august babies party!

it was such a great time last night (wed) at hubert's place near orchard road.

almost all of the ppl from the 'old english gang' came; 2-3 yrs ago we used to hang out every weekend, mamak, loads of crap & laughter, crazy about music, going through the teenage phase together.


shyanne cooked, pasta with cheese & itialiano herbs and other delicious stuffs.
The "basket": potato wedges covered with melted cheese, ham, sausage, sprinkled with oregano.
coke, apple juice, green tea, light alcohol beverages, ha.


It feels like family, with terence, julia, my sis there helping shy with the food before the others come. chatting, crapping away while getting the food ready. boiling water for the pasta, cutting oreganos, take out the cheese from da fridge. testing the food, everybody taking a bite here n there.

then when the others come, eat.. chat.. some setting up their laptops to do their stuffs. fu yao strumming de guitar at times. just hanging around doing what you want to do and enjoying each other's company.



food is fantastic! not much left at the end of the day.
talk, talk, eat, talk..

I think for most of us, although haven't contact for quite some time, when you meet again in rare occasions like this, you'll still feel the strong connection to each other, and you hardly find an awkward moment.

Just, talktalktalktalktalktalklaughtalkcrapcrapahahatalktalk...



i'm the "a bit funny and quiet one".
having the unforgettable fellowship and seeing them all together makes me feel all warm & fuzzy inside. i find myself smiling almost all the time, even to an empty kitchen when i go take drinks.

Lights out suddenly. there goes the glowing chocolate cake. Happy birthdays to the august babies..


lesson #1: Don't lean on a girl and make funny remarks, especially when you're holding the cake.



cut de cake.. i forgot y is it so funny



one of those great nights that you never forget in your lifetime.

A picture may say a thousand words, but what happened in that span of hours is enough to leave sweet, deep imprints in hearts forever.

i think.. =P

You are my freedom

be my only reason..


.. Jesus..

school's backyard

oh yeah, the pics from last week, with shaky hands; everything between 2-20 mins stroll from school, 1st three shots from Hilbert's place in orchard.. All taken on the same day. I like Raffles Place so much more than Orchard.

somewhere behind orchard..

weeping, trembling buildings.




ok, now, school's city garden..

litttle 'liu lian' somewhere out there

Fullerton Hotel

one side of the Asian Civilisation Museum

the weird UFO building

merc benz taxi

soft pelts

soft pelting with light company, such is the feeling of nighttime rain drops on a motorist's worn out hands after a job & ministry well done, maybe, lone satisfaction.

Becoming an imposing edifice in hang-around living room wall, or strip-out bleak wallpaper against the sunlight.

Feeling the wind feeling himself.


heh. my student started playing in services n gotten good comments, makes me feel happy for him n myself. somebody wanted to be the best drum teacher in JB as a side hobby.

I'm glad that mom suggested to put those gloves in the bike's 'boot', water-proof and it warmed my hands on this dark rainy day.

it blew so hard on the 1st floor windows during drum lesson this late afternoon, with thunder rumbling amidst the practicing hands of students. Comfort found its resting place in warm lights, tense drum heads, sweet smiles and work.
I won't forget the young one, with the same big sparkling eyes and straight crop above her forehead like an ageless Japanese doll, smiling up to me like I saved her life. This is my today, that was my grateful sight, to behold everyday's beauty in usual daylight.

Hence, my simple-short little delight.

life was

beautiful fictitious storyline, unexpected, very touching..
about forgiveness, hope, sacrifice, patience, sickness, obscurity, love.

I love it. =)


not a new book (2003)

"All ending are beginnings. We just don't know it at the time..."

(#1 New York Times bestseller)

From the author of the number one New York Times bestseller Tuesdays with Morrie comes this long-awaited follow-up, an enchanting, beautifully crafted novel that explores a mystery only heaven can unfold.

Eddie is a grizzled war veteran who feels trapped in a meaningless life of fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. As the park has changed over the years -- from the Loop-the-Loop to the Pipeline Plunge -- so, too, has Eddie changed, from optimistic youth to embittered old age. His days are a dull routine of work, loneliness, and regret.

