Ruby Tuesday - Kokeshi Dolls

Kokeshi are wooden Japanese Dolls, one of the most popular traditional folk-crafts in Japan

On a recent trip to Japan, my brother in law bought us some cool Kokeshi dolls. These dolls are handmade from wood, generally cylindrical in shape and limbless. They are completely unique and simply adorable, so I feel happy with whatever I get. It's quite the norm for people to pick up souvenirs and mementos or local delicacies of their vacation. Infact, I love collecting unique souvenirs from different countries. Regardless big or small the gift, it is always the thought that counts. It is pretty interesting to see different items with intriguing cultural backgrounds too.

We have been fortunate to do an extensive bit of travel in the past years, both for business and leisure and have gotten a charming collection of those little souvenirs of where we have been. Most of the trips were overseas to very spectacular places. Whenever I get to those cities and places of attractions, I make it a point to get unique souvenirs to add to my own collections as well as for friends and relatives, with affordable bargains of course. More often, I'm always on the look out for something original that would bring back wonderful memories of my travels.

How about you? Do you like buying souvenirs and gifts from places you travel to?

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First Commenter - Foong

Photo Hunt - Hands

People hold hands for symbolic reasons such as a gesture of friendship, showing affection, protection and comfort, the lovey dovey things that all new lovers do like casually holding hands and many more instances.

When hubby and I were holding hands, I was comparing our hands together. I felt kind of awkward and embarrassed that his hands were more beautiful and smoother than mine.

When couples hold hands, they can feel the spirit of their love and bond intact within them, sharing in the magical moments of life.

a steady pair of hands forming a heart shape

Is there anything sweeter than a baby’s small little hands? They are the softest, smoothest, cutest, most beautiful thing to feel and all so perfectly formed by God. They are truly something to treasure.

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First Commenter

Jessica Cox, an inpiration

I came across this inspirational article, on Jessica Cox a few days ago. The motivational speaker was invited to Kuala Lumpur recently to deliver her speech, sharing about her memoirs of growing up and the various obstacles she has encountered along the way. What truly inspired me was Jessica, born without arms, was able to accomplish many tasks and goals in her life. Despite her handicap, this lady has proven that anything is possible if you have the courage to pursue your dreams. Having said that, I truly admire her courage, determination, work and strength of character to live her life with passion. It seems that she managed to lead a normal life in spite of her disabilities, how cool.

Can you imagine people fly a plane without arms? Check out this inspirational video on how Jessica Cox literally pilots a plane.

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First Commenter

Wordless Wednesday - The Grand Place, Brussels

Brussels is world famous for its magnificent Grand Place, the central market square which is a welcoming destination for tourists from all over the world. It is surrounded by the Town Hall, guild houses, and the Bread House, with some cafes and restaurants at almost every end. I was overall very impressed by the remarkable architecture, priceless art works lining the town square. Unfortunately I wasn't there when the spectacular flower carpet laid down the square, but it was marvelous nonetheless. The people are friendly and almost all the shops speak English. It has been a very memorable adventure that we will never forget.





A visit to Brussels is incomplete without experiencing the world famous Belgian chocolate.





some ancient buildings are located just a few blocks away from the Grand Place

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First Commenter-Mei Teng

Earth Hour 2009

As Earth Hour approaches, we're constantly reminded about doing our part to help protect the earth. The idea here is to encourage people around the world to shut off unnecessary lights and electronics during the designated hour. This event was initiated by WWF-Australia and it has inspired many cities worldwide to show their support to combat global warming and protect our environment. Events like this is a great start for people across the globe to go green.

We can all contribute something, even if it's a very small gesture which can mean a significant difference to our mother nature. Personally, I want to appreciate the beautiful night sky, gazing at the twinkling stars with my kids. It can be a wonderful experience but I think the reason I love the stars most is that there is light shining in the darkness. They are simply beautiful.

With all the lights off, each of our efforts will be considered a vote for Earth against global warming. Let's bring it on, people!

Happy Earth Hour!

