Towards 2006 (update1)

Ah, what better way to start the new year's eve than to feel accomplished after having some spring cleaning done~ (Okay, not the most exciting way to party, i know "-.-)
Oh well, though the job's not 100% done yet, i'm glad that at least there aren't piles of waiting-to-be-sorted-out stuff lying on the floor now.. *phew*

Oh, and i think i'll do some revision to this space's design in the weeks to come(i'm going to have some Web Design modules this sem!) (^^).. that is if i have spare time for tt! (o.0)
For now, i've taken away tt "profile-poem" from here since it can be found in my Friendster profile anyway..

Another thing, i'll be updating more stuff, expanding this very post in the next few days so that i won't confuse you with a rojak-posts of 2005-recollections and 2006-resolution =p

I hope 2006 will be better than last year for you all! :D

******

7th Jan 2006
In the past month+, I rendered my service as part of the backstage crew in COOS' Christmas musical, The Other Wiseman.
I rolled-up my sleeves for several days each week to work with the small crew of "servant-hearted" youths. The initial weeks were spent working on props and putting together the stage proper. Towards early Dec, we had almost completed all required props and the performers(cast, choir & dancers) started on-stage rehearsals. Soon after mid Dec, we had rehearsals almost every other evening, which we had to attend so as to be well-prepared for the actual 4 showtimes. Into the last few days before the 1st evening show, the crew was roped-in to help complete some costume-making; more specifically, the finer touches to the Magi costumes, and of course, their exaggerated, opulent head-gear!
Eventually, the 4 well-received shows ran smoothly overall; with but a few minor glitches.

Of special mention:
1. Before most of the rehearsals and actual-shows, all the people involved would come together and pray. As bowed heads and closed eyes surrounded the stage, we were blessed with prayer by people from the various 'departments' involved in the musical. An actor verbalised his thoughts on the potential of this production to touch people's hearts before praying for the directors and producers who would shape the final "look" of the whole musical. Another related a personal experience of how he was deeply moved by the choreography of one of the Dance-Ministry's performance he saw several years ago. He went on to pray for all the dancers who would be performing. And someone prayed for the production team/backstage crew even! Everyone involved was prayed for. That, I thought, was really special. Different prayers concerning different aspects of the production, but they always ended by "lifting the production to God, for the glory of His name".

2. On the whole, I gained valuable insights into theatre production and learnt numerous craft techniques. Also, I got a lunch treat at NYDC and X'mas presents from several people involved in the musical too! I felt really blessed with their generousity though I felt awkward too; at not having prepared any gift for them. Then, I recalled how in TOWM-musical, Artaban didn't have any gift as tribute to the King of Kings when he finally found Him. And I realised that it wasn't the actual material gift that mattered, but rather the heart behind it! They(gift-givers) probably spent a good part of their free-time off rehearsals to put together something to bless me with. These gifts, big or small, I shall appreciate the same because they were given in remembrance of He who gave His only Son! So, more importantly, as I look back at my first attempt at serving God and His people, I find myself being rewarded with newfound friendships that are immeasurable by manhours or paychecks.

******

Whilst busy with TOWM-musical commitments, I missed two X'mas dinners! One was oraganised by my cell while the other was by my long-time(AHS-days) "Chi-Ching-brothers"(now with the addition of a few sisters=).

Initially, I felt disappointed at not being able to share in whatever merry-making they had. But when I thought again about the significance of this work-His work!, this musical as an offering to the Lord, any ill thoughts were quelled by a deep-set truth:His everlasting love and grace; within my heart. I recalled my walk with God thus far and realised that my time was nothing compared to the mercy and grace He has shown me.

On the night of the 2nd dinner (w brothers), I sent a msg of cheer to my sorely-missed buddies and received many affirming replies that showed their understanding and support for what I was doing~ Then recently, I received some nice lil' present and card that I was to have received during the dinner with the Cell I missed.

Ah, my thoughts were with them despite my physical absence~ Thank God for such people in my life! :D

******

Forgiveness and letting go

Once, I fell into darkness; but your shining-light picked me up.
When I withheld the facts, your frankness left no stone untouched.

Then, I confessed the truth & you bore my guilt with disdain.
To be truly commited was to come to terms & bear some pain.

Like what He did so long ago, we believe and are changed
I had faith, that you would come to accept things from my past some day

Now I know: He took away my shame
so that we would do the same

******

It was really bad-timing.
She was having her exams really soon and
I was into my final month of project-refining and assessment.
Then again, there was never going to be a good time to hear the things I said.
It wasn't the sort of thing I'd normally tell anyone.. let alone someone so dear...

