"I'll never forget the first time I met you," said Bergon, "when they dropped me down beside you on the galley bench. For a moment you frightened me more than the Roknari did."

Cazaril grinned. "What, just because I was a scaly, scabbed, burnt scarecrow, hairy and stinking?"

Bergon grinned back. "Something like that," he admitted sheepishly. "But then you smiled, and said Good evening, young sir, for all the world as if you were inviting me to share a tavern bench and not a rowing bench."

"Well, you were a novelty, of which we didn't get many."

"I thought about it a lot, later. I'm sure I wasn't thinking too clearly at the time - "

"Naturally not. You arrived well roughed-up."

"Truly. Kidnapped, frightened - I'd just collected my first real beating - but you helped me. Told me how to go on, what to expect, taught me how to survive. You gave me extra water twice from you own portion - "

"Eh, only when you really needed it. I was already used to the heat, as desiccated as I was like to get. After a time one can tell the difference between mere discomfort and the feverish look of a man skirting collapse. It was very important that you not faint at your oar, you see."

"You were kind."

Cazaril shrugged. "Why not? What could it cost me, after all?"

Bergon shook his head. "Any man can be kind when he is comfortable. I'd always thought kindness a trivial virtue, therefore. But when we were hungry, thirsty, sick, frightened, with our deaths shouting at us, in the heart of horror, you were still as unfailingly courteous as a gentleman at his ease before his own hearth."

"Events may be horrible or inescapable. Men have always a choice - if not whether, then how, they may endure."

"Yes, but... I hadn't known that before I saw it. That was when I began to believe it was possible to survive. And I don't mean just my body."

- The Curse of Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold

lake near the top of Mt Ossa, Tasmania

(filled my nalgene bottle here, ironically, didn't drink enough and was dehydrated on the way down -

thanks to Hans and Cas for watching out for me)

taken from the snow patch

mickey 'n minnie for you

i think we've had q enough of amusement parks for the moment, disneyland park on monday, southern california disneyland on tuesday & universal studio today. I think we'll really enjoy SeaWorld tommorrow and I need to work on that permission thing. Well, see how things go :)

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

kids i took in sapa in December 2006:

(you can see wx's back/camelbak in 3rd, girl who badgered me for an hour in yellow pants in 9th)

A backslidder's prayer for spiritual cleansing and renewal
by Prof. Harding

Psalms 51

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

David:

1. Asked God to change his heart from a sinful heart to a clean heart.

["create" - called upon God's Almighty power which created the world to change his heart.]

2. Asked God to make him steadfast in his allegiance to Him.

3. Asked God to allow him to enjoy personal, intimate fellowship with Him.

4. Asked God to retain him in the position of leadership.

["Holy Spirit" - empowerment of the Kings for the tasks which God prepares for them. e.g., Saul - white dove, David - oil]

5. Asked God to restore to him the joy of God's salvation from the penalty and power of sin.

6. Asked God to keep him from falling into sin by making him willing to obey God's commandments.

Philippians 2:13 - "for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

~ A U R U M ~


PALATE CLEANSER (?)

[Watermelon Sorbet with Passion Fruit Seeds, Balsamic Vinegar]


TAPAS

Drunken Langoustine, Air of Vinegar

Spherical Green Olives



Electric Cotton Candy Aurum Foie Gras


Liquid Ham Croquettes 2007

Oyster with Pearl, Frozen Shiso

Honouring the Spanish Omelette


PLATOS

pre-:


post-:

Injected Olive Oil Soba, Golden Broth


San Pedro, Ravioli of Fresh Herbs, Artichoke

Lobster with Quinoa, Laksa Deconstructed

Crackling Piglet, Lemon Puree, Juniper & Jin


POSTRESS

Sherry & Melon, Passion Fruit Nitro

Vanilla Cream, Green Tea & Rasberry Petals

PLUS

[Marzipan Cubes, Marzipan Balls with Persimmon Jelly]



unfortunately didn't quite match up to....


[tender lobster with cheese & garlic sauce, sweet pineapple slices, cherry tomatoes, fish done teochew 'white pomfret' style, flower crab with black pepper, spring onions & ginger with bottle of madeus and grandpa boldly & shyly informing us that their golden dish cafe lobster was the best on tioman island - if you don't cook it well, no point cooking at all]

quite an eventful week (as eventful as it gets)

monday was down in the dumps.

tuesday threw me in disarray.

wednesday was a blank.

thursday was enlivening.

friday was surreal, reminiscent of a slow-paced movie reel.

"Le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît point."

- Pascal


(on another note, all the electronic devices around me have conspired to implode, default and defect. surely nobody dreams that up. why santiago.)

why do you wear a cross on your neck?

do you know that its a symbol of shame and humility, that the worst criminals and sinners are hanged to die on a cross?

... it's like wearing an electric chair around your neck, you wouldn't do that, would you?

He changed a symbol of shame and humility to a symbol of glory. Only a King can do that.

Our King, our sacrifice.


"Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause was I born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

- John 18:37

sitting momentarily at the pantry looking out of the thin transparent glass the separates me from the outside, i think that it looks like a nice kind of morning to be out and about. to feel the sun on my face the the breeze caressing and i sigh a wistful sigh and go back to work.

i shall learn not to gripe so much about people telling me silly things or being difficult.

they may be trying to rip me off or not, i will never know, but there are things i can complain to God about and not the whole world.

we're in hoi an, vietnam.

it was beautiful hearing the hoi an church choir sing yesterday evening, with feeling, passion and celebration!

merry christmas everyone. :)

picture of rachel and my girls! :)

i went lanning last night!

starting out at 25. :P

company of heros and quake IV

i almost always top bottoms but no biggie. stil tonnes of fun. :)

reading list for the child cum dreamer in me:

1. narnia - all 7 books (c. s. lewis)
2. the little prince (antoine de saint exupery)
3. mister God, this is anna/anna and the black knight (fynn)
4. anna's book (anna)
5. a wrinkle in time/a wind in the door/a swiftly tilting planet/many waters (madeleine l'engle)
6. hinds' feet on high places (hannah hurnard)
7. mountain of spices (hannah hurnard)
8. anne of green gables series (l. m. montgomery)
9. the sword of manuel (l. r. jenkins)
10. duncton wood (william horwood)
11. ender's game (orson scott card)
12. the alchemist (paulo coelho)
13. invisible cities (italo calvino)
14. winnie the pooh/a house on pooh corner (a. a. milne)
15. a window in the roof (?)
16. momo (michael ende) - i'm only on chap 1 but it's def a me-book...

what i can remember for now. oops! you never realised what a kid i was, did you? :P

If peace be in the heart,
The wildest winter storm is full of solemn beauty,
The midnight flash but shows the path of duty,
Each living creature tells some new and joyous story,
The very trees and stones all catch a ray of glory,
If peace be in the heart.

~ Charles Francis Richardson

tonight's a night where i'm missing them.

maybe one never ever totally gets over missing people, we just learn that the sun goes on shining, the waves rush to shore even without.

guess we are more adaptable and hardy than we imagine but softer than feather down and silver bells chiming a hundred thousand parsec away and still some more...

guiding lights on the floor

an open door

i've walked right through it

God is good.

Madeleine L'Engle is golden.

she writes about mountains and lakes and starlight and she doesn't mince her words.

she paints honest dreamy pictures of people's hearts.

(Fe paints beautiful pictures too, when he does write)