Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
"GAR-LUI" OUR PET FISH - A TRUE STORY.
It did not seem too long ago that we chance upon you whilst browsing through one of the aquarium shops in Taman Cempaka. Come to think of it, it was strange. We had talked about geting some aquarium fish for some time then, but it was on that particular day, we had leisurely walked into this corner shop. You were alone in one small rectangular glass tank with a price tag of RM 15. U were only about the length of a hand palm, I dont remember whether you were the cheapest fish around but we made the decision then to bring you home.
Were you dazzling pretty? ..No. You were of a pale pinkish kind of color. When we brought you back, we had then spotted that you had a defective dorsal fin that must have been bent whilst you were being handled and transported. Also you had a tiny hole on your tail fin as well....goodness, we then realised that we had bought ourselves a "crippled" fish or one that has some form of a disability. Maybe that was why you were alone.... no one wanted you!!. You must have been a couple of months old then.
We furnished you a home, with the usual fancy accessories and bought some fish pellets. In the shortest time, you were active and respond to food eagerly. We had placed you in our 2nd lounge (our favourite place) in our old home. Slowly, your garden grew with artificial playthings and plants.. I really dont recall your garden much except that it has such a nice background color from the underwater poster that was glued to the backwall. I dont have a name for you but Liew mentioned that you are of Indonesian origin and your species is called "gar-lui". You have cousins of darker skin in Sabah/Sarawak but you were an albino compared to your cousins.
What will carry me to eternity were the precious hours I spent infront of you, playing with you.... yes playing and teasing you every evening. I was on this side and you were on the other side. I had stretched out my arms horizontally and made continuous circles clockwise/anticlockwise. You were watching intensely and all of a sudden, you showed you "understood"... for you were actively flapping your fins too. I had only remembered "training you" for a couple of weeks every evening doing numerous hand revolving movements such as moving my outstretched arms up and down, front and back and circling them ... over and over and over again!! Your eyes followed me from left to right and gradually, you stood at a corner of your aquarium staring at us in the kitchen. .Was pretty sure you could only see us with the corner of your eyes. We realised that you were a smart fella.... so we started tapping our fingers on the glass where you stood and walked our fingers across the glass. You trailed behind my fingers, drawn by my fingers and its clicking noise. Wow... oh wow... you followed our tapping and finger movements. Unbelievable.... totally unbelievable... what a discovery. Our Gar-lui can actually sway from left to right and right to left -- simply by following our fingers.
From then on, it was fun at every free opportunity. Our games got quicker with quicker movements and your responses became quicker and sharper, at times with more aggressive fin movements as well. This is COOL.... and it got so.oooo cool that we showed your talents to anyone that was in our home. Your reputation spread far...
In no time, siblings, cousins and children were stricken with total awe and admiration that we have a pet fish that displayed all the tricks as if it is a dog. Requests to show your abilities were repeated so often.
When did I start to stroke your head??? Well, when Liew cleaned your tank. When he drained almost 90% of the water, I would stroke your bald forehead gently whilst you lay quietly, awaiting for the fresh water to be splashed on your face. AND YOU LOVED THE GENTLE STROKES ON YOUR FOREHEAD. My God... you were astonishing!
When & how did I decide to stand infront of the tank to play with you, nearly every day for at least for half an hour??. What triggered the thought? I dont remember the details now. One thing for sure, playing with you was part of my daily exercise then, after a long day at the office.
Quite certain, it was around the time when my career hit a stagnant patch and I felt that I wasnt getting anywhere. Liew's business was still plowing along... nothing great then. My career was not down in the dumps but a great sense of "emptiness" was following me every day. Was it the start of hormonal changes of being around the 40s? Was it a yearning to try new things in life? Was I bored, was I not happy, was I insecure..........whatever it was that was going through me.... Gar-lui, you probably would have sensed it. Could it be your natural instinct (the unspoilt natural sense) that you tried to reach out to me to comfort me?? I will never know but at least, during the repeated exercises(for me) or the lessons (for you).. we touched each other's Lives.
What came after that, is a Tale that not many people would believe. It does not matter that not many believed every word of this story. What is important is that ... Gar-lui, you have enriched our lives by being a part of it!!. Liew told everyone that he was your keeper (responsible for feeding you) and I was your playmate. Gar-lui would allow Liew to stroke his forehead, in fact, he even trusted Liew to attend to him when he fell sick.
