Boston Sabbatical

Commencement

2009-05-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

Daniel officially graduated today. He is happy; I am happy; everyone is happy. =) Ok, I am tired so I can't think of much to say.

Anuj was Daniel's guest at the commencement.

Efe came all dressed up with flowers and all. Of course not for Daniel lah! It was for a girl he has in mind.

Living Portfolio - Commencement I

2009-05-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

Super busy recently with packing. Going home! Woohoo!

Some of Daniel's projects were presented at his college's exhibition - Living Portfolio. I took more of the getting dressed kind of process shots than the exhibition.

Accomplishments

2009-05-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

Meaningless, meaningless! I declare my life meaningless because I have completed the whole bible and jazz piano lessons. Haha... oh well, I know some may want to throw their shoes at me after reading this. Come on, just a joke.

My beloved keyboard will be gone tomorrow. Though I am happy it fetches a good price, I am sad to let it go. It has been a good companion all this while.

And I feel so shiok to be able to complete the whole bible! 1.5 years! Just to read through the bible and supplement it with commentaries. My next challenge is to read the bible one more time, with new perspectives and insights. Oh... that will take me another 1.5 years.

The Scary Flu

2009-05-07T09:12:00.000-07:00

We have been receiving lots of concern recently. Not that people didn't quite care about us in the past, just that the recent spade of global infection from the H1N1 has caused them to be worried.

By the way, Daniel kept correcting me when I mentioned Swine Flu. He said it is so unfair to the pigs because it has NOTHING to do with them! The WHO had also came out to say that we should not call it Swine Flu but H1N1.

But somehow, life in the States stays the same. People go to work as usual; No temperature taking in schools; I don't really hear people mention Swine Flu or H1N1 in their conversations. The only tell-tale sign was that people are getting more cautious about hygiene and what not. We went to CVS last week and all the bottles of hand sanitizer were gone. Couldn't even get a single drop. Oh well...

I guess the only concern is that we may be quarantined at Aloha Loyang for seven days. I mean, we miss home, we miss everyone. So to be confined in the chalet will be quite a wet blanket. But should we ever get quarantined, we hope meals and wifi will be provided for. Then, that's like a vacation. =p

Durham, New Hampshire II

2009-05-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

We woke up at 5am to catch the sunrise.

It started off as gorgeous...

sea of red...

but ended weak glimpses of sunlight. It was too cloudy to see the bursting of sun ray.

Ming took a photo of hubby and son.

Durham, New Hampshire

2009-05-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

Weston was our "entertainment" for the ride to Durham.

Mommy to the rescue!

Daniel did this amazing stone-skipping job. It skipped twice!

Daddy & son

It's daddy's and mommy's weekend cottage, so Weston gotta have some personal swing there.

and a hammock.

The Tregay's weekend getaway.

Fast forward to Portsmouth, another town in New Hampshire. What his name? Congress or Daniel?

Wooden moose made by Steve when he was a kiddo.

Kayaking time!

I was there just to take photos.

Ming captured Daniel when he posed and said, "Shiok!"

It wasn't that cold actually. Just 14 degree celsius.

Making our first SMORE - short form for "I want some more!"

Gundums' Blessing

2009-04-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

Rock and Roll at Rockport

2009-04-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

Springtime in Boston and the flowers are in full bloom!

Yellow tulips too!

Today we headed to Rockport with Ming and adorable Weston. There's Doris playing with Weston in the backseat.

The Halibut Point State Park - the centerpiece is this magnificent reservoir created out of an old granite quarry.

Weston, Ming and Doris.

Wondering what I'm looking at? Appears to be a family of sea hawks circling above the park.

A nice hike in the warm sunshine.

A magnificent view of the Atlantic ocean.

Shortly after lunch, Weston decided to call it a day and promptly dozed off...

... in the baby carrier!

Me trying to be helpful by providing some shade.

Heading down to Rockport!

Looking out towards the sea from the Old Stone Fort, which used to be a lookout point for invading British warships.

Ahoy there! But the wheel cannot be turned, alas.

Red Sox Nation

2009-04-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

I never realized baseball could be so addictive. Jeffrey says it's like fungus that grows on you, whether you like it or not.

I thought they only applied to soccer and (my wife says) mahjong, which are like psychological opium back in Singapore.

Anyway, my first game last night at Fenway Park watching the Sox take on the Yankees was my baptism so to speak, and I think I'm hooked.

Though I'm gonna leave for Singapore soon, these are my memories...

My first Sox cap, thanks to Jeffrey.

And of course, a copy of the Boston Globe the day after to capture the details of the previous night's nail biter of a 5-4 victory... thanks to Jeff once again.

My salute to the team and all the crazy fans of Red Sox Nation!

It Doesn't Get Any Better! Memories of my first baseball game

2009-04-25T18:13:00.000-07:00

It's 5pm and Fenway Park is starting to dance!

Jeff and Allie in the queue to get into a pub before the game - seems like an American ritual.

Ericalynn, Jeff and Tara (L to R)... :) I'm the photographer of course...

