sunset

The view from our balcony is so beautiful sometimes. A few days during my holiday I have sat on the couch looking out there, reading a bit, drinking tea, and enjoying it. This was what Ant and I saw a few nights ago when we were eating our dinner.

I feel grateful to God for the peace that he gives us through his faithful upholding of the days; sun rising, and sun setting.

It was St. Thomas, I think, who pointed out long ago that if God wanted to get rid of the universe, He would not have to do anything; He would have to stop doing something.... Do you see what this means?... God made the world out of joy: He didn't need it; He just thought it was a good thing. But if you confine His activity in creation to the beginning only, you lost most of the joy in the subsequent shuffle of history. Sure, it was good back then, you say, but since then, we've been eating leftovers. How much better a world it becomes when you see Him creating at all times and at every time.... He has no use for [the world]; only delight.

--from The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon

our living and dining room

Our living and dining area is one big room, divided by the couch. At one end is Ant's new TV (bought just in time for the World Cup) and our bookshelves. On the left you can see the doors to our balcony. (Our landlady left us those curtains; what do you think of them?)


On the other end of the room you can see our new painting, which we got as a gift from Jeff's Mum when we went to Shenzhen with Mum and Dad. It's amazing! At the back you can see our front door and the kitchen door, going off to the left.


And I've started a picture collage on the wall--some family photos and some postcards. I am now looking for new postcards, so why don't you send me one from your next outing? ;-)

flowers and rain

Anna, my sister-in-law, has started a photo blog that I love! She posts a photo each day from her travels and experiences and the stories are memorable. Today's photo is one that I took!


When we both lived in the UK I got to visit them more frequently and I visited on Easter weekend when both Micah and Anna got confirmed. This is Anna's hair on that beautiful day. Click through to her blog to read more about it.

Yesterday I stayed in the flat for a quiet day in as there was a torrential downpour outside. This kind of rain keeps Hong Kong very lush. I sat in the window nook of the guest bedroom and ate yoghurt and read my book. It's so nice to be inside when this is going on outside. The view from the nook is a steep hillside covered in trees and a few buildings down the road.

Sydney

I have just come back from a week in Australia. What a nice surprise--I asked my school if I could get some International Baccalaureate training and they booked me on a three-day course in Sydney. I stayed on a few days more so I could visit Micah & Anna and Chris & Tam. I didn't do too much sight-seeing this time, instead I visited, ate food, did some window shopping, played games, drank wine, went to church, and read books. What a nice holiday!


Micah and I spent a day in Newtown, a shabby and hip suburb of Sydney. There is a shop there that sells only buttons (above). We browsed at the used book stores and the antique stores. I bought a few pieces of old cutlery, since food styling seems to be one of my main hobbies at the moment. Micah bought a book and we ate some excellent Mexcian fast food. But it was really just the time chatting and wandering that made this a memorable day out.

I went with Anna to her work and saw the offices that she is soon to leave for good as she takes a break. We ate food, which is actually my main hobby, I admit. I got a tour of the complex in which she works. Since I have never worked in an office I was quite interesting in how noisy it was (not that much) and how friendly her co-workers were. I think it would be strange to see everyone else making phone calls or working on their computers while you were doing your work.


I had dinner at Chris and Tam's place and saw Ethan--now a big boy who can almost walk and has learned a few words. He also knows baby sign language. Wow--what an idea! I had never heard of it but I guess it's quite well known in Australia. Ethan can communicate that he is thirsty, hungry, or done eating using signs Chris and Tam have taught him. Tam says it keeps him calm and less frustrated and that it also helps toddlers learn to speak more confidently in time. What a great idea.


After meeting Tam for coffee at her work, I wandered around downtown Sydney and saw the Queen Victoria Building, with its beautiful floors and windows.


The QVB is a very upmarket mall; the main attraction for me was the building itself. I love the tiling on the floors (and took more pictures so I might be able to turn them into a lesson activity one day).


The rest of my time was taken up with relaxing with Micah & Anna and meeting Norman & Natalie, their flatmates. Anna has started a blog, Anna's Ambles, and we talked blogging a bit. Please have a look at it: each post shows a beautiful image from Anna's travels and she shares the story behind each memory.

questions? and Ant's birthday!

Hello, a few of you have been urging me to blog more often. And I want to. But I have been finding that every time I sit down at the computer my mind goes blank. Sometimes I look through my pictures and try to think of something that way. But it doesn't seem to be working. Please tell me, what do you want me to write about? :-S


Here's one important happening: Ant's birthday last week! We held a little party last night. Our new table got good use. We bought it last weekend. It seats six in its normal state (below).


And here it is pulled out to its full size: for ten people. It has an in-between size as well (for eight, duh). Ant invited round a handful or his colleagues and we also had a few friends from church over. We don't have too many friends yet, but Ant was still celebrated by all in attendance!


(When the party starts I always forget to take pictures. I am the one pouring drinks, passing napkins, ferrying food, and so on. But let me assure you that a good time was had by all.)