FSO: New in your town

The board walk is so new that they haven't sealed all the nail "holes". I was wondering why there there black dollops of ice cream shaped black rubber on one set of nail "holes" and none on the other. On another patch, the rubber seals were smooth. My son said they haven't trimmed off the dollops. I presume, they haven't finished their job when they broke up for Christmas.
Any of you know?





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Member Voice for December 31....

Happy New Year!! Another celebration. A new year, a new you, new beginnings, new town. What is new, changing, evolving. New in your town or new with you if you care to share. Is there something new and exciting going on in your town? or something that is drastically changing? (and is the change for the better or not so good)

Someone must have added a lot of "extras" to the punch bowl to the pre New Year Party I went to. I didn't realize that I posted the wrong FSO Framed photos. I was still tipsy when Jama pointed it up, and only when Doreen told me, I was wondering what she was about. LOL

Here is my "right" photos, I went to a beach, and there was a brand new board walk. It was built with finances assisted by the local marina. It is heartening to see a private business organization help this way. Now, the beach and the marina is accessible, not only at low tide.

Ka Pai and paki paki to all concern.

We go to the beach a lot, because the water engineer marries his work with pleasure. Now I don't mind, because I get a lot of photos for my blogs.

Happy New Year to you all, it is already 2011 here, and I sat on my computer watching the fireworks from the Sky Tower.

FSO: Framed

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Double Takes With Rebecca: Frame Your Photo
One way to add interest to your photos is to frame them before you take them!
So obviously I am not talking about a wooden frame with glass,
I am talking about using the environment to create a frame for your subject.

I am so not creative. Even as I post this, I realise the Thai lion I photographed on top of a Thai restaurant does not qualify. But it is an interesting object. The fish is real.

Happy New Year to all, I greatly enjoyed being part of Friday Shootout.

Outdoor Wednesday: On the beach

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The sun is shining, but the water is still too cold for this mum-daughter pair to swimming. I didn't swim either.

Save the world: Get involved in a Green Sports.

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I refused to watch any motor racing or any sports that involves burning up precious gases. About thirty years ago, I watched Mel Gibson in Mad Nax and people became savages fighting for gas. yes, you may say that it is a movie and is unreal.

I lived through a time when there was rationing of kerosene. In Borneo, many households used kerosene to cook their food and light their house. In the early 70s, there was a shortage. and we had to line up at the gas station, and it was a body count. One person was allowed a certain amount, and only if you queued up. My late grandma said this was like the Second World War.

There are many kinds of sports you can get involved in. This jungle gym for example is just as thrilling as the vroom! vroom! vroom!

Sunday stills: Hats

Everyday, in August, we have daffodil day, we support the Cancer cause, and in school, we are encouraged to wear yellow. I put a yellow band on this hat when I go to school. I also wear green and yellow.


In February, on Waitangi Day, I join my friend Ngarimu in the Zero Waste Program. During a family festival, we teach the public on recycling and reusing. Ngarimu gives us this grass cowboy hats.
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Sunday Stills, the next challenge: Hats

I wear hats in the summer. New Zealand had a high UV level because of the hole in the ozone level on top of us.

These two hats are special to me.

FSO: How Christmas is celebrated: Caroling

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When I was growing up, we were Roman Catholics, and Christmas was a religious affair. After Mid night service, we had cookies and milo. My grand dad told us his Methodist neighbours has "FOOK YIN" aka caroling. Later we had the open house, people came to our house and we served them goodies. And even later, some of us began to have caroling.

When we went to Australia and New Zealand, we brought this caroling tradition. In these photos, my sis-in-law organised her neighbourhood, and they went caroling to houses who had arranged to welcome them to sing at their entrance. After the singing, they all gathered at Audrey and Joseph's place for drinkies and munchies.

In New Zealand, couple of groups of the Mt Albert Baptist Church did the same. We went to rest home, and homes and we sang to them. This was quite a new thing here, and some neighbours came to join us. Then we went to a friends' place for coffee and munchies. No drinkies as we are Baptists.

Of course, we have trees and Santa. But I wanted to feature some thing different.

For Christmas dinner, You never guess, we had seafood dinner. We are crazy about seafood, I bought live New Zealand Southland crabs, frozen American Crabs, raw oysters, prawns, and smoked salmon canapes. Not at all a traditional Christmas and what an orientation to our family. We had two guests, one is a New Zealand born Kiwi and he had to imitate us to use their hands to eat the chilli crab, the National dish of Singapore.

Sam was Santa's helper and gave out the presents.

Outdoor Wednesday: flolicking in the snow

I dug up my cold winter photos in the winter of 1975 when I was a student in Windsor, Canada. This school yard was behind the apartment I stayed. During the school break, school children flolick. These photos were taken during the holidays, and we went to try out this fun. A couple of Canadian kids were there to show us play.

That was my first ever winter. They reported it was the coldest ever recorded, a minus 28 degrees. A lot of melted snow had flowed under the bridge. I wonder where all those young men and women have gone. We were from Tropical Borneo and Singapore and were feeling very BRRRR!






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If only I was young again, I would love the snow.

My World Tuesday: Dry weather

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A friend joked, we prayed for fine weather for our Christmas in the Park. We had 6 weeks of good weather that 3 areas were declared drought stricken areas. Last week, God sent rain non stop for 4 days. The drought should be gone.

Rain is very important to a farming country in New Zealand.

Merry Christmas.

Save the world, Obey the signs

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in Australia, they have terrible bush fires, people die. Sometimes, the firemen find that the fires were deliberately lit by arsons. We even had two New Zealand fire fighters who volunteered to fire the Aussie fires, and they were injured very badly.

In New Zealand, where there are a lot of trees, and fire risks, there are these fire signs all over the country. We can't risk having idiots start bush fires by their carelessness.

Sorry, this is the best I could taking the photo in a moving car.

Sunday Stills: Holiday Decorations

These are photos of my church, Mt Albert Baptist Church's Christmas Production, directed by Lynne Tanner and Jo Rasmussen.

Christmas in New Zealand is not Christmas without a mention of the Pohutukawa tree, our New Zealand Christams tree. Some people use this tree as their Christmas tree.



This year I have a small tree, three of my four children do not live with me. I have one decoration for each of my four kids.





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Sunday Stills, the next challenge: Holiday Decorations
Posted in Sunday Stills with tags Sunday Stills on December 12, 2010 by Ed

Its almost that time again, so whoever you celebrate the holiday season. lights, trees, yard decorations, symbols, nativity scenes (bonus for the live ones). Have fun..:-)