Breaking News...

23 years, 3 months and 3 days, since my very first breath in this world. It was three days ago that I've given myself one of the most precious gifts that I'd have ever received--my very own website adelineang.com

I've been blogging with the Blogger for almost a year now and have truly enjoyed it. Thoughts are put into words, and pictures are saved as sweet memories. More importantly, I stay connected with family and friends who are far in distance but close at heart, in this little corner of the virtual world.

Thank you very much for your continual support and encouragement.

A new beginning as the new year approaches,
bringing new visions and new hopes.
Your support and encouragement means a lot to me,
keeps the fire going till eternity.

You're cordially invited to my new site, adelineang.com (Heavenly Paradise@AdelineAng.com)!

New Year's Countdown

What's the best way to celebrate New Year? In a party? With loved ones? Or simply in your dreams? I've done all of the above in the past. Looking back the recent years, I'm rather proud that I've been celebrating the New Years quite uniquely.

2007: I was in St. Louise, Missouri for the Urbana student missions convention. In a crowd of 22,500, we worshipped, prayed, had communion, and celebrated New Year in the Edward Jones Dome at American Center.


2008: I visited the Big Apple, New York City. Not only that, I attended the New Year's countdown at the well-known Times Square. I've seen it so much on the TV in previous years that I thought to myself that I wanted to be part of the crowd, to join in the excitement of celebrating New Year in the big crowd, at least once. My dream came true, after standing in the cold windy winter night for more than three hours... It sounded crazy, but I had no regrets ;)

2009: My flight departing from Calgary was scheduled for 12:10 a.m. In the plane, we did the countdown. Subsequently, I was so exhausted that I slept through most of my journey. I took the connecting flight from Toronto back to Freddy. I finally arrived at 11:30 a.m. Thank God for the smooth landing, despite the windy condition.

Snowstorm

Why do Canadians talk about the weather so much? Not only that it's a common interest, but it can also be a wonderful ice breaker, even with strangers on the street! Especially in the winter, the weather fluctuates so much that you really have to pay close attention to the weather forecast (even though it's not always accurate). It can be snowing at -10 degrees Celsius one day and raining at 8 degrees Celsius the following day, with the occurrence of freezing rain, or mix of snow and rain, when the temperature lingers around the freezing point.

Fredericton is one of the many Canadian cities where snow and ice prevail during the winter season. It started off with flurries and light snow yesterday evening, around 7 p.m. Looking out the window in my bedroom, the agitated trees were swaying, strong wind was blowing, and furious snow was pouring down. The street looked like a deserted place. It was quiet and everyone stayed cozy at homes. We were expecting 30 centimetres of snow overnight...

Today at 7 a.m., I looked the window and everything was covered in white. 30 minutes later, I turned on the radio and listened to the news: government offices will be closed till noon, bus service is terminated till further notice, University campuses will be closed for the day......

Since I commute to work by the public transit, and government offices won't open till later, I went back to bed and enjoyed the luxury of sleeping in (the opportunity doesn't come very often), zzzzz.....

Finally, bus service resumed after 1 p.m. I was told not to bother going in to work. It worked out great! I spent some time packing for my trip to Calgary and got a chance to snap some pretty pictures in downtown. It was about two hours walk around town by the time I got home at 10:30 p.m. It was later in the evening that the temperature dropped to -18 degrees Celsius, and wind was blowing at the speed of 26 km/hr.

Everything was covered in the fluffy white snow.

The snowbank on the sidewalk and a pile of snow on the bus rooftop.

The City Hall of Fredericton with its Christmas theme. The wreaths sprinkled with snow looked gorgeous!

A Winding Road

We may take the same route to work, eating the same food, and doing the same thing from day to day, unconsciously. Can't we do something different to make life more exciting? Here is a route that I take almost every day, to work, to catch a bus, to the campus, and the list goes on. Even though it's the same old route, the scenery changes with the seasons. The most amusing sight is spotted during the winter, of course!

