To love; to hope

2012-01-19T06:05:00.006-08:00

It's been awhile since I last posted. I know. Anyway, was chatting with a friend over msn just the other day about how we're getting older, which means we would need to spend more money on skincare as well. Actually, for women, I heard that our skin deteriorates after we hit 25, which is like 3 years ago for me. Ah well...so I decided to do a stock-take of the skincare products I'm using now...this is going to be a long post :P

Morning

1. Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence

This is similar to a toner. I only started using this a few months back, after trying the sample. This product was first introduced in 1897, and I can understand why it lasted til now. It leaves my skin feeling really soft, not the tightening feeling that using a toner gives.

2. Aqualabel Bright White Ex

I've also used this for one week, so I'm not sure about its effectiveness yet. But it did received some pretty good reviews, and considering that its parent company is Shiseido, I supposed it shouldn't fare too badly. Previously, I had used the Shiseido White Lucent Intensive Spot Targeting Serum in the morning as well, but it is really rather expensive (@ $159/bottle).

3. Laneige Perfect Renew Dual Eyes (Morning)

This comes with 2 containers, one for morning and the other for night use. I liked the morning one because of it UV protection properties, though I don't think it does much in reducing my dark eye circles. It's so difficult to find a decent eye cream.

4. Shiseido Bio-Performance Advance Super Revitalizing Cream

I'm currently using the sample given by Shiseido. It helps to reduce the the fine lines under my eyes, but since I've just started using this last week, I'm not sure if it's effective in the long term. Even so, I've bought the full-sized version from sasa.com recently, on impulse 'cos there was a sale.

5. DHC Eyelash Tonic

I've also just started using this last week, so the results are still out. Though honestly I'm skeptical that there's anything that can make my eyelash grow.

6. Avene Hydrance Light Hydrating Cream

I liked Avene products for its hypoallergenic properties, which is good for sensitive skin like mine. I used to have more Avene products before switching to Shiseido. Furthermore, this comes will SPF 20, which I think is sufficient for normal daily usage.

7. Avene Deep Pore Cleanser

This should be the first product I used in the morning. I've used this for the past one year, and it's pretty decent. It cleans rather well, and did not cause any breakouts, unlike the powder cleanser from FANCL. For some reasons, I can't use FANCL products, though I liked their packaging.

That's it for morning. Actually, I missed out a few more items, like Vaseline for my lips, and sunscreen (currently using Biore SPF 30). Speaking of Vaseline, I think it moistures my lips better than other lip cream/balm I've used previously, and it's dirt cheap at only a few dollars. But I'll usually also use a lip balm on top of it, just for the UV protection. As you might have noticed, I'm quite hung-up on SPF and UV protection, because it's so important and it will be difficult to undo any damage caused by the sun in future. So it's better to spend more on that now. And that is also why I've been religiously taking Heliocare Oral Capsules since 2 years ago, which is an oral sunscreen. You can google it if you're interested so I won't elaborate too much here, except that it can be rather costly, at $75 for a bottle of 60 capsules, which usually last for about a month.

Now for the night-time routine

1. Shiseido Rinse-Off Cleansing Gel

I use this because it's gentle yet it can remove my make-up pretty well, except waterproof eye make-up.

2. Biore Make-up Remover (Eye and Lip)

I only used this when I had waterproof eye makeup on. I don't use waterproof lipstick, or even lipstick for that matter.

3. Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Balancing Softener

I heard that Japanese brands usually have softener instead of toner. I first used this at a Shiseido workshop about 1 and a half years ago, and have been using it since. The other good thing about this softener is that it can also help remove any excess make-up that the cleansing gel did not remove. I started off using this in the morning as well, before I had the Revitalizing Essence.

4. Neogence Hyalluronic Acid Hydrating Essence

I started using this because I heard that we should start using anti-wrinkle products before we get any wrinkles. Though this is not an anti-wrinkle product, it will help tighten the skin. I supposed I'll not repurchase this once I finished the bottle since I have the revitalizing cream now.

5. Shiseido White Lucent Intensive Spot Targeting Serum

As mentioned above, this is an expensive product, and I was rather hesitant to buy it initially. It took awhile before there was any effects, but after that, I felt that the price is worth it. Though it did not completely remove my freckles, it did help lighten any pigmentation and acne scars, and brighten the skin as well. It's sort of like my 'miracle water'. And I managed to get it slightly cheaper at sasa.com.

6. Laneige Perfect Renew Dual Eyes (Night)

Actually, I only bought this because of the morning eye cream. The night cream doesn't seemed too fantastic, though I supposed it does moisturise the eye area.

7. Shiseido Bio-Performance Advance Super Revitalizing Cream

8. DHC Eyelash Tonic

9. Estee Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher

I've been using this for a few months now, mainly for the pores on my nose. Sadly, there has been minimal effect, if any to begin with. Before this, I had used a similar product from b.liv, to no avail as well. I think I just have to live with my enlarged pores.

10. Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Moisturising Emulsion & Laneige Water Sleeping Mask Ex

Usually, I will alternate between these 2, using the sleeping mask about 2 to 3 times a week. I really like the texture of the sleeping mask and its hydrating properties. But because it's so rich, I'm afraid to use it daily, lest it causes breakouts.

Besides these products that I'll use daily, there're also others that I'll use on a less frequent basis.

1. Faceshop Raspberry Roots Collagen Eye Patch - I love this eye patch, but it's not for daily usage. I use it about 1-2 times a month.

2. Shiseido Intensive Brightening Mask - Once a month (a box of 6 costs $100!)

3. Dr Young Spot-Stop-Serum - Only when I've pimples

4. Methode Swiss Thermal Oxygen Overnight Eye Mask (gel-base) - 1 to 2 times a week

5. Laneige Strawberry Yogurt Peeling Mask (for exfoliating) - 2 times a month

6. Skinfood Egg White Pack - Once a week

7. Shiseido Purifying Mask - Once a week

You might think I spent a lot of time on skincare. In the morning, I took less than 10 minutes and maybe just slightly longer at night. The thing is, a little more time spent now will save lots of regrets in future. But of course, there is nothing more beneficial to our skin than a good night's sleep and adequate water intake.

Ps 37

2011-11-02T07:22:00.002-07:00

In the face of all that had happened yesterday and today, it became more important that I remember Psalm 37.

¹ Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
² for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

³ Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴ Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
⁶ He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

⁷ Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

⁸ Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
⁹ For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

¹⁰ A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
¹¹ But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity.

¹² The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
¹³ but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
¹⁵ But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶ Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
¹⁷ for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

¹⁸ The blameless spend their days under the LORD’s care,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
¹⁹ In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

²⁰ But the wicked will perish:
Though the LORD’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

²¹ The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;
²² those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be destroyed.

²³ The LORD makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
²⁴ though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

²⁵ I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
²⁶ They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing.^[b]

²⁷ Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
²⁸ For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed^[c];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.
²⁹ The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.

³⁰ The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak what is just.
³¹ The law of their God is in their hearts;
their feet do not slip.

³² The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
intent on putting them to death;
³³ but the LORD will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

³⁴ Hope in the LORD
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

³⁵ I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
³⁶ but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.

³⁷ Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.^[d]
³⁸ But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future^[e] for the wicked.

³⁹ The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
⁴⁰ The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

The last verse brings such comfort to my heart. I know my Lord will help me and deliver me from the wicked. I need not retaliate...

COSI: 2 to 7 Sept 2011

2011-09-08T00:59:00.015-07:00

As we left COSI for the airport at 2pm, my heart was filled with mixed feelings. I was happy to go back to Singapore, yet at the same time, there was a certain heaviness in my heart that I could not comprehend. I wonder when we will ever see these children again, and I was reminded of what Dr Gerald Tan had shared 2 days ago.

Dr Tan first visited COSI in June this year with the Sunday School from his church, Grace Methodist. Since then, he has been making monthly visits to COSI, especially to help with the medical clinic for both COSI and the nearby villagers. We asked him what made him return so often, and he shared that after the first trip, he felt that he had to do something more for the children. With his compassion and love for the children, Dr Tan, in his unassuming manner, has been such an encouragement for the team.

The medical clinic

The prescription area

The villagers

When we first arrived at COSI, the children showed us much hospitality by running to the van and carrying our luggage to the rooms. We were rather surprised by this sweet gesture as they did not even know us yet. Throughout our 6 days there, this hospitality was demonstrated again and again.

Carol and Li Diang also shared with us the background of most of the children in COSI. Both of them are Singaporeans who have been with COSI for more than 10 years, and Li Diang had recently moved to the youth hostel about 11Km from COSI to be the in-charge for the older youths (aged 16 to 19) who are currently in high school. The children in COSI ranged from 6 to 15 years, and most are either orphans or had families who are unable to support them. Through funds provided by the Methodist Mission Society, COSI was able to provide them with food, shelter, education and most importantly, a place to know our Lord.

One of the children's dorms

Children acting out the birth of Jesus

For the most parts of our stay in COSI, it was packed with activities such as English and craft classes, talks, games and so on. On hindsight, I hoped that we had more time to interact with the children and I believed most in the team shared these sentiments as well. I also got a chance to speak to two young ladies who had just returned to COSI, from the youth hostel, upon the completion of their high school eduction and are currently waiting for application to university. One aspires to be an accountant, and the other, a nurse. They are probably the ‘first-generation’ COSI children, and it is always a joy to see these ‘success cases’ on how COSI had made a difference in their lives. However, for every one of these cases, we know that there are many more in Cambodia who are deprived of an education.