Emerging from the tunnel at the park!

My first glimpse of the ballpark.

The hallowed Green Monster! Suck up the ball...

Red Sox Nation.

Boston leads the Yankees 1-0 up to the 4th inning... then disaster!

Jonathan Tyler Lester (in the center in red) pitching for the Sox.

The Yankees overturned the deficit to take a 2-1 lead...

a margin that eventually became 4-2 right till the 9th inning. We all thought it was over.

Someone must have told the team I was watching them for the first time (LOL)... but seriously, they contrived a fightback of epic proportions that clearly knocked the wind out of the Yankees.

Dejection transforms into delirium as the crowd began coming alive in electrical fashion.

The Yankees were resilient and forced the game through the 10th and into the 11th inning...

My first taste of what it means for the game to go on and on... who was going to challenge the status quo?

Up stepped Kevin Youlikis to bat, and it was a game-clinching home run! 5-4 to the Sox!

The electronic scoreboard was a pretty sight!

Game, set and match! What a night.

Big Money!

2009-04-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

I am very happy today cos Daniel has won himself $150 Amazon gift card. It is like winning "beh sai" in 4D in Singapore. Haha... oops... sorry, this is a bad example.

I declare: Daniel and I don't gamble. Not even during Chinese New Year! It's true!

He is seriously considering a Kindle 2 because Jason has been telling him how good it is and blah, blah, blah. I am not a book junkie so anything goes. It's his prize and I think he totally deserves a good reward for his effort in his studies. I am just wondering why didn't he think of getting more Gundum siblings? I think I should just shut up in case he habours any thought of getting both.

Declaration

2009-04-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

Okie, for the sake of Daniel, I must post this and make known to whoever is reading our blog: Daniel wasn't the one who was pissed with some egocentric people. It was MOI who couldn't quite let things go. Daniel was, is and will be cool about things. He simply bochap. I seriously think it has to do with his age. He is after all, Cat Y liao. Ok, I shall not be angry anymore.

PEACE! WORLD PEACE!

Boston Marathon 2009

2009-04-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

It's Boston Marathon again. This is THE race that all marathon junkies must take part because it is a very prestigious one. It is not those "today I feel like running" kind of marathons. Entrants must run a qualifying time of a certified marathon. The qualifying time depends on the age of the runners. So, you got to be good to run in this marathon. So, how good is good? Well, the champion for men came in at 2:08:42 and the female champion came in at 2:32:16 for the 42.2km run. How cool is that?

Angry

2009-04-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

I am very PISSED OFF now cos I just had an encounter with a very egocentric person.

I think this is the first time I am venting my anger on the blog. The ugly experience took place 30 minutes ago and not long enough for me to cool down so I need to let off some steam now.

Why do people always point fingers at others? Why are they always correct and people are always wrong? ARGH!!!!

I AM SO ANGRY!

Longwood

2009-04-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

We have always wanted to take some photos at Longwood, one T-stop from Fenway. Now that Daniel has finished his studies, we made a trip there. We are so glad that spring is here and can be everywhere. We love the flowers!

This is the best attempt. He looked super unnatural in the rest. Wannabe...

Hands of Love

2009-04-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

This was a totally cool performance put up by the Youth Ministry from our church. Easter was last Sunday so I thought I should share with you guys. Hope you like it.

Apple

2009-04-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

We finally sold our MacBook. It has been after all, a good machine: one that saw us through the late nights rushing reports; one that helped us find great ideas and deals as we plowed through tons of information online for our new home; one that kept us sane with Korean and Taiwanese drama series. It has served us well.

As much as we tried to keep this MacBook, we found it difficult as it started to slowly show signs of old age. It has, after all, been with us for 3 years. We knew that if we do not sell it now in the States where demand for Apple products is much higher, we would surely encounter problems letting it go in Singapore.

So we got another MacBook Pro. Verdict? Excellent. We love it. We told Faith and Yeow that they made a good choice by investing in a MacBook too.

Both our MacBook Pros shall serve us another good 2 to 3 years or so. They are reminders of God's faithfulness and goodness to us for these period in Boston. =)

St Louis, Missouri

2009-04-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

These Missouri photos came late cos Daniel was real busy with his final assignment. It's his last one for his studies, so he said he has to give his best!

This is the Old Court House. The water was dyed red because there was baseball game that day.

The Gateway Arch

The Mississippi River

Naughty, naughty. Went out for drinks with his friends almost every night and came back drunk. 没死过！

Shan't bore you with what he did at the conference.

Daniel transited at North Carolina, the state made famous by the Wright brothers who successfully sustained their heavier-than-air human flight in Kitty Hawk.

Blessed Assurance

2009-04-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

Blessed Assurance

Frances J. Crosby

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Refrain:

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior all the day long;

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,

Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;

Angels, descending, bring from above

Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,

I in my Savior am happy and blest,

Watching and waiting, looking above,

Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Easter

2009-04-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

Time passes really quickly. Didn't Daniel and I just attended Park Street Church's Good Friday Service last year?

