I'm Yours(ukulele)

one of my young learned friends send me this clip thru msn...check it out & its quite hillarious...

Quackaton

Quackaton:
Happening today (Wed) at 12pm! bring your friends along for fun! As we release rubber duckies unto the "Taj Mahal" ! The first few quacks falling into the pool will be winners!! Quacking duckies are still for sale until 10:30am today!

That’s what happened today in uni.

My boss officiated the events with the toy gun given to him. BTW he's the cool one with the coat (Definitely not the one on the right!) He is the assistant director for Techflow Christmas Production 2009 and the lady in the centre is the director for the production.


The little ducks were sold for RM 5.00 and released into our cascading pool. The proceeds from the sale of ducks will be going to three beneficiaries.

Here's all the ducks "racing" down the pool.


Actually the ducks had some help from the people with oars on the side of the pool and guy with the blower.


Here's the winning duck which went home with an MP3.

Have you ever seen a christmas tree decorated with ducks?



After a long day with two meetings, a pleasant lunch with a young learner friend and the quackaton, I found a little duck on my car windscreen.

So my little duck finally found a place on my car dashboard "rush"ing with me everywhere.

The Monkey and the Fish Part 1

The book starts off by calling the church to become a different kind of movement, known for its compassion rather than condemnations.

One of the example of how we can use creative forms, methods and practices for sharing the gospel with the new generation is found in James Choung Story at http://youtube.com





As you read the book, you will discover that the third culture is not a trend or a new thing but the heart of God...in fact God is third culture.

Third culture is not only about geography or skin color or languauge. For the third culture people, home is wherever Jesus is. Third culture is the bearing of pain to love those who are not like you.

Piano Stairs

One of my staff sent me this video clip...a great example of Fun Theory......

The Monkey and the Fish

I went for a seminar last month and one of the speakers was Dave Gibbons. He was really interesting to listen to as he talked about the third culture church. During the break I bought his book called "The Monkey and the Fish".

My other half just reminded me that I haven't been blogging for a while. I am having a blogger's mental block! Today I found this book in my cupboard and was browsing through the book. The book is based on an Eastern Parable. Suddenly I thought I could blog a review of this book as I read it..(I'm a slow reader...so if you are really interested, better buy the book yourself!)

"A typhoon stranded a monkey on an island. In a protected place on the shore, while waiting for the raging waters to recede, he spotted a fish swimming against the current. It seemed to the monkey that the fish was struggling and needed assistance. Being of kind heart, the monkey resolved to help the fish.

A tree leaned precariously over the spot where the fish seemed to be struggling. At considerable risk to himself, the monkey moved far out on a limb, reached down, and snatched the fish from the waters. Scurrying back to safety of his shelter, he carefully laid the fish on dry ground. For a few moments, the fish showed excitement but soon settled into peaceful rest."

Translation? The fish died!
Relevance to the 21st Century church? Everything!

....that was the beginning of the Preface...pg 17 out of 218 pages.

Be Happy With Your Job

If you don't like your job, just be glad that....

You are not an electrician in China

or a plumber in Hungary

or a delivery service employee in Asia

or a deodorant tester in Germany

or a zoo keeper in America

or a Horse Whisperer in England

or a Ditch Digger in Poland

or imagine a job as mobile toilets

Just be thankful for your job! and get back to work!

Surviving The Storms of Stress

This morning, as I stepped into my office I already felt tired. I wasn't looking forward to the two Raya gatherings that I had to attend, one of which was my own office and a dozens of things to do before the SEMS (Safety Excellence Management System) audit next week... Read my comments on Auditors

Immediately at 8am, I already dragged my executive for my walkabout. I wasn't pleased with what I saw on my walkabout. So many things to do and yet so little time! I came back to the office and was just telling God to help me feel motivated and look at things from a different angle.

As usual like most of my office functions, I had to say a few words....something I hate to do but my staff always feels its important for the boss to speak.

