Birthday in Heaven

4th July 2015 - Blessed 1st Birthday, baby Cassandra! You have officially turn 1 today.

It's a day of celebration we have been looking forward to. Everyone wish that we cold have celebrated it with you in a different way instead of what we'e done at the park today. Nonetheless, daddy and mommy were very happy because the celebration were joined by other family members and every time when daddy or mommy talk about you everybody in the family is always very supportive and compassionate.  For that, we are grateful.

We hope you get the lovely balloons with our love messages sent to you.

Watch over all of us as we look up to Heaven for you little one.

You are forever loved and forever missed. No matter how short a time each of us had with you, you are loved, always.

Wow!

4th June 2015 - Happy 11th Months Old in Heaven, Baby Cassandra!

Time flies....

It's been 11th months since I gave birth to my beautiful daughter but the memory seems so fresh like it has only happened yesterday. 

Time heals.... But time cannot erase the memories and thank God for that. 
Can't wait for next month to celebrate Cassandra 1st Birthday in Heaven!

Forever Love. 

On Mother's Day

I've been dreading about today for months. I wasn't sure how to react or not react towards all the constant Mother's Day ads popping up everywhere. But I am not alone in this. There are many grieving moms and dads like Keith & I everywhere and we all have these mix feelings, or not. 

A strong sense of peace came to me yesterday after reading an article and I am no longer afraid to face this day. I am a Mom and no one can take that away from me. I want to embrace the celebration instead of fearing and avoiding it. 

Although our lovely daughter, Cassandra is in Heaven and she was in me and with me for a brief few months but once a Mother, Forever a Mother irregardless where my child is. I (we grieving moms) deserved to be celebrated as much as any other mothers who have living children. 

As a Mom I am sad for the obvious reason. :'(

But as a daughter, I am happy and blessed. Both my beloved mom and mom-in-law are still alive and healthy and I'm grateful for them and everything they have done for me. I Love You Both!

Happy Mother's Day!!!! God Bless!

From: Angel Cassandra

Today we finally have all the gifts bought for the orphans in Rumah Anak Gembira in Klang.

Me and my 2 sisters in law started wrapping the gifts after dinner and it was so fun and fulfilling to do that knowing we will make 10 kids happy and feel loved.

While me and eldest sis in law were wrapping the gifts, my 2nd sis in law was writing the labels for each gift and she asked, "what should we write for the 'From, ??'. Think of a nickname or something". Then, my eldest sis in law replied, "Cassandra". 2nd sis in law looked at me and asked,"Sure? Write Cassandra?". As soon as I recovered from the unexpected answer, I quickly said, "Yes! Write Angel Cassandra. Thank you!" (as I bowed slightly). And eldest sis in law continued, "This is for her". Needless to say, eldest sis in law and myself (the emotional ones) cried a little after that short exchange.

Honestly, I didn't expect anyone would suggest to put Cassandra name with the exception of me and Keith but of course I wouldn't dare to suggest it. This really mean so so much to me and Keith and we feel so blessed and loved that our family members and close circle of friends are always being so supportive. Although we don't really talk about Cassandra much to other family members but on the occasions that we do, the response we get is always very warmth and positive.

We started this charity drive since year 2010 and so far we have the best response this year. We don't know what change but we believe Cassandra has touched many people's hearts and she has planted the desire in their hearts to help the needy.

Thank you everyone for joining us to honor our little girl. :)

All the Love and Prayers to you.

From, 
Angel Cassandra

Celebrating the Love of My Life

4th Nov - Today, is the 39th birthday of my beloved hubby, Keith. I am so happy and looking forward to celebrate many more birthdays with him. :) We had a very nice dinner at Vin's Restaurant & Bar in TTDI. At the end of our dinner, they actually sent us a surprise birthday cake (Chocolate truffle with ice cream). The cake was good and the beef ribs and steak we had were superb too. Glad to see my darling enjoyed his day. :)


4th Nov - Today, Cassandra turns 4 months old in heaven. I just miss her so much every minute of every day. Can't shake off the sad feeling especially when I'm on my way home after work every time. How I wish we have our lovely girl to come home to everyday. :(

Life is so unpredictable hence we must always appreciate every moment of our lives.