This year we are going to attend Vineyard's Palmarathon - a marathon of Praise & Worship on Good Friday, from 7 am all the way to midnight. This is totally cool. We will definitely be there!

What plans do you have for Easter? Families always gather during Easter. Having a meal together is a tradition. Since we have no families here, we are alone but not alone! We have the Lord with us, always! Of course, when we are back in Singapore we hope to have such a tradition. We would celebrate Good Friday, Easter and Christmas together. This day will come. NO MORE DELAY!

Misery in Missouri

2009-04-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, Daniel is going to Missouri. Our American friends told us that there is only Misery in Missouri so it is totally wise for me to stay in Boston and wait for Daniel to come home from, erm, Misery.

He is there for a conference. Anyway, I told him to enjoy himself and buy me some nice chocolates (there is nothing much in Missouri except for the Gateway Arch). Meanwhile. I will practise very hard for my piano. Maybe I can blog more too. Okie, I am hungry. Going to make dinner. Ciao.

Cars, cars and more cars!

2009-04-01T15:37:00.001-07:00

Coincidentally, Faith and Stanley both just blogged about their cars. One is an affordable car because it was purchased in Australia while the other is steep simply because it was bought in Singapore.

Cars in the States are very cheap too. So how cheap is cheap? Here's the difference:

Singapore

Brand: Toyota

Model: Corolla Altis 1600 Sedan Auto

Price: $60 000

United States

Brand: Mercedes

Model: CLK 350 Coupe

Price: US$17232 (48 months lease) / S$27227

Okie, I admit that there is a difference between owning and leasing a car for 48 months. But come on, that is driving a Merc around for 4 solid years! Some Singaporeans would have sold their Japanese car by then! And how many people have actually own a Merc in their lifetime? Let's put aside moral issue of whether one should indulge in luxury; I really cringe at the fact that prices of cars in Singapore are so RIDICULOUSLY and OUTRAGEOUSLY high.

I once heard from a American friend that he knew of a Singaporean who moved to the States for work and he bought a BMW within a few months. Of course! Who wouldn't? Well, if Daniel and I were to work here for a good 4 to 5 years, I would totally zip around in a BMW!

But, the fact is we are here for only 1.5 years. So what can we say? Like that lor... I guess when we go back to Singapore, we are highly likely to get a car - yup, a small, modest Japanese car. I would try very hard to forget the fact that with the same amount, I could have driven a CLK. And I would still smile when I am behind the steering wheel and thank God for his provision - big or small. =)

旋木

2009-03-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

旋木

曲／袁惟仁词／杨明学编／黄中岳唱／王菲

拥有华丽的外表和绚烂的灯光

我是匹旋转木马身在这天堂

只为了满足孩子的梦想

爬到我背上就带你去翱翔

我忘了只能原地奔跑的那忧伤

我也忘了自己是永远被锁上

不管我能够陪你有多长

至少能让你幻想与我飞翔

奔驰的木马让你忘了伤

在这一个供应欢笑的天堂

看着他们的羡慕眼光

不需放我在心上

旋转的木马没有翅膀

但却能够带着你到处飞翔

音乐停下来你将离场

我也只能这样

VS Girl

2009-03-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

I was in the salon for 6 hours. Yup, you heard me.

Here's the order of the day:

Cutting, shampooing, cutting, styling, bleaching, colouring, washing, colouring and finally styling.

I did it all in one day. For free.

My stylish invited me to be her model for her workshop. I thought it would be fun and exciting so I went ahead.

Outcome? Nothing too outrageous. Just changing my original cut slightly and a dash of colour.

A total of 4 colours. Violet-deep red for the base and 3 different hues of orange for my fringe.

The side was modified. I think I look like China doll, erm or mushroom?

I couldn't help but pose in Daniel's T-shirt.

A late post

2009-03-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

A hand-made phone chain; a chain that connects two friends, where ever they may be.

The latest addition

2009-03-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

Daniel has been very pampered recently. Other than the San Francisco birthday rendevous with me, he was presented with a new toy - all the way from Singapore!

Daniel was pleasantly surprised when he saw the content in the box. Faith warned us that they had sent a gift to us and Dan's one is boring cos it was chosen by Yeow. But not at all! It is totally cool!

To date, the new Gundum (named Arios), has seen Daniel bathe, pee and poo. There is alot of intimacy and TRANSPARENCY between him and his beloved. Nothing can come between them.

In fact, his Gundum have ave been his bath tub toys until one part when missing. Fearing that his loved ones would lose their limbs or vital organs, he had the Gundum carefully packed into in boxes.

He said he would proudly introduce his lovers to our guests when they visit us during our house warming. And he would love to introduce other Gundum siblings to the family. So when you are invited to our house in the future and when he does whatever he claimed to do, just pretend to enjoy his mini collection and erm, hang around a short while before heading to the dinning area for buffet. =)

Final Countdown

2009-03-25T12:32:00.001-07:00

We will be home in less than 60 days.

A year and a half of vacation is finally up.

