Happy Easter & remembering

The Scapegoat, a novel by Daphne du Maurier, is about two men who are amazed at the striking similarity in their appearance. They spend an evening together, but one runs off, stealing the other’s identity and leaving him to step into a life filled with problems. The second man becomes a scapegoat.

The origin of that word comes from a ceremony performed with two goats on the Hebrew Day of Atonement (known today as Yom Kippur). The high priest would sacrifice one goat and symbolically place the sins of the people on the head of the other—the scapegoat—before it was sent into the wilderness carrying away the blame of the sin (Lev. 16:7-10).

But when Jesus came, He became our scapegoat. He offered Himself up “once for all” as a sacrifice to pay for the sins of “the whole world” (1 John 2:2; Heb. 7:27). That first goat had been sacrificed as a sin offering for God’s people and symbolized Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. The other goat was a representation of the completely innocent Jesus accepting and removing our sin and guilt.

None of us is without sin—but the Father laid on Jesus “the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). God sees followers of His Son as blameless—because Jesus took all the blame we deserve.  — Cindy Hess Kasper

Jesus our Savior left heaven above,
Coming to earth as a Servant with love;
Laying aside all His glory, He came,
Giving His life, taking all of our blame. —Hess

Jesus takes our sin and gives us His salvation.

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Remembering God and remembering His sacrifice for us. But we still hurt Him so.

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Taking time away from Easter eggs and bunnies, I try to think about the real meaning of Easter and the reason we celebrate it. The day where Our Father dies for us on the cross to remove us from our sins. The day when He was tortured and bloodied. Where he suffers and bled for His children. 3 days later He rose from death. I forget, but I will make an effort to remember. God bless us all.

Skype me.. yay!

*I'm so angry! The internet ate my last post!*

I'm skyping with my hubby in Taipei.. he is now eating donut. I'm so happy to see him. He bought mochi and some biscuits and pineapple tarts. (Tai Yang Bing and Feng Li Su). 

He went to the Ye Shi (something like our parsa malam) and ate smelly tofu and Fried Chicken cutlet (Zai Ji Pa).

I hope blogspot won't eat my post again.

I'm sleepy now. *Yawn*

Beautiful Sakuras

I wish I can go and experience the beauty of Japan again... soon.

Climate speeds Japan's cherry blossom season

AFP - Thursday, March 26

TOKYO (AFP) - - Japan's celebrated cherry blossom, which for millions heralds the start of spring, is under threat from climate change, according to experts, who say warmer weather is causing early flowering.

Cherry blossom season officially began in Tokyo this year on March 21 -- five days ahead of schedule and a full week earlier than the average for the last 30 years of the 20th century.

Far from being a freak occurrence, the phenomenon of early blossoming has been happening for several years, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

Traditionally, the first sakura -- cherry tree -- flowers appear in the second half of March on the southern islands of the Japanese archipelago and advance slowly up the central island of Honshu towards the far north.

However, according to the JMA, the "blossoming line" -- the latitude where trees start to flower on a given day -- on April 1, which 40 years ago was in the south of Honshu, is now about 200 kilometres (125 miles) further north.

This change, according to JMA climate expert Takashi Yoshida, is caused "by a warming climate and urbanisation."

City temperatures are noticeably higher than those in the countryside, say experts.

They point to the warming effects of cars, heaters and air-conditioners, coupled with the absence of open spaces and the concentration of materials that absorb the sun's heat, such as tar on roads.

Nobuyuki Asada, a member of the Japan Cherry Blossom Association, says meteorological changes mean the future for the trees does not look good.

"With the change in temperatures and a more erratic rainy season, I am not sure that we will still have cherry trees in 50 or 100 years," he said, adding that many trees were "not blossoming as well as they used to."

Every year the JMA tries to predict the exact dates that the trees will come into flower across Japan.

These predictions are crucial in a country where hanami -- flower-viewing parties at which lavish picnics are consumed, accompanied by beer or sake -- are planned weeks in advance among friends or by businesses looking to boost employee morale.

The blooms, which have been a source of inspiration for poets through the centuries, are a sign for most Japanese that winter is over and spring has arrived.

"Since childhood, I have felt a sense of well-being by contemplating the sakura," said 76-year-old Sumiko as she walked along an avenue of cherry trees in Tokyo's Naka-meguro district.

"When I came here more than 40 years ago, the sakura flowered around April 10, not March 20 or 25."

Japan, despite hosting the most famous conference on climate change in 1997, has struggled to set an example to the world.

According to the Kyoto Protocol, by 2012, the country is supposed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by six percent from 1990 levels.

But the latest figures show Asia's largest economy is still producing 9.2 percent more greenhouse gases than it was in 1990.

