‘Tis the Season…

For some reason, I am quite late with my holiday shopping… my list is still pretty long and still mostly just a list of possibilities good thing I have my stock of knick-knacks and gifts I’ve bought throughout the year I just need to figure out which gift goes to whom. However, what do you give someone who already has everything? For the life of me, I can’t quite figure out what gift to give “those kinds of people.” Food would have been an option but I don’t even know when I’ll see them! Oh well…

I noticed this year, there aren’t any new cute gifts, it’s still soaps, candle holders, oil burners and the timeless picture frames and desk clocks! I’ve run out of gift ideas especially for my family! It’s so bad that I’ve resigned myself to giving money to some of them… I think the kids would love it though

in the spirit of season…

let us remember what Harold Kushner said…

“Love involves nourishing someone else’s soul and not only finding someone willing to nourish yours.”

pokémon name

My Pokéname is:
Vaporcow

Profile
You live in the snowy mountains of Norway, and your diet consists mostly of macaroni and cheese, small rodents and ambrosia.

Characteristics
(Combat and Non-combat)
You have intimate knowledge of kung fu. You can puke acid. You can puke maple syrup. You have a discoball. You can throw nunchucks. You can eat poison. You can spit hot death.

Natural Enemies
Your natural enemy is Mewtwo.

Thanks to CC’s blog where I got this… find out your pokémon name…

Macau… two

After the garden, we walked to the famous St. Paul’s Ruins, Monte Forte and Macau Museum. The Ruins was built by the Jesuits in 1602 with the stone façade carved in 1620 and has become the symbol of Macau. In 1835, a fire ravaged the church and now only the beautiful stone façade remains. After several pictures, I sampled the famous jagra de ovos or egg tart which was quite expensive at 7 patacas but it was really yummy!

We then proceeded (walking) to the General Post Office with the clock tower but unfortunately it wasn’t playing any melodies when we were there. It was built in 1929 and is supposedly the only big project that follows a neo-classical architecture.

Beside it (Thank God!) was the Largo do Senado and its Portuguese pavement. It was grand and beautiful but there were some construction going on. The Senado Square used to be the heart of political power in Macau but is now the hub for one of my favorite activities… SHOPPING.

Across the street was the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau and enclosed garden at the back with Spanish tiles running around the side. This also houses the Leal Senado Library with some books dating back to the 17th century. This is where I bought my Macau souvenir, a bookmark of A-Ma.

Reading the food guide from the Bureau, we decided to look for Fat Siu Lau, the oldest restaurant in town. It opened in 1903 and is known for its roast pigeon. Here we had Portuguese fried rice (really tasty), Bacalhau Assado or grilled cod fish (simply divine), we were contemplating on getting either the roast pigeon or chicken curry and opted for the curry instead.

Macau… one

I went to Macau last 28-30 November… it’s a pretty place, very clean and the weather is divine.

After a short cab drive from Taipa to Macau, our first stop was the Kun Lam Temple at Avenida do Coronel Mesquita. It is one of Macau’s biggest temples and site for many historical events. Many people continue to burn incense and give offerings here.

We then walked to Lou Lim Ieoc Garden along Estrada de Adolfo. It was built by a wealthy Chinese merchant during the 1800s. It’s a beautiful garden and follows the classic Suzhou style garden complete with rock mountains, ponds and bridges. Suzhou style gardens can be traced as far back as the 6th century B.C. It is made of basic elements of water, stones, plants and buildings with literary allusions representing the wisdom of the Chinese. They are laid out to imitate natural scenery and allow visitors to meander through its labyrinth of pathways, bridges and little pavilions that seem endless and full of quiet surprises. We saw many locals playing chess, meditating, playing musical instruments, reading, and exercising (fan dance and tai-chi). Indeed, it was a sight to behold!

Kum Lam Temple photos…

Some photos take in Lou Lim Ieoc garden…