Blessings

Wow. It's been more than a year since I last updated my blog. And now it has been 2.5 years since I have been in this country. Time flies so fast and I'm now settling down in Ho Chi Minh City.

Today is Easter Sunday and we're reminded again how God died on the cross to save our sins and resurrection again on the third day. And because He lives today, we can face tomorrow. Because he lives, all fear is gone.

I beginning to miss church in Malaysia and how we could freely raise our hands and worship God. Things are different here.

Anyhow, today is another day to count the blessings of God.

Happy Easter everyone!

I Survived 1 year...

Exactly one year ago, I left on a jetplane to this foreign land to start a new life. Out of God's conviction, I came, not knowing many people, not knowing the culture.

As I reflect back on what has happened for the past year, I truly thank God for the experiences that He has put me through, the good as well as the bad. I've gained a new language, a new culture, a higher level of independence, a promotion, good friends, experiences in 4 difference countries, and I can see that there is more to come. I've also been through lonely boring days, working through nights, and recently a horrible flood.

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My mind has significantly mellowed down in this 'peaceful' city. It is noisy with all the motorbikes and honks, but as you sit down by the lake and read a book, watch the sunset, and listen to the sound of waters, your mind clears out....

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From an advanced capital in KL to a developing capital in Hanoi... my life changed, my thoughts grown, my experiences added.

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Goals for the coming year... a helping hand, a healthy fit body, and purpose driven life.

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I may not be doing all the right things now but God's promise remains in my heart. Jeremiah 29:11 says 'I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.'

Travelling Month...

Last month has made me relaxed yet tired... travelling around Vietnam with the people that came to visit me...just a few common tourist places...

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To take advantage of the public holiday of Vietnam's National Day, we flew to Nha Trang (where Miss Universe was recently held) for a relaxed holiday... it was beautiful beach... :)

view from our hotel

island hopping on these boats, they had really funny entertainments on board

The following weekend, Molly and friend came to visit, our first destination... Sapa. A night's train away... up in the hills, cold, local villages, see how the traditional tribes live...

it's really beautiful real-life

our guide at our hotel

After a 3 nights 2 days trip to Sapa, we reached Hanoi at about 6 a.m., rushed back home to take a quick shower and off we go for a day trip at Halong Bay... taking a 3 hour bumpy road ride to the harbour...

my second trip to Halong Bay.. still alright

Two weeks after Molly went back, mum, Olivia & Matthew came to visit.... our first destinations were to the Pottery and Silk Village. I have not been there myself and thought we could maybe do some shopping there. But to my dismay, we find these 2 places ..erm... boring? yea, kinda... didn't really have anything to buy...
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The next day, we went to Hoa Lu Tam Coc (Halong Bay on Land)... a 2 hour bumpy road ride from Hanoi...

we sat on these 'sampans' and went around the lake

a visit to the Hanoi Museum of Ethnology the next day

After a day's tour around Hanoi, the next day it was Halong Bay... (AGAIN for me...)

my third visit to Halong Bay... ok.. maybe it's enough for me now

this trip we stayed a night at Catba Island...

Enough of travelling I say, but I guess not... haih.... more to come...

Hope & Faith

You know how we always set our resolutions or theme of each year on the new year's day? I've done that in the past but this year, I just didn't bothered cos I nv truly achieved most of my resolutions made each year. And amazingly, when I chose to have no particular aims, a theme is revealed to me along the way.

The words keep popping out to my face in different ways… Hope… Faith… I even find myself purchasing a fiction storybook in borders entitled ‘Keeping Faith’…

Each one of us hope for something at any point of our lives. Be it a holiday at Paris, a huge bonus, a handsome lover, a better job, a bigger house, etc etc etc.

We hope for things that we do not have at the moment. Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? If I own a RD300GX digital piano, I wouldn’t rationally hope for another one.

But if we hope for what we do not have, we wait for it patiently. The longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. We get more anxious when we’ve waited for a long timeee… and when we finally see our hopes come true, our joy exceeds…

Faith is the THING! Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. It’s the firm foundation that makes life worth living. It’s how we handle what we cannot see.

Faith… its just so much to say about it… and yet so many reasons that one can say to refuse it… So many ‘but’s and ‘if’s …

When a good thing happens, it’s easy for anyone to say it’s a coincidence / it’s my own effort / I deserve this… but because of my faith, I know it’s from God… Why do I know that? Cos I’ve hoped for it, and asked for it in faith…

The way to see by Faith is to shut the eye of the Reason – Benjamin Franklin

Stop reasoning. You just need to have childlike faith, God says.

I hope for many things in life. Some of which may not be what God has in mind for me. But I have faith that God has plans for us. Plans to prosper and not to harm us. Plans to give us hope and a future. To have faith in God is to trust that He is in control.

The Promotion

Dear all

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Your effort, hard work and achievements are being rewarded by the Firm in line with our policy to ensure KPMG remains an "Employer of Choice" for Vietnam's leading professionals.... Congratulations to all of you who received promotions, and we wish you continued success with the firm.

Best wishes

Happy Day.... :) Congratulations all... looks like our late nights are worth something... Waiting for each other's treat of dinner!!

The Piano

my hobby, my given gift, my passion...
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presenting the RD300GX... after much thought and consultations... i landed my 'pocket' on my desired keys... portable and most natural piano feel...

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a significant invesment... took me 'a while' to have my final thoughts ready and to gather some courage to purchase it... thank you to 'those' who have encouraged me, talked sense into me, and followed me to the shop... :P

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this shall keep me busy in my hanoi residence... :)

My Desire...

Bobby gets a shower

Victim of a bored night...

Now he smells good...

Beauty vs. reality...

Halong Bay... the World's Heritage... All who come to Hanoi must pay a visit to this place... (who says so? i don't know) so wat's so great about this place? well yea, it has the beautiful sights of lime stones and sea... There is nothing to do other than looking at the sceneries, eating on the boat if u want, enjoying the cruise and the walk up a cave...

What striked me more is the life of the people in the fishing village... these ppl live on their floating houses and survive on their catches... some sells fruits on their small boats... can you live like this? at this pace, i personally can't... looking through into their bedroom - just the bed, living room - maybe a tv and a radio, kitchen - just a few pots n pans... thats it... no room to run around...

what i have seen since i left msia is the various life of different people... people who could afford drivers to drive them around with maids who cook and clean for them... people who live mediocre-ly, rides their motorcycle daily and eats by the streets... a man who lived in a 10m square room with his wife and kid... a driver who learnt english by his own chasing his business dreams... a man who meets a girl for a couple of times n say 'lets go meet my parents'... families surviving on a usd50 wage a month... a living room where there is no room for you to put your legs up on the couch to watch tv cos there ain't any... i could never fully understand some of these people manage it... but i'd always like the opportunity to realise that we should be grateful and content with what we have... money ain't everything...

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When you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, i'll make sure you won't be disappointed - God's Decree (Jeremiah 29;13)

The call...

It started out as a feeling
Which then grew into a hope
Which then turned into a quiet thought
Which then turned into a quiet word

And then that word grew louder and louder
'Til it was a battle cry
I'll come back when you call me
No need to say goodbye

Just because everything's changing
Doesn't mean it's never been this way before
All you can do is try to know who your friends are
As you head off to the war

Pick a star on the dark horizon
And follow the light

You'll come back when it's over

No need to say good bye

Now we're back to the beginning
It's just a feeling and no one knows yet
But just because they can't feel it too
Doesn't mean that you have to forget

Let your memories grow stronger and stronger
'Til they're before your eyes
You'll come back when they call you
No need to say good bye

by Regina Spektor