Annyeonghaseyo Korea!

We visited Seoul, Korea last week after sending Eliza off to her USA school trip. Renfred decided to use his precious leave to join the Youth Camp. We stayed in a Boutique hotel with individualized decoration in each room. The 2nd and 3rd pictures were taken at the entrance of the hotel.

These 2 pictures were taken in the lobby of the hotel. According to the manager, it is less than 6 months old, located in the town centre of Itaewon, (Itaewon means Foreigner in Korean). This place is near the US army base.

Peter in the Seoul's Metro waiting for the train. The centre picture shows the Gate of Dongdaemun.

We took a Day-Tour Bus which costs us 10,000 won each. Deoksungung Palace, also known as the Palace of Virtue and Longevity is one of the many tourists stops which we visited. The trees here are so lovely and the birds are quite big in size.

Peter answering a phone call, sitting in the middle of the palace gate and throwing arrows into vase-like vessels; a game played during that time.

Can you spot Peter in the 3rd picture?

Those jars on the left are for fermenting bean paste. The 3rd picture shows a hut hanging with different types of handmade baskets.

Handsome amongst the flowers. He was fascinated with the ancient sundial. The rooms are quite small with low ceiling.

The Day-Tour Bus also brought us to Insa-dong Street, one of the most memorable attractions in Seoul and represents the focal point of Korean traditional culture and crafts. Stores in Insa-dong specialize in a wide variety of goods that can only be purchased or appreciated in Korea: hanbok (traditional clothing), hanji (traditional paper), traditional teas, pottery, and folk crafts.

At Insa-dong we visited a Chatjip which is a hanok teahouse that serves home-made traditional tea. I had a cup of 5 taste tea and Peter a Jujube tea. We enjoyed it with some rice crackers. The 3rd picture shows a road side stall selling sweet potatoes fried in different ways.

The left picture shows a stationery shop with brushes of different sizes. The next picture shows a shop selling handmade metal antique cars.

We tried their Korean BBQ pork and beef. They come with many side dishes, kimchi and fresh vegetables which we have not seen before, even the mint leaves are extremely big.

More pictures taken with figurines; pictures 1 and 2 were taken outside a police station. Besides Insa-dong, we also shopped at Myeong-dong and Dongdaemun Market.


Picture 1 shows the Seoul Tower in the background. The next 2 pictures are busy streets of Dongdaemun and Myeong-dong.

Thank GOD for the trips we could take and for safety for the family. Thank GOD also for upgrade to Business Class on our journey back from Seoul to Singapore. What a treat :)

Now back to reality - loads of laundry (Eliza's and ours) to wash. So far we have washed about 8 machine loads and there's still about 5 more to go :(

French Bread

This recipe has only 4 ingredients - 4 cups of bread flour, 1 1/2 cups of warm water, 2 teaspoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of dried yeast. The result -outside a bit crusty, inside soft and chewy. Instead of trying only half a piece, I finished the whole piece after eating a bowl of Laksa ;)

You can make French baguettes from this recipe. After the dough has doubled in size and I thought "should I let it be and bake a BIG loaf." like above? Then I decided to divide the dough into smaller portions and added nuts and fruits into them.

Maple Pecan Tart

My first Maple Pecan Tart :) The crust is crunchy, filling not too sweet and is delicious. I love it :)

This just came out of the oven after 30 mins at 180 degrees C.

This is the cream sauce filling. It consists of some maple syrup, brown sugar, cream and one egg.

Tart shell filled with cream sauce, ready for the pecans to be placed on top before going into the oven for baking.

