Updates - March 2007

Hi,



1st and foremost, it feels great to be able to post a blog where all our dearest families and friends can get updates on what's hip and happening in our lives. Will try to update you all from time to time when it permits so, do check in once in a while......

Any feedback/brickbats are welcomed.

The picture with the 3 of us was taken during our holiday to Italy in May/June 2006 with the Tuscany region in the background. Italy is indeed a beautiful country. Food is great, people are friendly and the history/museums/churches and scenery left us all in awe. We praise God that we are privileged to be able to enjoy all these. We visited Venice, Florence and Rome. We especially enjoyed the tour around the Tuscany region and managed to enjoy the various wines offered and Sam loved the gelato. It really taste out of this world and so far, the best we've eaten.

Here's the very recent picture of me and my mom in Melbourne. Was very lucky to have a wonderful husband who gave me the opportunity to watch the Australian Open Grand slam tournament held from 15-28 January 2007 in Melbourne, Australia. Was there from 21-25 January 2007 and managed to visit my cousin BeBe and her family as well as catch up with Vincent & Family and burn the phone lines with Ronny and Jaycee culminating in my mobile phone bill for that month totalling a whopping RM526.94. The experience of watching live tennis on Rod Laver Arena was awesome. Managed to watch Kim Clijsters, Martina Hingis, Maria Sharapova, Anna Chakvetadze, Davydenko and Tommy Hass play on center court. It was a beautiful experience and I thoroughly enjoyed the tennis. If finances and time permits, it's definitely one of the grand slams I would love to go back to. No wonder it's called the Grand slam of Asia Pacific.

After all the excitement, Chinese New Year came around and we had a restful 3 days of catching up on tv programmes and watching DVDs. In short, couch potato-ing! After that, my dad was hospitalised and since then, it has been stressful up till now. He was hospitalised on the 4th day of CNY due to bacterial pneumonia and was in there for a week. We almost lost him coz he had so much trouble breathing coz he was suffering from complications brought about by his asthma and heart condition. But we praise God again for His faithfulness as He sees him through the week and now, he's pretty hale and hearty.

Before that, Sam had the MSSPP bowling tournament (Penang interschool bowling competition) in Prai 1 week b4 CNY (12-16 Feb 2007) so, I was busy chauffeuring her and her team mates to Prai for breakfast every morning and we are there until about 4-5pm. It was tiring but worthwhile when Sam bagged 3 gold medals and 1 silver in this tournament, the best showing she's done in all her 3 years of participation. Her gold came in the singles, doubles and all events and silver in the masters. As a result, she was chosen to represent Penang to the MSSM (interstate school bowling competition) held in Johor from 12-16 March 2007.

After my dad was discharged on 27 Feb 2007, Sam had practices everyday in Prai in preparation for the MSSM and b4 she left, I suffered from severe gastritis and was down and out for 3 days from 8-10 March (Sam left for Johor on 9 March). While Sam is enjoying herself bowling her hearts out in Johor from 12-16 March, I was down with fever, flu, cough and the whole works. Was supposed to be my "honeymoon" time but most of it was spent catching up on sleeping and having no appetite for food whatsoever and pill popping. Even went to see the doctors twice in a week. What a drag....

Sam did not do very well in MSSM. In fact, Penang had 1 of it's worst outing coming back only with silver and bronze medals. Sam won bronze by coming in 4th in the doubles for the girls under 15 and the silver came for the team event for boys under 12. In her singles match, her average score was only 160 and she came in 29th. In the doubles, her average went up to 176 but she did not qualify for the masters as she came in 17th. Only the top 12 qualifies for the masters. In the team event, they came in 10th. But all in all, she enjoyed her outing very much.

MSSM was held during the school hols so, after her return to Penang, it was back to the grind again. Her next tournament will be the monthly Piala Remaja to be held on 14 April and then in May, it is the Milo circuit to be held in Ipoh, Perak. Will keep you all posted on that. For now, it's training 3x a week ie. Tue, Wed and Thu in Prai and Sun at Penang Bowl.

Next major event will be Sam's birthday on 3 April and she's planning a beach picnic at Pg Swimming Club with her classmates this Good Friday, 6 April. So, here we go again....

Will have more photos uploaded in future but for now, this is it....

Signing off and take care ya,
EdChriSam