Tuesday, June 27, 2006

My blue foot.


Me & my blue foot


The kitchenette


My bed

Friday, June 23, 2006

Trip to Aurora Factory Outlet

It looks like a small town rather than a factory outlet! But it had good stuff...aeropostale, calvin klein, gap, liz claiborne, bible factory, osh kosh, polo ralph, dkny, fossil....


Shoes that I can't afford, because...


they are from here. Things are 'cheaper' here, which means about...oh, just a few hundred dollars for a pair of shoes? =$


Our car boot loaded! Haha...Carol & I had a good day =D Retail therapy...ahhhhh.


Our satisfied contended day! Really thank God for good weather and safety throughout, cos Carol drove us there & back. It was our first time driving this far (about an hour & a half from Sandusky). Thank God for his protection!

Saying our good-byes...

Aey, one of my thai apartment-mates. She's so sweet, and a great cook! Always cooking & offering us some of it...


Another of my ex-apt mates, Kwan - the hardworking one! She's the only one in my apt holding TWO jobs, working in Cedarpoint in the day, and then off to Macs at night. Kudos.


Dinner at Steak 'n' Shakes (a 24-hour diner) with the Thais...our farewell dinner =(
(left to right) Thomas, Marcus, Britmand, Shaosheng & Esmond.
Ok ironically this table are all Singaporeans oops.


Utt's masterpiece - over the kitchenette sink in his apartment.


Danny (on his precious strings heh) & Jumbo
Danny brought his whole house to his dorm I tell you, he brought his bass guitar, classical guitar, amplifier, violin...he can play anything, and he taught himself! That's pretty impressive.
Jumbo won me a homer simpson doll from the arcade! It's pretty cute & he was going to win one for Carol on his last day here in Cedarpoint, but he got caught by a manager =P


Nong, me, Mo & Jay! On the night that they were leaving. The cab was coming at 6am, but they were still no where near finished packing at 3am!

Niagara Falls

Still on the bus...with Utt, the future architect =)


The American Falls on the left, and the Horse-shoe Falls straight in front...massive.


Climbing up the stairs to get up-close and personal with the water!


Isaac gazing at the mist the force of the cascading waters created.


Isaac & Carol, all dressed & ready! We were about to head onto a boat called "Maid on the Mist" that goes real close to the Horse-shoe Falls. Yeap, we got wet alright!


Thar she blows! Couldn't take really nice or many pictures got I didn't wanna risk my camera getting wet =P This is the closet shot I got of us on the boat heading straight towards the massive Horse-shoe.


CANADA!


The Rainbow Bridge, that connects the States to Canada. What I've been told is that Americans go across the border to Canada to drink because the age limit there is 19 while here it's 21.


Awww ain't that pweetty....haha I think he's gonna kill me for putting this up =D


I never thought I'd see this - a spongebob toilet bowl. Teehee.


Sorry don't have that many nice pictures of Niagara Falls, it was kinda wet and I didn't take them very well. Hopefully Carol & Isaac have better ones...

Monday, June 19, 2006

oh shucks something's wrong with my connection/blog, i can't put up all the pictures that I planned to, sigh. Hope I can do it the next time! It's early! For once I'm back before the recreation center closes, so at least I get to use the internet without a few million other people hogging it. It's because this week I'm selling snowcones, and it's really windy today, bugs are being blown all over the place! (If Gabe were working today he'd be telling us about the bugs that flew into his mouth again haha)Furthermore the ride where my stand is near at is closed today, I think it has to do with the fact that the carriage (with people sitting in it) got stuck on one of the biggest acension of the ride, for 20minutes! Pretty exciting man...for those people sitting in it I mean. So, that means that snowcones were not really selling, and they closed it at about 3smtg. So happy. =)

Anyway I have something to say about people buying these snowcones...I cannot help but wonder why in the world people wanna buy a cone of ice for 4usd. Sure, it's a HUGE cone, and it's got up to 4 flavours of syrup on it...but, IT'S STILL ICE. People would just come up to me and exclaim, "Boy, this has got to be the best deal in the park!" The first time I heard that, I'd just bite my tongue and reply, "You really think so?" And they'd go, "Yeah! I mean, look at the size of that thing!" *Gasp* But these days I just agree with them, no energy to disagree with happy customers who think they're getting their money's worth. I still think 4usd for a small cup of dippin dots is more worth it...at least it's ice-CREAM, and not just ice.

