EPISODE 14: JORDIE'S X'MAS SCHOOL CONCERT

FRI, NOV 28 2008---"I DOWAN, I DOWAN!", he wailed. Don't know why Jordie is so stage-phobic,.. probably recalling his embarassing kindergarten concert last year when some silly boy took his flag and he went to and fro the stage frantically hunting for it while others did their number. ..LOST FACE...so, sigh! this mummy here had to take it to task to help him overcome this phobia. Off we marched to the Varsity College x'mas school concert at the senior campus... even though teacher said it was optional, I still thought it best that he goes to join it and overcome this mental block of performing.

Fascinating to watch the colourful crowd present on campus that day. Senior kids in secondary were helping to raise funds for their school, selling cookies, BBQ sausages, cotton candy, Krispy Kreme doughnuts (SCREAM!), light sticks for glowing in the dark, face-painting, tattoos, God knows what else, a conspiracy to empty everybody's pocket that day, .. Jordie was good and sat down quickly with his group of classmates when he saw how many of them were in the same 'plight',

oh, he just wanted some team members to face the sea of faces in the audience, and he had plenty of company. He begged for a light stick, so I bought him one to reward him for taking part.

They sang 'We wish you a Ripper Christmas" cute improvisation of the original, and he had fun...

The Aussies love to have fun. Some parents had blinking earrings, necklaces, hats,...Even his school teacher was geared for party mood wearing big musical notes on a chain..

It was fun also looking at interesting x'mas headgear that day. Here are some that I spotted:

THE REINDEER,

THE JESTER,

THE ELF,

THE MARTIAN QUEEN and.. CURLY SPRING TOP....

AIRASIA FLIES TO LONDON FROM COOLY, .. EUROPE HERE WE COME!

NOV 26--- GOLD Coasters will be able to fly from Coolangatta (FONDLY known as COOLY) to London from March next year. AirAsia X, which flies four times a week from the Gold Coast to Kuala Lumpur, last night announced flights from Malaysia to London. Tickets from the Gold Coast to the UK will cost a total of about A$552 one way with stopover via KL and was on sale since yesterday.

Brisbane to London on full-fare services/ flights can typically cost up to $3500 return. So, that's about 3 times the cost... I am thinking more of the accessibility of other locations in Europe... but first, let's check out how euro is doing in exchange rate....

KEVIN RUDD: THE CHINA-SAVVY PM

Not many people have actually heard the Australian prime minister speak mandarin. I found this VIDEO clip and he is amazingly good at it, better than even some chinese! Speaking chinese you have learnt is one thing, but cracking jokes the chinese locals can understand shows he can pull it off and good...not many angmoh political leaders can do this...definitely one of his kind. Watch & be amazed..

ANOTHER BROTHER COMES TO VISIT

My big bro, Chee Hian was in town with wife & 2 kids. Jordie eagerly awaited them, with open arms, esp for cousin Chin Tak kor-kor's PSP game toy. No, he really loves his cousins, honestly, ...just that if there is PSP, it makes the reunion all the sweeter....

Chee Hian is my one & only brother, residing in Singapore and works for Oracle and taking a nice long break in Australia for 2 weeks. Glad that he could make it to GC to see us even if just for one night. We went out for nice Italian meal at Broadbeach, this time, another restaurant called UNO. The steak is better at this place, more refined cuisine I think.

We are working on convincing them to move down under, after all, they have secured PRships here already. They say it is hard to uproot, but then again... u just never know how things can turn out a couple of years down the road, look what happened to us.... totally unexpected & illogical to land here in GC, .. we still wake up at times blinking our eyes wondering if we are really here, then the kookaburra outside starts giggling, and we know for sure we are down under, -- here for a purpose and a new destiny, living out one episode at a time.

LUNCH WITH CHRISTINE, TIMOTHY & CO.

This month of November seems to be super peak season for visitors to GC. Malaysian/ Singaporean stampede into town! So far, have touched base with ..lemme see, about 4 families/friends from Malaysia & Singapore in November itself. One more family on the way tomorrow too...enjoying the company so far & opportunity to catch up with friends & family...

Yesterday, we drove up to Brisbane and had good fellowship catching up with Timothy, Christine, their daughter, Charissa, their nephew Ginson, and his friend, Suzanne.

We lost our way twice in the city but after circling round Chinatown, unexpectedly landed at our intended destination, the resort hotel where Christine & Timothy were staying in called The Point. Well.. the point was that we finally got to the Point, so that was what mattered, get the point?

For lunch, we indulged in delicious northern Indian cuisine at this quiet neighbourhood in Brisbane tucked away somewhere near University of Queensland. Mouthwatering beef vindaloo and butter curry chicken + briyani rice.