Bloggers Care For The Earth Link Love Chain
Renny - Norway
EastCoastLife - Singapore
A Changing Life - France
Bill - Arizona, USA
Heart of Rachel - Batangas, Philippines
Life Ramblings - KL, Malaysia
Marzie - KL, Malaysia
Jean Chia - KL, Malaysia
LifeCruiser - Stockholm, Sweden
Sassy Mom - Manila, Philippines
foongpc - KL, Malaysia
Lina - KL, Malaysia


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First Commenter

Photo Hunt - Yellow

It was taken on a trip to Istanbul, Turkey. The Blue Mosque is such a difficult place to take photographs as the place is so wide, make it almost impossible to capture. The yellow lights and architecture in the foreground are absolutely warm and welcoming.


My mom's garden is full of yellow bell flowers and they are in full blossom. The yellow petals are just so beautiful. I was fascinated by the yellow beauty as it sways gently in the breeze and depicts the true beauty of nature. It shows the value of life being nurtured with well care and blooming in perfection.


My all time favorite Disney Princess is definitely Belle, the yellow beautiful princess. This Belle is simply friendly and wonderful! Her bright smile and the look on her face are totally priceless. I've always wanted to be her, wearing her signature yellow ballroom gown.

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First Commenter-JL

My Birthday Boy

Today is my son’s birthday and it’s amazing how fast the last nine years have passed by. His age will always be easy to remember as he is a millenium baby. So being a typical 9 year old, the menu he selected consisted of a hearty fruit cake, his all time fave pizzas, ice-cream, dark chocolates with walnuts and some comic books. That said, my little dude is an avid collector of comic books. He collects them dedicated to the characters of his fave comic strips. Since he's done so well in his recent exams, we were more than happy to oblige.


So here's a shout to him! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON!

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First Commenter - Monica

Wordless Wednesday - Forbidden City

For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated with the Forbidden City and having to experience the historical significance of Imperial China was simply amazing. The Forbidden City a.k.a Imperial Palace, was the best preserved imperial palace during the last two dynasties (Ming and Qing). It is called the Forbidden City because only the Chinese royalty was allowed to enter the palace. These days, the city is no longer forbidding, but inviting. There are tons of beautiful buildings with fabulous roof architectures decorated with colored paintings of the dragon and phoenix embracing the royal power.

Here are some snippets of my trip.


T­he historic and sprawling complex is mostly p­ain­t­ed in­ just­ t­w­o colors, yellow­ an­d red, w­hich can­ b­e seen­ t­hroug­hout­ t­he cit­y. Red represents happiness, good fortune and wealth whereas yellow is the color of the Imperial.

A pair of Bronze lions, plated with gold. As you can see from the pictures, the­ m­al­e­ l­i­on­ wi­th hi­s ri­ght paw r­e­sti­n­g on­ a bal­l­(a symbol of power)an­d the­ fe­m­al­e­ wi­th he­r­ l­e­ft paw fon­dl­i­n­g a c­ub(the cycle of life).


Golden imperial roofs which symbolized royalty.

In Chinese mythology the dragon is composed of 9 different animals to ward off evil spirits. It also reflects the social status of the building.

Huge stone carving, Hall of Preserved Harmony

The largest stone carving in the Imperial Palace, known as the Dragon walk, is behind the Hall of Preserved Harmony, in the centre of the stairway. It is a huge piece of marble showing 9 dragons toying with pearls, weighing more than 200 tonnes.

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First Commenter-Lina

Prayers for my Mom in-law

It has been an exhausting weekend for me. My 78 year old mom in law was stricken with extreme chest pains and was hospitalized yesterday morning. In due course she was undergoing several medical tests and procedures due to her lifelong battle with heart disease and such. The doctor believes she may have developed a blockage in her heart. Ironically, her struggle with heart disease began when she was in her early 40s. Her doctors have been controlling her symptoms with medication since then.

Whenever she gets heartburn, she's worried that she might be suffering a heart attack. Besides, she has been battling high blood pressure and high cholesterol for years now and it is a tough battle indeed. Over the years, she has modified her eating habits substantially, consuming a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, eating a lot of oatmeal, too.

