The concept of a Father-Son or Father-Daughter outing has become something really special in Dad's life and special fond memories of such trips remain truly forever. Whether it is exploring the desert together, or the jungle or a trip to Penang island, what is important is not the location but the one-to-one time spent together which creates a closer bond to one another for a long time to come!
Two such outings already occurred this year and the first was with Fei in the month of February this year.
Two such outings already occurred this year and the first was with Fei in the month of February this year.
Fei celebrates her birthday on June 14. Happy Birthday Fei!
The outing with a daughter can be when she is single like when Dad visited Fei in Beijing just before the Olympics of 2008 when she was living there. In Feb 2013, Dad visited Fei when she is already married and living in Los Angeles. The photo above is taken when she brought along her dog GADGET to pick me at the LAX airport to bring me to San Diego.
We spend some time in San Diego bringing the dog to the dog park.
Somehow, her dog also began bonding with me too!
Having a good ole fashioned American breakfast together was enjoyable
We did some outdoor activity like her walking the dog on the rocky path....
... while I preferred using the easier path!
While she was busy in the day teaching piano lessons...
... I could borrow her car and used my iPad maps to explore the coastal roads of California
We teamed up together in the night time to find my favorite Greek Gyros in the Hollywood area of LA.
It was closed so we found a good ole American burger outlet instead thru the iPad map!
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Nice to know Fei is treating tonite!
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While I enjoyed time with Fei in LA, I found spiritual time in the temple to share my joy with Mom to feel she is happy too! I'm grateful for the spiritual bonds that we have with each other in our family.
Time went by quickly for her to drop me back at the airport to return home. It seemed like a dream but I did manage to spend precious one-to-one time with Fei again on this trip in the midst of the Chinese New Year festive season activities of 2013 covered here.
Next a Father and Son outing with Ern to the Gold Coast in Australia :
Just before his birthday, he and Dad has a fun flight in the sky to the Gold Coast with Scoot airlines. Watch the video to believe it!
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Picking us up at the airport is Mom's brother Uncle Clayton. Our first meal in Australia was Aussie Vietnamese Noodles!
While the first day was drizzly all day, we had some sunshine in the morning to play with Rocco, Uncle Clayton's dog.
We took a train from Brisbane to head up further north along the coast of Queensland to find a number of Malaysian friends near the Sunshine Coast
At the dinner table with Poh Lin Larner and family, I told them that the trip to Australia for Ern the first time would not be complete without seeing any Kangaroos. Poh Lin's daughter who goes to the University of Sunshine Coast said she has seen some at the campus grounds!
We went with her to the University the next morning and found them!
Here is our Malaysian born Kangaroo trying to communicate with the Aussie one with some success.
We met up with more friends over lunch like Siew Lee and Gary Powell...
... and Catherine Barralet whose son Dominic was visiting from Taiwan with his two boys.
We took a walk along the Mooloolaba beach of Sunshine Coast...
... exploring the wharf area
where I exclaimed, "Honey they shrunk my body!" lol
...and having fun with Dominic and his sons, Kennet and Kaden!
By evening we said our goodbyes to head back to the Gold Coast
The weather had cleared up for us to enjoy the beach at Surfers Paradise in the Gold Coast
Here is Ern volunteering to be a Lifeguard...
...covering the stretch of beach called Surfers Paradise
Here is a surfer heading out to catch the waves at Surfers Paradise with high rise buildings lining the beach front
We ordered a large seafood basket for two during lunch time that included fish, shrimp, calamari and scallops with potato chips. A local bird dropped by the restaurant which caught the attention of our camera that we forgot to take a photo of our gigantic large seafood basket!
Here is Dad with Uncle Clayton who picked us from the airport on early Monday morning and returned us to the airport early Friday of the same week, signifying the end of our short Father-Son outing to the Gold Coast!
More photos of the trip can be found here.
Just after we returned from the Gold Coast, Ern celebrates his 18th Birthday on Sunday June 16, being Father's Day too. Thus we had a fun Father-Son outing, Ern's birthday and Father's Day celebration all rolled together in a single week's time frame!
The family got together from all over the world, on-line on Google+ hangout, to sing Ern his Happy Birthday song! It was mentioned in the short video that if Mom was present in spirit, she would have turned off the lights as can be seen in a video of the celebration of the birthdays of Shuan and Su's husband Jay found here.
Can you tell the difference between the video-frame and the photo above of the birthday boy? If I don't mention it now, I guess no one will notice the unfolded clothes in the background too right? lol
Here we see Fei online from Los Angeles...