Treating a sick fish is no ordinary feat and it was not too long after that, we nearly lost Gar-lui and it was due to the kindness of our hearts.... How could kindness kill?? Yes - kindness and lack of contact nearly killed our Gar-lui friend.
In 1999, we all moved to the new house. We had a beautiful large pond of 20' x 40' koi pond in the garden. We decided to upgrade him from a tank to the vast space of a pond (although he has to live and play with new neighbours of over 10 koi fish). Afterall, he has grown bigger and wider and he certainly require a longer and wider pond to play in. Once in this "giant tank" by Gar-lui's standards, we were certain that he must be happy and hence thrive even better. We had observed him daily to ensure that he was well adjusted.... all seemed well.
Days & weeks passed and Liew noticed that he was listless, not swimming... just stationery continuously in one spot. From Liew's trained eye, he knew something was dramatically wrong. Immediately, Liew bought another simple rectangular tank 2' x 4', set it up with the basics. How strange... Liew threw the net in and he practically swam right in the net to be picked up. Oh my god... Gar-lui had thousands and thousands of "anchor worms" , embedded underneath his scales and gills. Poor fella... how can anyone said a fish do not have feelings?
Hospital treatment for Gar-lui started. In a tub of chlorinated water, borrowed my tweezers, Liew laid Gar-lui sideways on his palm. One by one, Liew "plucked" all the "anchor worms" from Gar-lui's body. It was so painful to see him suffering.... contrary to what we think that he should be happy in the big garden "mansion", he was miserable and it was killing him..... No Games, No Playing, No Human Contact!!! Both of our hearts were torn when we saw Gar-lui in such a condition. Hours went by, Gar-lui simply lying on Liew's palm, half submerged in water and quietly allowed Liew to treat him and save him. Perhaps, he was too weak to be naughty. I reckon we were fortunate to save him in the nick of time.
Gar-lui was relocated and placed in a new but spartan home. With a rocky sand bed and a whistling, whirling filter above his head working 24 hours a day....he slowly recovered and once again, he was back to his happy active self. Gar-lui did not want the "mansion pond" with the waterfall, surrounded by the bonzai's and under the fresh open sky... Gar-lui just wanted to be with his keeper and playmate. It did not matter that his home was only a simple 2 x 4' tank as long as there was his playmate to stroke his forehead frequently and his keeper to toss him food.
In the new but spartan tank as a home, Gar-lui displayed a vengeance against us for subjecting him to misery in the mansion pond. This was shown by his ever increasing aggressive splashes. Many a times, when I "irritated" him through twirling my arms, circling it faster and faster... it got him so mad that a quick, unexpected splash of his tail so hard that a big swoop of tank water would splattered onto my face, glasses and hair. Gar-lui do know how to show his temper!!. Kids were taken back by shock when a big splash of water would suddenly came down on them....usually happens when I show off his abilities.
Now, with his new found health, Gar-lui has developed strange and queer eating habits. Should we feed him with dried shrimps for a couple of days, he will stay off it as if on a hunger strike. Liew would then try to toss in something new, for instance peeled grapes. He would relished in it for another few days and back on hunger strike again. This kept on and on -- the start of a strange cuisine for Gar-lui. Anything edible.... ranging from strips of cooked beef, strips of cooked chicken, apples, leafy veg, live shrimps... the list is there and true!! But he fancies peeled grapes!!! Somewhere in one of Liew's collection on "Koi Garden and Ponds", fishes can be too fat and die of heart attack. Would you believe that?!
It is not a peculiar situation when our friends would not believe that the attention that he so demanded from both of us human beings. Who is now the master? Gar-lui grew to more than 12" long and has an 8" girth. Gar-lui gave us endless hours of joys, endless hours of talking about him and many proud moments of getting to put up the "Gar-lui Show" on many family days, festive days and visitors days.....
Did he show signs of slowing down?? No... probably now and then, when he turn off his food. Did he lose weight?? No!! Did he lose colour... slightly but then we thought, it is a sign of old age because he was coming to 10 years old.
The day came...Liew telephoned and said Gar-lui died. Took me by surprise for he seemed healthy. We had put him in a nice shoebox and buried him deep in our garden. We dont want a shallow grave for fear of our dogs. He deserved dignity!! We did not want to throw him in the drain ... that would be too horrific and cruel for some stray cat or animal to gore at him.
