New Years with New Friends!

Didn’t have any plans for New Year’s Eve so had a very impromptu dinner at home with Shean and Ah Mui. Cooked a very simple dinner and chilled out dinner….so chilled out that we didn’t even take any photos! Played chor dai di with Shean’s XXL deck of card which was so hilarious….cards the size of A3 was tiring and at the same time so funny…..shuffling and dealing the cards was so funny, couldn’t stop laughing. after a few rounds, we gave up to small regular sized deck of cards which made everything so much easier. We tried to watch a movie but we were all so comatosed from the dinner that we couldn’t even concentrate so we decided to continue to play chor dai di.

Midnight came and went with hugs and the traditional Auld Lang Syne. It didn’t really feel that it was already a new year and still can’t believe that the year has zoomed passed sooooo quickly. Not long after 12am, all of us were ready to retire to bed. Shean and Ah mui left and I did some tiding and packing as I was heading down to Warwick on New years day.

Woke up early and got ready for the journey down south. It was snowing the whole night and there was at least 1 1/2 inch of snow. Praying hard that my train will not be affected by the snow. The journey down was smooth and I arrived Coventry station at about 1450hrs. Ask at the customer service counter which was the easiest way to the University where the UK National Youth Conference was being held. The guy said that the bus 12 was the best (I even asked whether it was running since it was New Years, he said Yes). However, I was standing in the cold for about 20 minutes before deciding with a few other so share a cab to the Uni. Realised that 2 from those waiting for the bus was also going to the Youth Conference so was lucky.

The conference was a very inspiring one, filled with motivated youth. Made new friends and being around 346 youth for a weekend was really rejuvenating. The conference was all about the action that we need to make as youth for the advancement of the world civilization. As cliche as it sounds, youth are the future. We need to work hard in molding the next generation. We were called to action in making sure that children and young youth become tools to “contribute to the well-being of society”.  I will definitely reflect on it and try my best to do something. I know that I’ve taken a back seat but now I know I need to work out something to contribute!

Here are some of the photos….

                         

                            

                           

                                                                  

The Christmas that was London

My friend Shean and I headed down to London on the 23rd December to meet up with our dear friend Eugene for Xmas. Took the train down to London and was greeted by the busy London!!!

This picture was taken at the tube station. It was an ad for holiday and the picture for New Delhi was the amazing Baha’i Temple!!!

This is me waiting to eat after the train…we had dinner at this place called May Flower with another friend from Newcastle, Farhan….the food there was yummilicious… lobster noodle and grilled honey eel….so yummy!

    Eugene surprised us by telling us that we weren’t actually going over to his place in Reading (which was the initial plan) and instead we had his sister’s place to ourselves (sister and her hubby went back to Malaysia for Xmas) for the whole entire time we were there right smack in the heart of London! Thanks you Eugene’s sister and bro-in-law!!!! Lovely house and amazing location made Shean and I go $_$…

The next day (Xmas Eve), we made our way to this restaurant called Cha Cha Moon for lunch on Carnaby Street. Char Kuay Teow was gooood.!

After lunch and a bit of walking around, we headed to Hyde Park to the Winter Wonderland. It is a fun fair with Christmas and snow-themed rides and different kinds of food. Below are some of the photo snapped!

     

                            

                 

I love this photo of the boys!

   

this is the other ride we went on besides the ferris wheel, called the black hole….it was fast, very dark and very quick.

On Xmas Eve, we had extra company, Eugene’s friend Jia Ping to join us for the festivity.

Settlers of Catan to pass time!

Midnight, open present time……Pressies all the way from Miri!!! Thank you Elmo!

Christmas we had roasted chicken, and roasted potatoes and carrots…which we comatose immediately after lunch!

On Boxing day, we went to the all famous boxing day shopping!! It was too crowded for my liking but managed to get at least somethings. After shopping and dimsum lunch, we headed home to rest for a bit. After resting for a bit, we headed off to Waterloo for Avatar at the IMAX 3D cinema!! All 3 of us were so excited!!!!

After the amazing movie (please go and watch it) with our 3D glasses which sadly we had to return. Please go and watch the movie for a fantastic experience…if you watch it in 3D its even BETTER!

