Archive for January, 2008
杏林子禱文
January 30th, 2008 by Doris
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30 Jan 2008
January 30th, 2008 by Doris
Sister got back from Japan & HK trip last Saturday, got some goodies from her including Leo’s favourite green tea and snacks! I also got some clothes and accesories 
Katherine will be coming back this Saturday, looking forward to see her new guitar and some other goodies (music books and CD for Leo….). I wish to go back to Japan again too!
Word of Thanks – part II
January 26th, 2008 by Doris
After Leo and I got engaged, we couldn’t wait to start planning for the wedding. I remember we were discussing Re. date, theme, style, songs, guests, helpers, etc while we were on the plane. That was a fantastic way to spend the time especially when we couldn’t sleep! Before I get to think about what songs I want, Leo already has a list of songs in mind. “A red, red rose” was the wedding theme song. He has already chosen the song long before he started dating with someone 
and it turned out it is exactly what I want. The theme we both wanted was simple but elegant (and classic).
Leo has always been living in Sydney and he first came back here (Auckland) for holidays after our engagement, the first thing he needed to do was to visit my dad and ask for his permission . Mum and myself both wanted him to do that as it is a way for him to respect my dad if he wants to marry his daughter. And of course, there is no reason for dad to deny his request, haha! Then, we grasped every moment we have to look for a church and a venue for reception. There was no doubt that we want to have the wedding in a church as for us, wedding is a holy and important event which represent a commitment between the couple and God. So, having it under God’s roof is the best place to be. We were looking for a church with a traditional theme especially since I grew up as an Anglican, I prefer the ceremony to be traditional. First, we looked at St. Mary’s in Parnell and St. Peter’s on Hobson street. We decided to go for St. Mary’s and started the booking process. However, we were disappointed and decided to look for something else. Both churches are stunning inside, but we felt uneasy as they are not cheap to hire and sounded very commercial. I always thought a church should always have their door open so that whoever on the street can come in and seek for God at all times. But it is sad to see due to many reasons, churches are becoming more like a company. We didn’t really like the location of St. Peter’s for many reasons and also there isn’t a hall for us to have the afternoon tea. For St. Mary’s, it has the elegant setting that we wished for, however there were also some issues:
1) the lightning is dark inside due to the dark brown colour woods and orange light.
2) The church can held up to 500 people, it doesn’t look good if the church is only half filled, how many people would we have?
3) There is a little room where we can have our afternoon tea. However, it is rather small and probably won’t fit all of the guests we would have. Although there is a garden next to it, it won’t be any help if it rains that day.
Despite all the issues, we did try to hire St. Mary’s. However, I felt that God didn’t want us to have our wedding there. Even though we had taken action to go for it, He put obstacles to stop us. And it was God’s plan that while we were looking for the reception venues, the owner of a restaurant in Devonport told us that there is a church near by which is also an Anglican church and have the similar setting as St. Mary’s. So, we went to have a look and yes we love it – Holy Trinity, Devonport! www.holytrinity.gen.nz This church truely has the similar setting as St Mary except I think it is more traditional. It is a smaller church (sits 350 people), with white lighting and lighter brown coloured wooden pews. There is also a big hall at the other side where we could have the afternoon tea and some grass area where the guests could also wonder around and relax. After talking with Murray Spackman (Vicar) a few times, we have decided to have our wedding in this church. Murray gave me an impression that they take wedding very seriously that it is not a performance and it should be treated the right way. This is exactly what we wanted! Also, they asked for offering for using the church (with suggestions of how much other couples been giving in the past) not payment. This had made me feel much comfortable with having our wedding there. We felt like that this is the place God has chosen for us, how wonderful!
Although we did look everywhere (city, west, north, etc) for a reception venue, we ended up decided to have it in a restaurant in Silverdale. Although Silverdale is not considered to be close, we think is acceptable (we thought is better than having it in Kumeu…). It actually only takes 20-30 minutes to reach from the harbour bridge and only 15 minutes from my home in northShore . Of course it is bit far for people to live in the East, etc but we will never find a place that suit everyone since everyone live in different areas. And having the wedding in Devonport and reception in Silverdale, it was not complicated at all. I believe those who really cares for us, they would be happy to travel. After getting permission from parents, we made a booking.
There were many things to sort out for a wedding. Leo and I both aren’t bad in organizing and we both enjoy doing it. So, we never thought of hiring a wedding planner but we do need a wedding manager to take care of things on the day. Thanks to Evelyn whom we can trust! Evelyn is someone who would make sure things take place and able to be flexible when there is a problem.
