Wat up in Chiang Mai

Sawadee-ka, welcome to Chiang Mai - the 2nd citta' in Thailand that's nestled in the bosom of the gorgeous lush mountains. I've to say I'm absolutely in love with this Lanna Kingdom which certainly exceeded our expectations. It's not as crazy as Bangkok, and alluring in its unpretentious and laidback manner, from its smiley people to the 300+ gleaming wats (temples) and bustling street markets.

In a way, it kinda reminded me of Vientiane in Laos - which is not surprising as they are close neighbours and the borders just a few hours away. Our Sawasdee Guesthouse is located within the old city's fortified walls and moat. The centre is quite compact and is best explored on foot or bicycle. Just a stone's throw away from our stay is the breathtaking Wat Chedi Luang.

Before we contemplated any sightseeing, our first thought was where to find lunch. Relaying on the recommendations of Ming, the guesthouse's owner and Anthony Bourdain, we headed for Huen Phen at 112 Rachamankha Rd - a local instituiton devoted to northeastern Thai cuisine. The restaurant was packed even at 1.30pm - a good sign. We got down to business quickly and ordered the specialty Khao Soi (Burmese curry noodles). They got chicken, pork, fish or beef versions - all equally tasty and cheap.

My dad and L wolfed down the sticky rice, som tam payaya salad, tom yum soup and laap sausage with a kickarse chilli dip. Of course we had a chilled bottle of Singha. Ahhhhh. The meal was that good we came back again on the last day in CM for lunch and whacked the fried pork ribs, crispy chicken and green chili dip - heaven! (Tip: apparently it turns a bit poshy at night and the prices also go up so avoid dinnertime).

For dinner, I asked our inn-keeper for the best place to find Thai grilled chicken Gai yang and he pointed us to Roomjai Kai Yang - a Chiang Mai institution for Isaan northeastern Thai cuisine. Cheap, good and a relaxed atmosphere - the way we like it. The highlight is of course the freshly grilled chickens fragrant and charred on the open pit at the doors (110 baht). Honestly I can eat 1 whole chicken on my own! We also loved the grilled pork neck, ribs, laap, salads, tom yum and lots of sticky rice. Most tuk tuk drivers would know how to get to Ruam-Chai-Gai-Yang around 100m from Chiang Mai Ram Hospital on Boonrueang Rd (just along the fortified walls). You can recognise the yellow signboard with 2 chickens.

With our bellies full, we could tackle the various wats nearby - starting with the magnificent Wat Chedi Luang (circa 1401) that's dominated by a large Lanna-style bricked chedi; partially damaged by an earthquake in the 16th century. Leading up to the stupa are 4 stairways that are guarded by the mythical hissing nagas and elephants. We also paid our respects to the serene albeit a bit eerie wax figurines of the old monks before posing with the glimmering golden reclining Buddha.


Inside the main hall, we were dumbstruck by the ornate ceilings, chandeliers and gigantic Buddhas at the altar. This was the equivalent of a Duomo in Italia. Many people come to the wats to pray and also be blessed by the monks who are schooled from a young age; as seen by the dozens of boys on the grounds. If you're up to it, you can even chat up a monk - for real - as they have a 'Monk Chat Program' (don't laugh!) where you can debate about buddhism, life's goals, Thai culture and maybe even Obama's recent baffling Peace Nobel prize.

Next to Chedi Luang is the quaint but equally stunning Wat Phan Tao with its unique teak structure and intricate wood carvings in northeastern Lanna-style architecture. At the entrance, I noticed a lady with a few tiny woven baskets of birds chirping desperately away for freedom. It's pitiful but we decided it's wiser not to pay her to release the birds as it'd only encourage the unkind trade.

As the official tour guide, I dragged my uncomplaining entourage to another highlight - Wat Phra Singh (circa 1345) home to the Phra Singh Buddha aka Lion Buddha. The grounds of the temple and monastery are well-kept and one should explore the smaller decorated assembly halls. We gawked at the impressive main hall with its high red roof, white columns and large seated Buddha cast in gold and copper, before cooling down with some refreshing guava, papaya and pineapple from a sreet vendor.