Like Enhan, we are now taking stock on the things we have. What should go the the trash bins, the Boston Craiglist and back to Singapore.

Talking about Boston Craiglist, it is now our favourite website. It is better than ebay because the catchment is the Boston area so it is easier to buy and sell stuff. Our record is selling our mattress and table lamp within 24 hours. Fast and reliable. But of course, I believe we are blessed with good buyers. We are sincere sellers too. =)

I wonder when Faith and Yeow will experience this? They have experienced the packing and moving to Australia. How would it be like for them to return home in a few years time? But whatever it is, they are enjoying life in Brissy. Of course, life can be stressful when you are studying, but nothing can beat experiencing the overseas adventure! Faith and Boon Yeow, enjoy while you can!

Promulgation Rubicon

2009-03-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

Promul what? What on earth is that?

Yup, that was my first reaction when I heard of the name of Daniel's blog. This is his second attempt at setting up a blog. The first, of course, is this site which I am struggling to maintain. Because I like to post too many photos.

So let me do some publicity for Daniel. His first blog on Social Media.

Erm, basically, Promulgation means the act of promoting or make something widely known.

and Rubicon is a stream in Italy in which Julius Caesar led his army to war. He broke the law forbidding a general in leading his arm out the province for law. So it is a point of no return. Hence Daniel stays it is a path of no return for him in promoting public relations and communication through Web 2.0.

Cheem right?

Well, he is very eager about his blog. He puts up articles everyday and monitors it well. He is like watching his precious egg hatch. He takes great pride in it and tries to take his own stock photos that go with the theme of his articles.

If you have time, check it out:

http:promulgationrubiconpr.weebly.com/index.html

Be warned. His articles are long. He has serious word diarrhea.

LOR-LI-KA-LOR-SOR.

Shear Madness!

2009-03-22T18:28:00.001-07:00

We have heard of Boston's Shear Madness since last year. It is the longest running comedy in the United States. It started even before I was born! Yes, back in 1980.

The comedy revolves around the murder of a famous pianist, who lives above a hair salon on Newbury Street in Boston. A detective investigates the case by questioning the staff and customers of the salon. And for 29 years, Shear Madness attracted 8 million audiences with its everyday-is-different ending. So who is the murderer? Up to you to vote. They play according to how the audience like it, based on the votes they cast. So, depending on the audience, the murderer and jokes stay different and unique. =)

After hearing so much about Shear Madness, how could we miss it? We got Ming and Leah to go as well. Ming and Leah love it. As natives, they totally understood the jokes. Daniel and I managed only some of the, erm, adult jokes.

It was a brilliant 2 hours spent! To top it up, we got the tickets at half-price. What a hilarious way to spend the weekend! Woohoo!

P/S: One of the actors came and chatted with us. He was thrilled when he found out that we are from Singapore. So he did a fact check: Is it true that no gums is allowed in Singapore and that we cane criminals? We nodded coyly and he added that Michael Fay, the American teenager who infamous vandalized many cars in Singapore back in the 90s totally deserved the caning!

DeCordova Sculpture Park

2009-03-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

Leah is in town so we've got to meet her. Her parents were so hospitable when we visited Austin, Texas.

Ming made the necessary arrangement and we went to Concord, a small town in Greater Boston. Daniel wasn't with us as he needed to be in campus.

When I got onto the car, Weston was fast asleep. I couldn't help but take a shot of him. So cute!

Fully awake for the hike after the siesta.

This is our hot Texan girl, Leah.

Pretty mama Ming is strong. I mean, Weston is 21 pounds...

This mirror is meant to check on the baby.

Leah was tired and hungry.

Weston has great affinity for dogs.

Trojon Horse? No it is the Trojan Rooster!

San Francisco Day 3

2009-03-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

It was our third day in San Francisco and it was also Daniel's 31st birthday. I wanted to bless him big time and hence I planned for this side trip to Napa Valley.

Napa Valley isn't too far from San Francisco. Getting there wasn't a big problem, but it was timing that gave us a headache. We intended to go for the hot air balloon ride - an outdoor pursuit Napa Valley is famous for other than the wineries. The thing is that to take the hot air balloon, we needed to be at Napa Valley before sunrise. Since we were coming from San Francisco by public transport, we got to wake up at 3.30am! Gosh...

See the mist? It was chilling! We learnt that the hour before sunrise is the coldest.

The balloon was really big.

We almost couldn't go for the ride as it was deemed too windy. But we thank God for slowing down the wind! It turned out to be gorgeous day for flying!

I sang a birthday song into his ears. Isn't Daniel very blessed to spend his birthday in San Francisco's hot air balloon?

Daniel went crazy that day. He kept looking out for opportunities to take reflections shots.

Daniel is too tall; I'm too short. This was the best I could do to include the scenery as backdrop. =(

Preparing for landing.

Almost couldn't get over the fence.

After the ride, we returned to San Francisco via the ferry. Too tired, so we fell asleep. So unglam.

After the power nap, we went for yet another cruise ride. This time to the infamous Alcatraz Island.

