Life in China

For some reason I was not able to update my blog while I was in China. I guess something is not right again with blogger. I left my house on 6 am on Sunday 16th July ....Rahim our taxi driver came on time as usual .....Rozi and my eldest girl send me off at the gate while the rest of my kids slept....I reached Shanghai at 2:30pm with Malaysian Airlines....managed to snap the photos..

The driver pick me up at Pudong Airport and we continue 4 hours journey to Zhejiang. Driving a long journey in China is a very traumatic experience...I felt as if I am on F1 track! The driver keep on changing lane from left to right and sometimes overtake another vehicle on emergency lane. What an experience! I check in the hotel at 6pm, bath and went out with my colleague to find some food for dinner. We found a Muslim restaurant at the corner of a junction opposite the hotel. I know it's quite easy to find Muslim food in China but just in case I still bring along some bread, instant noodle and 3-1 oats for emergency. These are some of the views from my hotel cafe and room:

This is the view from the hotel coffee house. I took this very early in the morning while enjoying the story book and sipping a cup of hot coffee.

This is another view from the cafe. It's the outdoor parking bay. Beside the parking bay it's an apartment building covered with fern leaf (can't really see it clearly from this picture...just notice the building)

I don't have that much chance to stitch since the work really consume most of my time. But still I managed to finish small project (will update the picture later). I felt a bit lonely since the children is not around but I use the opportunity to read (another hobby which I was not able to enjoy much now). Rob my colleague lent me a touching story book title " Tuesday with Morrie", It's about an ex student who discovered his former professor is dying of ALS disease, a Lou Gehrig disease. So he come every Tuesday to talk about life with his dying professor... I cried twice while reading this book. I usually wake up as early as 5am to start my day in China...took my breakfast as early as 6am then spend at least 30 minutes to read. It is something new that I never done while I am home. It is summer now and usually 5:30am is already as bright as 8am in Malaysia.

Gotto go now...will continue again shortly...

My diet update

I have not been good on my diet regime this week...I have been taking some rice for dinner since I am fasting ......but for the first time in ages, I managed to buy a pair of pants outside special shops like BBB and Ms Read...I am not so sure how much kilos I managed to trimmed but most of pants are slightly loose.....

I forgot to buy my own reward for losing 2 kgs last month...I don't really put so much attention on that because I don't lost that much....

I will try to be back on track while I am in China...it's a good excuse since it's quite difficult to find halal food and I will be relying on my food supply from home....

China here I come....

It has been a very hectic week and there were lots of discussion going on this week. I have been very behind on my WIPS....too exhausted to stitch as soon as I got home....could be due to my fasting (yeahhh it's not too late to make up the lost day from last year Ramadhan...)...I managed to fast for 3 days this week....I have 4 more days to go....

Life has been in the fast moving in the office....lots of issues of human emotion involved....there are some sensitive issues with the employee off late and the management has been asking for my assistance to access the situation with some members of the staff....I have to be very careful with my assessment with the representative from UK office as I do not want to be potray against anybody in the company...eventough I am not working for HR, but they have been asking for my views on the issues. I put so much hope that situation will be improving very soon......my boss gave me my contract for China assignment and we have been talking endlessly the whole week about the work in China....our Project Manager has been given us very short notice to fly to China this weekend....I am very lucky to have the girls and Rozi supporting with my decision. I will be leaving on Sunday for 2 weeks assignment.

This is my progress with my WIP....I have to put on hold since I am short of thread....gotta wait for my stitching buddy Miya coming back from India for some swapping thread.....

Despite of my tiredness, I managed to dye some Aida 11ct for my "Ewe Make Me Smile"....I had successfully turn the white aida into light blue....I plan to stitch this while I am in China....

Again, some orchids are blooming this week....

My next entry of journal will be from a foreign land...since the nearest city is Shanghai, I hope I will be able to get some stitching stuffs from there (if I managed to find the shop ..).....I've been hoping to get the stitching frame and stand from China since I am quite happy with my first purchased from Beijing.

Thanks for reading (hhhmmmm I wonder whether there is really people out there reading my journal..............)

Peace to the world & happy stitching!!

In my kitchen....

My nieces and nephews came over for BBQ dinner last Saturday. I prepared some marinated chicken with honey BBQ sauce, lemon chez cake, roast chicken, roast lamb chop and chez baked macaroni.

The lemon chezz cake (hhhmmm yummy..)...I use philadephia chez, creamer, butter and some biscuit for the base (a Tesco brand).

