Playing Favourites

where are you now?

2008-05-15T21:18:00.003-04:00

same difference?

2008-05-05T19:45:00.004-04:00

What looks like snarled threads is actually a lovely dessert prepared by an Iraqi family for an information seminar we attended over the weekend. We explored a culture and religion unlike ours. Amazing, isn't it? Out of the same ingredients - love, life, family, perspective, spirituality - et voilà, life of a different flavour.

keep it real

2008-05-03T22:12:00.013-04:00

[Hey L, Sorry this is awfully blurry, but thought you'd get a kick out of this. After spring picnic at Jordan Lake, we wandered into the nearby college town of Chapel Hill. As we strolled along the main street we got drawn to this church by the music. Talk about raising the roof! Even right at the back where we were, you could not escape the power and intensity of the voices and their message. This was definitely no sanitised singsong performance, and it just reminded me of our old favourite:

If our praises cease
If we hold our peace
The rocks will cry out instead

It was the honesty in their emotions and joy in their offering that moved me. They certainly didn't let any rock outpraise them!

*See ya real soon! Listen to Ron Kenoly and this great song based on Luke 19.40, April 2008]

Jordan Lake

2008-05-02T23:24:00.007-04:00

I will arise and go now, for always night and day

I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;

While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,

I hear it in the deep heart's core.

[fragments of famous words by william butler yeats, lake isle of innisfree; famed man-made lake of chatham county, offering summertime homes to the bald eagle - april 2008]

spring picnic

2008-04-22T22:07:00.010-04:00

[love and marriage has always been topical but recently we received, within a few days of each other, news from friends world-wide: peace discovered in being single, great joy in finding love unexpectedly, the thrill and celebration of engagement, weddings and anniversaries... then also, grief in separation and divorce.

when craig and i first attended our local church, there was a special gathering for the newlyweds and elderly couples who have seen through many years of marriage. i do not say blissful because they all mentioned hurdles they have had to work through to stay together. listening to their stories however and observing the closeness of the elderly couples with each other filled me with a sense of wonder, and i pray craig and i would be granted to see the rest of our days lived out together.

but we know, marriage is no picnic! whether it is in a loving word or a kind and sacrificial deed for the other, whether it is in practicing humility or forgiveness, whether we seek wise counsel of a mentor or the Third Party In Our Love Triangle (Christ) ...we daily commit to make it work.

thanks for the photo, arturo! spring picnic at jordan lake, april 2008]

our daily bread

2008-04-20T17:21:00.011-04:00

hello friend,
you've given us food for thought on career choices and you're right, it seems madness to jump ship at this stage in our life. i picture a bread-and-butter job however and i feel that even if i were paid a wonderfully outrageous amount of money, i'd hate to feel trapped in a mindless activity that did not satisfy me. sure i may look at other people's skyrocketing and stellar careers which allow them all the comforts and trappings in life. but if i do not crave or desire to work where i am now, if i didn't feel sustained or nourished to grow towards the future, then i classify [teaching] simply a job. i would rather stay true to my SHAPE.

drop us a line and share us your thoughts... jem

[not-so-disastrous first attempt at baking pan de sal: fresh from the oven and all buttered up, these lovely bread rolls were definitely worth the kneading and waiting for! more on history and origins of pan de sal; link on s.h.a.p.e. above has an unapologetic christian bent to it, but there are worthwhile points to mark; march 2008]

33 ways

2008-04-12T21:02:00.027-04:00

Here it is again, in case the smilebox above doesn't work!

This birthday boy...

taught me to enjoy the present rather than fast-forwarding to the next big thing all the time.

stepped outside of his comfort zone to live in another country.

introduced me to his family within 3 weeks of first meeting him.

had a go at learning the international foxtrot with me.

wraps me in his arms and calls me his "Chiki".

prays at every opportunity with me.

eats ampalaya (bitter gourd) and enjoys it.

sings his heart out for the Lord.

knows my love language and makes an effort to communicate it to me.

is never short of CKs and PKs.

doesn't mind when I just browse at the mall.

follows his parents' model of caring and encouraging each other.

is a handsome fella.

intuitively knows when I need a coffee and chat.

is patient when I have my mood swings.

calls himself half-Filipino because his other-half is one.

devours dinner I set before him.

challenges me to think outside the box.

shares in the household chores (sometimes after I do a song and dance about my sorry plot in life, but I hoenstly don't give him enough credit for eg grocery shopping, laundry and dish washing with me...)

came up with the brilliant idea of "Computers4Kids" to help support the kids in my school.

makes sure my computer is running smoothly and free of bugs.

has chosen names for our future children.

is not afraid of the karaoke mic .

melts my heart with his love letters.

consistently marked in the high 80s and 90s for certification tests at computer college.

pursues his goals and dreams with passion.

holds my hand when we go for a walk.

made forgiveness, grace and love more than just beat-up Christian bywords for me.

takes care of the little details when I focus too much on the big picture, and vice versa.

does not care whether the whole apartment complex is watching us play cricket on the tennis court with a tennis racket, a tennis ball and stumps made out of cardboard.

crosses the stranger barrier effortlessly.

doesn't give Sunday School answers to life's hard questions.

is excited God has brought us together, grateful for what He's done in our lives so far and hopeful about where he is taking us next.

[Craig, This list is not exhaustive and really only skims the surface of how you are precious to me. Celebrating another 365 days added to your life and all the joys and blessings that came along with it! April 2008]

worth it

2008-04-12T19:52:00.005-04:00

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:25-27

[correct us if we get the name wrong but we think our little mate here is a robin redbreast. we feel so privileged to be close to their choir loft... can't help singing if you know who you are, whose you are and that you're being looked after. april 2008]

not built in a day

2008-04-07T22:35:00.006-04:00

The Capitol also impressed us, although we got to its gates far too late in the day and so couldn't explore inside. It was fascinating to find out though how many changes it had undergone over time to its present form.

Reminds me... of friendships and relationships that need time and care to develop. Of grand dreams and goals that need longer runway before take off. Of not ever losing sight of the big picture, no matter how many architects try to implement changes to the original blueprint.

[highschool together X yrs ago in Urdaneta, then fast forward now to Capitol Hill, Washington DC - with Jing! march, 2008]

It's a free country!