Tandoori chicken, chutney!! Garlic naan was nice, soft on inside & crispy on the outside. Ok, ok we know easily found, no big deal in Malaysia.. but for deprived souls like us down here, it was divine. Thanks to good recommendation from Brisbane locals, Suzanne & Ginson, we experienced fantastic food at reasonable pricing.

We were glad to have caught up with Christine & Timothy, who are special to us, because they are the ones leading our previous cell group and growing into their roles beautifully.

Jordan was delighted to catch up with old friend, Charissa too, and ran around the apartment with her after lunch at high energy levels...

kids = ENERGY.

No ENERGY = parents approaching 40 or past 40.

NEW ENERGY = after indulging in good Indian food....

EPISODE 13: ARACHNOPHOBIA!!

Yikes! a giant spider crawled into our bedroom today, so not good.. ..with the size almost as big as the palm of my hand. SEARCH & DESTROY, was my scream.

My husband became the hero of the day & whipped out his trusty fly swatter that we had been reserving for those pesky flies and twacked it into shrivelled mess. The spider reading my RHB bank statement and discovering I was not that rich...

Call us cruel, but sorry, spider, u got into wrong house, we are not environmental-friendly, we just dont want to risk creepy crawlies in our shirts and blankets & underpants.

BROTHER COMES TO VISIT

KAI SEONG (Samuel's younger brother) & his family were in town again this week, and spent 2 nights with us. We enjoyed having them & baby Isaac with us. Jordie is so pleased whenever Isaac points to him when asked where is 'koko'? now the big brother koko concept slowly registering... On 19 Nov (Wed), we brought them to Currumbin Beach, which has a nice cove so its waves are not too rough, but it was still too windy that day. Had been raining on & off for past 2 days...

That's Hui Xi, my sis-in-law, she is "jaga"-ing (watching) baby Isaac who fell asleep in the car, and well, is also actually not a beach fan, so staying off the sand that day.

But look at Jordie on the loose!! no stopping this guy from diving into the sand. he loves it ....

CAR BOMBERS: Cute white seagulls perching there contemplating whether to "bomb" another nuisance car. Obviously, the $1500 fine against dogs on beach suits them just fine... , 'yup, get those irritating canines off our territory.. enough intruders already..."...

Next, we went to Surfer's Paradise & had Italian at La Porchetta's. Ordered pizza, pasta, steak, & fish. Here's Papa bear & baby bear tucking into yummy pasta. Look at them go! It was a rainy day so, we didn't really walk much downtown, but just took a few pictures. Jordie enjoyed wheeling Isaac on his stroller, ...

A LITTLE HISTORY ON GOLD COAST: CAVILL AVENUE and its extension, the Cavill mall, in Surfer's Paradise were named in honor of James 'Jim' Cavill. This Brisbane hotelier had helped to popularise the area as a tourist attraction. Cavill was one of the pioneers of development on the Gold Coast, Australia. Many years after initial entrepreneurial endeavours failed, James Cavill purchased 25 acres (101,000 m²) of land in the Elston subdivision. He built a hotel, which he named the Surfers Paradise Hotel. James Cavill was heavily involved in the early promotion of the Elston, and lobbied hard for the name change to Surfers Paradise (the same as his hotel). The Elston area was slow to take off, but when it finally did, the local newspaper men labelled it the Gold Coast and in 1958 it became the official name for the town. This year is the 75th anniversary of Surfer's Paradise.

LUNCH WITH ANGIE & JOHN

The McGuigans are a special couple we met at Genesis church. Had been meaning to do lunch with them some weeks back but never worked out.

Yesterday, spontaneously, we decided to do lunch right after church at our place. Angie is a worship leader with Genesis and runs her own real estate firm. John works as a loans broker and helps secure house loans so, they complement each other's work beautifully. We enjoyed the time together and talked... and talked... and talked. Partially also because it was raining heavily, so they could not leave after lunch. Their phone was ringing that afternoon because a client just confirmed purchase of a house & was also seeking a loan. We were happy that they sealed a deal that afternoon itself while at our place.

THE PORTAL

The view from up here...........

Our place has this nice high ceiling right where the piano is placed. Great for acoustics and ventilation. I call this place "The portal".

In the daytime, the sunlight shines in from a transparent round window in the ceiling : a clever energy-saving concept for houses here, so we don't need to switch on lights in dark areas of the house. Sometimes, when I play & worship, I get a sense like God is watching from above, and I bask in the glory of His love. One of those precious few moments when you do feel a connection took place.....

