To a dear friend..

This I dedicate to a dear friend..... When I count my blessings, this surely counts as one of them. Growing up in Sitiawan, life was kinda idyllic. Over the years, despite the great distance, we've somehow stayed in touch.

You know when one is in one's teens, one of the things we long for is someone to share our life, aspirations and dreams. Like all teens, I sought that sort of best friend thingy...call it a gal thing....maybe it's also a guy thing too. 8) Anyway, we clicked...though our characters were quite the opposite of each other. Her enthusiasm was matched by my pessimism. Again somehow it provided that sort of balance I needed. Her awe in God's creation as opposed to my doubting self... but her sense of wonderment rubbed off in me somehow in the end.

The passing of time, the rites of passage, adulthood....we furthered our studies, started working, got married, had kids....but the wonderful thing is after all that supposedly sobering rites, we still share that sort of familiarity and ease that we've always had. It's been a long while since we met face to face...but the last time we did, I was spraying her with water from my garden hose...the kind of pranks that good friends can do and get away with, even as adults. LOL!

As the last few days have reinforced in me, friends are important in life. They play a role in the making (or breaking) of you. My life is richer for her presence and many others. God blesses her as we journey into the next phase of our lives..... This year we are supposedly leaving behind one phase and moving into another....(maybe one that has a farm with cows and goats and little animals romping in the pasture in our golden years. LOL!) God bless her and all those friends who have passed and are still passing through my life. I've been blessed by such meetings of lives!

The Marginal Man

Eons ago, when I was in uni, I took Anthropology and Sociology. One of the things I remembered learning was the 'marginal man'. The marginal man usually exists where there is a mix of culture and people. Basically that means he is fated to live in two worlds at the same time, which also compels him to assume, in relation to those worlds the different roles.... (Ha! Ha! The education was not wasted on me...)

And that is how I would describe the teenagers....they are marginal people. People stuck in two worlds; the kiddy world which they are about to leave behind forever and the adult world which they are about to enter for good.

So what do you call this land they are stuck in??? Yup! You are right! No man's land! LOL! They are there cos they're not quite ready to leave the safety and comforts of their previous world; neither are they ready to assume the responsibilities of the world they are about to enter.

The comforts of their previous world would include not having a mind of their own (read that as not having to make any decision). It's a relatively happy world. You go to sleep happy and wake up happy the next morning, free of cares and worries. Your parents do the worrying! You??? I dunno. I can't remember what I was thinking then!

The world to come is full of responsibilities. The safety net will eventually disappear. You have to make decisions and bear the consequences of your own actions.

There in lies the problem of these marginal people...principles and stands just about to take shape; neither having the abilities to support themselves, they appear rather whimsical. Emotions rule. Desires dictate.....and peers pressure. Each one comes with it its own sets of problems and consequences. It's a time which is also hard on the parents... especially this present generation. Protective parents try to shield their marginal children from the problems and pains, and a battle of wills take place, often times placing great strain to the family relationships.

The result?? Conflicts abound...with parents and even friends. Being in no man's land, it's hard to see beyond their own desires. I don't think the 'terrible twos' can beat the teenage years. Hence like the myopic who cannot see the path ahead clearly and later stumble, these teenagers will fall many times. And like those with tunnel vision who do not see the complete picture, they often feel persecuted by their parents. Cannot see the good the parents want for them completely! Only see one small part of the picture...add that to the emotions, desires and peer factors ...... you get a boiling cauldron. Everyone gets burned when they spillover!

So, there you have it...the world of the marginal man. I am rambling about it cos I am living with one. And like every parent I hope he will not get lost in this no man's land he is on now cos if he does....then he'll be stuck in limbo! But most do get out of it and turn out well. So there still is hope!

Thanksgiving Dinner...

Dr. T got together our usual ever dependable ladies to cook up a storm for a thanksgiving dinner after the recently concluded Medical Screening at WMC. This was on Deepavali night. I guess you can call our thanksgiving dinner a kenduri kesyukuran also.... 8)

Beef pies which once taken, guarantee want some more.... With such home cooked and nice food...what more can we ask for? I think almost everyone enjoyed the food.

And dining in the fresh air....natural surroundings some more. Can stand, sit....it actually didn't seem to matter cos the food was good.

