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Saturday, February 14, 2009

Bukit Aup Sibu : Takang Quarry vs Jubilee Park




This photo of "local tourists" (actually family members) has a story to tell.

It was taken my father who was the owner of the Ta Kang quarry which extracted and crushed the granite from Bukit Aup.

The rocks were religiously "dynamited" by my father with the help of his Iban workers. Each week he had to bring his quarry licence first to the PWD (Public Works Department) to get his stipulated consignment of dynamite signed by the Divisional Engineer in the morning and then to the Police Department where he would collect a wooden box of dynamite.

I used to worry if the dynamite might blow off in his Land Rover on his way to Aup for I had read quite a lot of detective novels by then.

He would then have part of the granite hill "blown off" between 4 and 5 p.m. (He had a sign up in English and Chinese for this)

The signboard read something like this "Please be warn that no one should be in the vicinity at around 4-5 p.m. -Danger caused by dynamite !! By order PWD."

(I only remember that the words for dynamite in Chinese were fire medicine.)

I would always remember that at 4 no one would be around and the then jungle would become so quiet that I could hear a bird sing or a rock fall and even the energetic explosion of a bursting ripe rubber seed!

 


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I smile today because the usual indemnity statement (e.g.loss of life or any untoward damages would not be the responsibility of the management)would then have been rather necessary.

The "blowing up" of part of the hillside was like a movie scene. We the children would hide near the office and cover our ears while my father would be standing in the distance ready to press the detonator with his right foot. His two men would run to the selected rock crevice to set up the dynamite. This was followed by a white flag to show that they had inserted the dynamite. My father would respond with his white flag. And then the two men would run for cover in the machinery hut. Upon reaching their protective shed they would raise their red flag and my father would also raise his red flag as acknowledgement.

At that moment my father would step on the detonator (ala David Niven) and he would run to the office where we would beam our best Tiong smile for our hero.

The office was quite a good distance away. And those were the only moments we ever saw our father in "great action - walking very quickly - almost running". Actually the operation was very safe .

I have often wondered whether people today do their quarrying in such gentle ways - dynamite only enough for the week's supply for government use.

My father was given the annual renewable license to supply gravel for government road building. It was all very environmentally friendly I remember. If the PWD stopped workig for a while my father did not need to collect his dynamite which was a very controlled item. His machinery would just crush the stones which needed to be processed to the required sizes. The PWD trucks would not come to collect the gravel and my father would work half day only.

In retrospect I wonder what would have happened if my father was ambushed and kidnapped! But then that small amount of dynamite was not worth it I suppose.

Or may be because my father was such a mild person no communist had ever thought of taking the dynamite from him.

As Bukit Aup is state land my father never applied to own the small granite outcrop. The history of Bukit Aup would have been really different if he had been an ambitious man and had strategic plans to add on to his landed property. But he was a mild gentle scholarly man with aesthetics pursuits.

Today it has been transformed into the Bukit Aup Jubilee Park



A lovely bridge over the green lake.

Another blogger BengBeng is the guy in the photo.



A photo by blogger friend Victor Kiu taken when he and his friends chilled out in the Jubilee Park.




The water in the pool is not "living" meaning that there is no outlet. This bomb crater continues to trap rainwater and the greeness is a combination of the greenery surrounding it and the algae that has grown underneath it. The pool to my knowledge has never been dry as the granite layer supporting the body of water must be truly impermeable.

So if you like do get a pair of lovely sunshades from Mr. Tiong Tak King's International Optics and chill out in the Jubille Park like what we used to do.

The ambience may not be the same any more. You can't hear cicadas or small rocks bursting out of the granite crevices in the hot sun.

Day 1: Fashion Week Real Style

Hey!
So the first day of Fashion Week was so exciting! My homie Charles and I dipped into the Cushnie & Ochs show, then hit up a few parties for Roberto Cavalli and Alexander McQueen.
I've got a couple videos and pix for Monday, but if you can't wait until then, some shots of Real Style:

So much fun!
Check back in for more Fashion Week fun:)
Bisous!