2008-04-06T17:45:00.015-04:00

Our favourite landmark in DC was the Lincoln Memorial.

We almost missed its full significance until we wandered on to the ground floor and read more of its history. We were awestruck as we stood on the platform many Americans like Martin Luther King, Jr., have used to cry out what good ol' honest Abe stood for: freedom for all of its citizens.

Even the speeches inscribed on its walls were not mute words.

The world will little note,
nor long remember what we say here,
but it can never forget what they did here.
(Gettysburg Address, Nov 1863)

Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. (Second Inaugural Address, Mar 1865)

Standing at the memorial also reminded us that Lincoln had experienced many setbacks before he became president of the US. But he lived a life of significance, so that his legacy lived on even after his death.

[an aussie in DC, mar 2008]

these walls we've built

2008-04-03T21:52:00.004-04:00

Walls shut out.
Walls divide.
Walls confront us with painful memories.

Walls provide boundaries.
Walls mark out territories.
Walls protect what's precious.

Come now...
What walls do you put up?
What walls do you put up with?

[From Jericho's fortified walls to the stately Great Wall of China, the defiant Berlin Wall in Germany and the Wailing Wall of Jerusalem to the sobering Vietnam Veterans Wall in DC, mar 2008]

Moussaka

2008-03-29T13:59:00.005-04:00

hi J, here's the recipe i was telling you about: Moussaka di Mare

didn't quite follow it to the letter so i could blend the cheesy top in and think it won't affect my waist as much ....

your sister, t'jem

[coming soon: following the yellow brick road to DC!]

weaving a story

2008-03-16T08:41:00.005-04:00

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.

Not ‘til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned

He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.

[this poem had been immensely encouraging when there were seemingly more darker and tousled threads in life... to find the actual tapestry described by corrie ten boom in her childhood home in haarlem especially warmed my heart; featured on photo are our montagnard students showing off their weaving skills! feb 2008]

poetry of earth

2008-03-13T23:45:00.007-04:00

Like a great poet, Nature knows how to produce
the greatest effects with the most limited means.
(Heinrich Heine)

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
(Robert Frost)

[post title from John Keats; lovely touch of colour here and there - spring has arrived! march 2008]

sunday

2008-03-09T18:01:00.004-04:00

Hi P, Something to cheer you up at your desk this week. Craig and I sang at the service today - he was up on stage and I was in the congregation! It was a little chilly this morning which made it harder to get up to DST season again. The weather is in the mid-teens this week so we haven't put away winter coats just yet. Two more weeks to spring break... Jem & Craig

Wonder

2008-03-08T09:34:00.012-05:00

... is that possession
of the mind
that enchants the emotions
while never surrendering reason.

... Wonder knows how to read the shadows because it knows the nature of light. Wonder knows that while you cannot look at the light, you cannot look at anything else without it.

- r.zacharias in recapture the wonder

[how often do we hear of couples falling out of love, as flippantly as a child has lost interest with a toy. how often do we hear of couples shattered or otherwise nagged by reality, when forever loving their other half didn't dawn on them to mean every day, every moment - wholly and unconditionally. how often do we hear of couples struggling, till finally separating, because love, whether words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, quality time or touch - wanes until it is no longer cheerfully given or received.

i'm incredibly blessed to be loved by you...
may you and i never lose the wonder of our love.]

secret ingredient

2008-03-02T22:00:00.025-05:00

garlic prawns were my favourite thing to order in adelaide restaurants. it was a treat to smell that waft of garlic and cream before my eyes and tongue feasted on those plump shrimps atop the jasmin rice. on my first attempt to cook this favourite dish , i thought i might put a twist to it by teaming the prawns with pasta.

now it is not my intention for this site to become a foodie blog, but i am loving this cooking business! the pleasure of cooking and serving food has only recently captivated me. the creative juices flow when given the challenge to prepare dishes that "smell good, look good and taste good". (okay, i hear your warning - "Wait when you have kids!")

it is definitely not my intention to brag here about any cooking talents i think i might have. but although impatient at first peeling potatoes and chopping vegetables as a young girl, my mother taught me the basic ingredient to any dish i will ever prepare and serve ...and that is the secret ingredient i will pass on to my children when they, too, learn to cook.

[sunday night's dinner... and baon for the next couple of days, march 2008]

Stopping By ....

2008-02-27T18:33:00.009-05:00

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it's queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there's some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

[one of GT's favourite poems by Robert Lee Frost, snow on valentine's day - technically this was a morning, not a snowy evening! feb 2008]

jem can cook

2008-02-26T20:20:00.008-05:00

while we're on the topic of food... many moons ago, there was a popular show i secretly watched called "Yan Can Cook". i sat mesmerised as the amazing yan cut, chopped, sliced, minced, grated, julienned , cubed, and diced all sorts of meat and vegetables to whip up fabulous dishes. his famous catchphrase was... "if yan can cook, any one can!"

but it would take many moons and burnt dishes later, before i could crow, "if yan can cook, certainly jem can too!" it would take patient mentors such as my mum and ate nene, careful and deliberate observation of other cooks on board the logos 2 galley and, surely a sign of the times - consulting recipes on the world wide web cookbook, before my confidence grew. and what is good food without an appreciative and encouraging audience, like our friends from casual dinner parties of long ago, and my dear craig, bless his heart, to convince and champion this budding cook!

[a little pricey, but so readily available here in the US, it's become one of our staple veggies]

[beef teriyaki noodles, yummm...]

[there are many times dinner is based on whatever was available in the pantry - an idea stolen from an australian telly show, "ready, steady, cook". there was no garlic to be found so tonight's dish turned out halfway in between tocino and adobo. what a feast!]