Looking at the slightly weary faces of my parents, a break was in order and we marched past the Three Kings monument for an afternoon nap. Later that night, we explored Chiang Mai's famous night bazaar which spans several blocks spilling over into sidewalks, buildings and temple grounds. It was quite touristy and you must bargain. We preferred the bigger Sunday walking market on Rachadamnoen and Prapokklao Road which is more organic as in the way the stalls are set up in every nook and street corner. There are tons to eat from the khao soi, bbq squid, handmade fishballs and rice balls (like arancini which they squash up with spices and minced meat). We can spend hours just exploring every stall selling plants, arts n crafts, home accessories, fashion etc.  Knock yourselves out!

Secret garden

F1 weekend came and went like the racing drivers' trail of burnt rubber smoke. I hardly have time the last 2 weeks to update the blog as I was busy with projects, proposals and my newfound gardening volunteer gig! Si si, I'm back to nature and getting dirty again every Saturday morning at this Kitchen Garden which is located at Pasir Ris Park. It was always there but recently when I cycled past it, the garden has expanded a lot and thriving with many herbs and veg plants. My prayers have been answered as I was hoping that there'd be a nearby place that I can help out instead of the faraway Lim Chu Kang / Kranji farms.

Darwin, the full-time volunteer /retire there, was more than happy to have me pottering around on Saturdays and my first assignment was to help him with drawing up the signboards to ask people to love and respect the garden (i.e not to remove any plants, soil, etc). He loved the first hand-painted sign and I'm inspired to draw a few more! And 2 weekends ago, a lady saw us busy at work fertilising the garden beds and she decided to chip in. So now, it's me, Darwin and Ming Hua - the Saturday trio in our secret garden. (There are more volunteers that I met in the next few weeks.)

Darwin also handed me many tips - including how to make natural compost from dead plants, eggshells, chicken and horse manure, as well as point out the plants as natural remedies (which I boiled and drank as anti-oxidant brew!). I have to admit it - my body's hurting and aching again from all that squatting and bending, but boy, I love this old feeling! If anyone of you is interested to help out or visit, just let me know. The garden is open to the public and there are many educational tours organised by NParks.

In exchange for my contribution, I got as much chicken shit fertiliser as I want for my growing tomatoes and hot peppers plants, which are thriving well in their own pots now. The thing is I had planted too many seeds and we sadly had to remove some of them to prevent overcrowding. L was a great help and a natural gardener (as you can see in this picture ;) he emailed pictures of the plants to his zio Rino and our amico Michele (both very experienced farmers) for their advice. Every morning L would also move the 10+ pots from our bedroom to the kitchen and balcony to catch the sunlight. With our TLC, I'm pretty sure we'll be harvesting the pomodori soon!

Anyway we'd be off to Chiang Mai and Pai for a 5-day getaway to celebrate L's and my dad's birthday (both Librians and born in year of Sheep!). Reading about the nature activities, hot springs, waterfalls, elephant camps and gorgeous mountain temples makes me so excited already. On top of that, we'll be spending Mid-Autumn's night at this hippie town of Pai. Sarebbe una bella vacanza! Love and respect. Peace.

Tasting Malaysia

L left his job last week after he completed his 3 months' probation because the final offer was too low for the kind of shit and hours he puts in. He's not the kind to slack - in fact putting in 120% - and has done a great job so far, judging by his regular customers. Plus his colleagues like working with him and he has formed an unlikely 'brotherhood' with the Chinese and Indian cooks who are the unsung heroes of many ristoranti. I told L better things await as it's a blessing in disguise. Things always happen for a reason, and I believe for a good one.

We took the chance to get away for the weekend and planned an impromptu culinary escapade to Malacca and KL - L's virgin trip to Malaysia. The VIP coach of Luxury Tours was fabulous; imagine reclinable roomy leather seats, personal TV screens and plenty of leg space ($34 to Malacca & $48 from KL). I've always enjoyed Malacca for its food and have a list of must-trys for L's tastebuds awakening. Also recently Malacca is officially recognised as a heritage site by UNESCO and the local tourism authority is now busy building an airport to cash in on this new-found status.

Anyway once there, we wasted no time and walked from Hotel Equatorial past the A Famosa fortress to the stunning red-facade Christ Church while fighting off the garish trishaws touts who were trying to get us to take a ride in their loud vehicles. L was irritated becos he being the angmoh always kana harassed. We found Jonker Street easily and somehow my antenna led us to our first makan pitstop - my favourite Teochew restaurant in the world - Restaurant Teo Soon Loong Chan.