This is the so-called shortcut, which located behind my apartment. It connects the parking lot at my apartment to the backyard of a house, situated on the adjacent street. Strictly speaking, it's considered trespassing to walk on someone else's backyard. Nevertheless, it has become a norm for people to walk across this narrow creek on a wooden bridge, on a daily basis.

To make things more interesting, this is how it looks after a major snowfall. Surprisingly, there's always someone who clear the path to ease the walk. I don't suppose it's the homeowner of our neighbour. He must be annoyed that the neighbours are walking on his property. Whoever that person is, I really appreciate his time and effort put into clearing the path. Maybe one day, I'll get up early enough to check out who's doing such a great job.

A familiar route covered in snow,
try to recall the path I know.
Winding road that knows no end,
here I come with a wild attempt.

Life is like a box of chocolates,
full of unexpected surprises.
You never know what you're gonna get,
just pray and hope for the best.

Ice + Ice = STUCK

What a bleak winter morning today! The icy surface from yesterday turned icier with the formation of an additional layer of ice overnight, resulted from the minor precipitation as the cold temperature took effect.

It's about 150 metres from my apartment to the bottom of the hill of Graham Avenue (the street where I live). On regular days, I can easily walk down the hill in less than a minute. This morning, however, it took me about 5 minutes to walk and slide down the street!!! I had my sneakers on, initially. After noticing the icy condition on the road and sidewalk (I can't move, or I'll slide, literally), I decided to head back to my apartment and change into my winter boots. I had to give up my sneakers and crossed the street with just my socks on for better friction. Seriously, no kidding...

It was very helpful to have my boots on, but still, I had to take one step at a time. I couldn't help but to slide along when I had to. I just had to stay balanced at all times... Finally, when I got to the bottom of the street, I saw a car sliding down the street... Lo and behold, the car hit the curb and did a donut. Luckily, the driver was able to position his car back on track. There wasn't any noticeably damage on the car. The driver must be in shock, I supposed.

I missed the bus and had to wait for 30 minutes, for the next bus to arrive. Hmm... 8:10 a.m., the bus was already 15 minutes late. I called up the Fredericton Transit trying to find out what was going on, but no one was there to answer my call... Anyway, I called in the lab and mentioned to my co-worker that I was going to be late for work. Apparently, the bus service was delayed due to the slippery road conditions and won't resume till 9 a.m., schools with classes were delayed by 2 hours etc. The local residents were urged to stay off the road by the Police Force. I ended up showing up at work around 9:30 a.m.

The 150 metres route to the bottom of the hill took me 5 minutes to walk & slide!

A close look at the icy road surface. Trust me, it was completely covered with ice! By the curb, the sidewalk, and even in middle of the road!! Everywhere...

I was shocked to learn that my co-worker who travels to work from Miramichi every Monday morning, met a car accident this morning... Her car was flipped over. Fortunately, she wasn't injured. She's under medication and currently resting at home. I pray that she will soon recover from the shock and any pain that she's suffering from the accident.

Slush + Cold = ICE

The winter story continues... Please tell me, what do you suppose this is, if you don't think it's a skating rink?!

The uneven surface doesn't make a good skating rink. Obviously, this resulted from the slush two days ago, when the temperature dropped below the freezing point yesterday.

It was a daunting route walking to the church this morning. Furthermore, it was -15 degrees Celsius without the wind chill factor. It could have been worse. As a matter of fact, all these add to the "excitements" of the day when you're used to the winter in Canada. There's nothing much you can do, but to enjoy the wonders of nature while watching your steps closely ;) Keeping in mind that your winter boots are not mighty boots, you may still slip and fall if you're not paying attention :D

Snow + Rain = MESS

A snowy day is gorgeous, a rainy day is scenic. However, when the two come together, it can be rather disastrous. Here's the evidence:

Pretty winter scenes on a snowy day:

When the temperature fluctuates and works its way up, beyond the freezing point in the early morning, we get rain instead of snow. The volume of rain, in addition of the amount of melted snow results in puddles everywhere. Slush and rain, oh... how messier can it get?