Ps 119 : Samekh - Tsadhe

Our "Chocolate" ladies gathered for the 2nd last time - we will end our BS on 5 Nov 2010. Two of our ladies were not feeling well; LFun could not join us but YPin did and in spite of her giddiness she ferried us to and back from Angela's place. Thank you YPin - really appreciated your service of love:)

Samekh - Fear but no fear, why? In this stanza the psalmists listed those who are double-minded, evildoers, those who wander from GOD's statutes and the wicked of the earth. But he found stability in GOD's protection in the midst of all these people. Vs 114 says "You are my Hiding Place and my Shield, I will wait for Your Word." Isn't it wonderful to be under GOD's Divine protection? In Ps 32:7 David experienced GOD as his Hiding Place, preserving him from danger and as a Shield to protect him in danger - what a contrast to those who are double-minded. Two words which I feel are closely linked to GOD as our Hiding Place and Shield are Faith - we must have the faith to trust and hope in GOD, and Fear of the LORD - our GOD is a Holy and Just GOD who judges sins. Thus all men will have to give an account one day before the Righteous Judge.

Ayin -Here the psalmist said "I have done .... deal with Your servant....the LORD to act..." He was able to ask GOD in confidence because he said he is GOD's servant, and he is in a close relationship with GOD. Annabel suggested "Servant Act" to help us remember this stanza. I was thinking of "Time for the LORD to act". What would you do when you are faced with arrogant people who oppress you, those who have broken the law, those whose ways are false, etc? Would you be like the palmist who placed his complete trust in GOD and says in vs 128 "Therefore I esteem right ALL Your precepts concerning EVERYTHING.."?

Pe - Vs 130 the psalmist finds hope in GOD's Word - "the unfolding of Your Word gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." A good example of this verse is found in Acts 4:13 where the men of Israel observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with JESUS. We serve a GOD who gives strength to the weak and understanding to the simple. The psalmist's eyes shed streams of water for those who do not keep GOD's Word. We also find in Luke 19:41 that Jesus wept over Jerusalem who rejected Him. May we continue to pray for our unsaved loved ones and friends that they may one day embrace JESUS as their personal Saviour.

Tsadhe - Here in vs 142 it says "Your righteousness is an Everlasting Righteousness and Your law is truth." It reminds us of GOD's abundant grace - for all have sin and fall short of the glory of GOD... being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in CHRIST JESUS (Rom 3:23-24). The psalmist says in vs 139 "My zeal has consumed me because my adversaries have forgotten Your Word." What is the motive behind the things we do and say? Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock, my Redeemer." Ps 19:14

Ps 19:7-10

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul

The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

Chorus:

More to be desired are they than gold, yes than much find gold

Sweeter also than honey and the honey comb.

S2
The statutes o the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart
The commandments of the LORD are pure, enlight'ning the eyes

S3

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever

The judgments of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.

Wrestling for a Blessing (Gen32:22-32)

21 Nov 2010

Jacob, the cheat went to sleep
Hoping his own life to keep
For he sent his wives, children and flocks ahead
Planning from Esau to escape

Then came THE DIVINE to wrestle him
They struggled on and on in the dark and dim
They fought till daylight almost break
Till HE disabled Jacob for his own sake

"A blessing, a blessing, please!" Jacob cried.
But the new will only come when the old has died
So a new name, Israel, Jacob received
A blessing much more than Jacob could ever perceive

For through that name a new nation will arise
And in that nation will come the true Christ -
The ultimate and complete blessing for fallen mankind
The sting and mortal wounds of sins to forever bind.

Copyright Peter Loh

American Carrot Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

It has been quite some time since I last baked American Carrot Cake. This time round I added some orange zest into the cream cheese frosting and according to my son who does not fancy carrot cake, "it is very nice" :)

I am planning to bake these in 7" x 7" trays and sell them with Christmas Decorations during this December period. This would be a nice change to eating Fruitcakes; not as sweet and healthier too, with lots of carrot, pineapples, walnuts, etc. BTW, I only use USA walnuts as they taste really good after toasting them slightly in the oven :)

I was very thankful that Eliza got through to JC2 next year so I baked these for her teachers to "reward" them. She came back and feedback that her teachers and friends love them, even those who do not like carrot cake enjoyed them :)

These are the carrot cakes without frosting, They just came out of the oven so had to let them cool be adding the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting with Orange Zest. It gives a refreshing taste to the whole experience.

I also made a whole cake in a 7" x 7" tray which I gave some to friends. I hope they enjoy them just like many did :) Oh, for the record, I have taken 3 pieces and am still craving for more... so addictive ;)