What's in a title

Deal Sites Mosaic!

2010-12-07T16:54:00.016-07:00

Lately, there has been an enormous amount of deal sites popping up all over. It can get tiring keeping track of them all. My job is to collaborate them all into one place for easy access. Just bookmark this page, and you can be sure I'll have the latest links of all the deal sites that I find. And of course, if you find any sites that I'm missing, just let me know and I'll add it on! :) Hope this helps everyone!

Regular Deal Sites:

1. Groupon

2. Living Social

3. Team Buy

4. Dealfind

5. Deal Ticker

6. Wag Jag

7. Swarm Jam

8. Steal The Deal

9. More to come...

Baby Bargain Sites:

1. Baby Steals / Kid Steals

2. Mama Bargains

3. Mama's Retreat

4. Baby Half Off

5. Eco Baby Buys

6. Green Baby Bargains

7. Mother of a Sale

8. Hippo Bargains

Under 18?!?!

2008-03-10T11:22:00.004-06:00

Nate (my husband) and I were at the public library yesterday, and it just so happens that I forgot my library card. I approached the check out lady, pulled out my drivers license, and informed her that I left my card at home. She glanced up at me, looked back at her computer, and simply asked, 'how old are you?'.

Strange, I thought, I haven't had one of those questions asked in a while. Is it necessary to confirm my birthday or something? So I answered, '.. uh.. 25?'

This lady nearly jumped back an entire foot in surprise. She slid her reading glasses slightly to re-examine my profile.

Curious now, I asked, 'Why, how old do you think I look?'

She gasped and replied, 'Definitely under 18' and continued to ramble on about how she thought I couldn't rent without a library card because I was a minor and how she was genuinely surprised when she found out I was 25...for at least 2 minutes!

It is funny to note that one of the books I signed out was about marital relationships. I wonder what the lady thought about that? Ha ha.

At the exact moment, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the person beside me who was also checking out her books, was a friend I hadn't seen for a long time. She was smirking because she had heard the entire conversation. Oh, the embarrassment.

So perhaps it's time to re-examine my wardrobe, put on make up, loose the glasses, or get a different hair do? Or perhaps it is my 5'1 height. I knew I looked young, like 22, but not under 18!! Oh well, I guess it's a compliment to look young. I'm sure I'll cherish this trait of mine when I hit my 30s or 40s.

Anyway, I can't believe it's March already. Nate and I been married for two full months and 1 day! Please do take some time to see our wedding pictures. They will be up until July 2008. We've been busy settling in, furnishing our apartment, and working hard to set up our website for KAIO Photography (It's going to be a good one!). I've also done my share of cooking and baking, thanks to Evey & Jean's awesome cookbooks. I'm sure Nate thanks you from the bottom of his heart. Here, for instance, are the first cinnamon buns I've ever made.

To sum it up, married life is awesome. Nate and I have so much fun. Perhaps too much fun!

COOL PRESENT!!

2008-01-03T23:26:00.000-07:00

Nate and I received a really cool wedding present tonight. Made by Mrs. Cheung, it's a mini hand made cake!! If you look at all the details on the cake, each piece is shaped by hand and placed on the cake. What's even more amazing? The diameter of the cake is only 2 inches long! So super tiny! Thanks for taking the time to make this for us, it's beautiful and we love it!!! It was so cute that I had to post it up right away!

On another note, there's ONLY TWO MORE DAYS until we leave for Cancun!!!! Things have been quite hectic, and for some strange reason, I'm procrastinating FOR MY WEDDING!! I still need to pack, yet I end up washing dishes, playing rock band, or anything else rather than pack. Perhaps this is due to me not wanting to throw away all my childhood toys and collections. Here are just a few interesting items I have found:

Over 25 teenie beanie babies from McDonald's (half of them are still in plastic wrap!)
30 bouncy balls
The ENTIRE COLLECTION of boy band CDs (BSB, NSYNC, 98 degrees, etc)
POGS
Girl guide uniforms and sashes full of badges
A syringe from when I had to get my tooth's twin root taken out
My wisdom teeth in a transparent case.... ick
Hair clips for 5 year olds
AND a LOT of Calgon products!

Keep posted for more "interesting" items from Sarah's room of many useless objects.

Lastly, I'm so excited to announce that I will be received my first manicure AND pedicure for the first time in my life. I thought that would be worth mentioning. :)

My Bridal Party

2007-12-04T16:18:00.001-07:00

I've been exploring the creative side of me for the last little while. With the wedding approaching in about a month, my mind's been pretty occupied in that area. Here is some of my work.

Bridal Party: Take One

Bridal Party: Take Two
36 more days and counting! :)

Evolution

2007-12-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

Anyone Surprised?

Why you should think before you drink

2007-09-20T03:14:00.000-06:00

No, I'm not talking about alcohol, but rather the highly caffeinated drink otherwise known as coffee. Obviously not thinking straight, I found myself at a Tim Horton's drive through ordering an iced cappicuno at 7:30pm while the outside temperature is 3 degrees Celsius. Sigh, I can't even begin to logically reason myself out of that one.
So here I am, suffering yet again (yes, this has happened before) due to my carelessness. Only this time, no deep thoughts. No flash backs down memory lane, only mindless DS playing of Mario Kart and Big Brain Academy......come on B+!!

Stamps pictures on the Camera Store Blog

2007-09-11T12:37:00.000-06:00

Camera Store Blog - Stamps Contest Winner Sarah Ho

West Coast Trail

2007-09-10T12:57:00.000-06:00

West Coast Trail Journal
August 16 to August 22, 2007
Allan, Dan, Sarah, and Clarissa

Pre West Coast Trail
o o Took 10 hours to drive
o May speed by Allan: 147 km/h caught by GPS
o Dan and Clarissa slept a total of 6 hours combined over two days
o Sarah got GPS which was super useful
o Filled up gas twice, Revelstoke & Victoria
o Got chowder & soup on ferry
o Went to Wal-Mart and bought a lot of stuff (flavour water, rope, etc.)
o Wal-Mart was green and had deceiving front
o Went to Mayfield mall for dinner and had Japanese food
o Packed our bags in parking lot changed clothes in food court, and filled up all our water bottles.
o Went to only shell gas station cuz we thought Allan had air miles. He didn’t.