Wedding Invitation – We wanted to do something special so we thought we would try to handmade the invitations. First, Leo has an idea … then, I proceeded from there… After a few trial and modifications, we got our wedding invitation finalzed. During the process, Nga Ling has given me valuable suggestions and advices and also because of her, I get the perfect paper/card I wanted for half price! Nga Ling is like a big sister to me, well experienced and mature. I also find that we have similar personality, both like things to be properly organized. For the flower decoration in the church on the wedding day… although the church has its own florist to set up the flowers, they suggested us to write down what we want and how much we want to spend. It was Nga ling who helped me to choose the flowers/greenary to used that matched the theme of our wedding. And yes, the church florist did a great job too. In addition , Nga ling also did the decoration for the bridal table at reception and the wedding cake. She is incredibly talented and responsible and I did not worry at all. Even more touching was that Nga Ling wanted to do it all for free as part of the presents for us. In many ways, Nga Ling has helped me throughout my life and I appreciate our friendship very much.
In order to make the invitaiton, I need a light box. Chih whom I knew since high school was very kind to make me a light box and Richard (my supervisor) who always treated me like a daughter also lent me his big light box that he used for work. Richard is a very caring and understanding boss who told me many times not to worry about the wedding and assured me things would be great (although i wasn’t stressed at all, haha).
Jennifer is well known as the “artistic girl” among the group. Whenever there is a function and needed to be decorated, she is the girl to ask. And of course, Jennifer is a good friend who wouldn’t say no for this special event. Jennifer was living in Sydney at that time but she promised that she would come back for our wedding. So, when I was in Sydney we went shopping together for candle, ribbon etc. Jennifer basically did the church and reception decoration by herself. Everything seems so easy for her, no stress no rush. Jennifer is a lovely girl who love God very much, don’t miss out
Hm.. what else do we need to do? The groomsmen and bridesmaids! Alan Tang from Sydney as the bestman, Matthew Lai from Auckland as groomsman, Stella Yeung from Auckland as the matron of honour and Angeline Chong from Singapore as bridesmaid. They have been great, helping us to get through the day with Joy. I truly felt that I have been taken care very well! p/s: I know Alan a little bit more through his stay in Auckland… he is a great guy too! (and cute )
How about dresses and suits? Leo and I both managed to get our wedding dress/suit from HK while we stopped over in HK for 3 days after the Neuroscience conference 2005. Leo got a gorgeous outfit, custome made. Often, the “groom” is neglected when comes to dressing up but I think it is important for the groom to choose what he wants as it is his big day too. We also want to make sure that the groomsmen and bridesmaids have something nice and a special touch. Therefore, for the groomsmen, we bought them gold bow tie and waist…. and for the bridesmaids, I want something simple but elegant. So, I got the design in my head and started looking for fabric. I wanted satin and it has to be thick enough so that it would have the feeling of classic and fullness. Also, it won’t stick to the body as it is very annoying and uncomfortable. For the pagebody (Raymond), Vivian (Leo’s cousin) from Hong Kong bought us a tuxedo, and for the flower girl (Joylynn), I also designed and bought fabric that matches with the bridesmaids outfit. It was very fun doing all those and big thanks to mum who did all the bridesmaids and flower girl’s dresses. She is incredible!
And of course the most important part is the ceremony. Leo invited Rev. David Tse from Sydney CBC to come over to run the ceremony alongside with Rev. Chan from Henderson Church. The choir was also lovely. Thanks to Rev. Nathanael Lai, Richard, Bryony, Andrew, Charlie, Edith, Michelle, Emma, Veronica, Katherine as choir members, and Ming being the conductor. Special thanks to Elaine Ng coming all the way from Sydney as the pianist!
Since we were unable to invite all the guests to the dinner reception (expected 250-300 guests for the day), we wanted to make sure that we prepared good and enough for the afternoon tea. My mum is especially concern about it as it is better to prepare more than not enough. So, we made sure that we have a good variety and amount of food to serve our guests after the ceremony. It was a way for us to show our appreciation for the guests attending our wedding ceremony. We very much wished that they would enjoy themselves and have a good time with us. For the food, brother suggested a bakery in Manurewa (he knew about it through a friend in bible college) which make nice little tarts. For afternoon, it is good to have food that you can finish in couple bites and also food that don’t give you messy hands. Brother drove us to Manurewa to have a look and we bought some to try. We ended up ordering 500 fruit tarts with different sort from there. A big hug for Lemuel who picked them up on the day. We were so touched by his willingness. He didn’t even need time to consider even though he heard the word “Manurewa” and said “that is not very far”. And i still remembered that he also assured us that he would only go back to HK after our wedding! Lemuel also helped with the setting up, tidying up etc on the day along with the other helpers. For the afteroon tea, we also have western style club sandwiches and few other type of finger foods, sushi, chinese style puff and fruit platters. Thank you very much to Jessie (my colleague) who prepared the fruit platters. It was not an easy job, not everyone like to peel and cut fruits. It must have taken quite a while! The fruit platters indeed added a special touch to the “feast”.