Gar-lui was laid down to sleep next to one of Liew's bonzai trees in the garden. We have no wish to find another replacement and we had nearly 60 koi near 50 goldfish passing through our ponds and garden since then, but Gar-lui's tank had not been used ever since. It has now been donated....
How do one describe the unique relationship between an extraordinary fish and 2 humans?? Was there a connection..... we believe so because we had nearly 8 years of living together. Did Gar-lui have love for us as much as we had love for him?? ... Definitely yes. How else would you have explained the bond and reciprocal action in response to our actions?. Did he enjoy the teasings, joy and fun from this playmate?....Definitely yes. How else would you explain the vibrant display of his fins.
I believe as I have been taught to believe in Daishonin's Buddhism that all Sentient and Insentient Life Forms possesses the 10 life conditions of states... ranging froma hellish state to the Ultimate Supreme Happiness of Buddhahood state. Gar-lui, although a fish had experienced the loneliness of being alone in the tank, to the pain of sickness, to the rapturous joy of being with his human keepers and eventually, when his Time is Due... to the peaceful sleep of Heavens.
To us... we will always remember him at his most glorious color.. a kind of pink, crimson look with a bright gold tinge of protruding forehead. A MOST HANDSOME FISH ... U will agree when you see his photos!!
Gar-lui... your human guardians love you forever and we dont believe that we can find another one similar to you!! I am sure you would not mind us showing off your poise and color, or your dignified self. (more photos coming up....) To our friends/siblings, if you do have Gar-lui's photo, post it here too... Thank you!!
Friday, October 22, 2010
SO IT IS "TO BLOG"
For the past months and months, I have been wondering whether I should learn how to blog. One must keep up with the generation, the cyberage and the many young staff that I have in the office... this was ringing in my head.
Then I brave myself to ask a couple of sweet ladies frankly "U know my character, what suits me, what reads me?" Most of them might as well be in the same room cos they all said clearly "Blog" to be able to express myself and write away... away....(should this be blah blah blah...)
Then this old lady said in return "set it up" and of cos, with the same response to Face book, I ended up having 2 Facebook and another Blog. To my dismay, I forgot the First Facebook password and not knowing or even bothering about it, I led it be. But with the second Facebook, I attempted to do all the "In and Jazzy" stuff. Fun but goodness, so this is called FB -- everyone just making comments directly to their friends but ended up being read by everyone else?? Oh - I dont know whether I am comfortable with that sort of "openness".
However, something strange happened. This afternoon when I was slurping scallop porridge for lunch in the office whilst everyone had gone out, I created a Blog by myself...so now I know that you just needed porridge to get yourself in the mood. Viola... less than an hour, I had a Blog, named it and written half an article. I felt good he hee, I felt young and I felt " I am here, man!" The night before, I was at the doctor's for flu & cough. Therefore, with a fever & flu, porridge in the tummy that the inspiration to create walked in. Strange circumstances but today... Oct 22nd Friday, I made my first step in the Age of Bloggers (doesn't that sound jazzy??)
I took maybe 10 mins to struggle with a "jazzy name". What about my name in Chinese and its meaning? Playing with words for the second name, it then hit me to shorten it. A new born arrived with a bilingual name and that is how "jade-pen" is created. Liew reckon that it should be "jadescreen" cos it is more accurate. Who knows, I will call edit it "jadescreen" in a week's time. "Jadescreen" do sound mysterious and "jade-pen" is simply a pen made out of jade la...
A blog requires thoughts to be put down in writing perhaps if it was done 20 years ago - so the need for a pen?. But the fingers do the tip/tapping/tip now on the keyboard, so is there a need for a pen then? Now "jadescreen" could define many things behind the screen as what Liew said. Hmmm - my thoughts are running already.
Stranger things happening here :-
I felt very free .... my fingers were running at high speed on the keyboard - chasing after the thoughts that raced through my mind.
I felt very light .... having emptied all the thoughts through the alphabets and words on the monitor infront of me.
I felt very good....talking about feelings, expressing them and letting myself just talk, talk without restraints/constraints either.
I felt very stimulated .... no distractions and no restrictions
I felt very high... wow this is good therapy for a bad day!!
So this is blogging he hee. I have decided now. And so it is that I start to "BLOG" ha ha...
Then I brave myself to ask a couple of sweet ladies frankly "U know my character, what suits me, what reads me?" Most of them might as well be in the same room cos they all said clearly "Blog" to be able to express myself and write away... away....(should this be blah blah blah...)
