ABC Wed: U for university, Sunday scans

In Sarawak, there was and still has a tradition of placing congratulatory messages to parents and graduates who complete their universities studies or even weddings. I see this notice for the first time in more than 35 years. An ex flat mate Ning put this on facebook. The first name was my Dad, the DEO aka Divisional Education Officer, the second was mine. The third was Ning's, the fourth was Ting's Dad and Ting who became my flat mate when I came to New Zealand, and the last, a teacher on her engagement. This message was placed by the Staff of Kai Chung school where Ning, Ting and I taught.




All my adult life, I am involved with universities. First as a student, and later as faculty wife. A friend said, I will never be rich. In a sense, she is right, monetarily, we are not rich, but I am rich in the vast experience I have had. There was a time when I had friends from all over the world, and with them, I did a charity that raised money for the deaf in Kenya for 16 years and for a life saving operation for a pair of Siamese/conjoined twins from Nepal. These are experiences that money can't buy.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Reader Rainfield commented that Chinese word meaning snow as in my other blog http://annsnowchin.blogspot.com/2011/12/scenic-sunday-fund-raiser-at-pt.html


Snow is my given name, it is pronounced as SUET in my Cantonese pronounciation, and XUE in Mandarin. I did not know it is also a surname.
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Al http://alsphotographyblog.blogspot.com/.

Visiting a 1600s Portugueese Fort in Malacca/Meleka

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Visiting Malacca now known as Meleka in Malaysia.

weekend reflection/sunday scans/scenic sunday: Singapore Chinese Gardens

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The Pagodas in the Chinese Garden in Singapore.I don't think they are for Buddhist worship. They are tourist attractions. If you take the MRT to the East, you will see them.

Patch

Photohunt: Patch
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I am posting this photo and story again because I love telling it. It gives me warm fuzzy feeling of my grandma.

We didn't live with my maternal Grandma, she came to visit frequently and to help Mum when she gave birth to my younger siblings. She came to cook for Mum's confinement month.

Grandma made one patchwork quilt for each of her three daughters. As a kid, my immediate younger sister Margaret and I had fun looking for her Chinese stars. Her stars were very unusual. It has 21 pieces of tiny squares and triangles cleverly stitched together. She didn't make many stars as it was very difficult to make.

In 1975, my nephew Wayne was born. Grandma came to visit. Sister Elizabeth requested her to make a patchwork for her first great grand son. Grandma was hesitant. Her heart wanted to make this, but her head told her that she was in her 80s, it would be impossible to make one as she was just visiting.

I told her, " I will help you."

So we did, grandma and grand daughter pair. She did the cutting and supervision, and I went on my mum's old manual Singer machine.

"Not so fast, Not so fast"

But I went went ziz, ziz, ziz, ziz as I pedaled along. She admonished my 'fast hand, fast leg'. I committed myself to help her, I didn't have 6 months to help her. Times I made a mistake, she wanted me to unpick it.

I said," No way, it is only for a baby."

We finished the quilt in a matter of days. I blackmailed Wayne, because he is the only great grand child that Grandma made a quilt for.

Despite the hectic time, I learn an invaluable skill. I could make a Chinese patchwork quilt. At that time, I vowed that I will never make another one, too old fashion. Now, I am glad, because I am probably the only grand daughter of hers who has inherited her skill.

Fast forward to 1990, I saw my good friend Owlyn Dickson's light blue quilt on her bed. It was so beautiful, I am reminded of my grandma's quilts. I came home, and made a quilt for D. I made nine Chinese stars, and the rest, I basically used squares. I made this queen size Chinese quilt in 3 days over the weekend. I didn't have much sleep. This time ziz, ziz, ziz, ziz on my electric Janome machine was reminiscent of the time with grandma.

The water engineer was a gem, he babysat D 5, and G 2. He took the girls shopping at Farmers for D to choose a backing for her quilt. She chose a lemon colour and I asked her why she didn't choose a pink.

The reason why I sewed frantically was I had to vacate my sewing room. Our friend J was coming to stay with us. He was our very good friend, and was an Engineering post graduate student with the water engineer at Auckland University.

D still has that quilt. I told her not to use it. It is unlikely that I will ever make another one. (Who knows, may be when I become a grandma, I may do it.) She wanted to frame it, I told her it was too big, not until she was successful in her career and has her own big house.

***This is the quilt I made for D, you have to look carefully for the stars. You will understand when my sister Margaret and I had fun looking for them.***

Sunday scans/scenic Sunday: National Men's health week

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LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 13 marks the start of National Men’s Health Week which, appropriately, ends on Father’s Day. In support of Men's Health Week – which is coordinated by the Men’s Health Network (http://www.menshealthnetwork.org) and is designed to increase awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men – Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT) is sharing information about screening tests that men shouldn’t ignore.

“and health screenings often help to serve as a bridge to early detection.”

“There are still significant statistical gaps between men and women in relation to health issues,” notes Jonathan Scheff, M.D., chief medical officer for Health Net, Inc. For example, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, men die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that men, on average, die almost six years earlier than women.

In New Zealand, it is not fathers' day, but we are also getting people be aware of their health. Men are generally known not to go to the doctors even when they are very sick. The man I married for 32 years belong to the same category.

Scenic sunday/sunday scans: Up rooted trees

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This was in Singapore, there was a tropical storms, and many trees were uprooted. I think of the tornado in USA this past week. I imagine a lot of the trees would be uprooted too.

Sunday Scans: NTU Kids

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It is great that these kids are already thinking of "Saving the world" Some of these kids used to come to my house for Playgroup. I shamefully claim some credit that I must have instilled some of my convictions to them.

Hi All,

A group of children (*) in Nanyang Meadows and Nanyang Heights are orgainzing a bake sale to support Japan. They will be selling the cookies baked by themselves and donate the profit to Japan. Please come and support them.

Bake Sale
Time: 3 Apr 2011, Sunday, 4.35pm onwards
Venue: Lobby of Blk 100, Nanyang Meadows


Thanks and Regards, Mai

P/S: (*) this group of children in NTU call themselves GINGO, which stands for Groovy Idealistic Non-Government Organisation.

They intend to be an environmental group, but wish to gain recognition and members before they really start campaigning and doing similar things (Currently, they have 6 members).

They also do occasional fund-raising for those in need of help around the world.