[p.s. dear mum & ate nene, thank you for sharing your passion in cooking - love, jem. feb 2008]

road to recovery

2008-02-23T15:02:00.011-05:00

what food takes you back to wonderful childhood memories? ice cream cones on a sunday afternoon at burnham park. dark chocolate sent halfway round the world by friends from germany. halo-halo - the ever popular filipino summer snack full of tropical fruits and finely shaved ice tickling your tongue. when we smelled sweet chocolate rice porridge on the stove, we would holler, champs! or for dinner, we'd have the soothing broth of tinola or sinigang with green papaya or chokos.

this week didn't turn out too well with both craig and i ending with the bug, so i thought i'd make something to help us fight the flu. well the pantry really only offered me ingredients for one recipe - pancakes.

when papa made it for breakfast in baguio, he'd wink at his grandkids and tell us the secret to beautiful golden brown pancakes was to count forty bubbles before he flips the pancake over. counting those first bubbles used to test my patience as a little kid! but of course, as the pan gets warmer, the bubbles suddenly pop all over the place. and sure enough, papa's pancakes were always beautifully golden brown on both sides.

pancakes also take me back to lazy weekends in adelaide. as we all headed to different directions throughout the week, breakfast was usually whatever you could find in the cupboards. but saturdays were special because mum would make - pancakes! later, we'd cook our own pancakes and shaped them into animals and our names. and later yet, dad discovered green food colouring! not sure if i really fancy green eggs and ham or pancakes... but jeni didn't mind.

later still on logos 2, i met its many faces and names as sundays were the only day we were served a treat - pancakes and real fruit juice. if an american chef was making the batter, we got fluffy thick cakes, and if european, they were usually thinner, more crepe-like.

so here was our fare for the day...

...and we're still on the road to recovery.

[jem likes fluffy pancakes topped with peanut butter, bananas and honey, but second only to having it nutella-slathered; craig prefers thin pancakes topped with whipped cream and strawberries, feb 2008]

frozen raindrops

2008-02-19T22:52:00.003-05:00

[embraced by winter royalty, they danced round her and breathed a silent spell... north carolina, jan 2008]

true or falls

2008-02-17T16:28:00.018-05:00

whether there were none

or a thousand and one

poems penned to capture

its beauty and splendour-

i gazed out there

and walked on air

[entranced at niagara falls, new year's eve 2007]

deep and wide

2008-02-14T10:42:00.008-05:00

what is it that catches our eye and tells us that someone is beautiful. what is deeper still in our hearts that recognise inner beauty. are we so forcefully and narrowly conditioned in our definition of beauty. is average a dirty word. and are we really only beautiful for our men.

[blast from the not-so-distant past: jem, rosalie, lynett and megan before wedding bells rang for jem in 2006; read the post that started the ball rolling - skin deep]

my dear valentine

2008-02-06T17:10:00.002-05:00

valentine's day has never been a big deal for me. i was inclined to agree it was hyped up, clichéd and commercialised. if in essence, it was about romantics expressing their deepest emotions to the love of their life, i would argue, they shouldn't wait for one day of the year to show how they felt. i guess valentine's day just never made sense until i met you.

then valentine's day became every day of the year (or close to it!). our marriage is far from perfect, i know it. but mostly because we are two very selfish, self-centred creatures. the love i offer you pales against the love described in 1 corinthians 13. we are two different people and it takes time to acknowledge that God designed us that way. not to divide us, but to complement each other. it's a given that we will not fluently speak each other's love language. i am also learning that my greatest need is to be loved, while your greatest need is to be respected.

they say being in love or the "tingles" does not last forever. but you certainly do a great job of keeping my love tank filled. you shower me with affirmation and encouragement. you pull me away from overworking myself to death by taking me out on dates. a simple coffee and chat weaves such magic into my tough days. you believe in me and cheer me on in my interests, my career... our dreams.

valentine's day urges people to go a little over-the-top to express their feelings to their beloved. and because of you, my dear valentine, i now understand why.

[thrilled to celebrate 19 months of "tingles" this week; photo from toronto, jan 2008]

[recommended reads: love & respect: the love she most desires; the respect he desperately needs by emerson eggerichs; five love languages by gary chapman; and 1 Corinthians 13 in the Bible]

winter

2008-02-04T21:15:00.000-05:00

most people seem to associate winter with the dark and dreary, coldness and barrenness, temporary insanity and hibernation. sure it's harder to toss the blankets aside and start your day when you suspect your beeping alarm is lying to you about the time of the day again. sure there's more chances of either bucketing rain, freezing rain, or even a snowstorm disrupting our regular daily routines. we haven't even started talking about the types of viral miseries that prey on us because we cannot be outdoors as much.

despite that, we experienced the wonder of winter in toronto last christmas. like little kids we were in awe of falling snow. there is almost music to it as the white specks tumble onto the ground. we ran outside, catching snowflakes, throwing snowballs at each other, and excitedly built snowmen. our boots went crunch, crunch, crunch as we stepped onto the freshly fallen snow on the path and headed off for a warm drink at the café.

sure we had to bundle up everyday in our winter garb. and we really had little to deal with snow shovelling. but christmas last year has been of the most rejuvenating and relaxing holiday for me. all that white space meant much margin (the buzzword for many MF couples).

winter won't probably shake off its title as the least liked season. and yet there is a lesson here somewhere. let's take our cue from nature and rest as it does over winter.

[thanks for the pic, di! at niagara falls, dec 2007]

falls away

2008-01-13T09:42:00.001-05:00

There were many moments in my travels when I felt so strongly of those loving Arms just wrapped around me, leading and guiding me as I tried to quiet my restless heart... A dazzling sunrise in Sydney. Singing with an amazing chorus of eleven thousand people at Amsterdam. The mighty Mount Fuji peeking through the clouds. On a plane, overlooking the outline of South America early in the morning. On a ship passing through the Panama Canal, marvelling at the same stars Abraham saw many years ago.

These are moments I hold dear to, because there are also many times when I grapple with darkness and endless questions.

"...if I go to the east, he is not there;
if I go to the west, I do not find him.
When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;
when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. "

[job 23.8-9, niv]

This withdrawal can seem disheartening, disconcerting, debilitating to some. The only parallel I can draw from is my own relationship with my parents. At this time they are physically far away from my day to day life and sphere of being. The fact remains, however, that I am connected to them as my family. Growing into adulthood, independence and becoming a new family unit does not separate me. Rather, I am continually extending myself to maturity. It seems hard to let go, but my parents often counsel young parents to love, care for their children and prepare them to stand on their own two feet.

So I stood listening to the song of Niagara Falls filling the frosty air. And although I may not see or feel my Father:

"...He wants [me] to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with [my] stumbles."

