Another season has arrived

Winter is over, Spring just arrived, temperature is around 8-12 degrees generally. Flowers are blooming.

Got my British Columbia (BC) driving license in late Jan 07. Despite 11 yrs of driving experience in S'pore, I was freaking out during the practical test, so much so that the tester told me to relax. Before the test started, another instructor told my instructor that I kena the new tester, who hardly passed anyone, very strict... bla bla bla.... I was very "cheng sim" already before even taking the test. And all these, I thank God really for being able to pass on 1st attempt.

We will probably be renting for another 6mths to a year for now. To buy a house, one needs to have credit history (only in US and Canada), as new immigrant, our credit history is not fully establish yet, so we need to put down 35% cash for any housing purchase, we are not ready for that now. So folks, as much as I look forward to you visiting me, hold back 1st, till I am ready, I will annouce coz I wanna host you and help you save $ on accom lah and hope you enjoy your stay with me! Just help me bring some kopi-tiam kopi-powder for my hubby in exchange for the accom.... good deal rite?

My brother joined us about 3 weeks ago finally. He has been accepted to do a Uni-Transfer (UT)program in Capilano College, he is elated, so am I, coz fees are cheaper in college than uni mah! He can have the choice of doing 1 yr college and transfer to do the remaining 3 yrs in Uni, or 2yrs college and 2 remaining years in Uni eventually. Also, doing college will allow flexibilties for his choices of degree later.

I will be starting work this week. Work 2 days/week only, IT job, I am glad as I don't need to dump my kid in the childcare centre FULL DAY again like back in S'pore, hope this arrangement will last for a while.

Kiddo started pre-school already, she hasn't lose her singlish accent yet....

新春愉快 !

祝所有朋友和家人在这新的一年，万事如意，心想事成 !

当然，最重要的就是身体建健康康啊！

Wishing all our dear friends and relatives a blessed year ahead and we know, we know, you are enjoying the 美真香肉干!

Its the 1st time kiddo get to wear such traditional dress (thanks to a friend here, who can't resist buying things for her while shopping at Richmond!)

The 1st time she put on the dress on friday night, she said:"Wow, mummy, so beautiful". I think she was struck by the glimmering pink. She never get to wear such stuff back home due to the weather, I tried putting on for her when she was 2 years old, before we could even stepped out of the house, she was scratching and screaming to tear it off already!

出外靠朋友。。。。How true this words means to us. We had 3 reunion dinners starting from 16-18 evenings with different S'porean families. These kind souls really made our CNY less lonely. On the last evening, where about 30 S'poreans and M'sians gathered at a friend's place, there were 2 mahjong tables, lots of hokkiens, "lahs-lahs, lehs-lehs" being spoken freely (some of the kids somehow even lost their Canadian accents that night), ate yummy pineapple tarts, "hei bee hiam" being flown in specially from S'pore....we felt like home again. We partied hard and only reached home at 1am, and the next day, hubby had to work...

Its funny, in S'pore, every CNY, we will try to escape and go away for a short holiday. Now, we yearn to be back to celebrate and enjoy this festive season. How contradicting human can be hor?

Be Strong, Eva...

Few weeks ago, during one evening while recuperating, I received a MSN msg from my long time friend, Eva informing me about this news....

" Ex-national waterpolo team captain dies after battling long neurological disease
By Ng Kheng WeiJan 10, 2007 AsiaOne

Former national waterpolo team captain, Mr Mark Koh Wei Meng, has died after battling a debilitating neurological disease for four years. He was 38.
He died at 1.30am on Tuesday in his Normanton Park home, with his wife Eva, 33, and his family by his side. He was suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, named after the American baseball player who died from it in 1941, at the age of 37.

