Posts tagged friends

Lots to give thanks for

Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday ever since I was in the US. Minus the black Friday sales, all the commercialization of most festivals in the US, the Christmas shopping season begins and all that.

To me, I love Thanksgiving because it’s a time to appreciate what we have. Most Americans celebrate Thanksgiving with their families. That is also one thing I’m always grateful for. I remember my first Thanksgiving as a student in the US having my own cooked steak and mash potatoes by myself as all the Americans had gone home to be with their families.

This year, I’m thankful for the families (my own and my extended) I have – I won’t trade these people for anything. I’m thankful for all that I have, both material and immaterial blessings. I’m also grateful and thankful for the friends I have.

Most of all, I’m grateful to my amazing, one like no one wife for giving me the chance to take risks, to really pursue what I really love and believe in. I’m thankful for each day I have to spend with her and now with little Jayden who’s growing up fast. When I wake up in the morning and as the sun streams through the windows, I am truly blessed to have them as part of my life.

Of course, at the end of all, I give thanks to God, my heavenly father and savior from whom all things come from.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

2010 – The Year on Don’t Panik in Pictures

2010 – the year that was, through whatever lens or camera I happen to have at that time.

A year filled with blessings that overflow, with experiences that push me forward and upwards, with family and friends that remind me how rich and blessed I am with them around me.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Christmas celebrations

The Christmas to New Year’s week has always been a busy one packed with family and friends and a lot of food in between. This year was a bit different since we both had lots of things to get done such as house painting and buying all the needed stuff before February. I had to get some work done in between as well but the week long break was much needed and it was great to be busy doing stuff. I would have hoped for more rest but I guess that’s life.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Wow. 2010 is ending. That was quick. Whatever happened to the three hundred odd days that just went by?

Anyways, it’s Christmas time again and due to some minor issues, we had to postpone the moving in of our Christmas tree. Before we knew it, it’s Christmas eve!!! Since moving a 10-foot tree that weighs over forty kilos is not going to be easy, we decided against having the tree in the house this year… So here’s a re-run of last year’s Christmas tree time-lapse.

In the meantime, there’s plenty to be thankful for and I must say that 2010 is an unbelievably blessed year thanks to so many of you friends and family. Well, time to get the cameras ready and to pick-up the turkey.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

(video trivia : Shot on a Canon EOS 5D Mark II with a 24mm f/2.8 lens. The little bit of video at the end was with my makeshift glidetrack, EOS-5D Mark II and 50mm f/1.8 lens. The assembled video was Graded with MagicBullet Looks and Colorista.)

Pesta Tanglung at Number 4

Last Friday, instead of having our usual cell group meeting, we decided to go “on leave” and have a mini Pesta Tanglung (or Lantern Festival) instead. We had it at a friend’s new home. Originally the Lantern festival is an ancient Chinese festival usually associated with the Lunar new year. In Malaysia, it’s more commonly associated with the mid-autumn festival or Moon festival where people will celebrate with food, family gatherings, lanterns and moon cakes. This is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, which is usually around late September or early October in the Gregorian calendar. It is a date that parallels the autumnal equinox of the solar calendar, when the moon is supposedly at its fullest and roundest. The traditional food of this festival is the moon cake.

All the shots were with available light and ISOs from 2500 to 12800 at f/1.8. Didn’t want to get in the way of the kids having fun…