[jem, ninang & di, new year's eve 2007 at niagara; watch this space for more photos of toronto; the above text from job is not all depressing, read the rest of job 23 and chapter 8 of c.s.lewis' the screwtape letters]

white space

2008-01-07T19:46:00.000-05:00

An empty day without events.
And that is why
it grew immense
as space. And suddenly
happiness of being
entered me.
I heard
in my heartbeat
the birth of time
and each instant of life
one after the other
came rushing in
like priceless gifts.

Priceless Gifts by Anna Swir

[last year, as part of a life group at church, we reflected on different aspects of our busy lives such as finance, career and relationships and discussed how we can include more margin in our lives. one of the passages mentioned in the study was psalm 90. this gem has always fascinated me because it was written by the very well-known Moses. and if there was truly one person that needed to have margin in his life, that would have to be the impressively great hero who had a whole nation in tow, trekking through unfriendly terrain and unusual circumstances. the hope of a promised land flowing with milk and honey was not far off. but traveling on foot sure made the trip a lot slower. traveling light wouldn't have been quite in vogue and every now and then, you could probably hear a voice pipe up, "are we there yet?".

no wonder his father-in-law had to strongly encourage moses to wrench himself away from all that he felt he was obligated to do. stressed. burned out. busy. tied up. line's engaged. the mailbox reached its limit. sorry, the calendar's full. will have to schedule for another time. how have these become the markers of success in our time?

moses' final resting place on earth is still anybody's guess. but i'm not waiting till then to get some rest. when there is margin in my life, there's more time to breathe and savour the present. life becomes less harried, and time more given to relationships.

welcome 2008 and let's create more white space in our lives.

lost in a sea of white; at milton, ontario, photos from the videocamera; january 2008]

facebooked and friendster forever

2007-12-14T16:31:00.000-05:00

I remember in primary and high school days when everybody had an autograph book. No, they weren't filled with famous people's signatures. Rather, the colourful pages featured our friends, their quote unquote, in-depth personal profile, and most importantly, the unabashed public proclamation of who their object of affection was.

Forward ten to fifteen years later and I still have an autograph book. Actually, two of them. Online. The pages still feature friends from my primary and high school days, because of course these fantastical books reconnected me with childhood friends I've promised to be in touch with forever. It has also increasingly become the way my new friends exchange contact details with me.

Online reunions. friendster connected me to old childhood and high school friends whom I left when my family moved overseas while facebook helped me touch base with friends I've met from old and recent adventures around the world. Being in a foreign country this year, these online communities also allow me to meet and catch up with family and friends from back home and elsewhere.

Photo albums. As people chronicle their lives through their uploaded photos, we meet each other's families and friends, celebrate their birthdays and weddings, and discover the world through their travels. Their pictures paint a thousand words or at least generate a flurry of comments, messages or emails.

Profiles. Our goals and dreams have materialised in the careers and countries we find ourselves in. We don't disclose crushes now but proudly introduce our spouses and children. Sometimes our common favourite books, music, TV shows and movies remind us how small the world really is becoming. Defining events are revealed in our blogs and immediately read or viewed by our network of friends, as long as your friend updates and RSS feeds are switched on.

Compared to the pretty journals I kept as friendship books in primary and high school, my virtual autograph books now are dynamic, highly sophisticated, multimedia-loaded, and highlight me. Questions on reality. What do you make of all this hugging and planting flowers and buying fishes in each other's pages and throwing an assortment of animals to each other? Privacy. Is there still a battle on how much of our personal lives is disclosed to the public? Communication. What do our published thoughts and "actions" really broadcast to the global village?

Love them, loathe them. At most, my friendster and facebook accounts confirm more than ever that we are all MFEO. Made for each other. We are social beings and the communities we belong to, define us. So it may be a little different to what we're used to, but do, drop us a note. Leave us a comment. Tack on a testimonial. Graffiti my Wall. Compare your likes and dislikes. Bring on the slide shows. Shower me with Gifts. Toss unwitting animals over the fence and across the continents. Applaud and cheer us on...In other words - Stay in touch!

[to our online neighbourhood that span across the oceans, merry christmas and we hope to be with you in 2008 - craig & jem]

delightful

2007-11-25T11:26:00.000-05:00

Over time, the celebration of an event revolves around its symbols and not on the primary reason for the gathering. Although we have heard of the holiday, we still asked, "What is Thanksgiving?" And everybody gave us a different definition.

So we ventured into the season... We accepted an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner with an American family, fearing we would stuff our faces to death. Would we need to politely mingle with family and friends, gratefully remember every trivial thing we were thankful for, watch another football code we weren't familiar with, camp out at the mall to get in early on the bargains, and squeeze in some interstate travel on a very long weekend, too?

As it turns out, Thanksgiving is all that and more. When the early settlers and the native Americans first came together to feast, they celebrated a plentiful harvest. They celebrated life and freedom in a new country. They celebrated friendship and new beginnings. They celebrated the One whom every good and pefect gift comes from.

On our first Thanksgiving together, we recount all that we are thankful for. But the challenge is to rise above merely expressing thanks. Being thankful focuses on the gifts given. Being delighted focuses on the Giver.

[a photo together, yay! challenge from don miller - delighted in! greensboro, november 2007]

viva mexico!

2007-11-11T19:55:00.000-05:00

[cleansing ritual, charlotte, october 2007]

[all the exuberance and vibrance that is mexico, charlotte, october 2007]

[waiting for the cue, ready to take on the dance floor - these charming kids were undoubtedly the crowd favourite!

charlotte, october 2007]

eventful

2007-11-11T18:51:00.000-05:00

[bahay kubo ni billy, charlotte october 2007]

[if you ever thought you were ordinary, the billy graham library is one place to see how one ordinary man obeyed and lived out an extraordinary journey to touch others; moving, inspiring, humbling... charlotte, october 2007]

Making news

2007-10-23T21:26:00.001-04:00

It is hard to imagine how some of these students would cope in mainstream schools in the community. Perhaps over time they would learn to express themselves freely. Maybe in time they will not sound so foreign. Maybe they will have a name that wouldn't twist and stretch our tongues so much. Maybe we will one day realise they feel as we do but just couldn't find the right words in our language.

Here is a picture of the Newcomers School through the local media's eyes. We had an open day for them at school last week and below are links to TV and newspapers that showcased our corner of the world.