That gave me some time to reflect back at the year and really felt it was a great opportunity to thank my staff for efforts they put in through all the university's initiatives and continue to encourage them to carry on for the new year ahead.

The office Raya celebration was great....looking at the staff taking photos together reminded me that the bond they shared with one another.

Having the VC and my new boss come was an added pleasure to the event.

Then it was another two meetings in the afternoon. This is one meeting where I walked in and found the chairman has an emergency and I had to chair the meeting. At six, I decided to head home for the church cell meeting

In the cell group tonight, we were discussing about surviving the storms of stress. We learnt that coping with stress isn't enough. It was like I was treading water but never getting to shore. I guess that what it means by coping. All this while I was trying to keep my head above water which left me vulnerable to big waves coming along.

Then the big reminder came! Romans 8:37 " In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."

If we can be "more than conquerors" in the stresses of life, why should we settle for coping?

It's great to be reassured that "for He Himself (Jesus Christ) is our peace".

Knowing that Jesus is our peace, I can sleep soundly and leave the auditors to God because "Nothing is Too Big For God to Handle"

Embracing Imperfections

A story by a girl.

"When I was a little girl, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then.

And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned toast in front of my dad.

I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his toast, smile at my mom, and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the toast. And I'll never forget what he said: 'Baby, I love burned toast.'

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if He really liked his toast burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, 'Debbie, your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides-a little burnt toast never hurt anyone!'

You know, life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the best housekeeper or cook.'

What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults - and choosing to celebrate each other's differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of GOD.

Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where burnt toast isn't a deal-breaker!

We could extend this to any relationship in fact - as understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!! "

"Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket but into your own." See through God's eyes and feel through God's heart And you will appreciate the value of every soul including yourself.

Beauty of Mathematics

Here is an interesting and lovely way to look at the beauty of mathematics, and of God, the sum of all wonders.

1 x 8 + 1 = 9

12 x 8 + 2 = 98

123 x 8 + 3 = 987

1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876

12345 x 8 + 5 = 987 65

123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654

1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543

12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432

123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11

2 x 9 + 3 = 21

23 x 9 + 4 = 211

234 x 9 + 5 = 2111

2345 x 9 + 6 = 21111

23456 x 9 + 7 = 211111

234567 x 9 + 8 = 2111111

2345678 x 9 + 9 = 21111111

23456789 x 9 +10= 211111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88

98 x 9 + 6 = 888

987 x 9 + 5 = 8888

9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888

98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888

987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888

9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888

98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Brilliant, isn’t it?

And look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1

11 x 11 = 121

111 x 111 = 12321

1111 x 1111 = 1234321

11111 x 11111 = 123454321

111111 x 111111 = 12345654321

1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321

11111111 x 11111111 =

123456787654321

111111111 x 111111111 =

12345678987654321

101%
From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:
What Equals 100%?

What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?
We have all been in situations where someone wants you to
GIVE OVER 100%

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here’s a little mathematical formula that might help
Answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

But:

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of
God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close,

and Attitude will get you there,

It’s the Love of God that will put you over the top!

-Author unknown

The Father of a Teenager

Legend has it that one day Peter passed by a blind man and healed him.

He later saw a demon-possessed man and set him free.

Then he saw a man crying, and asked about his problem.
The man said he was a father of a teenager.

All Peter could do was sit down and weep with him.

Dog And Cat

I just realized that while children are dogs -- loyal and affectionate -- teenagers are cats.

It's so easy to be a dog owner. You feed it, train it, boss it around. It puts its head on your knee and gazes at you as if you were a Rembrandt painting. It bounds indoors with enthusiasm when you call it.

Then around age 13, your adoring little puppy turns into a big old cat. When you tell it to come inside, it looks amazed, as if wondering who died and made you emperor. Instead of dogging your doorsteps, it disappears. You won't see it again until it gets hungry -- then it pauses on its sprint through the kitchen long enough to turn its nose up at whatever you're serving.

When you reach out to ruffle its head, in that old affectionate gesture, it twists away from you, then gives you a blank stare, as if trying to remember where it has seen you before.

