A Joyous Christmas Dinner for Family and Friends on Boxing Day , 2025

Christmas is a joyous time; it is my most favourite season of all! It is a period of time filled with hope, joy and lights. It is also a time where family members and friends can get together to share love, a nice meal and laughter.

It has always been a tradition in our family to have a big turkey feast with our family members. Our family dinners during the Christmas holidays with friends and loved ones are always joyful and memorable events. The dinners are great ways for us to show love to our friends and neighbours. Knowing that there are newcomers in our community with few connections in Canada, we try our best to bring a little joy to their lives by including them in our family Christmas dinner.

For 2025, we had ten people at our house for our Christmas turkey dinner. It was so good to have our son home. Due to the political situation and uncertainty of the U.S. border policies, we were not sure if our son could come home. Finally, at the last minute he did! That made us very happy having him at home for the holiday and partaking in the hoilday meal which took place on Boxing Day this Chrsitmas instead of on Christmas Day. It was just as good regardless of the timing. I have to say, with the turkey dinner, feeding ten people was much easier than if I had to make a few different dishes. Everyone always loves my turkey dinner as I have mastered it over the years!

After dinner, we had desserts, a game and time for opening presents. It brought tears to my eyes when I saw how happy these kids were opening their presents they didn't know they were getting from us.

It was quite a bit of work, shopping and preparing, but when I saw the smiles on my family and guests faces, all the hard work was really worth it!

After a day of rest from all the cooking and cleaning, We even found time to enjoy a live show at the Absolute Comedy Club in downtown Toronto. We always treasure the time we could spend with our son when he comes home for the holidays! Thank God for giving us such a wonderful time with my family and friends! RT, Toronto 2025 Christmas

Thank You God for a Wonderful Year in 2025!

We would like to thank God for all the wonderful friends and exciting events that happened in 2025! Though retired from our work, my husband and I have been kept busy with wonderful and meaningful activities throughout 2025. We travlled to a number of different countries and cities such as Bath and London in UK, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and numerous cities in China, Chiang Mia and Chiang Ria in Thailand.

We thank God wholeheartedly for keeping us strong and healthy, giving us strength and mobility so that we could travel freely and independantly. It has been such a joy to be a part of God's family as we were warmly welcome in Cambodia by the church family there. We were invited to take part in a Mission Fest and shared our experience there. It was great sharing our Cambodian experience with others,

We are grateful to God for the opportunities to take part in various community events in Canada, for making new friends and for the ability to help each others uch as the senior club offered in our neighbourhood church.

We have been truly blessed for having the love and support of our friends and families! Our big family BBQ get together in the summer was fantastic as we could see our little ones being together and having fun!

I am grateful to God everyday for all the opportunites He has given to me. Though retired, we have been living a full and meaningful life everyday.

We took part in many interesting community events and programs where we interacted with many wonderful people weekly such as the painting class where we learned basic painting techniques with other people, old and young.

2025 was truly a blessed year for us and we would like to thank and praise God for the abundant blessings and great friendship He has brought into our lives in the past year.

God, you are a mighty and powerful God of the universe. We are but a tiny speck of dust on this earth but you still remember and love us. I thank you for your wonderous love, grace and mercy, for your everlasting goodness and forgiveness for me and my family. Almighty God, please show us your ways going into 2026. Please help us to do what is pleaseing in your eyes. Please use us in our remaining days to glorify your name.

May My family and I serve God and represent you in our daily lives through our actions in love! Help us to be a channel of blessings to others. Help me and my fmaily to do our best to be more like Christ. To serve rather than being served.

May peace come to the people in the Middle East and Ukraine in 2026 and may the lives of people in these war torn countries be restored and renewed. God, may your name and the the name of Jesus be made known and glorified throughout the world! In Jesus' name, Amen!

  RT, Toronto, Canada

  2025 New Year Eve

Agape Dinner - Helping Students to Make Friends in Waterloo, Canada

With the development of modern technology and social media, modern people seem to be able to reach others and strangers from across the oceans breaking through physical distances. Unfortunately, many people, especially young people are finding it more difficult to meet amd make friends in person.

It used to be that when we travel on buses, trains and planes, we might be able to strike up some casual conversations with other passergers sitting next to us. But nowadays, it seems an impossible task as everyone with their eyes focusing on their cell phones and immersing themselves in their own virtual world.

Since 2019, God opened up an oportunity to us working with young people in the city of Waterloo, a small Canadian university city with a sizable student population. A few university students have told us numerous times that it is not easy for them meeting other young people and making long lasting friendship on campus.

We thank God for giving us this opportunity serving the young people and providing them a gathering place where they could chill, share stories and make friends in Waterloo. Approaching the end of 2025, I would like to thank God for bringing these young people to our house where we shared home cooked meals, talked, shared messages from the bible with them and got to know them.