Source: Yahoo News

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I have always wanted to see cherry blossoms. I missed the chance when I visited Tokyo in 2004 as it had bloomed earlier and followed by heavy rain, most of the flowers were just reduced to petals on the ground.

So imagine how happy I was to finally finally see them last year in Hokkaido. It was a sight for sore eyes! Beautiful beautiful creation of God and nature. So pretty and exquisite. So brace yourself for I'm going to dig pictures up from last year and post them just so I can relived them again. =)

Weather in Taiwan

Taipei, Taiwan Weather » Current conditions as of 4/9/09 11:30 AM local time

Mostly Cloudy

Feels Like:

20° C

UV Index:

High

Barometer:

1020.0 mm and steady

Humidity:

60%

Visibility:

10.0 km

Dewpoint:

12° C

Wind:

ENE 19 km/h

Sunrise:

5:38 AM

Sunset:

6:14 PM

Taipei, Taiwan City Info

20°

High: 21° Low: 18°

Today	Tomorrow	Saturday	Sunday	Monday
Partly Cloudy / Wind	Showers	AM Showers	Showers	Scattered T-Storms
High: 21° Low: 18° Precip:20%	High: 22° Low: 18° Precip:50%	High: 25° Low: 19° Precip:20%	High: 25° Low: 20° Precip:60%	High: 26° Low: 20° Precip:60%
Sunrise: 5:38 AM  Sunset: 6:14 PM	Sunrise: 5:37 AM  Sunset: 6:14 PM	Sunrise: 5:36 AM  Sunset: 6:15 PM	Sunrise: 5:35 AM  Sunset: 6:15 PM	Sunrise: 5:34 AM  Sunset: 6:16 PM

To Taiwan

Hubby is going Taiwan today. He has gone one day later and will return one day earlier because of me. I'm so thankful for him, yes I wish I wasn't such a burden.. of all times to be ill.

I miss him already.

Well, I will look forward to the goodies he brings back and maybe some presents from Ye Shi?

Weevils in brown rice! eeks!

Latest update!

I know I have said I'm tired but this is an emergency! EEEEEkkkkS!!! lots of creepy crawlie weevils from my brown rice bucket!!!!!

Please click on them for better clrity and I know they are small but there are alot!!! ALOT! This is my second attempt at taking their photographs because the 1st time I went near them, my skin started crawling and it itches! And I started to scratch on imaginary bumps.... eeeeeew.

I asked my mum, would they jump on me? Like on my camera? She said they won't but they can run fast man!

Look here, it says one female weevil lay an egg into the grain and it will just multiply. How did the one get in?

Click here for more information on their life cycle.

Remembering the 80s

I bought "Back to The Old Skool 2" CD last week and for some reasons, I have been playing it pretty often. It's the nostalgic 80s that somehow feels so good.

Like it reminds me of "Dirty Dancing", it was 1987 I think, when I was in Primary 3. I remember the popular girls talking about it after watching it in the movies. I was only watching cartoons like carebear, snow white brought to by my mum at the movies then. Anyway, I finally watched it on TV 2 years later and I love it. From there onwards, I have always made it a point to watching dancing shows like "Dirty Dancing 2", Step Up 1& 2", "Centrestage", "Save the last dance", "How she moves" The Company", "Honey", "Take the Lead" etc. It is so amazing to see body and dance as an art with the music and how the dancers are so into it. Dancing is so sexy!

Yes, and "Pretty Woman" is another favorite. Richard Gere is oh so handsome then. (He has aged alot in "Night In Rondanthe" that I've just watched) and Julia Roberts was the ultimate sexy goddess way before Angelina Jolie. It was a fun Cinderella movie where the poor meet her prince charming and lives happily ever after and oh yes, the shopping! Which girl wouldn't want that? SO COOL! hahaha. So yes, I bought the DVD to hubby's disbelief. 

So many more DVDs to collect.

There is another happy movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" with Diane Lane. Lovely story, beautiful set and scenery. I want to go to Tuscany and Greece. But somehow seems all sold out. Can't seems to find the movie in stock.

Gosh I wrote so much and actually all I wanted to do is to add this video "If you Leave" by OMD. heh. I'm tired now.

Avalanche of posts

Please pardon me if you suddenly see s slew of posts! (>_<)

I have been consolidating stuffs in my mind but was too busy to post in the past, so I'm clearing my hard disk and I don't know why but I have so much to say now!

Maybe... maybe because I'm afraid I won't have the chance next time.

What We had for dinner today

 

Look at the rice. We topped it with kelp and white baits from Japan. Got it from Isetan. We had cod fish and soup. Yums. Love the colour of carrots and the taste of celery.