Besides COSI, we also visited the Emmaus Women Centre (EWC), which is just next to COSI. EWC provides a one-year stay-in program for young women to learn one of these two skills, dress-making or hair and beauty. With this skill, the young women would be better equipped to earn a living in the city or back at their villages. For two mornings, the team got a chance to share with the EWC women. Irene led the devotion, on Prayer, for the first morning, and Linda Lee, on ‘The Sovereignty of God’, during the second. Irene and Gillian also gave cooking and baking lessons for the women in the afternoons. Though we did not spend as much time in EWC as we did in COSI, we hoped that the devotion sessions and cooking/baking lessons had benefited the women.

On our last night at COSI, Gillian, Linda Lau and Annie had shared on how they had initially wanted to go to COSI to bless the children, but had instead ended up being blessed manifold by the children. As quoted by Wilson, “we’ll never be happy with what we have if we are unhappy with what we don’t have”, and the COSI children had made us realised that. They also caused us to realise that worship is not about the musical instruments, or how well we sing, but the joy that radiates from the heart. It is this simplicity and purity that we hear in the children’s voices when they sing, despite the language barrier.

This rings true for the village children as well, who came for the Sunday morning session at COSI, while some of their parents worshipped at the village church. Maybe we are too sheltered in Singapore to realise that there are the poor among us. Yet, seeing them, can we really say that they are poor when they know and have the greatest gift of all – our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?

The COSI children saw us off as we boarded the van to leave for the airport, and told us to come back again. Some also gave hand-written notes and small momentoes to us to show their appreciation. I never knew these little gestures would bring so much joy to our hearts as well. As mentioned previously, we had gone wanting to do something for the children but in the end, it is them who had done so much for us. Guess we can do all the preparation we wanted, but it is God who has the final say.

2010-12-19T05:20:00.003-08:00

Saw this post from a friend's blog and find it quite interesting...
(to my dear fren: forgive me for the shameless reposting :P)

10 surprises about single women....#1

You risk it all if you wait forever to reach out to a woman who interests you.

"Supposedly, men and women are on different timelines when it comes to making contact," says Mary L., 38. "Guys take their own sweet time to call us for a date and follow up afterward. But the older we get, the less tolerant we are of the waiting game. Guys, wait too long to get in touch -- or be inconsistent in how often you're in contact with us -- and we will lose interest. Patience has more of a shelf life than you realise."

My take on this? If a guy is that slow, chances are that he is probably not that interested anyway...

2010-10-24T06:44:00.004-07:00

During cg 2 weeks ago, one of the discussion topics was on divorce. This is another passage on that, from Matthew 19...

Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,'and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"

Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."

Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."

Sabbath...

2010-10-08T08:53:00.003-07:00

Just this evening, I was contemplating whether to go for cell as I was feeling so tired. But I still went in the end. And after the welcome, I remembered asking God the purpose of being there. He told me to stay cos there was something in store.

The topic today was on the Sabbath. Yet somehow, the sharing led to our expectations of the cell group. The sharing was good and we felt that for the cell to grow, its members will need to be open with each other, though there is the risk of getting hurt. Other important factors would be mutual respect, trust and sensitivity to others' feelings, though that shouldn't stop us from correcting a fellow cell-mate if he/she is straying from God.

I think God is really amazing, isn't He?

Posted on 9 Oct, 12.55am

2010-10-06T07:07:00.001-07:00

According to Dictionary.com, to dance is to "to move one's feet or body, or both, rhythmically in a pattern of steps, esp. to the accompaniment of music."

But dance is more than that isn't it? To me, it is the expression of the soul through movements, the physical demonstration of the human spirit.

I think the human body is made to dance. No matter how well we dance. Technique is important, but secondary in comparison to the passion.

And I believe what we dance for is important too. That's why it saddens me that certain genres of dance had reduced women, or men for that matter, to nothing more than sex objects. And sadder still that such dances are making their way to the church.

Keeping up with the times is one thing. But it shouldn't be an excuse.

Gatherings...

2010-09-28T07:07:00.001-07:00

One of my female friends was telling me about the recent EFP gathering that she had organised, and which I didn't attend cos we had the night cycling event. No wait, it was supposed to be on the night of the night cycling but it was postponed to the following friday, which I can't attend as well since I had cell group on fridays.

Anyway, the attendance wasn't that good and she told me someone commented that usually only the people who are single and unattached would attend such gatherings. Guess that's true to a certain extent as well. Though it seemed a rather sweeping statement as well, since it implies that friends are not as important once you've found your special someone.

Oh well...

Take it easy...

2010-09-25T08:14:00.001-07:00

Guess I'll just take it one step at a time...

2010-09-21T08:26:00.003-07:00

Some time back, I read an article comparing male and female bosses. There was also a poll taken regarding which gender people usually prefer to be their boss. As expected, most prefer male bosses. However, having both male and female bosses, past and present, I felt that there is no difference. Maybe it's just a matter of perception after all. Whatever the case, it is usually the female bosses who would have to work doubly hard to prove their worth.

And I guess, this doesn't only apply to women who are bosses.

If you think I'm not up to it in the first place, then don't agree to let me take it up...

Remembered what my ACCA lecturer always told us. We are like plants and if we can't bloom, it could be it's the wrong soil. Should I change soil before I wither?

Chosen...

2010-09-12T07:03:00.003-07:00

I guessed Kok Chun's sermon this morning on the above was a timely reminder. In the end, it isn't about being chosen by the world, but rather, to be chosen by the most important person there can be: Yahweh.

I'm sorry I had forgotten that. And ended up losing my focus. He's right. Our identity shouldn't be based on our career, family background, marital status, or anything else that is of the world. It is our identity in Christ that truly matters.

How then can I say that I lacked certain things when He is my Jehovah Jireh?

Posted on 12 Sept

Farewell...

2010-09-01T08:26:00.003-07:00

The above pic probably came 10 months late...

About 10 months ago, I remembered being faced with mixed feelings as I was embarking on a new phase in my career.

No, it's not that I'm thinking of leaving now. It's just that a fellow colleague who will be leaving in 2 days brought back some memories of my own farewell 10 months ago.

I'm glad to have left with fond memories of that place...
Or maybe I only chose to remember the good parts...

Posted on 1 Sept, 11.30pm

Updates...

2010-07-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm not sure if there're people who still reads my blog, especially since my last update was more than 3 months ago. And it's already July!! But I shall not lament on how fast time is moving and so on...

Haven't been travelling much this year either, except to HK last month. Wondering if Japan is still on the list though..hmm...

Anyway, nothing much has been happening in my life now. I'm still working at the same place. More friends and colleagues are settling down as well. Guess it's just the phase of life that we're going through now.

Yesterday, Kia asked me what I look for in a man. I remembered that I've blogged about it a few years ago but yesterday I could only remember a few of the 'qualities'. Perhaps some things aren't that important anymore.

Sometimes I wish I knew what you're thinking about...

Posted on 3 July 2010, 10.50am

Man looks at the outward appearance...

2010-03-23T08:05:00.005-07:00

but the Lord looks at the heart...

Last month, one of my girl friends told me about an experience she had with a guy she met on a website. It wasn't a good experience. To cut a long story short, it basically gave her the impression that looks are very important.

Well, man looks at the outward appearance. And by 'man', I'm referring to all mankind, not just the males. Is it in our nature to be attracted by beauty? Isn't that what caused the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden?

The truth is: good-looking people have it easier. Most of the time anyway, unless they have really crappy personalities.

Feel free to disagree with me :)

Patience!!

2010-02-27T08:14:00.003-08:00

It's been so long since I've blogged...did u missed me?? haha...

Anyway I think I've been eating so much nowadays. On Fri night, I went to this restaurant called Chilis at RWS with the girls. And just came back from a dinner cum farewell for last CG at Julven's house.

And I think I'm starting to run out of patience....

Praying....

2010-01-22T08:04:00.004-08:00

It has been such a tiring day.

Something happen that made me wonder about people.

Why do people behave the way they do? But who am I to judge anyway?

Is it disappointment with the lack of concern?

I felt like telling her that it is not worth going to hell for the people who do not care anyway. Who needs their attention?

If it's not worth living for, it's much less worth dying for....

2010-01-01T06:18:00.003-08:00

Ok, I'm more awake now...

Thanksgiving first.

I thank God for the past year and His provisions. As I've mentioned in my previous post, 2009 had seemed to be quite a slow year. But I guessed it did start off pretty well with the preparation for our Taiwan trip last April. Then somehow, along the way, things started going downhill and I was contemplating changing job. I remembered that during the church camp, I was still praying about it. And indeed, doors were opened as I managed to find a job related to finance. Thinking back on the process, it was nothing short of God's providence.

Prayers for 2010

Jobwise, I pray for fulfillment and contentment. Since I've just joined, there is still much to learn, but thankfully, I have understanding bosses and colleagues. Though there might be some changes in future, I pray that it'll all work out for the better.

For my family, I pray that we'll continue to grow closer to God and as a family too. That those who do not know Him yet will come to know him as well.

And personally, for a renewed direction in my life.

2009-12-31T10:24:00.003-08:00

It's 2010!!!

and I'm extremely sleepy now...so pardon me if there're errors =P

As per previous years, I'll recap on the happenings for this year. Nothing really exciting actually, except the change in job. Wished there were other interesting things to update on, but it was not to be. Oh, I also visited 2 countries, Taiwan and Bangkok, in 2009.

Somehow, 2009 seemed to be a rather slow year. Like the Taiwan trip seemed so long ago I forgot that it was in 2009.

Ok, resolutions. Actually, I'm not one to make resolutions at the beginning of the year, mainly because I know I won't keep them anyway.

too sleepy le..zZZzzz...will con't tmr....

2009-12-22T06:14:00.003-08:00

I finally understood how XQ felt when she blogged the other time about her 'well-meaning' colleagues.

Yes, I know their intentions are good and I really appreciate it...

But I just don't feel that I'm missing anything in my life.