You, not realizing that the dog is now a cat, think something must be desperately wrong with it. It seems so antisocial, so distant, sort of depressed. It won't go on family outings.

Since you're the one who raised it, taught it to fetch and stay and sit on command, you assume that you did something wrong. Flooded with guilt and fear, you redouble your efforts to make your pet behave.

Only now you're dealing with a cat, so everything that worked before now produces the opposite of the desired result. Call it, and it runs away. Tell it to sit, and it jumps on the counter. The more you go toward it, wringing your hands, the more it moves away.

Instead of continuing to act like a dog owner, you can learn to behave like a cat owner. Put a dish of food near the door, and let it come to you. But remember that a cat needs your help and your affection too. Sit still, and it will come, seeking that warm, comforting lap it has not entirely forgotten. Be there to open the door for it.

One day your grown-up child will walk into the kitchen, give you a big kiss and say, "You've been on your feet all day. Let me get those dishes for you."

Then you'll realize your cat is a dog again.

-Author & source unknown-

Parenting

"Father, what is sex sin?"

My father turned to look at me, as he always did when answering a question, but to my surprise he said nothing. At last he stood up, lifted his traveling case from the rack over our heads, and set it on the floor.

"Will you carry it off the train, Corrie?" he said. I stood up and tugged at it. It was crammed with the watches and spare parts he had purchased that morning.

"It's too heavy," I said.

"Yes," he said. "And it would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry such a load. It's the same way, Corrie, with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger you can bear it. For now you must trust me to carry it for you."

And I was satisfied. More than satisfied -- wonderfully at peace. There were answers to this and all my hard questions -- but now I was content to leave them in my father's keeping.

-Corrie ten Boom, The Hiding Place.-

Gary Leon Robert's Memorial

Here's an email I received about the memorial..

"Good day everyone!

Techflow will be conducting a memorial service for our late brother Gary Leon Robert. Being an all-rounder, yet humble, he has a memorable place in our lives! There is no limitation of religion for this service, everyone is welcomed to attend.

We also open this opportunity to anyone who wish to deliver a eulogy about Gary, or you can pay a tribute in forms of a song or sketch that you remember Gary as he was.

We really really hope to hear from all of you who knows Gary, it may not necessary be a big performance, but also in little ways to remember our beloved Gary! Please send your eulogy and ideas to our email, techflow.uniten@gmail.com by 25th September 09.

Here are the details of the event:

Date: October 1st 2009

Time: 7:30pm

Venue: Library Theater

serving you,

coolacumbar"

Nothing Is Too Big For God

Two men went fishing. One man was an experienced fisherman, the other wasn't. Every time the experienced fisherman caught a big fish, he put it in his ice chest to keep it fresh. Whenever the inexperienced fisherman caught a big fish, he threw it back.

The experienced fisherman watched this go on all day and finally got tired of seeing this man waste good fish. "Why do you keep throwing back all the big fish you catch?" he asked. The inexperienced fisherman replied, "I only have a small frying pan."

Sometimes, like that fisherman, we throw back the big plans, the big dreams, the big jobs and the big opportunities that God gives us. Our faith is too small. We laugh at that fisherman who didn't figure out that all he needed was a bigger frying pan; yet how ready are we to increase the size of our faith?

Whether it's a problem or a possibility, God will never give you anything bigger than you can handle. That means we can confidently walk into anything God brings our way.

You can do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13). Nothing is too big for God.

" Stop telling God you've got big problems. Tell your problems you've got a big God!"

Author: Unknown

Time For A New Layout!

I got tired of the current layout of my blog. I have been trying for quite a while now to change it. One of my young learned friends have been trying to teach me how to change the layout but I was not successful at all.

Then another young learner friend dropped by my office one day and gave a quick tutorial. Finally took the courage to take the plunge! The amazing part was that this young learned friend told some of us that he has never blogged before. Then he set up one the clubs blog and I think he is totally hooked.