After doing so,
I prayed for God's mercy and healing to be unto her..
for I could only bank on Him to help ease the pain..
Where trust was shaken,
I prayed that my true intentions would surface amidst
the initial ugly truth...
And I prayed against the cruel irony of this "truth" "betraying" her..

Though I knew we both didn't get enough sleep, I had to see how she was doing.
So, that Sunday morning became the first meal we had together at her home.
Had some time to chat with her folks too. Really nice.
Unfortunately, I couldn't put myself
totally at ease knowing that the cold hard facts were probably still tormenting her soul;
beneath her calm, quiet mood.

And after several days of emotional-cliffhanging, we got together to work-out the issue at hand. I'm sure it took a lot of emotional strength and faith for her. She told me she finally understood what it meant to forgive someone; attributed her "healing" to how we ought to show Christ-like love to one another, on account of His name. Reasoning also that she did not want to be a "stumbling block" in my still-early Christian walk almost brought me to tears.
It felt like I was delivered again.

We prayed for "us" and I had a sense that God had heard my prayers.

Thank God it become another milestone in our new life together.
I shall remember how His grace was ministered to me through my Love.

Odd Library Spree

I was searching high and low for a book shelf with CALL no. 686.2244536; all over Bedok Community Library's "computer-related books area". There was Photoshop, Dreamweaver on one-side and tons of programming books on the other. Wondered where the Adobe InDesign book, I was looking for, was.

I had to trouble a lady from the helpdesk downstairs to help me find it. She led me to an unfamiliar-end of the library with a sign "Non-Fiction" hanging above it. Around me were books about Language and Humanities, Travel and General-Interest subjects. We stopped at the last row of shelves facing the window.

An info-tab on one shelf read "686". "Aha! I'm gonna find it soon!", I thought. I scanned the two shelves and noticed a few very interesting titles printed on the book-spines. "Wow! Why haven't I been here before?" These were books that were especially catered for graphic-design junkies. Books about Typography, Layout, Layout Software and also some Design-Showcase/Annuals.

I wonder what these were doing here, half-a-library-length away from the other computer-software books. Perhaps there wasn't enough space back there; or not enough graphic-design books in the collection to get its own subject-matter-dedicated bookshelves.

I looked further up Shelf "686" and saw that the other nearest CALL no. was quite some way off - like "100.**" And then my eye caught the words "Isreal", printed in bold fonts, on the spines of four books. They were travel books, found amidst titles like "The Perfect Bath", "Marie Claire Beauty Tips", "Guy Style"- many other books on personal care and grooming... Beside the four travel books were 2 titles on "Feng Shui"; with no similar-subject books to be found nearby. Then I remembered the helpful library-lady telling me that some readers like to "browse and chuck (their books) anywhere". How strange... Still I suspected how those "out-of-place" titles were so neatly arranged, like as if they went meant to be there. Or were they meant not to be found? Maybe some anti-Zionist and geomancy-skeptic wanted to.. (ok, I shan't go further to dramatise the possible identities of fellow library-users.. But heh, u never know if Al Qae... d..) Hmm...


By the way, the National Library Board is DOUBLING loan quotas for regular members from now till 1st Jan 2006! That's 8 books for you to get all wriggly in between printed sheets of dead trees! (I've kapo-ed altogether abt 20 books using my mine, Mom's and bro's membership cards ;p; and still can borrow 4 more) wonder if i can read/digest finish in time though.. bleh..

Good luck to all those preparing for exams too!

Back to the Blog

I walked along the path leading out of my estate and.. Feeling a strange sense of liveliness, I noticed as well the (almost-forgotten) sweet scent of the cool morning air.
I approached the bend and started to quicken my steps towards the golden horizon beckoning me ahead:

The recently-planted "little fir trees" greeted me as I strode into the sunlight. I think the cheerful feeling inside was that of my heart and lungs secretly smiling.
My mind: "Thank God for this beautiful day!"
My heart: "What are you still strolling about for?"
My legs: "Let's go!!!"
"huff, puff..."
*heavy-breathing trailing off into the distance*

******
I think I like (waking up, not sleeping way past!) early-mornings again~ (^^)

******
Gosh, I just realised that there's been an awful lot of happenings (that're not at all awful-happenings) that I've not updated here, since I went off into another dimension to accomplish my advertising-campaign design-project for this semester. Soon after that, I had to go across the causeway to visit my paternal relatives. Came back to SG since 1 week ago, with a slightly improved bio-clock (for wanting to take the wheel safely and not be a liability to my family).

