entirely different parenting model.

Here's a story in favor of coercion, Chinese-style. Lulu was about 7, still playing two instruments, and working on a piano piece called "The Little White Donkey" by the French composer Jacques Ibert. The piece is really cute—you can just imagine a little donkey ambling along a country road with its master—but it's also incredibly difficult for young players because the two hands have to keep schizophrenically different rhythms.

Lulu couldn't do it. We worked on it nonstop for a week, drilling each of her hands separately, over and over. But whenever we tried putting the hands together, one always morphed into the other, and everything fell apart. Finally, the day before her lesson, Lulu announced in exasperation that she was giving up and stomped off.

"Get back to the piano now," I ordered.

"You can't make me."

"Oh yes, I can."

Back at the piano, Lulu made me pay. She punched, thrashed and kicked. She grabbed the music score and tore it to shreds. I taped the score back together and encased it in a plastic shield so that it could never be destroyed again. Then I hauled Lulu's dollhouse to the car and told her I'd donate it to the Salvation Army piece by piece if she didn't have "The Little White Donkey" perfect by the next day. When Lulu said, "I thought you were going to the Salvation Army, why are you still here?" I threatened her with no lunch, no dinner, no Christmas or Hanukkah presents, no birthday parties for two, three, four years. When she still kept playing it wrong, I told her she was purposely working herself into a frenzy because she was secretly afraid she couldn't do it. I told her to stop being lazy, cowardly, self-indulgent and pathetic.

Jed took me aside. He told me to stop insulting Lulu—which I wasn't even doing, I was just motivating her—and that he didn't think threatening Lulu was helpful. Also, he said, maybe Lulu really just couldn't do the technique—perhaps she didn't have the coordination yet—had I considered that possibility?

"You just don't believe in her," I accused.

"That's ridiculous," Jed said scornfully. "Of course I do."

"Sophia could play the piece when she was this age."

"But Lulu and Sophia are different people," Jed pointed out.

"Oh no, not this," I said, rolling my eyes. "Everyone is special in their special own way," I mimicked sarcastically. "Even losers are special in their own special way. Well don't worry, you don't have to lift a finger. I'm willing to put in as long as it takes, and I'm happy to be the one hated. And you can be the one they adore because you make them pancakes and take them to Yankees games."

I rolled up my sleeves and went back to Lulu. I used every weapon and tactic I could think of. We worked right through dinner into the night, and I wouldn't let Lulu get up, not for water, not even to go to the bathroom. The house became a war zone, and I lost my voice yelling, but still there seemed to be only negative progress, and even I began to have doubts.

Then, out of the blue, Lulu did it. Her hands suddenly came together—her right and left hands each doing their own imperturbable thing—just like that.

Lulu realized it the same time I did. I held my breath. She tried it tentatively again. Then she played it more confidently and faster, and still the rhythm held. A moment later, she was beaming.

"Mommy, look—it's easy!" After that, she wanted to play the piece over and over and wouldn't leave the piano. That night, she came to sleep in my bed, and we snuggled and hugged, cracking each other up. When she performed "The Little White Donkey" at a recital a few weeks later, parents came up to me and said, "What a perfect piece for Lulu—it's so spunky and so her."

Even Jed gave me credit for that one.

Western parents worry a lot about their children's self-esteem. But as a parent, one of the worst things you can do for your child's self-esteem is to let them give up. On the flip side, there's nothing better for building confidence than learning you can do something you thought you couldn't.

There are all these new books out there portraying Asian mothers as scheming, callous, overdriven people indifferent to their kids' true interests. For their part, many Chinese secretly believe that they care more about their children and are willing to sacrifice much more for them than Westerners, who seem perfectly content to let their children turn out badly. I think it's a misunderstanding on both sides. All decent parents want to do what's best for their children. The Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that.

Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment. By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they're capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.

******

p.s : if after reading this article you want to kick or punch Amy Chua or consider to poison her. Consider this:

1. Compare the end product. Her daughter Sophia at least played piano concert in Carniege Mellon, something that not all daughters capable to achieve.

2. You think Amy's daugther living a sad, stressful life? think again, read her reply here.

One fine evening

2011-01-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

My son showing off his table manner that he learned from school.

Strange Sweets

2011-01-19T13:13:00.000-08:00

Just when I almost forgot about our Istanbul trip, while browsing my hard drive my son pointed out a "strange sweets" he ate in Turkey.

In a matter of fact, nothing common we found in Istanbul - even sweets look and taste odd. This sweets is very sticky, runny, almost like caramel, however taste pretty much like flavoured honey. It smells very lemony (you can figure that out from the lemon on the centre of the plate).

Other type of sweets are more famous such as this "Turkish Delight" and "Baklava".
The history of baklava is not well-documented. It has been claimed by many ethnic groups, but there is strong evidence that it is of Central Asian Turkic origin, with its current form being developed in the imperial kitchens of the Topkapı Palace. It has super nutty taste, excellently glued with some chocolaty sometimes coconut-ty hint.

While Turkish delight (Lokum) is a confection that in the West is frequently manufactured from starch and sugar, but which in the Middle East takes a variety of forms more subtle, including premium varieties made almost solely of chopped dates, pistachios and hazelnuts or walnuts. As you can see, the big resin seeded jelly like here....

The confection is often packaged and eaten in small cubes dusted with flour (therefore need cutting... you don't bite that big chunk of sweets directly), icing sugar, copra, or powdered cream of Tartar to prevent clinging. They are all sort of kind of flavour you can think of, from fruity taste, to herb such as mint or cinnamon. One of those pink ones actually taste like rose!

As you can see, cutting this is no easy task. But that red one (pistachio and pomegranate) is one of my favourite.