Being a kitschy little hole in the wall, it can be quite hard to find in a small lane off Jonker Street. Everything about it is so authentically old skool; the garish 50s decor, the outdoor kitchen at the entrance, the non-fuss service and best of all, there's no menu. The jolly Uncle Tan would recommend dishes to customers by pointing out the ingredients on the side counter.

I remembered the feast of 10 dishes on my last trip with my W&D foodie kakis and wanted to order so many more this time but Ah Pek stopped me at the 4th dish ('enough enough for you 2!' he quipped in mandarin). Dammit! Already famished from the 4-hour ride, we slurped on the signature velvety oyster mee in a thick savoury black gravy while chomping on crispy bits of deepfried softshell crabs (heaven!), fried seafood roll, vegs with sambal and or-nee (yam paste) with pumpkin for dessert. The smiling Ah Pek was a very good PR manager (like L) as he went about chatting with customers. I doubt they get many angmoh guests so he seemed extremely curious about L.

Be warned: there are only 9 tables so advance reservations are a must for big groups (we called and pre-ordered the 10 dishes from S'pore the last time!). Other signature dishes to try are the roasted duck, suckling pig, steamed pomfret fish, bitter gourd w braised meat, and prawns balls.
Address: 55 Jalan Hang Kasturi (second cross street) 75200 Melaka.
Tel 06-282-2353. Closed Mondays.
Visit their charming old skool website at www.tslcmalaysia.com to see the VVIP guests from S'pore.

Restaurant Keng-Dom Sdn. Bhd.
In the evening, we trotted down to another fav ristorante at Malacca - Keng-Dom which was an old skool eatery that has recently been renovated by the looks of its mint-condition floral wallpaper. It is on the ground floor of a shophouse within walking distance (3mins) from Hotel Equatorial. I love the auntie waitresses (their warm and efficient service beats the shit out of any 5-star fine-dining crew). The food's also outstanding; just ask the motherly lady manager for recommendations. Try the beef and pork rib curry pies, homemade tofu in crabmeat sauce, 'tong poh lok' (roasted pork loin in a gorgeous sauce served with steamed buns - bestest!) We went back twice and the aunties served L their secret spicy chilli sauce which they don't usually serve to guests. Thumbs up!

Address: 147/8/9 Jalan Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka
Tel: 06-282-6409. Open daily 11am to 2.30 pm, 5.30 pm to 11 pm.

Chop Chung Wah Chicken Rice Balls
Proudly serving the signature chicken rice balls since 1973, this got to be the best chicken and rice balls eatery in Malacca. There's always a long queue even in the early morning or during late lunch hours. I say, go early in case they run out of chicken! The smallish kampung chickens are succulent and juicy, all quickly and expertly chopped up and drizzled with some fats, sesame/soy sauce. We had a half chicken and 3 plates of balls. The coffeeshop is non-descript compared to the colourful facades and screaming adverts of other similar eateries. They don't need any printed accolades from celebs and ambassadors - clearly word of mouth works very well for this humble joint. (It is immediately on the right of the roundabout after you cross the river from Christ Church)

Address: Lorong Hang Jebat. Open daily 7am to 3pm.

Jonker Dessert (Sin Sing Cendol)
Forget about the other cendol stalls in Malacca. This is da bomb and mother of cendols! The gula malaka is pure liquid gold which they drizzled liberally over the pile of shaved ice. Again, you can find it easily from the perpetual long queue on Jonker Street. They also got other good desserts like the ABC ice-kachang (which i thought was ABC stout!). Can also takeaway and eat at your own leisure.

Address: 88 Jalan Hang Jebat (Jonker Street), 75200 Melaka
Tel: 016-631-4288. Open Tuesday to Thursday 11am to 10pm, Friday-Saturday till 11pm, Sunday till 9pm. Closed Monday unless PH.

Mr Choo's popiah cart
Best popiah - fresh or fried. L and I were determined to find his holy grail after a failed attempt on day 1 and finally tracked Mr Choo's cart down outside Geographic Cafe at Jonker Street. Apparently he's there from 4pm every day. he's lost a lot of weight and is more wrinkly than before but you can see the man takes great pride in his rolls. L asked for extra spicy and the old chap happily painted his popiah skin in red!

Besides a great place for pigging out, Malacca has also many interesting sights such as the Maritime Museum (in the form of a Portugese ship), viewing tower, oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia, its charming Chinatown zone, quaint local shops and guesthouses. So if you have time for a makan weekend, this is it. Now move your arse!

