RainBows

It's been a long time...

2026-06-01T06:43:31.119-07:00

In the blink of an eye, 4 years have elapsed since my last post..

Many things have happened, not least, the effects of the Covid-19 booster shot. It's strange, how one's fears overwhelm thinking logic and a decision made then, prompted by those fears, has had a devastating effect. Many of my friends succumbed to the Covid-19, and when the booster shot was introduced, everyone was urged to take it, as an added precaution against the virus. Should I, or shouldn't I, take it?

What if I don't? Will I be the next Covid-19 victim? I was among the vulnerable elderly with comorbidities. Many in my community went for it, so I followed suit. Alas, the after effect of that booster dose, was inflammation. My right optic nerve was severely affected, resulting in accelerated vision loss as I already had Glaucoma.

When the opthalmalogist confirmed the rapid progression of vision loss, I wept inwardly. I had already noticed the deterioration when I experienced difficulty in reading and writing for a sustained period of time. It also affected my driving. I no longer felt confident on the road so I stopped driving. The car was sold and it was hard, losing the convenience of mobility.

The strain on my eyes affected my writing. I couldn't concentrate and it became laborious, to write. I couldn't read my favorite books at the rate I used to. Depression set in. I lost heart.

My children encouraged me to return to the mainland to celebrate my birthday and they took me on road trips each time, to a different place. We returned to Penang one year and I enjoyed my favorite dishes, pictures of which were in my previous post.

Another year, we went to Ipoh, another town famous for its food and snacks.

Char Siew or roasted pork

Sweet soya bean curd dessert

Fern salad

Last year, we spent two nights in Taiping which has a beautiful lake and ancient trees, some of which were already tilting but firmly supported by steel trusses. Joggers thronged the lake gardens in the cool of the evenings.

Taiping Lake Garden

Ancient tree supported by steel trusses

Best of all was the support of my old friends and former golf buddies who fetched me out regularly for meals. Their company is therapeutic and the bonding over food is priceless.

Regular weekend buddy

Former golf buddies celebrating a birthday

Old friends of many years bonding over a meal

Today's post is a return to a more settled frame of mind, thanks to my children and my friends and buddies.

Ready when you are!!

2022-10-15T05:37:00.000-07:00

"Hey travel, I’m ready when you are." I came across this while reading and yes, I’m ready and have been for the last couple of months. What about you?

Everyday I see many planes flying in the sky from my balcony and the travel bug began to bite!! My tickets which had been cancelled by the airline because of the Covid-19 virus pandemic were re-activated and together with my daughter, we flew off to the Pearl of the Orient, or Penang as the locals know it. It’s also known as a food paradise!

We partook of the signature dishes in different establishments and I’d like to share some of the dishes we had.

From clockwise: row 1 - Spring rolls with vegetable filling (poh-piah); steamed rice rolls (chee cheong fun) in sweet sauce topped with fried onions; oyster omelette (oh-chien);

Row 2- Deep fried savory snacks (loh bak) with sweet and spicy dippings;
cendul (a local dessert with palm sugar and coconut milk);

Row 3 – local black coffee and noodles fried with cockles, prawns and duck egg (char kway teow); Ice kachang topped with ice-cream (local dessert with cream corn, cendul, kidney beans, black herbal jelly sweetened with palm sugar and some thick coconut milk).

The top favorites are the Char Kway Teow and Cendul. People actually come to Penang for these two dishes which originated from here. The queues to get these two dishes are usually long as people don’t mind waiting. They are very yummy and the cockles are big and fresh! It’s the cockles that make the dish so tasty!

Penang is also home to the Peranakans who descended from mixed marriages between the Mainland Chinese immigrants and local Malay women. The off-spring are known as Baba (male) and Nonya (female).

The Nonyas are excellent cooks and skilled in embroidery. In the olden times, these are mandatory skills for marriage. More on the nonyas in my next post! Stay tuned!

Books Available on Pre-Order

2022-07-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

I’m happy to announce that the last book “Successful Magic” in my series “Love in the Shadows of Salem” is now available on pre-order in amazon.

Here’s the link.

https://amzn.to/3PelQ0l

Just in case you haven’t heard about this series, there are 5 books altogether. It’s the story of Gwen, who was ignominiously thrown out of her college, found herself without a home, thanks to her father’s crime, and dumped by her fiancé. Get to meet her and to know her within the pages of these books, as she discovers her true nature, befriended by werewolves and falls in love with a vampire. You’ll love the irrepressible Gwen and the chaos created as she discovers her magical powers in raising the dead.