Is it so wrong to be single? And it's not as if I'm the only single woman in the office.

bleah...

arhhh...why is this world so shallow?

Fragile

2009-12-21T06:32:00.003-08:00

I think a life can be so fragile...

sometimes we wonder, why do bad things happen to good people?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

on a happier note, Monday is over!!!
the office is so empty today. so many people on leave.

it has been a rather busy weekend:
christmas outreach at the hospice on friday afternoon
movie at vivo, followed by a friend's grandmother's wake
piano concert on sat evening

and i've bought my christmas pressies too :) :) :)

i've no idea why i'm typing in small caps today though ;P

More blessed...

2009-12-07T04:52:00.003-08:00

to give than to receive...

Last Sat, I went to watch 'Broadway Beng' at the Esplanade with Kia.

At the Esplanade link (or whatever it's called), there was an installation art exhibition with gummy bears. Which enticed me to want to buy gummy bears, so we went to Millenia Walk.

On the way there, we walked through Marina Square and chanced upon the World Vision booth. There was a magazine stating their needs and what we can do to help. I was browsing through the magazine, which was really colourful and full of cute children.

Some stats:

Food for 1 child for 1 month in China
$58

1 goat for 1 family in Myanmar
$59

Warm jackets for 2 children in Myanmar
$14

Hep B vaccinations for 5 children in Bangladesh
$5

Support 1 family in Cambodia
$250

Feed 1 street child for 1 mth in Cambodia
$178

Sponsor a child
$45/mth

and the list goes on.....

This Christmas, what can we give?

Where are you heading?

2009-11-26T06:56:00.002-08:00

I've to admit. This post is inspired by XQ's recent post.

She wonders about 5 years later. And like her, I do too.

And especially so at my new workplace, where a majority of people are already parents, or at least married.

Where am I heading? Will there even be a next phase in life for me?

And Renee, I didn't forget what I've said I'll do if I still remain single after turning 25 =P

I just wonder if there's any point in doing that. After all, I'm happy with my life now. Is there a need to complicate things further?

MINDS and BBQ

2009-10-11T21:35:00.006-07:00

Finally had time to post these pics, taken 2 Saturdays ago.

It had been a rather packed day. The morning event was a family day organised by the MINDS school and being one of the sponsors, my company was roped in to help out as well. Angie and I decided to man one of the game stalls.

After an 'exciting' ride on the LRT (we took the wrong one la), we finally reach Fernvale around 9.10am. The event started at 10am so we had some time before that for the briefing etc.

This is our game stall. There are numbers on the manjong paper. The participants are supposed to roll the tennis ball and whatever number the ball stops at will be their points. It's not as easy as it sounds :P

Our team, with the prizes.

There was a big float for the children to play as well.

One of the other game stations there.

The family day event ended around 2 plus in the afternoon, which is timely as it started raining around that time as well. Overall, it had been an enjoyable experience and I get to know some colleagues from other departments as well. However, we didn't really get to interact much with the kids as they only spent a few minutes at our game stall.

In the evening, we had a bbq at Pasir Ris Park to celebrate Ting's birthday. If you can still remember, it was raining that evening but we couldn't let the rain dampen our spirits right? And thanks to Jason, we managed to get the fire started under the rain, with umbrellas sheltering the bbq pit of course. Thanks to SJ too for preparing all the food!!

2009-09-24T08:19:00.004-07:00

I think my blog is ugly. Asethetically I mean. Felt like changing my template but too lazy. Should I close my blog in the meantime while I decide? Hmmm...

The very young, the very old and the severely handicapped.

2009-09-18T19:03:00.004-07:00

Somehow, I believe how a person treat these people really shows what kind of person you are. Because these are the people who can do nothing for you in return...

I have so much to learn...

2009-09-16T07:39:00.002-07:00

Do you think I do not know that it is not me you are feeling sad about?

2009-09-01T07:14:00.002-07:00

About two weeks ago I went swimming at Tampines swimming complex. It was my first time there since it was renovated, even though I stay in Tampines.

Anyway, I had leg cramps while swimming. Kia said maybe it was because I had kicked too hard. Because I wanted to go faster. Maybe that's true too. I should have taken my time and enjoyed the swim instead. Now, I wonder if that's my approach to life as well...

Getting old....

2009-08-30T08:18:00.003-07:00

My body's aching from the exercise yesterday. I think I must be getting old :P

Oh ya, saw this in the newspaper yesterday. I've read this book before and I really liked it a lot. Anyone wants to watch it with me?? Please?? :D

2009-08-22T08:26:00.004-07:00

Looks familiar? Last Tuesday, we went to the Korean restaurant at Amara Hotel to celebrate Kia's birthday.

The Ginseng Chicken soup there is nice too =)

But it was really too much food for the 2 of us :P

Nothing much to blog now as life as been pretty uneventful so far...

Will things change??

*Keeping my fingers crossed* =X

2009-08-09T02:31:00.003-07:00

Disturb us, Lord, when

with the abundance of things we possess

We have lost our thirst

For the waters of life;

Having fallen in love with life,

We have ceased to dream of eternity

And in our efforts to build a new earth,

We have allowed our vision

Of the new Heaven to dim.

By Sir Francis Drake

2009-08-06T09:41:00.003-07:00

A bit bored at work today.

Went for lesson after work and the lecturer was so long-winded the class finished 1 hour late.

Took a cab home and yes, I remembered my file this time :P

I'm blogging now as I've nothing to do while waiting for my hair to dry. Well, actually that's not true 'cos I do have other things to do but I'm just too lazy to start doing them.

What should I blog about? Lalala....

Is my life getting so mundane that I do not have anything to blog about at all, or is inertia setting in?

Maybe it's just the quarter-life crisis.

Maybe life is such a contradiction after all. When things are going alright, we find it boring. But when problems and obstacles start appearing, we complain.

Humans. So hard to satisfy.

I've a friend who keeps saying that nobody understands her and what she is going through. I wonder, can a person actually truly understand another person? After all, we are all different and even if we were to go through the same experiences, that is not to say that we will feel the same way about it.

Oh well, who am I to judge anyway?

2009-08-03T06:25:00.001-07:00

We had a potluck session during CG last Friday at Daniel's place. I went late cos I had a talk after work. The talk was about the news that was on ST the next morning. Nvm if you don't know what I'm talking about. Haha.

Anyway, I think Emma is so cute la. Can still remember the time when we attended her 1-month celebration and now she's already 1 year old! Daniel's house became a small nursery as there were 3 babies/toddlers there that day and we adults were busy trying to keep them from 'hurting' each other =P. Especially Gareth, since he is the smallest at only 8 months old.

Then Emma was afraid of this fish toy. It has a string on it and it can move when we pull the string. She was so afraid she started crying. Then Gareth crawled over and started biting it. Aren't children just adorable?

On another note, pastor showed us this video during service yesterday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONqWbFlxVwE

For the people who feel that it is too tiring to carry on living, look at the faces of the children. If they can smile, why can't you?

shop...eat...shop...

2009-07-20T05:14:00.040-07:00

haha no...I didn't got to HK. I went to BKK, with Kia and Sandy!

Will let the pics do the talking...

We stayed at the Baiyoke Sky Hotel, the tallest building in Thailand. Our room was at the Ladies Floor (48th floor), which means, no men allowed.

There were 3 beds in the room. Just nice for the 3 of us :)

Some more pics of the room. It was quite big actually...

Complimentary breakfast every morning was at the Baiyoke Sky restaurant on the 77th floor.

They even had rambutans!! (and mangosteens and longans too...)

The view from the restaurant.

Then we went shopping at Pratunum, Platinum mall. Chatuchak and so on. Shall not talk too much about that here in case I bore my readers :P

Oh...and they sell puppies at Chatuchak market.

The Swensens' there only sells ice-cream, and Sundaes at 49 baht, though we didn't take the 49 baht Sundaes. We took this instead.

And doesn't Kia looked so happy to have water?!

The glasses are nice though...

And some random photos that I took at the foodcourt while waiting for Kia and Sandy to buy the Pad Thai.

As usual. I ran out of cash and had to change money with Kia. Actually I didn't really buy a lot of things, as compared to my two shopping companions.

I did buy quite a number of Naraya bags though...

But only this is for myself k..Chio hor?

And we also got these lovely pillows for James and Limei...

Some more random pics taken from the plane on the flight back...

Compare these with the view from the Sky restaurant....

Oh ya...before I forgot. I was supposed to thank Caden and Ting for the Taiwan pics (yes, I know this is a little belated but better late than never right? =P)

Posted on Monday, 20 July, 10pm

2009-05-25T08:13:00.004-07:00

Sometimes I think to myself: if I stay on my own in future, I'll want to keep a dog :)

Anyway, I was chatting with a friend over MSN regarding age compatibility in a relationship. And I was wondering why is it that while it is considered perfectly alright for an older man to be with a younger woman, the reverse is much frowned upon. Yes, I know the answer but still. That's the way society is I guess.

And seeing the capable women at my office who are still single; I wonder when this view will change.

Therapy

2009-04-29T08:16:00.005-07:00

Had a rather bad day at the office today. So decided to indulge in some retail therapy after work. Maybe I shouldn't shop when I'm in a bad mood, as I ended up with 1 skirt, 1 jacket and 2 dresses. Then again, I did need some work clothes as well :)

Actually, shopping doesn't really make me feel better, it just takes my mind off the things that had happened. Perhaps I should have gone to the gym instead, except that my membership had expired.

Wanted to complain but suddenly remembered this verse

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

Philipians 2:14-16

promises....

2009-04-27T08:04:00.002-07:00

Fast-forward to the 4th day. Can you see what's the significance of this photo?

Continuation...