One thing nice about such gatherings is our kids come along...and it's always nice to see the big and small getting along... 8)

After that, we were herded into mini cinema to view the photo slides of the Medical Screening. Live commentaries were provided by the ever creative people that we have as the slide show was on.... LOL!

It's actually good to have such meetings every now and then. We get the opportunity to sit down and have a meal with people whom we see almost every week but never really get to know. Sitting down together, sharing a meal is a great way to break the ice. We should have more of such activities and gatherings. It brings people closer.

As for me, it was a very busy Diwali...for the whole family also actually. But we had a good time, catching up with friends old and new. 8)

Deepavali With Friends...

This is Deepavali afternoon... with friends, whom the children fondly call Uncle H'dass and Aunty Praba. They've known the children since they were so young. My boy was 4 when he got to know them. Aunty Praba would always leave stuff in her fridge for the kids to go 'selongkar'. The kids used to spend lots of time with them when we were staying opposite each other. That was years ago, before they moved to SP. So many fond memories, many of which the children can't remember. Hence, when we get together like this, we get to reminisce about those times... and more often than never, they're always fond ones.

Deepavali is relaxed cos the kids feel very at home with them. They are allowed to make their own tosai too. This year it is at Uncle H'dass' mother's house. Still it was fun... the tosai came out in odd shapes and sizes in the hands of the amateurs. They'd make their own tosai with sugar and ghee, whatever they fancied. The stove is kept busy quite a bit as the kids queued up for their tosai and brought some for us who were outside.

The little photographer wannabe, practicing her trade. For her, even though she is the only small kid around, it's still very fun. Being small had its privileges, the older kids would allow her to cut the queue to get to the tosai. 8) These days it's nice for us adults cos the kids would serve us the food instead of the other way round. They are growing up!

After stuffing ourselves full with tosai...we sat around outside, reminiscing about the old days... of those days when the adults would have coffee and fried cempedak while playing carom late into the night and the small kids cycling in the middle of the road. Also of the mischievous stuffs that the kids used to do and also of unsolved mysteries. Until today, Aunty Praba is still wondering about her broken glass shelf in her fridge. Ask the two boys who used to make visits to her fridge for the treats that Aunty Praba left inside for them whether they had anything to do with it, it happened so long ago that they can't even remember.

For a good part of the remaining stay, while we talked old tales, Other Half and Uncle H'dass talked about his new toy, the camera. Seems he's going to get one for himself too! This camera thingy is rather infectious! Big boys and their toys! LOL!

Ping Pong at WMC

Happy Deepavali!! This is our Deepavali morning activity!

This is one of those things the new premise has allowed us to have....ping-pong games. With the upstairs' hall big enough for 2 ping-pong tables, that means we can hold games and actually hang around comfortably.

This used to be our table. It has since found a new home at WMC. Together with Pastor's table, we have two ping-pong tables upstairs now. In time to come, hopefully we'll be able to compliment these with other board games (for those slightly athletically challenged people 8) ..... ) and also perhaps a carom board. Then this will be another place for us to hang out! Young and old; all of us need a place to hang out sometimes and network face to face in real person.... not just your digital social networking on Facebook thingy!

Today's turnout was okay... there were 11 of us! Hopefully this will be another activity which can rally church members and their families together.... spend some time 'lepak-ing' together... at the same time working out a sweat. 8)

Nice way of spending Deepavali morning!! I think we had a good time today!

Paddy Museum ..

After the drive around on Saturday, we stopped by the Paddy Museum which is just behind Gunung Keriang. It's a stone's throw from the under utilized Aquatic Centre and Science Centre. It's my 3rd visit and Other Half's first. Son has been here twice with me and a few times on school trips. It's the lil girl's second visit...I think.

The architecture is quite unique. The roof (I don't know whether that qualifies as roof) has all these stalks of paddy as motifs on it. It is after all a museum dedicated to everything paddy. There're probably not more than 5 of such museums in the world.

The main attraction is the revolving platform which takes about half an hour for it to complete a circle...very much like the revolving restaurants of KL and Alor Star Telekom Towers. They've placed chairs for you to enjoy the view. There was quite a crowd that day.

And it gives you a peek into what life is like in rural Alor Star. These are part of a huge painting on the wall. They give an insight to the new and old of Alor Star...sort of. Lights behind these paintings give them a surreal feeling as the platform revolves slowly. They are very nicely done, if I may say so.

