Travelling in Greece

3 Sept  2013.
Visiting Greece is a much delayed trip - I had wanted some 3 years ago to visit Greece but with the financial crisis and threatened security in Athens, it seemed not very practical. This longing to visit Greece must have come from teaching Bible Knowledge - the whole book of Acts centers around Israel, Turkey and Greece.So this year I got desperate and do or die, I had to visit Greece. Something to that effect

We flew in to Athens. That first day we walked up to the Acropolis and up Mars Hill twice - once by day and the second time by night. The Acropolis is a good 1500 m above sea level. .

The Acropolis and Mars Hill.

Jason on the Acropolis.
Note the thick columns

Up there, just before the Acropolis,  I found Dionysus' amphitheater. It looked so familiar. I then realized this was the place of a photo my students Sara and gang  in SMK Seksyen 5 used for teaching parabola.

At Dionysus amphitheater

                                                Greek busker on the way up to Mars Hill.

The Acropolis by night . Photo taken from Mars Hill.
No wonder Paul had that discussion on Mars Hill.
It overlooks the busy city and is cooler and
 is a good place for people to lepak and hear the latest fancies.

We took  a day trip to Corinth, about an hour drive away. Until  the day we visited Corinth, I never understood why Paul wrote two such thick letters I Corinthians and II Corinthians. Guess the location of Corinth?

Corinth was a very important city located at the narrow isthmus of Corinth. The word isthmus means neck. This is a narrow land bridge connecting the Peloponnese peninsula with the rest of mainland Greece. Ships had to take many days to sail around the treacherous coast of  the Peloponnese peninsula  but if they came to Corinth, They saved precious time and lives! 

Here at Corinth, they were rolled across on wooden logs ( smoothed with animal fat) on land, for a hefty fee of course! This made Corinth extremely prosperous! Her strategic location at  the connection between the Mediterranean sea and the Aegean sea meant a meeting of cultures.It is no wonder the very word Corinthian means ultra liberal. If you view the map below, you will find Corinth is not far from Sparta and Olympus and the 3 cultures - spartan versus liberal versus rigorous sports training in Olympus are very very different despite the nearness in location. 

Paul spent much time in Corinth. He stayed here twice, the first time for more than one and a half years. In Acts 18:18, we read that Paul sailed from Cenchrea ( the harbour near Corinth) and sailed to Ephesus. Look at the map and you find Ephesus is almost in a straight line slightly above Cenchrea across the Agean sea.

The Corinth canal was built with the invention  of dynamite
and ships now sail across instead of being rolled across.

Paul must have preached at this place
overlooking the agora (market place )  in Corinth

Corinth was the place where the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and encouraged him to stay there and to speak. God assured Paul he had many people here and that He was with Paul here and no one would attack or hurt him here.

Are there difficult places where God calls you to stay?

The pleasure of travelling

When I was much younger and poorer, I had many dreams of travelling the world and seeing what I read in books come alive in my travels. In fact, I told Papa God if ever He intended to take me home to Heaven earlier and if by chance I hadn't quite travel as much as I wanted to, to make very sure His angel take me on a round the world tour first, before taking me up to the more glorious heavens.

Papa God must have heard my prayers and blessed my husband financially so that we can travel often and savor travelling and not make the angel do a whirlwind tour. Thank you Papa God for hearing and answering my prayers. This post will show pics in Santorini, Greece August-Sept 2013. Santorini means Saint Irene - so for my good friend and pastor Irene, here is one beautiful island bearing your name to which which you must go.

At the castle ruins overlooking Oia.

Santorini has ...
more churches than houses
more wine than water
more steps than roads
more donkeys than taxis

Yummy Greek food at Kamaris, black beach resort area.

Jason at Oia

This handsome bus conductor on the bus to Kamaris
transported me back in time to 30 years ago  nostalgia
on the Len Sen bus in Setapak.
He  issued tickets by punching holes in each tickets
and shouted the name of each bus station .

Sue Ann in  Fira overlooking the bay where our
Spanish cruise ship The Zenith awaits our return.

Donkey ride down 600 steps from Fira to the harbour 

to our awaiting ship. Remember Santorini has ...

more steps than roads and more donkeys than taxis.

Returning back to our cruise ship The Zenith.
She is a 11+1 storeys ship with lifts running
up to the 11 floor. 
The 12th floor is the deck from
which we often view sunrise and sunset.

What a happy time, savoring the sights, the smells, the sounds of Santorini. Thank you God.

Grasped by His strong hand

Light in darkness

                                                    Aurora in the Yukon , Canada.

I could not fathom it but I knew something was not okay with me emotionally when I returned back from US in 2012. Initially I thought it was just jet lag and fatigue but as the months went by and the low feelings persisted on, I realized it was more than that.