The lamb chop....I pounded some ginger, black pepper and garlic mixed with the honey BBQ sauce.

The BBQ chicken

The baked macaroni n chezzz......

We have not done any family gathering for sometime, this was done by request from my niece who wanted to eat some western food. My eldest sister took the opportunity by taking my tips for preparing the macaroni...

Weekend at the beach........

One of our neighbors invited us to have lunch at her parents house somewhere north of Selangor. The place, Sungai Besar is nearby the beach. We took the opportunity to bring the kids to see the beach. While we were there we noticed a number of people busy digging the sand. We approached them n found out that they are digging some type of sea snail. The kids got excited and wanted to try digging the little creature...then all of us got hook up!!

This is one of the group, come as far as Puchong. They came over arms with umbrella, straw hat and foods..

The girls busy digging.......

Rozi and the kids trying to find spot to start digging.....

Another digging session.......

unfortunately, I've forgotten to snap the photo on our catch...

Stitching in June....

I always wanted to stitch Lizzie Kate freebies for sometime already but I do not have enough time to fullfill my wish. Then, once I received some Carrie Creation threads from Barbara, I immediately stitch these two patterns. I stitch on Linaida I bought from my stitching buddy Yasmin. I started on Thursday and finish on Sunday. Since I do not have the ornaments I just use some buttons from my collection. Thanks to Lizzie Kate for sharing this design.

I also managed to treat myself for stitching this fob for my favorite scissors. These is the same design I stitched for Ana by Laura from PassioneRicamo. I always admire her works. I wanted to stitch her stitcher's set but have to defer the plan for stitching the needlecase and small pouch (I think!) to July. I came across Laura remark on how some people had been taken advantage by selling her freebies on ebay. She was very dissapointed with these kind of people who makes some money by ripping off other people artwork. For those who love stitching I urge please respect the rightful owner & alway support originals!! Please support Laura works by visiting her at http://www.passionericamo.eu/.

I choose the monogram of my initial and my other halfs', it's a Victorian designed by Anne Wilson featured in Cross Stitch Alphabet (another book by David & Charles) ..aren't they lovely!

MY WIPs

I had a lunch date with another stitching buddy Miya on 25th June. We had a chat at a cafe nearby our office and had promised for swapping some linen thread. She brought some linen supply from her previous project, a design by Moira Blackburn featured Cross stitcher issue 185. This has become my latest WIP. Started on 27th June and I hope to be able to finish by 15th July. I love the saying on Moira's work"Love one another" and the color she choose are very soft and soothing...

This is another WIP from one of my favorite designers, M Weber...Kathy violets... another addition for my biscornu collection. I have not decided on the pattern for the back portion...

I have not decided what to stitch for July but I will try to stitch the needlecase design by Laura (I really go crazy on her design!!!). I also have to start stitching for competition organized by Barbara...hhhhmmm...that will take more of my time!!! I wish I have enough time and more fingers to stitch!! I put some thought on stitching another sampler by French designer but have not really checked whether I have enough thread in my stock. Will tell more in my next journal. I am also quite excited for month of July as one of my friends is coming back from UK and bringing back some stitching goodies from my favorite shop The Workbox. I hope Helen will be able to get the stocks for my stitching accessories.

I have to dig out some charts & stash to be swap or trade in my stitchingbarn....they are quite a numbers of unuse charts and I hope to be able to sort them out in July so that others can grab them rather than sitting idle in my stitching corner.

Some update on my diet program. It's a bit slow but I only managed to trim 2 kgs for June. I have not been very discipline in my sugar intake. I also started some light walking nearby my housing area last weekend. It's quite hard to try to go back to do some exercise now. I have been taking some tuna sandwich lately and sometime I switch to boiled eggs. It's been very slow! I also managed to put on some old trousers.

I better stop now...till then, thanks for dropping by...peace to the world & happy stitching!!!

In my garden...

I have not been able to update my blog lately ....the web is very slow (or is it my laptop!!) n I had loose my patience for waiting.....I guess I am very lucky to be online today...I will update on my stitching later...

These are some of my orcids that bloom in month of June. They are so lovely but some photo was taken a few days after it was in full bloom (these 1st two look lifeless..)

This one is from one of my wild orchid collection...unfortunately, I was not able to name them (can anyone help!!)

Rozi has been very busy for a couple of months trying to finish off this orchid house for me. At last he managed to complete it end of June. Thanks Darl!

Peace to the world & Happy gardening!!!