Then this old lady said in return "set it up" and of cos, with the same response to Face book, I ended up having 2 Facebook and another Blog. To my dismay, I forgot the First Facebook password and not knowing or even bothering about it, I led it be. But with the second Facebook, I attempted to do all the "In and Jazzy" stuff. Fun but goodness, so this is called FB -- everyone just making comments directly to their friends but ended up being read by everyone else?? Oh - I dont know whether I am comfortable with that sort of "openness".
However, something strange happened. This afternoon when I was slurping scallop porridge for lunch in the office whilst everyone had gone out, I created a Blog by myself...so now I know that you just needed porridge to get yourself in the mood. Viola... less than an hour, I had a Blog, named it and written half an article. I felt good he hee, I felt young and I felt " I am here, man!" The night before, I was at the doctor's for flu & cough. Therefore, with a fever & flu, porridge in the tummy that the inspiration to create walked in. Strange circumstances but today... Oct 22nd Friday, I made my first step in the Age of Bloggers (doesn't that sound jazzy??)
I took maybe 10 mins to struggle with a "jazzy name". What about my name in Chinese and its meaning? Playing with words for the second name, it then hit me to shorten it. A new born arrived with a bilingual name and that is how "jade-pen" is created. Liew reckon that it should be "jadescreen" cos it is more accurate. Who knows, I will call edit it "jadescreen" in a week's time. "Jadescreen" do sound mysterious and "jade-pen" is simply a pen made out of jade la...
A blog requires thoughts to be put down in writing perhaps if it was done 20 years ago - so the need for a pen?. But the fingers do the tip/tapping/tip now on the keyboard, so is there a need for a pen then? Now "jadescreen" could define many things behind the screen as what Liew said. Hmmm - my thoughts are running already.
Stranger things happening here :-
I felt very free .... my fingers were running at high speed on the keyboard - chasing after the thoughts that raced through my mind.
I felt very light .... having emptied all the thoughts through the alphabets and words on the monitor infront of me.
I felt very good....talking about feelings, expressing them and letting myself just talk, talk without restraints/constraints either.
I felt very stimulated .... no distractions and no restrictions
I felt very high... wow this is good therapy for a bad day!!
So this is blogging he hee. I have decided now. And so it is that I start to "BLOG" ha ha...
MUCH ADO ABOUT PHOTOS 2
Photos to keep me on track?? But do I organise them like a librarian that has every cross reference system possible...this will sound contradictory. I have photos in every possible drawer, bag, diary.. they are all around me. I should see a need to pack them up properly, arrange and sort according to dates, months & years and perhaps to finish up with short notes at the end. I do..I do see its importance but is this the weak human nature? that " we see it important but we dont truly organise ourselves to reflect the level of importance that we think we see"... sigh...
Anyway, in January and September 2010.... I am forced to take the step to organise and compile as many photos as possible to record on DVD of 2 special friends... to remember them, to show them to our mutual friends and most of all to cherish and celebrate their lives. With help from kindred friends, gently and gradually, everything came into place and whoosh....2 DVD completed with 2 distinctly different movies of 2 people with their mates and buddies - male or female alike.
Rod Shepherd (a friend of 15 years and a business partner of 11) who had peacefully decided to leave this earthy planet for the universe on Jan 27th and followed by Ross Dorman (another dear deary friend) on Sept 28th...with the sudden departure of these 2 mates, there was an undescribable urgency to "record" their friendships with me, my family, colleagues and mutual personal or business friends. There was an urgency to quickly garner help to collect and scan these photos, print them permanently on the DVD... this action seem to give me the consolation that they are also permanently imprinted in my heart and mind, NOT to be and NEVER will be forgotten.!!
There was also the need to "record" all the fun & joy in its real sense, without any adulteration, without any "misconnected" events that I fear would have crept in at some point, if I dont burn them all in the DVD soon.
No one would have guessed how easily tears will swell up, hearts will warm up and unashamedly through tears express the appreciation of all the wonderful times that we all had together. Taking each photo at a time is alike to re-living each dinner, each holiday, each event all over again. So many things have been taken for granted... what would our Lives have been like without both of you guys? I believe it will be less exciting, less challenging and also less surprises.
