Adventure of the Greywolves

My school is about 5 km away from my house from point to point. But the Subway/Bus route will journey some 15 km and take about 1hr 15 mins for me to reach school. Total cost is CAD 5 per day, with is about Singapore $7 a day.

From the map that I have been reading since last year, I noticed that there is a forest track just east of my school leading south. Thus, I have decided to take the track back today. I deem that if I can walk back, I can cycle back.

After orientation, I started walking at about 14:15. All I saw was a landscape that looked like Lim Chu Kang minus the heat, with low vegetation next to the track and tall tree just a distance away.  Swarm, plain field and even river can be seen along the way.

If you ask me, I think Lim Chu Kang is much harder. Even with a much stronger and fitter body as a youth, I need to battle the uneven terrain, with pebbles on the mud road plus the heat. 

Once thing Lim Chu Kang doesn’t have is clear stream flowing, with fishes swimming! (I can imagine baking or steaming the fish, fish with ginger surely taste good). Squirrel, chipmunk, crane are common here, and they don’t even pay attention at you!  It is so Wonderful just to watch them play.

The entire track was properly paved and marked with road signs.  There are also many information boards about flora and fauna found within the forest, eg, wolves, bear and puma.  (Just joking).

The journey home is about 7 km, and I took about an hour and half. Ha. . . my ‘2-stroke engine’ can still match up to the public transport, not too bad for a fat man like me.

From my observation, it should be a pretty easy ride, much easier compared to our Pulau Ubin track from the jetty to Noordin Beach. No steep slope, not as winding, and definitely much cooler even the hot summer sun.

I have decided to get a bike to ride to school, just like my secondary days. Beside getting to school faster and cheaper (3 months break-even), it is also a good form of exercise for me compared to jogging. However I can only do it before winter is here. 

Now that I have discovered this track, I shall bring my children to explore more often. I am sure they will not like it when they hear that. But children need to grow up experiencing more nature, rather than computer and books alone.

“Count your blessing name them one by one. . count your blessing see what God has done. . count your blessing. . . .“

This is one of the contemporary song I sang in Sunday school some 30 yrs back.  This song may be old, and perhaps no one sing it anymore.  However, the simple meaning stills holds true to many of us in that His grace and mercy know no end.

As I look back, what am I that deserve the attention of the great Creator of universe?  I have never doubted him even when my wife’s life was threatened.  But I do get a little angry when he seems so quiet as I look to him crying out all the struggle I was put through.   

Yet he has in many ways provided friends to come alongside us, walking with us in this journey.  He also places many who are stuffering along this same road, so that we too can provide for them.  In doing so, his blessing is going round and round and round. . .  So wonderful, so interesting.  Lord himself is so marvellous.

The Creator allow us to ‘reboot’ our ‘system’ by placing us in Toronto to restart.  A friend told me that before ‘rebooting’, we need to ‘reformat’ and ‘reload’ original software.  In plain language it means to have a renewed spirit within us (Psalm 51).

We will enter this place with thanksgiving and praise, as well as preparing ourselves to face any possible challenges coming our way.  Wow. . new adventure, new challenges, new fresh air.

After a heavy breakfast, loaded with bacon, brocolli, bread, butter, cheese, I felt bloated.  Walking back to the hotel across seems so difficult, and we walk slowly back.  But my heart was filled with joy as we are going to picnic soon.  I love picnic.

After packing up, daddy mommy rented 2 bikes and we began our day with thanksgiving and pray.  I was seated behinid daddy on a red bike, while mommy and Bela on a back bike.I felt very cool riding the bike, feeling the cool breeze on my air.

When we reached the lake, daddy parked the bike near to the turf and we set up the blanket.  We have wine, cheese, vietnamese sasusage, bread, stawbarries and bluebarries. 

18th March 2009

Priscilla

When we arrived Dalat, I saw a lot of pine trees.  As pine trees mainly grow in highland,  I know that this place will be very cold, and I love the climate here.  Looking at the pine trees make me feel very good.

We settled in Novetel in Dalat.  Mommy brought to our notice that the local school has just ended.  The wear unform just like us, but instead of school shoes, they just wear slippers and sandles.  I felt that it was not very presentable, but we have no say over it.  I also noticed that many of them cycle to school.  I like the idea as they are independent, as my father drives Bela and me to school everyday.

17th March 2009

Pricilla

今天, 爸爸妈妈带姐姐和我到古知地道去参观. 古知地道里面非常臭, 闻了要臭死我了. 但是我还是很喜欢这个地方, 因为我戏欢在地道里面玩.

这个地道是越南和美国打战时用的.  那时侯,越南军利用了这地道把强大的美国军打败了. 因为美国军退出越南, 越南军就赢了.  在越战时, 越南人只吃木薯. 木薯真难吃, 我不喜欢.

在越战时, 越军设下了许多陷阱, 杀了很多美国军. 现在, 我们可以参观他们所用的陷阱.  我对这旅程很开心.

Priscilla

Last week, my family and I took a journey from Saigon to Dalat, total of 370km plus.  If I am driving in Malaysia North-South Highway, it will only take me less than 3 hours on my Nighthawk 750.  Even my Suzuki Alto 600 take about 4 hours.  But in Vietnam, the bus driver drives in extreme safe speed of around 60kmh.  The entire journey took us about 6.5hrs.

Along the way, I loss count the number of churches.  There are more than 10 churches larger than St Andrew Cathedral size (both land and building), and many more churches about the size of St Andrew Cathedral.  Even in small village towns, there are churches every few hundred meter, all about the size of St Andrew Cathedral and some with school attached.

Within the HCM-City, there are many other big and small churches, just like the numbers of temple in Bangkok.  There are no shortage of shops selling religious artifacts, life statures/ idols of saints, Mary and Jesus, crosses of various shape and sizes as well as many others ornaments. 

Looking at the surface, it is hard for me to believe that Vietnam is a Communist Country.  I cannot help but wonder how do the Christian lives in this land that governed by Communist party.  If there’s chance, I wish to visit their service one day.