Day 1 – August 16
•· Woke up at 7am, then it started raining
· We left before they went around to charging camp fees.
· Parked at Stan & Judy Medd for $28 dollars/7 days
· Took shuttle bus. Allan quotes, “Drove crazy fast and I almost threw up”
· Went to orientation, which turned out to be the same place we camped the night before. Allan, Clarissa, and Sarah (x 3) tried to poo, but couldn’t. Dan pooed.
· Weighed our packs on a fish scale
o Allan: 44lbs
o Dan: 45 lbs
o Sarah: 41 lbs
o Clarissa: 38 lbs
o Random guy: 65 lbs
· Hike: Gordon River Trailhead (75km) to Thrasher Cove (70km)
· Up and down with lots of roots, muddy, and started raining half way through
· Clarissa acquired a stick from a guy almost finishing. The stick was all the way from Bamfield.
o She found another one later, but then threw it away and regretted it. So she found yet another one later
· Sarah quotes, “Super hard, I thought I was going to die”
· Clarissa wore a tank top and got extreme chaffing and blisters on her back
· A guy from the hike couldn’t find his glasses but it was on his head
· Sarah walked across the first log really slow because she was scared and her backpack wasn’t strapped on properly
· Sarah fell and slid on her bum and got her pants dirty with mud. This was the beginning of her super dirty mud pants for the next seven days
· Arrived at Thrasher cove after 4-5 hours or hiking
· Found a campsite secluded underneath the trees
· We had a “cute” fire that wouldn’t start up, so a guy offered us fire starter, matches, and wood, because we only had enough matches to make our dinners
· The dad, son, and son’s BF gave Clarissa a pink lighter, because they didn’t like pink
· Later, we offered our campfire to a couple who couldn’t start their own fire
· We put our packs far away from our camps, because we were paranoid of bears. That night it rained and Sarah’s pack got wet.
· Clarissa thought the boys were bears because they were scratching and moaning.
· We had macaroni and cheese.
· Dan and Clarissa hate cheese.

Day 2 – August 17
• Hike: Thrasher Cove (70km) to Camper Bay (62km)
• Woke up late (at 7am) because we wanted to make the tides
• Left campsite at 8:30am. We must make Owen’s point at 10am, but we got there at 10:30am, which freaked out Clarissa
o Owen’s Point: Beach Access to Owen’s Point where tides are below 6ft/1.8m is required. Difficult route, many boulders.
• They were very big boulders, very slippery from last night’s rain, and difficult to climb
• Allan almost died. He slipped on a log 10 feet above the ground with sharp boulders below and turtle. But he used his abs and saved himself.
• In that process he bent his poles and he wasn’t very happy
• Then it started raining
• Conclusion to whether the barnacles on the rocks are sharp: YES
• Fall record:
o Clarissa: A lot and hard
o Dan: twice
o Allan: fell once hard and slipped three times
o Sarah: fell twice
• After Owens’ point we climbed a shelf “and it looked like dinosaur land” –Allan
• Clarissa: “And there’s surge channels which were very scary”
• Then we had board walks for a long time, which was much easier than beach. But they were muddy
• Ate lunch under a tree that had three benches. Lunch was pita and cheese. Again, Dan and Clarissa hate cheese.
• First cable car near Camper’s Creek. We climbed on and a guy helped us by shoving us across the creek
• Arrived at Camper’s Bay in one piece
• Spotted Solo Man for the first time
• During dinner, Sarah found a total of three bugs in her food (Salmon pasta). Dan ate them.
• Clarissa, Allan & Sarah didn’t sleep well
• Dan peed 20 m from the tent. He turned off his head lamp and peed in the middle of the night.

Day Three – August 18
• Hike: Camper’s Bay (62km) to Walbran Creek (53km)
• Creeks passed: Sandstone, Cullite (cable car) Logan, and Adrenaline Creek.
• Woke up at 7am
• Continue hike in the forest
• Even muddier than before, because it rained yet again that night
• Saw Clarissa’s university friends
• Had crazy insane ladders today
o 3 sets of ladders: 250 down or 214 steps (which was the biggest ever)
o At the bottom of the ladder there was a one man suspension bridge. It is so narrow that you can’t even turn around with backpacks on. (Super duper cool)
o Climbed up insane slippery slope afterward
o Dan’s shoes only got wet because he was sweating
o We were going to Logan creek but Clarissa whizzed us to Walbran 3 km away, passed the bog and all
o Arrived at camp ->so beautiful!
o We all took showers in the lake –WOOHOOO!! Good thing we did because right after a million seagulls landed and began taking showers and pooing in the lake.
o The shower felt so good that Sarah found a brand new washroom and pooed.
• Started own fire today without fire starter. Yay, go Dan.

Day 4 – August 19
• Hike: Walbran Creek (53km) to Cribbs Creek (41.5km)
• Creeks crossed: Kulaht Creek, Bonilla Creek, Carmanah Creek (cable car), and Coal Creek
• We first had to cross Walbran Creek with Sandals
• Sarah –“Stupid beach”
o Sarah cheated by walking on water
o (She had full waterproof shoes and would rather walk on slippery rocks)
o Saw two cute little fawns. They were cute until they started “playing mommy and daddy”
• Had good weather for today (this one and only day)
• Cable car across Carmanah Creek was super long and tiring
• Finally arrived at Chez Moniques
o Allan: Burger, beer, chocolate muffin (which Dan totally envied), snickers
o Dan: Chocolate bar and coke
o Clarissa: 2 apples
o Sarah: ½ burger, apple, blueberry muffin, chocolate bar
• Allan felt sick afterwards, and Sarah’s burp smelled like burgers
• Soloman (real name is Christian) drank six beers by the time we left
• Visited Carmanah lighthouse
• No one fell today and arrived at Cribbs Creek to beautiful sunshine
• Dried all our clothes
• Decided to sleep at 8:30pm because we wanted to beat soloman (currently at Dare Point (39km) to Nitinat Narrows

