Tid-bits!!

For the first time in my life, maths lectures seem to be conferences in alien language. Barely able to grasp the explanation or even stay awake during those sessions left me questioning myself for being so alert the moment they ended.


People are different.While I could barely understand, People of Republic China (PRC)'s students were indulging themselves in the vast knowledge they had just swallowed. Even a student with MP3 plugged onto his ears could explain to you what the lecturer was mumbling about when you caught yourself squinting so hard during the explanation and cant understand. Their existencies in our engineering world of NUS simply makes it the most challenging faculties in Singapore. .. and bla bla bla..

For your very info sake i wrote the two paragraphs a month before and now, feeling obligated to update my blog lest the title of blogger be stripped from me, I will jump into the present circumstance of my very life..

Reading week has started and so does mugging!! Kissing the busy hall activities goodbye and saying hello to the inches-thick books crowding the study table are the 'in-thing' now..
In just a few days' time the whole NUS will face the bi-annual final papers and yes..yes.. there will be more studying to do.. arghhh...

Anyways, today I met up with my cell group leader for lunch (she travelled all the way to NUS just to have lunch with me) *sigh* never really like it when people have to trouble themselves just to help me out or do something for me .. The lunch was terrific *correction* the moment spent was terrific...Being an ex-NUS-ite, she flashed back her past occurences and great memories that this place once offered. There are so much things mentioned that kept me thinking even up to now...(power man!!!)..I really look up to her..

I honestly feel that singaporeans in general are very capable people.. they seem to have time to do everything, sports (oh yeah these people play hard), study (like you don't know), shop-till-u-drop phenomenon and even other stuffs like shouting for dinner at 6 pm with a loudness of 10x my lecturer's (B -block.. dinner.. now..), doing nonsense thing (sorry if u feel offended) like night-cycling (they hunt for food from 10 pm to 6 am haha... and rode tandem bike).. I mean these people blew away my once biased perspective that singaporeans are just studious people who don't know how to enjoy life... how wrong i was...

Did i mention how loved i felt that there are so many FREE exam welfare packs distributed in campus?? This is to enourage all students during their 'mugging' time... so sweetttt thanks to all sponsors like Shell and others (only remember shell coz it is the faithful sponsor to engin fac hahaha)

my days..my say!!!

*Clara here you go* make sure you read this 哈哈哈。。



ehmm.. for your info sake..I didnt get the module I bidded for (flashing prev.blog scene) which left me with short of 4 MCs this sem...



I am grateful!!!! guess wat.. Though I am doing five modules, I feel like I hardly have time just to breathe.. even during the recess week mind you...(guess the word *recess* here is overrated!!)

Singapore....

It's been more than a week since I arrived in this petite island, and there are so much to say than just the scorching sunshine or bikini babes at Sentosa beach.

My arrival in Singapore has been pretty lonely, due to the very..very..last minute 'surprise' by fever and strength-zapped phenomena attacking both my mom and oldest sista. They are supposed to accompany me. The hours spent on discussing and planning of what to grab or buy upon arrival did not seem to shield the sickness from or drive away the fever. Any way, despite all the scene, I (the one supposed to get nervous or chaotic) remained pretty calm.

"...For my ways are not your ways. And My thoughts are higher than your thoughts.."

I believed God is in control. If He allowed this little 'surprise' to show up its because He knows what He is doing or at least to grab me back if I happened to slip due to this. I asked for words upon my departure and I got..

"...I am sending my angels before you...." (I apologize for the incompletion..my Bible is not around and I didn't memorize it very well..anyway it's in Exodus..)

One characteristic of God is..sometimes He likes to give little surprise and though it might be insignificant in normal people's eyes, what I experienced made me just want to give Him a big applause and a pinch on His cheek for being sooooooo cute)

True enough, the first person picking me up is called angel-ina..(there wasn't any pre-arrengement before my departure and she came and picked me up purely on instantaneous basis otherwise I wouldn't meet her)

Upon looking back, I saw His plan worked much better (duh...!!). It didn't take me long before realizing how much we would have to spend if we were to follow our own plans.....