I wasn't aware of the awful road condition when leaving for work this morning and had my sneakers on, instead of my waterproof winter boots. How smart... what happened in the end? My feet were soaked, from walking to catch the bus, around downtown to drop off books at the library, and towards the lab building.

The rain has finally ceased, when I walked out from the building after work. Winter is not always pretty as it's shown on the TV screen. It creates slush and mess from time to time. Please keep in mind that this is not the worst you can expect. When temperature drops below the freezing point overnight, it's going to be icy the next morning. No sneakers nor winter boots this time, put on a pair of skates instead, haha...

Conclusively, traveling in the winter can be quite troublesome. Winter survival tips? Be sure to check the weather before leaving home. Snowing? Wear a winter hat. Raining? Wear a rain jacket and bring an umbrella. Windy? Put on a winter hat and a pair of winter gloves, and do whatever you can to stay warm!

Dress accordingly to get the most out of the splendid winter season :D

Secret Santa III

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!!! Another surprise from my Secret Santa ;)

Day 8 (Dec. 12th): A note was found beside the entrance door on second floor around 9:15 a.m. I found it so funny that I almost laughed my head off. It reads:



Day 8th (Dec. 12th): A gift was nicely wrapped and placed under a chair in the hallway! A Christmas wreath and fresh pine scented candle!!


I'm truly spoiled by my Secret Santa. He/she took me by surprise with all these unexpected gifts. Thanks, Santa!

Secret Santa II

My Secret Santa showed no sign for the past two days. Guess what?? Here is what I got this morning at work - a note (again). I was puzzled for a second, before I was reminded by a co-worker about the weights for balance that we use at various labs. Ha...gotcha! I made a dash to where the weights were placed. Sure enough, my surprise gift was sitting on the counter!

Day 6 (Dec. 10th): A note found at the micro. lab entrance around 9:15 a.m.



Day 6 (Dec. 10th): Christmas cactus from my Secret Santa. How sweet.... Thanks Santa, for you've brighten my day ;)

Christmas Arts & Craft Show

We're in the last month of year 2008 and Christmas is just around the corner! Busy looking for gift ideas? Busy getting some shopping done? Busy wrapping gifts? Most people are doing these for their families. However, I'm doing these for co-workers and friends. Buying gifts for being a Secret Santa, for Yankee Swap and other gift exchange. Sadly speaking, I don't have anything for my family this Christmas. Why? You know it, the shipping cost is more than the cost of gifts! Oh well, Mom, Dad, Bro, & Sis, I'll have something for each of you when we get a chance to meet up again. Sorry about that :(

Alright, back to the annual Christmas Arts & Craft Show that was held at the Fredericton Capital Exhibition Centre on Smythe St. from Dec. 5th (Friday) till Dec. 7th (Sunday). I was there with five other friends to check things out last Saturday. I vaguely remember attending this event once, perhaps three or four years ago.

There are lots of different items on sale, ranging from gourmet sauces, maple syrup and candies, fudges, hand knit clothing, fashion accessories, pottery, Christmas ornaments, and much more! It was a pleasant visit, not only to purchase gifts, but also to appreciate and support the local crafts and goods.

These are what I've got, under $15: two cute Christmas ornaments and a kiln-fired stained glass pendant. Gifts to be given away! I'm gonna miss them...

Secret Santa I

Here is the definition of Secret Santa from the Wikipedia: a Western holiday tradition in which members of a group are randomly assigned other members to whom they anonymously give a gift.

This year is my second time participating in the Secret Santa game at workplace. There're ten of us in this game. The game started this week and these are what I've received thus far from Santa:

Day 1 (Dec. 3rd): A clue found at the micro. lab entrance around 3:20 p.m. Hmm... anyone in this building could have done that. Anyway, the first answer that came into mind was snowflakes! Since it has to be breakfast cereals, I'd guess frosted flakes! Ermm... am I getting frosted flakes for breakfast tomorrow then?



Day 2 (Dec. 4th): Snowflake! It was found on the computer desk in the morning around 8:15 a.m.