Then, on his 83rd birthday, Eddie dies in a tragic accident, trying to save a little girl from a falling cart. With his final breath, he feels two small hands in his -- and then nothing. He awakens in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a lush Garden of Eden, but a place where your earthly life is explained to you by five people who were in it. These people may have been loved ones or distant strangers. Yet each of them changed your path forever.

One by one, Eddie's five people illuminate the unseen connections of his earthly life. As the story builds to its stunning conclusion, Eddie desperately seeks redemption in the still-unknown last act of his life: Was it a heroic success or a devastating failure? The answer, which comes from the most unlikely of sources, is as inspirational as a glimpse of heaven itself..

In The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom gives us an astoundingly original story that will change everything you've ever thought about the afterlife -- and the meaning of our lives here on earth. With a timeless tale, appealing to all, this is a book that readers of fine fiction, and those who loved Tuesdays with Morrie, will treasure.

Called to Contentment: Living Happily, Here and Now

quick one. it's almost 7pm. books all day. feeling tired. going to catch simple dinner, still undecided where to have it, either by raffles river or back at Hilbert's condo in orchard. gonna grab some photo stills later at the river, while sunset n all.

every encouraged by yean's email, wondering why am i so quiet in class. today my friend debated with me in class, weird insincere guy; linking buddha, monks, 'separation', catholic n christianity all together; saying mary is holy (totally sinless) n it's a holy family (yeah...), and told me that he's a methodist. saying i'm brain washed by my pastor and learning false doctrine, and explaining why they 'request' from mary n saints, and mary is the mother of christianity, and everything goes back to catholism.

some methodist.



i'm tired to even bother thinking abt what he said. now just finishing what i'm typing and going off to take photos. Is it normal to feel so normal being alone, always? I feel quiet.

very.



put it here to read later..





