Hi everyone,
thank you for faithfully supporting me here at wordpress. I am moving on to a different server that hosts www.rachelmok.com! Please do come by and visit me there with more special features coming soon! Especially with a huge change on my photoblog:)
Love, Rach
You know what… one of my greatest fears about holidays is that I will lose God in the process. I don’t know if many of you can identify with me. For some funny reason, when you are on a physical holiday, you somehow might fall into a trap of a spiritual holiday if you are not careful. Because the whole holiday mood can get the better of you. Sometimes I feel like I am more busy during my holidays than my normal daily routines.
Waking up to spend time with God is a lot harder for me during the holidays because I tend to procrastinate. During my 2 weeks of holidays thus far, I had to apologise to God on two or three occasions because I did not put Him as my first priority. I allowed other things to get in the way. It’s not that God never talks to me or doesn’t wants to talk to me, but I never take the time to listen. Time is ours to do with as we please so we should choose what we do with it wisely. I have this bad habit of “scheduling my quiet time with God” into my daily routine. But I got a revelation today during my quiet time that I should be working my schedule around God instead of trying to work God into my schedule!
Recently, I have friends who have been telling me that they are having a hard time hearing from God. I understand what they mean, I have been through those seasons, and trust me, I try never to go there again. Many people want to hear from God, but they don’t really expect to hear from Him. They say, “I just can’t hear from God, He never talks to me.” These people’s ears are jammed with too many messages coming from ungodly sources, thus have a hard time discerning what God is really saying. Sometimes we just really need to pull ourselves away from those things that are distracting us from God. I always laugh when people tell me they don’t know what those things are when they clearly do!
I don’t know what exactly prompted this post, but it’s a reality that a lot of people go through. So I thought I’ll be honest about it! It does take extra effort and consciousness to take some time out with God when you are on holiday. Hearing from God every day is such a privilege that people should not miss. So use your time wisely because once you spend it, you can never get it back!
When I was blog hopping today, and stumble onto Beatrice Tan, another famous Singapore blogger and model. She had a blog post that highlights the top 25 travel destinations in the world. And since I love travelling, I decided to copy and paste it for future references. If I could, I would love to travel to all of these places in my lifetime. So if you are looking for some holiday destinations, you might wanna try researching these places. I have not been to most of it! I’ve only been to Rio De Janeiro (Brazil), Paris (France), London (UK), Prague (Czech Republic) and Sydney (Australia). If my plans goes well, I should be heading down to Barcelona (Spain) on my way to Brazil to visit my parents.
If you have been to any of these places and would love to tell me more about it, please drop me a message. Or if you have other places to recommend!! I love to travel, just have to earn the money first!
1. CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
Cape Town glistens at the southern tip of the African continent.
It is the top destination for it’s tourist brochure-views at Blaauwberg Beach and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, according to TripAdvisor.
Other places to visit include Table Mountain and Robben Island, the prison where Nelson Mandela was held for 27 years.
2.LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA
Sophisticated hotels, world-class restaurants, Elvis impersonators and indoor Venetian canals.
Honestly, TripAdvisor says there is no place on earth quite like Vegas.
3. RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
Rio is a lively city that knows how to party hard.
If you are there in May, the high-octane annual Rio Carnival is a highlight.
4. BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
Latin America’s shopping capital has a vibrant nightscene. You can check out the Tower of Babel when you’re there.
5. VENICE, ITALY
Sail through the Grand Canal on gondola and soak in the romance of Venice and you’ll feel right from the scenes of The Tourist,
starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp.
6. HONOLULU, HAWAII, USA
Not to worry even if surfing is not your thing.
You can alway sunbathe and be a cam-whore to make your mark on the legendary Hawaiian beach.
7. PHI PHI ISLANDS, THAILAND
8. FLORENCE, ITALY
The city, which was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, is a major centre rich in historical roots and the arts.
TripAdvisor recommends watching the opera at St. Mark’s Anglican Church,
get magnificent panoramic views of the city from the Piazzale Michelangelo and visit the Basilica of Saint Mary of Florence, a Gothic-styled cathedral.
9. ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
The second largest city of Russia is a rich cultural hub, according to TripAdvisor.
Must-sees include architectural gems like the Winter Palace and the Kazan Cathedral.
10. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA
The financial and cultural centre of about 7.4 million people or more is a lively hub with much more to it than its iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
TripAdvisor recommends checking out Fisherman’s Wharf, the Aquarium of the Bay, Mission District, Ferry Building Marketplace in the day,
and Chinatown and clubs on the West Coast at night.
11. GRAND CAYMAN
The largest of the three Cayman islands.
There’s scuba diving and snorkeling at Stingray City, where you’ll find stingrays swimming alongside you in the clear blue waters.
12. NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA
If it is your first time there, the Empire State Building and Central Park are must-sees.
However, if you’ve been there, done that, pick a neighborhood and go deep, suggests TripAdvisor.
You’ll find hole-in-the-wall bars, great delis and quirky shops.
13. PETRA, JORDAN
Petra means “rock” in Greek.
The historical city of Ma’an is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site has recently been named as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
14. ROME, ITALY
Known as the ‘Eternal City’, it has a jaw-dropping list of historical sights that can overwhelm even the most experienced traveller.
15. LONDON, UK
16. HONG KONG, CHINA
The metropolitan city is not just known for its financial district and shopping.
17. BARCELONA, SPAIN
ou’ll find Europe’s best-preserved Gothic Quarter here, according to TripAdvisor.
Also, check out The Mind House in World’s Strangest Buildings.
18. QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND
Known for its Hobbits, it was where the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed.
There’s much to see and do for outdoor enthusiasts, according to TripAdvisor.
Try bungee jumping, white-water rafting, or simply kayak at Milford Sound,
a serene lake at the heart of the Fjordland National Park.
19. KYOTO, JAPAN
ancient capital of Japan
20. PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
The Prague Castle which has overlooked the city since the 9th century,
and the synagogues and cemetery of the Jewish Quarter are must-sees.
Also check out the nightscene at clubs and wine bars that are trendy and full of life.
21. JERUSALEM, ISRAEL
Yearly, thousands of pilgrims visit the old city of Jerusalem.
Don’t miss the Western (Wailing) Wall, Temple Mount and The Citadel (Tower of David) when you are there.
But other than visiting the major tourist spots, take time to soak in the rich atmosphere of the city too.
22. SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA
23. PARIS, FRANCE
It’s hard not to fall in love with the world’s most romantic city, with its rich heritage and culinary delights.
24. MACHU PICCHU, PERU
Situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley and 80km northwest of Cusco,
the mid-1400s architecture is perched on a high plateau deep in the Amazonian jungle.
The site is a spectacle and archaeologists believe that it was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti.
25. SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
City slickers, culture vultures and beach bums alike will fall in love with Sydney, according to TripAdvisor.
Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge at night, get fresh seafood at Sydney fish market and more.
It has been awesome spending heaps of time with my family. And last Saturday, I had the great privilege of bringing my niece for her art class. She was really excited when my mum and I picked her up to go for class. When we walked into her classroom, her teacher was so delighted to see her again. The teacher is hilarious, she is like a paparazzi, she keeps praising and taking photos of my niece. My niece is like her star student. A lot of you have seen the pictures I have posted on Facebook and kept asking me if she did her painting herself. Definitely she had some guidance from the teacher, but the teacher was really flexible in allowing her to do most of the work.
The teacher is really good. My mum and I were so afraid that she paints outside of the lines or paints over her picture, but the teacher said, this is child art! At this age, they are just learning to play with colours, in terms of drawing and shapes, they will automatically learn this when they are older. And I have to agree with her. Every one of all will eventually know how a heart-shape or an apple look like by the time we reach primary school. And we all probably can draw one whether we are an artist or not. So here is my next video blog of my talented young niece. She only turns 3 at the end of October. So by the time she completes this 8 week course, she will not even be 3 yet! Be amazed!
PS: I am sorry for not adjusting my white balance! So the video is quite over exposed! 😛
I had the funniest conversation with the cab driver on the way home. He was giving advices to me as if I was his own daughter. The conversation went:
Driver: Singaporean girls now a days have been nickname “amazon”! They all think only about going out to make money and not to take care of their family.
Me: Really?? But uncle, my dream job is to be a stay-home mum and housewife leh!
Driver: Good! You know ah… I have been married for 17 years… up till now I still open the car door for my wife and pull out the chair for her when we go for dinners.
Me: Woah, Uncle, thats really sweet! I hope to marry a guy that will still open the car door for me and pull out the chair for me even after we have been married for years. Then you will know that he was not just trying to impress you during our courtship days…
Driver: Yeah that’s right! Make sure you find a good guy! If the guy doesn’t even bother to open the door for you, then he is a WOT!
Me: Uncle, what is WOT?
Driver: He is a “Waste of Time”!!!
Me: Orrhh!
Driver: If any guy ask you who teach you one? Just say it’s a random taxi uncle!
It was a really hilarious conversation. He was telling me how proud he was of his children and how pleased he is that his wife brought them up very well. I hope my future husband can say the same of me next time. Just like in Proverbs 31:28 – Her children arise and called her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. You could see the sparkle in his eyes when he was talking about his wife and three children.
Then again, I don’t want to be too idealistic and expect too much. By the way, opening car doors and pulling out seats are not my only criteria. It was just a random advice given to me by a taxi driver. Hahaha..
Unravelling the world... 