News 14 Carolina
Greensboro News & Record – the students featured are from my class
High Point Enterprise
Greensboro Rhino Times

If you missed last month's link, WFMY News 2 had the first scoop!

Other news: Jem's still sorting out her driver's license and Craig's continuing to study and looking for part-time employment.

Hiking trail "Trying to contact Australia"

high society

2007-09-26T20:07:00.000-04:00

[would not even smile for the camera, at the farmers market, greenboro, september 2007]

garden tools

2007-09-26T20:03:00.000-04:00

[colourful things for the garden, farmers market, greensboro, september 2007]

Pumpkins

2007-09-26T20:01:00.000-04:00

[Must be Halloween soon - What's for sale at the Farmers Market, Greensboro, September 2007]

Why Greensboro?

2007-09-26T19:45:00.000-04:00

The locals ask us, Why Greensboro?
We just shrug our shoulders because there is not one answer.
But we feel this is the place we have been led to.
And we are excited to be part of the Newcomers School!

See link below for a snippet of the Newcomers School in the News.
http://www.digtriad.com/news/local_state/article.aspx?storyid=89807

[On West Market Street to Greensboro, September 2007]

School Daze

2007-09-04T18:33:00.000-04:00

[driving from school, greensboro, NC, august 2007]

Barney

2007-07-05T09:49:00.001-04:00

Love me, love my dog...

We miss you Barney!

[salisbury, SA, june 2007]

shiny things

2007-06-10T09:19:00.000-04:00

[shiny jugs at a coffee shop, central market, adelaide, june 2007]

perspective

2007-06-04T08:17:00.000-04:00

one's destination is never a place, but a new way of looking at things.

[wise words by henry miller; jed at morialta park, april 2007]

our journey

2007-05-25T21:41:00.000-04:00

the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step - lao-tse

[one of dad's favourite quotes. i am grateful for the paths you have pointed out to me. they have led to some breathtaking journeys. walking trail, morialta park, south australia, april 2007]

survivors

2007-05-10T08:27:00.000-04:00

“I am a frayed and nibbled survivor in a fallen world, and I am getting along. I am aging and eaten and have done my share of eating too. I am not washed and beautiful, in control of a shining world in which everything fits, but instead am wondering awed about on a splintered wreck I've come to care for, whose gnawed trees breathe a delicate air, whose bloodied and scarred creatures are my dearest companions, and whose beauty bats and shines not in its imperfections but overwhelmingly in spite of them...”

[inspiration from annie dillard; grass trees xanthorrhoea a.k.a. bushfire survivors at morialta park, april 2007]

fall in love

2007-05-09T09:38:00.000-04:00

[morialta national park, april 2007]

behold

2007-04-16T23:49:00.000-04:00

When we were young, time seemed to run for all eternity. Playing hours stretch and special days like our birthdays and Christmases never come around quick enough. Everything is incredibly ten times larger than they really are. I think about the time I visited places from childhood memories and realise the trees and buildings weren't as grand as I had remembered them to be.

As we grow older, the influence of different people, knowledge and experiences change the way we view things. Somehow these factors temper or spark off how we speak, act and judge people and events. And while we think we aim to get to the facts, we tend to favour our reality. Having grown up now, sometimes we still don't see things as they really are.

[sunny! judd and jeni at grange, january 2007]

disappearing act

2007-04-14T18:39:00.000-04:00

"Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry..."

[sunsets have always fascinated me. a signal the day and its flurry of activities must temporarily cease. i try to capture the beautiful colours filling the sky - a brilliant prelude to the darkness of night. it is also a time for reflection. the sun has run its due course and forcibly brings closure for a time. the scripture verse above also comes to mind. if i ever let the sun go down while still angry, i know sleep does not come easily. how does rage and revenge really measure up to a peaceful rest? sunsets promise me a new day but without resolution and burial for anger, tomorrow dies in the darkness.

scripture from ephesians 4.26, niv; grange beach, january 2007]

little people

2007-04-03T03:28:00.000-04:00

Begin to be now what you will be hereafter. -- Saint Jerome

[fbc kids, grange beach, january 2007]

flying kites

2007-04-02T06:30:00.000-04:00

sometimes it feels like
there's not enough "breeze" to carry your prayers through to the heavens
you wait in the overbearing heat of the sun
holding on to hope
powerless really until the gentle wind whispers
sometimes clutching the thread
sometimes letting go
slowly letting it soar
slowly taking flight
now catching the wind
now lifting the spirit.

[at the adelaide international kite festival, semaphore, march 2007]

every ending is a new beginning

2007-03-27T08:16:00.000-04:00

our life is a short time in expectation, a time in which sadness and joy kiss each other at every moment. there is a quality of sadness that pervades all the moments of our life. it seems that there is no such thing as a clear-cut pure joy, but that even in the most happy moments of our existence we sense a tinge of sadness. in every satisfaction, there is an awareness of limitations. in every success, there is the fear of jealousy. behind every smile, there is a tear. in every friendship, distance. and in all forms of light, there is the knowledge of surrounding darkness.... but this intimate experience in which every bit of life is touched by a bit of death can point us beyond the limits of our existence. it can do so by making us look forward in expectation to the day when our hearts will be filled with perfect joy, a joy that no one shall take away from us.

[title quote - wisdom gained from a train ticket; block quote - henri nouwen, making all things new: an invitation to the spiritual life; the murray river at dusk, berri, december 2006]

on beauty

2007-03-15T07:07:00.000-04:00

speech is beautifully useless.

they are the damned.

the beautiful know this.

they stand around unnatural as statuary.

["a broken pantoum" from on beauty, zadie smith; birds of paradise at torrens park, increased saturation on image, december 2006]

to be free

2007-03-12T06:07:00.000-04:00

This is how it feels to be free
This is what it means to know that I am forgiven
This is how it feels to be free
To see that life can be more than I imagined
This is how it feels to be free

[You either drown or delight in that vast expanse. You can dip in the shallow waters or plunge deeply until almost swallowed up. You can stay out of it or get totally soaked in it. This is how it feels to be free. Song by Phillips Craig and Dean; looking at the Murray River, at Berri, December 2006]

say that you love me

2007-03-07T07:13:00.000-05:00

all gnarled and branches spread out, ready to embrace you

maybe waiting to whisper what it's witnessed over the years

or maybe nearing point of exhaustion, parched over the years

some trees
these are amazing: each
joining a neighbour, as though speech
were a still performance.
arranging by chance

to meet as far this morning
from the world as agreeing
with it, you and i
are suddenly what the trees try

to tell us we are:
that their merely being there
means something; that soon
we may touch, love, explain.

and glad not to have invented
such comeliness, we are surrounded:
a silence already filled with noises,
a canvas on which emerges

a chorus of smiles, a winter morning.
placed in a puzzling light, and moving,
our days put on such reticence
these accents seem their own defense.