2009-04-26T06:53:00.010-07:00

Ok, continue with day 2. Yes, I know the alignment in the previous post is abit out but it's not easy to put up pics on blogger so bear with it ;p

I shall make this short.

This is what we did after breakfast.

Clockwise from top left:

On the train to Xinbeitou station where we took a bus to Yang Ming Shan.
The sea of calla lillies at Yang Ming Shan
Hot spring resort
Shilin night market

Some more pics of food at Shilin market. The chicken cutlet there is nice :)

As it was still rather early after dinner, we headed to Roxy Junior cafe (i think) for some drinks.

Day 3

This day was rather slack as there was nothing much in the itinery in the morning and afternoon. So we ended up at the C.K.S. Memorial Park in the afternoon.

After the memorial park, we went to Xi Men Ding for some shopping and foodie, followed by Taipei 101 after that. One surprise activity that wasn't in the itinery was the cycling back to the MRT station after that =)

After dinner at the foodcourt at 101, we girls had a little tête à tête over cakes and tea at a nice little cafe called 85 Degrees near our hostel, while the guys went clubbing. It was later proven that ours was the wiser choice. Hee...

Eat..shop....walk??

2009-04-24T10:15:00.013-07:00

On 17 Apr 2009, 1.50pm, we embarked on our journey to Taiwan.

Reached Taoyuan airport around 7pm I think.

Here we are, deciding on which express bus to take to Eight Elephants Hostel. We finally decided on this after much delibration

The bus ride took around 1 hour. We finally reached the hostel around 9 plus at night, and famished since we had not taken our dinner yet.

The door to the hostel. Looks nondescript from the outside but the inside is much better than we had expected.

This is the common living room and our bedroom.

After settling down, we made our way to Shida market for our long-awaited dinner.

And hence ended our first day in Taipei

18 Apr 2009

We woke up at 7 a.m. Or rather, the girls woke up at 7 a.m.

After freshening up, we went out to have breakfast. We walked around for awhile as we can't decide where to eat, and pass by this market, and some chickens.

So in the end, we ate at Mister Donut...

To be continued...

2009-04-22T06:27:00.003-07:00

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.

- CS Lewis

2009-04-16T08:16:00.004-07:00

"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

1 Samuel 16:7

Need I say more?

The world will always look at the outer appearance. But what is it that truly matters in the end?

Lord, help me to see beyond all that....

Do nice girls finish...last?

2009-04-13T06:48:00.004-07:00

This post is inspired by Kia's lastest entry. Well, kind of anyway.

Don't we all desire things that we cannot get? Or wonder how is it that some people seem to have it all put together, where things just fall into place for them, effortlessly, or so it seems? Things like getting a good job, finding the right partner, getting married and starting a family.

Do you start thinking: why can't I be like them? Why do things have to be so difficult for me? And start wallowing in your misery, whilst whining about how miserable your life is?

Ok, maybe I've exaggerated it a little but you get the drift.

But I'm not a teenager anymore and I know that wishing so much for the things I do not have will not make things any better either. If anything, it just takes away the joy in your lives. Life's too short for any kind of bitterness.

And one thing I've learnt is this. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about yourself. Sometimes, people say things that could hurt you so as to make themselves feel better, albeit unintentionally. But if you have 'friends' who put you down often even after you told them about it, maybe it would be better to leave them.

Oh oh...let me digress a little cos I suddenly remembered the conversation I had with Stella over lunch. I don't think I'll divulge much here but it did had something to do with the type of guys she like, and me and YP were saying that her taste is different from ours, which is not necessarily a bad thing either. Now, this reminded me of our 'dream guys' as well. Jace and her Mr Teo SL, Kia and her 'white horse', me and my 'jaguar', and Ting and her ???. Haha. And why do Kia and I both have animals as reference? Hmm....

Ok, before the male readers start thinking that we ladies are shallow and superficial and look only on the surface. Please consider this before judging us too harshly. Most of us do know that there is no 'perfect guy' who will fit every criteria on our list. At the end of the day, we'll most probably go for the one who can be our lover, friend and brother. Or maybe I'm just talking about myself here. A lover who can love me for who I am inside, a friend who is willing to listen and to confide in, and a brother who can protect me.

I should go back to the topic, but since I've already lost my line of thought anyway, I think I should just end with something that links back to my title.

If you think that nice girls finish last, consider this

28Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Mark 19: 28-30

Posted on 13 Apr 2009, Monday, 10.30pm

2009-04-11T09:18:00.004-07:00

This is a Good Friday post, though it is a little belated as it's already Easter Sunday as I was writing this.

At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Mark 15:33

To be honest, I didn't understand this verse, though it's a very familiar one. Why would God forsake Jesus when he needed Him the most? Perhaps we'll never fully understand this. And I can't even attempt to explain it because I don't know. And I can never understand what Jesus would have felt on the cross as well. It can be so difficult to write it down. The pain and the anguish. And it's not just physical. Knowing that the people who you love can be filled with so much hatred for you. Yet, it must still be done. He must still go to the cross and die for them. What love is it? It is the love for all generations to come. To suffer death as all humans will suffer. To taste it and overcome it. To go wher no man has gone before. The commnuion with the Father was broken becaue he who has no sin has taken it all because of us. How can God look on and pretrend that everything is alright? He looked away and for that mement there was darkeness. A sense of hepelessness. But as always annd as it will allways be, God will always be there. and in his heart, he knew it. That the Father will never forsaken him. His love is so much greater and so is his pain.

Out of the overflow of his heart...

2009-04-11T08:02:00.001-07:00

As usual, there are so many things in my mind that I don't know where to begin.

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Luke 6: 45

As it is said, the tongue, though small, can be very powerful. It can say words of love and in the next breath, say venomous words. And some words, once said, even in a fit of anger, cannot be taken back. Have you ever regretted anything that you had said before and wished that you had hold your tongue and not say it? I know I have.

Be slow to speak, quick to listen. And in our anger, do not sin.

2000 years ago...

2009-04-06T08:44:00.004-07:00

Sometimes I wished
I was born 2000 years ago
Then I would be able to see him,
and hear him,
and maybe even hold his hand.

falling in love all over again...

But I do see you.
In the eyes of a child,
and the smile of the old.
In the tears and the laughter
of those you love.
In the words that I read
and the songs that we sing

And I know that one day, I'll see You again...

Dancing steps...

2009-04-04T09:04:00.006-07:00

Stella and I stayed back for the Latin Ballroom party after the salsa class today, and watched others dancing on the dancefloor. No, we didn't dance then, partly because we felt that we weren't good enough yet, and partly also because we did not have any dance partners. I told her that maybe we should learn the guy's steps, so that at least we can dance with each other as well. After all, I also saw ladies dancing with each other on the dance floor.

Ladies learning the man's steps. I wonder if this is a reflection of modern society as well, where women are doing what men used to do, be it in their careers or in their families.

Yes it is good for man and the lady to learn each others' steps so that they can each understand how it feels to lead and to follow. But as I watched, I was beginning to wonder if it was also because there are usually fewer guys who dance and it can be difficult to find a dance partner. After all, why should we let the lack of men take away our joy in dancing? And why should we let them take away our joy in living as well?

Posted on 4 Apr 2009, Sat, 11.58pm

2009-03-29T08:12:00.005-07:00

Guess what this is.

It's the serving plate used at Fullerton! Nice hor =)

I attended a wedding dinner at Fullerton hotel yesterday. The groom was a colleague's son. It was my first time attending a wedding dinner where I did not know either the bride or the bridegroom.

Anyway, during the dinner, some of my colleagues asked when it'll be my turn. Haha.

Well, some of my friends would know that, given a choice, I would not hold a wedding dinner. A church wedding would suffice. Because, to me, it can be rather pointless to splurge so much on a wedding and end up neglecting the more important things, like the marriage.

In fact, I think the simpler the wedding the better. Sorry I'm not a big fan of extravagant weddings. I mean, go ahead and spend on your wedding if you can afford it but is there really a need to spend beyond your means? And maybe only people like Kel can afford to hold his wedding dinner at a hotel like St. Regis (and he'll invite Ting..wahaha).

Posted on 29 March 2009, Sun, 11.30pm

Promise...

2009-03-24T08:06:00.002-07:00

Poem by Annie Johnson Flint

God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

God hath not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;
He hath not told us we shall not bear
Many a burden, many a care.

God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain rocky and steep,
Never a river turbid and deep.

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

Let it be Lord, just let it be...

Which is easier?

2009-03-15T07:48:00.004-07:00

Or should it be, which is more difficult? To lead or to follow?

In partner dances, the man is supposed to lead the lady in most cases. Yesterday, during class, our instructor was saying that some ladies get rather stressed over this, mainly because they do not know what to expect from the men. This is especially when the man did not give a clear lead or when the lady try to second-guess the next move.

I think it's not easy to lead if you do not know what the next step is, or when the lady is trying to lead as well. There can't be two leaders right? Then again, it's not easy to follow either, if you do not relinquish control. Or surrender.

I wonder if we are able to tell a man's character from the way he dances. There are guys who know the techniques well but disregard their partners in their eagerness to show how well they themselves can dance. Then there are some who show that dance is more than just the techniques just by showing that they care about who they're dancing with. You see, it's not difficult to sweep a girl off her feet. And it is not through complicated moves but rather, by letting the lady feel comfortable dancing with you. Needless to say, the lady should help by letting the man do the leading as well.

In a way, perhaps a marriage is like dancing. Two individuals becoming as one and moving in tandem to the beat, or rhythm of life. There cannot be 2 leaders. Maybe that's what makes marriage difficult, but that's what makes it beautiful too. And just like in a dance, once one of the partners stop doing what he or she is supposed to do, the other won't be able to carry on the dance by him or herself.