But one thing for sure, if you are diabetic don't come to Turkey unless you are thinking of commiting suicide. Because apparently - eating sweets stuff like this is a snack, receptionist, cafe waiters, going to offer these you again and again!

Turkiye! - The overview....

2011-01-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, I am sorry for lacking of "serious" update. Ok, I promise this one will be one of it.
Last year, over the Christmas break we had a little adventure to have a little taste of Turkey. So we choose Istanbul.

Here is my picture in the Grand Bazaar, Sultanahmet area. I shall elaborate my experience in further details later in this entry.

Day 1.
We arrive at Ataturk Airport fairly late in the night. But of course, having our brain and sleeping time 2 hour early, 10 o'clock midnight does not feel that late. So we head to this little cafe for snack.

Immediately I know, that most of young single men here LOVES children. Every single waiter on the cafe, kiss, cuddle, gave sweets, talks, tease my son.
Of course he does not mind the attention :-)

Day 2.
We start the day with something rather... light. We didn't aim to see Hagia Sophia or Blue Mosque (both are the main attraction in Istanbul) straight away.
We decide to go to Basilica Cistern.

The Basilica Cistern (Turkish: Yerebatan Sarayı - "Sunken Palace", or Yerebatan Sarnıcı - "Sunken Cistern"), is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), Turkey. The cistern, located 500 feet (150 m) southwest of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu, was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.

Historical texts claim that 7,000 slaves were involved in the construction of the cistern.

The enlarged cistern provided a water filtration system for the Great Palace of Constantinople and other buildings on the First Hill, and continued to provide water to the Topkapi Palace after the Ottoman conquest in 1453 and into modern times.

52 stone steps descend into the entrance of the cistern. The cistern is surrounded by a firebrick wall with a thickness of 4 metres (13 ft) and coated with a waterproofing mortar. The Basilica Cistern's water came from the Eğrikapı Water Distribution Center in the Belgrade Forest;which lie 19 kilometres (12 mi) north of the city. It traveled through the 971 metres (3,186 ft)-long Valens (Bozdoğan) Aqueduct, and the 115.45 metres (378.8 ft)-long Mağlova Aqueduct, which was built by the Emperor Justinianus

Next, we went for "shopping".
Although I am not the fans of shopping - visiting Grand Bazaar is a must! It is not exactly the place to look for bargain to be honest. It's so touristy I am quite sure the local get their things elsewhere. But it's just a fascinating place. It full of lanterns, handmade carpets, silk, sweets, jewellery, precious stone, copper, and even gold!

Below, I am standing in the middle of the alley in Grand Bazaar. We are pretty lucky that it is this empty. On my right is Turkish smoking jar, with boxes of spices (strawberry, jasmine, apple flavour) - not that I try any of that.

The Grand Bazaar (Turkish: Kapalıçarşı, meaning Covered Bazaar) in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 4000 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily.

Opened in 1461, it is well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice, and carpet shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by the type of goods, with special areas for leather coats, gold jewelry and the like. The bazaar contains two bedestens (domed masonry structures built for storage and safe keeping), the first of which was constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The bazaar was vastly enlarged in the 16th century, during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and in 1894 underwent a major restoration following an earthquake. The grand bazaar consists of 12 major buildings and has 22 doors.

First encounter with strange all sort of strange dips. But they are all so tasty!

This is the reason I came to grand bazaar...

You can also watch people making their food fresh from the ingredients! I think in Sultanahmet area this kind of thing is kind of "performance", since the local knows how fascinated tourist with this.

For dinner, we decide to try one of the fine dining in the area. I tell you that the food is excellent and so is the service!

Day 3.
Hagia Sophia (from the Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, "Holy Wisdom"; Latin: Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia; Turkish: Aya Sofya) is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey.

Over looking Blue Mosque from Hagia Sophia upper chamber.

From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople of the Western Crusader established Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1934, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935

Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture."

It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and was the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site, the previous two having both been destroyed by rioters. It was designed by Isidore of Miletus, a physicist, and Anthemius of Tralles, a mathematician.

Later we run across to Blue Mosque.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii) is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior.

It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. While still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has also become a popular tourist attraction.

The mosque was to be built on the site of the palace of the Byzantine emperors, facing the Hagia Sophia (at that time the most venerated mosque in Istanbul) and the hippodrome, a site of great symbolic significance. Large parts of the southern side of the mosque rest on the foundation and vaults of the Great Palace.

Several palaces had already built there, most notably the palace of Sokollu Mehmet Paşa, so these first had to be bought at a considerable cost and pulled down. Large parts of the Sphendone (curved tribune with U-shaped structure of the hippodrome) were also removed to make room for the new mosque.

Construction of the mosque started in August 1609 when the sultan himself came to break the first sod. It was his intention that this would become the first mosque of his empire.

He appointed his royal architect Sedefhar Mehmet Ağa, a pupil and senior assistant of the famous architect Mimar Sinan to be in charge of the construction. The organization of the work was described in meticulous detail in eight volumes, now found in the library of the Topkapı Palace. The opening ceremonies were held in 1617 (although the inscription on the gate of the mosque says 1616). The sultan could now pray in the royal box (hünkâr mahfil).

The building was not yet finished in this last year of his reign, as the last accounts were signed by his successor Mustafa I. Known as the Blue Mosque, Sultan Ahmed Mosque is one of the most impressive monuments in the world.

Below, miniature of Meddinah.
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Inside, I saw some people, praying in fear...

Somehow this reminded me, what a great Lord I have - He merciful, overflowing with loving kindness, full or forgiveness, and slow to wrath. So loving that He gave himself to die for me, and I not even asked Him to do it!