Used to be prison to house the hard-core criminals. Remember the movie, The Rock?

This was the room in which badly behaved prisoner would be locked up in total darkness.

San Francisco Day 2

2009-03-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

We love San Francisco! Lots of fun! It is a lovely place with the best of everything. Scenery, natural and man-made attractions, food, culture, pace of life. Ow......

Yup, it was me! Got to try standing by the edge of the cable car, whether in high-heel boots or not.

It can get quite chilling with the wind all blowing at you while hanging on to your dear life.

Lombard Street - the famous crooked street in San Francisco.

It's really quite crooked.

Go car. Think driving around San Fran in a small play car with GPS.

I finally got what I wanted after trying umpteen times.

Irish whiskey to be added to our coffee. 40% alcohol content. Don't play play!

This is one big greedy sea gull.

and these are one big group of stinky and smelly sea lions.

Got to try the Dungeness crabs. Still prefer Singapore's black pepper crab.

Lots of vandalism going on in the public transport.

Need us say more? Famous Golden Gate Bridge. Took us 2 hours to walk to and fro and yes, in my killer boots.

Love this two shots by Daniel. Well done.

San Francisco Day 1

2009-03-07T21:10:00.000-08:00

Oh! It is tough uploading so many photos! I don't intend to say alot so just check out the photos.

One shot before heading to San Francisco.

This was our room at Hotel Des Art. It is an edgy hotel but we were disappointed not to get the one we reserved.

Even the "Do Not Disturb" sign is more funky than the rest.

My favourite of all times!

Really generous of the hotel to let us snap a few shots of the available room. We would have love to change to this room, if not for the fact that there's no private bathroom in it.

Go West.

2009-03-07T11:29:00.000-08:00

Hola!

We are now blogging at 38092 feet above sea level, somewhere over the skies of Nevada. Yes, we are now on our virgin Virgin American ride to San Francisco. How exciting! We are very impressed by the company's concept. Think cool. Think cyber. Think purple flight interior lighting and touch-screen in-flight entertainment. To top it up, WI-FI is just a swipe of credit card away! Best of all, the 6-hour-long journey costs only $139. We have certainly got ourselves a good deal!

By now, my dearest Daniel has been surfing the Internet, clearing emails (Americans would say, huh? Clear what?), analyzing articles and chatting with a number of people back in Singapore. And I could finally touch his precious laptop because he was tired and had to give his eyes a break. How loving and considerate is that?

Okie, back to this trip. We are heading westward because the soon-to-be-31-year-old man decided not to go to Alaska for his birthday. Yes, he chickened out. He is afraid of the cold and the Northern Lights are not a good enough reason for him to go. He finds the cold in Boston too painful to bear and he cannot bring himself to pay a thousands of dollars to punish himself in the bitter cold winter.

So, I had to compromise. Yes, because after more than 3 years of marriage, what do you expect? Give in lor. He is the birthday boy mah. Since, we have heard so much about San Francisco, we decided to give it a shot.

We are going reach SF real soon. Just 30 minutes and we can give our butts a good massage. =) We will share our photos with you soon. Ciao!

Don't mess with Texas!

2009-03-03T13:35:00.000-08:00

"Don't mess with Texas!" - This is the message that greeted us upon our arrival at the airport. Souvenirs are splashed with messages that shout Texans' pride in their heritage. Welcome to Texas!

It didn't take us long before we reached the conference hotel. And it was Hilton again. Well, it comforts me to know that the money we spent at the hotel isn't channeled directly to Ms Hilton's bank account till her grandfather is satisfied with how she lives her life.

Okie, back to purpose of this trip to Austin. The conference was great. The worship sessions were WOW! But what else to expect when there was a band of skillful and anointed musicians and a congregation of prepared hearts? As to what we have learnt and achieved, we shall not blog about it because there are just too much to share.

Despite the tight schedule of the conference, we managed to have a quick tour of downtown Austin.

Statue of Angelina Eberly. The innkeeper and hero of Austin. She fired a six-pound cannon to arouse Austinites about the theft of the Republic's archives by the people of Houston. This history is known as the Archives War in which the Austinites won and preserve Austin as the captial.

We got to know Kim and Eric through Ming aka mother of cute and chubby baby Weston.

Kim and Eric brought us to McKinney Falls State Park.

Black Vultures - tips of their wings are white.
Turkey Vultures - wings that are half covered with white feathers.

Before we left Austin, Kim and Eric treated us to an authentic Texan breakfast.

From left: Me, Leah, Mara, Kim and Eric.
Leah and Mara are their lovely daughters.

And of course, Daniel took a few shots of the Austin fire engines before leaving for Boston.

Austin

2009-02-25T16:56:00.000-08:00

We are off to Austin, Texas tomorrow for a Christian conference. Attending powerful conferences has always been on our list of priorities in the States. Since Boston is quite a desert in such area, we have to travel to other states to seek more spiritual food. Will share photos once we are back. Tata!