So be patient while I redesign my blog....hmmm can't seemed to get rid of the "undefined" thing on the title....anybody care to help?

PPH E Raya Greeting

For the last three years, my office has been sending out e-greetings to all staff in the campus. Last year we produced a short musical raya greeting. click Raya 08. It was really fun as we got the whole office involved.

Before the beginning of the fasting month, I began to crack my head for ideas...It seemed to get harder as each year as the expectation is much higher. I browse through on youtube, the Petronas advertisment for Hari Raya which is usually good.

Then I got an idea and gave it my staff, mie geran. Then he came up with the storyboard and the end result was fantastic!....I would say this e-greeting is also a tribute to Yasmin Ahmad, which produces these kinds of advertisment.

So watch and be touched! Click PPH Raya 09

Monster Lolipop

My nephews came over today to spend the day with us. Like the first time, I took them to the car wash. As usual there was the excitement of seeing the whole car splash with water and soap. While they were wiping the car, we went into the petrol kiosk to buy lolipops. We bought the normal ones. We then stop by Sate Kjg Samuri to pick some satay my sis ordered for dinner at her place.

On the way back, my nephews hinted they were thirsty, so we stopped by the petrol kiosk again to buy a drink. Of course, everytime you pay at the counter, the lolipops stand will be there. So another lolipop for my nephews....this time the monster lolipop.

This is the result after eating the monster lolipop!

My Miss Preteen who also had one decided throw hers into the dustbin.

Laundry Hangers In Cars

I saw this adv recently in the newspaper. It claims that the laundry hanger "easily fits in ALL cars"

I believe it was meant that all the laundry hangers can be transported home in all cars!

God knows......

It was 9.01 pm last Sunday that I received an sms from one of my learned friends… "hi thr..pl keep gary in prayer as he has been missing since morning."

I never thought that I would be attending the funeral of one of my young learned friends so soon. I was looking forward to graduation celebrations and weddings to come.

On Thursday last week, my young learned friend, Gary Leon Robert was laid to rest in the Nilai Memorial Park. Looking at the large crowd that came for the Wake and the funeral service, he has touched many lives from all walks of life.

It's been a difficult time for many for us (including myself) who knew Gary. Most of us or if not all of us are still trying very hard to grapple with the loss of our dear friend.

Last week during my devotion time, I came across a passage in in Daniel 2:17-23.

It starts off by stating about how our problems and fears seem less serious in the day time when we're active and busy. Then when darkness falls and the lights go out, our fears and worries become larger.

Yes, it so true. Quite often before I sleep, I would think about Gary. But I am reminded in the devotion that "we should not forget that we serve a God who never sleeps and is sovereign over our affairs both day and night. We should take comfort that God uses these times of darkness to teach us invaluable lessons we might never learn in the light. He desires to teach us things about Himself that we will only learn in the dark - when we are holding tightly to Him and He has our undivided attention.

During these times, we will be losers if we resist Him and what He is trying to teach us. He wants to share His secrets with us. "He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells within Him" (2:22)

One of the biggest mistake we can make is to be angry with God because of things that happen. Or don't happen. "Woe to Him who quarrels with His Maker". Instead let us allow God to use these dark times to give you "the treasure of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name" Isaiah 45:3"


That was the extract from one of my devotion this week which I felt was very appropriate for all of us during this time when we have lost a dear friend.

I will miss Gary and we all will for the long time to come. Why? Because he has deposited some part of his life in us. As we go through our daily life, we will have little things reminding us of Gary.

His picture on the LRT train will there for a year at least.

Gary Leon Robert was many things. He was courageous. He was intelligent. He had a great smile. He was immensely talented. He was great company, and he was as good, and as true a friend as any person could hope for.

I was privileged to know him, and to call him my friend.

A Tribute To My Young Learned Friend..Gary Leon Robert

Last Sunday I lost one of my young learned friends. Gary Leon Robert went back to the Lord at the age of 22. Read NST

It is impossible to capture into words all that he meant to us and impossible to describe the way he touched all of us.

