Statue of Liberty

Skyscrapers of the Manhattan borough of New York

Can you spot the statue of liberty?

I was indeed amazed to be able to appreciate the nice replica of the statue at Shenzhen.

skywatch

weekend reflection

The Statue of Liberty, officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World, dedicated on October 28, 1886, is a monument commemorating the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, given to the United States by the people of France to represent the friendship between the two countries established during the American Revolution. It represents a woman wearing a stola, a radiant crown and sandals, trampling a broken chain, carrying a torch in her raised right hand and a tabula ansata, where the date of the Declaration of Independence JULY IV MDCCLXXVI is inscribed, in her left arm. Standing on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, it welcomes visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans traveling by ship.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty

Caterpillar

I just came back from work and my girl pointed to a caterpillar. I would have missed that.

Awww, such a big caterpillar!

It was feeding itself on the leaf.

See how it chew away the leaf!

Intimacy

Intense emotional connections

by Eric J. Leech

The word, "intimate" has long been defined by the act of intercourse, and while romance and sex are indeed an important part of intimacy, they are only a very small portion of it. The actual definition of intimacy should read, "a warm relationship between lovers that is characterized by a relaxed informality, deep understanding, vulnerability, shared empathy, and the need to be close. Other definitions may also choose to include the word 'soulmate' as a means to describe the extent of such a connection.

What is intimacy, exactly? Here's some relationship advice in the form of nine pieces of the puzzle, which, when combined, comprise the truest form of intimacy a couple could ever achieve:

Emotional Connection

Spiritual Connection

Relaxed Informality

Deep Understanding

Trust

Familiarity

Vulnerability

Shared Empathy

The Need to be Close

The next time you and your partner discuss intimacy, don't forget that its origins go far deeper than sex. It is unfortunate that many couples fail to understand that true intimacy is a slowly developed process, intertwined by the mental, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical. Those who know this kind of intimacy, know pleasure far beyond the fleeting moments of passion between the sheets!

read more

Fountain of Joy

There will be a financial breakthrough seminar and new year carnival sales & exhibition at the Red Crescent Hall (Ipoh Garden) on the 31st January 2010 fr 3pm - 10pm.

Topics:

• how to face the global financial crisis
• how to start business from ground "0"
• financial planning and goal setting
• leveraging/second income
• land banking
• new business model

The feature speaker is Dr Ezekiel Choong, International Conference Speaker.

There will be a special performance by Sophia Lin, Taiwan TV singing contest champion and Johanna Chen from Taiwan Fountain of Joy who is a trainer and teacher in music & dance.

Fountain of Joy song & dance

I just love to listen to the song and watch this dance.

Admission is free!

Food Fair too!

All are invited!

ah Tuan ee's Place

We went for our dinner at ah Tuan ee's Place at the Street of the Curve.

the entrance

the menu booklet

the interior

sengkuang in Malay, bangkuang in Hokkien, and sah kok in Cantonese,
turnip in English

stewed chicken
in thick black sauce with pieces of ginger

fried bean curd (tofu)
topped up with minced chicken, spring onions and chillies

Tofu is low in calories, contains a relatively large amount of iron and contains little fat. Depending on the coagulant used in manufacturing, the tofu may also be high in calcium and/or magnesium.

deep-fried squid

Simply delicious!

Yummy Sunday

Parasol

The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun, and umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain.

During the Victorian Era, parasols were used not only by fashion conscious women, but also by power elite males.

They provide an effective shield from the sun and they are an important part of the overall dress ensemble.

white and black lacy parasols

blue, pink and peach embroidery parasols

The above parasols were so lovely. They were for sales at the Repulse bay. I should have got hold of it!

The word umbrella is from the Latin word umbra which means shade or shadow.

By the way, how many umbrellas do you own? Do you prefer the large, medium or the small ones? I like to use the large ones when it's raining dogs and cats.

autopia

Autopia is a Disneyland attraction, in which patrons steer specially designed cars through an enclosed track.

a view from atop while queueing up

Autopia gives children the chance to get behind the wheel and hit the road of tomorrow.

a view at the starting point

The name Autopia comes from the words "automobile utopia".

ready to jump in the space-age automobile!

My girl and I took a drive along the futuristic streets and crazy corners. She was supposed to take the wheel but the automobile just moved too slow! I was afraid that the driver behind us might grumble. So I had to take over.

She was amused and giggling away.
A lesson learned: Driving is not easy after all!

a view at the finishing point

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures along the drive as I was busy helping out at the wheel..

space traders

In Hong Kong Disneyland, the Buzz Lightyear attractions are a series of Tomorrowland video-game-inspired attractions based on the Disney film Toy Story 2.

the space traders-
space craft architecture

A life-size Buzz Lightyear greeted us as we walked into the ride.

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin was named the 2004 Disney Magazine Reader's Choice Award winner for Best Magic Kingdom Park Attraction for Young Kids.

a space cruiser vehicle

the maximum score is 999,999

The attractions use a third-generation Omnimover system, and are combination of a shooting gallery and a dark ride.

