Links lately

Leafy view from the Elephant Ground cafe in Sheung Wan, HK. Dec 2016

The start of January has been a busy one, with lots of family/relatives coming, and post-trip missing blues. Somehow, I still found time to discover photography blogs and dream a little about home organisation and time for meandering. I'm down with some sore-throat/headache (feeling unwell) again after a busy weekend of work, so I thought I will take this down time to write about links I found and liked lately:
-This blogger's "life in a tiny apartment" series.
-The art of taking a stroll.
-Hilda Grahnat, a Swedish blogger who inspired my love for fika.-With my love for food and buildings with history, it is a wonder why I have not visited Penang. I think the fear of getting heat stroke from the hot weather and eating too much street food is deterring me from going. ;) Penang, through the eyes of a travelling photographers duo from Seattle.
-A rainy day engagement photo session in Paris. I love the setting, the photography and how the couple just exudes confidence and sweetness being together.
-Hello Jane Lee photography (Malaysian photographer). I'm looking forward to when she posts more photos from this shoot.

Jan 2, 2017

 Woke up early enough to see the glimmer of the just-risen sun.

Stuck in traffic in front of a secondary school since it was the day for students to report their attendance.

National flower

Hot spring

New year, 2017

As usual, the new year started off with video call with N and fireworks watching.
On 1.1.2017, we went to a church we hadn't visited before for Sunday service and got to talk to some new brothers and sisters in Christ there. Ate really yummy "dian bian hu" (Foochow delicacy) and welcomed grandpa, aunt & uncle from SA.

Grandpa followed cousin D to the swimming pool and I had to document this historical moment (i've never seen grandpa swim before. Ha!)

I pray that I can begin the new year with faith, hope, and love & to apply these advice from Thomas A Kempis: 

"As long as thou livest, thou art subject to change, even against thy will; so that thou art at one time merry, then sad; at one time quiet, then troubled; now devout, then worldly; now diligent, then listless; now grave, and presently light-hearted.

But he that is wise and well instructed in the spirit standeth firm upon these changeable things; not heeding what he feeleth in himself, or which way the wind of instability bloweth; but that the whole intentnion of his mind may tend to the right and best end.

For thus he will be able to continue one and the self-same, and unshaken, in the midst of so many various events directing continually the single eye of his intention unto me."

October cafe in KK

 

  

It was such a nice afternoon being able to go to this Korean cafe on a little hill in KK with Esther. We enjoyed the time chatting about life and about the cute little animal lattes we got from the baristas. (I was so excited to finally have a green tea latte with a cute bear design on it, which is something that I have wanted since following all those Asian instagram accounts full of cute cafe things. Sara and I tried to find the cat latte art cafe in Singapore when we were there in December but we were disappointed because the baristas there no longer do the design). The cafe was so photogenic so I took a lot of pictures on my phone.  The owner of the cafe named it October because that is when South Korea is in its most beautiful season. 

Esther, thank you for encouraging me with your sharing about life and it's nice to have a friend to talk  to about serving God, how to be confident in the Lord, and to spur each other on in being faithful in our daily devotion time with God and so on. May God continue to bless your serving as a pastor here in KK.

Before I forget

You see, I'm not very good at documenting my life at the moment. I tend to forget to appreciate the things I have in front of me until months later when I look back to see how blessed I was to be at that place or doing that thing at that time. I've been trying to do a better job at this by keeping my instagram up to date, but I thought I should compile a little bit about life in the first quarter of 2014 here too so here are some random stuffs from my life in Bristol lately. Since the year started I have been busy with school. I haven't been on a train at all so far because I didn't travel except on a field trip with my monastic culture class to visit four abbeys that used to be monasteries. The first 6 weeks of this year was rainy and the sun only came out a couple of weeks ago.

 I walk a lot because that's my only mode of transportation here.

CNY celebration

'gardening'

The most snow we got this whole winter. There were plenty of rain though.

Looking down at the Avon River from Clifton.

Free lunchtime concerts at the music department-this one's the Jazz band.

Christmas steps.

I am learning things like this this term.

St Nicholas market during lunchtime

Sunny day on Park street

Starting to take vitamin supplement every day, and nearing the end of my Malaysian milk tea supply (I still have milo though ^^)

Dinner with my housemate. Meals with multiple dishes like this is a luxury for a uni student.

Field trip. The archeology professor drove this land rover.

Singing medieval chants in a chapel.

Horse year.

A Cistercian Abbey at Abbey Dore.

Inside the old church.

Spring's arrival.

Breakfast

Studying...

On my desk.

And here are some links that I like lately:
-Bristol in fog yesterday and today captured beautifully in pictures here 
-Many scenes of the beautiful Italian countryside in this blog
-A Tennessee food blog
-this photographer makes me miss Chicago