Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival.

Does anyone also know the existence of the Harbin Ice & Snow Sculture festival in China? I personally have never been but a friend of mine has, and judging by the pictures it is really impressive!
Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival - The Big Picture - Boston.com

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Harbin has temperatures as low as -24 C, it really looks so amazing there.

I became an auntie again!

At last I have something REALLY worth blogging about.....My sister Yvonne was due to have her twin babies on the 21st March 2010, but on the 1st March 2010, Jamison & Jenson decided to come into the world early.  They were born consecutively @ 4.14 am (Jamison) & 4.16 am (Jenson).    Jamison is the left baby , Jenson is on the right.

Jamison - 6lb 12 oz

Jenson - 6lb 3 oz

SO Cute , don't you think?

Just looking at these pictures makes me feel kind of.....well, broody (ahem!)

Chinese poetry - by Su Wu (2nd Century)

DRAFTED

They married us when they put

Up our hair. We were just twenty

And fifteen. And ever since,

Our love has never been troubled.

Tonight we have the old joy

In each other, although our

Happiness will soon be over.

I remember the long march

That lies ahead of me, and

Go out and look up at the stars,

To see how the night has worn on.

Betelgeuse and Antares

Have both gone out. It is time

For me to leave for far off

Battlefields. No way of knowing

If we will ever see each

Other again. We clutch each

Other and sob, our faces

Streaming with tears. Goodbye, dear.

Protect the Spring flowers of

Your beauty. Think of the days

When we were happy together.

If I live I will come back.

If I die, remember me always.

My son is poorly

I was feeling a little down tonight because my son has a cold and is feeling feverish......
Just wish there was something I could do to make him feel better.
'Mummy' he says to me tonight 'I love you'.....
My little baby is slowly but surely growing into an independent and clever little boy.....gone are the days he used to bounce up and down in his cot repeating 'Mummmeee - hee ' in the mornings!     Gone are the days I changed his nappies, spoon fed and toilet trained him.....Gone are the days he was a little toddler.  Ryan will be 4 in June.   It only seems like yesterday he was born.

I was telling him about 'big school'.....we'd visited our local primary and the principal actually took us on a tour around the P.1 classrooms.  I am nervous about how he will react and cope on his very first day at 'proper school'.....I suppose I won't be the only one who'll be worrying- it's a huge milestone.   And, a big change when you think about it.  My baby will no longer be a baby.       Omg I even remember my own first day at school - how horrendous that was.

Some old photographs

                      My mum and dad's wedding day in April, 1967

 

I love this wee snapshot of all the local kids from where I grew up,

we lived in a town called Larne for the first 9 years of my life

for more info click here

A funny picture of my son I just had to share

(Let us pray....)

I also have a picture (humourous in my opinion) of him saluting with his arm up like Adolf Hitler, but I don't want to get into trouble, so have left that out.

More Local Pictures

So much for the heavy snowfall forecast for this week.  Instead we have had glorious sunshine for three full days! (Not that I'm complaining...)  I went for a walk along Loughshore yesterday which is about 3 minutes drive from my home.   Loughshore is a seaside promenade walk that has a children's park/caravan park as well as being the location for concerts and real circuses.
For tourists, no visit to Newtownabbey would be complete without taking in the breathtaking view of the shore!

In the distance the Kilroot Power station chimney can be seen. Close up it looks like an upside down cigarette.

In the above picture, 'Cavehill' (more info) can be seen from the opposite direction from the shoreline.

(I apologise for the quality of the 2nd photo , it was taken on my mobile. Anyway,I hope it gives you insight on my hometown in Northern Ireland , a place renowned for it's really beautiful scenery and landscapes. I for one am proud of my country!).

Coastal visit

We went to Whitehead today.....finally, my New Year's resolution to get fitter was taking effect.   We walked 2-3 miles along the coastal path and then had to turn back before the caves (because I have a fear of them....)

Whitehead has a lighthouse that was built in the 1850's, and is still running to this day.

It was rather a windy afternoon, but so glad to get fresh air into my lungs!

Handsome fella!

A few things have happened since I last wrote on my blog:

-My expectant sister will be going into hospital to have her twins if there's no sign of labour by the 8th March 2010.
-I heard there is going to be more disruptive snowy weather for the UK next week.
-My boyfriend has booked a stay at a posh hotel for Valentine's Day, including romantic dinner for two!
-The last of the baby rabbits were finally given away to a good home.
-My boyfriend's parents are currently in Tenerife - apparently it is about 21 degrees Celsius there (I'm so jealous)

Flour today , scone tomorrow

I decided to bake some scones. (My boyfriend likes cherry ones, however I prefer wheaten ones that just melt in your mouth).....mmm. They're actually very easy to make and can be whipped up in no time!!    (click here for recipe)

I decided to pay my expectant sis' a quick visit tonight. She told me she has trouble turning whilst sleeping and cannot stand for too long at any one time.   She is keeping us all in suspense about the sex of the twins.  I am so excited about being an auntie again!!