Coming up is a new series entitled Destinies Entwined. The prequel “Welcome Home” is available on amazon and Bryn, after a long sojourn in the human world finally goes home to her own world where Joseph has been waiting for her, always at hand to protect her as he had vowed, centuries ago.

https://amzn.to/3uEaTg6

Destinies Entwined is also a 5-book series which showcase Bryn’s story. Book One entitled “The Daywalker” is now available on pre-order on amazon.

https://amzn.to/3NZjml0

My mother, a vicious killer vampire presumed dead is alive and still killing.
My mission? To bring her in, alive.

“Who are you?” I asked, staring at him. I could only see his body from the waist up, but I saw enough to know every inch of his body was lined in muscle.

“Are you enjoying what you see?” he remarked.

I was. But I was not going to let him know that. As far as I was concerned, he could be my next meal. I did not tend to play with my meals...but he might be the exception to that.

Loneliness and death are the constant for Bryn, daughter of vampires. She sets out on her perilous journey to bring in her killer mother, accompanied by the handsome daywalker assigned to assist her. Their attraction to each other is very strong

Will it develop into something more or will their separate destinies doom it from the start? When secrets are uncovered and truths revealed…

*****

Writing has always been my passion and more books are in the pipeline. I will inform you when they are on pre-order.

If you would like to read all my books for FREE, I suggest you sign up to be on my ARC street team. The VIP members in this team get to read all my new books before they are launched, for FREE and the only thing I ask in return is an honest review when the books are live on amazon. Here’s the invitation to join my team. Just click on the link below.

https://bit.ly/3zuG522

Reviews mean a great deal to an author as it enables more readers to learn more about her books and to read them.

Thank you for reading my books.

Yay! Heartstrings will tug your heart!

2022-04-07T05:42:00.001-07:00

My new 5-book series entitled Heartstrings is now available on amazon!! I'm chuffed!

Take a peek into the lives of the Manvin family and share their ups and downs. Each member has his/her own demons to deal with and the passions simmering below the surface will have you fired up too.

Stan is back to helm the family business empire after his father’s demise but it’s not what he wants. His return unravels the family in subtle ways. His first love Amy whom he left without a word is now married to his younger brother.

Amy cannot forget Stan and Steve has noted the effect Stan still has on his wife.

Julie the youngest Manvin who dislikes Amy because she has “taken away” her brothers’ attention has her own secrets that are taking a toll on her mental health.

Mama Leah the matriarch currently holding the family together but for how long? How will things work out for the Manvins? Will the family business survive? Will Steve and Amy go their separate ways? What of Julie?

Do grab a copy and while away your weekend with the Manvins in Heartstrings.

Copy and paste the links into your browser to get the books.

https://amzn.to/3t5vnNc

https://amzn.to/3JtmsMn

https://amzn.to/3CTulII

https://amzn.to/37L5lrE

https://amzn.to/3wo6DmM

The Annual Tomb Sweeping Day or Qingming Festival

2022-04-07T05:05:00.000-07:00

This festival is usually observed ten days before and after the actual date of Qingming which is in early April. It is obligatory for family members to visit the graves of their close relatives to pay their respects and to receive blessings from the departed. On this day, the cemeteries will be crowded with people, who have come to sweep the tomb and offer prayers, food and other paper offerings. However for the last two years, few have observed this because of the Covid-19 virus pandemic. This year, people have started to do tomb sweeping once more.

Food and paper offerings such as joss paper (currency in the after world), paper clothes, shoes, gadgets such as smart phones and tablets, etc. are brought to the site of the tomb. Before the goodies are laid out, the tomb is swept and cleared of any detritus or weeds.

Pieces of colored paper are put on the grave site (I don’t remember what the significance is). I remember as a young child, I was told to place a small stone on each of the colored paper so that it is not blown away by the wind.

When the grave site is spruced up, the offerings are laid out. Then family members will pray, using joss sticks (incense sticks). Prayers invite the departed to partake of the feast before them and then supplications are made, asking for blessings for the family, keeping the family safe, etc.

Coins are tossed to determine if the departed has finished his meal. A head and a tail would indicate that he has. Then the offerings can be burnt so that he will receive them in his world.