I couldn't quite place my finger on the feeling. It felt as if  every now and then, I was  tele-ported somewhere often - to another continent, to another age, and  to heaven's shore. Turning a physical corner in driving or walking felt as though I was turning a corner into another age and era. Falling asleep also felt like I was going into another time zone. At times, I woke up in the night sobbing and not knowing why. I struggled with those difficult feelings.

In the midst of all this, I did wonder if it was time for me to go home to heaven? Was Father God sending me signals to prepare to go home to Him?  I even consulted a therapist and among some of the things he did was to check if I was suicidal then. No, I said, no I am not suicidal.

Then this vision came. The sketch above done during my quiet time does not do justice to the vision I saw. I saw God's huge strong hand grasping my weak hand. My feet were sinking in miry clay but His strong hand's grasped lifted me up and out of the miry clay. All outside was pitch cold darkness but God's hand holding my hand was bathed in a wonderful shaft of warm yellow light. I saw warm light in the cold darkness.

The poem I wrote next to my sketch

The strength of your hand's grasp, 
Holding my hand, 
Lifts me up and out of the sticky miry clay
I am no longer sinking low 
but you lift me up


It is never how hard I hold on to Him that matters. It is how hard He holds on to me that really matters. In that season of my weakness, I realized it was all about Him and not about me or whatever limited strength I had.


Then the lyrics of Matt Redman's song became so meaningful to me.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won't turn back
I know you are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

(Chorus:)
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We'll live to know You here on the earth


YOU NEVER LET GO LYRICS - MATT REDMAN

I am glad that dark confusing season is over. I am even more glad I have gone through it, knowing God was there with me and it was His strength that held me and not my limited strength.

Favour of God

I should have written this post much earlier but school was just too hectic with all the major upgrading we were doing, so this post is long.... overdue.

I heard from the news and read that 80% of Venice was flooded on 11 November 2012. Our dilemna? We were due in Venice on the 13th November 2012. We heard it was the worse ever floods. We  viewed the YouTube movies that showed people moving their luggage in waist high water. I asked Jason if we could go somewhere in Italy first before going to Venice so that hopefully that would give buy some time for the floods to  recede. He said we had booked all our flights and  hotels for 7 days in Italy and cancellation was difficult.

Well, since we couldn't change, we got prepared. I bought 3 pairs of Phua Chu Kang boots just in case we had to walk through the floods.We repacked our luggage. So off we went!

The weather in Venice when we arrived on the 13th November noon? And the weather after that?
We had sunny blue skies without clouds and not a drop of rain for the 7 days we were in Italy! Miracle! God's grace. God's love. Favour!!! Thank you, Papa God. Muaach!!!

Sue Ann in gondala against sunny blue skies.
Not a cloud in my eyes,
Got the sun in my eye

.

It was also our 30th wedding anniversary
when we arrived on the 13th Nov 2012

To top it, we visited many places near and In Venice.I loved Rialto market and Rialto bridge.

Red hot peppers that looked like Christmas baubles.

Burano with her colourful houses.

Burano with her lovely laces

In August, I visited Furano and had a great feast with our eyes and tummy.  Guess where it is? Then we visited Murano glassworks and had an art feast.  Now Burano... Sigh..! What a lovely play of places that had names ending in ano.

Burano's yummlicious food.

Since I didn't get a chance to wear my heavy Phua Chu Kang boots lugged all the way from KL, I just had to pose in St Marks square where small sections will flood when the tide comes in. Btw, we left our 3 pairs of boots in the hotel for the next guests and next major flood.

Me with my Phua Chu Kang signature yellow boots
in St Marks square where it floods
when the tide comes in

Florence was a dream come true! I had read and taught about the multi-tiered houses on the bridge at Arno river in Florence about 10 years ago. Now I got to see the bridge and the houses and to walk on the bridge.

Jason with the 4 tiered house on the bridge
 on the Arno River in Florence

Which true physicists can resist not going to Pisa and see and climb the leaning Tower of Pisa? Pisa is just an easy hour ++ journey by train from Florence.

Propping the Leaning Tower of Pisa?

We took the cab to the highest point in Florence and viewed the city below. You can still see the multi tiered houses on the bridge. The statute of David is there to keep you company and you can walk down the stairs right past the fort and back into quaint Florence inner city again.

At the highest point in Florence.
Can you see the tiered house bridge
over the river in the distant background

Statute of David

Both Florence and Milan are shopping havens. Ladies - I advice you strongly - check out all the prices of the branded Italian stuff you have dreamed about while you are in KL.  aWhen you compare the prices in Italy, you realize it is very worthwhile to shop in Italy and you will  buy, buy, buy like I did......! Haha!