Day 2 (Dec. 4th): Looks like my Santa is working hard. I got this clue in the fridge at the sample receiving around 3:10 p.m. Hah... chocolate it is! I'm getting some chocolates next!

Day 3 (Dec. 5th): A Christmas tin loaded with chocolate fudge found at the water fountain outside lunch room shortly after morning break, around 10:30 a.m. Thanks for the fudge, Santa! However, I'd appreciate it more if it's less sweet.... not a big fudge fan though. Ferrero Rocher'd be way better ;P

Bluetooth Headset

Arghh... I've been having issues with my hands-free. It tangles up every single time I try to put it on. Worse still, I've to keep the excessive length of wire aside, possibly hide it under my fall jacket. What's the matter with it?! It's driving me nuts....

These issues prompt me to get a bluetooth device, and save the hassles of dealing with the wires! I came to know about the existence of bluetooth technology when I was in middle school, but didn't pay much attention to it. Nowadays, you can get cellphones, computers, laptops, GPS receivers, game consoles such as Wii and Play Station 3, and much more with bluetooth technology. How cool is that?

At first, I just wanted a regular "businessman" bluetooth headset that hangs on to one ear. I found out later that it's only used for talking on the phone but can't play music (otherwise, you're gonna listen to music on one ear, and noises on the other, huh?).

That was a big let down. Now what? I was looking online for a stereo bluetooth headset but found it pricey (ranges from $50 to $100+), and never got around thinking much about it until I visited the Wal-Mart on the weekend....

Motorola HT820 stereo bluetooth headset.

Hmm...buy or not to buy ($50 after taxes)? After contemplating for 30 minutes, I decided to give it a try. Furthermore, it's under warranty, in case anything goes wrong...

Gadgets that come with it.

I wondered what's the use of the headphone jack on the headset at first. Well, maybe you can amplify the music by plugging it to stereo speakers? I didn't realize until I came across with a review that it can be used to plug to an iPod while connected to a cellphone. Basically, you can be running on the treadmill while listening to songs, and not missing a call!

Wirelessly listen to music and never miss a call on this stylish headset!

It's absolutely amazing! Great stereo effect, easy control of buttons (on/off, volumes, track change, make/receive calls). It has 12 hours of music time, or 17 hours of talk time, and weighs only 100g. Very cool! Honestly, I appreciate the technology nowadays that makes life so much easier, and of course, more enjoyable ;) Simply loving it!

Be a Smarty Pants!

Wanna outsmart others and be a Smarty Pants? Well, dogs do too! Here is an interesting video...

Hehe...be a Smart Pants? Think twice! *v* It takes more effort than you think ;D

Radio DJ

Hey CHSR (College Hill Campus Radio), I'm back! This year, I'm privileged to be part of the DJ crew for a Chinese radio show hosted by the CSSA (Chinese Students and Scholars Association). Every Saturday from 12:00 p.m. till 2:00 p.m. (Atlantic time), stay tuned at FM 97.9 or listen online www.unb.ca/chsr, for those who live without a radio, or anyone who lives outside Freddy ;)

What do we talk about? Anything & everything! Entertainment news, new music album introduction, hot topics, life experience, literature etc., and best of all, the last 30 minutes is reserved for song dedication! Visit http://www.chineseunb.com/bbs/showthread.php?p=399496 to leave a message or give the radio station a call when a cue is given. It's a great way to dedicate a song to your loved one!

My first experience being a radio host was during my first year in university. That was a radio show presented by the Malaysian Students' Society, on Sundays from 9:30 till 10:30 a.m. I used mostly Cantonese for that radio show, occasionally Mandarin too. Guess what was marvelous about the show? My family in Malaysia can actually listen online to my show ;) How neat is that! I felt the pressure when came to think of it, hehe... It was a tremendous support nonetheless *v*

The Dawn is Breaking...

"The dawn is breaking, a light shining through...

Even the best fall down sometimes, even the stars refuse to shine,

Out of the back you fall in time, I somehow find you and I collide..."

The gorgeous and peaceful picture of dawn reminds me of this song, "Collide" by Howie Day. It's one of my favourite songs. It blends in to the ambience perfectly...