Initially, I thought I would just accompany my girl in this ride but it turned out I was enjoying myself shooting away at the targets. I managed to score better than my girl. She was impressed and said, "How come you know how to shoot?"

winnie the pooh

Hong Kong Disneyland's Fantasyland opened with only one dark ride: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh dark ride at Hong Kong Disneyland is based on the version in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida.

Disney Imagineers selected this attraction to be the first dark ride at Hong Kong Disneyland because Winnie the Pooh is the most recognizable and popular character after Mickey Mouse.

Guests ride in honey pots and travel through scenes telling various stories involving Winnie the Pooh and his friends.

Even the queue is almost a direct copy, featuring pages from a Winnie the Pooh storybook.

My girl and I had a fun ride in a honey pot. Too bad I didn't video our ride as my memory card was full.

Winnie's game

Today's flowers

I spotted this unique flower when I was in Shenzhen recently. But I am sorry I don't know its name.

Today's Flowers

Chinese food

As I had said before, meals in China are about the same as Malaysian Chinese food. So no big deal about the lunch at Shenzhen.

the restaurant

egg omelette

A Chinese omelette can be egg foo yung or an oyster omelette.

Telur dadar is a flat, Indonesian omelette-style side dish usually eaten with rice, consisting of eggs pan-fried with chillies and onions.

A Thai omelette can be a kai yat sai which means literally "eggs, filled with stuffing".

An Indian Omelette is usually made with the addition of spices which vary by region. Most commonly used are finely chopped green chillies, chopped onions, coriander leaf or powder, cumin and a pinch of turmeirc, all of which are added to the egg before it is whisked.

stir-fried brinjal

Brinjals are rich in iron, calcium and vitamin A.

steamed fish

Two fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA), collectively known as Omega-3, are essential fatty acids. They cannot be made in the body, but are essential in the diet. Oil-rich fish are an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

stir-fried cucumbers

Some of the many health benefits of cucumbers include their high water content (about 95 percent), their fiber-rich skin and their levels of potassium and manganese, which help regulate blood pressure and help promote nutrient functions, respectively.

steamed chicken with light soya sauce

Chicken is a very good source of protein and niacin. It is also a good source of selenium, vitamin B6 and phosphorus.

The above dishes are almost like home-cooked food. Quite delicious though.

Yummy Sunday

camel ride

My girl was so excited when she saw the camel for the first time. The camel was waiting to give a ride but she didn't dare to take it. Actually, it was not free, got to pay for the ride!

It stands from 1.8 to just over 2 m tall at the shoulders, and weighs from 250 to 680 kilograms. Its rope like tail is over 50 cm long.

It has large eyes on the sides of its head. Each eye is protected by long, curly eyelashes that keep out sand.

It also has a large mouth and 34 strong, sharp teeth.

The hump of a camel is mostly a lump of fat. Bands of strong tissue hold pads of fat together, forming the hump above the backbone.

so cute!

A camel does not chew its food well before swallowing it. The animal's stomach has three sections, one of which stores the poorly chewed food. This food, or cud, is later returned to the mouth in a ball-like glob, and the camel chews it. The chewed food is then swallowed and goes to the other parts of the stomach to be completely digested. Camels, deer, cattle, and other kinds of animals that digest their food in this way are called ruminants.

source

China Folk Cultural Village

The China Folk Culture Village (also called ShenZhen Splendid China Folk Culture Village, 深圳中国民俗文化村) is a theme park in Shenzhen, China. It is located adjacent to the Splendid China theme park and features displays of the daily life and architecture of China's 56 ethnic groups. It was opened to the public in October 1991.

Look at the beautiful entrance to the Cultural Village. Just love the huge replica of the dragon!

Immediately, we saw this artist, Liuqipei.

Liuqipei, born in Sichuan, is the member of the provincial folk artists association. He has ardently loved painting and calligraphy since the childhood. Based on the skill handed down in the family, he applies himself to the quick silhouette with great concentration.

His works are famous for the consummate skill and smooth lines which has gained highly appraise by the friends all over the world.

In recent years, Liu took part in the Folk Art Festival held in Chengdu city and won the first prize in the silhouette contest. In 1991, he was invited to 100 Wonders In China Expo.

What's more, he has done the show in CCTV, HuBei Satellite TV, Hunan Satellite TV, Guangdong-zhujiang TV, Guangdong Satellite TV, Asia TV, Panama TV, Korea TV, and the Spring Festival Entertainment Show of Sichuan TV, which were well received by the masses.

And also Liu has performed his skill in front of distinguished guests and leaders of various countries.

They brought back this typical chinese folk handicrafts along with satisfaction, commendation and friendship.

me in silhouette

Without hesitation, a guy went forward to the artist and he was given free cut-out silhouette of his face. After I had seen three wonderful cut-outs, I volunteered to have mine done. But I had to pay 40 yuan for that!

night view

In the evening, we watched the Chinese Folk dances being performed but we were not allowed to take pictures.

statues

At Repulse Bay, there are plenty of statues. I simply admire them, so beautifully sculptured and colorful too. But I don't know their names. Sorry about that! I just know Buddha and Kuan Yin. Do you know their names?

1- ?

2- Dragon Emperor

3- Buddha

4- Buddha

5- Buddhas

6- Kuan Yin

7- ?

8- Buddha

9- What does the chinese characters say?
Hong Kong lifeguards?