My grandfather’s tomb is on a hill and it commands a great view. The higher a grave is, the better the fengshui. My grandmother’s tomb is close by his. She was the first of his five wives to join him after his death. As you can see, the tombs are big and elaborate. My brothers went to pay their respects and took these photos. The graves are very well maintained.

My grandfather's tomb

(The boxes contain the paper offerings which will be burnt later)

My grandmother's tomb

Swedish Death Cleaning

2022-04-07T04:13:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting practice which will benefit many of us. The term Swedish Death Cleaning was coined by author Margareta Magnussen in her book “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter” (2017).

She asks readers to consider their loved ones left behind after their demise. Your loved ones would have to sort through all your things which you’ve left behind and this will not be an easy task. She gives suggestions on how to make this process as easy as possible for them.

Swedish death cleaning, then, is organizing and decluttering before you die so that your loved ones will not be unduly burdened after your passing.

It’s also about making decisions: what to keep and what to let go. This not only refers to your physical possessions but also your digital assets. You need to make sure that login details for your online bank accounts, your important websites, etc. are made available for them.

You might want to declutter your computer or desktop apart from your wardrobe and bookshelves.

Paring down one’s possessions will make your home much neater and a better place to live in.

I will be doing this bit by bit from now on as so much stuff has been accumulated over the last seven decades of my life. I shudder to think of it but it has to be done, so that my loved ones left behind will not be frustrated by the amount of “rubbish” mummy/grandma has collected!!

It’s something for you to consider too. It’s never too early to begin!

Free Download! Today and tomorrow (25th & 26th Nov 2021) only! The riveting story of Kiera & Sebastien.

2021-11-25T05:32:00.001-08:00

Growing old is no fun, though I’m sure some of you would disagree. To me, it’s no fun when you find that you keep forgetting things , especially when you go to your room to get something and when you’re there, you’ve forgotten what you’re supposed to get!!

Even worse is the fact that you cannot remember how to do things, such as posting something new in your blog!! Cognitive decline is what it’s called, I believe.

I had to go to Grandad Google to find out how to post something to my blog!!

Well, I want to share that today and tomorrow, i.e. 25^th and 26^th Nov, my book “The Petal” is on free promo on amazon.com. Here is the link: https://amzn.to/3wd6L6p

What’s the book about? It’s the story of Kiera and Sebastien, now adults, and Sebastien has become the rich and ruthless alpha male. He’s now ready to reel Kiera in, to be his Queen as he had vowed, ten years ago, when they first met in a dark alley and she saved his life.

But, does Kiera recognize him or even remember him? After all, ten years is a long time. She was only fourteen at the time of their encounter.

Do download it quickly before it reverts to a paid book once more. Click HERE. The free promo for The Petal ends tomorrow 26^th Nov. at midnight Eastern Time (USA). Click the link NOW and get it.

And, if you would like to know their background, when they first encountered each other, you can
download the FREE book here: https://bit.ly/30aKHxC

Enjoy the books!

Surviving A Changing World

2021-10-30T05:49:00.003-07:00

If you are someone who normally struggles with stress and anxiety, then

there's a good chance you're feeling it even more now, especially since

the Covid 19 Virus is here to stay. Its evolving variants are more

deadly than the original. They are widespread in the community and no

one knows who the spreader is because we are all asympmtomatic.

We are advised to double mask and keep a distance of at least one meter

from the next person and to avoid crowded places. This inevitably causes

anxiety and stress. We worry when we go food or grocery shopping. How

can we stay safe? Continuous stress can affect our mental health although

we may not be aware of it.

We should prepare ourselves for situations that may suddenly spring on us.

For example finding out that we have to undergo quarantine and be tested

because a close contact has been found Covid positive.

Do you want to learn how to manage your anxiety levels and stress and

protect your mental health?

Get your copy of Protect Your Mental Health today! Be prepared so that you

can survive the uncertainties and fears caused by the pandemic.

Click HERE.

Lindsay Journals

2021-09-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

2020 is now in the last quarter and before we know it Christmas will be upon us, followed by the New
Year 2022.

So far, the year 2020 was a tumultous year. The Covid 19 virus had the world in its viselike grip and few countries were spared from the horrors it brought and 2021 still sees the virus having us in its vicious grip with its mutant strains being more deadly as they evolve.

During these months of lockdown in efforts to contain the virus and its spread, many people lost their livelihoods, businesses shuttered and the travel industry collapsed. People were forced to stay home.

