East meets West

I miss Malaysian food.

I know that sounds like a constant yap, but seriously.. *sigh*

I miss soupy noodles, chicken rice, all sorts of different snacks and hawker food, road side stalls, night markets etc. etc. and although there is a big variety in Western cuisine, I have to say that I never baked a fish, chicken etc before I got here. Plus, almost all the vegetables I had was stir fried or in some soup etc.. (it's still difficult to find a lot of Asian vegetables/fruits in the market)

Sometimes, I'll make a soupy dish for myself for dinner and make more Western fare for David. Like a couple of nights ago, we both had fish, except he had baked fish with a salad, and I had fish and vegetable soup. Yum.

David's dinner

My dinner

Tonight however, we both had turkey chili dogs...*laugh*

Fires in Texas and Oklahoma

We always hear about fires in faraway places

like California, but now it is so close to home it's scary.

( Excerpts and photographs borrowed from Abilene Reporter News Online )

CROSS PLAINS -

Fires have swept across Texas this week, engulfing Cross Plains, a town of 1,070 about 47 miles southeast of Abilene in Callahan County. After a particularly dry season, the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for a number of Big Country counties because of the heightened risk of fires.

Taylor and most area counties have enacted bans on outside burning, and some counties also are restricting firework use. Of 23 counties in the Big Country, only Scurry and Throckmorton do not have burn bans, according to the Texas Forest Service on Wednesday.

I'm going to be an aunt again! Twice!

Beautiful Babes and their babies..

I became an aunt in Nov 2003 and then again in Dec 2003... now both my sister Joanna and sister in law Winnie are going to be mommies again in 2006! Congratulations, girls!!!!!

Practise being good big brothers now, boys!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND SEASON'S GREETINGS 2005

Season's Greetings, Y'ALL!

T'is the Season .... to be SILLY

Shana's Birthday Party earlier this month...

Merry Christmas one and all!

T'is the Season ..... still

My First Roast Turkey Attempt

The Trusty Oven



"During"

TA DA!!!!

Not too bad, aye?

My sinuses hurt

Artic Front, they call it...

From a low of 18 F ( - 7.8 C ) at 6 a.m. this morning, it's just gone up one degree to 19F and it's 1.30 in the afternoon. No wonder my sinuses are aching. *sigh* K. Restoule in Canada would wonder what all the hue and cry was about, but a few days ago it was in the 80s!!!!!

My Father Always Said...

A Family that Eats together Sticks Together

Yesterday, we had dinner at the Abilene Civic Center - a free meal sponsored by the H.E.B Grocery chain, a Texas grocery chain that, in the past 10 years or so, has expanded over to Mexico.

This year, H.E.B. celebrates its 100th year of serving Texans ( or Texicans ) and the free meal that we attended was one of their annual Feast of Sharing events that is held in cities all over Texas.

Glazed Ham, Southern Style Corn, Mashed Potatoes, Rolls AND apple pie (yummmmmm )

It was advertised that they were preparing meals for 7,000 and the event was from 3 pm till 7 pm but it looks like they may have underestimated the response!

Am I wearing the antlers the wrong way? *grin* Walter doesn't seem to think so!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
Your branches green delight us.
They're green when summer days are bright:
They're green when winter snow is white.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
Your branches green delight us.

It was the first time it was held in Abilene, so we were part of a pretty historical event.
*burp*

Immersing in Culture

There may be lights in Malaysia during Christmas

but being a predominantly Muslim country, there aren't many pre-Christmas traditions/happenings that are observed. Sure, there is the departmental store sales, the lighted streets and commercials on TV as well as Christmas songs on radio stations, but that's almost about it.

That's why it's so thrilling to be somewhere where the whole Christmas experience is maximized. Granted, some of it is the result of a lot of commercialism and economics, but still, there is no missing the Spirit in the air..

Today, we joined Cindy at Church for Breakfast with Santa, and I had my picture taken for the very first time with the Jolly Man in Red himself ( but as Elizabeth, our 5 year old niece whispered to me, "Well, you know he isn't REALLY Santa"), had pancakes and sausages and decorated Gingerbreadman cookies..

Unfortunately, my cookie fell on the ground and poor Gingerbread Guy broke his left arm..

Watch this space for some Christmas Parade Pictures soon!