The hall as you enter the museum is quite airy and spacious. On my first visit, we had to leave our shoes outside. These days, we are allowed to wear our shoes in. 8) Shoes get lost outside and you can't view the exhibits with your mind keep thinking about your shoes outside.

These are some of the old tools used for the paddy industry in older times. Such tools are no longer seen these days. Signs of changing times. Old ways discarded for new ones. It was a lot of work to put rice on the table in those days!

The hall has many enclaves with interesting murals. This is one of them. See how many faces you can recognize. Must have been happier times, huh? ... when they were all still buddy-buddy. LOL!

I must say that they have more visitors now. Entrance is RM3 for adults, RM1 for kids and camera. Yup! You have to buy a ticket for your camera! All in all this was quite a good trip for the family, especially now that school exams are over!

Saturday Morn Out...

Yesterday morning we took the 2 kids for a drive around after breakfast. Took the road to Gunung Keriang to see how the flood situation is like there. Usually that's one of the first places to be hit by flood waters. If the flood water there keeps going up, then it will spell trouble for the rest of us living a little more downstream! But mainly it was for the kids to see for themselves first hand.

It's easy to tell there is a flood situation here....one sure sign is the cars and bikes parked beside the road. Over here, when you see something like this, there's either some event (kenduri, kematian) or flood happening. Earlier, we noticed that a primary school in the vicinity was housing people....clothes were hanging everywhere. And there were some soldiers playing with kids in the school compound....it has been turned into an evacuation center.

The water has receded somewhat as can be seen from the markings on the walls of this house; by at least one foot. That is good news for everyone!

Most houses here are prepared for the floods one way or the other. Such as this one with a little raft used to transport small children and household items out from the house onto the road.

A bridge leading to no where.... Well, it used to lead to a dike which is all but submerged now. Lakes are everywhere... in fact, it does look like the sea in some areas... faraway islands beyond, quite alluring and scenic ... beckoning.

Holiday on the islands anyone?? These islands are right in the middle of the paddy fields, now entirely cut off from the 'mainland'. When I first moved to Alor Star years ago, I used to wonder why some places were named Pulau Nyior and Pantai Johor. This is why. When the floods come.... and it is an annual affair; we get instant island and beach-like atmosphere. That was a time when people thought in the 'local' sense....the word glokal had not been coined yet and people were not rich enough to go to the far away islands for a holiday. So, we had our seasonal beach/island resorts in our backyard. All they needed to do was just to add the words pantai and pulau... and we have our instant islands and beaches. LOL!

So, if you want a little adventure like this every year, rural and urban Alor Star is the place to be in. Trust me! It'll increase your stress level if you are the Type A Personality. 8) The water level can go up a few feet within a matter of hours...as those in Jitra experienced a couple of years back

On a more serious note, the scenery is actually quite breathtakingly beautiful at this time of the year too. 8)

New Bento Toys...

This is Bento 12, maybe. Just got this new bread mould and tried it out last week.

Got myself a car mould for bread and some silicon trays. The trays were so small, we (my friend and I) got fooled by the pics. LOL! Anyway, my gal was happy enough with her food. I forgot about the stars, though. Should not have put it inside the baked beans which was still hot. When I asked her whether she liked the stars after school...she said, "What stars? Got spots like sun in the baked beans" Stars flew away, liao and in place they became suns! They had melted in the heat. LOL!

Last week too, we celebrated Other Half's birthday! The card is made by Daughter....she used my punchers to make it. Took her hours of painstaking work with her tiny hands. Had to do it when the papa was not around. So while I was away for my PTK exam and the papa and bro for the medical thingy at church, she completed it on her own. The aunty helped to clear also. I helped her a bit earlier with the cutting of the straight lines but I am really proud of her...not just because it is a nice card but of her thoughtfulness! That's my gal! I hope she'll be like this always!

And incidentally, I was going through my older posts. She made a drawing for me 7 months ago....and her 'work' has improved.

Afternoon Excursion...to the Museum

Sent Son for his youth meeting today .... instead of the usual meeting at night, they were meeting in the afternoon at TBC instead, joining the youths there for a meeting. So after dropping him off, I asked Daughter whether she would like to go to the Museum. What do you expect a 7 year old to answer? Of course, yes-lah!