I was staying up "early" the entire night, finishing up a drama series that I've been watching the past week or two. By the time I was ready for bed, I realized that the dawn was breaking. Hmm... it has been awhile since I last enjoyed the sunrise. The experience I had at the top of Mount. Kinabalu was an awesome one. Watching the sunset is great too. I'd still prefer the beach though, where you can observe the position of the sun so clearly and closely on the horizon. This time, however, I'm doing it by the river. The famous Saint John river in Fredericton.

In the dark, I was biking along the walking trail which led me to the walking bridge. Then, I realized that I could actually stay on the south side to watch the sunrise. Below is the view of university campus from the walking bridge.

The serenity of that moment was beyond descriptions. The hustle and bustle of a big city living sets the busy pace, which brings me come alive. The calm and gentle rhythm of this wonderful piece of "art", however, allows the moment of silence to search deeper in heart and give thanks to everything, including every single breathe I take. I surely enjoy a fine balance of both :)

Spicing Up LIFE with the SeASOnS

Ever wondering what's the best way to spice up your life? How about a myriad of maple leaves in the fall and scenic view of snow in the winter? It's FUN! Despite the recurrence of complaints about winter (lasts up to six months, and the temperature can drop to -40 degrees Celsius in Freddy), knowing your way around to take pleasure in the beautiful seasons ensures a sweet & memorable experience!!

A Courageous Journey

Okie... it has been ages since I last updated my blog. I'm back!

I was in the midst of clearing/packing my stuff, getting ready to move into a new apartment (first move in four years, amazing eh?) and found this interesting essay that was written a while ago. Here is how it sounds:

Nestled in the heart of South-East Asia is a piece of land endowed with natural beauty and tropical bounty. The abundance of sunshine and rainfall accounts for the lushness of vegetation. It provides habitation to a variety of exotic, rare and protected flora and natural wildlife. It was a breathtaking bird’s eye view at 15,000 feet above sea-level, when I bade farewell to my homeland Malaysia two years ago.

It was on an ordinary sunny day that I began a long journey half-way across the world. The intense heat at 33 degrees Celsius literally attempted to thaw my intention to leave, but to no avail. My mind was engaged in weaving together threads of thought ceaselessly. The eagerness to broaden my existing paradigms defeated my reluctance to leave. I was once told “fulfill your dreams when you are young. Life is short and bears no waiting!”

I was overwhelmed with anxiety and anticipation as minutes passed by. I could imagine myself leaving a comfort zone and immersing into a whole new world. Finally, it was time for me to advance towards the boarding gate. I took steps of great courage after bidding my loved ones goodbye, ready to experience a new phase in my life. The moment I turned away, my vision was blurred as tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably. There was no turning back and I just had to keep moving.

As the plane took off, my confidence soared. It was the flight that gave me a new perspective on my dreams. Flights have their own destinations and know their directions well enough that they will go all the way without hesitation. “Why can’t humans be the same?” I thought to myself. We need to visualize our goals and be able to reach out with all our might. It is never an easy task and demands enormous effort. A mountain climber came into picture. He went on a daunting path with no knowledge of what to expect down the road, and it was the self-assurance that drove him all the way up to the peak. He might have been exhausted by the end of the day but the achievement was rewarding by his gaining invaluable experience and improving fitness levels, to be better armored for his upcoming challenges.

Everything seemed to come into place for me. Leaving home and family was part of my growing process. It taught me a good lesson in being independent. It provided me with the courage for fulfilling my dreams and boosted my confidence in striving for a better future.

Thirty-six hours later, I landed in Fredericton, a distant place from home where I chose to pursue my studies. I assimilated into a new lifestyle with a cultural background that I am now familiar with. It was that major step of courage that marked a new milestone in my life, and is responsible for my transformation into the person I am today, as I live on the land of the maple leaf which I have acknowledged as my home away from home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE END ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An interesting and exciting experience of what I shall call "when East meets West".

My Paradise

Yeah... trying out my new blog!