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It's Been a Busy Month So Far

May was supposed to be a month of hectic holidaying.

1. Taipei Trip (10 May - 14 May)
We had a wonderful trip to Taipei. Wondering around the streets, looking for the best tasting ji-pai (huge crispy chicken fillet with salt and pepper), sweet-smelling tropical fruits (the jumbus and guavas were darn sweet lor!) and the worst-stinking toufu (and the winner is at raoning night st market). Had chou toufu almost every single day, and am pleased to report that the title "smelliest toufu in the whole of taipei" belongs to the first stall at raoning market. we smelt the min we got of the cab. and our noses just led the way. that night, we had a total of 4 servings of steaming hot smelly toufu and stank our way around taipei. the smell clung to every inch of us including the threads of our clothes! overnight airing did not do much good to alleviate the stench. it was FANTASTIC!!!

tried the famous ah zong mian xian too, which is what their president ah bian would treat his foreign delegations with. it's in the ximending area which is super near our hotel along chengdu road. we spent a lot of time there at ximending cos it was a haven for good food and great shopping. so much to buy!!!

the best zhajipai is found in shilin night market. it's called "hao da da zha ji pai" and it was huge! 4 of us shared one. there were many other little things like haojian, da chang guan xiao chang and some dessert that tasted like our iced jelly...

So many things to do, so little time. we brought some little friends home too. they are our personal charms called tianlu. hopefully they can bring us a little more peace in our lives.

2. Bintan Weekend Getaway (19 May - 21 May)
Went off with commercial colleagues for a weekend of fun at bintan banyu biru resort. was not too hot prob due to the typhoons blowing in north asia. the pool and beach were great fun and the food at the kelong followed by a drink at calypso bar made my first night very comfortable. we had a v enjoyable bbq on sat night, drinking and playing games till late. and jo alice and i shared beds after that. great fun, as if we were kids back in school, it felt like.

However, returned to Singapore only to find out about my uncles' failing health, and witness his passing on Sunday night. We were all with him that night when he breathed his last. I think it was a blessing for Lord to have taken him from his suffering and shortening his pain. he was suffering from terminal lung cancer and would have been warded in a hospice for his last days. but the Lord decided to retain his dignity, albeit abruptly, with considerably less suffering that night. Pray that the Lord will keep him by His side, and take good care of him.

For 3 nights now, we have been staying by his side, keeping him company as family and friends congregated to show him how much we loved and respected him. Although he's no longer physically with us now, we will always remember his cheerfulness and his warmth whenever we went to his home. He was my second most fav uncle. and he was the one who brought me to new zealand and cairns one holiday in sec 3. I'll always rem his smile and his generosity towards others. They say that God always takes those who are true to His word early in their lives to be with Him. I agree. Looks like i have a lot more years to suffer before God will take me away given the amount of bad in me. Sigh.

Tomorrow i'm on leave to attend his cremation. It will be my last chance to see his body. i'll try my utmost to etch his face in my memory so that i can picture his smile.

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