LATE NIGHT INSOMNIAC

My body clock is catching up with me again.....I've been staying up quite late in recent nights....and it's beginning to show. My main concern now is getting my beauty sleep.   I have been feeling the cold today too more than usual. It snowed for a while last night.......thankfully though not enough to make the roads too dangerous to drive on.....

Must go to bed now......

A recent meal out with the family

My other half and I

Scrumptious snacks to die for! And going back to my Chinese roots...

          
Dim Sum which are little 'snack' foods, originates from South China/Hong Kong....and generally served for breakfast or early lunch.  Click here for more info
In Belfast I discovered a restaurant called 'Lee Gardens' that does really fresh dim sum.   I have eaten in there a number of times and would describe my experience there as first class.....each dim sum dish costs about £3-00 per steamed basket.        Apparently it can take a period of up to ten years to master the skill of dim sum making......

My uncle is an expert in Chinese pastry/bun making.......I remember years ago when my dad owned a restaurant & my auntie & uncle were co partners my uncle would occasionally bake these lovely light pastries, some with Char sui fillings in them, others with sweet fillings such as red bean paste....He had an apprentice baker who later went on to open his own Chinese bakery in the centre of Belfast behind Donegal Pass (the Chinatown of N.Ireland - not as impressive as the C'towns in London or Manchester, but there are plenty of eateries in this street).

GROWING UP & LEARNING CHINESE

At the age of 11, my parents enrolled my sisters, my brother and I at the local Cantonese 'school' in Belfast, we had Cantonese lessons for 2 hours every Sunday afternoon........I used to hate going - how I managed to win 2nd prize & get my name printed in a national Chinese newspaper I do not know but I owe it to my mum & dad.  Now that I'm older I do appreciate that my parents were doing their best for us.

I managed to get a bit of a lie-in today.  It's been that long since I had one that I'd forgotten what it was like......

Ryan's all excited about going to his Granny Doreen's to stay tonight.......that's because they spoil him rotten.      I am glad and lucky that I have them to depend on at times whenever I need a break and they are good with him......

We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful country, to be honest I never really appreciated my home country 'til recently.  Most of my foreign friends tell me they would SO love to visit Ireland, which makes me feel quite 'honoured' to be here.      In the summer time we would go for drives along the Antrim Coast Road, there are really wonderful views along this route especially on a clear day.     

(Top) Near the Giant's Causeway

Waterfall at Glenariff Forest - taken last summer

Near the Giant's Causeway

My other half taking a leisurely stroll

A large river at Glenariff Glen 

For the love of crafting : cardmaking & sewing

                                    

Crafting is something I would tend to do if I had a good 2 hours to spare. I first got into it when my mother-in-law told me about it 4 years ago  -  I never saw myself as being 'creative' until I discovered I had a natural talent for cardmaking!......The good thing about making your own cards is you can completely design your own verses......you can make them as simple or as elaborate as you want......a handmade card is more 'special' , because a lot of thought has gone into making it

The techniques involved in cardmaking:

Some examples are :

decoupage (3D effect)

iris folding

rubber stamping

quilling

tea bag folding

Cardmaking is certainly a hugely rewarding and enjoyable hobby, I'd recommend it to anyone.

There are many good papercraft magazines out there nowadays, that one can pick up if interested in cardmaking .  WARNING:  This hobby is very addictive!!!

      
POUCH - MAKING
                                                                   

 

Here are some pictures from my recent travels:

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy - amazing ancient amphitheatre
Duration of stay in Rome : 5 days
Date: March 2009

 Paris, France - Eiffel Tower

• Duration of stay: 2 days
• Date: Nov.2008

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

                             Duration of Stay: 2 days
                             Date: Sept.2009

Staying at home now (Motherhood looms)

There is nothing quite like a good change of scenery to blow away the cobwebs....I'd hoped maybe this year we might have been able to book somewhere exotic, instead my other half has mind his made up to leave it for a while.    I mean I even persuaded him to apply for a passport - he hadn't seen inside an airport for 14 years, until we went to Barcelona recently.   What an eye opener that was.
I inherit my love of taking pictures from my mum. Unfortunately while we planned to go to Barcelona I never thought of getting a good quality decent camera....there was the Gaudi architecture,the really colourful fruit market, cable cars, the touristy Las Ramblas, the crowded beach --- which could've been captured on camera, I regret that I did not take pictures of these interesting places....
I'm getting used to the idea of being a SAHM.....staying at home suits me.  For now anyway.  

The evening after

Gotta admit I never thought I'd get the post holiday blues. I stayed in Spain for a week. I didn't want to go . But towards the end of the trip I found myself wishing I didn't have to come back!
Back to the real world.