Many used the opportunity to switch to other means of sustenance, starting home-based businesses, growing vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants, cooking and baking. New entrepreneurs and viable businesses sprouted. The human spirit is indomitable.

Others dabbled in hobbies and other creative pursuits. Journaling is a great way to record the experiences of the past year and this year. One day when the bad times are over, it would be great to look back at what we have written in our journals.

Lindsay Journals is a great place to look for journals and planners for your own use or as gifts for friends, now that the year is fast coming to an end. Check out Llindsay Journals below. You'll love them!

Luv Ya Dad https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NWFVQ1L

Just For You Darling Daughter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KH3S1VK

Trick Or Treat Yo' Self https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KH3RTB9

My Home Recipe Journal https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KBKZ9PF

My Prayer Journal A Three Month Guide to Prayer and Gratitude https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HTM67FG

Just For You Planner https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HGZWCLN

Gratitude Turns What We Have Into More https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HH4KLKY

Oops! Time Does Fly!!

2021-07-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

Wow!! I didn’t realize it’s been a year since I last wrote in this blog.

Yes, the pandemic is getting worse I my country with cases having
exceeded 1 million. Just yesterday there were 207 deaths!! This is
terrifying.

There are SOPs in place and people have been advised to do self-
lockdowns, meaning, don’t leave home unless you have something
urgent that needs you to be at a place personally. Otherwise, most
transactions can be done online.

I’ve been busy learning stuff online, building funnels and doing some
writing as well as learning how to create Facebook ads. It’s a tough
learning curve.

My new series The Wicked Roses is available on amazon but I have
a gift for you. The prequel to the series, The Bud, is FREE! Click on
the link below the cover to access it.

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/ea4v2dfbfi

The story of Kiera and Sebastien is one of mystery, suspense and
action-packed. The prequel gives you an insight into how and
where it all began.

Do stay home and stay safe! The latest mutant variation of the
Coronavirus Covid 19, the Delta strain is the most deadly as it
is airborne and attacks the lungs directly, leading to death in a very
short span of time.

Learning Never Stops

2020-06-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

It is well-known that one begins to learn the moment one is born and this does not stop until you take your last breath.

During the CMO i.e. the lockdown in my country, I opted to learn more things online. Now I have a new Facebook page, Your Puppy Needs.

Here I post articles about puppy needs.

Bringing a puppy home is not as simple as you think.

You have to consider what is needed and you have to provide for the puppy so that he and you can co-exist in a warm and loving atmosphere. He will grow into a loving faithful companion for you.

However, he doesn’t come equipped with the knowledge of what is expected of him, he doesn’t understand the words that come from your mouth. That’s right, your puppy doesn’t understand the language you speak.

So to help you get familiar with what you need to do and how to get your puppy to understand you, visit here to learn more. https://www.yourpuppyneeds.com

I also have a Facebook page but I need more likes before it can have its own custom name
Here is the link to the page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Your-Puppy-Needs/102095894850659?sk=allactivity

Please visit my page and give it a like. Any suggestions on what you would like to see in future posts are also welcomed.

The CMO has a Silver Lining

2020-06-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

Life has not been the same since March 18, 2020. That was the day that the Movement Control Order was implemented and our country went into lockdown in a concerted effort to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus, a pandemic that was devastating the world.

Everyone had to stay home and reminders were everywhere, in the newspapers, on the television. The importance of personal hygiene was stressed, washing hands with soap for at least 20 seconds to ensure that any contamination would be soaped off. Social distancing was a must. Only one person in a car was allowed and you could only go out if you had a valid reason. People worked from home, schools were shut and the elderly were cautioned to stay home at all times.

Those who succumbed to the virus were mostly the elderly because they had co-morbidities, meaning they also suffered from high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. which made them very vulnerable and unlikely to survive if they contracted the disease. Updates and statistics were reported daily on the tv by the Director General of the Health Ministry. They were powerful deterrents to those who found the MCO stifling. Everyone had to adjust to what was now deemed the new normal.

How did everyone use this period of lockdown? Each had his/her own creative resources. Latent talents surfaced and new businesses were started during the CMO, mostly online and home deliveries. This was something to be thankful for.

What did I do? Spent more time on the computer, learning new things, doing some writing and taking care of my plants that were growing on my balcony.

There was and still is the continuing battle with the nasty mealy bugs that attack the leaves, the roots and the stems of the flowering plants and house greens. I couldn’t exterminate them and they destroyed all my flowers. It was heartbreaking. Now they are memories in my thumbdrive.