Asian Girl Celebrity: Aoi Sora

Asian Girl Celebrity: Aoi Sora

Asian Girl Celebrity: Aoi Sora

Asian Girl Celebrity: Aoi Sora

Asian Girl Celebrity: Aoi Sora

Asian Girl Celebrity: Aoi Sora

Asian Girls Celebrity and Popular Actress

Asian Girls Celebrity and Popular Actress

Beautyful sexi japanese Girls

Ueto Aya Biography
In 1997, Aya Ueto participated in the 7th All-Japan National Young Beauty contest, where she received a special award from the judges. Her discovery led to many TV commercial deals, which eventually started her acting career.

In 1999, she formed the J-pop band Z-1 with Mami Nejiki, Mai Fujiya, and Manami Nishiwaki. They released five singles before breaking up, but Aya went on to start a solo career when she signed with Pony Canyon two years later. She released her first single, "Pureness," in 2002. It peaked at #4 on the Oricon charts and became the first female artist debut single in 3 years and 3 months to enter the Top 5 since Kyoko Fukada. Since then, she has released thirteen singles and six albums. Throughout her soon to be five year old solo musical career she has collaborated with the likes of Tetsuro Oda, RYOJI (from Ketsumeishi), Toshihiko Takamizawa (from The Alfee), Toko Furuuchi and Suguru Shimabukuro (from Begin).

Friday, February 13, 2009

Happy Valentine's Day

My ten Valentine Day's thoughts are for :



For all my teachers and my children's teachers - thank you for the love and the knowledge you share.



For my mother espeically and all the mothers and grandmothers and certainly the mothers-in-laws of this world for bringing all of us into this world.




For the great leaders of China - Hu Jin Tao and Wen Jia Bao . My admiration and love.



For all dear aunties and uncles and sisters and brothers and cousins and nephews and neices - those who provide pastoral care for those suffering and in need...love not only today but all the days of your life.




For all the missionaries in this world : for your sacrifice and love for all mankind. Without that spark in you love will not be spread. James Hoover would not have come to Sibu!



For all those who carry love in their hearts for eternity - love in whatever form is never too old it is never too weak and it is never too poor.


For my three daughters - family love was sown on the prairie with Laura Ingalls and it has spread far and wide as we watched episode after episode. You might be far away but you are in my heart where love stays strong for always.




For my son - love is like a pot of honey it is so good you need to use your fingers and lick the last sticky drop and then you want more!! No chef can cook without using his hands! I want to say again and again you must use your hands well in the kitchen. And your cooking must be finger licking good!


To all my friends and former students you are like the characters in Sesame Street - cheerful and loving. You are like a loving world family. And you never do grow old. Do you?




And to myself - I am like Snoopy - Music please! Dance! Dance for love today and every day of your life!!


God is Love and Joy.

(ref: images are all from Google Images)

Amuse-Biatch “Choked Up” Photoessay: The Disconnect Between Actions and Words














Well, to be fair to Fabio, possums, it does look as though he’s choking something, rather than someone, so on that level, maybe the t-shirt is actually accurate.

Still, he did do a lot of choking during this episode, n’est-ce pas?


NYScene: Vogue and BMW Event

Fashion Week kicked off last night with a star-studded Vogue/BMW event and The Fashion Bomb was in the house, of course!I kicked it on the red carpet with loyal readers and Fashion Bombshells Pietrina and Joy, who were sporting some fierce, camera-ready Real Style.We even had us a lil' exercise in workin' the Top Model poses and faces! Inside, the action centered around this ultra-luxe, 7-series Beemer, which Franca Sozzani, Vogue Italia's Editor-in-Chief, helped to design. I spotted quite a few celebs working the room, including FB favorites Joy Bryant, Chanel Iman, and Arlenis Sosa.Of course, I had to ask C. Iman about the new "Gossip Girl" scoop reported by our very own Vuitton. She shared that she's always looking to try her hand at new opportunities, and seemed really excited about striking a pose in front of the (TV) camera. You know we'll be tuning in!I also chatted with Chanel's mom, China Robinson(between Chanel and I, above), who often travels with Chanel and is enjoying seeing the world herself. Both mother and daughter were lovely as can be and it's clear where this top model gets her inner and outer glow from. And yes, that's none other than Fashion Bomb friend Ryan Leslie next to Chanel!One of the highlights of the evening was meeting the stunning Arlenis Sosa, one of my favorite models and a fellow Dominicana. We gabbed away in Spanish for quite a while on everything from the fittings she's doing for the shows to the goings-on in our native D.R. As sweet as she is gorgeous, I'm going to love watching her star continue to rise!
It couldn't have been a better kick-off.
Stay focused on The Fashion Bomb for continuing New York Fashion Week coverage this and next week!
~Adriana

Hoot Flush


Whoah, Annie Frenzel

Hootmail


Joey sent in this submission, done by jymi shores @ Newspeak Tattoo, Denver CO

He Hoots, He Scores!