Happy 38th Birthday To Me

Today is my 38th Birthday. It should be one of my Happiest birthday as we supposed to have our lovely daughter, Cassandra celebrating my birthday with us. But we all know that she is no longer with us on this earth. I have made a wish in my heart, a most wanted wish that no one could ever granted me with, not even God, which is to have our baby Cassandra back with us healthy and very much alive.

I was feeling pretty down the past few days as my birthday is drawing near and I was thinking what other wishes I can make and most likely to be granted. And then came the idea. I've made a video telling a little story about Cassandra and what my wishes are and posted it in my FB page.

To be honest, such move is totally out of character and it took me much contemplation whether it is a good idea to do so. I was afraid I will be judged, ridiculed and criticized for attention seeking as I am not the only one in this world who has loss her child. But I guess the Love of a grieving mother conquers all. And I thank God and our angel baby Cassandra for giving me the courage to take the leap of faith and made it happen. As it turns out, it was a great move. :)

I've posted the video past midnight today and said a prayer hoping that there will be positive feedback before I went to bed. When I woke up this morning, my video has been shared by many and I've received many responses, both local and abroad to help me with my 2 birthday wishes. I am beyond thrill. 

Today prove to be a bitter sweet day. I feel so sad and yet so happy and bless with so many angels (yes, I mean you all kind souls out there) to help shared my video and also those who could offer your talents to help me make the 2 wishes come true. Thanks to the power of the social media and all netizens. 

I know some of you may think that I am still unable to accept the fact or can't let my baby girl go when you see my random posts in FB about me missing my daughter. It will be a total lie if I tell you that I am ok. Only those parents especially mothers who have loss their child would truly know how it feels. The truth is you will never stop missing your child and the pain of losing them will not go away totally. It just get easier to deal with every day.

And I want you all to know that both me and Keith are fine and moving on with our lives but this is just something we want to have as a memory of our baby girl. When we have so little memories, we tend to have lots of imaginations, And with everyone helps, we could at least transform some imaginations into pictures which we can see and share with our loved ones. Hope you guys understand.

To sum it all, I am sad but I am also extremely happy today for the following reasons:

1) I am happy because many kind souls have responded to grant my wishes, 

2) I am happy because I still have all my loved ones around me who are so caring, loving, patience and most importantly not being judgemental and totally supportive. And I want to do the same for them.

And for that I am very grateful.

God bless you and Thank you! :)

Going Strong....

10th Jan 2014. Today is one of the many special day in my life because today marks my 11th ROM Anniversary with my beloved soul-mate, best friend, lover and husband, Keith. :)

Looking back at these past years, there were many ups and downs and challenges in this marriage. We tripped and fell along the way and we are always there to comfort, to encourage, to love, to care, to be the pillar of strength and punching bag for each other. :)

Remembering the time when we decided to tie the knot, we have only met and dated for 6 months. It was indeed a big gamble for us both if you ask me, given that neither of us 100% know for sure that if the other party is really as good and real as who we appeared to be. Well, to-date I can say it was a great risk well taken. It was a great leap of Faith.

After being together for so many years, I must say that many things have changed but yet its still the same. We love and are in love with each other still after 11 years and yet the love we share today is no longer the same as when we first met. It got even better and we know that it will continue to grow even stronger. It is something beyond words.

We are a team. We are not halves that come together that became one. We are 2 own individuals that coming together, joining forces and together we build and share greater things in life. Together, we nurture all the blessings that God has given us. We want to be better person as an individual and for each other.

Happy 11th Anniversary, my dear! Looking forward for many more years to come.... :)

I Love You Always....my one and only, Keith Long. Muaks!!

And I'm Feeling Good...

So I was mentioning about a random act of kindness I did to a stranger this evening and this is what actually happened.

I was on my way home from work and it was pouring heavily and everywhere was jam.

