We went for a walk in Leigh Woods Natural Nature Reserve, which is not far from where we live. The reserve is a popular location with walkers and cyclists.
It was sure nice to be out and about among nature. Unfortunately, we weren't able to cover the whole reserve in that visit; we would have needed a lot more than a couple of hours. Also, we had to remember which path to take to get back. Would have been nice if we had a map of the reserve. Oh well, there's always next time. A lot more photos in the Web Album.
Gerard came to visit us at the end of his business trip. Travelling from Manchester by train, he arrived yesterday, just after lunchtime. Gerard came bearing gifts and wishes from our home church in Penang, Harvest Christian Centre and we just wanted to say a massive thank you for the generous gift, words of encouragement, and prayers - so THANK YOU!
We live pretty close to the Clifton Suspension Bridge, which spans the Avon Gorge and links Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset, England. So we went walkabout.
- Went to the Observatory. From the Observatory, we went down the tunnel to St Vincent's Cave (also known as Ghyston's Cave or Giant's Cave) and looked out from the view point on the gorge face.
- Took a stroll around Clifton Village and had a lovely dinner at The Bridge Cafe.
On the following day:
Though his stay was short, we thoroughly enjoyed our time together. Maybe he'll bring along his "kampung" to visit us next time. More photos of Gerard's visit in the
Web Album.
Woohoo! I finally graduated today! Graduation... It is the culmination of all that hard work and years of study. It is also a day when graduants, together with friends and family, get together to celebrate their achievements.
A bit of history: The Ph.D. was awarded on 11 January, 2007, and I was assigned to the Winter Degree Congregation of 2007. But I was in Penang at the time and needed my results to return to the UK on the International Graduate Scheme (IGS). So graduation had to be deferred (to gather the necessary documents and apply for the visas). Degree Congregations are held twice each year in February (Winter) and July (Summer). Attendances at Summer Degree Congregations are usually high and so I was assigned to the Winter Degree Congregation of 2008 instead. I was a little bit disappointed at first that I had to wait for another year to graduate, but it worked out perfectly in the end. It took a couple of months to gather all the necessary documents (my supervisor had to send the letter confirming the award three times!) and by that time, Bee Yoong was already too far along (8+ months pregnant with Nathanael) to travel. And because postal applications were no longer accepted (applications had to be made in person to allow biometrics to be taken), we had to wait until after Nathanael was born. Then there was the confinement period. We finally made our application in October, got our visas 2 weeks later, and travelled on 3 December, 2007.
The weather was nice enough (i.e., it didn't rain), but it was really cold. We had a wonderful time, despite the cold weather. We had to leave Nathanael at home because "the ceremonies are formal occassions and are not suitable for young children." A friend from church, Caroline, was kind enough to look after him while we attended the graduation ceremony. After the ceremony, Bee Yoong and Ran went back and brought Nathanael for photos and we attended a graduation tea party in the afternoon. It would have been the perfect day if mum and dad were also there. I bought a video DVD of the ceremony, as well as a graduation photo pack (one of the graduant, i.e., me, and one of the whole family). More photos in the Web Album.
We have been attending Bristol Chinese Christian Church (BCCC) in Clifton. They hold their services in Tyndale Baptist Church. The chinese and english ministries take turns to serve tea and finger food every sunday after service to fellowship and welcome visitors. The church prepared a special meal today to celebrate Chinese New Year. We had roast chicken, duck, roast pork, and even chai-boey! There are a few more photos in the Web Album.
We would like to wish all family and friends a very happy and blessed Chinese New Year!
Had my first face-to-face interview today, for a Core Java Developer role. Bee Yoong and Nathanael went to The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, while I went for my interview at Aztec West Business Park. The interview started at 10am, lasted for about 2 hrs and 25 mins, and included a technical test, a design exercise, and discussion of previous experience. I met up with Bee Yoong and Nathanael at The Mall after the interview. Spent the whole afternoon there.
A Bit of Home Thursday 24 January 2008 |
Our "barang-barang" from home finally arrived at our front door today, just over a month after it was sent. Thanks to Grace for packing the last box for us and also many thanks to Uncle Harry (Grace's father) for helping to send our stuff.
Our consignment cleared through customs without any problems. The delivery from port to address took about a week and cost GBP293.91 (including customs clearance and various other charges). The whole crate was brought up to the front of the building and then opened. Had to carry all 12 boxes (a total weight of about 200kgs) up 3 flights of stairs. Actually, by the time we got to the final box, which was the biggest and heaviest, we had no strength left to carry it upstairs. My wife's brilliant idea: To avoid breaking our backs, roll it up the stairs!
Nathanael was particularly happy to see new toys and we now have enough diapers and wipes to last for at least 3-4 months. We're expecting another box (of foodstuff sent through the post office) to arrive, then we'll be really happy. :)
I'm still looking for a job. Had my first phone interview today with a company based in Hertford. Expecting another phone interview for a position based in Bristol. Both are for Java developer roles.