Anyway, a comment by a girlfriend over MSN just now got me thinking. So I shall just end off the entry with this song.

Holding Out for a Hero
By Bonnie Tyler

Where have all the good men gone

And where are all the gods?

Where’s the street-wise Hercules

To fight the rising odds?

Isn’t there a white knight upon a fiery steed?

Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need

I need a hero

I'm holding out for at hero 'till the end of the night

He's gotta be strong

And he's gotta be fast

And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero

I’m holding out for a hero 'till the morning light

He’s gotta be sure

And it’s gotta be soon

And he’s gotta be larger than life

Larger than life

Somewhere after midnight

In my wildest fantasy

Somewhere just beyond my reach

There’s someone reaching back for me

Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat

It’s gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet

I need a hero

I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night

He's gotta be strong

And he's gotta be fast

And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero

I’m holding out for a hero 'till the morning light

He’s gotta be sure

And it’s gotta be soon

And he’s gotta be larger than life

I need a hero

I'm holding out for at hero 'till the the end of the night

Up where the mountains meet the heavens above

Out where the lightning splits the sea

I could swear there is someone somewhere

Watching me

Through the wind and the chill and the rain

And the storm and the flood

I can feel his approach

Like a fire in my blood

I need a hero

I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night

He’s gotta be strong

And he's gotta be fast

And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero

I'm holding out for a hero 'till the morning light

He's gotta be sure

And it's gotta be soon

And he's gotta be larger than lifeI need a hero

I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night

He's gotta be strong

And he's gotta be fast

And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero

I'm holding out for a hero 'till the morning light

He's gotta be sure

And he's gotta be soon

And he's gotta be larger than life

I need a hero

I'm holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night

2009-03-07T08:29:00.003-08:00

Went for the salsa dance class with Stella this evening. The class was rather small, with less than 10 members. I remembered the last time I had attended a social dance class 5 years ago (has it been so long?), the class was much bigger; perhaps twice the size.

I guess I shouldn't judge too much yet since this was only the first lesson, but I just had to write about this observation.

S'pore guys are short. (Only 1 guy was taller than me in that class and he's an ang moh.)

Haha.

Or it could just be that s'pore guys who are tall do not like dancing.

Oh well...

Posted on 7 March, Sat, 11.55pm

2009-03-05T08:15:00.003-08:00

A friend sent this in an email...

G U I D A N C E
Dancing With God

Author unknown

When I meditated on the word Guidance, I

kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.

I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.

The movement doesn't flow with the music,

And everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,

Both bodies begin to flow with the music.

One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back

Or by pressing

Lightly in one direction or another.

It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.

The dance takes surrender, willingness,

And attentiveness from one person

And gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.

When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "I".

"God, "u" and "I" dance."

God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust

That I would get guidance about my life.

Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings

And mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.

May you abide in God, as God abides in you.

Dance together with God, trusting God to lead

And to guide you through each season of your life.

This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached.

If God has done anything for you in your life,

Please share this message with someone else.

There is no cost but a lot of rewards;

So let's continue to pray for one another.

And I Hope You Dance !

Anyway, last Friday during the bbq, someone asked us what we're looking for in a man. And all of us come to the consensus that he should be God-fearing, Christ-like etc, mostly because this quality emcompasses other qualities such as kindness, integrity and so on as well.

But I was thinking, in the first place it is already difficult to find such a guy.

Even if he exists, he would mostly probably be

(1) Married

(2) Attached

(3) Consecrated his life to God i.e. not interested in women

And even if for some reason, he is neither of the above 3, which means he is single and available, why would he be interested in me?

Ok, I think I've just reduced the chances of me meeting someone suitable to practically zero.

Hey, but more improbable things has happened before, hasn't it?

And with God leading, is there anything to fear after all?

2009-02-25T07:38:00.002-08:00

I felt that I've so much that I wanted to blog about. Yet when I got down to typing, I'm not sure what to write or where to begin. Then I remembered what day it is today:

Ash Wednesday

The period of Lent has begin

"True repentance has a double aspect; it looks upon things past with a weeping eye, and the future with a watchful eye." - Robert Smith

Let these 40 days be a time of repentance and renewal....

Quarter...

2009-02-17T07:16:00.002-08:00

...of a century. That's what I'll be in about 6 months time. And 5 more years, I'll hit 30. It's quite scary, come to think of it.

Ten years ago, I had imagined that by the time I'm 25, I will have graduated from Uni, started working, gotten married, and perhaps even have kids too.

Haha. Ok, actually I lied. I had never thought about that ten years ago. Maybe I'm only thinking about this now. After all, I'm not getting any younger either. Things might be fine and dandy now, with my family and friends for company. But my family won't always be here and my friends will settle down one day too.

I remembered a 'talk' with one of my girlfriends last year. On how we will attend the SDU activities if we are still single by the time we're 25.

Perhaps it's time to consider that again. Then, even if I'm not married at 40, at least I know I've given it a shot.

Salsa anyone?

Night out with friends

2009-02-15T23:49:00.002-08:00

Met up with the girls for dinner and movie last Saturday.

Amidst all the flowers, couples and signboards and banners proclaiming that it's V-day in the shopping malls (as if they're afraid anyone would forget), we had quite a good time too.

We started off with dinner at Indulge, a restaurant at The Cathay. The food was pretty good. Some kind of fusion between East and West I think. And Ting had said she wanted to eat there since last year, so we finally decided to give it a try.

After that, it was a movie at PS, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons". At almost 3 hours long, I had thought initially that it would be boring. I was glad to be proven wrong. XQ had commented that, after watching the movie, growing old doesn't seemed as scary as growing younger, or something along that line. But I supposed, be it growing older or younger, time is always moving and will wait for no man. Regardless of how critics had panned this show, I find it worth the $10. Not because I'm a big fan of Brad Pitt (though I must admit he does look good in the movie, especially when he got younger), but more so because of its storyline and the development of the characters. I won't reveal too much here. Go watch it if you have the time and if this genre of movie is your cup of tea.

Anyway, we took the night bus back after that, because train service had stopped and there was a long queue for taxis. Then on the bus, XQ and I decided that we should spend V-day together next year as well, even if we are attached then. Because love comes in many forms, and love among friends is one to be treasured too.

Posted on 16 Feb 2009, Mon, 4pm

2009-02-09T05:39:00.015-08:00

My regular blog readers will know that I seldom, or perhaps had never, blogged about food before. That is, other than the food that I cannot eat, such as cheese. Anyway the picture above is of a dish named 'Ayam buah keluak'. These are the ingredients.

It is one of the many Peranakan dishes that I like. Some of you might not be aware that I am actually half-Peranakan as well, from my mother's side.

Some more pictures that I got from the web since I did not take any of my own pictures...

Bak wan kepiting (meatballs)

Babi ponteh

Kueh Pie Tee

In a sense, food is more than just the taste. And, no matter how nice the peranakan dish might be in a restaurant, I guess I'll always missed my grandma's cooking.

The reason that I don't blog about food is simply because, I can't cook. Now, this is not a fact that I am proud of either. Even though I believe in equality between men and women and that a woman's place need not be in the kitchen, a part of me wishes that I can cook too. Maybe if my cooking skills are half as good as my grandma's, I'll be satisfied. Maybe if I had learnt from her then, I won't have this sense of regret now. Then I wished that my mother can cook as well, so that at least I could learn from her. But then again, how could I blame her when I've been living with my grandma for over twenty years and yet had not picked up her culinary skills?

Yes, I wish I can cook. But who can I cook for?

Posted on Mon, 9 Feb 2009, 10.30pm

Wondering...

2009-01-17T06:50:00.002-08:00

I wonder if this is a sign. All of these incidents that have been occuring so far.

I wish someone could make the decision for me. Or just tell me what to do now.

Is this all worth it?

Have I made the wrong decision right from the start?

Posted on 17 January 2009, Monday, 10.55pm

Why do such people exist?

2009-01-16T07:13:00.002-08:00

There are times when I wonder why it is that there are people who seem to strive on making things difficult for others, just for their own selfish desires. I'm really getting tired of all these. Mental games are not for me.

Felt like cursing that person but that would even be a waste of my breath.

Just let God do the judging....

I'm so full,

2009-01-12T07:51:00.003-08:00

I felt like puking.
Serve me right for stuffing my face with so much food. =P

It's such a cold day today, and I actually shivered, a little, after coming out of the shower. And I'm contemplating warming up with my hair dryer. Yes, I've finally bought a hair dryer too.

Anyway, this morning, I wanted to log into my Lotus Notes at work, as per my usual routine every morning, when I realised that I had actually forgotten my password!! So I had to get IT to reset my password, which seemed to be quite a tedious process as I only got my new password at 2 plus. Not to mention that I almost lost my temper at the IT engineer who passed me the new password because I couldn't log in at first.

The wonderful part was that after I could finally log in successfully and changed my password, I suddenly recalled my previous password. *Faint*

But come to think of it, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise too, because not checking my email did free me up to do more things in the morning. Not that reading emails is a waste of time.

During dinner just now, Mel (our 'Er Jie') shared with us a vision she had. It was on dancing the Waltz with Jesus. And what a beautiful imagery it was too. It reminded me of the time I had learnt ballroom dancing about 5 years ago. Maybe I'll take it up again. Anyone keen to learn together with me?

I'm still feeling full, and Pet Society couldn't seem to load.

Just borrowed a book from my cousin, and felt like reading it even though I'm feeling rather sleepy now.

Oh ya, speaking of my cuz: Congrats on your O'levels results!!

Posted on 12 Jan 2009, Monday, 11.50pm

Sunflowers

2009-01-09T08:15:00.004-08:00

I can't remember if I've blogged about this before. If I have, please pardon me because I've really forgotten.