Called to Contentment: Living Happily, Here and Now
Jennifer A. Marshall




Our calendars can fill up quickly. But it’s easy to feel empty in the midst of a full life if there’s no sense of purpose in the busyness. Is the whole of life more meaningful that the sum of its parts?
What we choose to do in life is important, but why we choose to do it matters too. We can be slaves to circumstance, to feelings, or to what others might think. We can look at the daily schedule as simply passing the time until we get to something better in life. Or we can approach life as an ongoing occasion to be good stewards of what we’ve been given. We can be intentional in our responsibilities and relationships and be on the lookout for the opportunities where we can best put our gifts to work. That’s what it means to discern and pursue our callings. With that outlook, our everyday duties and activities contribute like a paycheck into a lifetime account of contentment.
To Be Called Means Life Is Not Just About Us and Our Self-Actualization
When life planning begins with personal fulfillment as its principal objective, it is unlikely to achieve that goal. Yet that’s exactly what much contemporary counsel for women suggests that we d fulfill ourselves through work, fulfill ourselves through mothering, or fulfill ourselves through a combination of both. The advice often boils down to a tail-chasing pursuit of self-actualization.
To look at life as a set of callings from God is a radically different perspective than that of self-fulfillment. Life isn’t about finding ourselves; it’s about glorifying God. When we’re focused on living purposefully by following God through our personal callings, we’re less likely to be distracted by the yo-yo effect of current fads about how to find fulfillment.
Our callings in life are from God and for others. Our talents are to be used in obedience to God rather than in self-aggrandizement. Ultimately, nothing brings greater personal satisfaction than pursuing our callings for His eternal purposes.
A Sense of Callings Connects Our Pleasure with God’s Pleasure
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him,” says Christian teacher John Piper. Linking God’s glory to our satisfaction sounds like some epicurean “eat, drink, and be merry” philosophy. Carpe diem. Could that be Christian?
Living by callings means that we are living in the paths that God created for us. We are seizing today to make the most of the opportunities God has given us in this moment. By answering His call in these ways we show esteem for God. Honoring God, in turn, brings us pleasure???just as we take joy in honoring those we love here on earth.
To live by callings means to take pleasure in seeking God, knowing Him, and worshipping Him. This leads to greater appreciation of His character, His company, and His work.
We go through this same taste-training with other things in life, from fine wine to classic opera to sports. Not many of us are born loving the finest and most complex things???Pinot Noir doesn’t trigger the same taste response as Pepsi, and Verdi isn’t as accessible as eighties rock. Even as adults, we fail to give due credit to things we don’t understand or haven’t taken the time to learn about. During the last Winter Olympics, I realized my lack of appreciation for the complexity of some of the sports, one of which was curling. Now, I know nothing about curling and would not bother to watch it on my own, but I was with someone who understood the sport and could explain why the curlers were barking at each other and what the furious sweeping of the ice with brooms was all about. On another occasion I was watching figure skating with someone who actually had skated and could tell the difference between a triple and quadruple axel. While I can appreciate figure skating even as an uninformed spectator, I cannot spot a quadruple axel.
Turning our appreciation to these less accessible things???spending time learning about their characteristics and the qualities that distinguish them???is a gratifying experience that introduces us to new types of enjoyment. Some are more worthwhile than others, and curling still isn’t at the top of my list. But there is nothing more profoundly satisfying than getting to know what God is like and appreciating more deeply the way He interacts with us.
Understanding Life As a Set of Callings Provides Balance
Callings don’t fit on a time sheet. This isn’t about forty hours a week; it’s about all-the-time overtime. In some seasons of life, paid work may be among our callings, but it won’t be our only calling. The whole fabric of our lives is made up of callings from God???family, relationships, friendships, community connections, and civic responsibilities. That perspective is an important one to have on either side of “I do,” so the sooner we learn it, the better.
If we recognize that callings include an entire network of relationships, responsibilities, and opportunities in life, we will be more likely to keep work in proper balance with the rest. “One can take a job seriously precisely because one does not take it too seriously,” observes ethicist William F. May.
Understanding this also helps to avoid the trap of workaholism. Work-hours can easily bleed into the evening when there isn’t a family at home to make us observe the dinner hour. Working hard is one thing, but when a job begins to edge out other priorities and relationships, that’s a problem. Of course, we rarely intend to let a job consume the rest of our lives, but this can easily begin with the lofty but mistaken view that a particular employment or cause is one’s sole calling from God and that all else in life should take a backseat to it. A single job is never the whole of one’s callings.
Callings are from God, and that is what gives them dignity???not the pay grade or the credibility that comes attached to them.
Having a Sense of Callings Stops the Nonsense of Competitive Life Comparisons
If I were to average the per-family kid count of friends’ Christmas card updates last year, I’d say it’s at about 2.5. It’s easy to look at those family photos and feel way behind as a single woman.
Comparisons become moot and jealousy grows pointless, however, when we understand that there is no one else on this particular track. God’s callings create a personal course for each of us, and what’s important is how we run our race. That also makes it possible to cheer on others as they run their different races (and happily post snapshots of their grinning cherubs on the refrigerator door).
If Each of Use Has Multiple Callings, Then We Haven’t Missed the Mark if We’re Not Married
One of the toughest parts of looking forward to marriage is wondering when it will come around. This year? Next year? Five years from now? Ever?
That’s not a problem with callings. Discovering your callings isn’t like being on hold, waiting for a second interview, or wondering if he will call. We don’t have to wait around for callings to appear or wonder if we’ve missed them. They are made up of what God has put before us to do right now, such as pay back college loans, clean the house, finish that project at work, help a friend who’s sick. And they are the opportunities we see emerging for the future that fit our skills and interests (that new position at the office, a master’s degree in journalism, a chance to move closer to family).
That also means we don’t have to worry that we’ve missed a calling???and that includes marriage. As long as we live attentive to the first call to Christ and the personal callings He has put in our lives, we can be confident that we aren’t in a holding pattern just because twenty-five (or thirty, or forty) is around the corner and marriage is nowhere in sight.
A person’s callings may include, but will not be limited to, marriage. Even for those who do not marry, the marriage relationship is not the sum total of their callings. To reduce the idea of callings to a single relationship???even one as central and life-changing as marriage???is to miss the point. Getting married, in other words, shouldn’t be the measure of any woman’s success in life.
Marriage, motherhood, and the women in those stations of life deserve high esteem. But what makes wives and mothers admirable?
The woman who puts her faith in Christ finds her identity and value in Him, not in her marital or maternal status. A woman who is a wife and mother and who faithfully loves and serves God and her family deserves honor and praise for being faithful in the roles God has given her for that season of her life???not for the accomplishments of attracting a man, bearing children, or keeping house like Martha Stewart.
In the same way, the Christian woman who is single has value in her identity in Christ, not from her professional standing, heroic volunteer work, or footloose freedom. The practical way she shows her love for Christ is by obeying Him in the callings He has given her for this stage of life, including work, family, friendships, and service opportunities. If she is living faithfully in the callings God has given her and is open to what His hand might bring later, there is no reason for her or anyone else to think that she is incomplete or that she hasn’t fulfilled her purpose because she is not married.
Our status in life???marital, economic, vocational???is part of God’s purpose and should therefore be a source of contentment rather than anxiety. Contentment doesn’t mean we have to be passive and let life roll past us, though. We should each be making “directional progress,” as Jackie in Chicago said, to become the women God has called us to be. Our personal callings play a part in showing us that direction.