Day 5 – August 20
• Hike: Cribbs Creek (41.5km) to Tsusiat Falls (25km)
• Crazy longest day 16.5km and it took us a total of 7.5 hours
• Woke up at 5am but it was too dark so we woke up again at 5:30am
• Wrote “Asians 40 minutes” on sand for Soloman to read
• Eventually they caught up to us, but in the end, they only beat us by five minutes
• It was a super muddy day. Dan’s shoes got wet
• Had fresh Salmon for $20 at Nitinat Narrows. But well spent. Too bad they ran out of crab
• Allan had to poo right aftwards and used to trowel even though he was only 50m from the outhouse
• We were very tired. Sarah and Clarissa almost collapsed.
• Beach was hard to walk on, because the sand is the soft fine sand
• Were very close to not making the tides near that hole at Tsusiat Point
• Arrived at Falls only to find a MILLION (not joking) birds flying around the beach and bathing in the falls.
• Saw naked German people
• Had really yummy rice today
• Dan built a gigantic fire. One log being burned had all these bugs in it.
• We were out by 7pm
• Water filter had some issues

Day 6 – August 21
• Hike: Tsusiat Falls (25km) to Michigan Creek (12 km)
• Woke up at 6pm
• Rainy yet again. There hasn’t been a night where it hasn’t rained. Took two hours to get ready because we were all so exhausted.
• Started the day with a huge set of stairs up from the Falls
• Allan has a total of 227 bug bites on his legs
• Waded 2 creeks
o Dan finally got wet inches from camp. He was not happy
• Dan built a fire. It was cute but burned a hole in his shirt
• We had tuna pita for lunch. It was AMAZING!
• Sarah slipped on a rock
• Clarissa slipped in mud
• Saw the Valencia bluffs where 129 people died from Shipwreck in the early 1900’s
• Saw naked German...again (actually a different one)
• Arrived at Michigan Creek at 2pm
• We were so tired we all took naps on the beach. Good thing it was sunny today.
• I woke up and found crazy sandal tans on my feet. Allan says they look like band aids.
• Boys, “Saw little German boy pee”
• Ate dinner at 4:30pm. Yummy curry Couscous
• Took cool silhouette pictures on beach
• Sarah finished all her snacks
• Dan showered. He doesn’t smell bad anymore
• Daniel fixed the water filter, so it doesn’t take 5min to pump one 2 L bottle
• Anticipating lots of boardwalk for tomorrow  Looking forward to the 3 m trails
• Talked about what were going to eat the next night for like...1 whole hour
• Last day at camp! And it didn’t rain for the first time at night
• What we would have brought
o Clarissa: poles, sleeveless shirt
o Stuff to keep the fleas away
o Gloves
• Things we forgot to mention
o Met hardcore photographer
o He had a measuring tape and helped Us off the cable car
o It was his 12th time on the WCT and he used over 10 cameras
o His book will release at the end of next year
o His name is Pabel
• What we are craving:
o Allan : wonton mein, ice cream, and fries
o Dan: plain ruffles chips and pop
o Clarissa: fresh fruit and wonton
o Sarah: chips and gelato

Day 7: Michigan creek (12km) to Pachena Bay (0km)
o Hiking time; 7:30 am – 11:15 am
o Breakfast: granola cereal
o Lunch: tuna pita
o Some parts were muddier than we expected
o We walked crazy paced: 3km/hr
o Saw guardians again from yesterday
o Heard sea lions while on trail
o We made it 2nd, after Solomon
o Bus didn’t arrive until 1 pm, and drove us into Bamfield our original bus broke, so we shared the other people bus.
o Arrived at Bamfield at 5 pm
o Photographer guy hiked 9 km/ hr
o Ride was super bumpy. Clarissa got car sick
o Mont back, had Ruffles chips, lays BBQ chips and rice crackers
o Stayed at traveller’s inn
o Saw a bear on the way home to Port Renfrew
o Tried Priceline but it didn’t work.

Sideline photographer for the Stamps Labour Day Game!!

2007-08-30T16:16:00.001-06:00

I just happened to be at the Camera Store the other day, and there was a contest to win a chance to shoot the traditional Labour Day football game Calgary Stampeders VS Edmonton Eskimos. I entered my draw, not thinking much about it, cuz there was quite a few other ballets in the box. Plus, I never really win anything anyway.

Yesterday, I get a call from the owner of the camera store, and he told me that I won contest for the game! I even get to practice with the super crazy equipment for a few days prior to the game! I picked up the equipment today, which almost weighed as much as my backpack during West Coast Trail (blog about that later), and took super random/spy shots with the 300/2.8! Here are some of the pictures...they are basically unedited!

See ya'll at the game!

Pictures from the game

KAIO photography

2007-08-09T21:49:00.000-06:00

So, I've finally mustered up the courage (and pictures) to launch my photography business, KAIO photography. Inspired by an AWESOME downtown cafe in Perth, Australia, I decided to choose KAIO as the name of my company. KAIO means light, or to burn in Hebrew. With permission from the cafe, I'm proud to introduce to you,

KAIO photography

I pray that this business will be a light in the darkness, to shine and to bring glory to God, my inspiration and friend. Light is required for any type of photography, and I want to capture moments of life that reflect the beauty of God's creation. So this is it. I'm at a point where I'm stepping onto water, pushing away all fear as I chase after a passion that God has placed in my heart for the last couple of years. Yet I'm so excited to see how God will lead me in this next adventure. :)

I'm currently still working on the logo, so check the blog from time to time. Please do comment on the pictures if you can, because I can always use some feedback! Thanks everyone!

Semi-annual update time

2007-07-24T16:18:00.000-06:00

OK. People have been complaining because I don't update my blog.

FACT:
-I'm doing the WEST COAST TRAIL this August!
-My wedding website is up!
-Heard about scary person who have been stalking the Calgary Chinese churches through facebook (don't add people you don't know..especially people with the initials J.L.)
-I am currently frantically trying to finish my online courses, which are due in less than a week
-I'm attending 11 weddings this year, and skipping out on 2
-I just finished a half marathon!! Full marathon next year, baby!!
-I just quit one of my jobs.
-I had black licorice ice cream at Lics.

Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya

2007-05-19T13:06:00.000-06:00

And the winner is.....

Which Resort?!?!