Anyway, a few months back, Angie and I walked passed a florist shop and we saw a floral arrangement. It was in subdued colours, so we guessed, correctly, that it was for a funeral.

Then I told Angie that I wanted sunflowers for my funeral.

Posted on 10 Jan, Saturday, 12.30am

Changes...

2009-01-04T05:14:00.002-08:00

Most of my friends will know that I do not drink coffee. Or rather, I did not drink coffee in the past. I'll usually order tea instead. But nowadays, I've starting drinking coffee, and it doesn't help that there are so many coffee places near my office. The thing is, I never used to like the taste of coffee before.

Do our taste buds change as well?

But hey, I guess everything can change, just like our body, and feelings too.

Anyway, I've just finished watched 'Minutemen' on Disney Channel. It's a movie on time travel. Not very original but there wasn't anything else to watch on TV at that time.

Why is time travel so appealing? So that we can go back in time and correct the wrongs that we had done? If so, then why is it that we don't learn from our mistakes and end up repeating them instead?

I still can't believe it's already 2009...it has been one year...

Posted on 4 Jan 2009, Sunday, 9.30pm

Unclutter

2009-01-01T03:49:00.002-08:00

"What have you been busy with in 2008?"

This was one of the questions that Pastor posed to us during the watchnight service yesterday.

When he asked that question, my mind was suddenly a blank. But was it because I can't remember, or I wasn't even sure of what I've been busy with in 2008?

2008 has been a year of disappointments, hurts and regrets. But what is the use of looking back when we should be looking forward?

I've never been one to make New Year resolutions mainly because I know I won't keep them anyway. Haha.

Pastor advised us yesterday to unclutter our lives this new year. I wished I could just start a new life and erase all the bad memories. But I know that is not possible. We only have one life, so make the best of it.

This year, I pray...

For a closer walk with God, something which I've neglected during the past one year
For the peace and joy of the Lord even when times are difficult
For forgiveness and the heart to forgive
For the mending of broken relationships
For the salvation of family and friends, and last but not least
To love just as Jesus loves us

Have a blessed New Year my dear friends...

Posted on 1 Jan 2009, Thursday, 8.20pm

A conversation...

2008-12-29T06:37:00.005-08:00

Had a rather 'interesting' conversation with a colleague this afternoon. He was talking about this girl he was chasing and how he had put on his best behaviour when he was out with her by not smoking and so on. Then he admitted that he wasn't showing his true self to her. And he went on to say that she herself seemed to be putting on an act as well. I replied jokingly that since both of them are pretending anyway, perhaps they really are compatible.

Jokes aside, I guess this is hardly a laughing matter. After all, if we can't be ourselves in front of the person we love, then to whom can we show our true self? Can a relationship that is built on lies last? How long before the true colours are revealed?

Posted on 29 Dec, Monday, 11.30pm

2008-12-25T08:49:00.000-08:00

It’s Christmas again. Yesterday, there was the usual giving of presents in the office and almost everyone in my department went back with big bags of presents. Perhaps that’s the result of having so many colleagues. Sometimes, I wonder why it is that we have to exchange presents during Christmas time.

This year’s Christmas seemed to be more subdued, at least for me. Maybe I’m just tired. So many things have happened this year. I don’t even know where to start. But I thanked God for the good things, like my grandma’s operation, and also for the bad things, like the realization that some people are not what I expected them to be, because these incidents had helped me grow as well.

Then again, who am I to judge? After all, we are all sinners and capable of thinking evil thoughts and doing evil deeds. And that’s why we have Christmas. Pastor was right when he said this morning that the first Christmas wasn’t just a joyous occasion, but also one where great atrocities were committed when King Herod ordered the killing of babies, because he wanted to kill the baby Jesus. Yet the prophecy had to be fulfilled and Jesus was killed in the end, 33 years later on the cross.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

And it is this love that He has given us. A love so strong it can wash away our sins. Yet we find it so difficult to accept because we feel so unworthy. Or because we had not experience this love in our lives. I had attended church since primary school but it was only until the end of JC 1 that I accepted Christ in my life. And I had accepted Him not because my parents are Christian, not because I’ve been attending church since young, and not even because it seemed to be the right thing to do. But because I needed His love. There was a void in my life that only He can fill. A thirst that only He can quench. And on that night, I found my first love. No other man can love me despite all my iniquities. But it doesn’t just stop there. My life isn’t perfect and I know it will never be because I am still human. And I have to seek His forgiveness everyday because I still sin.

You see, no one can force us to believe. Yes, an all-powerful God can make humans love Him if He wants to. But a love that is forced isn’t really love, right? At the end of day, it’s still our choice to make.

Posted on 25 Dec, Thursday, 11.55pm

"Do we end up destroying the things we love?"

2008-12-22T07:34:00.001-08:00

This question was posed in a book that I've just finished reading. What do you think? Some food for thought...

Christmas is about His glory...

2008-12-20T07:52:00.003-08:00

Citygate church had a Christmas event on a ship this evening. Well, actually the ship was docked to the pier the whole time but we could still feel it moving. It was swaying quite a bit at one time and I kept praying that no one would feel 'seasick'. And I regretted eating so much sushi in the afternoon. But thankfully, there were no 'mishaps'.

After the dinner, there was a short skit by the youths, following by sharing cum magic show by a pastor (I forgot his name). Pretty innovative way of preaching I must say, though the children seemed to be most responsive.

Thanks Aver and Jace for attending. And in case you're wondering, they're Ting and XQ la. Haha.

Posted on 20 Dec, Saturday, 11.55pm

Arghh!

2008-12-16T07:18:00.002-08:00

Why do I keep having rashes on my face nowadays? ):

Can someone tell me what to do?

Posted on 16 Dec, Tues, 11.50pm

Nature and Music...

2008-12-14T07:55:00.002-08:00

As mentioned in my previous blog entry, we went to Hortpark yesterday morning. The plan was to walk to NUS from Hortpark, via Kent Ridge Park. The pics are up on XQ's blog (I forgot to bring my camera). Also met some new friends.

Actually, we wanted to go to NUS partly to lunch at the new Arts canteen. Ok, I know the canteen isn't that new anymore but I've not gone back to NUS since 1 year ago k. Apart from the Arts canteen and Computing taking over the Law Faculty, there weren't many changes. Biz canteen still have those colourful tables and the Western stall was still there, though it wasn't open yesterday. I guess a part of me still missed those days in NUS. Somehow, things were simpler then. But I know that we can never go back to the past and some things have changed.

After that, I went back to the office before meeting Kia and Yuejia for the piano concert. The concert was quite nice, with some entertaining performances by the instructors as well. And I did not fall asleep during the concert. Hee.

All in all, yesterday has been a rather packed day and my legs are aching now. Haha.

Posted on 14 Dec, Sunday, 11.55pm

Post-exams...

2008-12-09T07:08:00.004-08:00

I am so glad my exams are over. I think I've blogged before that I do missed my schooling days. Just not the exams. Haha. And maybe I can finally use the book vouchers from Kia (as a birthday pressie) and the other from my company's D&D. Yay!!

Anyway, just a little update on what went on for the past 1 month. Nothing much actually since I've been 'rejecting' my friends' invitations to go out as I've to study =P. But there are some invitations that I just couldn't refuse because it will only happen once in a lifetime. Like the weddings of my two friends. Cindy's and Calvin's on 16th Nov, followed by Paul's and Huiling's on 29th. Maybe I'll put up some photos when I received them. Kia said RJ had put up photos of Huiling's wedding on his facebook. But since I've no facebook, I couldn't see them. So I shall just wait for the 'official' photos from Huiling. Oh, Kia also made us these lovely pearl bracelets with a little ribbon. So sweet right (:

.
.
.
.
.
"To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part."

I remember hearing these vows on TV shows when I was young. But the strange thing is, of all the church weddings I've attended so far, I don't remember hearing this whole phrase in its entirety. Especially the last five words. Some replace it with, 'for as long as we shall live' (I think), which has basically the same meaning I guess.

And another phrase that I like...

"What God had joined together, let no man separate"

Unfortunately, this is not the case in some marriages. Whatever happened to "til death do us part"? Yet who am I to judge here? I am not condoning divorces but are there times when it would be better to divorce than to stay on in a loveless marriage?

Well, like the old saying goes: "Marriage is a gamble". And I shall just stop here in case I got carried away and start ranting again.

Something happier then. Hortpark on Saturday morning with Ting and XQ and a piano concert with Kia and Yuejia in the evening. Thank God for dear friends like them...

Posted on 9 Dec, Tues, 11.45pm

Blogging Siesta

2008-11-14T20:33:00.001-08:00

Yup I'll be taking a break from blogging until after 9 December. Don't miss me ya =)

Baby Gareth!

2008-11-09T19:01:00.002-08:00

Baby Gareth was born yesterday, 12.33am at 3.51Kg (I think). Kia has posted his picture on her blog, so I shall not put it up here lest she said I 'infringed' on her copyright again. Bleah :P

Then and now...

2008-11-09T06:49:00.004-08:00

One was taken in 2005 during my 21st birthday and the other during CNY this year. 2004 and now...

Yes..I know I'm supposed to be studying =P

Blessed be the little children!

2008-11-08T06:06:00.004-08:00

I like to look at old photographs and see how much we have changed through the years and maybe reminiscence on the past as well. Yes, I can be quite sentimental.

And speaking of the past, I happened to bump into an ex JC classmate last Thursday in Tampines. She was with her mother, her maid and her 11-month old son. Furthermore, her second son will be due this December. Honestly, I could never image her as a mother, and much less a mother of two soon too! Well, I guess we are getting older and this is a reality I cannot run away from.

