Nothing Short of a Backbreaking Ride

If the "Journey to the West - <西游记>" was an epic of a story, then I suppose our Greyhound bus trip from Boston to the Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada on 24 August could qualify as a proportionately painful story too! 

We made so many stops along the way as we danced our way through New York State enroute to Canada that it would have automatically qualified us for a world record for enduring motion sickness... but seriously, it was the first time we had spent 11 hours on a bus so forgive us for feeling like the sea-tossed pilgrims crossing the Atlantic who finally made it to the New World!

The ancient Israelites were known to keep a tight tradition of keeping historical records so that generations after them would remember the journey of their forefathers. Well, this priceless photo of the checkpoint at the Canadian border would be a reminder to Doris and I as well... we made it!!!

And made it we did... leaving home sweet home in downtown Boston around 6am that morning, we finally 'landed' at Niagara Falls, Ontario, about 9pm that night. But the sight of the Falls that greeted us, even at night, made the backbreaking journey immediately worthwhile. 

The Niagara Falls was a 15 minute walk from our B&B, and from afar we'd already noticed the colorful wonder of the world beckoning us into her embrace...

So here's a series of photo shots of the beautiful Falls going through a symphony of colors to satisfy our lusty glances... :p ... Perhaps the accompaniment of music not unlike our Musical Fountains at Sentosa would have been neat, but seriously, what could match the majesty of this sight? Anyway, we've learnt that the amount of water coming down the Falls today is but a fraction of its original volume, and the amount is further reduced at night, so remember this scene, and take a look at our photos the next day :)

After a day's weary ride, followed by a soothing tour of the Niagara Falls by night, we finally called the day in the comfort of our B&B... this building is, as we understanding it, the first masonry structure to be built at the Falls more than a century ago... and by the very masons and engineers who built the first hydroelectric systems to tap the power of the Falls. Cool bit of history eh?

Holiday up North

We are leaving for Canada early tomorrow morning. This time round, we have confirmed the hotels and the coach. No more LAST MINUTE road trip glitches... last minute... that's the name of that irresponsible !@#$%^&*(.

Ok, see you in a week's time. Meanwhile, do come back for photos of the different cities we visit. Ciao!

Visiting little Weston

Yesterday Doris and I went to visit a delightful couple we had befriended in the States. They had just become brand new parents of a chubby little boy named Weston, and we had been planning this visit for a few weeks now. And here are his proud parents!

Once we were introduced to Weston, we were immediately arrested by his cute demeanor; no more than six weeks old, all he wanted to do was to cling on to the caregiver and sleep. My wife was the first to carry him, and following a little scowl and a baby hint of frustration at being disturbed when mummy handed him over to Doris, normal service resumed as Weston gave a small soft yawn and dozed off... see Doris cuddling him below...:0

Here's Doris carrying Weston around. Is the baby big, or is Doris small? hahaha...

Ok... Ok... so I got a chance to take care of Weston too... I loved it when every once in a while, he'd open his eyes just to check that I'm around... talk about command and control... hahaha!

Hallelujah!!!

Here's a piece of wonderful news!

My mother has received Christ! Doris and I learnt of this a while ago when she called to tell us the good news. Apparently, she had visited Lighthouse Church in Woodlands last night and had embraced the Lord during the altar call.

Finally.

After so many years. It's truly a dream come true for me and Doris. To everyone in Renewal Christian Church who have been praying for this breakthrough, thank you for standing with us all the while. And now, we'll be turning our attention and prayers to my dad, and Doris' family as well.

We thank God for the grace and blessings!

Praise the Lord. :)

Not your average Cambridge diet...

It's been a while since we visited the Boston Cambridge area. Unlike the bustle of the Boston city, Cambridge and Harvard have a conspicuously suburban feel with little skyscrapers to speak of. 

It's almost a different world when you cross the bridge linking Boston and Cambridge across the Charles River. But Doris and I really like the serenity and quietness over there. With such an environment, it's little wonder that the Cambridge side also hosts renowned educational institutions like Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)!

We spent some time exploring Harvard Square and even discovered some cool artwork near the Harvard University. Here's Doris posing with Charlie Chaplin.