Oh yeah, and despite all the stressful requirements of being NUS student that you gotta fight for your modules (we get to bid and bid and bid.....otherwise you can't take it) I am simply in awe for such a great arrangement He made that I get to stay in the best Hall ever... Sheares hall..a place where every shearite is known to be so SHUAI...(ehrm..good looking)

Hmm.. I just found out I didn't get the module I bidded for (heart beating faster..n I could feel blood gushing to my head offering more oxygen in the sudden hotter temp) never mind... there's another round...(God help me please...)

hmm.. if you don't see me blogging in the next few weeks...just consider myself busy ...


to be continued....

07.07.07

...and so that started the whole conversation.

We were all on our way home the other day when I blurted out a supposedly-joking-statement from my aunt that her daughter should get married in o8.o8.o8.

EIGHT is not only recognized as a good day among Christians but also among Chinese who really like to call it 'fhat-fhat-fhat' meaning triple prosperities..whoa..I said that all restaurants should auction their places on that day.

Indonesians do wed early in life. The ideal age is 25. All Indonesians mother who happened to own daughters, would love to make some plans. My mom started some suggestion.

1st sister's (planned) wedding date : 10.10.10
2nd sister's (planned) wedding date : 11.11.11
my (planned) wedding date : 12.12.12

.....whoaaaaaaaa!!!!! Just abandoned the teenage world and moving on to the next phase of life called 'woman-hood' is pretty staggering aldy not to mention it is scary.

Nevertheless, at least for now i have something else to worry about other than this hahhha..

A meditation....

I really like this one...

"Now Lord, you've known me a long time. You know me better than I know myself. You know that each day I am growing older and someday may even be very old, so meanwhile please keep me from the habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.

Release me from trying to straighten out everyone's affairs. Make me thoughtful, but not moody, helpful but not overbearing. I've a certain amount of knowledge to share, still it would be very nice to have a few friends who, at the end, recognized and forgave the knowledge I lacked.

Please give me the ability to see good in unlikely places and talents in unexpected people. And give me the grace to tell them so, dear Lord."

Hellen Keller once said,“So much has been given me, I have no time to ponder over that which has been denied.” That is powerful.

Don't let time snatch your life...

Picked up by dad after an interesting chinese tuition, we stopped by at my grandma's house.
The front yard had looked exactly the same since I first saw them 18 years ago. Only, it looked more polished through the annual pre-chinese new year's 'painting and cleaning' session.

At the front door, my eyes could catch a massive figure of an old lady sitting down from her dining room and stared straight at my face. No smile. My heart pounded pretty fast. Would this be another 'explosion' moment which has come and gone since the day she fainted and diagnosed with stroke at the hospital? She used to move a lot; a typical home-maker that always find ways to busy herself with. Nobody could understand how she must be feeling now, trapped in her aging body unable to move frequently and she is visibly gaining more flesh.

Entering the room with a child-like smile, I managed to sense an absence of discouraged soul. My gazed were soon set on some round, golden-coloured 'wedding-cake' placed on the oven-tray. Covered with plenty of cooking-oil traces, I pointed one with a different shape than the rests and commented ignorantly,

"This looks like a breast... hmm.. look like Ahu's breast"

Wise enough to sense any taboo-jokes invite their best laughter, I called out one and they responded as expected. An uproar of laughter was heard which lasted for quite a satisfying time.
The face changed. There's a radiant smile on her face now as she looked at me flashing all her fake teeth.

A quick thirty-minutes passed before I heard dad's urging voice to go home. My feet reluctantly obeyed the call as I stood up from the chair next to grandma's. She quickly grabbed a small plastic bag and snatched some cakes into it and passed to me as it was her custom of doing so to every visiting grandchildren. Planting a quick kiss on her cheek, I bid her goodbye. At that instant, she grabbed my tiny wrist and voiced out something that sounded like a slur yet, I could catch it when she said, "Please come again tomorrow."

I said it quick,"yes."

I remembered of an article saying 'when you spend time with someone or something, you are actually giving part of your life.'

Sometimes, in this 'mind your own business' culture, we're too busy doing our own stuffs, forgetting about the people around who simply need a bit of our time ( our life). I always think I have so little time to spare. Yet, by saying "I have no time for this person or this..or this..," is actually causing our lives which is our time to be lesser...Lesser for ourselves and for others.