                                 

The next day we headed to Kings Cross and got on platform 9 3/4! Sadly not to Hogwarts but back to Newcastle!

A very delayed post – North East Cluster Summer School

Held on a bank holiday weekend of the 28th August- 31st of August, the first cluster summer school in England was experienced. So glad to be able to make it and although it being held for the first time, IT WAS A SUCCESS! There were a total of more than 70 people who attended (including day visitors and such) and the atmosphere was lovely! The venue was amazing and I foresee future summer schools being held there again!

I was helping out with the Junior Youth group and can say that I was very hesitant at the first place. Not being very experienced with the age group and doing it in a different country kinda scared me (I know I shouldn’t). But it turned out to be fun and seeing kids between the age of 10-14 being all mature and saying things that makes you go “when I was that age, all I talked about was boy        bands and Barbie dolls!”. Things like peer pressure, media influences, drugs and alcohol were discussed and how things like these affect us. The kids discussed all these very maturely and it gave me insight on how kids think and react to such influences.  It really makes you realise the potential of a child and what it can become with the proper education and guidance.

Overall the Cluster Summer School was a great experience and it definitely brought the cluster closer as a unit working together! Here are some of the photos of one the social nights and I hope that you guys will enjoy them!!

     

            Ceilidh night, where Lorna lead everyone to dance while Sue and Ken played beautiful music!

            

North East Cluster Summer School 28th-31st August 2009.

Today was a wonderful day

Last night I got back from work at about 10.30pm and decided not to sleep since I was gonna head out again at 3am. Its one of the Baha'i Holy Days that we commemorate the Ascension of the prophet founder of the Baha'i Faith, Baha'u'llah at 4am in the morning. Some of the Baha'is in the north east gather at the St. Mary's lighthouse by the shore to say prayers. It was such a beautiful sight and feeling to be there just before the sunrise and to be with friends on a holy day.

The weather was just nice, a little cold which is expected at dawn but after the prayers I felt this warmth come over me that made me feel even more spiritual. I'm sure everyone there felt that as well. It was definitely an experience for me and if I am still here next year, I would not want to miss it! After the prayers, we went towards the shore and past the light house just before the sun was about to come up the horizon. Stayed on the rocks for awhile and snapped away on my camera. It was such a beautiful sight and was just taken back by little things that we don't normally get to see. The sun came up quick, one moment we could see the sun peeking out of the horizon and the moment you turn away and look back again its half way there! First sunrise to see in the UK!

After I got back from Whitley Bay, slept for about 5-6 hours and woke up and ready to eat. So went with Kingsley and Lenz to this cafe nearby to have our brunch. Amazing food that lead us to be walking giants. I felt I was 10 kilos heavier after that. No kidding!

The weather was amazingly nice (its been a spell whereby everytime i have my day off its been gloomy and wet)! So the 3 of us went to the park nearby and walked around. Kingsley with his camera and snapping away, while Lenz and I just enjoyed the flowers in the park. It is a very nice park and it has given me the motivation to “probably” go there tomorrow! The walk was really good and made me really appreciate nature (I guess today is all about nature’s beauty). We spent about a good hour and a half walking before heading back home.

Didn’t stay long at home as I had a study circle to go to. Met couple of new faces and was happy to have study circles with new people because it always enlightens you with insights from different people. We were discussing about being truthful and it came to a discussion about how sometimes we do things without being conscious of what we are doing, and doing things out of habit, which I know I do all the time. I think this whole discussion thing started with telling the truth and that sometimes we say things out of habit and somehow it got lead to that. Anyhow, it definitely made me aware that whatever we do, we have to do it in a state of mind where you are aware of what you are doing. It makes you live for the moment and makes you aware of what is going around you. This thought came up to mind as we were discussing, everytime when I lock the car door (or any door in the matter of fact), I usually do it out of habit and because I am not doing it consciously by the time I walk away, I almost instantly go “did I lock the doors?”. I feel its because it is such a habit to lock your doors that you zone out and don’t even think about it when you are doing it. I know its something simple but I know that somehow it affects your day to day life. So lesson today would be : Live every second with a conscious mind (might sound a little cliche to some), try not to zone out!

So that is how I spend my day and I am HAPPY…