Bebe time

Auguri to Q and C who welcomed the arrival of their bellissima bebe girl Noemi! She's simply an angel. I bet she'll be a stunner with her Cinese-Italiano roots. Amazingly during the last few months, some of my friends have been popping out babies and many of them are girls. Woo-pee! It's no secret that L and I love kids (esp girls!), and we're looking forward to our own bundle of joy when the time is right. Hopefully by then, my eggs are still ok! I did ask my gynae if I can freeze them but she said it's not allowed in S'pore!? Ma perchè?

Living la vita loca

On Sunday, I was mistaken as a Burmese for the 2nd time in a month! Are there that many Burmese (or Myanmarians?) in S'pore? It turned out there are at least 100,000 of them in Singapore and most usually congregate at Peninsula Plaza where I accompanied L to buy his football boots. It felt like Golden Mile part 2. It seems there is a lot of political-military unrest in the country which drove many desperate folks to flee to neighbouring borders like Thailand and China.

Anyway I was in hibernation during the past 2 weeks; taking a breather from everything, spending time with family, getting back to nature and hitting the books to gain a fresh perspective on life. Basically trying to delve into the ultimate question: why am I here? Life's gotta more than material pursuits and beyond the cookie-cutter of find-partner -get married- home- children- retire- and- addios: death. Do our souls return in new bodies and start all over again to learn new lessons? If so, it seems so tiring to be trapped in this endless vicious cycle of mortality.

Which is why I've been reading up on spirituality-related topics from angels to karma, and I find myself feeling a bit more enlightened and lighter. If you're seeking some guidance that make sense in your life, try Diana Cooper's 'A Little Light on Spiritual Laws' which is a clear and effective guide to help tune into your higher consciousness. There are many Laws which I've subscribed to including Law Of Resistance and Law Of Attraction - essentially you must think positive to receive positive. For e.g you must say 'I am healthy and happy' and you will be so. You can't wish 'I don't want to be sick and unhappy' because you are resisting these negative attributes which will come. And if you keep fretting and say things like 'I know I won't get that job and I'll be so disappointed' - it'll be just like that because the power of your unconsciousness attracts what you expects.

I even applied the Law Of Attraction and Law Of Decree to simple everyday things like getting a taxi. For e.g one night, my friends were waiting quite long for a cab and they decided to call and make a booking. I pronounced happily that I don't need to call because a cab will come soon. And true enough, one arrived within the next minute! Then last week, I asked L what he wants and he said he wants to strike 4D. The next day, his number came out in the consolation section but that fellow didn't buy it even though he's been buying it for weeks! I consoled him. Lesson learnt: don't be afraid to ask for what you want but your intention must be for your higher self and good. In this case, the Law Of Clarity and Attention also apply - L was clear on what he wants but he didn't follow up and pay attention to make it happen. Too cheem? Don't worry, it's an easy book to digest (you can find it at Kinokuniya).

I also finished Diana's 'A New Light On Angels' on working with angels and the elementals, and now polishing a book on 'Karma & Reincarnation'. Funnily what started me off in the first place was 'The Findhorn Garden' - a magical and wondrous book on having faith, working with nature and cooperating with the devas and elementals. All these were passed to me from my sis when I confessed my secret wishes to her (hush; cannot reveal yet). She also gave me readings sessions with her Angels, Fairies and Ascended Masters Cards - and the messages are astonishing! It's also wonderful that our dear amica J is ready to embrace our higher consciousness and we had a fab time at Keane's concerto (I love their new album!).

It's hard to explain all these in a single blog entry but if you want to know more or have a 'reading', let me know. I've listed web links for these books in the side box which you might find useful :) As an experiment to test my cooperation and trust in nature and the devas, I've planted tomato seeds in a box of compost soil on Sunday and constantly send them and my mint, basil and rosemary plants full beams of golden light and love. And guess what? The seedlings started pushing their way out of the soil - only after a mere 4 days, wow! Stay tuned for my gorgeous pomodorini... with blessings and love to all.