Judging from the large crowd at his Wake Service tonight, he has touched many from all walks in the life especially in uni. Each of us has many special memories of him

I will always remember his smile, his politeness and his ever willingness to help someone. In the last year I had many lunches with him. We would talk about anything. I would share with my family life and in turn would share his life. Once he share about how he would take his sister's art and submit as his own (he admits that he couldn’t draw as well as his sister.) One day the sister found out that all her drawings were gone.

As I had my lunches with him, I frequently thought that his parents must be really proud to have a son like him. He would sms me and my better half to wish us Father’s day & Mother’s day.

Just early this year, he & girlfriend came to see me and told me they were going out together. He wanted me to keep an eye and to guide them in their relationship. That was how Gary was….always wanting to give his very best . He spent his last days persuading people to sign up for Techflow camp. He would send out emails and personally persuading people to sign up.

I last saw him on Thursday at COIT, making appointment to see me to sign the society accounts. We met later that afternoon and I was looking forward to seeing him monthly for the accounts. I spoke to him on the phone on Saturday night and he ended up by reminding me that Cheras people should always stick together.

Now I only have memories of him…whenever I passed the benches at COIT, I will always remember him seating there pasting the receipts of purchases by the society.

I will miss him and we all will for the long time to come. Why? Because he has deposited some part of his life in us.

Check this out!

Saw this self made video clip of a friend's nine year old son.

Early morning in Manhattan

I recently took this photo of Manhattan early in the morning.

I wish I was there but unfortunately this photo was taken from my staircase of my home.

Balik kampung

Yesterday I had lunch with a friend who commented that I haven't been blogging in a while. Some of staff also have started their own blog and wanted to see mine...Kind of shy to show my blog which had a last entry on 1st June..so did the next best thing- showed other people's blog!

Anyway we went holiday at Cameron Highlands recently. We stayed at my aunt's apartment. Cameron Highlands is one place where you can only stayed for a short period. Three days and two nights are sufficient....if not by the 3rd day you would be wondering what to do.

As usual Camerons is full of tourists, mainly locals this time of the year. Every where you go is packed with people. If you are heading towards Equatorial Hotel from Brinchang, there will always be a traffic jam during the day time.

Most of the locals will flock to numerous markets selling the local produce and the night market. Most notable is the Kea Farm market located about a few kilometers north of Brinchang. When you arrive there, you will find the whole area is just one big market! Besides vegetables, there are locally grown strawberries, colorfully cactuses, and potted plants, which you can find in the market.

When the sun goes down, the market may close shop for the day but the night market comes alive which open nightly during the school holidays.

The sad part of these places is the rubbish left behind. At one corner, I found numerous stalls selling vegetables and at the end was a whole pile of rubbish. Most tourists (sad to say local tourists would throw rubbish everywhere. I must also admit there is lack of rubbish bins around. I also believe that the collection of rubbish needs to be more frequent.

What's on the other side?

Got this photo shot from one of my learned friends..


I am sure you have seen this photo before….
































But have you ever wondered… What's on the other side!

HIS STYLE....Tribute to The Boss

When I started this blog, I shared a story about the law of rubbish bins.

"Many people are like rubbish bins. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their bin piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they will dump it straight on you.

When someone wants to dump on you, do not take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.

So this was it; The ‘Law of the Rubbish Bins.’ I started thinking, how often do I let 'Rubbish bins' run right over me? And how often do I take their rubbish and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets?

And with the grace of our beloved Lord; I too have learnt just to smile, wave, wish them well, and move on."

Yes, I have learnt just to smile, wave and wish my boss well......

Last week, the unexpected happened...my immediate boss resigned and have decided to move on. It was a shock to most of us as we least expected it. If this has happened a year ago, we would have leaped for joy. But somehow most of us had mixed feelings when we heard the news. Perhaps because we have finally understood him and was beginning to understand and adapt to his style. Or perhaps now we are faced with the fear that we might get a new boss which could be equally or much worst. Then the nightmare will begin all over again.