(some trees, by john ashberry. happy birthday laura... you might recognise this gum tree ! december 2006)

summer fun

2007-03-03T18:38:00.000-05:00

[in lieu of Christmas presents, our family often travel together on a road trip, within or beyond the state. presence is not always easy to give to the people around us. we miss so many precious moments in our relationships because we are simply not present. why does it take physical distance to bring us closer to the people that matter most? why are we a ten-minute drive away from friends and family yet a thousand kilometres distant in our hearts? the fear of being forgotten. the fear of lost memories. the fear of relationships fading. feeling a little bit like old rip van winkle, waking up to a different world - and all who had been familiar and known have long gone. wake up today, and make today matter.

revisiting wonderful memories of Berri, December 2007]

save the murray

2007-03-03T17:23:00.000-05:00

we have somehow always assume the gift of water is measureless.
we use water carelessly because it is readily available to us.
will this relentless drought remind us to cherish our treasure that is water.

(dusk at Berri, with views of the Murray River, December 2007)

leaf me alone

2007-03-03T16:33:00.000-05:00

the art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

lose something every day. accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
the art of losing isn't hard to master...

(one art, elizabeth bishop)

Merry Christmas

2006-12-22T19:52:00.000-05:00

Season's Greetings from Craig & Jemima

What a significant year it has been for both of us! We had a memorable day on our winter wedding in July surrounded by our dear family and friends. Craig has been working with an electronics company in the second half of the year and managing his computer business at the same time. Jem taught all year at an ESL (English as a Second Language) school for adults. We are currently sharing premises with Barney (our sprightly and loveable dog) in Salisbury and hope to further our careers in 2007: Craig to build on his MCP (computer qualifications) and Jem with teaching opportunities interstate or overseas.

As we spend our first Christmas together as newlyweds, we reflect on the love freely given to us in Jesus Christ. May you experience love, joy, peace and true happiness as you celebrate Christmas and look forward to the coming year ahead!

With much love,
Craig & Jem Kempster

[Interesting how our attitudes towards e-cards and e-newsletters are changing. We don't mind sending or receiving them in lieu of the annual catch-ups and greeting cards. We are, after all, eternally buried deep and engrossed in our lives leaving us little time to write very similar messages on fifty odd cards. Your frequently read blog has certainly kept everybody up to date of your whereabouts and accomplishments as they happened in the year. Besides, we have lost our little black books and are also on a mission to save our planet. You probably won't miss sticking (because you should never ever have to lick) stamps and printing CARD ONLY on those wonderfully white envelopes.

My Inbox brims with Christmas messages from around the globe. I smile at the interactive and multimedia greetings, splashed with digital photos and carols. Express Merry Christmas, whatever the means!

Photo by Mark Trumble, Photography Room 2006]

an encourager

2006-10-25T07:09:00.000-04:00

Barney likes to walk, but he can't talk
He likes to eat, but he can't keep himself neat!

Barney enjoys a cuddle, but he couldn't juggle or play Boggle
He enjoys rolling over on his back, but he couldn't carry a backpack!

Barney loves to run in the garden, but he couldn't count to ten
He loves Craig and me, but he couldn't eat chili!

[Introducing our dear friend, Barney, the encourager. I worked on the poem above this week with a young poet whose favourite games include Boggle, October 2006]

blisfully unaware

2006-10-25T06:41:00.000-04:00

oh to be blissfully unaware of night's end
my fading petals sigh and daydream

then when eternal numbness come
i will be but a fleeting memory
of what was once radiant beauty

[Mum's beautiful orchids, October 2006]

great expectations

2006-09-27T08:24:00.000-04:00

Keep high aspirations, moderate expectations, and small needs.

[quote by William Howard Stein, whale watching at middleton, august 2006; there were 3 southern right whales that came out to say hello when we drove out to the peninsula, the whales are still round the area: latest whale sighting]

australian values

2006-09-21T08:51:00.000-04:00

what's your viewpoint?
[grange beach, september 2006]

shadows

2006-09-21T08:07:00.000-04:00

when the sun melted your wild universe
you paused to listen
till the wearisome rhythms of life faded into the sky
and the wind stilled the questions of yesterday

[on the jetty at grange beach, september 2006]

heavenly henley

2006-09-20T10:22:00.000-04:00

[one reason to love adelaide? time and space to read, relax and enjoy a sunny sunday at the beach; grange , september 2006]

*My sincerest apologies. The featured beach here is in fact not henley but GRANGE beach! jemrk 10-1-07

singing your praise

2006-09-20T09:51:00.000-04:00

i let you go first
play second fiddle
service, instead of "serve-us"
i look out for your interest

understand you first before i seek to be understood

celebrate your achievements, not top them

let you take the credit

let you speak

i listen

[thoughts from rick warren's better together; more poppies from megan & lynett's garden, august 2006]

last poem

2006-09-16T20:00:00.000-04:00

i have so fiercely dreamed of you
and walked so far and spoken of you so,
loved a shade of you so hard
that now i've no more left of you.
i'm left to be a shade among the shades
a hundred times more shade than shade
to be shade cast time and time again into your sun-transfigured life.