Key to hippiness

The past 2 weeks have been a whirlwind of 1) closing the cat photo exhibition 2) launch activities at Ion Orchard where we have 5 clients and 3) playing tour guida again - this time to L's cugino G and his amico P. This was their first time in Spore and Asia, so it's a real eye-opener for them. I just loved the look of shock and enlightenment whenever I showed them another dimension, another view, another different face and taste of S'pore. I say 'enlightenment', because one of their silly friends was wondering why they want to come to Spore, after all there is to it are 'cabanas'. Yes, balmy little coco huts in a fishing village. *groan*

I did showed them the very tall 'cabanas' of Clarke Quay and their eyes opened wide and they laughed and proclaimed 'And my friends ask us why we come to Spore???' Right on, dudes. I also showed them the 'cabanas' of Chinatown, Little India, Bedok, Siglap, Pasir Ris, East Coast Parkway, Sentosa, Orchard Road, St James, etc and they loved it all. Their week here also coincided with National Day and it just adds to their and my enlightenment that we've achieved a hell of a lot for a young nation. Yes, we might not have the Colosseo or Leaning Tower, or a Great wall to boot but we've got our own unique identity, languages (Singlish included), cheap shiok local food and a healthy economy to be damn proud of. Challenges ahead are to develop a greater civic mind and higher consciousness in a green, sustainable and open society.

Anyway I still have my reservations about the Merlion but hey I always tell visitors to have a look and keep an open mind. We painted the town red during the long National Day weekend and boogied to Mambo Jambo at Zouk (the coolest cabana) on sabato, followed by a sumptuous Sunday Brunch at Paulaner B where the tipsy ragazzi went around toasting 'salute' to every table of bemused guests. We then napped a drowsy afternoon away before trotting over to the Night Safari to appreciate the beautiful animals, especially the cool cats (they are too majestic to be caged up like that)! Needless to say, the boys had a smashing time and I'm pretty sure they will be back very soon.

Its only numbers

Usually I get quite emotional on my birthday and would rather lock myself in and have a bloody good cry. Strangely this time, I felt quite unaffected. Maybe L's presence comforts and cheers me. I got tons of well wishes from family and friends on FB and via sms, including a text from mom which read 'Yen, happy birthday to you'. It was a simple and sweet message, and it made me sobbed like a baby on the MRT, with no tissue to blow my nose! Mmph.

We took the day off to relax in town, met mom for dim sum, and also tried to change the size of the diamond ring which L surprised me with the night before. It's not an engagement ring, darlings (not yet lah). We call it a 'birthday ring' - which will complement the diamond earrings he got me last year (which he reminded me I've not worn them since). He's such a sweetheart and I'm thankful that he has great taste too! In the evening, we whipped up a mean dinner of white wine and tom yum mussels & clams, followed by 'Benjamin Button' on dvd.

I didn't expect much from the film but it turned out to be very touching and sad, esecially how apt that it's about the ageing process and one's life journey towards the end. The main character (played by a very understated Brad pitt) was born old and as he aged, he became younger and younger. The message revolved around age, that we should not judge a person based on his/her age and it's also never too old to do what you want and live life to the fullest. As Queenie in the movie always said: 'You never know what's coming for you...' The film made me cried like mad (I was inconsolable, just like that time I watched 'Madison County') and the next day, I woke up with damn swollen eyes lor.

Making it happen

The last 2 weeks just zoomed by! The whirlwind of joyful activities started with V and P's beach wedding at Bintan on the 4 July weekend. It was a simple but sweet ceremony attended by family and close friends, where her parents performed a song for their march in on the sand. Awwww. V waited 47 years for her true love and she didn't give up. Well done, mia amica! L and I also enjoyed the short getaway together and came back with quite a nice tan (me, not him lol).

After that, I busied myself with putting the final touches to COTW exhibition which opened on Thursday to many positive comments! The framed cat photos looked great and it was worth the time and effort organising it. The stress melted away with every encouraging word from friends and strangers. A lady came up to me at the opening and said: 'Are you the organiser? I must congrat you on such a great exhibition. We enjoyed it a lot.' A few other folks also thanked me for making it happen - which made me feel so proud of myself. *pat pat*

Michele 'il sindaco' (my classmate from Seychelles) was also in town since martedi and we have been painting the town red and pigging out everyday. We sweated over cheap $3 lunches at Maxwell hawker centre, licked our fingers clean at Little India, chomped down on sushi at Sushi Tei, chicken rice at Yet Con and slurped up spicy chilli crabs at No Signboard Seafood in Geylang. M also splurged generously on $380++ cena at The White Rabbit and a $500++ decadent pranzo at Iggy's! It's great that we didn't spend much time at the shopping malls (only 1!), instead I showed him the enclaves of bustling Chinatown, Little India, Arab Street and Boat Quay.

