Easter break at Hamilton

(Written on 25th April 2011) It's Easter Monday and Anzac day today! Supposedly, it should be a public holiday but this does not apply to me who works in a pharmacy that opens 366 days a week. Nah, I actually had a day off on Easter Friday and since Thursday and Saturday are my non-working days, I swapped my sunday hour with Esther which gave me a total of 4 days worth of easter break. *weeeee* Therefore, I drove down to Hamilton on Thursday to pay my girlfriend a friendly visit. It was really a long long 5 hours drive because I was stuck in the traffic in Auckland. Yes! I need to pass by Auckland to get to Hamilton. With the help of my GPS, I reached Hamilton safe and sound even though the map is not updated. "Where on earth is this Crossby Road? GPS said turn right but there's no junction for me to turn" After spinning twice at the roundabout, I finally found the word CROSSBY. This happened in Auckland city too. *Whoops whoops*

The first expression I showed when walking into Jean's room was"Whoa! your room is so huge and what's more, you have a walk-in wardrobe!" Her house is really magnificent. Putting all my stuff down, she brought me to eat dinner at a Japanese restaurant. She asked me, "What cuisine would you like, Malaysian, English or Japanese?" Being indecisive, I couldn't choose (and also, I was hungry so don't mind any) but in the end I said, "Japanese!" 

 We need a ticket else we would get a ticket by Mr. misfortune

 SOFT SHELL CRABS! I absolutely love this to the core! YumYum! Even Jeanne likes it after trying it for the very first time! Damn! I wish I have this right now in front of me at 1.15am at the moment

 Some sort of Korean carbonated drink 

 Yakiniku beef with rice

 Salmon sushi platter. No raw salmon for me so obviously this is Jean's 

 Isk Isk . . . the quality of the photo is quite bad. How I wish I have a micro four third or DSLR to capture the indoor restaurant nicely

 You probably could tell that I looked tired from this photo. No?

 Oh yea, this is the name of the Jap restaurant

 Chocolates! I just brought fererro rocher and lindt's chocolates from whangarei for Jeanne and her family. Actually, I thought of some Asian food but too bad in Whangarei, there's nothing like this! Thanks to Jeanne for the easter choc!

 Errr...I would not want to imagine what i may be like in the future. Since I look like this now, I'd really look like a fatso in reality if this happens 

The only reason I would cosplay is for the photos, memories and the fun that it'd bring! :) Next time I would try other costumes if I visit Jean again. She is a true fan of Japanese anime!

Anyway, move on to next morning. I am just plainly in love with jeanne's grandma. While my stay there, she made fruit juices (a mixture of carrot, kiwi and 土豆) simply love it as I feel so healthy. Also, she is a really good cook. She made "fa gao" or "hua gao" and also pan fried healthy pancakes!
After breakfast, Jean brought me to THE BASE which is the biggest shopping area in NZ! She kept on asking me to drive her car but NO WAY! her car is too big! Well, she could not drive as she was still holding a learner licence at that time. (She got her restricted now! Congratulation!!)

Whoopsie! It's easter holiday! Meaning? shops were closed! OUCH!!! I wish that I could shop! It's fine! We shall just visit the well known botanical garden in Hamilton which is a must to go if you ever visit Hami.

I took quite a number of photos at this beautiful and inspiring garden! (Jean does not want to be in the photo *sigh*) I could just visit there all day and feeling uplifted and refreshed! The view is really amazing! This garden is divided into many different areas such as the English garden, the kitchen's, Japanese's, & so on and so forth. 

 Mouldy Big Pumpkins!

 I think this is either Italian's or Indian's

 What's your wish? I need my magic carpet and lamp in order to grant you 3 wishes. Yes! only 3! Don't be greedy!

 The Mummy ?

 The Japanese Garden's pathway

 I felt the serenity 

 Inhale or exhale?

 Am sure you know which garden this is

To be honest, Hamilton garden would be an ideal venue for a wedding or even to just take wedding photos :):)

We haven't finished the garden yet but the other part, I might just go during spring when the flowers are all blossoming fascinatingly. 

*goob goob bloob bloob* tummies growling. Time to hunt for food

 Back to town

 Stop! The korean menu looks yum!

 Our entree

 Jap Chae

She actually ordered a small plate. Wonder what the big plate would look like - maybe more noodles on the plate

 Bibimbap. I still prefer K-house's back in Dunedin!

