Halloween Spirit!

Eddie's Pumpkin

My Carving

Steve and I all dressed up!

Eddie and I, were so thrilled when we opened our mail today! We received an award from our community for Halloween Spirit! I'll post more pics as soon as the sun goes down.

The spider

Love him!

Me & Max

(My hubby) Eddie and his carving!

Steve and visited the homes from the movie Halloween! This is the house where Mike Myers was on the baloney.

Here is the Babysitter house where all the murders took place.

The house looks much scarier at night....

Most kids are afraid of her.....

Skully Bride

Our first Trick or Treater - Quinn the Skunk!

The One.

I knew he was the one when I first saw him.


He looked humble, steady, reliable- the kind that would soothe my anxieties, the mature, strong type. He wasn't conventionally attractive really, but that was never one of my criteria anyway. It's funny- how I used to be so afraid, but when I let myself be vulnerable, he proved himself faithful and true, and never let me down. For all his taste for adventure and need for speed, I feel safe with him, vulnerable and yet protected. He brings me back to my childhood, and with him, I never need to be that strong, competitive woman I sometimes have to be at the hospital in front of demanding consultants. I can just be me, big-haired, girlish laughter and all. Most of all, I like the way he shows me the truth about life, teaching me lessons gently and lovingly, without a hint of preachiness. I don't know what made me take him in but something inside tells me we're in it for the long haul.

We connected immediately. As stupid as it sounds, it was love at first sight. Things just felt right, and more importantly, my parents were comfortable with him. They thought I got a really good catch, too.

I know I've said before that I don't date- and I still maintain that I won't, till I graduate. But he's an exception-


- His name is Bike (pronounced as buy-kee), and he is my bicycle.


It's funny how much he teaches me- about trust, confidence and letting go, and perhaps that is why I'm so grateful for our friendship. He was teaching me how to ride straight, and I learnt how it is only when we're brave enough to set our sights far and take our eyes off the anxieties of the present that we can ever make progress; He was teaching me how to make U-turns, and I learnt how it is only when you keep your eyes on a target point that you can be confident of succeeding; He was teaching me how to ride down slopes, and I learnt that letting go, just letting go, can be a lot of fun sometimes. And when you focus on where you don't want to go, more often than not, you end up landing just there.

So at the crack of dawn one morning, both of us sneaked out on a secret rendezvous and decided to go on a romantic getaway to the airport. My desperate reclamation of my bike-less childhood turned me into Forest Gump on steroids on a biketrail and I went on forever, taking in the gorgeous scenery of the deep parts of the beach I had never before explored because it was too far for my legs to take me. We went on, faster and faster, and I was speechless, enthralled, captivated in awe, as he took me to places I'd never been before. I was a princess on a magic carpet, and Bike was my Aladdin.

To the airport! As we got closer, the scenery became more beautiful, more surreal, as fields of lallang, wild flowers and vines came into view. Aeroplanes took off one by one, and we raced ahead, giddy with excitement and anticipation.

We had reached the remote part of the beach when suddenly, a bare-chested, tanned, middle-aged man with an i-pod in his ears skating at top speed tripped over, skidded across the road and smashed into the ground just inches by me. The impact was big, and he suffered greatly. Grimacing and groaning in agony, he tried to get up, only to be slammed back to the ground by an invisible force called Pain. He was in excruciating torment.

The shock of it all should have thrown me off my own bike but Bike was steady. It was a remote part of the beach, faraway from help. Oh dear, I don't have much time left- we're not going to make it to the airport if I stop, I thought.

But Bike reminded me of one of my favourite stories in the bible about the good Samaritan who stopped to help someone in need- who not only stopped, but gave deep, genuine help. And so we stopped, too. Many other passers-by did, but only for a moment, before they continued on their way.


But Bike had more to teach me.



When we make plans, can we sometimes be so focused on the end-point that reaching the end seems to over-ride everything else? Why is it that when the unexpected happens, it is often unwelcomed? Are the little unpredictable events interruptions, or moments of divine instruction?

And as I stopped, Bike taught me that sometimes, interruptions can be good things, too. And their ability to make us appreciate the process more than the destination make them all the more precious. They teach us more about flexibility, trusting in God's plans for us and accepting His goodness.