2007-04-16T22:44:00.000-06:00

Life as an engaged couple is really exciting and special. It opens up a whole new variety of conversations, such as marriage counseling, marriage date, invitations, locations, banquets, housing, cars, jobs, and much more. What used to be happy wishing suddenly becomes upcoming reality. WOW! Sometimes I look at my ring and still can’t believe I’m engaged!

Wedding plans. After months of looking at different resorts with extreme difficulty and careful selection, we finally narrowed our choices down to the following resorts. We’re hopping to have a January wedding, most likely Saturday January 5 – 12, 2008. What do you think of these resorts? Or do you have any preferences or good resorts that you’ve been to?? I’m sure your comments will help lots! Thanks!

Hotel Candidates (click on photo for more information):

1. Paradisus Río de Oro - Holguin, CUBA 2. Dreams Puerto Vallarta, MEXICO

3. Gran Bahia Principe JAMAICA

4. Grand Sirenis Rivera Maya, Akumal MEXICO
5. Iberostar Paraiso Lindo, Playa del Carmen, MEXICO

6. Iberostar Varadero, Sector Punta Hicacos, CUBA

Fairy tale comes true!

2007-03-04T17:28:00.000-07:00

As some of you may have heard from the grapevine, I'd like to announce that Nate and I got engaged!!!

On the magical night of Feb 17, 2007, Nate took me to the restaurant of our first date, surprised me by decorating his house with pictures of everything we've done over the last two years, made a beautiful flower bed/walkway down one of his hallways, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!

Yup, I was in shock! I feel so blessed to be engaged to my bestest friend! :) More details to come...with wedding plans and all that jazz!

More engagement pictures are on my facebook account. Click on "Facebook Me" on the right panel to add me as a friend :)

Ola!!! From Aguascalientes, Mexico

2007-01-14T21:53:00.000-07:00

Mexico. Before your mind instantly brings you to a location where sparkling blue waves wash upon warm sandy beaches, I’d like to remind you that central Mexico is a striking contrast. Different species of cactus, from the traditional looking ones displayed at taco bell to circular flat discs with spikes speckled the landscape. Cloudless sapphire skies stretch from horizon to horizon, like a gigantic canopy covering the earth. I would like to share about a trip 18 of us went to from Dec 26-Jan 5 with Samaritan’s Purse.

Our adventure began with an eight hour flight from Calgary, to Aguascalientes, Mexico. Needless to say, all 18 of us were ecstatic as we disembarked from the tiny 30 seater plane and took our first step onto Mexican soil. Upon arrival, however, we counted our luggage and realized that over half the bags were missing! The entire process of reporting these bags with our broken Spanish required more than ½ an hour before our coordinator Jeremy, a 28 year old Canadian and construction manager Dwayne came to pick us up. We loaded all our luggage, or what was left of it, onto one truck and climbed into the other. With such a fuss happening in the airport, we were looking forward to a safe trip from the airport to our living quarters, but we were wrong! Within 5 minutes of traveling, red and blue flashing lights appeared and the truck with all our luggage was signaled to a stop by none other than la policia! Fortunately, they were just curious as to where we were headed with so much luggage in a truck, and luckily, Jeremy knew Spanish! A few minutes later we were free to depart.

As a nutritionist, the first thing I noticed upon arrival was the food. Hot sauce and colorful chili peppers laced the edges of our every meal. Children eat anything from chips dipped in chili sauces, to chili sauce flavored candy! For a person who rarely eats spicy foods, I inevitably became the center of comic relief. As much as this may bring a smile to your face, I’d like to illustrate our team’s first experience at a taco restaurant. A restaurant by no means is one such as Red Lobster or Joey’s Tomato, but rather a spacious white tent with grills, tables, and chairs inside. As the odors of fresh meat invaded our senses, we knew this would turn out to be a wonderful experience. With the menus laid before us in Spanish, delicious pictures of fajitas, tacos, and burritos danced in our heads. We were all so happy to try authentic Mexican food, because taco time just isn’t the same. All was well until Jeremy translated the menu. *pause* All right guys, the first thing on the menu are tacos. You can choose to have different fillings in these tacos. The first one is brain, second, pig’s snout, and the third is eye. I wish you were there to see the expression of our faces! Luckily, there were some “normal” tacos, and I’m disappointed to say that none of us had the courage to try the unique selections.

More importantly, our team was not there to eat, but rather to help construct an orphanage, run medical clinics, and help in the existing orphanage. For ten days, two groups alternated between construction and medical clinics. Orphanage construction supplies and labor relies completely on donation and volunteer work. There are normally 5 young men who have dedicated their time and efforts to work long term at the construction site. I personally have never been on a construction site, much less worked in one! We used no machinery except a cement mixer, of whom we are all very grateful to have. Prior to going, I envisioned that the orphanage would just be a shack, randomly put together by different groups of people. Boy was I wrong. Dwayne, the construction manager showed us the architectural layout of the new orphanage. The plans include a 3 story boys dorm, a girls dorm, a kitchen, a chapel, and a court. So far, only the kitchen has been built. Over those ten days, we accomplished pouring the boy’s dorm’s foundation by mixing cement, carrying bricks, and shoveling dirt. At the end of each night, we would visit the existing orphanage called dulce refugio, which is a rented location, and play with each of the kids. At first, I had no idea how to interact with them, since I can only ask a kid how old they are so many times. However, these kids loved us as soon as they saw us soaked up every bit of love we gave them. It still breaks my heart knowing the background these kids came from. Some had violet, abusive parents, while some who’s parents deliberately abandoned them, and some who’s parents are deceased. I’m so grateful for the founders of this orphanage, Marcel and Golye, who sold their own house and everything they had to start up and pay rent for this orphanage. As we got to know the kids better, the contruction got a bit easier because we knew who we were doing this work for, and in the end, that this back-breaking, advil taking labourous work will make a difference.

Lastly, I believe one can learn a lesson with every trip they go on. A resounding theme crosses my mind each time I think of this trip. It is the word appreciation. First of all, an appreciation to construction workers: I can never look at another building without thinking of the amount of work put in it. Secondly, appreciation for basic luxuries, such as drinkable water, warm showers, and flushable toilets. And lastly, appreciation for people who have left the comforts of their own homes to give their lives and talents to a selfless dream: to offer orphans a refuge filled with love and acceptance. Unlike me, the labourous hard work doesn’t end after ten days. They are there for the long haul, and their joyous attitudes always seem to amaze me. To illustrate, at the end of the day, we’re all tired from construction work. You would expect to see the Dwayne exhausted and not wanting to do anything but rest. Instead, we find him at the orphanage, playing with the kids with a giant smile on his face. That to me, is dedication.

