Heavenly Paradise@AdelineAng.com

Let it snow…let it snow….let it snow… The white and fluffy snow is not only pretty to look at, but also fun to play with!

We had joy
We had fun
We had seasons in the snow
But the snow that we played
was just never last too long

* Modified from “Season In The Sun” by Westlife.

The womanized “Winnie the Pooh.”

The cute snowman blushed as being kissed on both cheeks.

One year after another, and twenty four hours a day never seems enough; each minute passes by even before we realize it.

Canada, or Fredericton to be precise; a place that I called my second home, for more than a quarter of the chapter of my life thus far. I couldn’t be grateful enough for all the blessings that’ve been showered upon me, in this foreign land that I used to know no one and no one knew me.

Live the life to the fullest, and cherish every moment in life. Welcome to the year 2010! May this year be a fruitful and a blessing one to you and me!

I’m not a big fan of flu shots; not that I’m afraid of needles (I’ve had lots of practice from blood donation), but I’d rather let my own body immune system fight off the virus. What would happen if my body depends too much on the flu shots? Yes, by getting flu shot, I’m quite certain that my chances of catching the flu is close to nothing. Nonetheless, who can guarantee that I’m not catching something else in the air?

How many flu shots does it require for us to stay away from all the bugs? The answer is “too many.” Hence, my idea is, let my body defend for herself. This way, defense system can be strengthen and fight a longer battle.

Conversely, immune system that’s over protected (fully depend on flu shots) has a harder time to be on its own when crisis arises. Worse comes to worst, our body loses the battle and we feel miserable. At least, our body will then recognize the enemy and will do a better job in defending him/herself next time around.

When H1N1 flu shot became available to the public, I was contemplating whether or not I should get one. I convinced myself to get one in the end based on the following reasons:

1) H1N1 can be deadly. It doesn’t seem to get any better but worse. Prevention is better than cure.

2) If I never get the shot and happen to catch the flu. I’ll be the only person to be blamed.

3) It’s free. Actually, it’s more like I’ve already paid for it since it’s from the taxpayer’s pocket.

Some of the symptoms of H1N1 swine flu are: extreme fatigue, sore throat, cough, headache, runny & stuff nose, muscle aches, nausea, and vomiting. Who can get it? It’s just about anyone!  

The media hype on H1N1 influenza virus leads to absurd paranoiac amongst the public. Here is the question. Is H1N1 flu virus any worse than other flu or disease that we know of? Reports have shown that seasonal flu kills more than 35,000 Americans every year, 1.6 million people died from Tuberculosis in 2005, and SARS killed 163 people up to 2003. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were about 8,000 confirmed death cases caused by H1N1 flu virus, up to end of November 2009. Is H1N1 virus any worse? Do the math.

What are the impacts of H1N1 (by getting the public paranoid)? Drug companies are selling more drugs, doctors are attending to more patients, medical institutions are getting more businesses. These phenomena made me wonder: are these all about media and politics?

Look at this. Every month, 50,000 people die from AIDS in South Africa. Every day, nearly 1,600 people die from AIDS. And guess what? 42,000 people died from car accidents in 2001 and more than 20,000 death cases from the common flu in the USA annually.

Stay healthy. Be happy. Instead of living in fear because of influenza viruses, there are lots of other things in life to be treasured and cherished.

Most people would probably agree with me that puddles aren’t pleasant to stumble into. Muddy and yucky. Eww! Pedestrians, especially, have to be extra cautious while walking along the sidewalk. Try to stay as far away from the road as possible. The “man-made fountain” is not as pretty as you thought it might be; yucky splashing water when a car is driven by the puddle is best to be avoided.

Apparently, carrying an umbrella on a rainy day can be very useful. Besides keeping ourselves dry, it can potentially be used as a “shield” to protect us from the splashing water.

Having said that, puddles can be a great setup for capturing water reflection images. Pretty cool!

The surroundings seem so different when it’s covered in snow. Although winter weather can be brutally cold, I enjoy the beauty and serenity of winter. It’s part of the nature, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to experience winter. I’m hoping to enjoy the most of it. Dress warm and stay strong!

My winter boots made their first appearance of the season this past Sunday. Taking pictures in the winter can be enjoyable, yet torturing. By the end of the session, my hands were nearly frozen. Gloves and camera don’t seem to go along very well. I was snapping pictures with my bare hands. Cold… freezing cold… but it was worthwhile :)

More baking! Miles and I did more baking last weekend. There was something new that we wanted to try preparing–gum paste.

Similar to fondant, gum paste is a pliable dough that can be easily shaped for cake decorations. As the name implied, the latter has more of a gum texture and it holds its shape better than fondant.

Cake baking, cake cooling, cake leveling, cake icing, cake chilling… all happened on the first night. Fondant and gum paste were prepared on the same day.

The next morning, we moved on to rolling out the fondant and laying the thin sheet (1/8 inch thick) onto the cake. Miles did a fabulous job transferring fondant onto the cake on his first attempt!