I went to the children's home again on Thursday evening. The girls were doing their devotion and sang some worship songs. They knew all the songs by heart and as I sat there listening to them, tears just swell up in my eyes because it was such a lovely sight. After that, we taught them how to make sock puppets, and it proved to be quite a challenge as there was only so few helpers. The children had quite a fun (albeit wild) time though.

Priscilla later told us that most of these children come from troubled family backgrounds and a number of them had been subjected to physical or sexual abuse. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14). Yet it was their closest kins who have hurt them the most. At least at the home, they would be able to find the solace that they need, though it might never be a substitute for a real home.

I think it takes so much to be a parent. To be responsible for a little person's life. Cos the emotional scars that were formed during childhood would inevitably be brought into adulthood, and further perpetuate when that child, who is now grown-up, has children of his own as well.

I don't think I ever want to be a mother...

Posted on 8 Nov, Saturday, 10.20pm.

2008-11-04T07:01:00.002-08:00

I met Renee, Iris and Mel at PS after work yesterday and we ended up eating at Crystaljade Kitchen. Nice dinner, with wonderful accompany and fellowship as well. What more can I ask for? It's amazing how friendships could develop over guitar lessons.

Iris also said something that made a whole lot of sense. Can't really remember the exact words but it was a timely reminder of how much God loves us and how He knows what is best for us.

Here's wishing you a blessed 1st wedding anniversary my dear sis!

Posted on 4 Nov, Tues, 11pm

Tomorrow...

2008-11-02T07:17:00.003-08:00

I so want a massage right now...haha...body's aching all over =(

Anyway, here's a hymn that we sang during service this morning. Nice and meaningful.

I KNOW WHO HOLDS TOMORROW

I don't know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from its sunshine,
For its skies may turn to gray.

Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand.

I don't worry o'er the future
For I know what Jesus said,
And today I'll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.

Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand.

Ev'ry step is getting brighter,
As the golden stairs I climb;
Ev'ry burden's getting lighter;
Ev'ry cloud is silver lined.

Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand.

There the sun is always shining,
There no tear will dim the eyes,
At the ending of the rainbow,
Where the mountains touch the sky.

Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand.

I don't know about tomorrow,
It may bring me poverty;
But the One who feeds the sparrow,
Is the One who stands by me.

Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand.

And the path that be my portion,
May be through the flame or flood,
But His presence goes before me,
And I'm covered with His blood.

Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.

Posted on 2 Nov, Sunday, 11.20pm

Zzzz...

2008-10-30T08:18:00.002-07:00

I am so tired today...

Tired of people complaining..and here I am complaining as well =P

But Lord, this battle is not mine...

Ok...so u didn't reply me...whatever..I'm too tired to bother anymore...

2008-10-26T08:45:00.004-07:00

I've said before that life is too short to be angry too long with someone.

I think you know who you are but I'm not even sure if you still read my blog. If there is a chance that you do, I just want to let you know that I am happy for you and her.

And I am sorry for the things I have said over MSN. If you'll forgive me for my childish behaviour, please let me know by posting a comment or post in your own blog or in whatever way you choose. Thank you.

Go fly kite??

2008-10-26T07:09:00.004-07:00

I went for the GE Women 10K run this morning. Ok, I didn't really run, except maybe a little at the beginning. Angie and I were walking throughout most of the run. But at least we managed to complete it :)

Anyway, after that, I went for service before meeting Ting, Xq, SJ and Jason in the evening.

So we head off to Pasir Ris Park in Jason's car. As Ting puts it nicely, it really is nice to have someone who drives in the group. (Ask JM to buy a car also la..haha..)

And guess what we did at Pasir Ris Park? Kite-flying!! It was my first time flying a kite. I didn't know it can be so fun. Initially we couldn't get it flying and me, Ting and Xq were struggling with it. We almost wanted to give up but Jason said that we won't go for dinner until it could fly.

Thankfully, we had some help from an elderly gentleman, who we later found out is a member of the Singapore Kite Association. He lent us some of his own kites to fly too.

Was also thinking about the lessons that we can learn from kite-flying that can be applicable to real lives as well. When is it the time to let go or to pull back? If we let go of the string too quickly the kite will fall, yet if we were to hold on too tightly, it'll never be able to fly high. Similarly, in life too, we should let go when we are supposed to instead of holding on so tightly to something that isn't meant to be ours in the first place.

On another note, if I were the kite, then God must be controlling the string, Jesus is the string, and the Holy Spirit is the wind.

Posted on 26 Oct, Sun, 10.40 pm

....

2008-10-24T09:22:00.002-07:00

It's almost the end of October. Soon, we will come to the end of 2008. Perhaps it is a little too soon to be writing about 2008 when it has not ended yet. On most accounts, it hasn't been a very good year, for me at least. Well, the year had started out promisingly but somehow, the events that ensued were beyond our control. It seemed that so many things had happened during these span of 10 months. People come and people go. Even the people I thought who would not leave had left as well. It was so different from the previous year. Yet, in a way, the past almost always seemed better. It is thought that we would be wiser as we grow older, but could it be also that there will be more regrets as well. Inevitably.

But then again, it's not the end of 2008 yet. Maybe it will get better. We can always hope, can't we?

Posted on 25 Oct 2008, Saturday, 12.30am

Goodbye...

2008-10-10T08:22:00.003-07:00

Today was my boss' last day at work. She'll be migrating to Australlia after her retirement. I never would have thought that she would leave so soon, but many things are beyond my expectations anyway.

Yet in spite of everything, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow in this area of my life. Though she might not have been a very personal boss, she had always been very supportive of us, and defending us when needed. And I admire her for her integrity, because to me, that is one of the most important characteristics for a boss to have.

Well, it is said that a picture speaks a thousand words, so here's one...

Posted on 11 Oct 2008, Sat, 12am

D and D

2008-10-04T11:01:00.004-07:00

Just came back from the company's Dinner and Dance. It was quite fun. Got to see colleagues dressed up to the nines, and of course, the talent time was very entertaining as well. If you want to know more, ask me k.

I still remembered the first D&D I went to 2 years ago, and it fell on my birthday that year. Anyway, for this year's, I wore the same dress that I had worn during the Centennial Dinner, because I couldn't find another suitable dress.

But this time I brought my digi cam, so here are some pics...

Me with Stella

With Sam

Posted on 5 Oct 2008, Sunday, 2 am

Floral Walk

2008-10-01T07:11:00.006-07:00

Went for a walk with the Floral Min to HortPark this morning. Will put up some pics later. I definitely want to visit that place again some day. Maybe with Ting and Xq?? Hee...

Last Sunday, Pastor Kai Ming talked about moving mountains. Ok, maybe Mt Faber doesn't really qualify as a mountain but anyway....

And he quoted this verse from the Bible, which I think is really a timely reminder for us as well:

So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:

'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,'

says the LORD Almighty.

Zechariah 4:6

By Your spirit, Lord....

Here are the pics, as promised...

The group

Actually I wanted to post more pictures of the flowers but it's so difficult to post pics on blogger. Or maybe my computer is just slow. Heez.

Posted on 1 Oct 2008, 10pm

Forgiveness

2008-09-15T09:40:00.003-07:00

Today, during our guitar lesson, the topic was on forgiveness. It is one of the most preached about topics and yet, one of the most difficult to practice as well.

Why do we find it so difficult to forgive? Is it because we feel that by holding grudges and not forgiving the person who had hurt us, we're actually hurting that person back as well? But in the end, it is us who will be hurt eventually.

No, life is too short to be angry with someone for too long. Besides, a person who truly cares for you will not hurt you intentionally either. And for someone who does not bother about you, he or she is not worth any of your tears, or bitterness for that matter.

Haha. But this is easier said than done.

Posted on 16 September 2008, Tuesday , 12.30 am

Frenemy??

2008-09-09T09:38:00.003-07:00

I was randomly surfing the net, while waiting for my hair to dry, when I came across this interesting word. Frenemy.

Got this definition from Urban Dictionary

A person with whom you may have a lot of fun and/ or a lot in common, who also has a vile and random dark side. These relationships are worth doing a cost/benefit analysis on. Also, limiting relationships with frenemies to non-SO relationships is a must. Why? Because it’s ultimately all about them after all, and you will need to be in a position to get away from them for indefinite periods of time. Know too, that you will probably become their frenemy as well—because you won’t be able to keep from talking behind their back. If this happens, don‘t expect everyone to get it—some will wonder why this person enrages you so much and others will wonder what you see in them.

It is recommended for your own safety/sanity that you limit yourself to one frenemy at any given time in your life.

Do you have a frenemy in your midst?

Posted on 10 Sept 2008, Wed, 12.46am

Post no. 202

2008-09-07T02:40:00.002-07:00

I've been wanting to blog about this since last week but somehow just didn't get down to it. Ok ok, I'm lazy :P

Anyway, I watched "Wall-E" with Kia last Sat at Marina Square. Had used the 1 for 1 offer by GV since it was my birthday month. It was quite a nice show. A feel-good movie with a happy ending. It started off by showing the consequences of pollution, though I felt that it was rather unrealistic as some of the buildings were still standing, intact, after 700 over years. Oh well, guess it's just an animation. But I like the quote made by the captain of the spaceship: "I don't just want to survive, I want to live." Haha, don't we all?

Contrast this with another movie I caught with Kia, Yuejia and Yuejia's friend 2 Saturdays ago, "12 Lotus". It had such a sad storyline. And throughout the show, I kept hoping that something good can happen to Lotus (the lead character). That perhaps there can be a happy ending for her. But it was not to be.

To digress a bit, I heard this song on Kia's blog sometime ago. She's learning to play it on the piano. Maybe I'll learn it too someday. A very big 'maybe'. Haha.