...and Su from Salt Lake City
Dad cooked a healthy meal of fried rice and vegetables with fruits while our friendly neighbor gave us a plate of potatoes and sausages.
Some pics of Ern in his maturing teenage years follow :
Father's Day :
Just past midnight on June 16, I posted the above photo with the caption : "Happy Father's Day to all the Daddies out there. It's easier to become a father than to be one indeed! Love to All of You!"
I am glad I got it easier as the kids had a great Mom who laid the foundation for the NEXT GENERATION.
I got a nice package given to all fathers after sacrament meeting at Church, which included some sweets & chocolate biscuit, a magnetic greeting card and even a pair of socks! What a nice ending to a most memorable week in June making me a happy Father indeed!
Several other family members and friends also are born in the month of JUNE :
On June 6th is the birthday of Juliana Thong, the youngest daughter of Mom's brother Roy, who lives in the US and was the bridesmaid in the wedding of Su & Jay in Utah in the summer of 2011.
On June 9th is the birthday of Lim Chong Beng, 2nd son of Dad's oldest sister who lives in Penang seen with his mother and children in the above photo.
On June 10th is the birthday of our family friend Siew L Koh (in the centre) from the days of SCOPE gymnastics for the children. Her fitness levels is a bench mark for us men to try to keep up!
June 14 is the birthday of Lim Fung Cheer on the right who also enjoys a Father-Son outing with his dad, Simon Lim, a pioneer member of the Church in Kuala Lumpur. I've enjoyed outings with Fung Cheer too when he visits Singapore as shared in this facebook album.
Sharing the same birth date of June 14th with Fei is her cousin Simon Thong, son of Mom's oldest brother who lives in Singapore whom we meet often in family gatherings.
Besides Simon, his son David (2nd from left) and his niece Beverly (smiling girl) of the Thong family apparently are June Babies too (June 18 and 24th respectively) as seen in this facebook photo with Uncle Ern in it!
On Sunday June 23rd, Dad was at Church and Anthony Lim's grand daughter, nicknamed Jazz, came up to me and announced it was her birthday and asked if there was a gift for her? As an impromptu response, I told her I would send her gift through facebook and she wondered how would that be possible? Well its a nice pic surprise posted on her facebook page as seen above, a younger version of her compared to a 12 year old look today with two cute porcelain dolls that would be delivered to her within a week from her birthday!
On the same day of June 23rd is also the birthday of Laura Warren(seated on the front left), wife of our Singapore Mission President Carl Warren who served together in 1994-97. The above photo is taken in East Malaysia during the visit of John H. Groberg, a member of the Quorum of Seventy of our Church. From this pioneering visit, the work in East Malaysia has become the fastest growing area in the mission.
Another June 23rd baby from Butterworth Penang is Wendy Ching (left). She is the daughter of our Church friends, Danniel Ching(centre) and Maggie(centre) who were in the Penang Branch in the early 80s before being divided to the Butterworth branch where they served as pioneer members. Wendy served a mission in 2010-11 in the Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission. Incidentally, her mother Maggie also celebrates her birthday in the same month but earlier on June 9th!
Postdated photos :
Maggie on the left, mother of Wendy Ching, and her father Danniel taken in a hospital in Penang while visiting a member in March of 2015.
June 23rd is also the birthday of Germaine Tan(in the centre), daughter of Andrew Tan and Emily who are members of our Clementi ward in the Singapore Church,
On June 24th is the birthday of my former counselor in the KL Malaysia District Presidency, Michael Tamil (standing on the far right) He is today active in politics and is a council member in the Subang Jaya City Council.
Postdated Development events :
More pics are added as I meet new or old friends personally or in facebook where I can learn of their birthdays in June. The latest list of extended family members and friends who are also June Babies celebrating with our family on this auspicious month of June is found in this post-dated blog post.
Sebastian Toh is an ex-staff of our ITC Group and an old friend I love to visit when I am in the Silicon valley are near SFO. His birthday is on June 13th
Elisha Lim, also an ex-staff of ITC, and his niece Jaszlyn, in the centre, have their birthdays in June 16th and 23rd respectively
Here is Daphne Loke formerly from KL now in Sydney with her son. Her birthday is on June 17
This is Lim Chen Hong at age 10 in the year 2014 in a photo that I took with him during my visit to Melbourne at the year end. He is the oldest son of my old schoolmate Kim Chuan and learned that his birthday is on 22 June.