Part-time nannies

2009-02-20T18:56:00.000-08:00

We paid Ming and Weston a visit the day before. Gosh, how Weston have grown and grown! Fatso - his mum calls him. He is about the weight of a 10kg bag of Thai Jasmine Rice. You will surely develop toned arms carrying him.

Check out his big tummy!

This is pretty Amena.

With a hint of breakfast all over her face.

Amena and mommy.

Daniel tried miserably at entertaining Weston.

Mommies' talk

Cheeky smile from Weston.

With regards to this expression, Daniel couldn't help it cos Weston is such a drool machine. Well, Weston couldn't help it too.

Weston and mommy

How sweet...

Amena loves washing her hands.

Farewell

2009-02-17T11:43:00.000-08:00

This past week has been quite an emo one for us.

First it was Valentine's Day - our dear Choon Fui and Anne finally got married.

Then we heard that Daniel's dad isn't in good health condition.

Then it was my brother's birthday - missing it for 2 consecutive years.

Lastly, Faith and Boon Yeow are leaving in a few days time for Australia - we have not met for 1.5 years and now it will be longer!

Faith and Yeow, we wanna tell you how much we appreciate your friendship. Thank you for all emails and calls throughout these 1.5 years while we are in Boston. We are sorry that we can't see you off this time. We will try to meet you in Brisbane okie? Set up a blog leh... you should have the time. I think we would close down ours once we are back - where got time? Haha...

Take care ok and do keep us updated once you reach Australia. I pray that you have new experiences there and grow in Lord always! Bon Voyage!

Happy Birthday Stanley!

2009-02-17T11:34:00.001-08:00

Hey gor, today is your 30th birthday so Daniel and I want to wish you a great birthday. Sorry for the call this morning cos I didn't know you are in Batam - you better be there with Cha Ling! Anyway, have a good time there and see you soon in May.

The Taxing Tax Trepidation

2009-02-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

Tax time.

Many forms to fill out.

It's taxing to fill out the tax forms.

I don't even have an income in the US.

It's really perplexing...

Sigh...

Chicken Rice Diplomacy

2009-02-08T17:37:00.000-08:00

By Daniel Seet, Tappan News Network | Posted: 08 February 2009 2158 hrs

BOSTON: The Singapore garment recently welcomed the visit of an esteemed dignitary from Nepal, His excellency Mr Anuj Gurung.

Hosted by two Singaporean representatives, the dialogue was conducted over the famous (some say stereotypical) Singapore Chicken Rice... only none of the ingredients was from Singapore, and it really did not look like chicken rice (but what would he know?). And there was beer of course. All on American soil.

This is the first ever visit by the Nepalese contingent and it appears to have been highly successful. Responding to an interview after the dinner, Mr Gurung was cordial.

"The meal was nice and I absolutely love it. The rice is similar to what we have in Nepal." Then he added, "... but of course, ours is better cooked."

The Singapore garment has so far refused to comment on the issue, only to say that the problem lies with the rice. An ingredient malfunction, so they claimed.

Mr Gurung is set to return to Nepal, but not before joining his Costa Rican and other counterparts to investigate the Curious Case of Benjamin Button. - TNN/de

Wachusett Mountain

2009-02-08T17:21:00.000-08:00

We went skiing with Nathan and Amanda.

Here's our report cards:

Nathan Proctor

No of failed attempts: 0

No of successful attempts: Too many

Type of slope attempted: Level 3

Injuries: What injuries?

Promotion: Yes, Level 4

Amanda Proctor

No of failed attempts: 1 or 2

No of successful attempts: Many

Type of slope attempted: Level 1 and 2

Injuries: 0

Promotion: Yes, Level 3

Daniel Seet

No of failed attempts: Many

No of successful attempts: 0

Type of slope attempted: Level 1 only

Injuries: Aching knees + bruised ego

Promotion: NO! Try again.

Doris Fu

No of failed attempts: Uncountable

No of successful attempts: What do you think?

Type of slope attempted: Level 1

Injuries: Aching full body + 2 big bruises + bump on the head + bruised ego

Promotion: NO! Consider another hobby.

Coming soon!

2009-02-02T16:24:00.000-08:00

Once the date is fixed, all things will pass in a wink of an eye.

It is confirmed; we are flying back on 4 June, Boston time.

We are not so patriotic this time round because we chose Emirates over Singapore Airlines. Why? All because of the A380. Emirates allow us to try the brand new airbus though we have to spend more hours transiting at Dubai International Airport. However, we don't really mind shopping our time away at the renowned airport. Just a search on the airport website is enough to make the Frankfurt counterpart (SIA's route) pale in comparison.

Contrary to how we though we might feel, we are actually kinda excited to come back. I guess we have enough fun and had spent enough of our savings. Haha... time to come back. But not broke! Cos God has been good and faithful in our finances.

We believe there is a time for everything. The time in Boston is coming to an end and new things are waiting for us! Our new flat is waiting for us and Daniel will have a new posting. =) Really thank God for His provision.

Well, see you all in June and meanwhile, take care!