The most heartening outcome of this enforced lockdown is a cleaner environment, bluer skies, fresher air and rivers became cleaner. Creatures not seen before now appear, e.g. the otters! There was also less noise pollution as traffic was at a minimal and planes no longer crossed the skies. Countries had shut their borders and for us, there was no air traffic between the mainland and East Malaysia across the South China Sea.

Bangkok for Food and Shopping

2019-06-10T07:33:00.000-07:00

My elder daughter took us to Bangkok over the long weekend. It was a very exciting trip for me.
The last time I was there was more than thirty years ago when my youngest sister and I went on a commercial tour. Our hotel was a very nice and comfortable one.

Now I know why young people make weekend trips to Bangkok for shopping. It is a shopping paradise!! No one bats an eyelid when young ladies pull big suitcases along with them as they go shopping.

All the shopping that we wanted to do was below the hotel where we stayed!! There were six floors of shopping! Hundreds of small shops sell all kinds of things ranging from bags, shoes, clothing, food and accessories.

The prices were unbelievable!! Everything was very cheap and we had a tough time selecting from the hundreds of choices available. However, the only drawback was that you couldn’t try on the clothes.

Thai food is exotic and spicy! We ate at different restaurants that were within walking distance of our hotel. We tasted dishes that are not available in the Thai restaurants in Malaysia.

Street stalls offered different kinds of food, even roasted crocodile meat!

I wouldn’t mind another weekend trip there for the food and the shopping.

From Melbourne To Kota Kinabalu

2019-05-28T09:08:00.001-07:00

My sister from Melbourne came to visit a couple of weeks ago. Her last visit was 26 years ago!!
We had a busy weekend visiting the places that I had planned for her. The first place we went to was
the Chanteek Museum Gallery located outside of Kota Kinabalu. This is a doll museum, populated by dolls dressed in the different costumes of the various ethnic groups found in Sabah, Borneo. The costumes are hand-stitched in great detail with all the trimmings down pat.

Another place that we visited was Kokol Hill which had a few hill resorts overlooking Kota Kinabalu. The view was fantastic and the wind was cool making it more comfortable for my sister who is not used to the hot weather here.

We also saw tourists paragliding off the hill. One of them was carrying a selfie stick to take photos
of her flight.

Another place which was of interest was the site where pillars left standing after the building was
razed a long time ago, were painted with pictures of wildlife in Sabah. These are the Pillars of Sabah.
Local artists got together to paint the wildlife that were facing extinction.

One night we went for a musical entitled Euphrasia which showcased the life of the nun who founded the Order of the Good Shepherd Sisters. The performance was played to a full house. The actors/singers were all talented locals and they were accompanied by a live orchestra.

We had our meals out and the restaurants selected by my daughter served excellent food.

All too soon my sister’s visit came to an end, but we have photos of the beautiful sunset taken at the
Tg.Aru Beach and the gorgeous sun rise taken from our condominium.

Sunset at Tg Aru Beach

Sunrise, with Mt Kinabalu in the background

Parting is such sweet sorrow, even more so as we realize that given our advanced years, the chances of us meeting again are a big question mark. Nevertheless, we have many sweet memories to call on.

Alumni Reunions in Penang and Kuala Lumpur

2018-11-03T06:46:00.002-07:00

One of the reasons for making a trip to Penang was to attend a mini reunion of my Brinsford Alumni.

Brinsford Lodge was the teacher training college set up by the Malayan Government in the late 1950s to train secondary school teachers who were then bonded to serve the Government for 5 years. It was located near Wolverhampton in the UK. and was affiliated to the Institute of Education, University of Birmingham, U.K.

8 batches of students, 150 young men and women per batch, were sent to Brinsford to attend the 2-year teacher training course. Upon completion they returned to Malaya and were posted to secondary schools throughout the country. I’m from batch 6, 1961-62.

Some of my housemates and I on a visit somewhere

My housemate Debbie and I at a Deepavali function

I attended the mini reunion to meet up with alumni whom I didn’t know and had not met before. They were very friendly and made me most welcome. One of them from the 1st batch, fetched me from the hotel to the restaurant where they had ordered a delicious lunch.

Alumni mini reunion in Penang

It was amazing to meet fellow Brinsfordians who naturally fell into easy camaraderie although we were meeting up for the first time.

After my return from Penang we had another mini reunion of my housemates in Kuala Lumpur before my flight back to Sabah. It was a very joyful one as some of us had not seen one another for many many years.