There wasn't much to see in there despite the impressive looking building. Ain't it like that in this beloved Bolehland of mine? Outside looks good but inside....no 'isi'. Photo-taking not allowed inside. But there is really nothing that really stands out among its exhibits. They were quite boring...but then again, aren't museums supposed to be boring places?? Actually in all my years here, I've never stepped foot into it. Today's the first time. So, mother and daughter both score firsts today. 8)

My lil photographer wannabe. 8) Even kids are picky these days...we have 2 point and shoot cameras; an Ixus 865i and a Kodak Easy Share M853. None of the 2 kids want to use the latter cos they say the photos taken with it are not clear. Today she is left with it cos bro took the other one with him to his meeting.

We finished the BIG BUILDING with few exhibits in less than half an hour. Then we ventured out to the side where the river is. That's the level now... the water has actually 'crossed' the road to the opposite side where a small man made lake sits. 8( Everywhere I go now, I see water. Scary! If it rains continuously, sure 'mati'.

Homestay in Alor Star..

In the last couple of years, we've seen a proliferation of homestays in Alor Star. Homestay is the cheaper version of hotel stay...like what Air Asia is to Malaysian Airlines System. It provides cheap lodging to people who want a place to stay. In Alor Star, some guy started the idea of homestay back in the 90s and his business thrived. Within a short time, others learned that it was lucrative and started their own homestays.

But it has deviated from its original concept. By right homestay means renting a room in a local home so that the boarder can enjoy and experience the local culture. Also it is a way of promoting tourism and allowing those families who extend their homes into homestays to earn a little extra income.

But the whole concept is now skewed in Alor Star...I suspect it's the same too in other places. Whole houses are being converted into mini hotels these days to cater for the demand.

Tucked away in housing estates such as the above, they blend into the surroundings, providing the kind of anonymity that some seek. They provide the 3Cs - clean, cheap and convenient. Located near makan stalls, it cuts down the roaming around to search for food, especially at night.

Like most I didn't think too much about it..you know...it's just a business thingy ....that sort of thinking. Well, I've changed my mind. Apart from providing lodging to legit boarders, these have also become that sort of seedy joints where sexual romps take place. RM20 for a two hour stay - that sort of service is not available at hotels where you have to pay the full rate - lunch and dinner breaks are turning into not quite that sort of breaks that we are so accustomed to. And the owners continue to rake in the profits without thinking much of the consequences ... the authorities are probably aware but are closing one eye to it. Right now, these temp boarders are made up of mostly those looking for a fling - paid and unpaid... In this state where religious piety is unquestioned, I think we'd be surprised at the type of people and number of immoral flings that are taking place right in these homestays.

But think further...at RM20 for a couple of hours...it's kinda affordable, don't you think? Such are the stuff happening right under our noses..... parents need to be a lot more vigilant than they think. 8(

And the issue of safety...imagine such places being used to monitor the neighbours' every move. It kinda makes things a little scarier, right? My imagination runs wilder the more I think.

Ask and it shall be given unto you...

I thought I understood this verse....but recently it has taken on a new added meaning.

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you:

The verse is rather straightforward, or so I thought until recently when I realized that it's actually not that easy to ask. To ask actually involves quite a bit. That's the lesson I got from bringing up my kids....I always tell my friends that I find parenting a very humbling experience. 8(

I am always amused by how readily my 7-year-old will ask for help, pocket money, etc, etc. Similarly, she's also very free with her appreciations and thank you(s). My teenager is on the other end. He used not to be like that. It's not that he doesn't ask but it's just it seems to take more effort now that he is older. These ruminating stages are very complicated! And they've been times when he'd rather not ask.... for various reasons best known to him and to us also sometimes.

To ask a favour or something from someone means you are comfortable with the person . Sometimes it may mean that you share your vulnerability with the person you are asking. It also takes humility to ask cos when we ask for help, we're telling the other person that we need help. It is also an admission of dependency on the other person. When you ask it also means putting aside your pride.... actually asking can be a rather humbling experience too!

But the thing is....just like God said...ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened unto you. Our inheritance, blessings....they're all there already. But we must have the wisdom to know when to ask and how and when to claim it. His promises are there already for us. If only we have the humility and wisdom to see that! My kid very often doesn't see that...and that became my lesson last week.

Rain, rain go away.....

