Life, Travel, GRACE

Have not been writing for awhile. I even blogged less last year. Partly because couldn't find a quality time to write. That's the price for looking after 2 kids. A year has passed. A new year has come. And it's not too late to wish a happy new year. While God has been faithful and providing, I couldn't ask for more this year. Just wish for providence, completion of study, teachable sons and health for the families. Hopefully will have more time to blog too.

Well, the following movies are not the movies of the year as acclaimed by the mainstream movie review. Since I've only watched two movies this year, so they have come into my movies-of-the-year list. Is not that I don't want to watch movies but finding the time away from kids for movie seeing is near impossible in this and perhaps next one or two years. The most anticipated movie of the year is the sequel and completion of The Dark Knight. It was good that the director / writer has decided to end the story in 3 series only. Unlike other superhero movies, you may have unfinished story. Thus, this sequel was timely told. If you have watched the first two series, you may notice there's a continuation theme. In the first movie, we were introduced with the origin of fear and the purpose of fear. In the second movie, chaos was the main theme. This was paired with sacrifice. The third instalment focused on hope. Although the third instalment may not be as good as the second...

One of the interesting stuff to discover in Tokyo is the street performance, particularly in Asakusa area. There was performance on Dragon Ball and some magic show. Fees is by kind donation of the patron. It's like what you've seen in the movie - street performers stage their performance and people will pay if they like it. The Dragon Ball performance was pretty interesting and funny.

While most of us buy commercial moon cake, this year we made ourselves. We made the easiest one - "pingpei" moon cake. No baking required, just chilled and served.

The same company which brought you the glass in the iPhone. The idea in the video is quite futuristic though. The latest video is even more futuristic. We will see if any of these ideas can be realized.

Photos were taken many many years ago. You can see the year was 2005. Back then, I used the novice point-and-shoot camera. That was the trip to Hanoi and Sapa. Sapa has to be the best retreat place in northern Vietnam. Its vast rice terraces and scenery are one of its kind. Of course, how could one leave Vietnam without sampling its famous coffee.  

From the front gate, the author walked passed the row of souvenir shops. And it was getting dark as well (already passed 6pm local time). In between the shops, you could find some decent Japanese restaurants tucked just behind the alley. In one corner, you would be able to gaze the Tokyo Skytree (at that time, it wasn't open for public, not until later May). Tokyo Skytree is the latest addition to Tokyo's high rise structures; twice as high as Tokyo Tower. Towards the end of the complex, one would reach the temple. At this hour, many people were  still queueing up for prayer offering. As night approached, the temple complex was lightened up. It was very natural, not too much artificial lighting.