Some of my "U" House mates & spouses

Agnes & I at her home
The Brinsfordians have mooted the idea that the next reunion will be in Kota Kinabalu so that they can visit the eastern part of the country which is across the South China Sea. One of them has been tasked to organise the trip for the end of this year. Hopefully it will materialize.

Mt Kinabalu is silhouetted as the sun rises

Precious Reunions

2018-11-03T00:09:00.001-07:00

The older one gets, the more precious reunions are. One realizes that time is no longer on one’s side. One is not sure how much time one has left in this world.

Thus, it has become very important to meet up with old friends whenever possible, hence the reunions.

I have these mini reunions with my classmates from the Methodist Girls’ School, Kuala Lumpur whenever I happen to be in the capital city. One of my classmates will organize the ladies and a venue is agreed upon. How indispensable Whatsapp has become! Through this app, we are able to determine who is able to attend and to decide on the date and venue of our reunion.

We were classmates from the time we entered secondary school until the time we graduated. This class of ’59 is still going on strong although many are no longer domiciled in Kuala Lumpur or in Malaysia.

Our latest reunion was held last month to celebrate the birthday and 50th wedding anniversary of one our classmates, Dr. Gnanam.

Dr. Gnanam presented with flowers for her wedding anniversary

Singing Happy Anniversary song

Singing Happy Birthday song

Getting ready to blow out the candle.

She was most gracious to host the celebratory lunch at the Royal Lake Club in Kuala Lumpur. Our core group attended not only to wish her Happy Wedding Anniversary but also Happy Birthday. So, it was a two-in-one celebration.

Our lovely lunch hosted by Dr. Gnanam

It was a very lovely reunion to celebrate Dr. Gnanam's birthday and 50th wedding anniversary.

They have planned to have another gathering in November to welcome home another of our classmates who has made her home in the UK. She usually returns to Malaysia to escape the cold winter. As we grow older, we find it much harder to tolerate the cold temperatures of winter. However, I have to miss out on this one as airfares across the South China Sea are expensive.

However, I'm looking forward to the main reunion in February which sees the Chinese community ushering in a new Lunar year.

Fun Time with Grandchildren

2018-08-18T03:01:00.000-07:00

Having grandchildren is a wonderful blessing from God. The little ones bring one great joy and being able to see them grow is another blessing.

Painting

I can paint too!

We visited our two younger grandchildren this week, still pre-schoolers.

Playing Monopoly

The younger child is about two and a half now and can talk, although some of her words are still not very clear. She loves to imitate her older brother, parroting his words and actions.

At the playground

Here are some of our activities during this short period of bonding. Our visits are short and far in between so the time we spend together are very precious.

Constructing with Grandpa

Almost done!

Climbing!

I can reach it!!

We hope to leave behind happy memories of their grandparents.

Fun at the Mall

Fun at the keys.

Another Wedding in the Family

2018-07-17T01:00:00.004-07:00

This month, another nephew married his sweetheart. However, their marriage was solemnised last month in the UK where she was working. They returned to Malaysia to host their wedding dinner and to have the tea ceremony, which all Chinese families regard as mandatory.

Ivan Tan’s wedding was very different from Adrian Liew’s. He had the main tea ceremony in his family home a week earlier, before the wedding dinner, instead of on the same afternoon. For those, like me, who missed the earlier tea ceremony, a short one was held in one of the hotel function rooms, so that the bridal couple could serve tea to the relatives who were unable to attend the earlier one.

Ivan receiving his Ang Pau

The wedding dinner was held in the grand ballroom of a 5-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Ivan & Crystal entering the Ballroom

The venue was beautifully decorated with fresh flowers. Each table centrepiece was a huge arrangement of fresh flowers, in a pink and white theme.

My sister & I with spouse

The main table had huge floral arrangements.

Main Table Centerpiece

A live band entertained us throughout the dinner which was individually served, course by course. Thus, dinner did not end before 11 p.m. Take a look at the menu!!

Wedding Dinner Menu

Dessert- The Strawberry Garden

As usual, friends and relatives caught up with one another on this occasion and everyone had a good time.

Siblings and spouses

My sisters- Left is Ivan's mum.

Center: my beautiful niece Sunitha

Chinese Weddings

2018-07-16T23:48:00.001-07:00

Weddings in the family are events to look forward to and these occasions enable family from far and near to gather together. My nephew Adrian married his dream girl Cheryl in May this year and it was such a romantic wedding, held at a very old church, St. Andrew's Church.