While the cake is being chilled in the fridge, we cut out various patterns on gum paste. Then, they cut-out patterns were placed in mini tin foil cupcake liners to hold their shapes. Painting was the next step. We used mainly gel paste food colouring for painting. Meanwhile, home-made chocolate icing was artistically piped along the top and bottom edges of the cake.

Finally, we assembled the gum paste ornaments onto the cake, placed a maraschino cherry on each flower, and garnished cake with milk chocolate curls.

Final results:

It was a heart-breaking moment to have to cut the cake. Oh well, that’s what the cake is for–consumption! More importantly, Miles and I had great fun preparing the cake and everyone enjoyed eating it ;)

It’s hard to believe that the calendar is slowing easing its way into the last month of the year. It’s only less than a month away from Christmas! Christmas carols, Christmas decorations, Christmas sales…

Snow has finally arrived, on the last day of November. Despite a few freezing cold days in September and October, we’ve been blessed with a mild November weather (yes, after Miles and I stopped biking to work).

Days are shorter and nights are longer, as we gradually approach the end of December (Dec. 21st has the shortest daylight hours). Going to work in the dark and returning home from work in the dark. The bright sunshine can only be admired from afar when I’m at work.

While everyone is hustling to Christmas shopping and trying to have it squeezed into their busy schedule, Miles and I have already accomplished most of the shopping needed to be done. Believe it or not, we started Christmas shopping early September!

No major plans. No major trips. This is one of the very few years that I’m not visiting any new places during Christmas/New Year’s Day.

Here is a glimpse of what I’ve done in previous years:

2003 – Stayed in Fredericton and celebration Christmas in the residence.
2004 – Spent “Boxing Day” shopping in Moncton.
2005 – Participated in International Christmas in Nova Scotia.
2006 - At Urbana Student Mission Conference in St. Louise, Missouri.
2007 – Travelled to Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City for Christmas; New York and Boston for New Year’s.
2008 – Visited Calgary and Edmonton for Christmas and New Year’s.

This year, I’ll be in Fredericton/Grand Bay/Saint John for most, if not all of my Christmas/New Year’s vacation. Hopefully, there will be skiing opportunities should the weather be favourable, and also chances to go skating during the holidays.

It’s going to be a quiet, joyful Christmas this year, for the seventh year in a row celebrating the festive season without family around. Next year, hopefully, Christmas will be different, a good different.

Ever get bored of doing the same thing over and over again? That’s one the dilemmas I often face; when I lose interest in a particular event or simply because it doesn’t seem meaningful to me anymore.

During my first year of the university, I was eager to explore new adventures, which includes becoming a radio DJ! The online radio streaming broad casted the radio show live and allowed my family and friends in Malaysia to listen to my voice. Unbelievable!

It wasn’t until several years later after I graduated, I was back to the campus radio station (College Hill Radio Station) again. With the recent renovations at the studio, I’m enjoying my brand new experience hosting radio shows on the weekends.

Together with other radio DJs from the Chinese Student Association of the university, we’ve a blast presenting the only Chinese radio program to the local community!

Tide in and tide out,
Tidal cycle repeats itself.
You said to fear not,
‘Cause I’m not by myself.

Holding my hand, I said in prayer;
Hoping this moment will last forever.
Holding your hand, you said to separate never;
Hoping we’ll be happily together.

What is your favourite apple? McIntosh, Lady Pink, Cortland, Honey Crisp, or Gala? To  me, those freshly picked apples are the best! Nothing can beat that.

My first apple picking experience three years ago was great. I missed it so much that I wanted to go again! The apples were fresh & crisp, and tasted better than those store-bought ones. Besides eating on its own, apple is great for baking too.

$6 for 10lb bag of apples (McIntosh, Lobo, Gravenstein etc.)! It’s a price that you can never find at the grocery stores. Furthermore, the fun of picking apples off the trees is priceless!

The vibrant colour, cool breeze and clear sky. These are some of the many things I like about the fall season. Nonetheless, frosty morning and freezy evening can be rather brutal.

I enjoy taking pictures of fall scenery, which can be so different from year to year. I didn’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. I was especially amazed by the wonderful nature during my very first autumn experience in Canada. The amusement from observing the colour change in the environment was beyond comprehension. I’d pause and enjoy the surroundings, on my way to classes each day.

The colour changes slowly, and leaves fall gradually; the transition of the season displays its unique pattern everyday.

Biking is one of the summer activities I enjoy a lot. Once the “white stuff (a.k.a. snow)” is no where to be seen on the biking trail, weather is warming up, and flowers are blooming. It’s a clear indication that the spring is here and biking season begins!

Biking in the cool spring, hot summer, scenic fall; misty morning, hot afternoon, or warm evening. I’m loving it! It keeps adrenaline going, heart pumping, and body muscles working.

I still remember bits and pieces of how I learned riding a bike when I was little. A big thank you to Dad who patiently taught me how to bike. Have I had bike accidents before?You bet! Surprisingly, some of the bad falls I’ve had, happened after I’m proficient in biking skills.