[last poem by robert desnos, translated from the French by XJ Kennedy; shaking off the winter blues, walking trail at morialta, august 2006]

beyond the wilderness

2006-09-16T19:49:00.000-04:00

will you continue even though you see wilderness to the horizon? the very best tabernacles are those build in desert times

[thought to ponder from Gerard Kelly, Six habits of highly connected people; pic from Granite Island, the wilderness is not always barren, aug 2006]

desert flower

2006-08-19T20:26:00.000-04:00

in the midst of harsh wilderness
the unassuming beauty of a flower
springs in the desert

[back to the blogging world; granite island, august 2006]

makin' monkeys out of us

2006-04-24T07:08:00.000-04:00

“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Abraham Lincoln

[when did you last smile and did something silly? determine today to laugh a lot more (well ok maybe not in the middle of your ride back home on a crowded bus and you're not holding your phone). which reminds me of my class last term - they were a blast! one commented that we often take ourselves too seriously - i'm glad they can laugh at their mistakes and just try again. it certainly helps make learning fun. even outside of the classroom. posing for the camera, at mylor, april 2006]

sunshine

2006-04-24T06:54:00.000-04:00

don't believe in miracles... rely on them.
[at mylor for the filipino baptist church easter camp, april 2006]

directions

2006-04-20T20:05:00.000-04:00

the book club that i have yet to attend is reading God As He Longs for You to See Him by Chip Ingram. Absolutely refuse to worry is today's gem. it is a reminder (quoted from Oswald Chambers) that no matter how dim or confusing our present circumstances may be, God is sovereign over it.

although this is not in any way the official wedding blog site, the pic you will see here is where the reception will be held. wouldn't you agree that viewing the city (or any landscape) from a summit or lookouts is always breathtaking. it also reminds me that too often we get caught up in living in the valley. people and events worry us to death. stand tall and remember however dim or confusing your present circumstances may be... God is sovereign over it all.

[12 weeks to go! mt lofty, south australia, 2006]

whisper

2006-04-16T22:01:00.000-04:00

the softest whispers of our heart reaches the heavens [barossa valley, march 2006]

heartbeat

2006-03-22T16:39:00.000-05:00

My students learned the word "harmony" today. Sometimes you sing a song on your own. Sometimes you are given a song and it seems all out of tune. Sometimes the part you sing seem dull or difficult. If we all try to sing without listening and waiting for others, we create discord, a cacophony of individuals or groups screaming their rights. To create beautiful music, our heart must beat to the same rhythm.

[Young African dancers, Harmony Day celebrations at Rundle Mall, March 2006]

storytime

2006-03-16T03:40:00.000-05:00

[persian gardens, at elder park, adelaide arts festival 2006]

rosalie

2006-03-08T22:24:00.000-05:00

(click on comments below to read rosalie's poem for this pic)
[on the way to granite island, feb 2006]

sleeping beauty

2006-03-08T22:13:00.000-05:00

You wake up in the morning, and lo! your purse is magically filled with twenty-four hours of the magic tissue of the universe of your life. No one can take it from you. No one receives either more or less than you receive. Waste your infitely precious commodity as much as you will, and the supply will never be withheld from you. Moreover, you cannot draw on the future. Impossible to get into debt. You can only waste the passing moment. You cannot waste tomorrow; it is kept for you.
[you wake up in the morning by arnold bennett; sleeping schuby at victor harbour, feb 2006]

sunday paper

2006-02-10T02:55:00.000-05:00

[d&m relaxing at pa & ma's, jan 2006]

we're engaged!

2006-01-29T04:13:00.000-05:00

(If you haven't heard from the grapevine yet...)
[jem & craig, modbury, january 2006]

girlfriends

2006-01-02T05:47:00.000-05:00

just saying thank you to friends who made 2005 memorable!

[this was the best out of the automated cameras we used for this shoot, but i couldn't scuffle back quick enough to get in the picture! christmas dinner at rostrevor, december 2005]

happy new year

2005-12-30T17:59:00.000-05:00

don't let life become one big blur!
Wake up early and watch the sunrise. Practice random acts of kindness. Forgive. Make a list of things you are thankful for. Write personal notes to at least three people in your life who have been faithful friends. Make new memories. Laugh. Eat ice cream right out of the carton.

[christmas celebrations at modbury; wisdom for the new year from Cheap Ways to Carpe Diem by M Feinberg, relevantmagazine.com]

silent sam

2005-12-30T17:45:00.000-05:00

all around sleeping sam was merry partying. it was christmas eve and there was plenty of music, food, laughter, and people chatting. in the midst of it all, most likely from exhaustion, sam rests. i think about the many people celebrating or sleeping through christmas. will christmas just lose meaning for me as I grow older?
[modbury, christmas eve, 2005]

graduation

2005-12-21T18:19:00.000-05:00

the end and the beginning.
graduations give me a sense of satisfaction, knowing i've reached the end of lectures, practicums, readings, tutorials, tackling theories and fulfilling expectations.
many thanks to the precious people who surrounded me throughout the year: your prayers, support and encouragement helped keep me afloat!
now after all the studies are over, and we get back to the 'real' world, learning begins yet again.
[at adelaide university, photo by harumi nakahama, december 2005]

Buggy Ride

2005-12-09T01:27:00.000-05:00

What it must be like to be an angel
or a squirrel, we can imagine sooner.

The last time we go to bed good,
they are there, lying about darkness.

They dandle us once too often,
these friends who become our enemies.

Suddenly one day, their juniors
are as old as we yearn to be.

They get wrinkles where it is better
smooth, old coughs, and smells.

It is grotesque how they go on
loving us, we go on loving them.

The effrontery, barely imaginable,
of having caused us. And of how.

Their lives: surely
we can do better than that.

This goes on for a long time. Everything
they do is wrong, and the worst thing,

they all do it, is to die,
taking with them the last explanation,

how we came out of the wet sea
or wherever they got us from,

taking the last link
of that chain with them.

Father, mother, we cry, wrinkling,
to our uncomprehending children and grandchildren.

[Parents by William Meredith, Buggy Ride taken at Semaphore, December 2005]

Papa & Jemnah

2005-12-03T05:47:00.000-05:00

We love grandparents! They keep funny pictures of us as kids. They have very amusing stories to tell of our parents as kids. Sunday afternoons once meant walking to the Port Markets, browsing for books or cheap fashion jewellery, and enjoying ice cream cones before heading back home. They ask the pertinent questions, but sometimes they don't ask... they just know. They always have a spare rooom ready for you. And of course they always have snacks ready for you. Now we often have dinner on Sunday evenings with the whole [extended] family, and it doesn't matter if you bring friends! Yes they can be a little stubborn and set in their ways sometimes, but while you can, enjoy the gift of a grandparent's love.

