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Saturday, February 28, 2009

Malacca/Meleka



PORTUGUESE MALACCA  1511-1641

http://www.colonialvoyage.com/malacca.html

This is for my fellow Blogger FF, I told her that there is a Portuguese Village in Muslim Malaysia in Malacca/Meleka. The Portuguese built a fort, and unfortunately I can't find a pix in my achives, not did I find one of the villages.

We were taken to the village just before Christmas. The Portuguese descendants light up their whole village, children and adults dress up as Santas, angels to greet the tourists. Some open their homes with juice and home baked cookies. It is quite a tourist attraction in a Muslim country.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Wet Wet Wet 2



This is the commentary for the last post Wet Wet Wet. I have no idea why it didn't appear on the post.

The Auckland Harbour Bridge and Mt Eden Volcano are two iconic landmarks of Auckland City. All tourists to Auckland are taken to Mt Eden to get a 360 degrees paranomic view of the city.

I just took the bottom photo where we normally have a clear picture of our iconic Mt Eden Volcano. Now, the cloud has blanketed the mountain, and you can't see a thing. I had to go out, as it was Sam's karete upgrading examination. Many people were out on the road as well, despite the strong wind and rain.

The top photo is our Auckland Harbour Bridge. In a wet weather, motor bikers are discouraged from using the bridge. My daughter Gab bungy jumped from the bridge on a fine weather. I went to see her jump. Even on a good weather, the wind was very strong. This pix was taken last Wednesday when the weather was fine. I took it from across the harbour from Coyle's Park.

***I am uploading two other pix again***

Wet Wet Wet


We had wet weather warning for this weekend. Throughout the night and day, we had rain and strong wind. Fortunately, the Mets office reported there were less damage than anticipated.

Winds gusted to more than 100km/h overnight throughout much of the top half of the North Island and traffic speed on Auckland Harbour Bridge was reduced to 60km/h as a precaution.

More heavy rain and gale force winds were expected over much of Northland today and police and emergency services advised people to stay inside unless their trip was urgent.

Overnight about 8000 homes and businesses lost power for a short time on the North Shore and to the west and north west of Auckland.

One of the biggest weather casualties was the Auckland Racing Club's $2.2 million New Zealand Derby meeting at Ellerslie..

The day's racing was postponed for 24 hours because of the weather outlook

I just took the top photo where we normally have a clear picture of our iconic Mt Eden Volcano. Now, the cloud has blanketed the mountain, and you can't see a thing. I had to go out, as it was Sam's karete upgrading examination. Many people were out on the road as well, despite the strong wind and rain.

The bottom photo is our Auckland Harbour Bridge. In a wet weather, motor bikers are discouraged from using the bridge. My daughter Gab bungy jumped from the bridge on a fine weather. I went to see her jump. Even on a good weather, the wind was very strong. This pix was taken last Wednesday when the weather was fine.

 



Wheels: Ready mix concrete truck


One seldom sees the back of a heavy vehicle.

I posted photos of these concrete trucks in my other blog.

One morning, I was running late. We were in a traffic jam. I was late for work. I was stuck at the back of this ready mixed concrete truck. It was fuming. I was fuming. It was a muggy morning. I was really late for work. Luckily my boss didn't see me, otherwise she would be fuming too.

***This pix was taken from my car***

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Hello Skywatchers!




http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Since I started blogging in November, the blogging world has opened a whole  new prospective to me. I not only is more attentive to the environment around me, I also look up the sky when I wait at traffic lights.

Skiing at Mt Ruapehu



We went to Mt Ruapehu and the kids  skied and we frolicked in the snow and tobogganed with our boogie board. Ruapehu is not just a place to ski. The Chateau  Tongarirois one of NZ's historic national icons with unsurpassed views of Tongariro National Park. We couldn't afford the Chateau, we stayed at Crusader's lodge which is an Alpined building and I was reminded of the Swiss Alps.
In fact you can visit any time, the view is stunning. The water engineer went on the Tongariro Crossing in summer and marveled at the volcanic formation and beautiful natural features of lakes of different hues.
The Ruapehu District located in the central North Island of New Zealand. It includes the world heritage Tongariro National Park - home to Mount Ruapehu, Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Tongariro. Also the Whanganui National Park - home to an abundance of flora and fauna, and the mystical Whanganui River - the longest navigable river in New Zealand.There are many walking tracks for trekkers if the snow has melted.Some people even trek in winter.

For my friend A.


This post is dedicated to my very good friend A who is grieving for the loss of her mother who passed away in England. A, and I have a  mutual friend D. who lose her grand son.  Two deaths in a month.  A, I am sorry I can't be there to hold your hand, to tell you I feel for you.

This is a New Zealand flax flower which A would be familiar with. 

Author Unknown 

Don’t tell me that you understand. 
Don’t tell me that you know. 
Don’t tell me that I will survive, 
How I will surely grow. 