And since we're in the area, it would be unforgivable for us not to pop into Harvard University right? So here we were at the Harvard Yard, where we mingled with a group of tourists marveling at the statue of John Harvard, the founder of the institution in 1638... but... wait a minute... Harvard was founded as early as 1636, and John Harvard wasn't a founder but a major contributor. And the statue really does not depict the real likeness of John Harvard as it's said that the sculptor did not know how he looked like, so it's merely a representation. Now we know why Harvard natives call the statue the statue of three lies.

After an afternoon of running about, we visited the Porter Square where we found a nice cosy cafe to sip some piping hot mocha while it was pouring outside. Here's Doris in the midst of being assimilated into the comfy couch... :p

A Very Greek Birthday

Last Saturday, we gave a surprise birthday party to our friend, Sofia. We gathered at another friend's house and hid in the kitchen. LOL....

See that 12.5 unit? Cos the owner doesn't want the number 13. 

The birthday gal. 

The cake was specially baked by Dana (right). 

National Day

2008 is an unique year for Daniel and I. It is the year in which we spent festivals and special occasions on our own. Actually we tend to forget them and even if we remember, we keep it real simple. 

We have forgotten that this month is the Hungry Ghost Festival because there is no burning of incense paper in sight. I have even forgotten my love for snow-skin moon cakes till I saw them at the Chinese supermarket last week. Out of sight, out of mind - how true it is. 

However, we still remember National Day and that's probably due to our jobs. I have been handling the NE show for the past few years in school and Daniel was ALWAYS on stand-by. So how can we forget that? 

This time round, we are going to enjoy the NDP. No more planning and no more standing-by. Just sit back and relax! The only inconvenience is that we've got to wake up like 6am in the morning to catch the live streaming. But that's quite a small problem. =)

Happy Birthday Singapore!

Blessings!

We are really grateful to the organizers of the Korean Christian Conference because they wrote off my fee after they heard about my plight - yeah, refused onboard after getting all ready to go. They could have charged me because after all, the hotel room had been booked. We really need to thank them and of course God! 

God has also blessed us in other matters; we managed to sell off our brand new TV. My 6 month-old TV broke down and was declared "beyond repair" by mechanics. Then, in replacement, we were offered a brand new TV and we got it sold within 2 weeks. Oh my, what else can we say? 

And now, because I could not make it to Korea, God gave another opening. There is a conference in Georgia, Atlanta. And yes, we are going there! This time, we were really quick. Daniel made a few phone calls while I surfed my favourite website (use Frommer's! It is the BEST guide ever!) for more information and tips on Atlanta. And within an hour, we settled all the bookings - the conference, the hotels and flight tickets! And most importantly, we have learnt our lesson - no more buying from travel agency! 

陳璽恩

Recently I have been watching quite a number of Taiwanese variety shows and was introduced to a relatively new singer. She is Sien, 陳璽恩. 

I am not sure of the response from the Singapore market, but the Taiwanese are full of praises for her excellent vocal. After watching her sing live, I have to agree that she has a beautiful voice. 

The only concern I have is her background. She is a Christian, happily married to pastor and has a kid. She has a number of gospel albums under her belt and is now trying to break into mainstream music.

Sure, she has a solid vocal, good looks and a wholesome image. And the most important thing is that she is a woman of God. But as much as I am glad that she is proud to announce her relationship with God, I am also worried that she may fall in the agony of judgement. Once she has chosen to step into showbiz, she would be scrutinized. The media doesn't just critique her singing but also how she carries herself - her dressing, her dancing, her comments, her lifestyle. This is the agony of Christians, in which we are not allowed to make mistakes. But it is exactly this imperfect nature that explains our need for Jesus. So her agony may be exemplified simply because she is an artiste. 

So is there no hope for her? Not that serious though. I just feel that she needs to exercise lots of prudence. The important thing is not to rely on herself but HIM. Whatever it is, there is still hope and Christians can be talented, beautiful, rich and famous. Just always remember to do the right thing and know that the world is watching. 陳璽恩, 加油！


Check out her rendition of Love is Power and Silent Night.

And here are her blog and ministry website:

http://www.wretch.cc/blog/hineni

http://www.joshua.com.tw/