I want to go home!

2009-01-31T11:23:00.000-08:00

We have not blogged for quite sometime because I feel sian. Haha... because there isn't much Lunar New Year mood here. My land lady is very ang moh so she doesn't quite celebrate Lunar New Year too.

We just had hot pot for reunion dinner with Frances and our neighbours. Then we had dim sum with a group of friends. No ang paos. No Mandarin Oranges. No cheesy new year songs.

In addition, I fell really sick after my trip to Disney World so we didn't have much to blog about. What can we write? Doris couldn't sleep well at night cos her nose was TOTALLY blocked. Doris couldn't sleep at night cos she had bad, chesty cough.

But I am feeling better now. And I am starting to miss all the Singaporean food. Oh! We will be back in less than 5 months time! Time flies!

Happy Lunar New Year

2009-01-24T12:36:00.000-08:00

Daniel and I want to wish all of you a happy and blessed Lunar New Year. Not sure what are yours, but it is our wish that in this year of the Ox, we need not 做牛做马. Stay healthy and joyful. HUAT AH!!!!!!!!!!

Disney World - EPCOT

2009-01-18T13:49:00.001-08:00

Mission: SPACE - This is a simulator that enables you to feel the effects of taking off to space. We went for both less intense and more intense training. Less intense was fine. For the more intense, you could really feel the pressure. We had headaches for the next 2 hours after the ride.

World Showcase: Japan

World Showcase: Morocco

World Showcase: Germany

World Showcase: America

World Showcase: Mexico

World Showcase: China

Disney World - Magic Kingdom

2009-01-18T11:33:00.000-08:00

Magic Kingdom is the most child-like place among the four theme parks. The rides are very children friendly and not scary at all. It is really a haven for children, especially for girls. I mean, who can resist being dolled up like princesses and dine with their fairy godmothers at the Cinderella's Castle?

As usual, huge crowd at the entrance.

Cinderella's Castle

I managed to keep my eyes opened throughout.

Silly Jungle Cruise

These are all fake.

including the crocodiles

and the elephants.

Monsters Inc.

This was really hilarious. Excellent visual, funny crew and a sporting audience made this one of our favourites in Disney World. And the best part is, every show is different.

The complete sentence reads: Jesus loves you.

"it's a small world"

Tom Sawyer's Island

I got a free photo pass. Yeah!!!!

Wishes at Cinderella's Castle. I think it is one of the most spectacular firework shows I have ever seen. Picture this: A spark of fireworks whizzed past the beautifully lit Cinderella' Castle when the music went "When I wish upon a star...."

We were there 2 hours before the show. We got the beat vantage point. Soon afterwards, the park was packed with people. Almost everyone was seated so that the rest could enjoy the show. The moment the fireworks started, everyone cheered. It was a really beautiful moment.

Disney World - Hollywood Studios

2009-01-18T10:20:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since we last blogged. We encountered difficulty uploading the photos hence the previous post was seriously lacking in photos. Anyway, here are more from the Hollywood Studios:

There is always a short skit at the beginning when the theme parks open.

Walt Disney - the creator of Mickey Mouse.

Erm, I felt that the first Mickey looked quite flat.

Till now, I still don't understand the hype of High School Musical & Hannah Montana. She is EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Muppet 3D show was boring.... *yawn*

Miss Piggy - Daniel's first love.

The Toy Story 3D game was so fun! Simply thrilling!

Beauty and the Beast live on stage.

Indiana Jones: Epic Stunt Spectacular. Pretty impressive.

Star Tours. The young Jedis at the corner at the right were pretty serious in their duties.

The Twilight Zone. This was scary. It sent us up and down 13th floors and fast enough for my knees to go soft. I regretted the moment it started plummeting.

We read that this Rock n' Roller Coaster was good. Well, it was so popular that the fast pass coupons were totally distributed by early afternoon and the stand-by wait time was 75 minutes! We gave that a miss in the end. The real reason? Because I chickened out. Hee... hee...

The Extreme Stunt Show.

The Fantasmic Show. We were there 1.5 hours before the show. We learnt our lessons from the Nemo Musical at Animal Kingdom. Audience queued up one hour prior the show. Well, there are lots of queuing and waiting at Disney Theme Parks.

Our favourite photo of the day.

Disney World: Animal Kingdom

2009-01-12T18:51:00.000-08:00

This was the first theme park we visited so we were excited and inexperienced. We were shocked when we saw the huge crowd at the entrance. We thought we were early but others were way earlier than us. The moment the park was opened, people just thronged past us. Some walked briskly; others literally ran! Oh my! It surely wasn't what we had expected. It was like morning rush at the MRT station.

Since we were not as experienced, we thought we should just follow the crowd. We ended up at Expedition Everest. It was, I tell you, one of the most exciting one I had tried throughout the four theme parks. I just screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed.

Kali River Rapids was fun. We had waterproof jackets with us so we were saved from being drenched. Some came out soaked. One boy went for the ride thrice and he was totally wet but simply thrilled.