Don’t come at me with answers 
That can only come from me. 
Don’t tell me how my grief will pass, 
That I will soon be free. 

Accept me in my ups and downs. 
I need someone to share. 
Just hold my hand and let me cry 
And say, “My friend, I care"

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

My World




MyWorld - the place where you show others the area around you and become our Tourist Guide!

Go visit the MyWorld Site to see images from all over the world.

My fellow bloggers have seen my Tongariro pix on this site and my other site http://annkschin.blogspot.com/via the My World. It is good that more people enjoying my pix.


These two pix, skiing in Mt Ruapehu, where we went last winter. There was a group of overseas students learning to ski.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Tongariro Crossing.




Tongariro Crossing,

I posted pix of my husband, the water engineer's hike to this beautiful volcanic land.

This is a world heritage park, and tourists from all over the world come to climb it. You must come equipped because the weather can change easily. You also need to train for it. That is why I didn't join him.

I have posted many beautiful places of New Zealand in my other blog, annkschin.blogspot.com

Monday, February 23, 2009

The Ellerslie International Flower Show

The Ellerslie International Flower Show is an internationally recognised brand, drawing a global audience of thousands to Christchurch for a five-day annual gardening and lifestyle extravaganza in 11-15th March.It is held at Hagley Park.

Ellerslie is a suburb in Auckland. We used to have an annual flower show we fondly called the Ellerslie flower show. However, the franchise was sold to Christchurch, much to the aghast of Aucklanders. Some were angry that they stole our show. So we had our own Auckland Flower Show.

The focus of the Show is as much about our homes and our lifestyles as it is about gardens – the plants, garden design, colour, structure and form.
Most importantly, the iconic event provides the horticultural, floral, landscape design and construction businesses with the opportunity to showcase to a global audience the best of what New Zealand has to offer.

Ellerslie has built a reputation as the annual flower show – just like the famous Chelsea Flower Show in London – which forecasts the new season’s garden design trends and plant fashions. Visitors to Ellerslie get the first chance to see the hottest new plants, colours and looks.
Ellerslie also supports the grassroots of our gardening industry with a strong focus on community involvement and special displays for floral art groups, horticultural societies and garden clubs.

The Christchurch people even invented a cocktail to mark this occasion. It is a blend of Absolut citrus and vanilla vodkas with rose water and guava.

The flowers on display will mainly be commercially planted. I post a florist decorated bunch of flowers as fitting for this occasion.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

ERO, Education Review Office




ERO reviews schools and early childhood education services every three years, and publishes national reports on current education practice.
Last Monday, four ERO officers came to school and poked their nose around. They told us to assume that they were invisible. When they left, some teachers put on a celebration morning tea.
Dad was a DEO, Divisional Education officer, part of his job description was to review schools and teachers. He used to have so many interesting stories.
I saw this ERO report on a notice perched high up. This school is very proud and happy and is entitled to be so.

Shiv Ratri Festival.




The festival of Shiv Ratri is celebrated by Hindus in February. The Hindu families do a pooja and put milk over their gods.As the name denotes it is a festival and fast named in honour of Lord Shiva, one of five principal Devs & Devtas observed by devoted Hindus world over. (The others being Sri Ganesh, Sri Durga Devi, Sri Hari Vishnu & Sri Surya Narayan).
This year, the festival falls on 23 March 2009.
The ladies dress in their finest saris.

My Sister Grace's beautiful Cakes







Grace is very clever with her hands. She sews beautifully, and her cakes, well, this speaks for itself.
She made one lucky kid very happy.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Thinking of my friend D, a bereaved Grand Mother.


Every morning, unless I am running late, I always check my emails.

For the last fortnight or so, I have been getting emails from D. in Australia. I have known D for almost twenty years now. She shared the news of her little grandson D born in Brazil, and how he was strickened with one problem or the other. The last three years, little D had cancer.

This morning, D sent that dreaded email. Little D has gone to heaven. He is not even six years old. How do I react? Is it a relief for them? I can't compared them to my losing my baby son Andrew. But I know, they will feel the loss. I have written many posts in my other blog, annkschin.blogspot.com.

When my Andrew was born, my pastor said he came to bring love. I am sure little D would have touched the hearts of many in Brazil and Australia. His parents and grandparents love for him would have impacted many. Now, there is enough suffering for D. It was time for him to return home to be with the Lord.

I am uploading a photo of a cat. Cats remind me of D. She had a cat, and she had many stories of cats.

Here. D and S, B and E. My thoughts are with you.

Nature sings her praises





These Nerium Oleander look so beautiful, yet they are so deadly. All parts of this plant is highly toxic.

There is a folk story  where a good but not very beautiful woman who was bullied by her husband. She tolerated his abuses until he became unfaithful and planned to divorce her. She made kebabs for husband. She used Oleander stems to skewer the bits of meat before barbecuing the kebabs. The unsuspecting man ate the kebabs and died straight away.

The moral of the story is do not abuse the person who loves you, even nature will not approve your actions.