His name was King. What a beautiful reminder, I thought, as it reminded me to treat every person as I would God, our King. And if our King did decide to go for a spin and injured himself, surely I would stop for Him too and not find it a nuisance to stop for Him?



So every time I go for a ride, I find myself letting go more, learning more, setting my sights on where I want to go and finding the confidence to go there, and yet, allowing room for Life to happen, for God to intervene, make choices for me. Sometimes, there's just no point in planning too far ahead.

And so I rest in today, more and more, worrying less and less about the future. I find myself more secure, more at ease with myself, with singleness, with my where I am, with who I am inside.


Life is just a moment at a time, learning a lesson at a time, basking in God's grace for us for the moment.


I love my bike.

Tho’ I may see but one step at a time,

As up the pathway to glory I climb,

Yet I believe in the promise divine,

His grace is sufficient for me.


When I shall stand face to face with my King,

Still to the word of His promise I’ll cling,

And with the ransomed forever I’ll sing—

His grace is sufficient for me.

- Charles H Gabriel

(2 Corinthians 12:9)

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Pumpkin Carving

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Hearty Grilled Cheese

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World's 10 Best Commutes

1। Hong Kong, China

This is one of the densest and geographically smallest cities in the world. Jobs are highly concentrated on Hong Kong Island (only 31 square miles), which is connected to the rest of the districts by rail, bus and ferry systems that are used by 90% of residents, according to Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Existing infrastructure is set to improve by 2010, when the Chinese government completes its massive overhaul of the Pearl River Delta rail system, which will connect Hong Kong and Shanzhen to the western bank of the Pearl River Delta and Guangzhou.






2. Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo's railway line is an efficient way to get around the mega-city, once you get used to the small seats and train employees pushing people into the cars for better use of space. The high-speed rail lines that connect the outer parts of the city to the city center are emulated all over the world. Like any city, it has its traffic problems on the roadways. But technological innovations in traffic monitoring that lead to real-time information updates on road signs, as well as ubiquitous individual GPS systems, help manage auto traffic.






3. Chennai, India

Chennai's transit system is highly planned as the result of its standing as a tech and outsourcing hub, and it is relatively easy to manage given its population of 5 million. Chennai's status as a port city (which requires rail logistics and has led to mass public rail systems like the MSRT) and the high influx of planned campuses for informational technology (which results in multilane highways like the IT highway) have improved mobility to commercial areas.








4। Dakar, Senegal

n Dakar, there is a high percentage of residents who walk or bicycle to work, which puts little pressure on the remaining infrastructure and keeps the cost to the system, and it energy expenditure, low. As a result, those working in the central business district aren't caught in gridlocks as much.










5. Osaka, Japan

Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto are often considered part of the Greater Osaka area. Commuter trains and high-speed rail are critical in connecting the larger geographic area. There are 17 million people in the metropolitan area, but the city of Osaka's transportation authority estimates that 10 million people use railway or underground subway on a daily basis.










6। London, England

London's overall transit system is well designed and maintained because it is suited for the city's distribution of jobs and population. The City of London has only 8,000 people and 320,000 jobs, according to the City of London Economic Development Office. The Tube, which is the world's largest urban railway, as well as commuter trains efficiently move people in and out of the city, whereas cars in such a small space would overwhelm the system.2







7. Beijing, China

The city of Beijing estimates that $10 billion was spent to improve transportation infrastructure--both roads and transit lines--in advance of last summer's Beijing Olympics. As Beijing continues to develop and consolidate outlying economic zones such as Tianjin, rail and travel logistics will be a major priority of the local government.











8. Mumbai, India

One thing working in Mumbai's favor is its density: Suburban rail lines connect the outer suburbs to the business district. Mumbai has been particularly aggressive with investment-grade bonds to improve infrastructure, as well as developing public/private partnerships to enhance service and efficiency.











9। Krakow, Poland

Krakow benefits from its status as a relatively small city. With only 750,000 people in the city and 1.25 million in the metro area, it is one of the smallest spots assessed in these rankings, and, unlike many parts of the world, it hasn't been rapidly urbanizing over the past decade. As a result, the city's investments in improving rail systems and road systems have gone further than in budding mega-cities in other emerging markets. Its small size and density also makes the bus system an efficient and cheap method of transit.








