Marina Barage Singapore

We enjoy going to Marina Barage once in a while for the colors of the lights and the night sky.

Especially listening to my favourite tunes on the ipod and watch the waters dance as if to the music. 

We like to packet some food or fruit for a nice little picnic and just enjoy after a day's work.  

A view of the Singapore Flyer by night.

A glimpse of  Marina Sands Casino in the background.

Our Recent Macau Trip

Weather was hot in August 2010 and we were perspiring. 

We stayed in Hotel Presidente along Friendship Avenue, just opposite Wynne casino and Star World.

Location is just so central. 

View from our hotel room from Hotel Presidente Macau overlooking Wynne Casino.

Grand Lisboa is just within walking distance from Hotel Presidente Macau.

Fountain performance at Wynn Casino every 30mins at night.

Visit the Venetian taking the free shuttle from Ferry Terminal or the Airport.

Room with a view.

Sweets and Treats  .... lovely ...

Pictures of Aloha Chalets, Aloha Loyang and Aloha Changi, Aloha Loyang Seaview Terrace 4, Aloha Changi Chalet D, Aloha Changi Cottage

Aloha Loyang Seaview Terrace 4 Desert Rose

Aloha Changi Chalet D

Aloha Changi Cottage

Aloha Changi Chalet F, Aloha Changi Bayfront Chalet.  Just next to Changi Sailing Club.

123-Pictures How to make Chinese New Year Lanterns using Red Packets

123-pictures ...

If you like to make Chinese New Year Lanterns for your home decor, refer to the picture here is one or two simple designs that you can make for yourself using Red Packets.

For this design, you need

14 red packets
double-sided tapes or staplers
streamers for decorations with plastic pearls and a little CNY golden deco charms.

It is rather easy to find the first two items if you do not have red packets overseas you may use long envelopes to achieve the effects.

The third item might be a little bit of a challenge to obtain, in Singapore you may be able to purchase them from shops in Banda Street HDB flat in Chinatown or your handicraft shops in the shopping malls.

1.Fold all the 14 red packets tapered towards the centre of the sealed end making a wedge
2.measure off 2cm from the folded end and draw a line towards the same longer side of the red packet, every red packet should look something like a parallelgram.
3.cut away the two unwanted sides of the red packets, now you have a red packet that looks something like a wedge
4. trim the edges into scallop shape as shown in the diagram
5.join by stapling once or twice the folded sides of the red packets, 7 red packets for the front, 7 for the back. Careful to staples along the folded lines and not beyond.
6.join the front and the back section of the fan shaped decor together using strong double sided tape or glue
7. attach streamers at the point where the red packets converge, as well as on the sides of the fan for a more elegant feel.
8. complete your artwork by attaching a red string of about 12-15inches on the top of the fan-shaped decor for hanging on walls or ceiling for 3 dimentional view.

The more colourful the red packets, the brighter the fan, the more golden the red packet the more attractive.

Hope you enjoy making this simple lantern.

You may make this as a gift to your loved ones, or offer to make for your friends for a small token.

Red Packets: see the pictures of the Red packets printed with fine words the Chinese use to give tokens of cash as a blessing to the younger ones on New Year or newly weds or bosses to employees, or younger ones give as present to older ones on birthdays instead of buying gifts, parents give as blessings to their children on certain occasions like baby first month, Chinese New Year, birthdays, weddings, etc.

"Gong Hei Fatt Choy!" (Congratulations on your Prosperity! in Cantonese)

Visit the Holy Land, Israel

One of the most heart warming greetings I heard when Ken and I visited Israel in Nov 2003 was "Welcome home!"

Another very beautiful gesture we received was we each received a certificate of welcome from the Tourism Minister of Israel with our names written on it ...

you know, we being Chinese, some of our first name and last name are just the other way round from the westerners ... and to us it may seem rather awkward for some to have their names written the other way round ... as the first name became the family name ... I truly appreciated ever so deeply they bothered to have the whole 3 coach-loads of us ... our names arranged in the proper order and have the certificate of welcome reprinted and given to us before our departure back to our own land...

more importantly what touched my heart and I am sure the hearts of fellow travellers was, the people there were so happy we came ... we met some of them at the shopping mall and they came over with tears of joy in their eyes telling some of us that we were one of the first batch of tourists that arrived after the Sep 11 event ... which indeed hurt their Israel's industry ever so badly ...

to be very honest, I was looking forward to going there ...to see the land where Jesus walked and to literally experience the Bible places coming to life before my eyes ...

there were also some concerns among the people ... however, as one of our church leaders who went after us, shared on Israeli TV when he was interviewed on why our church arranged the trip when everyone avoided travelling there, and I fully agreed with him, and it was : In Psalm 91 Abba protects all of us ... in the shadow of His Wings... the safest place on earth is not even at home but indeed under His wings of protection.

we had a total of about 16 batches of 3 coach loads that went there 2003 which stretched to Feb 2004 ... and Ken and I joined the first batch there ...

I take great delight to share with you my slides and I do hope too that
once in a lifetime, you may visit this beautiful land ... where the greatest Man ever lived and walked, died and rose again!

I would like to share this slideshow with you ... from my own simple, humble, personal photo album ...

Ken's album is more professional as he took with negatives
and slides and SLR camera with interchangeable lens ...
and he picked some of the best pictures and
got them published in his book "The Eden Experience" ...
you may order from SKSbooks.com a
Singapore distributor for the book which handles international
delivery.

Alternatively, you may email him directly at fineflourproduction@yahoo.com.sg