This is how the river has been the past one week...swollen and breaching the banks in some areas. For the past few days, students staying near the river have not been coming to school because their houses are flooded. This house looks as though it is precariously hanging on the river bank. As of yesterday, in Kota Star over 700 have been evacuated from their homes due to floods. 8(

This is how the paddy field looks like when water keeps filling up the lowlands. The embankments are all out of sight now. This is just a couple of inches from the road. The fields look like lakes now. And it's a common sight come every rainy season.

In Alor Star, it's not only the rain in its own locality which causes flooding. We can have flood even on sunny days...it happened one fine day in December 2005. The water just kept going up even though there was no rain.

So when the river is like this, we get concerned cos it will mean lots of inconveniences to be put up with. Just a couple of inches of water lapping outside my gate would mean a couple of days without electricity cos the sub-station will have to be shut down! Not forgetting water supply too as the pump house shuts down too!

And lately, there has been a lot of flash floods....we're definitely over-developing!

On my way back from Changlun today, I noticed that evacuation centers have been set up. Water level in the river is even higher today.... 8(

Banner Collection @ Random Shots

Currently on display...

(22nd Oct)
This is at Kuala Kedah. The lil boy is standing on a small hill made up of shells. It's quite a sight to behold as the boats come back from sea with their catch. There'll be this hive of activity associated with this coming back of the boats. Add that to a beautiful sunset....really beautiful. We're going back there to wait for the boats to come in one of these evenings.

(7th Oct)This was taken along Jln Sultanah Sambungan a few evenings ago..we usually see the sun rays filtering through the trees in the jungle. This is the urban version....glimmer of hope of better things to come in the current political and economic turmoils at the home and global fronts.

(1st Oct) For standing up for the little people... even though I may not agree with all the views put forth by RPK, to be silenced using a law meant for subversive elements shows that we are a nation in distress. Selamat Hari Raya! The plants are from my garden. 8)
(18th Sept) Reflecting the times we are now in, remembering the brave souls who are incarcerated for standing up for the truth and also how absolute power can corrupt.
This is also from Lye Huat Stone Garden....of the Japanese Carps. They come in droves when you throw in the fish food. Japanese Carp or Koi or nishinkigoi represents aspirations, perseverance, strength and achievement. So many people keep kois in their homemade ponds...supposed to bring good fortune.This is a shot taken at Lye Huat Stone Park, at KM19.2, North-South Highway. I'd rate it as one of those must-see places if you are up in Kedah, holidaying. These are huts for visitors to rest their weary legs as they walk the park. Made of hardwood, they are really quite beautiful.

Related Post:
My Beijing Olympic 2008 Banners @ Random Shots

Irons in the Fire

These last couple of days have been rather busy...I've my hands rather full. Add that to the cold that I am nursing now, my mind is kinda blur at the moment....I should be sleeping now but it's still too early. Moreover, lil one has planned a surprise for her papa!

This was yesterday's Bento, quick and simple. Bread in the shape of rabbits. One set is plain and simple bread with butter and 'gula urai' on it...and the other is french toast. Fruit combi made up of grapes, strawberries and apple. Tomorrow I am going to try to cook up something new. Hopefully this flu will not knock me out.

This is not my handiwork...it's a friend's. I am just taking a pic of it before it transfers ownership. She has just started her blog. She is one of those friends of mine with great patience for handiwork such as the above. For this one, she has thoughtfully added a bag to go along. Very nice.

Had volleyball practice this morning. Games are on this weekend. Will have to give the next practice a miss due to work commitments. 8( It was fun despite the blue back marks on my arms. I am enjoying the game more cos I am mastering new skills...... Compared to a few years ago when I started playing....I'd say I play better now. When I first started, any fast ball (as a matter of fact, any ball) which came to me would bounce of wildly because I did not have enough skills to control it. Now, I actually feel comfortable on the court. So, there in lies the fun for me. For some, it's about winning... for me part of it is because of the new 'frontiers' that I overcome! He! He!

This is today's Bento....bacon and onions with corn and baby carrots. Asparagus is sauteed. Lil one has problem chewing asparagus rolled in bacon. So I came up with this. Plums and apple for dessert. She enjoyed every bit of it, so she said. 8) The tastes are all a bit mixed up but Son said it was nice also...coming from a grouchy fler....ok-lah! 8)

Incidentally, today got some more new 'toys' for my bento-ing. But fren and I had a really good laugh over the things we got...aiyo, photos can be so deceptive.