All in all, this trip has been an eye opener. I’ve taken home with me the culture, the experience of construction, as well as appreciation for long term workers. After hearing this story, if you are compelled to find out more information about this orphanage or ways you can help out, I’d be glad to share more with you. And guess what? I now eat spicy foods!

Weekly updates dwindle down to annual updates...

2007-01-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

I am not surprise if no one ever comes to my blog due to my lack of publishings. Ah well. I'm not a writer anyway. The adventures of my life as of September....hmm...besides working, not much went on. Oh wait, that's a lie! Oct 2006 was my parent's 25th anniversary. While they were in HK, my brother and I conjured up a SURPRISE party with over 130 guests! Click on this blog for pictures and details: Parent's Anniversary Blog. Check out the extreme decorations on that cake!!!

Next memorable event was the Wong Fu tour at the UC. I don't think I've ever seen that many asians in my life! We were there 45 minutes early & won free pop. Whoo hoo. The movie (A moment with you) was ok, kind of slow, and I agree that I enjoy the music videos more.

Oh yah, and the answer to the previous post: Yes, that is the main street of Banff. I just learned how to put reflections so I basically took every picture I had and made a reflection! Tootles to you, Clarissa.

Cafe Night at Westside

2006-09-17T20:41:00.000-06:00

It's that time of the year again...
...to act like a fool at the expense of other people's entertainment! JKJK! :p

Last night, we had a wonderful time running cafe night and I believe over 100 people showed up. To remember this fabulous night of events, we have recorded and posted some of our highlights on YOUTUBE

SKITS (Sam, Agnes, Chris, Nathan, and Sarah)
SKIT#1: Rewind
SKIT#2: Pebbles (minor unicycling action)
SKIT#3: Best Friend
WESTSIDE BOYS (Godwin, Dave, Sam, Chris, and Clem)
WESTSIDE BOYS: Incomplete

They are quite lengthy, so you can watch one a day! LOL! Feel free to comment on them!

Other than practicing for skits, I keep myself busy with my most favourite hobby: Photography!!!

Oh yah, "trivia" question: Can anyone guess where this picture is taken...and perhaps what is "not right" with the picture?

Life's little surprises

2006-09-12T22:50:00.000-06:00

Just a day, just an, ordinary day.
I was simply riding my unicycle on the sidewalk in my suburban neighborhood to work.
Everyone from bikers to joggers would yield and go on the grass while I slowly rode by, arms flailing like a 'tard.
As I was pedaling my last stretch up a small hill, I saw another object also on the sidewalk approaching. It was brown, trotted on four legs, and had giant antlers. WHAT?!!? A full grown deer!?? Everything was ok up unto that point. Upon realizing that the deer wasn't going to yield but probably run over me, I got off my unicycle and ran to the other side of the street. Apparently my sudden movement startled him and he started running faster down the sidewalk. As the distance between us closed, he made a sudden change of direction and jumped with extreme ease and grace over a 5 foot fence into the golf course. And here I used to think Superdogs was amazing... this is a completely new level.
Like I said, just a day, just an ordinary day.

Talent on display

2006-09-01T14:14:00.000-06:00

This post is dedicated to those who are interested in jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. The making and designing of jewelry with high quality beads, stones, metal and semi-precious gems is definitely a profession that consists of extreme challenge, patience, and creativity. As we inhabit in such a mass production machine obsessed society today, hand-made jewelry with quality and uniqueness is a rare find. Recently, I stumbled upon a wonderful site Onisha Artworks by a great artist. Known for her gentleness and wisdom, her products (I feel) display and reflect such characteristics when worn. Perfect for weddings, hot dates, and casual wear, I really recommend my readers to check this site out! Oh, did I also mention they are also great gifts!?!

Mystery Meat...REVEALED!!

2006-08-15T22:21:00.000-06:00

I apologize for my extreme tardiness from blogging due to my ever-struggling weakness of procrastination. I have received eleven comments on my previous blog from China, however, some comments did not state their opinion concerning the species of the meat Nate and I were about to consume. Nevertheless, I have decided to give justice to those who have taken their time to ponder and comment. Below is a picture of what may have been the animal's relatives. Nono...not my precious cousins posing fashionably in front of the forest which strikingly resembles the home of Tarzan, but rather the sad looking, warm blooded animals behind them... At this point, some of my blogger fans may feel inclined to "punch me in the face", as the pet industry is a multi-million industry in North America, but first let me explain. I LOVE dogs. I fell in love with them the year my fourth grade class researched on the dog unit. While in China, the only reason for us consuming dog meat was due to my extreme curiousity. Noticing the brown mystery meat on the adjacent table next to ours, we were offered one piece of this rather unique smelling meat. Remembering that I have just eaten kangaroo last month, I figure this experience can't be that bad. Was I wrong!! Thoughts of insanely cute puppies (and kids) popped into my head as soon as I nibbled..
..and I repulsively but nonchalantly hid the meat under the turning table. Phew! What an experience of a lifetime. Let's never do that again. So fellow bloggers, what crazy animals have you eaten? Feel free to add onto my frenzy meat eating story...

Epilogue
I experienced an entire week of extreme diarrhea following my trip to China (from my choice of diet, i presume). Arriving in Vancouver, B.C. however, I ignored my stomach's warning signals and headed for the best ski/board mountain in Canada: Whistler!
It was a close call, but thankfully nothing really bad happened.. haha!
Well, this blog is really dragging...I'd like to conclude with the followimg statement:

The cutest couple ever!

2006-05-26T18:53:00.000-06:00

Need I say more?

I love my parents :P

Nee How Ma?

2006-04-21T02:36:00.000-06:00

OK, enough about Africa and Australia, here a blog for Asia. Nate and I spent a total of 20 days there, 16 in Hong Kong and 4 in China. Time fly by really fast and we visited friends and relatives. As TOURISTS of course, we went up to the peak and tried to take pictures. But since we have no idea how to use our new camera, the pictures are still kind of grainy..opps!
And here's the picture of the tall skyscrapers with my cousins. We had a lot of fun hanging out. Thanks for all the time you took to hang out with us! We miss you!

