By Bernard

Taking the good advice from our church leaders and mentors and even our family members to build a "family altar" by doing devotion together, we have been doing so every night before we sleep. =)

Wanting to be a blessing to family, friends, leaders and people around us, we often pray for you. =)

If you would like us to keep you in prayer for any particular matters, you can let us know by emailing us at [email protected]. All prayer requests are kept confidential. 

By Bernard

For the last one week, it has been an adjustment period for me to wake up early to send Hui zhi to school. Previously, I used to wake up between 7.45am to 8am. Now, I have to wake up around 6am. Thank God, it has been good. Now, I have much more time to do my readings, online research etc =)

After sending Hui zhi to school in the morning, I would normally buy Business Times (BT) and have time to read it at least 2 rounds before meeting Samuel for breakfast. =)

By Hui Zhi

A few friends have requested for the track of the special item sung during our wedding and so I thought I can put this online to share with all. Thanks to Priscilla for such a wonderful rendition of the song Two Words.

Here's some background on the song... 
This song was an early wedding present for Lea from two of her
songwriter friends from Manila, Louie Ocampo and Freddie Santos. It
was specifically written with her and her wedding day in mind. Every
time she would sing the song either in rehearsal or in performance,
she would start crying, as it perfectly captured her every emotion at
this point in her life.
 
Because it's not a published song, the only recording of it is
in her wedding video, here's the link...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji3bEFoBYtA


Enjoy! =)


TWO WORDS ~ Lea Salonga (L. OCAMPO / F. SANTOS)
Arrangement: Gerard Salonga
Piano: Rey Cristobal
Violin: Benjie Bautista
Cello: Ed Pasamba


In a while, in a word,
Every moment now returns.
For a while, seen or heard,
How each memory softly burns.
Facing you who brings me new tomorrows,
I thank God for yesterdays,
How they led me to this very hour,
How they led me to this place...

Every touch, every smile,
You have given me in care.
Keep in heart, always I'll,
Now be treasuring everywhere.
And if life should come to just one question,
Do I hold this moment true?
No trace of sadness,
Always with gladness...
'I DO...'

(instrumental)

Now a song that speaks of now and ever,
Beckons me to someone new,
Unexpected, unexplored, unseen,
Filled with promise coming through.

In a while, in a word,
You and I forever change,
Love so clear, never blurred,
Has me feeling wondrous, strange,
And if life should come to just one question,
Do I face each moment true?
No trace of sadness, always with gladness,
'I DO...'

Never with sadness...
Always with gladness...
'I...DO....'

By Bernard

This afternoon, I went to teach keyboard (piano) in church. To my surprise, my students gave me a box of mooncakes from Habour City Restaurant, two "piglets" as well as a keychain containing Huizhi and my photo. So sweet of them. Look at the box, I am sure you will agree with me that it is very well done and beautiful. In fact, Huizhi is planning to keep it to store some of her stationery.

Coincidentally, Samuel Loke (one of my good friends) had also given us a box of moon tarts from Habour City Restaurant yesterday. I have tried the moon tarts this morning and they are very delicious. I am sure the mooncakes will be just as good if not better. =)

By Hui Zhi

Bernard and I went to Yeow Ming's place on Thursday evening to collect our wedding photographs. We are very pleased with his work, capturing the special moments at the right time and right angle. It was really not easy considering the fact that we had a rather packed day from the morning event of fetching the bride to the afternoon solemnisation till the evening dinner. He even did a fantastic slideshow of all our photos with accompanied sound track too.

Besides that, we were amazed by his high-end sound and projection system, comparable if not better than a cinema. All the eqiupment are of high sophistication. He played a few sound tracks for us and the sound effect was so "Wow" for even a lay person like me. =)

We appreciate the excellent effort that Yeow Ming has put in for us and we highly recommend him to our friends. If you are sourcing around for a good photographer, do give him your consideration. Surf on to his website to take a look at some of his recent works. His contact details are as follows:

Mobile: 9746 1334
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://blessedi.multiply.com

Have a great weekend! =)

By Bernard

I am so blessed to have a wife who can cook very well. Our first dinner at home was cooked by Huizhi =)

To all our friends out there, do read the terms and conditions when you decide to fly the next time with Airasia. On our return flight back from Bangkok, we were told that our luggage was overload by a lot and we had to pay quite a substantial amount for exceeding the weight limit of 15kg per person despite the fact that we bought extra checked baggage.

When we purchase the air tickets online, we were prompted by the system to purchase extra checked baggage. Thinking ahead, that we will buy a lot of things from our shopping in Thailand, we decided to do so thinking that an extra check baggage would mean an additional 15kg of load allowance.

When we were checking in at Bangkok, to our horror, we were informed by the staff that the extra check baggage which we purchased is merely for handling fee and it does not change the fact that each passenger is only entitled to 15kg of load only. The airport staff kept insisting that we read the terms and conditions and rudely told us that if we do not want to pay for the extra weight, our tickets will not be issued.

We felt "cheated" as the invoice to us clearly states "checked baggage" and it does not indicate that the fee is merely for handling fee only. Upon returning to Singapore, we also learnt that some of our friends have also been misled by Airasia into thinking that an extra checked baggage means more weight allowance. Hence, we hope our experience will benefit you if you are thinking of flying with Airasia or any other airlines to not only read but understand the terms and conditions.

Dear family & friends, we have safely arrived in Bangkok yesterday. The situation here is very normal. No sign of unrest at all. In fact, we were wondering why the government declared a state of emergency when everything here seems so normal. =)

A stylish hair cut  @ MBK for just 180Baht (less than SGD10). Now, updating our blog @ Gloria Jeans... =)

We went to one of the most beautiful islands in the world... Koh Phi Phi Don