While driving passed rows of bridal houses in SS2, I saw a guy holding an umbrella, a big paper bag and a backpack. He was walking at the side of the busy and wet road very slowly as he was really struggling. He was using a walking aid because I noticed he has polio.

In that split second, I decided to offer him a lift. So I stopped my car at the side (at the front porch of a bungalow (it's a bridal shop), asked the guy where is he heading and I told him I will give him a lift. 

Due to his disability and all the things he was carrying, he was really struggling. Seeing that, I just got down from my car, in the rain, I unload everything from him and put everything in my car while he slowly get into my car. While I was standing in the rain loading his stuffs in my car, and my car did not block the road at all, some drivers actually honked at me and there were a few purposely drove near the pool of water and we were splashed (yes, there are some inconsiderate ppl out there). Sad. :(

Apparently the guy is in his 30's and he is going for his wedding photo shoot tomorrow so he was actually running some errands for tomorrow event.

So after got him and his stuffs settled in my car, I drove him to the laundry and helped him to picked up his shirts for the photo shoot and then dropped him to the hotel he is staying.

It was a simple gesture to help someone who obviously in need of a helping hand, never mind the rain or got splashed by dirty water. It was all worth while. :)

Taipei Taipei

Just came back from my little retreat from Taipei with my beloved on Sunday. I was there for 5D/4N free and easy trip.

It is now summer in Taiwan and the weather is so so hot! The very first thing I bought in Taipei after I checked in to the hotel was sunblock. :D

Didn't really like the food there but the beef noodles are to die for. I also like the braise duck found in 西門町 itself, but I forgot the name of the restaurant.

I had the best bubble tea ever called 青蛙撞奶 found at this 陳三鼎黑糖粉圓鮮奶專賣店 near 公館 station. The queue was super long but it was worth the wait. 

Before I go to Taiwan, many people told me that things in Taiwan are VERY CHEAP. But sadly it is not. Maybe I've went there at the wrong timing as I heard during Winter and Spring, the stuffs selling there are really very cheap.

Went to a few tourist spots and did a lot of walking under the hot sun everyday. Thank God for their nice and well planned subway facilities that we also get to avoid the sun as much as possible walking underground.

It was overall a nice place to visit as the Taiwanese are really very friendly and helpful. Especially for the Chinese, you would not feel like a foreigner when you are there.

 

Nice to meet you....Love

You don't look for love. Love... just happens.

I had given up on Love once, but then.... Love has found me.

Everyone wants to love and be loved.

Love... is not about being with someone. Love... is knowing that someone is there for you whenever you need him/her. Love.. is that someone will always be there on standby even when you don't need them.

Love comes in many forms. To know Love is to Care.Even if you have stop loving someone intimately, that doesn't mean you have stop loving that person at once. As long you still care, you love. Difference is, that 'love' as evolved to a different kind of Love.

Sometimes, Love can be blind but Love is also a Choice. Falling Out of Love is as easy as falling in, if you let it. But, you can be in control and choose to Stay In Love.

Love is beautiful yet cunning. It might throws many challenges and temptations at you occasionally.

Love knows no boundaries. Race, age, gender, wealth, education, religion could not be used to measure love. Coz Love, knows non of them.

Love is Protective but isn't Possessive. Love knows contentment, not envy.

Love is a fragile little thing that requires careful nurturing with loads of patience, understanding, compromise, endurance, care and support.

Love is not selfish but it isn't selfless.

Love is unconditional. Though Love does not expect anything in return but it wishes to be loved back.

To Love others, we must first Love ourselves.

Love is as powerful as it is destructive. It can either make you a better person or the opposite. This is all depends on who and what you Love.

These are what I've learned about Love and how I interpret Love. :)

Funny & Creative

Received these pictures from a friend and thought of sharing it with you all as I think it's very creative and amusing. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Sealed

The Deal Is Finally Sealed.

I've been telling my friends and family about the project of my solo album for months and I finally got my contract signed and all the deal is set.

