Merry Christmas everyone. . .

Am I too late to wish you a Merry Christmas??? I would like to think the greeting is never too late. There's the song "12 Days of Christmas" and the saying "Let Every Day Be Christmas" which makes me think "Merry Christmas" will never be ancient anytime of the year. It's been great fun this year round always. As a child, I look forward to Christmas which meant travelling miles to a kampung - visit my maternal grandparents, mindahu, meeting my cousins and of course there is that gifts we kids always 'hope' to get;). As an adult now, the enthusiasm is probably slightly different considering that I have my own family now. Still, the family reunions (busy you know!), carolling, and wrapping of gifts (now for my children) has that same kind of tingling feeling in me.

This time we - just us (Edward, myself and the kids) - spent Christmas as a family. We were up at Kundasang (and even at this moment as I type this, we're still here) having not a white snowy Christmas but a cool, foggy (in exchange of snow!) Christmas. It has been a worthwhile time spent together before school reopens (arrghh...dreading it already). While Edward was busy at the KWM (Kundasang War Memorial) we - the kids and I of course - would be, hmm...lets say snooping around every inch of Kundasang (well almost *giggles*!)

I hope that what ever 'style' your celebration of Christmas was, it was meaningful in many ways. Merry Christmas everyone...

Tamparuli in flames then to ashes...

This was among the first shots I was able to take

at about 6 a.m. . .

. . .at 8.30 a.m. . .

. . .and at 3 p.m.

"I would die for you, lay down my life for you...", sheezzz....the vibration and the ring tone from my handphone within reach woke me up. Checked the time 5.45 a.m., checked the caller - my aunt....hesitantly I answered.

"Hmm...?"
"Tamparuli on fire! Ru Lim's block!"
"Wheennn..?"
"Now lah...still burning oh...we're going there already."

The line went dead. I rushed out of the room and found two inhabitants of my parents home watching football...well, probably that since they mentioned it previously.

"Shops on fire. Come!"

Wait...I had to retrace my steps back to the room...realized that I only had a big, flimsy t-shirt on *giggles*. Slipped into what I really needed, grabbed my camera bag, threw my car keys to Andy and off we went to witness the flames devouring every bit of the old wooden block of shops. Well, down it went and so were the speculation of many who were there. A lil' bit of excitement today....that and bringing the kids like almost every hour there to satisfy their every excuse to see the fire-engines, firemen/policemen at work, what remains of the burnt block and of course their search of keropok and ice-cream.