Parents and the Digital Divide...

I think parents find it tough to stay in tune with their kids' world today. It's way too sophisticated for most. When I was growing up, basically it was still a wyswyg (what you see is what you get). These days...what you see may not be what you get. In fact, crappier stuff may be coming your way even though there is nothing you see!

There were no Flickr, Facebook, Friendster, Twitter, MSN, mobile phones (which have opened up another different world) etc, etc. Every now and then we hear of new apps being developed, new ways of staying in touch... so many new things. It's easy to feel overwhelmed even by the jargons let loose every day. For the computer illiterate parent, it can be a bewildering time. Half the time, you won't know what's going on or what hit you! Basically clueless! LOL! For the literate ones, their kids will constantly try to outwit and outsmart them. Parents don't seem to cope well with this steep learning curve. Incidentally, Son saw me writing this post and says too bad his mom is computer literate...but that still does not stop him from trying to outwit me.....see what I mean?

Kids today have more than one social environment. There're the physical and the digital. They bring their physical into the digital and the latter goes beyond....Buzz Lightyear's signature call 'to infinity and beyond' seems apt here. Hence, the digital divide between parents and their kids is wider than you'd expect....and I think most parents are left with an almost zilt feeling of what their kids are up to most of the time.

Young people have become masters of multitasking. They may seem to be doing their work when they are actually doing other 'off-limit' stuff. Tell them not to chat with so and so...changing nicks (nickname) is one of many solutions, password the computer so that it cannot be switched on....they change the power supply plug so that they fool you into thinking that the computer has been switched off when it is in actual fact in sleep mode. Then when parents are asleep, they sneak out and play their games! Put on parental control into your router and they'd reset it so that the gateways are all opened again. You'd be surprised how imaginative they can be! If you want a good mental workout, try keeping up with your kids in this.

So who says keeping tab on the teenagers is easy these days? But all is not lost, the digital divide, if can be bridged would actually open up new insights to their world too and open up a new one for us as well. 8)The thing is....parents need to do something about that learning curve of theirs. Jump in, join in the fun...be a part of the digital world. Start a blog, join Facebook, try IM.... You may not take too well the steep learning curve but if you persist and persevere, it may actually taper off and become a gentle slope. My two sen today!

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WMC's First Community Outreach Project

The amateur historian in me insisted that other half must record this event so that I can put it in record. Couldn't make it because of my PTK exam. So I asked him to take as many pics as possible and these are his accounts.

This was yesterday morning. I can't ever remember the whole church coming together like this for a project. Did we ever?? So, this is one really good thing out of this new premise. I hope this will be a regular feature...coming together as a big family like this.

This is the medical thingy that I was rambling about earlier. Finally it has come to fruition. We were ambitious...targeting about 200 people. We had hoped to reach out to the community around the area but I guess we did not factor in the apprehension that people might have since this is a church thing. One of the things, us Chinese, associate Christians with is, if one becomes a Christian, then he/she would not be able to carry out the ancestral worship thing...something like that. So the apprehension is understandable.

Dr. T had put in a lot of effort into this. She did a wonderful job, according to Other Half. Even managed to wrangle this out of the drug companies - sponsorship for door gifts. Not too bad...writing pad, medical literature, Gardenia bread, infant milk formula. Great gifts!

Even the youths came and lend a helping hand, add their presence; even though some are sitting for their end of the year exams or getting ready for their SPM/STPM. Their labour of love is noted and appreciated.

But later on, these two flers were seen fleeing the scene of action...LOL! Thought this was kinda funny... actually they were out searching for food.

At the start there were very few people but after the first few, word got around and people from the community started to filter in. I guess the first encounter is always the most difficult. There may be apprehension and perhaps even a little fear of what is not understood. Nevertheless this is a good start. I hope this will be the beginning of better interaction with the community around.

Some random shots of the activities that took place. All in all we had about 70 people who came. The number may be smaller than what we expected but it is a good start. WMC has made her first outreach! 8)

Also a good time for families to have a light moment...JJ and mom. Some day, when they look at this, it'll bring back fond memories.

Young people 'lepak-ing' around. The guy with the paper over his face...he's a bit camera shy! 8)

To sum it up, I see this as a good outreach programme for our church. Coming together, working together, (we were not short of volunteers) reaching out...it's good.