dark circle

as i am writing (12.40am monday) the dark circle under my eyes are so obvious, i can't believe it. good thing in church i wear specs so nobody noticed. H.U.G.E. was great, it was such a fantastic time with friends and also gospel. when everybody was in elim eating, i went in to canaan hall to pack my stuffs for a short while; and in utter silence, i felt joy, and thanked God for all the wonderful things that he put in my life.. tnt buddies, tnt CG, teenz CG, english wmm, bilingual wmm, teenz leaders buddies, close friends, family. it's good to know that even if i miss out something in the world, i think i don't miss out much of what God wants me to have and to be in. It's the BEST.


past week have been full of activities besides sch & traveling. relatives from holland came and i accompany them to sentosa island n orchard road.


so my rest & study days were taken up in full. they left on sat after a satisfying meal at yean's bak ku teh. =)

now the zeal to learn dutch is back, heh. =P


photos taken by me (yay!) on the open top double-decker bus in sentosa island.
cousins, uncles & aunties..
right after taking this pic, the bus went through a tunnel, i have to duck, fast. ha.


after so many years, going back to underwater world is fun. at the entrance, there's actually two 'touch' pools where u can reach your hand into the water and touch the sea creatures, string rays, beautiful fishes. awesome.

big live crabby.

oh ya, they r real good-looking, get stares & comments from female strangers. half chinese. they r so proud to be chinese, i don't understand. if it's me i might feel proud to be half dutch, lol.


cute lil' jakey. "nya-nya-nyak". ran in and out of starbucks in wisma astria and attracted all the smiles from on-lookers.



what a week it has been, great weekend too. tis weekend played drums in teenz, sat night service, sunday morning service, album prac, and H.U.G.E rally. dunno y suddenly the duties come together like the rare alignment of solar system. i think i know why i play better - lots of playing breeds improvement.

some approached me to ask when will be the start of another drum course in FGC, hmm..
"split me into two persons, babeh."


tomorrow, another day of adventure in new things. i wonder how is my students' performance in the drum theory exam, see when am i free to go collect back the exam papers to mark, hehehehe...




oh God.. i'm so tired... inbox got 89 unchecked emails, siao, sign out..
oh, but the pre-service prayer in teenz really refreshes me..


great celebration tomorrow night, for i am going to sleep 8 hours! woo hoo!!!!

Hillsong United - None But Jesus

In the quiet, in the stillness
I know that You are God
In the secret of Your presence
I know there I am restored

When You call I won’t refuse
Each new day again I’ll choose

There is no one else for me
None but Jesus
Crucified to set me free
Now I live to bring Him praise

In the chaos, in confusion
I know You’re Sovereign still
In the moment of my weakness
You give me grace to do Your will

When You call I won’t delay
This my song through all my days

All my delight is in You Lord
All of my hope, all of my strength
All my delight is in You Lord Forevermore