I believe the covenant I once proclaimed need to be rooted deep down in my heart forever. 'Value people over possession or prioritize human relationships compared to non-living things'

In the end, when we leave this world, God will judge one person according to what he has done to other human beings instead of evaluating his contributions to non-living things. After all, God is concerned with how one would do if He keeps him in His Place.

........After dinner's scenario..........

Parents : " Remember, go and help out at this xxxxx place"

Kids : " Uhmm..." (all looked down ..a sense of disliking)

Parents : "OK, the third sister, pls take care of your brother ask him to study!!!"

Third sister : "Uhmmm... buai albeiz me?? " (murmuring)

Parents : " Bye"

Then, kids remembered 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV) :

“Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…”



** after parents left home for work, kids started to change dress and get ready for work **

....At the resto's scenario.....

** Sound of heels and guests strolling in...**

Kids : "Hi, evening!!" (smiley face is paused until all guests passed by)

**paying time is when the battle really begins**

Guests : " Yeah How much?? My table is xx."
(After staring at the receipt)
"Eit.. I am your usual customer, can you just cancel the govt. tax? I am very well acquainted with your boss...!!

Kids : " Sorry mam, we can't do it." (still smiling)

Guests : " what?? why do you charge me so expensive then? Just call the boss.. I want to talk to him.."

Kids : " I'm very sorry but he is not available at the moment. He had gone out."


Guests : " Yeah.. try calling his phone and ask.."

Kids : "Hmm.. let me see" (went and discuss with the manager...)
" ok..mam, are you paying cash or credit card?"

Guests: "Credit card!!"

Kids : "Alright.. mam, here is the price you need to pay." (another smile flashed)

Guests : "wat? The discount is so little?? why can't you give me more?"
(kids starting to sense a higher temperature in the blood...but remain cool because of *unwritten law of the resto : guests are kings*)

Kids : " If you're paying with credit card, we'll have to give you less discount but with cash, we'll give u more."

Guests : "Ok, how much will it cost with cash?? what? still that expensive? Then, I'll just pay by credit card... urghhh."
Kids : "ok, thanks.."

**time for guests to leave **

Kids : " Thank you mam." (still smiling professionally)

Guests : " Yes, thank you." (satisfied of the discounted price they get..knowing they're acting will get them only that far)

**Story ends**

God Wants Your Heart

This devotional was written by Mike DeVries The LORD says, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on mere human rules they have been taught.”—Isaiah 29:13

Steve Chalke, in his book The Lost Message of Jesus, shares this story:

An old Jewish joke tells the story of Judgment Day at the end of history. God summons all the people who have ever lived. "Here's what we're going to do," He explains. "Gabriel will read out the Ten Commandments, one by one. As he does, those who have broken them will have to depart into everlasting darkness." Commandment number one is read out and a number of people are led off. The same thing happens with each of the commandments until, having read eight of the ten, only a small crowd remains. God looks up to see this handful of stern, smug, grim-faced, self-righteous, joyless miseries staring back at Him. He pauses and contemplates the prospect of spending eternity with this lot. "All right!" He shouts, "Everyone come back; I've changed my mind."¹

I remember growing up in a church not too far from my house. Even though we went to church “religiously” (funny how we use that word, is it not?), I can still remember hating church. It was boring, and long – filled with people whom I didn’t know and who looked, well... so serious.

One day, a well-meaning lady in our church came to me and said, “Son, do you like church?” Exactly how I was going to answer that I did not quite know yet. She continued, unaffected by my silence, “I sure hope so, because this is what heaven is going to be like – church, eternally.”

I’m guessing I had a pretty typical reaction to this for a nine-year-old boy, thinking, “If heaven is like an eternal church service, do I really want to go there?”

Now that I’m older, I’ve been doing some thinking lately. Is it possible to do the very things that please God, yet be so far from the spirit of it, that we miss the point completely?

The more and more I read the Scriptures lately, I keep finding these places where God appears to be saying, “I know you think you’re doing the right things, even things I’ve told you to do, but... you’re missing the point altogether.” It’s as if we are doing the right “things,” but our hearts, the very things God actually wants, are essentially somewhere else.

