Manila Trip 2019

This was our trip in 2019.

https://philippinesgraphic.net/an-unedited-conversation-with-anthony-bourdain/?fbclid=IwAR3BvgDDAwoyBlkXnNuDwSPWJeDOmWmObQswtuVii0IXtYiJOfLWFJfy1Bo

https://www.tripadvisor.com.ph/Restaurant_Review-g298573-d2096355-Reviews-Oarhouse_Pub_of_Manila-Manila_Metro_Manila_Luzon.html

https://www.wheninmanila.com/oarhouse-pub-its-where-we-catch-up/

Christmas Wrapping Paper

Lee Chong Wei's Legendary Farewell

To all my family friends and fans. To everyone of you who have been a part of my life, thank you. A real big sincere thank you.

Months ago, all of you knew I had cancer. I fought it. And I thought I fought it well. I thought I could try one more time.

I am just someone who love to play badminton. Someone who love my country. I feared of retiring with regrets. I was scared of not delivering that elusive Olympic gold for Malaysia. So when I was cleared of cancer, I took up my racquet and trained once again.

After few days of light training, I wanted to get clearanyce from my doctor to heighten my training intensity, then i was dealt a major blow. From that scan, doctor shook his head and said i might face the risk of recurrence if I continue to train. Mew Choo crumbled crying. She feared i might be stubborn and continue to pursue my dream.

I was at loss. I thought “How am I supposed to hang up my racket after nearly twenty years of competitive badminton?, “ How about my Olympic dreams?”

At home, i kept myself occupied with my two sons, Kingston and Terrence. I bathed them, I fed them, I taught them badminton. I spent time with them. Most importantly, I really watched them grew up.

Then it struck me to finally make up my mind. I shouldn’t be so selfish. I have played for myself, I have played for my country. This time, I want to play the role of a father, for long long time. I want to see them grow up to be proper men, to get married, to have kids. I want to take care of my wife when she is old too.

So Yes, I have made my decision to quit. I’m sorry that I couldn’t make it to Tokyo this time around. And I’m sorry I didn’t deliver an Olympic gold. But I know I’ve no regrets as I’ve tried my best. My very best.

I hope my name Lee Chong Wei has inspired you all one way or another, same like the way you guys inspired me. Without my family, my teammates, my coaches, and my supporters, I won’t achieve anything.

To my fellow badminton players like the Lin Dans, the Taufiks, the Peter Gades, and Hyun ills. Yup, my time is up. Thank you for the great battles we had. As amazing as it is, i think our era should be coming to an end now. Momota, Victor, Yuqi and Zi Jia, do hold the fort well. Make the world realise badminton is the best sport on earth.

To fellow Malaysian shuttlers, don’t give up the dream. Please remember there are actually thousands of Malaysians praying for your success. Train harder everyday. Always beat yesterday’s training records. Also, a sportsman life is short. Don’t end with regrets. There is actually a young 5 years old Ali, Muthu or Ah Meng idolising you, making you their Malaysian superhero. Don’t disappoint them. Play for the flag, play for Negaraku.

I had no regrets. When i started playing badminton, all I wanted to do is to represent Malaysia. And I believed I did it with pride and honour.

Well. I’m done. Thank you very much to all of you. Lee Chong Wei signing out.

Writing on Living

This is from whatsapp forwarded message :-

You know. . . time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.

It seems just yesterday that I was young, and embarking on my new life. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams. But, here it is... the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise... How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go?

I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like. But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting grey... they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some in worse shape than me...but, I see the great change... Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant..but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory!
Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!

But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last... this I know, that when it's over on this earth...it's NOT over. A new adventure will begin!

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have
done. It's all in a lifetime.

So, if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it timely! Don't put things off too long!

Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!

"Life" is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one.

LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY! HAVE A GREAT DAY!

REMEMBER:....
"It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver."

LASTLY, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE, SO - ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

~Your kids are becoming you......
~Going out is good. Coming home is better!
~You forget names... But it's OK because other people forgot they even knew you!!!
~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything.... especially golf.
~The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don't care to do them anymore.
~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed.
It's called "pre-sleep".
~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch..
~You tend to use more 4 letter words ... "what?"..."when?"... "what?"  "where?"
~Now that you can afford expensive jewelry - it's not safe to wear it anywhere.
~You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless!?"
~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
~Everybody whispers.
~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will never wear.
~But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all,
OLD FRIENDS!!