[P.S. An elderly woman and her little grandson, whose face was sprinkled with bright freckles, spent the day at the zoo. Lots of children were waiting in line to get their cheeks painted by a local artist who was decorating them with tiger paws. "You've got so many freckles, there's no place to paint!" a girl in the line said to the little fella. Embarrassed, the little boy dropped his head.His grandmother knelt down next to him "I love your freckles. When I was a little girl I always wanted freckles, she said, while tracing her finger across the child's cheek. "Freckles are beautiful!"The boy looked up, "Really?""Of course," said the grandmother. "Why, just name me one thing that's prettierthan freckles."The little boy thought for a moment, peered intensely into his grandma's face, and softly whispered, "Wrinkles." by Marialyce. Croydon, December 2005]

directions

2005-12-03T05:02:00.000-05:00

i am an adventurer in search of a home
i wonder how you have captured my heart...
[croydon, december 2005]

faded beauty

2005-12-03T04:52:00.000-05:00

it seemed like a good idea to crop out the faded flower on the left. after all, there seems to be no beauty left in its withered petals. but tell me... why can't we celebrate what it was once, and rejoice in what it is now.

[a lesson on deconstructionism, however you may want to define it. croydon, december 2005]

advent begins

2005-12-03T04:42:00.000-05:00

[Many streets of Adelaide are carpeted with your purple blossoms. When the jacarandas are out, you know summer's just round the corner! December 2005]

Christmas trees

2005-12-03T04:16:00.000-05:00

[Who needs Christmas trees decorated inside the house when there are beautiful colourful trees such as these in your garden, out in the streets and in the parks! Croydon, December 2005]

strange beautiful music

2005-11-27T20:48:00.000-05:00

the moment we begin to fear the opinion of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we whould speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls

[elizabeth stanton, 1890; mum's garden, november 2005]

driven

2005-11-20T08:43:00.000-05:00

[Yes, sometimes life is like a blur. Time is not on our side, she mocks at our cries for her to stop and wait for us. What drives you? What makes you get up in the morning day in, day out, to live the life you map out for yourself? Where did you get the map? Is there a map? King William Road, November 2005]

happy birthday jemnah

2005-11-19T03:38:00.000-05:00

[one of my favourite photos of you jemnah, your smile just radiates! ]

sunday afternoon

2005-11-15T19:21:00.000-05:00

[what buildings would you design for this city, jed? adelaide. today, a nice lazy sunday afternoon with friends, next year buzzing, where the action will all happen. two great excuses to visit south australia in 2006: adelaide arts festival and the adelaide fringe festival! adelaide, november 2005]

happy birthday jowanna

2005-11-13T07:20:00.000-05:00

When the little sister cried, the big one comforted her. But there was no one to put an arm around big sister. No one took out a handkerchief and said, "Here, blow." Big sister just sat there crying alone.

Little sister stood up but big sister didn't even see her, she was crying so much.

Little sister went over and put her arm around big sister. She took out her handkerchief and said kindly, "Here, blow."

Big sister did.
Then the little sister hugged her.

[from Big Sister and Little Sister by Charlotte Zolotow. Thank you Jowanna for the being the little sister who takes care of me, your big sister ate Jem. adelaide, novembre 2005]

fragile

2005-11-08T06:31:00.000-05:00

[pretty in pink, revisited. november 2005]

perfect pink

2005-11-08T04:41:00.000-05:00

[it's the season for flowers down here and there are lovely bursts of colours everywhere! (even non-gardeners like my family get amazingly rewarded). dont' you just love how your grandparents can make (almost) anything grow. it is a wonder how people can look at bare land, plant some seeds or shoots and then patiently tend and care for them and within months, a beautiful paradise emerges. it reminds me of how friends can see the beauty in us and when the friendship is cared for, tended, cultivated, we experience true joy and happiness.

p.s. this photo was taken at mama & papa's, pennington, SA, november 2005]

happy birthday lynett

2005-11-02T18:01:00.000-05:00

[i remember when we first just exchanged smiles at bcsa, then a hug at the women's conference at victor harbor. we both didn't want to attend that, but look at how God used that event to kickstart our friendship! remember the many great nights sitting and pretending to study at college, crazy SPAT nights, and what about the night we stayed to chat in the café for as late as we possibly can (till they had to kick us out)! i remember the many times you took the time to listen to my fears and my dreams , the goss that doesn't get published in updates or newsletters (yes you hold so much power ). happy birthday lynett, you're allowed not to feel your age! Goodwood, november 2005]

favourite things

2005-10-28T22:19:00.000-04:00

[A collection of bracelets, necklaces and earrings from friends. Through the lens, modbury, october 2005]

Playing the blues

2005-10-22T04:10:00.000-04:00

[jed, modbury, october 2005]

il pleut

2005-10-22T04:03:00.000-04:00

it's raining
outside my window
raindrops
forming a river
on the pavement
outside my window
transforming the garden
lush and cool
now a rainforest
outside my window
[the room with a view, modbury, october 2005]

finger tips / Fred Astaire

2005-10-22T01:37:00.000-04:00

[looks like nail polished fingers! mylor, south australia, october 2005]

the neighbour's cat

2005-10-22T01:24:00.000-04:00

i am pretty, spoiled and get what i want
i wonder if there's something i can't get
i hear sounds of others amazed at my beauty
i see copycats [of girls], like miniature me's
i want the world standing at my feet
i am pretty, spoiled and get what i want.

i pretend i'm like every other [girl]
i feel like a princess in everyone's world
i touch all and all turns to gold
i worry too much about getting wrinkly and old
i cry because i know there are pretty [girls] like me
i am pretty, spoiled and get what i want.

i understand that everybody's beautiful in their own way
i say beauty isn't everything
i dream about living in a big mansion
i try making my dreams come true
i hope the world would become beautiful
i am pretty, spoiled and get what i want.

[original poem by Saran Long 2005]

Happy birthday Klarysa

2005-10-11T00:34:00.000-04:00

[A blink in time. Once we cuddled you in our arms, though you took some time to get to know us and be comfortable in our company. As you grow older, you delight us with your charming ways. You love to sing and dance. You love to read and enjoy your regular dose of TV and movies! Another blink in time, and we await, the young woman you will become . Happy birthday to our dear cousin! Modbury, October 2005]

Distant drummer

2005-10-05T10:15:00.000-04:00

[playing it cool, croydon, south australia, 2005]