As nature lovers, we also enjoyed an evening stroll in the lush Botanic Gardens where he pointed out the huge Coco de Mer palms, native to Seychelles. He had hand-carried a female coco fruit as a gift - and to illustrate its distinctive shape which resembles a woman's hip. Do you know Coco de Mer palm trees are either male or female in nature and one can't tell untill 20 years later when they mature and bear fruits? The male tree sprouts penis-like long fruits which flower and wither away quickly while the female fruits bear the seeds and can live on forever.

I must say nature is truly amazing. Which is why I have this nagging urge to get back to nature and start volunteering on local farms; to feel the dirt in my hands and sun on my back. How wonderful it'd be to run away and farm for a whole year (I'm convincing L)! Sometimes I feel a tad sick of the rat race and city life. I crave the fresh air, greenery and the sense of freedom. And I keep my secret dream close to my heart. Maybe it's my birthday that's stirring me and setting the stage for another transformation.

Mite happen to any cat

Luckily work eased up a tad for me so I can focus on getting everything ready for "Cats Of The World" exhibition that's opening next week! *Gulp* This year, we have some great shots from the past year contributors as well as many new cat lovers that I've tracked down from Flickr. You'd be amazed at the quality out there! And I'm proud that more sponsors such as Canon and Fancy Feast have come onboard to make it a better show. I'm already thinking of doing a cat flea market (cat & flea, so funny!) in conjunction with the exhibition next year! Hmmmm... Plus the media coverage has been very encouraging and Elle even included me in a story in July issue about 'Inspiring Women Who Make A Difference'.

Talking about cats, Jarvis has been bugged down by a suspected bout of mites - little brown flecks that dot his fur from head to paws, so we finally brought him to the Animal Clinic and the vet confirmed it. Luckily all he needs is a dash of 'Revolution' applied once for the next three months (same goes for the 2 girls since they are probably carriers too). For the past couple of months, he looked listless and had been over-grooming himself. After the visit, he actually looked kinda relieved and went to lao sai in his litter pan after farting in F's car. He's such a puttycat; we love him to bits!

The vet said we should be happy that Jarvis and Ripley are still doing well at their age (around 15 & 17) as most cats are lucky if they make it past their 10th birthday. In terms of human age, they have both surpassed the 100th mark so they are centurion cats! To put his age in perspective, if Jarvis is a human, he's 15 and should be at secondary 3 now!

Father figure

I'm not sure if it's fair but the excitement surrounding Father's Day always pales in comparison to Mom's. Even at home, we don't really celebrate it because dad is not that sentimental and practical him thinks it's another commercial gimmick. So we've learned to accept his school of thought and save on a fancy dinner. He's a traditionalist at heart and is not the expressive sort but that's probably from his upbringing. From what I heard, Grandpa was not the best father figure to his kids so who's to blame? But I know he cares and wants the best for us all. When dad was sick a few days ago, I realised how old and fragile he could be. And that day I happened to bump into him on the MRT on the way home, he was so tired and sleepy after work (helping a friend on a housing project at Boon Lay) but he still offered me his seat.

Anyway Saturday was a sad day as uncle A. Yeo has passed away barely 1 month after finding out he's got leukemia. He was Luc's dad - a respected counsellor, author, pastor and also a father figure to my sis when she had problems. Even when I had anxiety attacks from my last relationship with the pyscho ex, he also took time to counsel me and him separately. My sis was informed that the chemo wasn't working and his body couldn't fight the infections, so uncle A made the decision to pull the plug on the respirator on Father's Day (so poetic and brave; this is coming from a man of faith who has counselled many distressed people and written many books/thesis on death and coping with loss).

We were going to pay our last respects to him in the ICU on Saturday but when we arrived, we were told his blood pressure was dropping drastically and only family was allowed. I couldn't imagine how brave his family must be during his dying moments. We left the hospital and got the call shortly that he has passed away. Peace be with him.

I remember reading that life is full of uncertainties but the only thing certain in life is death. As much as we all fear it, we have to face the inevitable end. It is a sad but also inspiring thought - that we must live each day to the fullest, to be happy, to go after our own goals, and to say 'i love you' to the important people in our lives. Happy Father's Day to all dads.

P.S: Auguri to L who celebrates his onomastico aka saint namesake's day - aka Saint Luigi's day. There must be thousands of Luigi in Napoli who's eating cake and drinking vino today! What did we do? I shaved his head and he went happily to work! :)