Stay well, "OLD FRIEND!" Send this on to other "Old Friends!" and let them laugh in AGREEMENT!
It's Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter That Tells What Kind of winter yours is or is going to be. Enjoy life b4 winter or enjoy the winter.

Climbing Mount Kinabalu - the Preparation

Finally, it is Christabel's turn to be brought up to climb Mt Kinabalu by her dad. It has been a few good months of training and the the final packing has to be done. Here are some the blogs that have given good advise on packing and climbing tips. 

What to bring ? 

This is a good guide on what to pack.

On what to expect during the climb

What are the activities during climb

Amazing facts about Mrs Lee - LKY's Mother

I am just very intrigued by the First Family of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew (LKY), the great man himself, his amazing wife, to his great children with great academic, political and business successes. And even more so, as the Founding Premier's mother, Mdm Chua Jim Neo better known as Mrs Leel Chin Koon, who was inducted to the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame some year ago.

The amazing thing is the she wrote a "Peranakan Cuisine" cookbook published in 1974 when she was 67 years old. And I have a copy of her book, not the original.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew's mother among 11 women inducted to Singapore Women's Hall of Fame

read more

8 Facts About Chua Jim Neo That Show She’s More Than Just Lee Kuan Yew’s Mother

Chua Jim Neo Published A Definitive Nyonya Cookbook At 67, 50 Years After Lee Kuan Yew’s Birth

Mdm Chua passed away on 8 August, 1980, at the age of 73. Here are 8 interesting facts about the woman that give us a glimpse into not only Mr Lee’s life, but as well as the Singapore of yesterday.

• Married at 15
• Stood her ground against her husband
• Saved her jewellery for LKY’s education
• Inducted into Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame
• Published a cookbook
• Her dad had 3 wives
• Complex fam web
• Driver’s licence cancelled by LKY

read more

Hall of Fame: Chua Jim Neo

Chua Jim Neo, better known as Mrs Lee Chin Koon, wrote her definitive Mrs Lee’s Cookbook in 1974 when she was 67 years old. At an age when many women of her generation were content to play with their grandchildren, Jim Neo decided to produce a cookbook so that future generations would have access to the intricacies of the Peranakan cuisine. The book, reprinted many times, is considered one of the most authoritative on Peranakan cuisine in Singapore.

Born in 1907, Jim Neo was the eldest child of Neo Ah Soon and wealthy Hokkien businessman Chua Kim Teng from Pontianak in Dutch Borneo. At age 15, she married Lee Chin Koon, a storekeeper, in an arranged marriage. She had five children, a daughter and four boys, the eldest of whom was Kuan Yew, who became prime minister of Singapore in 1959.

In his memoirs, Kuan Yew described his mother thus: “She devoted her life to raising her children to be well-educated and independent professionals, and she stood up to my father to safeguard their future. My brothers, my sister and I were very conscious of her sacrifices; we felt we could not let her down and did our best to be worthy of her and to live up to her expectations.”

read more

Discover ideas about Lee Kuan Yew

Family Portrait Mr Lee Kuan Yew (in black) in a family portrait the night before he left for England for further studies. Clockwise from left, Mr Lee's siblings Monica, Dennis, Freddy and Suan Yew, his mother Chua Jim Neo and father Lee Chin Koon.


Reference :-

https://undertheangsanatree.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-familee-tree.html

https://anythingandwhatever.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/persisting-despite-everything/

https://anythingandwhatever.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/why-i-choose-to-remain-single/

The Avenger Endgame - previewing notes

After some wait and lots of homework of binge watching the marvel studio movies, out of the 21 movies before Avenger Endgame, we finally watched it, 3 hours straight, so many warnings given about watching previous movies in order to understand the details of how the whole series work out together.

This is a very good movie and one with a perfect ending yet making you teared up thinking of the sacrifices a few superheros who chose to make for the sake of everyone's else. 

https://mashable.com/article/marvel-cinematic-universe-recap-avengers-endgame/

Who's who: Heroes

There are so many heroes in the MCU, Endgame released a whopping 32 character posters a month before the premiere, and then color-coded them by who did and did not survive The Snap. We've organized the following 32 character descriptions in the same fashion.