But regardless of what he done to me, I must say that I have learned much from him. Though I have forgiven him for the unpleasant times but I have not forgotten all those times.

HIS STYLE of management has created opportunities for me to really bond among my peers. I still remember the times where we could call each other up and release our frustrations to each other. We were not more just colleagues but rather have become friends....something difficult to find at a work place. We have reached a level where we know we can rely on each other for support when one of us face difficulties. There's no back stabbing but rather always watching out for each other's back.

HIS STYLE of management has really broken the " I'm the boss & you do what I say" attitude in me. At times my staff has really seen the pressure I was in. They have given me much suppport in many different ways - much more than I expected....some times I'm awe at the changes in their mentality. I will always treasure their encouraging sms, their willingness to go all out to deliver what was required..... to prevent me from landing in my boss' pressure cooker.

But most of all, HIS STYLE of management has made me rely more on God. How true it is when things are difficult, we spend more time in prayer. There wouldn't be a day where I wouldn't pray that I would find favour in my boss' eyes. Sometimes when the pressure in the cooker is reaching its maximum, I would plead with God to take vengeance on my part. Other times when the pressure slowly building up, I would ask God to grant him a better offer else where so that he will leave....

Hmmm...I guess God did answer my prayers.....a wonderful miracle.

Today I was just at his office, staring at a closed door and much relaxed secretary, I sensed an emptiness....In the last six months, I have seen him change. He treats me better, listens to my opinions and seldom summons me. I hardly hear him giving me a piece of his mind. For months I wonder whether this was for real......I guess now I will never ever find out now that he has left our company.

His parting words to us were:-

Forget - All the bad things people do to you & All the good things you have done for people
Remember - God sees you & your heart & Death comes without signal.
Then we will learn to appreciate life.

Hmmm.....

Who's Popeye's mum

An email sent by one of my learner friends....

They've found Popeye's Mom...

..................................................

Bad Hair Day

Meaning

A day on which one's hair seems unmanagable. Also extended to mean a day when everything seems to go wrong.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/bad-hair-day.html

A bad hair day? Yes today would be what I call “a bad hair day”. My better half would frequently use that phrase…… “A day on which one's hair seems unmanageable” or this phrase is also extended to mean a day when everything seems to go wrong.

Yes, today seemed like a day that “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong “ as in Murphy’s Law.

So many wrong things happen in the office. As the day went along, I got more irritated with the things in the office.

I was so happy to leave the office at 5.15pm hoping that the day will just end and I can start all over again tomorrow…

Anyway, I am all de-stress now that I have emailed my frustration to my staff.

A= April & A= Auditors

This month of April is a month we have two set of auditors coming rectify the company's Quality Environment and ISO 9001.

I come to realized that getting the certifications were the easy bit but maintaining it is a tremendous difficult task.

Two weeks ago we had a lady auditor for Quality Environment. At the opening meeting, she looked like a pleasant lady but at the closing meeting, she didn't look that pleasant after all.

Tomorrow we will begin another 4-day audit for rectification of ISO 9001. I'm not looking forward to another lady auditor who will be spending half a day at my office on the 3rd day.

Here's my definition of an auditor-

'What's an auditor?Someone who arrives after the battle and bayonets all the wounded.'

Unique Churches Part 2

Cathedral of Braslia: The Modern Church of architect Oscar Niemeyer

The Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida in the capital of Brazil is an expression of the architect Oscar Niemeyer. This concrete-framed hyperboloid structure, seems with its glass roof to be reaching up, open, to heaven. On 31 May 1970, the Cathedral's structure was finished, and only the 70 m diameter of the circular area were visible. Niemeyer's project of Cathedral of Braslia is based in the hyperboloid of revolution which sections are asymmetric. The hyperboloid structure itself is a result of 16 identical assembled concrete columns. These columns, having hyperbolic section and weighing 90 t, represent two hands moving upwards to heaven. The Cathedral was dedicated on 31 May 1970.