When I visited her last night, she was much more comfortable and not in any pain, so it was a little relieve to all of us. But I know that with her previous diagnosis and old age, this might be something that is likely to occur with more and more frequency. The thought of her having pain on a regular basis......well, that's a lot to think about. Her blood pressure would rise, she would have trouble breath, feeling restless and agitated. Scary is all I can say. It has also seriously affected her appetite, was on the verge of frustration most of the time, and was just so miserable that she couldn't come home. She's a little worried obviously but as I know, mom in- law trusts her God to be with her at all times and care for her.

We are all praying that things will get better with each passing day. Hope she will regain strength and energy that she has not had for months.

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First Commenter

Photo Hunt - Four

The Taj Mahal has four minarets at the four corners of the main platform. They are all angled slightly outwards, so that in the event of collapse, they will lean away from the tomb and not on the main structure of the mosque.


One of the four exquisite minarets in one of the corners. Each of the minarets are more than 40 meters tall. All four minarets are beautifully designed with intricate marble work.

Happy weekend!

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First Commenter - Foong

Wordless Wednesday - Manneken Pis, Brussels

The Manneken Pis, the "little boy of Brussels" is one of the city's most precious icons. As you can see from the above picture, this bronze sculpture of a little boy is gleefully doing what a boy's got to do. On certain occasions, the statue is dressed in different costumes from all over the world, accompanied by brass band music. Unfortunately, there were no such events when I visited the sculpture.

There are several legends explaining the history of the statue. I heard two different theories during my visit. The first legend literally explained that a little boy named Julien from Brussels saved the city from enemy explosive attacks by urinating on the burning fuses, pretty much in the same manner he portrays to this day. Another legend told a story where the little boy was the son of a wealthy merchantman who got lost and was found urinating in a small garden at the time. The Belgian nobelman had then showed his gratitude by giving this sculpture as a gift to the locals. What ever the real legend behind this statue, it’s worth checking it out when visiting Brussels.

Enough said, little Julien.... BIG piss !

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First Commenter

My 100th Post

I can't believe that I have finally reached MY 100TH POST. Hooray! When I started this blog last September, it kept me pondering if I would have the willpower to keep up with it. I consider it a tiny milestone of some sort and I’m extremely proud of myself for making it thus far, and I couldn’t be more proud of you for sticking with me! What a rewarding experience it has been - discovering new friends in the blogging community, learning new things and having my favourite place to vent my joys and frustrations. I bet there will be many more amazing things to come and I am looking forward to sharing them with you.

In the meantime, I would like to thank my beloved readers for your continued support in making this blog what it is today, and hope that you continue to leave me wonderful comments. I appreciate your input, they mean a great deal to me.

In honor of MY 100TH POST, here are some heartwarming inspirational quotes to mark the International Women's Day (IWD). I'm glad that it coincides with such a significant occasion which is marked by women's groups worldwide to provide an important platform to inspire women and celebrate their achievements.

"God gave women intuition and femininity. Used properly, the combination easily jumbles the brain of any man I've ever met."
~ Farrah Fawcett~

A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.
~ Diane Mariechild ~

"If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman."
~ Margaret Thatcher~

"Follow your instincts. That's where true wisdom manifests itself."
~ Oprah Winfrey~

"Women have served all these centuries as looking glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of a man at twice its natural size."
~ Virginia Woolf~

"Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps, and preside over the White House as the President's spouse. I wish him well!"
~ Barbara Bush~

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!

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First Commenter

Photo Hunt - Space

Photo hunt theme : Space


A vacation in a Disney theme park or Disneyland is always a fun-filled destination for millions of people around the world. Pretty much all the Disney theme parks, wherever they are located seems to have the same theme. In Tomorrow land, a space age futuristic theme park, offers a fascinating combination of science and innovative imagination. You will discover fun rides that rockets you to outer space, a place I have, of course, never been to. :)


People are being encouraged to embrace more green space to live a greener life. Elderly folks tend to be generally healthier and live longer lives if their homes are within the vicinity of a park, trees or other green space, regardless of their social or economic status.

Happy Weekend and Happy Photo Hunting!

First Commenter