COUSIN ISAAC

Cousin Isaac, Jordie's youngest cousin was in town yesterday with parents+grandma+auntie. They are visiting relatives in Brisbane and dropped by Gold Coast just to see our house after shopping.

Jordie decided to try bottle-feeding cousin isaac with his mummy watching. This pose kinda reminds me of him with some sheep! ...see the similarity?

Picture taken in Jiuzhaiggou, China in 2004 when he was 4 yrs old.

Jordie had a great time with Isaac and gave him 2 of his toy cars. I think baby Isaac was trying to figure out who is this other creature bigger than him but not quite as tall as the rest? The 'Koko' concept (big brother) probably did not register in his mind yet. Cute little boy..

When I look at the pictures, I do wonder what life would have been if Jordan had a younger brother? Nowadays, he is kinda resigned to never having one and he told me he wanted to stop praying for one because he didnt want me to suffer all over again. So... I guess that takes the pressure off...

Uncle Kai Seong and Auntie Hui Xi will be staying with us with little Isaac next week, officially our 2nd guests since our move. We look forward to their visit.

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY LAUGHS

THIS IS A COMPILATION OF CHURCH BULLETINS WITH HILARIOUS TYPOS/BLOOPERS. MY ABSOLUTE FAVE IS THE BAPTISM bit....SO... BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY AND PRINT...IT CAN SEND PEOPLE INTO STITCHES.....

* Our next song is "Angels We Have Heard Get High".

* Don't let worry kill you--let the church help.

* Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.

* For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

* Weight Watchers will meet a 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

* Jean will be leading a weight-management series Wednesday nights. She's used the program herself and has been growing like crazy!

* The rosebud on the altar this morning is to announce the birth of David Alan Belzer, the sin of Rev. and Mrs. Julius Belzer.

* This afternoon there will be a meeting in the South and North ends of the church. Children will be baptized at both ends.

* Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. there will be an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk will please come early.

* This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.

* The service will close with "Little Drops of Water". One of the ladies will start quietly and the rest of the congregation will join in.

* Next Sunday a special collection will be taken to defray the cost of the new carpet. All those wishing to do something on the carpet should come forward and do so.

* The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind. They can be seen in the church basement Saturday.

* Thursday night--Potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow.

* Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

* The senior choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir.

* At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

* The Rev. Adams spoke briefly, much to the delight of his audience.

* The eighth graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet" in the church basement on Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

* The 1991 Spring Council Retreat will be hell May 10 and 11.

* Pastor is on vacation. Massages can be given to church secretary.

* Please join us as we show our support for Amy and Alan in preparing for the girth of their first child.

* Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

MEETING WITH ELIJAH

Elijah was in town recently and we met once yesterday for dinner and again today at Carol & David's place for a worship gathering. it was a good meeting. Kerrie who mentors the Fijian church, Neil, Beryl, Peter & Karen Young, the Rowlands and ourselves were there.

He said that it was an interesting cross-section of people among us that day - and almost as if we were on the verge of breaking into something new & exciting. Very casual, subdued but meaningful and productive because we all came out of it, sensing that God could use every one of us in His own special way for this city.

Like Abraham, when he was promised descendants as many as the stars & died only seeing Isaac, we may not live to see the end results of what God can do to change a place or nation, but to know that we could be starting to pray for this change right now for future generations and things to come .. that is a promise and a vision we need to hold on to,.. incidentally Gold Coast's ethos is the city of vision.

The shops seemed to be closed for lunch so Caroline nicely whipped up a lunch of salad & pasta for all of us, resourceful & fantastic lady!

GET THE LINGO, MATE

Takes some getting used to, but slangs over here are among some of the things that help ease you into the culture & everyday life in ozland.... some of them may already be familiar to most, but some are uniquely aussie.

How ya goin'? : Instead of asking "How ya doin'?" or "How are things going?"

Hay? : Like a Canadian's Ay?

No Drama: Not a problem at all

No Worries: Not a problem at all

Piss off : Go away

It's stuffed : it's broken

That's a dodgy little thing: It doesn't really work well

You're cheeky, aren't you? : Cute, sometimes good cute, sometimes acting too cute depends on how it is said.

Whack some on there : Put some on

Heaps: a lot

Straight away : right away

Good on you: Good job

I reckon : I would think so

Aw-righ or Right-o : All Right

I'll ring you: I'll call you

Tucker : food

Dunny, Toilet, Lou : all words for the place where you do your duty, if you ask for the bathroom you may be directed to a room with just a sink and bath.

Lost the plot : no sense of direction, clueless

Macky's :McDonald's

Brekky : Breakfast