As for us, we thank God for blessing us with new friends and friendship in Waterloo! While we were serving God, God has also blessed us bringing some friends into our lives. We have befriended some of the students' parents and have made some wonderful friends who have enriched our lives so much in year 2025!

We especially thank God for those students who heard of the gospel for the first time at our dinners. It has been a great blessing to us and we look forward to serving these delightful young people in 2026!

  RT, Agape Dinner, Waterloo, Canada

Reviews of Five Good Hotels in Hong Kong That Won't Break Your Bank Account

We spent over a month last summer in Hong Kong, the longest time we ever spent in one city for our vacation. During this month long visit, we stayed in a number of hotels as we wanted to experience the various districts of Hong Kong. Being seniors and travelling quite often, we do not wish to break our bank in our travels. My hubby works diligently doing research finding the best hotel for us within our budget. I would like to review four of them to help travellers visiting Hong Kong in the future so that they can make informed choices for their hotel bookings.

1. Salvation Army Booth Lodge - Rating - 5 / 10

A centrally located hotel and close to everythng. The double room was average in size for HK, clean and comfortable. This was our first hotel on arrival to Hong Kong. We booked for two nights online a month before our arrival, but we needed to change our flight arrival time due to an unexpected situation. I called the hotel and asked if one of the nights could be moved to the next night instead of the original date or could we use this night's charge for our stay at a later date when we fly back to Canada. The answer was a flat no after speaking with the managment and emailing them. Even though I informed and discussed with the hotel personnel more than a month prior to our arrival when Salvation Army could have easily rented the room out to other travellers, they refused to make any change at all in any way. Therefore, we lost one night as we couldn't get there for our first night.

  I found the Salvation Army's unwillingness to make a minor change for their guests unkind and inconsiderate. Being senior travllers, we watch every travel dollar that we spend. So please be aware that unless you are absolutely certain of your travel schedules, there is no flexibility to make any change of your date of stay at the Salvation Army Booth Lodge in Hong Kong regardless of any situation you are facing. Very disappointed with their customer services.

  2. Caritas Bianchi Lodge - Rating - 9 / 10

  A downtown hotel located right next to the Salvation Army Lodge. Very comfortable and spacious room for downtown hotel standard. Our stay came with a free simple continental breakfast in a spacious dining room which was a bonus. But what we appreciated the most was the hotel management's compassion and flexibility for their guests. We stayed there for one night and then flew to Thailand and then back to Hong Kong before flying back to Canada. In order to reduce our luggage load, we needed to store our luggage at the hotel for 2 weeks. Normally, this was not allowed according to their hotel polices even if the guests were willing to pay for the storage charges. But the Caritas Bianchi Lodge was compassionate and considerate enough to make an exception for two seniors! Two thumbs up for them as we were very grateful indeed for their generous spirit!

  3. Grand Bayview Hotel in Tuen Wan, Rating - 9 / 10

A little far from the central district, but very affordable. When we were there, it offered hotel guests free shuttle bus services from 7a.m. - 7p.m. to the Tuen Wan subway station and back. This hotel is fronting the ocean therefore we could enjoy ocean view from the spacious dining room, from the balcony as well as from the lovely swimming pool!

This was the best hotel we stayed during our entire Hong Kong vacation! For an additional Can$ 20.00 each day, we enjoyed a delicious full hot buffet breakfast with fresh fruits, salads and a number of hot food items.

Enjoying a great variey of delicious food from the breakfast buffet while admiring the spectacular oceanview made our stay at this hotel a very pleasant one indeed. Sinking into the comfortable sofa, we could carry on with our computer work in the spacious and beautiful lobby! What made me truly appreciate this hotel was taking a dip in the quiet outdoor pool after spending a hot day out under the tropical sun!

We stayed at the Grand Bayview Hotel for a few days and it felt like a resort hotel to us. If you don't mind the location being a little far from the central core, this hotel would be a perfect place for you to relax and for families with kids! The swimming pool and the play area on the terrace would keep the little ones busy and happy. We loved it so much that we will definitely come back again bringing with us our grandkids in the future! sw

4. Ramblers Hotel, Ching Yi Island, Hong Kong - 8 / 10

This hotel is not centrally located, but it has easy access to the Hong Kong Airport. It is much cheaper and faster getting to the airport from this hotel. Since we were in Hong Kong during the summer, we experienced the power of a typhoon. The typhoon was hoisted at number 3 and as the wind and rain grew stronger and more fierce, the warning was increased to No. 8, then 9, and finally to 10 when all the transportation system stopped most of their services while most shops and restaurants were closed.

