Journal for the month of May

I think people get more busy and have less time as they age, well, at least that’s what I am experiencing. May just flew pass. Absolutely no time to organize pics and blog about them. So finally, I managed to get some time to do it.

Summarized month of May is here:

May and June are expensive months – why? well, for a start, all our cars’ road taxes and insurances expire in May and in June, we need to pay the balance of our taxes for the year. 

the inspection for the lorry is done by a friend who runs a workshop – noticed this piece of work (above) and thought…. COOL

Angie had her prize giving day – she was the best accounts student for Form 4 last year – we’re so PROUD of YOU, ANGIE

And then there was the PITH (Partners in the Harvest) Conference. I went for the Cambodia Missions workshop and for a treat, we were served silk worms (I think) and locusts (again, ….. I think). I gulped 2 down brilliantly. Correction, actually, I didn’t just gulped them down, I made sure I chewed them thoroughly to really know the taste

 

Mark Yip, a Malaysian residing in Vancouver, came to visit us for a couple of days during the PITH meetings. We took him and our 2 other guests from Philippines to the Look Out Point at Ulu Langat.

Mother’s day came along too and I took my mom out for lunch although I didn’t manage to take any photos. We also took Aunty Ding out and this time I remembered to take a photo – good for memories even though it was just with a handphone camera. 

Andy and Sam also had their prize giving day at St John’s Institution. I was really impressed with the school band.  The small guy in the centre is Eu Shaun.

Have always liked the SJI facade

Andy, Sam and their friends waiting for the ceremony to start

We’re proud of you too Andy – best student for Physics, Form 5, 2008 and for his achievement in the SPM exams

Sam too had a prize for his achievement in the SPM – we’re really proud of you guys

One other thing we did in May was to go shopping in preparation for Andy’s departure to the US. This is his first pair of white trousers.(Don’t think it will remain white for too long)

Mark came back to visit again and we were really glad to have him. I’ve always thought that Asian families who migrate overseas have a tough job bringing up their children in a non-Asian environment, (meaning no strict discipline, erm, like the rod?). Well, Mark’s parents proofed me wrong because I see the example of a very well brought up person in Mark. His behavior obviously suggests  reflects that he has very godly parents.- *salutes Mr and Mrs Yip* 

some of the stuff u have to do to study in the USA

I have been “walking” Andy, Jessica and Xianjin through their USA universities application and this is the final leg now.  (I must say that I have learnt a lot of new stuff too from them). Jess and Andy went to get their visas today and they have been “approved”.  So Jessica will leave on the 8th of August and Andy will leave on the 19th of August. Xianjin has been very busy, so his visa application will wait till later.

The next step after acceptance is the whole health issue.  They all had to go for their TB test and blood test (XJ said that if he tested positive for TB, he would murder a certain someone) and a series of jabs.  In one day, Andy had 4 jabs; Hepatitis A, B, Meningitis and the MMR. Then thanks to the H1N1 (demam babi) we had to pay for another jab! In the midst of all this, they had fun too – XJ was laughing at Andy cos Andy’s health form required a genital test and XJ thought he didn’t need one, ah well, as I said, he thought…. until he asked Doc Lian what a GU test was and the reply was “a genital examination”…..

see the “GU”there?

See the before …..

and “after” …. or shall I say “during” pics of the flu jab :p

The poor guy also didn’t have a good time at the TB centre.  They refused to give him the Mantoux TB test because they insisted that his health form did not state that, so he asked the guy to look at the form again and they again insisted that it wasn’t necessary. When they arrived home, I looked at the form and said, “You know, Xian, this PPD test here asks for reactive size, I have a feeling this is the TB test”, so we googled it and it turns out that PPD is another name for the TB test!!! So, he had to go over to the hospital again!

Then there were bank accounts to be opened and finally,

Lunch – it was free for me cos I won a, ermmm…. deal that I made with XJ

My lunch

All is not over yet, there are still the 2nd and 3rd doses of the Hepatitis jabs to be taken.

a dinner and a birthday

Allan and I are in the enviable (or unenviable, depending on how you look at it) position of being in 2 care groups – one is the young adults group which we started a few years back and is now headed by Jiann Yuh (Timothy 1 & 3) and Ben Lum (Timothy 2 – alas, they have renamed themselves but I just can’t remember the name). The other is the adult group.  So we have 2 care groups meeting at our place every week.  Basically we give at one and I think we’re supposed to receive at the other, but then the Bible did say that it is more blessed to give than to receive…….I’m rambling, better move on…

The main aim of all that chatter is just to introduce the groups and then post some pics of our latest get together. The adult group likes to get together for a dinner once in a while and the last one coincided with Catherine’s birthday, so we had a surprise for her. Noticed I have not mentioned the name of this adult care group? Well, this is embarrassing, but I have never been able to remember the name of the group, I think its “Mark care group”. Does that mean I don’t love the group? NO I have grown to really LOVE the members of this group and I do enjoy the closeness we share.  The name? I guess I never really bothered with the name – its always been “Beng Hoe’s group” and now its “Eng Sing’s group”. Its the people who are important and I know all their names

Choong and Allan

By the way, this dinner was paid for by Eng Sing, our group leader

There was a lot of hiding and shuffling with the cake before Peklyn and Xianjin brought it out for their mom

I think Cat REALLY didn’t suspect a thing

Beng Hoe, Cat and their happy family

random stuff

This is how a hamster sleeps………

We bought some new stuff for the hamster to play with and she did, aggressively.

As a result, half and hour later……

 

Birthday at TGIF …Why? Got discount ma :p

What’s the offer??

1 appetizer and 1 entree for RM29.90

until when? 

actually dunno la – go online and check with them la

Allan planned a surprise birthday dinner for me by taking me out for dinner first without the children but arranged for Andrew to pick them up after we’d left.  They met us at the restaurant

Thanks Allan, for planning so creatively…..but you wore the wrong t-shirt XD

Our orders (below)

Allan is wearing a tshirt that says “WANTED – Good women” – notice its in the plural.

At the back of the tshirt:

WANTED

_____Good women_____ 

Able to pay bills

Take care of family

Have credit card and car

Send picture of credit card and car

My Birthday Cake from Andrew and Yvonne

Andrew and Yvonne were so kind and thoughtful to buy a cake for my birthday, so we went over to their home (yup, the nice background is their home, not ours) to collect the cake

See if you catch the “doink” moment we had at the beginning of the video.

 

Andy, its time to go to the gym…..

This is my cousin and I’m posting this so that my son will get some inspiration to do some serious gym work…..ta