Hence, a toast to both of you with Bundaberg in hand. "Thank you for the Friendship, Thank you for making our lives precious and Thank you for the Good Fortune to run amok in your Lives".. as I raise my head and drink to these guys. I am truly grateful to Gohonzon and as the song goes " Nothing comes from nothing, Nothing ever could. So Somewhere in my past or childhood, I must have done something Good.... for nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could............"
For so many years, you guys have given me so much. Will I be able to give something similar to others........??But for now, there is a job to be done and this is to get the latest DVD on Ross done for Dawn and family. I would like to present it to Dawn in November personally... we will sit down and let the machine run them through. I am sure we will laugh abit, cry abit, joke abit - let the warmth of love and gratitude swell up from deep within our lives when we see Ross joy, Ross cheekiness and Ross seriousness. For every turn of the photo page, I am grateful, so very grateful to have known both of you....my world will never be the same again!! And that this sad!!...But I will be strong for the hours with Dawn, sitting by her side and let her relive all the happy times that we have had....
Dawn, I believe that there will be so many photos that you have forgotten and perhaps, did not even know that they even existed. Simply becos there were, too many friends who will have been clicking the camera away only...well you will be pleased and that will bring a big smile on your face. This my dear friend, I await to see and share.....
Anyway, in January and September 2010.... I am forced to take the step to organise and compile as many photos as possible to record on DVD of 2 special friends... to remember them, to show them to our mutual friends and most of all to cherish and celebrate their lives. With help from kindred friends, gently and gradually, everything came into place and whoosh....2 DVD completed with 2 distinctly different movies of 2 people with their mates and buddies - male or female alike.
Rod Shepherd (a friend of 15 years and a business partner of 11) who had peacefully decided to leave this earthy planet for the universe on Jan 27th and followed by Ross Dorman (another dear deary friend) on Sept 28th...with the sudden departure of these 2 mates, there was an undescribable urgency to "record" their friendships with me, my family, colleagues and mutual personal or business friends. There was an urgency to quickly garner help to collect and scan these photos, print them permanently on the DVD... this action seem to give me the consolation that they are also permanently imprinted in my heart and mind, NOT to be and NEVER will be forgotten.!!
There was also the need to "record" all the fun & joy in its real sense, without any adulteration, without any "misconnected" events that I fear would have crept in at some point, if I dont burn them all in the DVD soon.
No one would have guessed how easily tears will swell up, hearts will warm up and unashamedly through tears express the appreciation of all the wonderful times that we all had together. Taking each photo at a time is alike to re-living each dinner, each holiday, each event all over again. So many things have been taken for granted... what would our Lives have been like without both of you guys? I believe it will be less exciting, less challenging and also less surprises.
Hence, a toast to both of you with Bundaberg in hand. "Thank you for the Friendship, Thank you for making our lives precious and Thank you for the Good Fortune to run amok in your Lives".. as I raise my head and drink to these guys. I am truly grateful to Gohonzon and as the song goes " Nothing comes from nothing, Nothing ever could. So Somewhere in my past or childhood, I must have done something Good.... for nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could............"
For so many years, you guys have given me so much. Will I be able to give something similar to others........??But for now, there is a job to be done and this is to get the latest DVD on Ross done for Dawn and family. I would like to present it to Dawn in November personally... we will sit down and let the machine run them through. I am sure we will laugh abit, cry abit, joke abit - let the warmth of love and gratitude swell up from deep within our lives when we see Ross joy, Ross cheekiness and Ross seriousness. For every turn of the photo page, I am grateful, so very grateful to have known both of you....my world will never be the same again!! And that this sad!!...But I will be strong for the hours with Dawn, sitting by her side and let her relive all the happy times that we have had....
Dawn, I believe that there will be so many photos that you have forgotten and perhaps, did not even know that they even existed. Simply becos there were, too many friends who will have been clicking the camera away only...well you will be pleased and that will bring a big smile on your face. This my dear friend, I await to see and share.....
Thursday, October 21, 2010
MUCH ADO ABOUT PHOTOS - PART 1
Until some months ago, I never did have much to do about photos. I had to take photos to remind me of places that I have been, people that I have met and things that I have seen. The need to do so have become more and more serious when I have been told by my dear beloved that I have an atrocious memory of places.
There was one time when Liew and I were with some friends talking about holidays in China. It was the Landmarks Hotel next to Hard Rock Cafe and since these friends were also staying at the same hotel in one of their holidays, I just went on and on regarding the beautiful shopping arcade that was situated at the end of a foyer.