Here's us again in China with my relatives. We went to our "Haun Ha" for four days and visited more relatives. We even went to the abandoned house that my grandma grew up in. Talk about going back to the roots!
BONUS: Can you guess what kind of meat Nate and I are about to eat?? If there are 10 or more guesses/comments on this blog from different people, we'll reveal the answer!!

Hello from Eastern Australia!

2006-03-28T04:06:00.000-07:00

Over the last two weeks, I've been to Perth, Sydney, Melbourne (Host of Commonwealth Games 2006), and Blue Mountains Australia. Tomorrow, Nate and I will participate in a two day surf camp one hour outside Sydney. Unfortunately, the weather is not really cooperating as it is extremely cloudy and a bit rainy, so I really hope the next couple days will be nice. Muhaha..let's pray I don't get eaten by sharks!
Anyway, after Australia, we'll be in Hong Kong for 17 days before heading back to Canada. Phhewww...that was a long trip. I still can't believe I've been sleeping in a sleeping bag and living out of a backpack for 6 months! LOL!
OK, well, I'm out of time again. Here are more pictures of Australia:

(left) Ahhh!! SHARKS!!! Melbourne Sea Aquarium

What is that? A STORK? Melbourne Zoo

Blue Mountains, Australia

Crazy Pictures...as usual.. (Sydney Opera House) Darling Harbour, Sydney

On the last stretch!!

2006-03-07T03:36:00.000-07:00

3 more days left. I think I'm going to be super sad, since we made a lot of new friends during our last 7 weeks here. The people here are amazing, one of the most friendliest and most hospitable peoples I have ever met! Well, here are the remainer of the pictures. TTYL! Who's got the curly hair and make-up! :)
Liz's drawing of me! Sweet....what? i'm not always sleeping...!! :P
Picture from the 80s! Old school!

Supercilious

2006-02-28T03:21:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, we have the opportunity to visit the zoo. I was utterly surprised when I found out that it only costs 5cents CDN to get in. Isn't that nuts!? However, once you get inside, there are all sorts of fees to see animals, feed them and touch them. So for 10 pounds, all my friends and I took pictures and petted this lion you see below. He's pretty cool, and they can make him roar on command.

And here is the sweetest little girl we met in Cairo. She was our neighbour before we moved to another flat. Isn't she the most precious thing? Here below is Liz and I at the pyramids. We took horses and a camel up this hill into the "dessert" and trekked to the pyramids. Lead by our "guide", who wasn't really a guide (BUT A FAKE!), he talked about the history of the pyramids, which by the way none of us understood what he was saying as this Egyptian "guide" was speaking English faster than any of us could ever understand. He also volunteered to take pictures of us posing with the pyramids, which ended up to so off centered that I'm ashamed to put them on my blog. So this pic will have to do for now.
Water Pipes!!! Muhaha!! These are the coolest things alive! There are different flavors such as mango, strawberry, and mint. I would definitely try one puff except I'd probably be kicked out of the school. JK!
Well, that's it for now. What else happened this week?
a). One of our friends got LICE from playing with kids in the nursery. So he ended up shaving his head. LOL!
b). I played football (soccer) with some of our new friends and one of the guys kicked the soccer ball right in my face. As a result, I was bleeding profusely through my nose for a long time. But hey, no pain no gain, right? JKJK
c). We ate KFC, Pizza Hut, and McD's over the last 36 hours.
d). I hate UNO (at least for the time being)

Monastaries and more...

2006-02-21T02:51:00.000-07:00

Yay for Valentines Day!

For those of you who heard, yes we DID get evicted out of our apartment. Haha...more stories to come, but for now, feel free to check out these pictures!

Hanging out at the Monastaries with the American University
Me, Michaela and Lissy after a twenty min hike up a mountain...and still alive!
What is this? A hole in the wall?
Church in the Rock....crazy!
Valentines Day! The boys prepared an awesome surprise breakfast for us girls. The wonderful breakfast included cinnamon tea, two cadbury chocolate bars, fresh strawberry and mango juice, chocolate cresants, a heart shaped cake, fresh cheese, and candy! Afterwards, they prepared a slideshow for us and gave us specific encouragements through the WORD!

Yay for men who appreciate and respect women!

hey yall!

2006-02-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

hey everyone
i'lll make this quick. here are some picture pyramids. it's quite hilarious, and there are lots of other stories to come. Today, we're just chilling and eating a good meal at...CHIJIS! WOW, i haven't had pizza for the longest time, and it's sweet man! i hope i have enough time to upload all these pictures before we leave, as we've finished our meal for a while now. See ya!

Wait...it's not working. i can't upload for some reason. Oh well. Hope all is well. chao for now!
Africa Cup: egypt VS senegal.... and egypt is winning 1 -0!!

SOS - Completed

2006-01-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Time: 3:50am ....still online and writing.

Ok, now that I can upload photos again, I guess I'll continue on. This one will also be very quick. So basically, time flew by insanely fast. I can't believe more than half of January 2006 is gone! Crazy! The SOS (Summer of Service) went really well, and the kids were absolutely awesome. I couldn't have asked for a better group or better youth! PTL! Hallelujah! That's powerful! JKJK!

Besides going out of our comfort zones and telling strangers about our awesome God through various creative methods, our team became OBSESSED with the game Mofia. Mandatory fun!! Yes, later stories to come! Anyway, here is a picture of us with the Chidlow Community Church. On Sunday, they had a baptism in this awesome lake. Some of the boys at the size managed to hit our canoe with their canoe, causing ours to capsize in the middle of this huge lake! Thank you Lord for PFDs. Hard to see that happening for you Canadians in January eh?

SOS Staff (Team Unit aka Team ADD + Jazz + Brenda)

SOS Youth (Emily, Tasha, Boom, Nathan, Ellen, Oriele, Peta, Tim, Monika, and Ashleigh)

Oh yes, before I come to a close, I have to share about our shower conditions. So as you can see, there is 21 of us living in this church we rented. As the person in charge of food, I was responsible for purchasing and preparing food for all these people. Even with a nutrition degree, it was quite challenging as the only cooking equipment was a BBQ, a pie cooker, and a microwave. Did you know you could make all sorts of food with just a BBQ? Hahaha...no worries, although we've basically eaten foods saturated with carcinogens every meal, we're still alive!