Living heroes 

IMAGE: MARVEL / MASHABLE COMPOSITE

1. Iron Man / Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.): Billionaire, genius, and former CEO of Stark Industries with a high-tech suit of armor that gives him super powers. First official member of The Avengers.
2. Captain America / Steve Rogers (Chris Evans): Patriotic super soldier (who was encased in ice during World War II and thawed out in the present day) with a particularly awesome Vibranium and steel shield. Considered Earth's first superhero, and a founding member of The Avengers.
3. Black Widow / Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson): Skilled assassin/super spy and founding member of The Avengers. Best friend to Hawkeye.
4. Thor (Chris Hemsworth): God of Thunder and King of Asgard, well-known for his mighty hammer. Founding member of The Avengers.
5. Okoye (Danai Gurira): Head of Wakanda's armed forces, highly skilled in martial arts, often armed with her Vibranium spear.
6. Hawkeye / Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner): Skilled archer, former special agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., and founding member of The Avengers. Best friend to Black Widow.
7. Captain Marvel / Carol Danvers (Brie Larson): A former United States Air Force pilot and alien/human hybrid who gained cosmic powers from The Tesseract.
8. Ant-Man / Scott Lang (Paul Rudd): Powered by Pym Particles Disks, Ant-Man's incredible suit allows him to shrink in size, wield super human strength, and lead an army of ants. At the beginning of Endgame, Ant-Man is believed to be stuck inside The Quantum Realm. Partner to Wasp.
9. The Hulk / Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo): A skilled scientist who, after a failed experiment, began morphing into a big green monster whenever his heartbeat reached above a certain threshold. His power are often difficult to control. Founding member of The Avengers.
10. War Machine / James Rhodes (Don Cheadle): United States Air Force veteran and friend of Tony Stark. Armor allows him to fly, gives him superhero strength, and creates projectable energy blasts.
11. Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson): An Asgardian warrior who often rides into battle on a winged steed.
12. Nebula (Karen Gillan): A former villain who turned into a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, a rogue group of heroes. Sister of Gamora and daughter of Thanos. Previously loyal to Thanos.
13. Rocket (Bradley Cooper): A Guardian of the Galaxy known for his skilled inventing and looking a whole lot like a run-of-the-mill raccoon. (Really, he's an alien.)
14. Wong (Benedict Wong): A wizard and ally to Doctor Strange — also, a magical librarian.
15. Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau): Iron Man's personal chauffeur and a Stark family friend.
16. Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow): CEO of Stark Industries, sporadic superhero, and wife of Tony Stark. 

Currently deceased heroes

IMAGE: MARVEL / MASHABLE COMPOSITE

17. Star-Lord / Peter Quill (Chris Pratt): A half-god/half-human and Guardian of the Galaxy, with an affinity for old school music and his love interest Gamora. Dusted in The Snap.
18. Gamora (Zoe Saldana): A Guardian of the Galaxy, daughter of Thanos, and sister to Nebula. Sacrificed for the Soul Stone on Vormir by Thanos in Infinity War. 
19. Black Panther / T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman): King of the technologically-advanced, African nation of Wakanda. Dusted in The Snap.
20. Dr. Strange / Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch): A skilled sorcerer with the ability to manipulate time and see future timelines throughout the Universe. Trained by The Ancient One, played by Tilda Swinton in Doctor Strange. Dusted in The Snap.
21. Spider-Man / Peter Parker (Tom Holland): A high school kid with web-slinging abilities and those well-known "spidey senses." Mentored by Iron Man. Dusted in The Snap.
22. Loki (Tom Hiddleston): Brother to Thor and God of Mischief. A former villain who sought to control The Tesseract, but was apprehended at the end of the Battle of New York. Died at the hands of Thanos in Infinity War, apart from The Snap.
23. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson): The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and creator of The Avengers. Recruited Captain Marvel for The Avengers at the very end of Infinity War, prompting her to show up on Earth at the beginning of Endgame. Dusted in The Snap.
24. Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista): A Guardian of the Galaxy with incredible strength. Dusted in The Snap.
25. Scarlet Witch / Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen): Transformed by the Mind Stone, a villain-turned-hero with energy manipulation powers, telekinesis, and telepathy. Romantically linked to Vision. Dusted in The Snap.
26. Wasp / Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly): Former board member of Pym Technologies and partner to Ant-Man, with a suit that gives her the ability to shrink in size, fly, wield incredible strength, and unleash electric stings. Dusted in The Snap.
27. Mantis (Pom Klementieff): A Guardian of the Galaxy with psychic powers. Dusted in The Snap.
28. Groot (Vin Diesel): A large, tree-like Guardian of the Galaxy. Dusted in The Snap.
29. Falcon / Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie): United States Air Force veteran and ally of Captain America. Armored with a set of mechanical wings that allow him to conduct aerial attacks in combat. Dusted in The Snap.
30. Shuri (Letitia Wright): A skilled inventor and scientist responsible for leading innovation in the nation of Wakanda. Sister to Black Panther and Princess of Wakanda. Dusted in The Snap.
31. Winter Soldier / Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan): A former HYDRA prisoner and United States soldier. Best friend to Captain America. Similar to Captain America, Barnes was injected with experimental serum that gave him super powers. Dusted in The Snap.
32. Vision (Paul Bettany): An android created out of Vibranium and the Mind Stone. A creation from the destruction of Iron Man's J.A.R.V.I.S. AI system and Ultron. Killed by Thanos when the Mind Stone is forcibly removed from him in Infinity War. 

