paatoral visit2

Well, last night, the parents and I went down to varsity lakes to have dinner with reverend lam and his wife! They’d told us to come down early, like 5:30pm, so PIG mum had already cancelled my Saturday afternoon carer’s shift and told the Saturday morning carer to please shower me.
But as we set off, the skies darkened, and soon, there was a tremendous storm exploding around us!
I’ve been down once to varsity lakes to visit the pastor and his wife; that was earlier in the year, when I joined SHINE fellowship on a visit to reverend lam’s house. That time, the weather had been calm and the trip only took around forty-five minutes, but this time, with the storm exploding all around us, it took a good sixty-five minutes to arrive!
When we arrived, I presumed that dad would just park on the driveway, but instead, reverend lam opened the garage door and beckoned dad to park inside. And wow – his garage’s CARPETED! XD
I apologised to reverend lam for not being able to take off my shoes before I went inside (in Cantonese culture, you remove yours shoes at the door before entering) and once inside, used his bathroom once. Back outside, I saw a funky, comfy looking blue armchair and made a beeline for it.
‘that’s the pastor’s chair!” reverend lam laughed, seeing me tug the lever that enabled me to prop both feet up, ‘even my wife isn’t allowed to sit in it! But since you are now, you’re gonna haveta become a pastor when you grow up!” (A/N: I’m already 24.5 years old; isn’t that already considered ‘grown up?’ XD)
I innocently asked him back, “but, reverend lam, aren’t only guys allowed to become pastors! I’m female!
He considered this, then laughed again. “no problem. You can become a missionary, then!” XD
Reverend lam also kindly flicked on the television for me, so I could watch ten’s news. Mrs. Lam kindly took mother out for a stroll, while dad helped out reverend lam in the kitchen.
At 6pm, I switched over to seven’s news, which was read out by sharyn ghidella. The most interesting surname I found was ‘yabsley’.
When mother and mrs. Lam came back, mother took me once more to the toilet, then dinner was served!
Mother gave me about half a bowl of rice. I also ate some cucumber, some beef, some pineapple, some chicken and one slice of tomato. Mother was happy, because reverend and mrs. Lam don’t just eat plain white rice, they eat white rice mixed with red rice, purple rice and all different other sorts of rice, and she finds it yummy. Unluckily for her, though, both dad and I detest that. Just plain white rice is good enough for us. XD
While we ate, we just chatted. Reverend lam explained to me that you only become a reverend after you’ve been ordained; before that, you’re just a pastor. Mrs. Lam told me that her son works interstate somewhere, while her daughter works in HK.
And I finally got the chance to ask reverend lam the question I’ve been curious about for so long! Does the pastor’s wife have a title? You know, actor-actress, singer-songstress, pastor-pastoress? Reverend lam just laughed, then clarified, “nope, she’s just the pastor’s wifr.” XD

After dinner, mother took me once again to the loo then fruit was served! I ate two slices each of apple and kiwi. Then mother said, “em, you’ve missed the pear!” see, my favourite fruit is pear! Nashi pear, normal pear, ya pear. I don’t care: pear=pear=pear! So I gobbled four little bits of yummy pear.
Then reverend lam even boiled tea for us! The tea was served in these tiny little cups that were literally only thimble-sized! (A/N: okay, I have no idea how small thimbles are, but they were teensy little cups, okay? XD) reverend lam continued to top up the little cups every time I finished drinking; I think eventually, I drank like four!
When we finished drinking, mother took a look at the clock on the wall and said, “it’s about time we left. Long drive home, remember.” So I asked her please to help me once more to the bathroom. On the way, I stopped to admire mrs. Lam’s nicely furnished kitchen. She’s even got some sort of special water filter that lets her wash and cook with the good water while the bad water’s filtered into another bottle, which she then uses for watering the garden!
Oh, and I almost forgot! Reverend lam even baked a chocolate-coloured cake for us! “my kids love this cake,” he told us proudly. “I bake it for them everytime they come to visit me.” Only for me … no offence to you, reverend lam, but the cake wasn’t yummy; it wasn’t even chocolate! Just chocolate-coloured XD Personally, I thought I showed admirable restraint, not commenting on how disgusting the cake was, but as soon as we were safely back inside our car, with the doors and windows closed, I literally exploded with, "That chocolate-coloured cake was DISGUSTING!! where was the chocolate taste?!" XD
Before we left, reverend lam gave dad instructions how to get out of varsity lakes and back on the highway. “umm … should we write this down?” I asked mother. ‘coz if we get lost, we’re going to be driving circles around here all night.” Dad laughed. “don’t worry, em,” he reassured me, “it’s all in my head.”
Mrs. Lam waved bye to us from the door, but reverend lam just stood in the garage as dad slowly reversed the camry out. “please don’t run over and squash reverend lam, dad!” I squeaked, causing both the parents to laugh.
But we left without any mishap, and the drive home was much quicker, now that the storm had passed. I was back inside our house and brushing my teeth, ready for bed, in about forty minutes time.
All in all, ‘twas a great night out visiting the pastor and his wife. I just feel for him, considering the amount of time he’s gotta spend driving to and from church, several times each week!
Next post here … I’ve really gotta hurry up with my lion king (3D) review, don’t i? it’s been like one month since mother took me to see it! XD Well, until then!
Cheers,
Em. ^^

funny forward

Heylo all! This isn’t my movie review of the lion king (3D) review that I was intending to post up today; rather, it’s just a funny e-mail mother forwarded to me! (and sorry, English speaking peoples, you haveta speak canto to understand it! XD) this is wisdom from Confucius, BTW;
Two things in life that are difficult to achieve:-