Now..the showers. Sorry, I tend to deviate when I'm tired. Covered in oily sunscreen as we participated in excessive sweaty activities such as garbage picking, brick moving, and car washing, each individual desired a nice shower at the end of the day. Unfortunately, there was only ONE shower to share between the 21 of us. AND to make matters more...complicated, this shower was more like... a bathroom stall with a shower head attached to the side of the wall. When you turn on the shower head, the water would hit the toilet directly. It's pretty hard to describe, so perhaps I'll stick in a photo when I get the chance. Just think...a shower, with a toilet right in the middle! Anyhoos, it's waayyy past my bedtime! Good night!

Beach and Animal Fun

2006-01-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

Time: 2:15am
Location: YWAM Perth
So, I'm sitting with basically my whole team here, emailing and packing like mad. It's going to be a while before I get time to blog, so here goes!

1. The Beach!:
Wow, i'm such a dork, Boxing Day was my first experience at the beach since I arrived in Aussie land. Check out the pics. Oh yah, because I don't have photoshop, the pics you see below are pure skillz! :P Beaches are great!

2. Wildlife
We went to this Island that had kangaroos in it. Supposedly they can be vicious, as you can see me approach them with caution.
Here's a picture of David trying to take a picture of the kangaroo....haha..it looks like a shot from national geographic!

Well, this site is not letting me load more pictures, I'll have to blog a while later! Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's Christmas!
I got sunburned while walking to Kangaroo Island...in DECEMBER!!!

Anyway, we finished our lecture phase of DTS two days ago, and our team is STOKED to go on outreach. Here's the people I will be spending 3 months 24/7 with...hehe!
Michaela (she's ENGAGED!), Diane (USA), me (Canada), Liz (NORWAY), Rebecca (my bunkmate), Lindsey (SPRUCE GROVE), Joe (Mr. Team leader), and Dre (USA)!

Well, this blog is going to be a quickie..I just wanted to wish everyone Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Luv ya all!

P.S. One concept I learned from Ned Flanders aka Dean Sherman:

The works of the devil are OOBBVIOUS!

The IKEA blanket from...(not heaven)

2005-12-03T03:16:00.000-07:00

Up until a month again, I adored Ikea. I remember taking an extreme liking to their neatly organized showrooms, their creative display and usage of colors, and their super value built-in restaurant. I mean, ice cream cones for $1 is extremely cheap, don't you think?

With all those wonderful and happy Ikea memories dancing in my mind, Nate and I decided to venture to Perth's Ikea. I find this lovely advertisement for a feather filled blanket for only $24.95! As I would say: "What a steal of a deal!". That is, until I brought it home, opened it up, and this terrible stentch bombarded our olfactory nerves, causing the boluses of food from my lunch to abnormally exit my lower esophageal sphincter and into my mouth! I nearly passed out! Seriously guys, it smelt like a dead duck!

So, I had this brillant idea to wash it in the washing machine. The blanket stunk up the whole landry room, and that's when I noticed that the feathers were not white and fluffy. Instead, they were black and hard. I think there was a bit of red too. Could it be...blood? Well, I guess I'll never figure out. Unfortunately, after two washes and 3 days of hanging out in the sun, the smell never came out. I waited two weeks before I decided to wash it again. I thought it'd be real smart to stick my pillow case and some clothes in with the blanket. BAADD IDDEEAA. The Ikea blanket caught on FIRE in the dryer and scorched my pillow case! (I'll add a picture later). AND the blanket still smelt like a dead duck..well, more like a roasted duck! So my theory is that there's part of a dead, rotting duck in embedded in the blanket.

Fortunately, I was able to refund it. Phew! So my advice to you is... smell your blankets before you buy them!

As for life down under...all I have to say is:
Man, it's so hot here!

Tim Tam Slams

2005-10-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, prepare to hear about a snack that will blow your mind...and salivary glands. Here in Australia, there is a really delcious chocolate biscuit/cookie known as...
These delicious delicacies may look like regular chocolate biscuits, but they are the CRAZE over here, especially among our YWAM base ppls. During my first week here all I heard about was this very specific eating ritual of these biscuits known as the Tim Tam Slam. Just when you think eating those chocolate coated biscuits on their own was good enough...

So what is it? It's so simple. All you need is a Tim Tam and a cup of hot drink (coffee, hot chocolate, milo). You take a Tim Tam, bite off the opposite corners of either end, stick one end into the drink, and suck on the other open end. The hot liquid will enter the Tim Tam like a straw and melt it immediately. This causes the cookie to completely melt and get really soft. As quick as you can, you pop the melting cookie into your mouth. You can tell who's a veteran Tim Tam slammer by how much/little mess they make on their hands and mouth. And this huge wave of super sweet chocolately goodness will invade your mouth and explode your senses, leaving you with a deep sigh of delight.

Since I don't have a camera, I searched on the net and found all these people doing the Tim Tam Slam together. It may look like they're inhaling cocaine but that is not the case. They're merely enjoying the Tim Tim Slam.

Ok, and this one is us doing the TIM TAM SLAM!

So my question is, do they sell these in Canada? Rumor has it that they may be available in Superstore, can someone check and let me know? (Just comment on the blog) Cuz if not, I may have to bring a huge box of Tim Tams home! :D

Disclaimer: As a nutritionist, I feel I should post a word of wisdom: Everything in moderation!

Paradise

2005-10-12T14:14:00.000-06:00

Starting the beginning of this week, our school is required to exercise at 6am for 20 minutes, Mon-Fri. If we were late, we had consequences. At first, I was like...BLLLAHHH! That's insane! Who even wakes up that early? (besides Ken, haha). Anyway, there's a few choices to choose from, such as soccer, walking, jogging, and aerobics. Being the optimistic, energetic one, I decided to take on jogging, an exercise I haven't kept up with in the last six months. At first, I was like, oh yah, I can definitely keep up with the people in the front. Everything was fine, until they passed the required running distance because they wanted more "run time" and I stubbornly ran with them. It was crazy, cuz my heart was beating like 200 beats/hour (or it felt like it!). The common phrase "If you don't use it, you lose it" came into effect as I eventually fell behind and had to catch my breath on a nearby bench while my jogging buddies dissapeared into the distance.