Who's who: Villains

IMAGE: MARVEL

It's possible that other villains from throughout the MCU will appear in Endgame, but there's really just one guy you have to know: Thanos.

This is the
asshole radical alien behind The Snap. He is the father to both Gamora and Nebula. His whereabouts at the start of Endgame are unknown. However, he remains in control of the six Infinity Stones via a magical glove known as the Infinity Gauntlet. 

A summary of the 21 movies in Chinese :-

https://www.facebook.com/ultimatetjmotorsports/videos/259840118148310/

Stan Lee's funny comments :-

https://www.facebook.com/MCU.DCEU.fanclub/videos/1975503542751798/

Avengers: Endgame Cast Answers Amazing Questions of Chinese Fans!!

https://www.facebook.com/MarvelGeek/videos/363696271155575/

Stunts Without Stuntmen

https://www.facebook.com/MCU.DCEU.fanclub/videos/238959100362560/

Avengers' Endgame Review

Lets just say the fever is on for Avengers' Endgame for our family. Its a double thumbs up for the best movie for a long time with a near-perfect ending and many moving moments. It was said it is almost impossible not to tear up if you know the 21 movies stories lines before this.

35th Reunion after High School

This is Class of 84's 35th Reunion anniversary, in 2019, it is the 35th year that we left Tshung Tsin Secondary School back in 1984.

Probiotic In the house!

I am super excited, finally after a long wait, I am going to have a complete family of three probiotic in my house! I used to have all three of them (not the same time) but they all turned bad and has been thrown away.

Milk Kefir A came in December 2018 from Auckland, New Zealand from my aunt.
Milk Kefir B came first in January 2019 via Melbourne. Someone took some back and cultured it a few months and gave me those big and juicy looking kefir. I have never seen such big milk kefir.
Kombucha flew in from Melbournee and started brewing on 11 Feb 2019.
Water Kefir is on its way from London, how exciting is this!

I cant wait to get on my brewing "business" and saying good-bye to soft drinks with all these fizzy drinks home made and the milk kefir in my morning juicing replacing yoghart!

The first thing that we notice is that stomach really love these drinks. It make our intestines dance a bit, the stomach sing along, that kind of good feelings!

Check them out in photos and updates as on 29 May 2019 :-

Kombucha SCOPY has grown to 7 thick layers! 

Milk Kefir grains are big and juicy.

Water Kefir A has grown so many. Water Kefir B just waking up.

Wallace's 21st Birthday Party

Birthday Cake Table Decorations

• Pandan Cake (Main Cake)
• Cake, Ice Cream (Choc, Yam), Oreo Crush
• Moist Choc Cake
• Carrot Walnut Cake
• Goodies Bowl - wafer biscuits
• 
  

Additional Food to ready 

• Tea Eggs
• Baked Nian Gao
• Chic Pea Cheese Dip
• Pineapple Pastry

Selected Menu

However, the caterer got it mixed up and we nearly lost our food, never mind that what was delivered was not ours and sent a 50 pax instead of 60 pax. 

Original Sabahan Chinese New Year Celebration Song

Lets have an "Original" Sabahan Chinese New Year Song based on a popular Kadazan Song music.