The incurable disease usually results in patients losing control of their muscles gradually.
Mr Koh retired from waterpolo in 1999 after winning his seventh gold medal in the South-east Asia Games, and worked as a project manager in his uncle's construction firm.
He discovered that he had ALS only two years ago, when his muscles started to gradually weaken. He lost control of his hands in 2003.
The Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) collected $20,000 in 2005 from water-polo players and officials, as well as friends and well-wishers, to help pay for his medical expenses. The SSA later formed a special committee to raise funds for Mr Koh. The money was used to pay for his acupuncture sessions and Chinese herbs, which cost more than $300 a month.
His brother Ricky describes Mark as a "fighter" and battled the disease courageously, refusing to give up right till the end.

He told AsiaOne that his brother was very calm and was "more or less prepared for the worse" the day before he died.
A family man, Ricky said his brother made it a point to have dinner with his family members all the time.

Mr Tan Eng Bock, former national waterpolo player and 1976 Coach of the Year, and many other waterpolo players, went to pay their respects at Mr Koh's wake on Tuesday.
GOODBYE: Koh's former national teammates pay their respects at his wake at his Normanton Park home last night.

Mr Shen Zhi Zhan, 36, who trained together with Mr Koh from 1987 to 1989, said he was like a big brother to him, and was always cheerful and very caring towards his team members.
He said the former captain was one of the best players in Singapore's waterpolo history, displaying great leadership and skills.
"We are are very sad, because we feel as though something great is missing now," said Mr Shen.

The wake is being held at Blk 1, Normanton Park till Friday, when he will be cremated at Mandai Crematorium. "

Eva is one of the strongest women I ever known personally, I didn't console her, for I know no amount of words nor consolation will do. I can't say I understand her feelings then, for its too big a setback for anyone in life at this point of time. The thoughts of her returning to their condo which is familiar yet empty kept me sleepless for 2 nights. All I said was, if she ever need a breather/holiday, feel free to visit us in Vancouver and unwind.

Our friendship grew stronger when both our parents were diagnosed with cancer, we were both the main caregiver, it was straining, it was tiring. But Eva was always there to encourage me via MSN, we hardly meet up. Despite her hectic schedule, we managed to meet up for a short lunch just few days before I took off for Vancouver, I REALLY APPRECIATE it....

Later when her dad passed away and not long after her husband was diagnosed with this illness, I know the stress is once again upon her. Be strong Eva, you are really stronger than you could have imagined. Don't lose FAITH - For All I Trust Him.

Just when I thought so...

Just when I thought I could share the good news with all of you here....But too late now. I had a miscarriage last week. Was into my 9+ weeks.

Health care system is entirely different from Asia.
I am recuperating at home.
Doing a mini-confinement by myself.

My focus now is to build up my health and wait upon the Lord's timing for the next baby if His will be.

December 2006 Updates

We have been in Vancouver for the past 3 months already.

By God's grace, hubby has found a IT contract job in downtown Vancouver. Even though its contractual, we are grateful as we were warned that it could take up to 6months to penetrate into the IT market. Hence, we are praying for the renewal. His working hours are from 8.30am-4.30pm, unheard of in SG.

Christmas was good. We have decided to settle down in a fairly young church. Hope to be able to serve actively in the church. Don't want to get too comfortable and be sunday bench warmers only.

During the X'mas week, we went up to Cypress Moutain twice. The 1st day when we went up, the intention was to let kid try snow tubing, but when she found out that she hasn't reached the minimum height of 122cm, she cried..... Awww...so we borrowed a tobogan from someone for 10mins to let her get over her "grief". The next day, we bought and brought our own tobogan up again to the mountain, this time, she toboganed for one full hour.

We also crossed over to the US border to do some Boxing Week shopping (its the 1st time the entire family stepped onto US soil).

Now that the holiday season is over, our realtor, our mortgage broker are all back to work, its time we start hunting for a home to call our own.

下雪了

Vancouver had its first snow on 25 Nov 06 after many years.
It rarely snow in Vancouver, we heard....

Picnic at the beach

Enjoying herself at a beach by the lake.

