13 Hours of Rain

He started crying even before he fully entered the world, bringing laughter to the attending doctor. "It's a boy!" she exclaimed in due course. My husband and I looked at each other as tears welled up in our eyes. The doctor continued, "No matter how many times I do this, it still amazes me. It is a miracle how babies live in the womb and then have the ability to breath in the real world." It is a miracle. Ten little fingers. Ten little toes. Eyes that see. Nose that smells. Ears that hear. And a mouth that displays all kinds of emotions. Our little miracle. We are graciously blessed with a healthy baby boy, a son, and a brother to our little girl. Yet it is amazing how tired one can feel after the excitement, pain, and adrenaline of birth (even though I feel much better in comparison to how I felt after the birth of my daughter). I was unable to sleep the first night. I was too overwhelmed with joy and thankfulness on how smoothly everything had gone. Now I am ...

I just finished reading James Clavell's novel entitled Noble House , a book set in Hong Kong during the 1960s. It definitely isn't a book for everyone. At times the book was morally depressing, especially when I would encounter descriptions of promiscuity that seemed to saturate society. Yet, the story was enticing enough to motivate me to finish the one thousand odd pages. Plus, my travels in Asia enhanced my reading of the book. At times I could actually visualize the places described in the novel. Casey, one of the few predominate female characters in the book, truly intrigued me. She represented an almost non-existent fraction of Hong Kong's world at that time. She was educated as well as exquisitely beautiful. She insisted to be treated as an equal in the business world full of chauvinist men who only viewed women as objects of pleasure. She was a career woman, striving to make "drop dead money" just like the big boys. She viewed the "pill" as liber...

My husband and I treated ourselves today. We went shopping at one of the more expensive grocery stores in our area. After all, we only needed to buy items such as fruit, vegetables, meat, and dairy. And this store does have fresher produce and tastier protein options than the store we usually frequent. And guess what! We haven't had such a pleasant shopping experience in a long time. It was so positive that it warrants a blog entry. If you are curious, here are my reasons why! Courtesy parking for new and expectant parents. So handy for this stage in my pregnancy. Sanitation wipes to clean the carts before you seat your little one. Free cookies for kids. Just go to the bakery and ask. Produce section that is well looked after with plenty of employees arranging fresh foods in aesthetically pleasing pyramids. Grilling steak that is absolutely divine on the BBQ. Saturday is sample day. I tried a new yogurt. Wide aisles, tasteful "grocery store" decor. Bumping into several ac...

She walked into the studio with caution, gazing at the bright lights with dismay. "Owie, owie, owie," she said, trying to identify potential danger. It took a bit of effort to get her to pose for pictures. Many times she proclaimed, "Done!" And we would respond with, "Not yet sweetie." At one point the photographer sighed, "I'll leave for a while. Maybe you could tickle her or something to get her laughing." My husband and I raised our eyebrows as we looked at each other. After all, isn't it the photographer's job to get her laughing???? I called her back in, "Just do what you can. We only need a few good pictures." The session ended soon after. And amazingly enough, we received three beautiful portraits! It has been enlightening to watch our little girl transform from a baby to a toddler. She is rediscovering experiences and understanding them within different contexts. Some things that caused her very little anxiety in the...