trip to okc...

Visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum with Zhi, Ani, Ana and Nico... since zhi's getting his haircut, so why don't we do some sight-seeing rather than just go to the shopping mall, or the supermarket like we usually did whenever we go to OKC... I did some googling... and came up with this or the Botanical garden... it's still winter and more boys so no flowers... Anyway, it was educational. I heard of the Oklahoma terrorist bombing before but to visit the site, it made me know more about the bombing...although the real understanding of the tragedy only dawned upon me when I browsed through the photos a few minutes ago ( I guess I was busy taking photos... especially of me and zhi caused I realized that we haven't taken any photos together recently...anyway, in my "eagerness" I broke zhi's camera >.< )



I uploaded some photos so that whoever you are that happened to read this see and hopefully feel the devastation of the terrorist attack and at the same time live life to the fullest.


The Gates of Time (below)
Monumental twin bronze gates frame the moment of destruction - 9:02 - and mark the formal entrances to the Outdoor Memorial. 9:01, found on the eastern gate, represents the last moments of peace, while its opposite on the western gate, 9:03, represents the first moments of recovery. Both time stamps are inscribed on the interior of the monument, facing each other and the Reflecting Pool.
9:03
9:01
" We come here to remember Those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity. "

Field of Empty Chairs: 168 empty chairs hand-crafted from glass, bronze, and stone represent those who lost their lives in the tragedy.

The survivor tree

The inscription around the inside of the deck wall around the Survivor Tree reads:

The spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated; our deeply rooted faith sustains us.

The Memorial Fence


And Jesus Wept
"... Jesus weeping turning away from the bombing destruction. He stands facing the granite wall that represent the victiims of the bombing..."

blogs

I didn't know you could actually see who viewed your blogs... (i'm really surprised that Lyna mentioned me ... haha... or perhaps i should have said, "Oops!":P Now, she would know that i frequent her blog... hehe...).

When I'm bored (which is what i have been feeling lately due to the winter break), I always browsed through my friends' blogs even those whom I haven't talked to for a long time, or that of acquaintances' ... it made me feel like i know them, what's happening in their lives...to a certain point, it felt kinna weird that i seemed to know more about what's going on in their lives than that of my closest friends' (who have no blog and will sometime take ages to reply my emails :P ).

I couldn't remember how I ended up visiting those selective few blogs or how I always visit Valerie's first(i think cause the website is easy to remember)... one blog and you can get connected to others.

Anyway, sometimes I got irritated that people din update their blogs as I was bored I want to read something to fill my time... This was so selfish of me! I didn't even update my blog often so that people who are bored and frequent my blog could ease through their boredom...

I won't be bored soon... school is starting in 2 weeks' time... i hope to visit Tulsa before the new sem. started ...

...and perhaps a couple more movie night at Oma's (my malaysian friend) place... I have watched quite a few movies with her and my cousin! But Zhi seem to care less about those nights. He got his Cabal games... I have to think of ways to get him to watch those romantic movies with me (like P.S. I love you, the Notebook...) so that he can be more romantic... (this is actually one of them... I know he will read my blog. So Zhi, you know what to do... i hope).

New Year

I spent the first day of 2009 baking cup cakes and cleaning the kitchen... my roommie would be proud of me for cleaning the kitchen while she's away!

I just had the sudden urge to bake cupcakes.... and I finally learned how to make frosting... haha...

3,2,1...The fireworks lighted up, colored papers were released... couples were seen kissing and smiling despite the cold weather in NYC. That's the scene from Times Square..."the center of the world". It's 2009 in NYC but it's an hour shy of the new year in my place... I was browsing the Net, then it was 5 minutes before the midnight strike... flipped through the channel and found a live show from downtown okc... Yeah, its officially 2009!!!

For 3 consecutive years, i spent my Christmas and New Year at home... I was glad that I was warm not freezing cold like those people in times square or downtown okc... but i suddenly missed the new year countdown at Orchard Road... the decoration... the atmosphere... or did I? I hate the crowded streets, the pushing and jostling... but for 3 years of spending my winter break in Stillwater... I really missed Orchard Road... It surprised me too...THREE YEARS!!! Next year would be my fourth and hopefully my last winter in Stillwater... Well, i kinna hope this year was the last as i hope to be away from Stilly next winter.

I will miss 2008 as I would anticipate what 2009 in store for me.