Fun moments

Pumpkin Patch & Apple Barn

It was near Halloween when we first arrived.
It was the first time we visited a pumpkin patch, she was so excited when she saw all the huge pumpkins and she started singing this song she learnt from Kinderland :

We are pumpkin
Big and round
Big and round
We are pumpkin
Big and round
Big and round
Seated on the ground

Now I truly understand the meaning of the lyrics when she sang "seated on the ground"

We also visited the Apple barn, she couldn't resist, so eat as she picked.

New begining

Land of maple leaf

SG Days - Changi Airport

Good bye Singapore ....

SG Days - Non-stop packing

These photos were taken about 10hrs before our flight...
We packed non-stop till we left! Insane I think.....we recuperated all the beauty sleep on the plane!

SG Days - Farewell Makan Treats

Chilli crabs, black pepper crabs, fish head bee hoon, satay, fish head curries, kway chap, teh-si, 60cents kopi-o....

Some of the last things we ate before leaving...
Can't type anymore.....seeing these pictures makes me drool all over the keyboard now.

SG Days - A day at Music Class

SG Days - A day in Kinderland

She still talks alot about her teachers, her friends at Kinderland. I know she misses them. But she also understand that there is no Kinderland in Canada.

This was typically her one day in Kinderland....

They gave her a farewell party just the day before we flew off, teachers teared. We still call the school occassionally and I heard that they put up her recent Vancouver's photo on the notice board.

Her classmates kept asking the teachers why hasn't she been in school for so long

She was there since she was 14mo... How time flies

SG Days - Towed Away

We scrapped our car....
Farewell to our corolla. For nearly 6 years, problem free....it served us well.

SG Days - Pack Up

We left Singapore with 6 luggages while these boxes came by seafreight 2 months later

BIG MOVE !

I am back online. The sudden disappearance, I apologise

We have moved, from the sunny little island, Singapore, which was home for the past decades, to Vancouver, Canada.

We immigrated, or what Mr. Goh labelled us as "quitters"

We have moved, not because S'pore is NOT GOOD.
We have moved to seek a different pasture in life, not necessarily greener, but hopefully.

We have been asked thousand of times, why immigrate, whats wrong with Singapore, will you come back if you don't make it in Canada .... the list goes on. We had to answer all these repetitive queries in the midst of packing up (we packed till the last moments when we left for the airport, no kidding),

We have been here since mid September 2006. Everyone who sees me on MSN will ask, "Have you found a job?"

While the Canadian market is vibrant, its not easy to penetrate into the market, they need "Canadian experience", agree that its a crazy requirement.

But we are prepared for it, we have been warned by friends who immigrated here before us, its a humbling process that God is putting us through. Advises are :"Grab any job that comes by, and more jobs will fall into place, no social stigma here, nobody cares what you work as, unlike Asia, so long as you are not a bummer living off the welfare!" So, yup my hubby got 2 jobs for now, this arrangement is not permenant, but we are taking the advise seriously. Hence I say, immigration is not everyone's cup of tea, eh...

We have moved not because we want to live in big houses, drive flashy BMWs. The main and foremost reason is my kid and hubby has eczema, we are not able to do some simple things in life, like enjoy a stroll in the park, have a decent meal in the hawker centre, or have fun at the playground, coz the warm and heat will cause them to perspire and scratch, everyone will get really really frustrated.

So for the past 2 months that we have been here, kiddo had been to the beach, the playground, the park many times and she truly enjoy herself, the smile on her face makes us feel the move is worth it, we will try, no matter how hard it may take.

For now, we are still in the settling down process, it will take months or years. Just enjoying the moments for now. Should we not make it here for some reason (again, that depends on one's expectation of "MAKING IT"), at least we tried and not live in regret for not trying. Its a dream where we both share as a couple.

And yes, we do miss S'pore at times.....(minus the weather lah...)