Cake from Sue Jan's church

We felt truly blessed by the favour of God's love. Thank you Papa God!! Receive our grateful thanks!

Mulu Pinnacles Miri 9-13 August 2012

Mulu Pinnacles, Miri, Sarawak. 9-13^th August 2012.

This is a most memorable trip for all 10 of us and probably the most challenging adventure we have ever taken. It is even more difficult than climbing Mount Kinabalu!

Have I told you lately that I love you?

The silent retreat I attended with Hai Bee helped me tune out the busyness of life. It cut down the noise and unneccasary sounds until I could hear what my heart was saying and my heart  said clearly...."Have I told you lately that I love you? And I do .. with all my heart. Sometimes in the busyness of life, I forget that I love you but I do .. with all my heart and all my soul - Papa God, knowing you is the best thing that ever is in my life".

The roses I sketched out in my silent retreat on my lined exercise book as I sought to tell God.................. I loved Him in my limited way.

Morning sunrise walks with Him and Hai Bee. We start about 6.35 am while it is still dark and we catch the sunrise of His love. Swathed in the cool mists of your love , Bathed in the warm sunlight of your love.  That first morning walk, I didn't even think to bring my camera so I sketched it out again.

I wasn't the only one inspired to sketch or to write poetry here. We were all captivated by the beauty of this sacred space up in the mountains. It beckons me to come away to retreat with my beloved.

And when I went to Taiwan for a few days, the same atmosphere prevailed - I was going away with my beloved, both Jason and my Lord. At Wulai, I was just so captivated by the 80m Wulai falls. The sound of the waterfalls just outside my room window and my balcony all night long is so theraputic to my soul.

Listen to the sounds of the waterfall in the video.

Pure therapy. I am so refreshed. Psalm 42:

Simple things, natural things make me happy. This fossil shell in Yeliu Geo Park reminds me how the imprint of a leaf or flower has been caught aeons ago on the fossil shell.  I am convinced we were imprinted on God's hand before eternity began and He loved us long before we were even aware He loved us.

Have I told you lately that I loved you? 

Pumpkins breakthrough!

Each morning, I usually serve my husband Jason a slice of steamed or baked pumpkin. The doctor  advised that pumpkin is good for him some years ago so we began putting that into his morning breakfast quite regularly. So we have bought many varieties of pumpkins - from the very expensive Japanese and Korean pumpkins costing some RM70+ and above to the very cheap local variety about RM5+ for each pumpkin.

During those season where we bought the expensive pumpkins, we just thought it would be good if we could grow the expensive variety and not have to pay through our nose for it. So we sowed some pumpkins seeds and lo and behold, the seeds sprouted and became healthy looking plants. In fact they looked so healthy and the leaves were so abundant, so green and fresh that I used to comment to Rodziah my maid that if only we could eat the leaves, we may not need to buy vegetables. But Rodziah advised me against eating the luscious leaves saying they could cause us to be gatal.

But we got discouraged when all the pumpkins sprouted was leaves and leaves alone. Then we stopped planting them. Later we tried again with local varieties. This time we saw leaves and lovely, pretty happy yellow flowers. And we thought there was some hope of eating our own homegrown fruits. But the flowers never pollinated though I tried to pollinate some manually. And so we gave up planting again. But Lydia Seoh encouraged. Her pumpkin plant produced one fruit hiden up on the tree and she gave it to us. And so we tried again and just let the plants grow.

Then one day I got really excited when I saw 3 small pumpkins form. To my horror, a few days later I saw the squirrell eat the fruits and also my neighbour lop off the branch with the small fruit. Aiyoh - I was so heartbroken. Then I saw more fruits again. Wah! I summoned my maid to tie newspapers to prevent the tupai from eating them and she did. But the fruits did not stay and dropped off. Sadness...

But I thought of the verse. "I have chosen you and have ordained that you should bear fruit and your fruit should remain." So I spoke to Papa God about this verse which was the first verse I actually memorized when I became a Christian.

Now a few weeks later, we found the fruits that remained - 3 fruits now that are sizable in the sunnier part of our back garden. Happiness. Looking at the pumpkin fruits is now looking at our anak - we check closely how big they have grown.

                                                                    Hidden pumpkin

                                                                        Ripening soon

High up on the tree.

We can't wait to bring the first fruit that ripen to Pastor Swan and family. The pumpkins fruits have helped us understand different levels of breakthroughs - from only leaves to flowers to fruits that didn't remain and now finally to fruits that remain.

The pumpkins have helped us understand the meaning of perseverance with things that dissappoint us again and again. May our lives be like the pumpkins and we finally bear fruit that remain and delight God and others despite going through many failures and dissapointments.