A wedding has to have Ushers! And they are very important people as they represent the couple and the family in welcoming the guests. They need to be familiar with the setting, schedule and even little things like where is the bathroom… When the guest has a question, they answer. Often, they are quite busy running around making sure everyone is happy especially the couple and the families so that they could just relax and enjoy the day. The ushers are Emily, Evelyn, Jennifer and Vicky (and my sister). And of course, they all looked gorgeous that day. Many other friends also very kind to help out to set up the afternoon tea. It was not an easy job to serve 250-300 people. In addition to those mentioned earlier (including the ushers), Emma, Li, Lisa, Michelle A and my 3 sisters all have great contribution towards the success of the day. Many guests came to show their gratitude and complements afterward and it was all your “effort” to make it happen.
“Those tables for afternoon were heavy! Of course we can’t ask the ladies to carry them!” Thanks to Chih, James, Eddy and Ron who went to the church the night before the wedding just to set up the table so that it would be easier for the ladies to do what they needed to do the next day! These guys were strong! And of course we have to make sure everything go back to where it was after the wedding. Here come the strong men again including Carlos and Matthew C. (our guests who just decided to help out). It made me realize even more that good friends are those who willing to help whenever is needed doesn’t matter if he/she been asked or not. The world would be a much better place to live if everyone think more of others and less of ourselves. The church minister was very happy about it and has put his thumb up!
Bridal’s cars – Thanks for Chih and Eddy for lending us their BMW. And Chih is the most caring and well prepared bridal car driver (a dear friend) I have ever known! He has made every journey so comfortable and also for preparing us the drinks and food! When I thought about the bridal’s car, it reminded me the decoration and the bridal’s bouquets. Thanks to Ivy who did it all. I did not know Ivy well at that time as she was introduced to us by Evelyn. Ivy is a great florist-the bouquets, button holes, corsages etc looks so stunning and elegant. The flowers looked so fresh and lively that lasted for a few days after the wedding. And now we are in the same church and hopefully we will have more opportunity to know each other better and serve under the same roof. She is surely recommended!
Since we are living in a multicultural environment, we have the wedding mixed with English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Evan (Nga Ling’s husband) speaks fantastic English and his voice enlighten the atmosphere. Sherman who is also known as a talented translator at church (both English and Mandarin) did so well on the spot at the dinner reception. No doubt we heard good comments from others.
A wedding is a memorable event, thanks for our photographers and videographers who helped to capture the moment. Special thanks to Conway who was our volunteered photographers. He took pictures for us before the wedding, on the wedding and during the dinner reception for free .
For the dinner reception, we also like to keep it simple and natural. Why do I say that? That is because we think a celebration is truly from the heart, there is no need to pretend to be something or someone else as it is not a performance. We truly wished the guests would enjoy themselves and have a great time with us. Thanks to Vincent as our great MC, our night was indeed memorable. Vincent is a Christian who love God and his family very much. I personally admire him because of his good qualities reflected from his daily life. Vincent is a sincere friend, he wanted to make our night special and hence started to gather information from our friends about us. We have no idea what he would say and obviously we did not know what our friends told him, haha! I enjoyed the night very much with lots of fun and surprises. Everything happened during the night were all from the bottom of the heart, no rehearsal no pretending. A great MC is someone who really put effort trying to do something special for the couple, and that is a blessing for us. I could still remember how sweet and happy we were that night and the smiles and laugh on the guests’ faces were so rewarding. The only thing I specially requested from Vincent was the function needed to be ended by 10pm. It was because we did not want the guests to get too tired (many of them will have to get up early for church the next day) especially for the elderly (or young children) friends and family. If they wish to stay longer, we were happy to mingo but at least they could choose what was best for them.
There are many more people to thank. And of course, thank you for all the guests who attended our wedding especially those who came from overseas. And it was a blessing from God to have good brother and sisters in Christ who willing to offer their home for our guests from overseas. To have friends who say yes when you ask them for help is a blessing, but to have those who offer to help even before you ask if even more heart felted. I have received loads of love and support from friends and family in our wedding and often through a wedding, you would realize even more how great they are. There were many friends and relatives who wanted to attend our wedding but couldn’t, we also like to thank them for their support and love.
Health Benefits & Concerns for Rice
January 17th, 2008 by Doris
Eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates (e.g., white rice) appears to increase the risk of coronary heart disease, and thus of heart attacks, especially in overweight women.