Ryan Mason.

Washing Feet Washing Face (Seh ka seh min)

Years ago when we were young and water was stored in huge cement tanks in our homes we had the ritual of washing our face and feet before we went to bed. We did not have showers or long baths then. Mum would use one towel for all of us so we had our faces wiped and then we soaked our feet in the Chinese enamal basin finally. It was sharing of a warm foot bath.

It was a great bonding time for mother and children. We would be scrubbed red and then we changed into our pajamas and went upstairs. We were even told that if we did not wash our face and feet we would have nightmares.

Later I had some memorable times with my daughters who loved to give me manicures and pedicures. They thought that I should have something nice at least. They thought that being a teacher I was standing far too long and far too much. They were right. Very often my feet were killing me!

Little would they realise how therapeutic their actions had been. The warm foot bath and the long soaking (to get rid of the dead cells they said) would lull me to sleep and when I woke up from the short relaxing sleep my toe nails were all painted and my feet were refreshingly cool. I did not need to go to a pedicurist to have my feet and toes pampered. These girls were learning a great skill.

Christians learned to wash feet from the example set by Jesus more than 2000 years ago. The Muslims also practise ablution rituals of washing their feet and other parts every day before they read their Koran and say their prayers.

And many Chinese who were not brought up by these two religions actually also had some kind of foot and face washing in the evenings.

I have enjoyed watching several Chinese movies which showed the loving husband giving his wife a treat by sending a warm basin of water up to their small room for her to soak her feet in. And I have forgotten the title of another movie in which the wife washed the husband's feet lovingly. These are awesome memories.

Today with all the utilities we have (hot water showers and long baths and perhaps even jaccuzis) the idea of washing feet has indeed become very archaic.

But the other night I gave myself a warm foot bath as I was so tired....and took these photos. It was not easy to take an artistic photo of feet soaking in warm water! I will try again.





May be tomorrow (Valentine's Day) you can plan to give your loved ones a foot bath !! And I can assure you that you do not have to spend a fortune to give your loved ones this special treat!!

And I would like to thank my daughters who practise foot bathing (hopefully they have bought their Chinese enamal basins) for giving me my first ever foot bath and a pedicure many years ago when they were still secondary school girls!!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Mail Bombs Lite: Heidi's YSL Pumps, Beyonce's Prince T-Shirt, and Tiny's Herve Leger Dress!

Hey Fashion Bombers!!
So I just arrived in NYC! Fashion Week fun starts today, but first we have a couple Mail Bombs...
...we'll keep it short!

First Kenyatta says, "I'm trying to find out where I can get the grey pumps Kourtney Kardashian is wearing in this picture. I think I saw the same pumps on Heidi Klum a few months back and I absolutely love them..."
"...Where can I find them?? Thanks!"
Adriana found that Heidi and Kourtney are wearing these Yves Saint Laurent Platform Pumps in grey...
...get them for $795 at www.ysl.com.

Next, Melody asks, "Can you tell me where Bey got this cute Prince shirt?"
Yup! Beyonce found her shirt for $35 at cybershop www.viktorviktoriashop.com...
...get your t by going here.

Christina says, "I have a pretty good grip on jumpsuits, but I have been dying to find a reasonably (reasonable meaning not straight off the runway) priced jumpsuit like this:"
"I love the length! I LOVE the fit! HELP!"
Sure! Get an Angela Simmons red carpet look with these high and low price options:
Left to Right: Bebe Silk Twill Jumpsuit, $129; Marley Silk Wrap Jumpsuit, $395.

And lastly Tiffany says, "I wanted to know who designed this dress Tiny is wearing? She looks so fab!"
Adriana found that Tiny is wearing this $2,800 Herve Leger Sequin Bandage dress...
...Oh, and like her shoes? Get a similar pair for less here.

That does it!
Stay tuned later today for a bit of NY Scene with Adriana. I'm going to try to make it to the tents today, but honestly I'm a bit jet lagged! If anything I'll be sure to hit the ground running this weekend, and deliver fresh pix, reviews, and news around the clock.
Bisous!

Animal wallpapers






























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