This applies to us spiritually as much as it does physically. There are so many things you do in life, and it's either good for us or bad. If we don't exercise what we've learned, we'll soon realize we suck at doing things we once thought were easy or ok.

On a brighter note, I've decided that I really enjoy waking up early in the morning and running along the river of East Perth. The river (Swan river) is so beautiful and the neighbourhood is just gorgeous. It reminds me of Disneyland or some movie cast set. Beautiful isn't it?

I'm learning so much over the last two weeks, there are so many stories to tell. Life here is so jammed packed with good stuff, I even have longer lecture times than when I was in University taking a full course load! CRAZY! Anyway, time is scarce, gotta go!

More Pics of Swan River(these ones I took myself!)

Why are bugs crunchy?

2005-10-02T21:45:00.000-06:00

Ooooooohhh deeear!

Why did God create cochroaches? What is their purpose? They just crawl all around and poo little poos all over the ground. And when you step on them, they are crunchy, like egg shells, and their guts spew all over the floor.

Oh yah, because the computers here are slow, I can't upload any pictures to help you visualize the ugliness. But if you feel the need to donate a lap top to me, I'll gladly accept it. So for now, instead of having Sarah pictures, you can have internet pictures.

Moving into the base was kind of neat. We live in a place that is five mintues away from the base. With two big rooms (20 girls/room), it is actually quite cozy for two reasons. First because it feels like a giant girls sleepover party, and second because we also share it with a colony of cochroaches. As many of you know, I'm terrified of bugs. And when they're 2 1/2 inches long and 1 inch wide, they look pretty scary.

This morning, I found a baby cockroach crawling on the wall right beside my bed. I literally stared at it for 2 minutes. I was too afraid to hit it, and if i did hit it, i didn't want to hit it with my property then have the bug fall on my bed. Ahh...what are you supposed to do anyway? If anyone have cochroach stories or ways to get rid of them, please lemme know. Your advice will be well accepted.

Picture Perfect

2005-09-22T21:59:00.000-06:00

Pictures are so fun!! They captivate life’s happiest moments. Time is frozen and you’re forever young (or old, depending on when you took the picture! :p). For those with “brain damage” AKA forgetfulness, a snapshot definitely aids in triggering those neurotransmitters. However, pictures can also help recall moments that have haunted you, or ones you would rather not remember. Like the time you got your finger stuck in a hose, those fashionable “bowl” haircuts, or when you decided for some insane reason to look like a freak for chinese school pictures (click if you dare).

Anyway, this blog is dedicated to Nate (whom by the way has given permission for the posting of this entry). Two days ago, we accomplished something that we thought was utterly impossible. Since…forever, Nate’s room was used to look like this:

And after FIVE hours of hard work, whining, fits of frustration, choking in dust, discovering non-living objects that move, and lots of perseverance, "Sarahnate" tore the place apart. Behold, the miracle:

So congrats to something we thought was equivalent to slaying a dragon. I wish this sends out a message to all our messy room keepers out there…that there is hope! Haha, no excuses now! Oh, btw, the loose change found around your house is actually worth something. With over 950 pennies, and hundreds of other coins, Nate is now $46 richer!!!

Oh my goodness, it's a freakin' (b)log

2005-09-12T17:57:00.001-06:00

After countless hours of computer technical difficulties followed by piercing headaches, eye spasms, and cries of insanity, the troublesome site aka www.blogspot.com was finally defeated and managed by none other than yours truly. How can blogging be so hard, you might ask? Well, besides trying to find and load a picture through a URL (I still don't even know what it stands for), finding the title option for my blogs, and clicking on some script that shut down my entire internet explorer, I think blogging is extremely user-friendly. Now, onto my main subject before blogspot decides to delete my account...

I've had the privilege to travel across Canada (literally) this summer. Stanley Park, Grandville Island, Niagara Falls, CN tower, La Ronde, Magnetic Hill, Hopewell caves and Peggy's Cove were among the attractions I visited. But one of the most traumatic yet exhilarating adventure experienced this summer was the mountain biking expedition in Northshore, BC. In June, my biking buddy and I decided to venture out to Mt. Seymour for some RECREATIONAL mountain biking. Although riding up the mountain expended most of my energy and left me looking a little funny lookin'...
...we managed to make it to the semi-summit in due time. Unfortunately we were faced with another challenge: getting lost. Sick of riding the boring uphill path, we ventured to the left and started looking for some downhill trails, only to find two extreme hardcore bikers wearing full gear. Compared to us in our recreational helmets, shorts and t-shirts, those people looked like armored knights with their full-faced helmets, shin/knee/elbow/ pads, and bikes that have shocks with at least 10X as much travel. We approached them as gracefully and as nonchalantly as we possibly could...

Sarah: My profound sense of direction has left us lost in these woods. Do you suppose our bikes and gear will allow us to safely travel down this trail we are about to enter?
Crazy Mountain Bikers: Perhaps, although your bikes are not built for this kind of extreme biking, it is possible to complete this trail. Cliffs and jumps are readily present, however you can go around them.

We took their word and started going down the trail, stopping only to read this giant sign posted at the entrance:

Blue and Black Diamonds, eh? Oh well, it can't be THAT bad...

...until we came across a 20-foot log suspended above the ground! The title of today’s blog and my audio profile clearly represents our sheer sense of shock and bewilderment. One false move, a tiny imperfection, or a marginal error can easily induce serious injuries. Luckily, after receiving a permanent scar on my right forearm from being lodged between the log and a tree, we both made it across and even had time to tape the whole thing.

Anyway, if riding down a 20 foot log wasn't enough, the trail became increasingly technical. Riding down large, wet slippery rocks, carrying our bikes while stumbling across a 2 by 4 through the middle of a swamp, and remodeling our legs with spiky twigs and rocks were just a few of the activities we had the opportunity to partake that day. Behold...the insanity!!!

Well,eventually we made it out safe and sound. What an exciting experience to start the summer off!

2005-09-12T14:14:00.000-06:00

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