Whole grains (such as brown rice) contain high amounts of insoluble fiber—the type of fiber some scientists believe may help protect against a variety of cancers. In an analysis of the data from many studies, people who eat relatively high amounts of whole grains were reported to have low risks of lymphomas and cancers of the pancreas, stomach, colon, rectum, breast, uterus, mouth, throat, liver, and thyroid.
Consuming a diet high in insoluble fiber is best achieved by switching from refined grains to whole grains (for example, switching from white rice to brown rice).
In the debate over whether dietary fat increases breast cancer risks, only one fact is indisputable: women in countries that consume high amounts of meat and dairy fat have a high risk of breast cancer, while women in countries that mostly consume rice, soy, vegetables, and fish (instead of dairy fat and meat) have a low risk of breast cancer. As a result, many doctors recommend a modified Asian diet to women wishing to lower their risk of breast cancer, even though they know the protective effect of such a diet might be for reasons unrelated to dietary fat intake.
Fiber, particularly insoluble fiber, is linked with prevention of chronic constipation. Insoluble fiber from food acts like a sponge. Adding water to the “sponge” makes it soft and easy to push through the gastrointestinal tract. Insoluble fiber comes mostly from vegetables, beans, brown rice, whole wheat, rye, and other whole grains. Switching from refined grains to whole grains (e.g., from white rice to brown rice) often helps relieve constipation. It is important to drink lots of fluid along with the fiber—at least 16 ounces (480 ml) of water per serving of fiber. Otherwise, a “dry sponge” is now in the system, which can worsen the constipation.
Eating carbohydrate-containing foods, whether they are high in sugar or high in starch (such as rice), temporarily raises blood sugar and insulin levels. The blood sugar-raising effect of a food, called its “glycemic index,” depends on how rapidly its carbohydrate is absorbed. Many starchy foods have a glycemic index similar to sucrose (table sugar). People eating large amounts of foods with high glycemic indices (such as white rice), have been reported to be at increased risk of type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, eating a diet high in carbohydrate-rich foods that have lower glycemic indices (such as brown rice as opposed to white rice), is less likely to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates (e.g., white rice) appears to increase the risk of coronary heart disease, and thus of heart attacks, especially in overweight women.
Insulin resistance syndrome (IRS)
Some authorities recommend that people with IRS avoid high-carbohydrate diets, and some recommend a diet lower in carbohydrate than current public health guidelines suggest. The rationale is that high carbohydrate intake stimulates increased insulin levels, which can lead to high triglycerides, low HDL, and other adverse changes in the levels of blood fats that contribute to heart disease risk. Other authorities disagree, however, because they believe a lower carbohydrate diet will result in higher calorie intake from fat, leading to more difficulties with overweight, insulin resistance, and heart disease risk. A recent preliminary study suggested that a healthful, balanced diet low in fried foods and sausages, and high in vegetables, fruits, fish, and complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, was associated with protection from many aspects of IRS.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Limited research has suggested that fiber might help people with IBS. However, most studies find that IBS sufferers do not benefit by adding wheat bran to their diets and some feel worse as a result of wheat bran supplementation. It has been suggested that the lack of positive response to wheat bran may result from a wheat sensitivity, which is one of the most common triggers for food sensitivity in people with IBS. Brown rice is a good source of fiber and is less likely to trigger food sensitivities than is wheat bran.
Risk factors and symptoms for heart attack
January 17th, 2008 by Doris
Risk factors for heart attack and coronary artery disease include:
- Bad genes (hereditary factors)
- Being male
- Diabetes
- Getting older
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Too much fat in your diet
- Unhealthy cholesterol levels, especially high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and low HDL (“good”) cholesterol
Higher-than-normal levels of homocysteine, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen may also increase your risk for a heart attack. Homocysteine is an amino acid. C-reactive protein and fibrinogen are linked to inflammation. Fibrinogen is also involved in blood clotting.
Symptoms
Chest pain is a major symptom of heart attack. However, some people may have little or no chest pain, especially the elderly and those with diabetes. This is called a silent heart attack.
The pain may be felt in only one part of the body or move from your chest to your arms, shoulder, neck, teeth, jaw, belly area, or back.
The pain can be severe or mild. It can feel like:
- Squeezing or heavy pressure
- A tight band around the chest
- Something heavy sitting on your chest
- Bad indigestion
Pain usually lasts longer than 20 minutes. Rest and a medicine called nitroglycerine do not completely relieve the pain of a heart attack.
Other symptoms of a heart attack include:
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea or vomiting
- Anxiety
- Cough
- Fainting
- Lightheadedness – dizziness
- Palpitations (feeling like your heart is beating too fast)
- Sweating, which may be extreme