10. Berlin, Germany

Berlin's compact layout and commitment to bicycle lanes have made riding to work a popular option. According to the city government, 13% of all traffic is by bicycle, which keeps transit costs low for residents on the whole, and alleviates road traffic for drivers because there are fewer cars on the road.

World's 10 Best Commutes

LifeStyle



You can arm yourself with an iPod full of movies, install fine leather seats and satellite radio, and convince yourself some poor sap has a commute worse than yours.

Except that isn't likely to improve it.

Chances are, those traveling to work in Hong Kong, Berlin and Osaka, Japan, don't need to adopt such tactics. That's because their commutes are among the world's most reliable, cheap and efficient.
In Depth: World's 10 Best Commutes

The dense cluster of jobs on Hong Kong Island makes it possible for 90% of residents to commute on public transit. Osaka's high-speed rail connects it to the suburbs of Kobe and Kyoto, and Berliners, who rely heavily on bicycles, have few traffic problems compared with residents of cities like New York or Rome.

Dakar, Senegal, London and Chennai, India, also make the list.


Behind the Numbers

We compiled our rankings using data and research supplied by Jeffrey Kenworthy, a transportation professor at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia. He measured the world's 84 largest cities on the following criteria: the cost to the consumer and the government, overall investment in improvements, and the speed and safety with which workers are delivered to offices.

Scores were adjusted for gross domestic product, which allowed developing cities like Dakar or Krakow, Poland, to compete with cities from highly developed G8 nations.


Top Travels

Dense cities perform particularly well by our measures. There are only 8,000 full-time residents in the City of London, but there are 320,000 jobs there, according to the City of London Economic Development Office. That sort of commercial density makes the London rail system a very efficient mechanism for delivering people to their offices. The Tube, which is the world's largest urban railway, and commuter trains efficiently move people in and out of the city, whereas cars in such a small space would overwhelm the system.

The speed of transit not only benefits commuters; it contributes to a city's economic competitiveness. Outsourcing capitals like Chennai, which are heavily reliant on attracting informational technology companies, do well on our list due to the city's high investment rate in projects like the IT highway, and its MSRT mass transit rail system.

"Ease of urban mobility is a prerequisite for business to reach supplies and customers," says Maria Krautzberger, permanent secretary of the Berlin Senate Department for Urban Development. "Cities cannot secure their position in global networks otherwise."

The problem, however, is paying for those sorts of infrastructure improvements.

"When you add to taxation in order to pay for improvements, it makes the citizenry less competitive, compared to another city because of the tax burden," says Francine Senecal, vice chair of the City of Montreal's Executive Committee. At the Metropolis Conference in Sydney, Australia, last week, a meeting of private and public funding bodies, she pointed to the need for public/private partnerships in infrastructure development, a joint investment in roads, or works projects.

"Public-private partnerships allows the public sector more maneuverability because they don't have to increase the tax burden," she says. "Though obviously regulation is very important."

Seoul, Korea, for example, relies on a $2.5 billion Macquarie investment fund to spend on transportation and infrastructure improvements, while cities in India have sought market funding in the form of investment-grade municipal bonds for $302 billion in improvements over the next five years.

What's your commute like? Weigh in. Post your thoughts in the Reader Comments section below.
Of course, each city's traits come into play. Berlin's compact nature and commitment to bicycle lanes have made riding to work a popular option. According to the city government, 13% of all traffic is bicycle traffic, which keeps transit costs low for residents on the whole, and alleviates road traffic for drivers because there are fewer cars on the road.

And in Houston, jobs and population are so spread out that a relatively complex train system is needed. The city government has proposed between $3 billion and $7.5 billion of light rail improvements since 2003, though little has been done to successfully alleviate mounting traffic, which consistently ranks the city towards the bottom of our U.S. commute lists.

In the end, though, a poor commute is "a relative concept," says Nathan Rees, premier of New South Wales, Australia. "It's like being in love. If you think you are love, you are in love. If you think you are in traffic, you are in traffic."

Hot Item Girl And Singer Liza Malik In Micro Mini Skirt

Arms of an Angel.

I wanted to chicken out. All this time I had the assurance of God being with me and at the final moment, I just wanted... out.