Staying on the 20th floor, we had a good size room with an excellent view of the water and it was clean and comfortable. We were lucky that we were staying at the Ramblers Hotel where a small shopping mall located in the basement level with a supermarket, a restaurant and a convenience store were opened during the storm. The evening before typhoon signal No. 10 was hoisted, we bought enough food to last us for a couple of days and kept it in our hotel room's fridge. With a loveseat and a small table in our hotel room, we were able to enjoy the take out food comfortably.

 After sheltering ourselves from the storm for a day, we strolled to the mall in the basement of the hotel. We counted ourselves lucky as we saw the long lineups of people queuing for the only restaurant that was opened for business during the typhoon episode. So glad we were at the Ramblers Hotel with good amenities around us during the storm! God's provision is always timely and sufficient! sw

5. The Panda Hotel - 7 / 10 Not centrally located but it was convenient for us with the subway station close by within a five minute walk. We could also walk from the hotel connected to a good size shopping mall where you could satisfy your shopping needs. We had a spacious and comforatable room at a very resonable price. With a spacious lobby and comfortable seating area for guests, the Panda hotel was a decent hotel with an affordable rate that definitely won't break your bank account!

Happy travelling in Asia!

RT, Hong Kong,

During the Typhoon Season, 082025

Cheapest Way Getting to Hong Kong Airport Via Public Transport

We have travelled to Hong Kong a few times and learned the best and cheapest way getting to the Hong Kong Aiprot when we flew home at the end of our vacation. Hong Kong's public transportation is convenient and reliable making it easy and affordable for visitors getting to its airport for their flights. Here is what we have found:

Cheapest way to go to Hong Kong Airport via public transport:

  1. Take MTR train ( Hong Kong subway system) from where you are to the TUNG CHUNG Station.

  2. Get out of the subway station and walk to the BUS TERMINAL next door

 

3. Board the S1 bus taking us straight into the Hong Kong Airport - cost under HK 10 dollars ( 2 Canadian dollars!)

 Happy travel! Hope this information will help you next time when you travel to HK!

  RT, Leaving Hong Kong, 2025

Enjoying the Last Day of Our Asian Holiday in Hong Kong

We left Thailand and flew to Hong Kong for our flight going back to Canada.

After picking up the shopping items held for us at one of the stores, we made use of the free time to do some sightseeing on our last day. With money still left on our MTR card ( the pre paid card we purchased at the subway station used for all transportation in Hong Kong), we boarded an old fashion street tram touring the city.

We went through the busy but clean streets without seeing any homeless people, awed by the seemingly endless skyscrapers, and marvelled at the fast paced and efficient way Hong Kongers managed their day to day living. The cost of living is reasonable in this city except for the high cost of accommodation and monthly rental which will eat up a large portion of the residents' salaries should they be renting.

We spent quite a bit of time in Hong Kong on this vacation and had the opportunity to see many more things. We experienced the two sides of Hong Kong - the ever busy bustling city life as well as the quiet, slower side of life on the smaller islands which we enjoyed tremendously.

The tram took us all the way to the waterfront and we got off to snap some pictures of the oceanview, smell the salty water, and enjoyed a beer by the water. What a great way to spend the last day of our Asian holiday in Hong Kong!

RT, Hong Kong, 08225

Reviews of Two Hotels in Old Town Chinag Mia, Thailand

Sadly, our holiday in Thailand has come to an end. We have had a fabulous time and enjoyed our stay there in Chiang Mia. I would like to share our thoughts with you the two hotels where we stayed. Lucky for us, we were not disappointed at all! Hope this information will be helpful to you should you visit Chiang Mai in the future.

 

The first one was the De Charme Hotel right in the Old Town. Rating - 9 / 10

  We liked this hotel very much because of the great amenities it offered. We enjoyed the buffet breakfast served in the spacious dining room and there was a good choice of fresh and cooked items from which to choose. One thing I liked most was the swimming pool and the cosy sitting area beside the library on the ground floor. While I was swimming, my hubby could keep an eye out for me and relax by the pool side. We wanted to stay at this hotel for the entire duration of our stay in Chiang Mia but it was all booked up therefore we had to look for another hotel for the rest of our stay.

The next hotel was Baan Nalin Hometel, Rating 8 / 10

  A humble basic hotel without too many amenities such as a swimming pool, fancy dining room or patio but very clean and affordable and the services delivered by the owner of this small boutique hotel were excellent. Det, the hotel owner, went out of his way to make sure that we were comfortable.

He was like our new friend in Thailand! Breakfast was included and Det went out each morning to the market and bought fresh meat, fruit and vegetables to prepare breakfast for us! What a nice couple and hotel owners! Though Det didn't know much Enlgish, we were able to communicate with each other through an app. on his cell phone. Orginially, we only wanted to stay for a couple of nights, but we liked it so much that we stayed for almost a week!