There is a meander corridor at the end the of the foyer, before opening up to a double storey arcade where you find little quaint shops that sells everything... I mean everything from trinklets to big antique vases. It was mind blowing. Liew being Liew just let me rattle on and on without the least interruption..... and can you imagine the picture. Here is Mimi Lew -- non-stop and without brakes! Kept babbling about things I should have bought.
Our dear & puzzled friends (a couple) were fully taken back by the whole conversation and the wife started to blame the husband for not allowing her to wander off and miss all that wonderful shopping. I was ultra high...... swept away by my own talk.
When we left, Liew said that I have 'CONNECTED" the shopping arcade of a totally different hotel in a totally different city to the foyer of Landmark Hotel. Even mention the city and hotel..... I was dead certain he was wrong. Liew further said I could have impress the world if I am a housing contractor or building developer becos the description of the arcade was so clear to every floor. You would have thought I was the architect and designed the whole "shopping arcade" myself.
Until today I am half -believing in my own version that I am correct cos I am not so sure anymore. The way that I have so described the place has also done the job to half convince me that Liew may be wrong. But in retrospect, he is hardly wrong with places and directions.. so it is going to be left "open and unresolved" until I check in to Landmarks again la. Liew probably would have wanted me to believe in myself so that I would not push him to visit Landmarks again and to "prove a point".
Did I clarify with these friends after that?? No...o - we didn't cos we have yet to meet up again after all these years. Sometimes, I wonder whether the missus is still blaming the poor husband of a "lost opportunity in shopping". On second thoughts, maybe NOT cos he would have silently blessed his lucky stars for enabling him to save all that money....."rather hurt the ears than hurt the pocket anyway"...
From that day onwards, I made another resolution: make notes on to photos like Andrew, our dear dear friend did on all the beautiful photos of his babies. That's making resolutions that long ago. No joke - the babies are now young boys, attending all those extra curriculum activities and I have yet to do all that labelling althou it has stayed in my mind like ink.
I do have hundreds or maybe thousands of photos taken since then but none with little "label notes" to jolt this woman's memory. .. anyway, that's another story again.
There was one time when Liew and I were with some friends talking about holidays in China. It was the Landmarks Hotel next to Hard Rock Cafe and since these friends were also staying at the same hotel in one of their holidays, I just went on and on regarding the beautiful shopping arcade that was situated at the end of a foyer.
There is a meander corridor at the end the of the foyer, before opening up to a double storey arcade where you find little quaint shops that sells everything... I mean everything from trinklets to big antique vases. It was mind blowing. Liew being Liew just let me rattle on and on without the least interruption..... and can you imagine the picture. Here is Mimi Lew -- non-stop and without brakes! Kept babbling about things I should have bought.
Our dear & puzzled friends (a couple) were fully taken back by the whole conversation and the wife started to blame the husband for not allowing her to wander off and miss all that wonderful shopping. I was ultra high...... swept away by my own talk.
When we left, Liew said that I have 'CONNECTED" the shopping arcade of a totally different hotel in a totally different city to the foyer of Landmark Hotel. Even mention the city and hotel..... I was dead certain he was wrong. Liew further said I could have impress the world if I am a housing contractor or building developer becos the description of the arcade was so clear to every floor. You would have thought I was the architect and designed the whole "shopping arcade" myself.
Until today I am half -believing in my own version that I am correct cos I am not so sure anymore. The way that I have so described the place has also done the job to half convince me that Liew may be wrong. But in retrospect, he is hardly wrong with places and directions.. so it is going to be left "open and unresolved" until I check in to Landmarks again la. Liew probably would have wanted me to believe in myself so that I would not push him to visit Landmarks again and to "prove a point".
Did I clarify with these friends after that?? No...o - we didn't cos we have yet to meet up again after all these years. Sometimes, I wonder whether the missus is still blaming the poor husband of a "lost opportunity in shopping". On second thoughts, maybe NOT cos he would have silently blessed his lucky stars for enabling him to save all that money....."rather hurt the ears than hurt the pocket anyway"...
From that day onwards, I made another resolution: make notes on to photos like Andrew, our dear dear friend did on all the beautiful photos of his babies. That's making resolutions that long ago. No joke - the babies are now young boys, attending all those extra curriculum activities and I have yet to do all that labelling althou it has stayed in my mind like ink.
I do have hundreds or maybe thousands of photos taken since then but none with little "label notes" to jolt this woman's memory. .. anyway, that's another story again.
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