It was the night before my race, and the night our medicine clinical exams ended. And though having the nerve-wracking exams over gave me a sigh of relief, adrenalin flowed through my veins like caffeine and gave me no rest. It was 2am, I had already had many late nights studying in the week, the stress had resulted in my worsening chronic diarrhoea (a completely benign condition called irritable bowel syndrom) and I knew I wasn't going to make the timing I had planned for the race I had trained for.

The race meant a lot to me. I had been looking forward to it for months. It was the first 10-kilometre race I had trained for with a healthy mind and body ever since Recovery- during which, at the initial phase, training was out of the question. It was significant because it meant that running no longer had an evil stronghold over me. It meant that Ed had lost his power over me.

All this while, I felt God with me, and His approval for my returning to something I loved, without the taint of sickness or idolatry. I had eaten and trained well. And being able to finally hear my own voice without doubting myself, make my own sensible choices about running and eating, without the echoes of Ed, was a real breakthrough.

But it was 2am, my mind was rushing with thoughts and anxieties and for the first time, I realised that hardly anyone had wished me the best for this significant milestone in my life. We had just had the exams and everybody was swamped with activities. So, exhausted, anxious and discouraged, I didn't trust enough that God would help me to overcome this hurdle-the little girl inside of me desperately needed encouragement and affirmation, but there was surprisingly none- I had kept a low profile about training this year. Oh God, I'm just not going to make it.

The more I mulled over my distrust in His healing for me and my fears, the more awake I was. And then these words from my tattered bible leapt to me, "Those that wait upon God shall renew their strength. They shall run and not be weak, they shall walk and not be weary."

I had given myself a million excuses to forgo the run, but had forgotten that my strength and motivation this time came not primarily from my sleep, egotistical self-affirmation or needy affirmation from others- it was from God, and He wanted me to know it. Trust me, I heard Him say, just like you always have- every time.

And I fell asleep.

My legs were like lead the next morning. I checked my phone the last time and saw no text message of encouragement. Disappointment and discouragement weighed on my ankles like dead weights. But I remembered the words which lulled me to bed, and put on my running shoes. Trust me, I want you to learn that I am enough for you.

As soon as we started I wanted to turn back, wanted to fall out of the many thousand-fold pack and head home. But I saw a young girl who had given up by the wayside and ran up to encourage her- " Hey, press on- you can do it." I smiled encouragingly, and pushed ahead.

We had barely hit the halfway mark when fatigue crept in. The many stressful late nights spent learning about Parkinson's, heart attacks and neurological disorders had taken its toll. I wanted to stop, but the same young girl caught up with me and said, "Can I run with you?"

Though she had hit a rough patch far earlier in the race, she recovered well while I struggled more and more. But every time I did, she cheered me on and in the final lap when I told her to go ahead, she waited for me, as if in thanks for my initial gesture of grace to her.

We ran, and I found strength encouraging others along the way.

When I was anorexic, running miles on empty was nothing to me, as empty pride, depression and puffed-up idolatry was fuel. At no point did I ever admit defeat. It was a powerful driving force, one that led to my demise. But well and healthy now, my acute awareness of my weaknesses, of my dependence on God have changed my perspective. Understanding the meaningless-ness of running without God gave me life again. (His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man- Psalm 147:10) And paradoxically, that is what changed my life for the better, what resurrected me. At my 6th, 7th and 8th kilometre, when I felt like giving up, it was God, sent through a running angel by my side, and not Ed who encouraged me on. And when I recognised that, I wanted to cry.

She ran together with me to the finish line and her first question to me was if I believed in God, too. Born in China, she grew up in the middle east as a nominal moslem and found Christ only in Singapore. Immediately, tears ran down my cheeks. I also realised, that my timing was far from what I had aimed for, but suddenly, it didn't matter. I trusted, He came through for me- and that was the prize in itself.

Sometimes, challenges in life can make us doubt ourselves. We make up excuses to avoid them because we fear to miss the mark we set for ourselves, based on our own pride and ego. We fear, because we do not trust.

I cried, because He came through for me. At every step of the way, I was vulnerable and weak- I could stop at any time. But I finished the race, He was with me through it all, and Ed was nowhere to be found.

So I cried, in the arms of an angel, because He told me to trust, I did- and as usual, He came through for me.

"Yet those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

They shall mount up with wings as eagles.

They shall run and not be weary,

they shall walk and not be weak."

- Isaiah 40:31

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