Something worth mentioning, my foot turned blue. Literally. My runner didn't fix the nozzle into the syrup properly so it was leaking all over the wagon floor. So while trying to fix it, I accidently spilled the blue syrup into my right shoe...and throughout the day my foot was just soaking it up while i was working. So my foot is blue.

We went to Niagara Falls last week, and it was good! It was no where near as grand as the grand canyon, but it was a pretty fantastic experience all the same! The falls were pretty huge, and we actually managed to get UNDER one of them! It was CRAZYY. It's where we take a elevator down a shaft to the bottom of the cave, and then we walk up a staircase (which they have to build every spring because of the force of the cascading waters beating down on it) into the falling water itself. There's this point called Hurricane Deck, where if you didn't get wet standing on that spot, you'd get your money back =) The water was just falling on us so fast and heavy, it was really like standing in a hurricane there! I couldn't even open my eyes. Unfortunately we couldn't take pictures, cos our poor cameras would be completely soaked. But one of the best things were the rainbows that we saw...at least 3 of them! They were absolutely beautiful...a wonderful reminder from God =)

We got a car! An oldsmobile which we paid 1,000usd. It's old...real old, but the engine is still good & mileage is low. It just looks old and old-fashioned heh. It is so convenient now with a car...at least we can go to walmart anytime and not wait for the bus which only goes down twice daily on weekdays. And of course, for supper! We're still singaporeans after all =) Thank God that no one was hurt in the minor accident that Gabe & Ambrose were in...please pray for us for safety as we drive up to Chicago on 28th June: Carol, Gabe, Ambrose, Yongchang & I.

The Thais left last week...it was a sad time for all of us. I got to know some of them, and they are really wonderful and hospitable people. I really want to go Bangkok end of this year, now that I know so many people there! I miss Utt's crazy animation and his creative drawings and his no end of nonsense, even though his verbal communication is limited (which makes it even funnier). Pan's friendly aura, and his no-ending request that I cook him dinner! (Which i still didn't manage to do before he left =P) Grand's non-accented and funny voice and funny antics. Jumbo & his pro-camera, and his thoughtfulness to everyone around him. Ploy for just being so cute as she is, and watching her attention for me go to zero when our good-looking manager steps into the cafeteria. Tangmo for her sweetness & excited energy. Byrd for never failing to make sure every single person's tummy is filled with his homecooked meals! Mo, Nong, Jay...sigh. I think one of the best things of coming here, are meeting people like those I've met. I hope I can be a blessing to others, just as they have been to me.

Our roomates from thailand left last week too...and goodness. After we said our goodbyes the night before (because we were working early morning the next day so we won't be able to see them), I came back from work the next day thinking they haven't left yet, because the house was IN A HUGE TORNADO-WARNING STANDARD MESS. They left half eaten food and plastic bags everywhere, and they even clothes and shoes behind! But the apartment is kinda empty now without them around...wish I got more time to get to know them better! Anw, one of the days I just put on the gloves that mom convinced me to bring (thanks uncle tsaohui & auntie christina), got the broom, dustpan & sponge, and did my springcleaning. And MAAAANNNN. It felt good. Even though the apartment is not *sparkling* clean, but it is SO much better...I can at least walk around in the kitchenette area, and not tiptoe for fear of stepping on something sticky. I actually took photos, so I'll put it up the next time =)

Very thankful to hear LR & church camp went smoothly =) Can't wait to come back home and get the updates from you guys...

Today is Father's Day, and I miss home, family & food...you really take things for granted when you're comfortable & sheltered. Hearing Danny so willing talk and share about his family, roots, life & lifestyle back in Toledo makes me want to just go home & help Dad wash the car, or go fishing. Happy Father's Day Dad =) Miss you Mom & Jie! And Kor I hope you get the package I sent...hopefully before your exams end heh =P Hang in there brudder.

Niagara Falls

Isaac & Carol: We are on the bus on the way to Niagara Falls! It was a 4 hour bus ride, and we just slept all the way...Carol & I brought so much snacks, enough to feed an army. And we still managed to finish them afterall. Sigh. I need to go on one of those reality tv weight-loss challenges soon.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

so many things, so little time...

more pictures & updates coming up, I promise!

Thursday, June 01, 2006

It's snowing in summer!

The winds were blowing all the dandelions all over the place, it was really pretty...there were so much of the white stuff floating in the air, that it relly looked like it was snowing! =)

Been feeling unwell since I called mom the other night (or morning on Singapore side), health is really something not to be taken for granted. Haven't been on my knees in heartfelt prayer in a while, and I think the sickness was a really good reminder of my dependancy on him...truly, "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away", that includes possessions, people, and health.

"And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." Job 1:21