Biking to work 14 km a day has become part of my routine; leaving for work in crisp and breezy morning, and going home in sunny afternoon. Weather can vary from warm, hot, sunny, to overcast, rainy, chilly, windy etc. As long as there’s no pouring rain, I’d go biking almost anytime during the day.

Watching the blooming flowers in the spring, appreciate the warm sunshine in the summer, and admire the stunning vibrant colours in the fall. Together with my loved one, we’re in love with this city. Miles who once told himself that he’d never wanted to bike again after his unpleasant learning process, convinced himself to relearn how to ride a bike in the spring.

On the Old Train Bridge at dawn.

Odell Park is my favourite park for biking.

One of the many trails in the park.

Since the test on raspberries and sour cream showed a negative result for allergy reaction, I’ve decided to take up the ultimate challenge by testing myself on the Raspberry Sour Pie. Eating the pie? Again??

I had a chance to speak with the Restaurant Manager on the phone and informed him what had happened after my meal. He suggested to perform a skin test. What’s a skin test? By rubbing the potential allergen on the forearm, we can tell if it really is the allergen when allergy reaction kicks in, within 30 minutes or less. On the other hand, if nothing happens, then it could be something else that had contributed to the allergy reaction.

The Raspberry Sour Pie… can be deceiving!!

With some liquid Benodryl beside me, I spread some pie filling on my forearm. 5 minutes… 10 minutes… 15 minutes later, nothing happened. I was puzzled. Next, I took a small bite of the pie. Yet, nothing happened.

Could it be the crust? I tried the crust. 10 minutes or so later, nothing… Then, I started eating the pie. My body was fine the rest of the night.

In conclusion, do I know what I’m allergic to? No. If it’s not the food, it could be something else. There are various factors that could potentially contribute to hives; food, stress, pollen, mold, dust etc. Could it have been body stress? Maybe… At least it was acute hives and didn’t last very long. Best of all, I can still enjoy raspberries and sour cream!

“Curiosity killed the cat.” When I first suggested to Miles that I wanted to find out the allergen that caused hives on me, his first respond was, “do you want to get yourself sick?”

When the allergic reaction happened, I was curious about the allergen. Food allergy is something new to me. I’d like to find out the root of the problem, so that I can better prevent it from happening in the future. Having to doubt before taking each bite of food isn’t fun at all. I rather know what I shouldn’t have eaten; just like the saying “satisfaction brought him back.”

Here is the test. Since the potential allergen could have been from the raspberry pie, I’d take some raspberries and sour cream as a measure of allergy test. What would I do if allergy reaction occurs? Of course, I had a bottle of liquid Benadryl handy to take of that.

First of all, I had some raspberries. Nothing happened… I waited for about 30 minutes and came to a conclusion that I’m safe to consume raspberries!

Now… sour cream… I’ve had sour cream in the past, usually with nacho chips. Although I don’t have it very often, it’s something I’ve just had a few weeks ago. Nonetheless, I’d give it a try… One heaping teaspoon of sour cream. 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes… have passed. I was still completely fine.

Hence, the experiment shows that the allergen is not raspberries, not sour cream, and not the combination of both. I’m puzzled… what else could it be?!

What is wrong with me?? Allergies (food allergies, particularly) have never brought to my attention for the longest period of time, when I was younger. In North America, food allergy is a norm; peanuts, flour, eggs, seafood etc.

Miles came to learn about his rum allergy in a painful way. His first experience of tasting rum ball (half a piece) resulted in sneezing and runny nose, for a few hours. In the order to be sure that it was rum that triggered the symptoms, he took a bite of rum ball the next day. This time around, it got worse. On top of sneezing and runny nose, he was suffering from watery eyes, stuffy nose; most, if not all of the cold symptoms. It was within a minute or two that his body reacted to the rum that he consumed. The allergy lasted for a week.

Besides rum, some people have allergy to other alcoholic beverage such as  beer, possibly due to the malted barley.

I’ve always been grateful that I’m free of allergies, until two days ago… Together with Miles and his parents, we went to Frank’s Finer Diner for supper. I ordered the Grilled Chicken Parmesan, and Raspberry Sour Pie for dessert. They’ve the best homemade pies ever!

I remembered my neck was itching just as we finished the meal. I couldn’t help but scratching my neck with both hands. Next thing I realized, my arms were itching. I thought it was something in the air that caused the skin irritation. There were spots on my right arm that resembled scars from mosquito bites. I couldn’t figure out when that happened…

About 30 minutes later, I was still scratching… My ears felt warm. When I looked into the mirror, they looked red! So does my neck! I pulled up the sleeves of my sweater and realized that there were rashes on both my arms! Not knowing exactly what happened to me, I approached Miles and told him that “I think there is something wrong with me…” He told me that it was hives, the moment he saw the rashes.

Hives… Could it be a food allergy?? I couldn’t think of anything I had for supper was new to my body system. Later that evening, rashes were all over my neck, arms, thighs…