All his cousins, family and friends came from different countries to celebrate his Big Day. The wedding was very well-planned and everything went smoothly.

Photographs were taken together with the bride and groom. The family photograph of his aunts and uncles and the photograph of his cousins and their children show what a big family we are.

Together with aunts and uncles

Together with cousins and their children

No Chinese wedding is complete without the tea ceremony. This is where the bridal couple serve tea to the parents and relatives as a mark of respect. Accepting the cup of tea means acceptance into the family. Ang Pau and jewellery are given to the bride and groom after drinking the tea.

In the evening a big dinner is held and it is usually a 8 or 9 course banquet and drinks flow freely, red wine, brandy and whisky. Chinese tea is readily available for those who don’t drink.
The toast of “Yum Seng” is always dragged out over a couple of minutes or longer and everyone joins in the merry making, shouting “Yum….m…m….m….mm… Seng” as loudly as possible!

The venue for Adrian’s dinner was the Glass House and it was beautifully decorated making the guests feel that they were in a garden. The lights and the ambience made one feel as if one were in fairyland.

We enjoyed the wedding dinner, catching up with relatives whom we had not seen for a long time. Geographical location, the rush of life and work, etc. connive to make meeting up, rare occasions. So, weddings are happy events where everyone gets to see everyone else in the extended family, chatting, eating, drinking and of course, taking photographs!

To Adrian & Cheryl, may you both have a Happily Ever After while in Chinese we say, “Pak Tau Toh Lo” (Together until Silver-haired).

Birthday Meals with Family

2018-06-27T05:09:00.001-07:00

I had a simple birthday on the 26th of June. Although this is a significant milestone, at 75 years old, I didn’t have a big dinner to celebrate as most Chinese people would have done.

My son had suggested that I return to Kuala Lumpur to celebrate together with my siblings but I demurred. It would have been a hefty expense which I cannot really afford as airfares and taxis from the airport are expensive.

Besides, hosting a multi-course dinner at a restaurant in KL is expensive especially where at least 3 tables would be required to accommodate my relatives. Not all my family members would be present, as my elder daughter doesn’t have anymore leave and she certainly would not be able to fly to KL. Neither would my son and his family be there. So to me, it would not be meaningful.

Instead, I opted to have a quiet day at home, having lunch with my granddaughter and hubby at a restaurant known for its good food. We ordered the mandatory birthday noodles,

sweet and sour pork,

Hong Kong Kailan with prawn,

deep-fried chicken with apple sauce.

Then dinner was at another restaurant together with my daughter, granddaughter and hubby. It was raining quite heavily and the traffic was heavy. So, it was quite a while before we reached the restaurant. The simple food turned out to be tasty although the crabs were not up to expectation.

Deep-fried tofu topped with minced pork & pickled lettuce

Soupy spinach with century egg & Chinese wolfberries

Crabs cooked with spicy curry paste

Chicken skin stuffed with pork & prawn paste

After dinner, my son and his young children called to wish me happy birthday. Earlier in the morning, he had sent me a video of his children singing Happy Birthday Grandma. They were so cute! I was very touched, listening to their young voices singing to me. That made my day!

Later that night my younger daughter called from KL to wish me too; so did my nephew and nieces. My siblings had called earlier in the day and a few of them whatsapped their greetings.

I ended the day watching a Chinese serial on Astro, reading the subtitles since I’m not familiar with the language. It was a good day. Quiet and ordinary without any fuss.

I can say that I had a very happy 75th birthday with my buddies and friends taking me out and feting me with delicious lunches, spending time with me, not forgetting the many, many friends who wished me on Facebook and on other social media platforms. I am truly blessed and I thank the good Lord for his Love and Favor. God bless my family and friends too.

Another Birthday Treat

2018-06-27T01:06:00.000-07:00

Another two friends took me out the day before my birthday. I'm so lucky!!

We had lunch at a restaurant recommended by a mutual friend. This place is in a shopping mall and serves dim sum. They had never been to this place so we opted to give it a try.

The food turned out to be good, slightly tweaked, so that they weren’t the typical dim sum available elsewhere.

As usual, we chatted more than we ate. I guess, being senior citizens, our appetites have diminished and we no longer consume large amounts of food. Hence we usually go for dim sum as the portions are small and we just order what we like.