Time and again, God says, “I don’t want your sacrifices. I don’t want your religious festivals. In fact, I’m beginning to hate them. What I want is your heart.” In other words, I don’t want your “religion” -- your going through the motions to please me – I want your heart passionately longing for me, says God.

It’s as if He is saying, “If your heart is not in it, I don’t want it.”

Your heart is what God is looking for, not your religion. Today, as you go about your day, consider this question: Does God have my heart, or just my “religiously-driven” obedience? Perhaps you need to stop doing some things in order to make sure you are doing the right things.

my moods are determined by what captures my focus

The Life of Restaurateur's kids!!!

WAKE UP (got school) -------- 6 a.m
(no school) -------- 9-10 a.m


*** any addition of time will invite nagging and wailing that sounds like nightmare followed by a sudden change in room temperature to snatch away your cool wonderland and fall into a cubicle of sauna's heat.


BREAKFAST (Happy day) ------ fascinating and plenty of varieties
(no happy day) ----- serve youself bread or egg


LUNCH (Hungry too fast) ----- eat by yourself
(Hungry at the right time) ----- compete for the servings
*unwritten rule : must remember others*
(Hungry too late) ----- eat the left-over portion


Dinner (no matter what day) ----- always special
----- always delicious

For Mothers all around the world, big hug from me to you!!!

I found this really touching...

Before I was a Mom
This devotional was written by Leslie Snyder

I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.—1 Samuel 1: 27-28

I came across this poem recently and thought it appropriate to share as we celebrate the remarkable women in our lives this Mother’s Day.

Before I was a Mom?
I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on. Spit on.
Chewed on.
Pottied on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests. Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.

Before I was a Mom
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much love or so much pain before I was a Mom.

I never knew I would love being a Mom. — Author unknown.

STARTING...!!

Finally, after all the laziness kicked, procrastination overcame and motivation mustered... I am now officially announcing the start of my blog-life journey.

*peasant-dancing*

Actually I started it a year ago due to the invitation which led to invitation(s) from a friend who was so anxious for me to belong to the blogger community in our class. Since it is our Asian culture to practise 'bei-min' (beri muka) tradition, I obediently joined and later flunked it unintentionally..I mean due to my laziness. That's the outcome of doing something which does not come from your heart, I believe.
Anyway, this desire of blogging *all of a sudden* does not come down from the sky or was birthed within me as illustrated from numerous Disney movies..with a sound of gling..gling..gling..
In fact, it comes from within the walls of my house..(I mean my dad's house..) and if you fast forward from the main gate and quickly climb up the stairs and yeah.. climb up the stairs again.. and push the door open after reaching the third floor..you found it.

*shocked facial look*

Her long- sooo straight hair caught ur attention as she remained immobile..with a few seconds passed, she'd turn her head over without speaking a word. You'd be trapped in a scenario of catching her stare when you wished you had not looked at her and now, that dreadful feeling became even more unbearable as she raised her left eye-brow...in an instant, u were prompted to state your defenses of why you are where you are.. as if that matters to her..

aha.. she's my elder sister right..right.. she is just one step above me..Lizzie McJie..

Here's why; having a passion for blogging, she is responsible enuf to alweiz keep it continuous as a movie director is responsible to make unending supply of movies to be broadcasted on t.v and see, what's the use of those movies if indeed nobody watch 'em?? So, the mysterious Ms. McJie (or watever name she has acquired..perhaps Domino'sJie) is now aiming to broadcast her blog towards the viewers and if t.v provides an expensive advertisement, she managed to pull it off using very simple technique eh.. approaching her target and giving out that one-million dollar question, "Have u read my latest blog?" accompanied with a grin from a tomato-blushed face with a flash of teeth like the enemy of batman in'batman forever' dressed with plenty of green question marks..

That triggers me to start reading hers and hence, a change of heart towards blogging (oops.. a change of heart sounds too similar to the gling..gling..gling of Disney movies) happened.
hmm..anyway perhaps blogging is one of the ways for me to practise English even after staying for wat-feels-like-centuries in Indo.. To keep up, I simply subscribe some English magazines and basing my thoughts upon the principle of human metabolism in taking in food and having to excrete as well, I believe reading alone is a one-way procedure and hence, writing out in English should equal the excrete process lest one will explode...

Should stop now..