My Valentine

By Martina McBride

If there were no words

No way to speak

I would still hear you

If there were no tears

No way to feel inside

I'd still feel for you

And even if the sun refuse to shine

Even if romance ran out of rhyme

You would still have my heart

Until the end of time

You're all i need

My love, my valentine

All of my life I have been waiting for

All you give to me

You've opened my eyes

And showed me how to love unselfishly

I've dreamed of this a thousand times before

In my dreams i couldnt love you more

I will give you my heart

Until the end of time

You're all i need

My love, my valentine

Posted on 7 September 2008, Sunday, 6p.m.

After the dinner...

2008-08-26T07:50:00.002-07:00

I had promised to update on the dinner tonight. It was held at the Raffles Convention Centre ballroom. Quite a grand affair I guess, since the PM was the guest of honour.

The food was pretty good, with some lobster dish as the appetizer. Maybe I'll upload a picture of it once I figure out how to do so from my handphone. Didn't really take many pictures actually as my hp camera has such a low resolution. Maybe someone will send me some pictures later.

But honestly, no matter how good the food was, it just couldn't measure up to the dinner with Ting and SJ at Marche last Wednesday. Because at the end of it all, it really is the company that matters.

Posted on 26 Aug 2008, Tuesday, 11PM

Back!

2008-08-25T08:12:00.002-07:00

I'm back! Haha...

Ya, decided to open my blog again after all due to the following reasons:

After 'violent' protests from some of my friends (ok, maybe not really violent), and Kia even said that I was anti-social. Bleah =P
It is much too troublesome for my friends to have to log in just to read my blog. And yes, I admit I was lazy to send the email too...
Initially, I closed it as I was thinking of changing the blogskin, but decided against it in the end as I still like the current one. And I was lazy.

Anyway, I don't think I'll re-activate my Facebook account anytime soon. I think I've already wasted too much time on it, and it is definitely something I can do without. To Kia: I know I did rant quite a bit about Facebook when I first started on it, but people change =)

Centennial dinner tomorrow. Wonder how it'll turn out. Watch out for updates tomorrow night, if any!

Posted on Monday, 25 Aug 2005, 11.26pm

I think...

2008-08-01T09:57:00.003-07:00

that there must be flowers in heaven...

Run...run...run...

2008-07-20T08:17:00.003-07:00

Someone told me that my blog is getting too emo...haha...so I shall blog about something happier today.

Went for the Shape run with the girls today. Quite fun I guess, though I had walk almost half of the 5km. And ended up with 2 bruised big toes as I stupidly forgot to cut my toe nails.

Well, besides the obvious health benefits, I find that a run can be rather therapeutic too. Next up, GE Women 10K!

Posted on 20 July 2008, 11.30pm

2008-07-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

What am I good at? Can I not bother about anything anymore?

Finding Joy...

2008-06-22T07:59:00.002-07:00

The church organised a floral workshop yesterday. They had invited an instructor from a floral training school to demonstrate some of the techniques used in floral arrangement. Well, perhaps 'techniques' wasn't the right word to use since he did not really emphasise much on the technical aspects.

He touched on something else instead. He said that in floral arrangement, we should not always be too focused on the little things that we lose out on the big picture altogether. And that we should never get upset over the conditions of the flowers we have either. Simply because we cannot always control the kind of flowers we get. There are times when the flowers can be really beautiful and other times when they just look lackluster.

I guess there had been times when I was too concerned about the condition of the flowers or too focused on the design. In the end, I had somehow forgotten the pleasure that I used to get from simply arranging the flowers. In the midst of all the control, we missed out on something more important. The joy that flowers can bring us. And it is this joy that will be reflected in our arrangements as well.

Is this the same with life too? Do we sometimes get so upset with trivial matters that we allow them to take away our joy in living?

Maybe I'll put up some pics in my Facebook later...=P

Posted on 22 June, 11pm

Dwelling...

2008-06-13T07:48:00.003-07:00

For those who didn't know, I just came back from a camp organised by Kia's church. It was held at Sofitel Palm resort in JB from 8 - 11 June.

The theme was on His dwelling place. And as the name suggests, there was quite a bit of free time for us to just slack around. There was also a silent meditation session every morning at 7.30 am, though we (me and my 2 roomies) were quite ashamed to have only made it for 1 session out of 3. I think the guys beat us to it by attending all 3 sessions.

On the final night, the speakers decided to pray for each of us individually. Well actually, they prayed for the married couples first before getting round to us singles.

When they prayed for me, one of the speakers mentioned Moses and his staff. I didn't understand it. Or maybe a part of me just didn't want to...

Posted on 13 June, 11.30 pm

Letters and memories

2008-06-01T06:17:00.003-07:00

I was doing some 'spring cleaning' at my grandparents' place this afternoon when I chance upon some old letters. They were letters from some friends that were written way back when I was still in secondary school. Around 8 or 9 years ago?

Reading them really brought back memories and it's amazing that we still kept in touch after so many years. I think you know who you are right? It's funny how some things don't change even though we don't communicate through letters anymore. Maybe it was because of the use of other communication tools such as msn, emails and even Facebook. Yet somehow, I missed those handwritten letters. There was something about them that couldn't be replaced by electronic communication, no matter how advanced it is.

To my dear penpal of 9 years ago, did you still remember that we wrote a song together? And yes, I do keep all your letters =)

Posted on 1 Jun 2008, 9.30 pm

The most beautiful things in the world...

2008-05-26T07:36:00.003-07:00

It's such a big world out there. Yet I tend to limit myself to only what I can see around me. I saw this quote today:

The most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen nor touched, but they can be felt with the heart.

How apt this is! And true too...

I wonder how many times we've envied others for having the things that we do not have or can never be, instead of thanking God for what we have and for who we are. Is that just human nature?

.
.
.
.
.

During cg last Friday, we were going through 6 steps for praying in faith and I felt that I had a trouble with step 5 - Accept God's will in faith.

But I guess that if we asked, we should be prepared for the answer. And there are certain things I just have to accept, and trust that it is for the best.

Posted on 26 May, 11 pm.

Don't take offense...

2008-05-18T08:07:00.002-07:00

Pastor's wife said something about the above this morning. She was saying that especially for us women, who are more emotional and having deeper feelings, we might be more inclined than men to take offense at the words or behaviours of others towards us. But that's not to say that men do not have emotions; it's just that women are generally more sensitive as compared to men.

Anyway, she went on to say that we should not feel offended so easily but should just let it go. Guess that's true in a sense too. After all, what's the point in habouring grudges and holding on to things that were already past?

Posted on 18 May 2008, 11 p.m.

Friends

2008-05-14T08:49:00.002-07:00

I'm beginning to agree with what someone told me some time back. He had said that as we grew older, we'll find it more difficult to establish new and lasting friendships. We might know more people but how many are truly our friends? I've realised that most, if not all, of my good friends are from my school days. But then again, I've only been working for 2 years, so maybe it's still too soon to tell.

Posted on 14 May, 11.30 p.m.

Rebellious stomach

2008-05-12T08:02:00.004-07:00

I think my stomach's rebelling. I only had one and a half slice of pizza on Wednesday evening and ended up with diarrhoea on Thursday. And I had a stomach ache this morning even though I did not take any dairy products yesterday.

Should I just go on a diet of plain porridge and veg?

Posted on 12 May, 11 pm

Fake

2008-05-07T09:56:00.002-07:00

Perhaps at times it is a blessing in disguise to simply live in oblivion. Like there are certain things I rather not know, because knowing only leaves me feeling disillusioned and even disgusted with their behavious. Ok, maybe disgusted is a little strong. After all, who am I to judge right?

I'm just sick and tired of two-faced people, and all the gossiping. It seemed so easy for them to be so nice in front for that person, and then gossip about her behind her back.

Oh, why do I even bother? It's not as if I didn't know this before. I had hoped for genuine relationships, but most of the time, all I saw was fakeness and masquerades. Who says there are no politics? Maybe that which is not apparent at first will lurk its ugly head in the end.

I should have known better.

Everyone has turned away,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

Psalm 53:3

Posted on 8 May 2008 at 1 a.m.

Reap a destiny

2008-05-04T06:49:00.001-07:00

Quote from Pastor Jon:

Sow an action, reap a habit
Sow a habit, reap a character
Sow a character, reap a destiny...

Posted on 4 May 2008, 9.45PM

Samson and Delilah

2008-04-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

We watched this video on Samson and Delilah with the kids this afternoon.

Samson was a really strong man and his strength was a gift from God. However, if he shaved his hair, his strength would be gone. To cut a long story short, Samson fell in love with Delilah and told her the secret of his strength. This led to his downfall as she later betrayed him by shaving his hair while he was sleeping.

Anyway, the topic was supposed to be on self-control. Samson, strong as he was, had a really bad temper and a soft spot for beautiful women. Both of which caused him a lot of trouble. But really, I think it was more than just self-control. To me, Samson came across as a guy who was too trusting, especially towards the women he loved. And I am beginning to feel sorry for him, though it is easy to say that he should have known better.

The everlasting

2008-04-26T21:43:00.002-07:00

Everlasting
By Dan Muckala and Jess Cates

The sky will fall.
The ground will give.
Through it all,
You will be faithful.

Friends may leave.
They come and go.
This I know,
You will be faithful
You will be faith ful

You will always be the same.
Your love will never change.
You are the everlasting
I will put my trust in You
Forever to be true
You are the everlasting

You're the Alpha and Omega
You're forever, everlasting

We learnt this song during our guitar class, which has already ended by the way.

I wonder what the songwriter was thinking when he wrote this song. Did he go through some incidents to make him realise that only God is everlasting?

Guess time changes how we see things, and people too, for that matter. Or rather, it makes us see certain things all the more clearer.

2008-04-24T22:17:00.001-07:00

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.

Relevations 3: 7-8