Two Leo birthdays I'm celebrating today... (updated)

Best Selfie Ever! 💖

My rainbow crystal child in August 2009 (taken on a miniature Sony)

The first, of course, is my #2 daughter Belle's. She's a proud mother of three gorgeous kids, Max Alexander Lüer (24), Reiya Sunshine Lüer (18) and Ryder Lee Lankhorst (10).

When Belle was 13 she and I went on 3-nation trip together - Thailand, Burma and Nepal - and we became more like buddies than father and daughter.

On that vacation Belle had a great deal more fun than her Daddyums, who spent a lot of time wondering where she had disappeared to and with whom. After all these years that still holds true!

I "pinched" the photo of Belle at right from her facebook album. It was taken after a makeover for an Estée Lauder modeling contest she participated in when she turned 40. Too bad she lost out to a 24-year-old!

Belle has a broad range of innate talents (cartooning, acting, photography, filmmaking, painting, cooking, martial arts and selfie-taking, to name a few) - but she opted to focus on producing and nurturing three astoundingly beautiful and brainy kids. She also has a wacko sense of humor (not to mention a predilection for fart jokes).

With Hot Granny Lily in 2022

Chinese New Year 2020 (with Reiya Sunshine missing)

Fooling around with Reiya Sunshine

Belle & her brood in 2017

The second happens to be Anwar Ibrahim's - my favorite candidate for Malaysia's next prime minister. Anwar has been prime-minister-in-waiting for too long. Why? Simply because he's our best bet and nobody else in Malaysian politics can come close to playing the all-important role of unifier and reformer.

After decades of parasitic misgovernance by a succession of UMNO prime,  I mean, crime ministers, the task ahead of the Pakatan Rakyat cabinet is nothing less than Herculean. Fortunately, from all four parties in the Pakatan Harapan coalition, experienced, courageous and honest administrators can be found in abundance. They simply haven't been given a chance to prove their mettle. But we the people are determined to give them that opportunity as soon as possible. [Well, it finally happened in 2022!]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BELOVED BELLE & ANWAR, MY STEADFAST CHOICE FOR 8TH... OKAY, 10TH MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER! HERE'S TO A TRULY AMAZING FUTURE!!!

[First posted 10 August 2011. Reposted 10 August 2018]

LIVING LIFE TO THE MAX!

HEY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOUNG HOTSHOT!

Max Alexander Lüer, my #1 grandchild, turns 10 today! A few days ago my daughter Belle proudly showed me some digital doodles her son had created on her iPhone with some funky app he had just downloaded...

This was the first doodle I saw and I was absolutely impressed by the confident strokes Max had used to generate this simple but striking abstract piece. The color scheme is spot on - looks like a virus!

Hmm, that stylized cloaca looks a bit rude...

Such vibrant colors and freeflowing lines!

Minimalist variation on a Maximalist theme? :-)

The Devil in him begins to emerge... ;-)

Animal, vegetable, human or extraterrestrial?

Reminds me of the brilliant art produced by my friend
Marianne Naerebout!

Max is one of the most widely traveled kids I know, since his parents happen to be ardent jetsetters. On a recent trip to South Africa (to watch the World Cup), Max was treated to a joyride on a catamaran.

First one in! Max has been participating in triathlons with great enthusiasm... and he's done really well!

Portrait of a natural-born runner...

A stylish bike racer too...

Dressed up as Harry Potter for a Halloween party?

Prince Max appreciating the German landscape...

Watching the World Cup in Jo'burg with mama Belle and papa Marcus

Like father, like son: two jocks on a sightseeing tour of Cape Town

Three generations of Lüers: Max with his other Grandpa Manfred
and proud daddy Marcus

My grandson, the budding heartthrob :-)

Guess what Max gave me for my rebirthday in January? I'd been hassling him to lend me his face so I can go to parties and get lucky all over again... so Max very kindly obliged, such a generous soul ;-)

This was powerful medicine indeed - and quite possibly saved my life when I was struck down by an assassin anopheles and landed up in the ICU at Sungai Buloh Hospital. I'm keeping the original in my archive.

Thank you so much, darling Max, for making it such a total joy to be called "Grand Pupa" by you (it's better than being called "Grand Poo-Poo" that's for sure! :-)

IN LOVING MEMORY...

Molly Fu
(28 August 1950 - 12 June 2006)

Max shares a birthday with his magnificent grand-aunt Molly
who babysat him a lot -
and who also took care of Belle and her sister Moon
when they were babies.
"An Angel returned to Heaven..."
is how Belle describes this beautiful, gentle soul.