After lunch we took in a movie, Blue Tears, which was filmed in Miri, Sarawak. It’s a local production and we wanted to see how it would compare with other films. It turned out to be quite funny.

Unfortunately, there were only five of us in the cinema, us three seniors and a young couple. I guess the local folks have yet to learn to support the local film industry.

My 75th Birthday

2018-06-26T19:33:00.001-07:00

My birthday falls on 26th June. I never thought that I would reach this milestone for the women in our family pass on before this age. Praise God that He has let me reach this number and to go beyond.

A few days before the 26th, my buddies treated me to lunch at our favored restaurant. We like this place because it has a nice view of the marina and a pleasant view of the gardens. Besides, it is easy to find parking.

We had fun chatting about the latest happenings in our country. Yes, last month we had a new government! And our prime minister is the oldest in the world!! People power overthrew the embarrassing kleptocracy that had made our country the laughing stock on the world stage.
In between the food that we enjoyed, we laughed and giggled, age not withstanding.

Noodles is a mandatory dish for any birthday so we had noodles which was cooked with scallops and prawns. It was delicious!!

The other dishes were a vegetable and dim sum.

When it was time to bring out my birthday cake, it was a surprise that the waitress had brought it out, already with the candles burning!! So many candles that I couldn’t blow them out at one go.

The last candle was determined not to go out despite my attempts to blow it out. In the end my buddy Nary had to help me, so between the both of us, we blew it out!!

The cake was a carrot cake with walnuts. Very tasty indeed.

Thank you, buddies, for a beautiful memorable birthday treat.

I feel so blessed and loved.

My Balcony Garden

2018-04-11T01:15:00.000-07:00

I no longer have a big garden where I used to grow many kinds of flowers and potted house plants, apart from mango, limes and chillies.

However, my new apartment has a fairly big balcony and I’m now able to grow a few plants. It gives me great pleasure to share my plants with you.

I also grow mint and screwpine which I use when cooking certain dishes.

My spring onions are growing very fast and I can use them now whenever I steam fish.

Chillies are a big part of my diet and I cannot do without them. Since the price of chillies rocketed, I have started growing them. However, it will be a while before they fruit.

The only flowers that I currently have are the Tea Rose and Jasmine, both of which flower one at a time, unlike my beautiful red and pink roses which grew in abundance in my previous home. My red roses never stopped blooming and they bloomed in clusters. Guess it's because they were rooted in the ground and not in a pot.

I'm still looking for my favorite flower, the yellow coreopsis which I haven't been able to find in the street markets. I won't give up on it. So wish me luck in my search.

Celebrating Birthdays

2018-04-11T00:33:00.000-07:00

A birthday comes but once a year, to commemorate the date that one was born. It has become the practice for us four buddies that we celebrate one another’s birthday.

This is our way of keeping in touch since we no longer play golf. Somehow life got into the way and our weekly golf game disappeared. I sorely miss those happy Saturday mornings when we rode our buggies down the fairways, enjoying the game and the camaraderie.

I still remember how on approaching hole 9 we would telephone ahead to the clubhouse to have our snacks readied so that when we reached the clubhouse for a short break, our drinks and food would be there. We had only a twenty-minute break before the next nine holes. Those were the days!

Last week we celebrated Josie’s birthday with a dimsum lunch at one of the leading hotels in town. We had two birthday cakes for Josie.

I believe we talked more than we ate!! When chums get together it’s talk, talk and more talk! Catching up was just great.

Next week my youngest grandchild will be celebrating her 2nd birthday. She doesn’t live with us. We will be flying out to where she is and we’re looking forward to seeing her and her brother again. She has just learned to call us Grandma and Grandpa over Facetime. It was such a joy to hear her soft voice across the waves.

Gift Exchange and Ang Pau(s)

2018-02-18T23:18:00.000-08:00

It is the tradition during the Lunar New Year that we do not go empty handed when visiting homes that celebrate the new year. So what goes into the goody bag are mandarin oranges which signify prosperity, peanuts for longevity, cookies and snacks.

Your host will give you a goody bag in return with more or less the same food stuff but mandarin oranges are mandatory.

Giving out ang paus (red packets containing money) to the children and the unmarried is the norm. The amount of money is up to your discretion but the closer the relationship, the bigger the sum.
However, the children will have to greet “Gong Xi Fa Cai” before they will be given the ang pau.

Most of the celebrants will wear red as it denotes prosperity.

Red lanterns and red flowers especially peonies abound.