There were many discussions to and fro in the past months and I'm glad that I have it all settled yesterday. Now I got to get started and keep the ball rolling... keep rolling rolling rolling... keep rolling rolling rolling.... :)

So I'm gonna have busy busy months ahead but am not going to rush for it as I want to make quality music, besides, whether I make it or not, will all depends on my debut. So gonna do it right from the start.

Thank you so much to the people behind this (am not going to reveal too much for now) and I want to give a big shout out of love and gratitude to my beloved hubby, Keith. Without his love, support and understanding, none of this would ever materialised.

This is my official first step towards my Goal. It is no longer just a dream. ^.^

THANKS FOR BELIEVING IN ME........ God Bless

When Inspiration Strikes....

An inspiration just strike me this morning when I was busy working. I had to quickly write down whatever flow into my mind while rushing for my work. :D

I was kind of panicky as I still don't know how to use my new phone for voice recording and I didn't have time to figure it out then so in fear of forgetting the melody, I had to keep singing it in my head over and over again while working on the lyrics.

Whenever I have the inspiration to write a song, it is ALWAYS the chorus that strikes my mind first. So each time all the chorus are easy peasy. And then I have to slowly work on the other part of the songs.

I have a real love-hate relations with song writing as most of the time when I think of a title and try to write something, nothing would come out. My sudden inspiration always came unexpectedly and often caught me off guard and when I don't have the chance to actually record it down there and then, I'd have to try my best not to forget it. But sadly not all the time I can remember it as after a while the mind tend to drift off to some other thoughts. :D If I'm lucky, sometimes the melody does come back then I can continue to work on it. :)

As I am working on my solo album now, hence I am under pressure to write the songs. Yes, my debut solo album is gonna features all songs written by myself. :)

Rice Fields of Japan - Displays on the field in art form !!!

Everything has a Beauty. But, not everyone sees it.....
RICE FIELDS OF JAPAN - AMAZING
Looks ordinary enough...... but watch as the rice grows!!!!!!

Stunning crop art has sprung up across rice fields in Japan , but this is no alien creation.
The designs have been cleverly PLANTED!
Farmers creating the huge displays use no ink or dye. Instead, different colour rice plants
have been precisely and strategically arranged and grown in the paddy fields.
As summer progresses and the plants shoot up, the detailed artwork begins to emerge.

A Sengoku warrior on horseback has been created from hundreds of thousands of rice plants.
The colours are created by using different varieties of rice plants, whose leaves grow in certain colours.
This photo was taken in Inakadate , Japan ....

Napoleon on horseback can be seen from the skies.
This was created by precision planting and months of planning by villagers and farmers located in Inkadate , Japan ...

Fictional warrior Naoe Kanetsugu and his wife, Osen, whose lives are featured on the television series 'Tenchijin' appear in fields in the town of Yonezawa in the Yamagata prefecture of Japan ....

This year, various artwork has popped up in other rice-farming areas of Japan , including designs of deer dancers.
Smaller works of 'crop-art' can be seen in other rice-farming areas of Japan such as this image of Doraemon and deer dancers. The farmers create the murals by planting little purple and yellow-leafed Kodaimai rice along with their local green-leafed Tsugaru, a Roman variety, to create the coloured patterns in the time between planting and harvesting in September.
The murals in Inakadate cover 15,000 square meters of paddy fields.

From ground level, the designs are invisible, and viewers have to climb the mock castle tower of the village office to get a glimpse of the work.

Closer to the image, the careful placement of the thousands of rice plants in the paddy fields can be seen. Rice-paddy art was started there in 1993 as a local revitalization project, an idea that grew from meetings of the village committees.

The different varieties of rice plants grow alongside each other to create the masterpieces.
In the first nine years, the village office workers and local farmers grew a simple design of Mount Iwaki every year. But their ideas grew more complicated and attracted more attention.

In 2005, agreements between landowners allowed the creation of enormous rice paddy art.
A year later, organizers used computers to precisely plot the planting of four differently colored rice varieties that bring the images to life!

TRULY A WORK OF ART!