 At Jeanne's house - her grandma boiled some home-made dumplings! And the portion that she did was enough for 2 persons. I finished them all cos' Jeanne did not want it. We did tell her nainai that only cook for one person's share. Okay, I admit I am a BIG FAN of shui jiao!

 I finished the whole thing! (Her grandma wanted to cook this the day before and even in the morning but we kindly rejected her offer so this time I just said okie. Thank you nainai! You are wonderful!

 Feeling bloated

 Her perfume collection

 I have no idea how much she has spent on these figurines

Oh yeah baby! We went to Zirka circus at 7pm! It was my first time watching a circus. My jaw dropped *not literally* watching this brilliant show!  

There were more stunning moves so these photos were just barely part of the whole show.

-To be continued . . . 

Day 5 (last day) in Auckland (training day)

This last day is the day I had to go back to my second home. My first home is always in Brunei =D This is also the day I dedicated my time to Bekah. After checking out from the hotel, with my GPS ready, I went to pick her up in the city. It took me quite a while driving in the city before I managed to spot her. 

It was really great catching up with her because we haven't seen each other since the day of our graduation in Dunedin. We just chatted non-stop like two people eager to share their stories and experiences so desperately at a cafe in Ponsonby. 

 

 I just remembered it has cornbeef, potato and kumara as the main ingredients

Went to another cafe for coffee. Well, I always order hot chocolate because I am not a coffee drinker. 

 Town in Ponsonby, Auckland

Before going back home, I got myself a barrier cream from Dermalogica which I don't intend to buy. *sniff* My money . . . 

On the way up to Whangarei...

Home at last

-The End-

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day! This post is dedicated to my all the mothers in this world especially my beloved one and only mummy and also popo. The 3 most important women in my life are my mummy, sister and granny. I spent this day working from 10 till 6pm then went straight to church where a guest speaker delivered great messages across about mothers. There are a couple of verses that she linked them really well. Let me see which one I remember. *copy paste the scripture* I think that's all about it.

The main message is about "perfect world". According to the verses I have copy-pasted from the net, the husband and wife are so perfect. There is no way we can achieve all of these. Back to Genesis, it was such a perfect world when Adam and Eve were in Garden of Eden. However, this perfection is broken because of the evil serpent. Nevertheless, Jesus was sent to earth and started his ministry in Luke 4 which include healing. 

In summary, with christ, everything is perfect :):) xxx I am very glad to be part of the Christian family.

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

 ^10 [b]A wife of noble character who can find? 
   She is worth far more than rubies. 
¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her 
   and lacks nothing of value. 
¹² She brings him good, not harm, 
   all the days of her life. 
¹³ She selects wool and flax 
   and works with eager hands. 
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships, 
   bringing her food from afar. 
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still night; 
   she provides food for her family 
   and portions for her female servants. 
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it; 
   out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. 
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously; 
   her arms are strong for her tasks. 
¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable, 
   and her lamp does not go out at night. 
¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff 
   and grasps the spindle with her fingers. 
²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor 
   and extends her hands to the needy. 
²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household; 
   for all of them are clothed in scarlet. 
²² She makes coverings for her bed; 
   she is clothed in fine linen and purple. 
²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate, 
   where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. 
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them, 
   and supplies the merchants with sashes. 
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity; 
   she can laugh at the days to come. 
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom, 
   and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household 
   and does not eat the bread of idleness. 
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed; 
   her husband also, and he praises her: 
²⁹ “Many women do noble things, 
   but you surpass them all.” 
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; 
   but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 
³¹ Honor her for all that her hands have done, 
   and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

From Ephesians 5

²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

 ²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

 ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[b] her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”^[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

From Luke 4

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
   because he has anointed me
   to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
   and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
   ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

From Genesis 2

⁷ Then the LORD God formed a man^[c] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
 ⁸ Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. ⁹ The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

¹⁵ The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.¹⁶ And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
 ¹⁸ The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
 ¹⁹ Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
   But for Adam^[f] no suitable helper was found. ²¹ So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs^[g] and then closed up the place with flesh. ²² Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib^[h] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
 ²³ The man said,
   “This is now bone of my bones
   and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
   for she was taken out of man.”
 ²⁴ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

From Genesis 3
 ¹ Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
 ² The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, ³ but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
 ⁴ “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. ⁵ “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
 ⁶ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
 ⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”
 ¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
 ¹¹ And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
 ¹² The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
 ¹³ Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
   The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

-The End-