Kilimanjaro Safaris. Totally cool. I love the giraffe.

For the first time in our lives, we witnessed a bat peeing.

Flights of Wonder. It was cancelled half-way through the performance because it started to pour heavily. The owl we saw just as the show started was giving Daniel the 'see what see' look... hahaha!

Downtown Disney

2009-01-08T19:47:00.001-08:00

Our accommodation. Verdict: Cheap and good.

Headed straight to Downtown Disney for lunch and some shopping.

Sorry, this Mickey looked a bit the...

See ya in a while!

2009-01-06T03:05:00.000-08:00

As it gets colder here in Boston, we're off to warmer and sunnier Florida where we'll have a chance to see Mickey and Co! Will be back with lots of pictures by this Sunday... :)

Joyful New Year

2009-01-02T15:44:00.000-08:00

2008 has ended. It will never come back. Ooo...

What have we done for the past one year? Recharging I guess. Filling up our gas tanks before heading back to work in June.

As we reflect upon 2008, we want to give thanks to God for our overall experiences in States.

What's HOT:

1. Coming to Boston for a great 1.5 year of vacation.

2. No more THAT Civil Defence car!

3. Our apartments in Buangkok, Fenway and now, Brookline.

4. Daniel's award and thus the free Macbook Pro.

5. The excellent exchange rate and our friend, Kelly who has been very sweet in helping us all these while.

6. The cheap phone rate via the cable modem. This helps to keep our parents very sane.

7. My piano instructor's very affordable rate.

8. My improvement in my jazz piano skills.

9. My parent's trip to US and Canada.

10. Our church and small group members.

11. Opportunities to visit a number of cities in States and Canada.

12. Our pink of health.

13. The wonderful invention of internet that allows us to email, msn, blog and skype with some many friends back in Singapore.

14. Prayers and well-wishes from all friends and family members during our stay in Boston.

15. Care rendered to our family members by church members.

16. Our forever caring and loving family members.

17. A bunch of good international friends.

18. Daniel's excellent results.

19. The superb shopping experience in US - the availability of brands, the low prices (at times), the huge discounts and combining of coupons.

20. The weather as we finally got to go through the four seasons and know that one season does not necessarily last three months.

21. Able to catch up with lots of sleep.

22. Able to catch up all movies/drama series/books missed in the past few years.

23. Seeing with our very own eyes the structure of snowflakes.

24. Seeing with our own eyes the flashes of static electricity in the dark.

25. Shoveling the snow for the first time. It soon became a chore after that. Hahaha.....

26. Being able to find fitting clothes (some are designer labels) in the kids department.

27. At Daniel's insistence... Aston Villa finishing in the top four after Christmas...

28. Fireworks that last for close to 30 minutes on Independence Day.

What's NOT:

1. Missing my flight to South Korea.

2. Going on a wild goose chase for the parking signboard & putting them up in the heavy rain prior to our moving to Brookline.

3. Throwing Daniel's cellphone into the washer.

4. No social security number, thus being unable to apply for discount cards and goodies at MANY retail outlets.

5. The not-so-efficient subway system in Boston. I always have headache cos it is too jerky.

6. The expensive taxi fare.

7. The tipping culture!

8. House centipedes and rats in our apartment.

Whatever it is, it has been a good year, and an unforgettable one. We hope 2008 has been a good one for you too.

Above all, wishing everyone a great 2009.

Miracle of Hanukkah!

2008-12-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

This Christmas eve, Doris and I had a most unique evening as we observed Hanukkah (Hebrew: חנוכה‎, alt. Chanukah) with my Jewish friends, Dana and Gideon.

The lighting of the menorah.

Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights and it is an eight-day Jewish festival commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE.

In 168 B.C.E. the Jews' holy Temple was seized by Hellenist Syrians and dedicated to the worship of Zeus. This led to some of the Jewish citizens, led by Judah Maccabee and his soldiers, to fight back. After attacking the Greek soldiers, Maccabee and his followers stepped into the temple and found many things missing or broken, including the golden menorah.

They cleaned and repaired the temple, and decided to have a big dedication ceremony. To light the menorah, they looked everywhere for oil but found only a small flask with enough oil to light the menorah for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days, which gave them enough time to obtain new oil to keep the menorah lit.

Today Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting candles in a menorah every night, thus commemorating the eight-day miracle. Hanukkah may occur from late december on the Gregorian calendar, and this year, it happens to coincide with the eve of Christmas. Click here to read more about the Festival of Hanukkah.

After that, it was a great time of feasting over beef stew, salad, rice, beer and Turkish coffee. It was an absolutely beautiful evening!

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-22T14:20:00.000-08:00

Three consecutive days of snow and the result was 12 inches of snow.

We needed to shovel the snow about every 3 hours, if not it would be difficult to shovel the accumulated snow. The worst is that the snow would turn into ice and it would be slippery to walk on. Passers-by could sue us if they fell on our pavement!

Daniel was hard at work. He didn't mind because it was a good workout for him. I preferred to take photos of him hard at work.