1. to plant your idea in someone's head

2. to plant someone's money in your own pocket.


o He who succeeds in planting his idea in someone's head - we call Lao Shi (teacher)

o He who succeeds planting someone's money in his own pocket - we call Lao Ban (boss)

o The one who succeeds in both - we call Lao Po (wife) orLao Qian (trickster)

o The one who fails in both - we call Lao Gong (husband)
Lol, it’s so mean to the poor hubbys! XD
Anyways, I’ll really try to post up my movie review of the Lion King (3D) ASAP, okies?
Cheers,
Em. ^^

bookclub! (oct)

For October’s book club, we did a novel called ‘the Book Thief’ by Marcus Zuzak (sp?). It’s about an orphan German girl who steals books from the Germans during World War Two.
The usual librarian who usually takes our monthly book club meeting, Amanda, was away. Instead, another librarian called Phil did instead. Lol, I remembered him this time; the first time he covered for Amanda, I walked into the meeting room, held out my hand and said. “hi, I’m Emily. Are you the librarian who’s taking our book club tonight instead of Amanda?” he shook my hand, laughed, then said in a mock-hurt voice, “Have you forgotten me already? I’m Phil; I’m the guy that first signed you up into this book club when you first joined last year!” XD
For some odd reason, mother had spitefully restricted me to only just one bikkie at the book club; usually, I take eight! But I’ll admit I couldn’t resist and grabbed two: one choc chip cookie and one scotch finger. XD actually, I was highly tempted to grab more, but hey … maybe next month.
Anyways, Phil said he hadn’t read the book before and just opened the floor up for us to discuss the book.
Phew, unlike last month’s disaster of a book, Anna Karenina which everyone disliked and I myself only read seventy-five pages before giving up, everyone enjoyed reading the Book Thief. I shared my favourite line, said by the Jewish boy the Meminger family hides in their attic. During bomb threats, the entire family must run for the protection of a bomb shelter, but of course, Max, being a Jew, can’t run with them. During one such scare, he cannot resist, and steals a peek out at the night sky. The result? “The stars,” Max says, “the stars … they burned my eyes.”
The only thing I didn’t like about the book was it’s particularly gruesome ending, coz everyone, bar the main female lead, the book thief herself, dies! >< I prefer happily ever after endings, thank-you very much!
I also learnt how to say ‘pig’ and ‘arsehole’ in German, BTW. Ask me next time you see me, and I’ll teach you how to say them too! XD
The book we’re doing for November’s book club is something about a hog farmer … sounds weird, but I grabbed the large print edition, which will make it much easier for me to read … hope it’s a good one!
Next post here … well, I’ve been kinda slack with posts lately, sorry. I’ve still got my movie review of the Lion King (3D) and a lunch with my Australian godmother to put up!
Cya when I cya!
Cheers,
Em. ^^

sushi train

Last Monday, I had lunch at Warrigal Square’s Sushi Train with Mel, kylie and her two younger sisters!
Mel and Kylie were in the same year level as me back at Canterbury; they’ve kept in touch with me after my brain injury. Mel’s now a registered nurse working in the Spinal Injuries Rehab Unit at the Princess Alexandra hospital, while Kylie’s become a music teacher! Well, we did music extension together back during high school; she’s an awesome piano player. ^^
I arrived first, soon followed by kylie – who’d brought her two younger sisters along! Mel arrived last; we all hugged, then looked @ the menu and ordered. Mel went for the chicken katsudon (my favourite), I had the chicken udon, while Kylie and her sisters just picked stuff from the train. Hey, did you know, sushi train even sells CHOCOLATE BROWNIES? XD
While we ate, we just chatted. Huge apologies to Kylie’s sisters, but I’ve forgotten both their names! XD one graduated in 2007 and the other in 2009, I think. One’s doing some art degree @ uni and the other some childcare course @ TAFE. I told them my funny 21st birthday story; that got a few laughs. XD I think the youngest DeCalmer child graduates from high school this year? Huge respect goes to mrs. DeCalmer, coz Kylie tells me her mum’s been taking kids to/from school for like the past twenty years!
The last time I talked to Mel, she told me she was working at the Spinal Injuries Outpatient department, but now, she’s been transferred back inside the ward. I just find it incredible to believe that there are spinal injury patients inside the hospital that are actually walking around; I mean, I would’ve expected all spinal injury patients to be flat out in bed, or inside a wheelchair, at the very least!
Lol, and here’s proof that I really do eat super-slowly: the crispy chicken in udon I ordered … well, I’ve somehow gained the habit for saving the best for last. In this case, the crispy chicken should’ve been the last thing I ate, after the udon. I ate all the udon first, yes. But, remember how my bowl of udon was in soup? Well, the crispy chicken sat inside the soup patiently while I inhaled all the udon, and finally, when it was the crispy chicken’s turn to be eaten, it wasn’t crispy anymore, but SOGGY! That’ll teach me to eat quicker in the future. XD
Anyways, ‘twas wonderful to catch up with Kylie and Mel, and to meet her sisters. Lol, I blame my appalling memory, but I can never remember Kylie and Russell’s birthday! It’s the 28th, I’m sure, but October or November? Think Kylie told me that it was November, oh well, guess I’ll write her a happy birthday message on her Facebook wall come November, but if I get a reply saying something like, “Em, you nit, my birthday was LAST month”, I’m gonna be super-embarrassed! XD
Next post here … well, if I’m super-organised, it should come tomorrow! See, mother took me to see the lion king in 3D last last Monday, and I haveta post my movie review of what is, surely and without a doubt, the bestest. Movie. Ever!! XD righteo, until then!
Cheers,
Em. ^^