Borgund Church: Best Preserved Stave Church

The Borgund Stave Church in Lrdal is the best preserved of Norway 's 28 extant stave churches. This wooden church, probably built in the end of the 12th century, has not changed structure or had a major reconstruction since the date it was built. The church is also featured as a Wonder for the Viking civilization in the video game Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings.

Las Lajas Cathedral: A Gothic Church Worthy of a Fairy Tale

The Las Lajas Cathedral is located in southern Colombia and built in 1916 inside the canyon of the Guaitara River . According to the legend, this was the place where an indian woman named Mara Mueses de Quiones was carrying her deaf-mute daughter Rosa on her back near Las Lajas ("The Rocks"). Weary of the climb, the Mara sat down on a rock when Rosa spoke (for the first time) about an apparition in a cave.Later on, a mysterious painting of the Virgin Mary carrying a baby was discovered on the wall of the cave. Supposedly, studies of the painting showed no proof of paint or pigments on the rock - instead, when a core sample was taken, it was found that the colors were impregnated in the rock itself to a depth of several feet. Whether true or not, the legend spurred the building of this amazing church.

Ruica Church: Where Chandeliers are made of Bullet Shells

Located over the Kalemegdan Fortress in Belgrade, Serbia, the Ruica Church is a small chapel decorated with... with trench art! Its chandeliers are entirely made of spent bullet casing, swords, and cannon parts.The space the church now occupies was used by the Turks as gunpowder storage for over 100 years and it had to be largely rebuilt in 1920 after WWI. Though damaged by bombings there was an upshot to the terrible carnage of The Great War. While fighting alongside England and the US , Serbian soldiers on the Thessaloniki front took the time to put together these amazing chandeliers. It is one of the world's finest examples of trench art.

Chapel of St-Gildas: Built into the base of a bare rocky cliff

The Chapel of St-Gildas sits upon the bank of the Canal du Blavet in Brittany, France . Built like a stone barn into the base of a bare rocky cliff, this was once a holy place of the Druids. Gildas appears to have travelled widely throughout the Celtic world of Corwall, Wales , Ireland and Scotland . He arrived in Brittany in about AD 540 and is said to have preached Christianity to the people from a rough pulpit, now contained within the chapel.

Unique Churches Part 1

Harajuku: Japanese Futuristic Church

This futuristic non Catholic church is located in Tokyo and it was first unveiled by the design firm of Ciel Rouge Creation in 2005. The ceiling is specially made to reverberate natural sound for 2 seconds to provide a unique listening experience for worshipers and tourists.



Saint Basil's Cathedral: The Red Square 's Colorful Church



The St. Basil's Cathedral is located on the Red Square in Moscow , Russia . A Russian Orthodox church, the Cathedral sports a series of colorful bulbous domes that taper to a point, aptly named onion domes, that are part of Moscow 's Kremlin skyline.

The cathedral was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the capture of the Khanate of Kazan. In 1588 Tsar Fedor Ivanovich had a chapel added on the eastern side above the grave of Basil Fool for Christ, a Russian Orthodox saint after whom the cathedral was popularly named.

Hallgr mskirkja: Iceland 's Most Amazing Church



The Hallgrmskirkja (literally, the church of Hallgrmur ) is a Lutheran parish church located in Reykjavk , Iceland . At 74.5 metres (244 ft), it is the fourth tallest architectural structure in Iceland .

The church is named after the Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrmur Ptursson (1614 to 1674), author of the Passion Hymns. State Architect Gujn Samelsson's design of the church was commissioned in 1937; it took 38 years to build it.

Temppeliaukio Kirkko: The Rock Church



The Temppeliaukio Kirkko ( Rock Church ) is a thrilling work of modern architecture in Helsinki . Completed in 1952, it is built entirely underground and has a ceiling made of copper wire. It was designed by architect brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen and completed in 1969. They chose a rocky outcrop rising about 40 feet above street level, and blasted out the walls from the inside. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Helsinki and frequently full of visitors.