The location of both hotels was ideal for us as we enjoyed walking and exploring the different neighbourhoods while in Chiang Mia. We had a fabulous time in Thailand and these two hotels where we stayed made our vacation a very pleasant one indeed!

We will miss Thailand and its people, their warmth and hospitality has left an indelible impression on us, thank you, Chiang Mia!

RT, Chiang Mia, Thailand, 2025

Popular and Beautiful Instantgram Spots in Chiang Mia - Mae Kha Canal and the City Wall

We visited Thailand recently and spent about two weeks in Chinag Mia. On our daily walking excursions in and around the city, we came across this waterway many times at various parts of the city and enjoyed the nice scenery along the way. I learned that this waterway is called the Mae Kha Canal which is a prominent waterway and a characteristic landmark of Chaing Mia's old city.

 For centuries, the Mae Kha was a crucial source of water for agriculture, daily life and transportation for communities near by. However, for decades, the Mae Kha became notoriously polluted and it was labelled a ' black water canal' due to untreated sewage, industrial runoff, and solid waste. For many years, it was a smelly, neglected problem hidden behind houses and shops. Fortunately, led by local communities, NGOS, and artisits, there has been massive effort to clean up the water and reclaim the public space.

Remarkably, what we saw now the waterway has been transformed into a beautiful landmark in Chiang Mia and it was a pleasure walking by the water's edge as we took our stroll there a number of times while visiting the city.

Another popular instagram spot we visited was the City Walls - While only sections of the original brick and laterite walls remain, the most impressive restored sections are at the five city gates. The purpose of the wall was to protect the city's most important institutions - the royal palace ( no longer exist, key temples, governmemnt buildings and the populace. However, over the centuries, the walls suffered damages from wars, earthquakes and neglect.

As the city expanded beyond its old boundaries, the walls were dismantled in many places for building materials. However, in the late 20th century, recognizing their immense historical and cultural value, the government began restoration projects. We were at the most famous gate - Tha Phae Gate. It is a popular gathering spot for locals celebrating New Year and other festivals, often with stages and celebrations set up in the square.

The square is a fascinating people watching spot where you will see toursits, Buddist monks making their alms rounds, skateboarders, fitness groups doing evening Zumba, and street food vendors all sharing the smae space.

Arriving at the front of the Wall Gate, we saw a lot of birds flying around with some people trying to lure them to their hands with feeds. Luckily there were vendors selling feeds to those who wanted them for the birds. I bought a bag and we started feeding the birds as well. The birds kept coming to us eating off our hands. It was fun watching them flying around for our food!

  RT, Chiang Mia, Thailand

  082025

Meeting and Making New Friends in Thailand

We have been travelling around to various different countries since our retirement. For us, the joy of travelling is observing and learning about other cultures and interacting with the local people since the world is a big place offering so much to see and learn. We were in Thailand for about two weeks and enjoyed this beautiful country and getting to know its people.

  We had a fabulous time in Thailand and our holiday was ending fast. This was one of the nicest vacations we have had. Our experience was excellent and the best part of our travel was meeting new people and making new friends. We went to Sunday Worship services three times in Thailand, twice in Chiang Mia and once in Chiang Rai. When we went to church on Sunday in Thailand we made a new friend. He invited us to his home for dinner with his wife.

The next day, he invited us to his home for a swim. He wanted to see us again before we leave the following week. We were delighted, aslo, were curious to see how middle class and well off Thai people live in Thailand. We booked a local taxi for this visit from our hotel. Since our new Thai friend and his family live outisde of the ancient city, in a newer area of Chiang Mia, therefore, the taxi ride gave us a tour of the city as well.

Instead of seeing traditional houses, we saw many modern single detached relatively new houses with single car garages, nicely landscaped front yards. What I liked most about his house were the gazebo and a good size swimming pool in the backyard to cool off on these hot summer days.

His life style is not a lot of different from our middle class life in the west. We enjoyed a swim in the pool and then out in the neighborhood for a walk and chatted about life.

As a matter of fact, our friend's life story is truly a miracle! He has gone through so much in his life! It was wonderful to witness first hand the power of God turning one's life around. This is a great experience many of us are missing in our modern times when people are spending most of their time messaging than conversing face to face getting to know the real person. We totally love spending time with our new friends and apprecaited their great hospitality!

  We are very lucky! As Christians, no matter where we go in the world we are able to make friends at church pretty easily. Because in God's kingdom, we belong to one big family - God's family!

  RT, Chiang Mia, Thailand

  Very gratedul to have made a friend in THailand!