Since then, I've been spending some personal time cleaning/sorting/packing things in my room and some parts of the house. At the same time, whilst deciding not to waste precious free time grumbling about my holiday assignments, I've decided not to look into them until I've enjoyed myself adequately with doing some of the things-i(we)-said-i'd(we'd ;-) do after our respective exams/ assessments.

But anyway, it's good to be back, in the Bloggosphere-where I've heard of many-a-friend establishing their own piece of cyber-real estate too. Hope to link them all soon~! Woohoo!
More to come in these two months~

******
An extract* from Modern Marketing Bible-S'pore vers* :
During the late 90's, in the company's pre-launch ideation-days, Breadtalk's creators struggled to come-up with an idea for their "signature product". When they could not come up with anything more than luncheon-meat-stuffed buns, they finally decided to turn to God for inspiration. The creative-baking team got down on their knees and prayed fervently for light bulbs to light-up in their minds. During the prayer, the chief-baker (who was an atheist) was skeptical and said under his breath,"If this prayer-thing works, pigs will fly already"

Then from the heavens above, an authoritative voice rumbled,
"Look up! This is how your bun shall look like:"
Fig 1: Pork Floss Sky
Upon raising his head, the chief-baker was immediately filled with the Spirit of creativity and realised how to raise his bread.
The chief-baker and his team gave thanks and started worshipping God when He added on,
"By the way, be careful how; and what, you pray for. That which you were all praying for.. didn't Thomas Edison pray for that 100+ years ago!?"

Under divine inspiration, Breadtalk created their Pork Floss Buns that became so hot-selling that all the people of the land said, "Pigs are flying(off the shelves) now!!" And so the prayer-prophecy was fufilled. Later, company's directors decided that every employee should be baptised in Faith-raising flour so that everyone would appreciate the Provider of their daily bread too... that however, is another story for another day...

*some spur-of-the-moment nonsense by myself; please read with a pinch of salt.. :p

Purpose

Sometime ago, when "Back-to-School-Blues" was the looping-soundtrack that accompanied the latest "nagging-issues" episode of my living-showreel, I went into "meditation-mode" to find myself thoroughly shaken by self-doubt.

The following incomplete-post drafted then, only sees the light now:

***start***

For who am I working for?

It has dawned upon me that I might not be so independently-driven as I thought before.
I shrug off (too-easily) doing any "work" that pertains solely to myself; but (over)zealously seek out activities that fufill a greater group's intentions. The group project takes priority. Band practice is important to me. The lives of my family, friends and loved ones take precedence. There used to be so much to do for them. So much I could obtain a sense of fufillment from - in having "served" them; for what I always saw as mutually worthwhile causes.

Father~!
Mother~!
Gawd!?

What is it that I can do now? Now that I'm embarking on a journey of my OWN design( how unfortunate a pun~!) Why is it I feel almost powerless having "branched-out from the mainstream"; which was supposed to be suitably-liberating for me!? Why is it I feel that I am being forced to give up time with everyone-else to do these things myself?

***end***

a random from my Sunrise-collection:















To continue from where I left off back there & then:
I quote what a relatively-new friend recently said to me: "your weakness is that you always think what is best for others but not you" , "sometimes, you just got to be a little bit selfish to pursue what is good for yourself. it is a matter of fact, and it is very common and alright to do so" .

I thought about it and realised that wasn't the first time I've heard those words said to me. My parents have said that before; especially during the tumultous secondary school-days of Brotherhood and Band activities... when I ensured ChìChiñg Utd FC made it on-time for our Sunday-morning matches or court-kick-abouts... when I made sure I was in the Band Room whilst encouraging Bandmates to come in and practise as much as possible(especially in the months before SYF-competition~!)

Wait.. does that mean I've been living like that all this while?
A life of servanthood treading between democratic-leadership and plain-mediocrity?
A life embracing my personal growth but with a reluctantance to accept the end of my "foundation-phase"; to move-on and to flap/beat/spread my wings and take flight?
An insignificant life that's been spent wastefully so far?

!
No
Not at all.
When I think about it again clearheadedly, everything that was done, had it's meaningful life-changing purpose after-all.

I think things changed when:
- I learnt how to draw (first with Dad/Mom guiding my hand, then from attending Pre-school Art Enrichment lessons:-)
- I learnt how to play soccer with my Pri-sch mates - with a plastic ball~! (Ruebs' and ZhiWei should be very familiar ;-)

Think things changed when
- I went into a Chinese mission-school with my lack of domestic(&daily) Mandarin-usage and secular lifestlye.
- I (unwittingly) joined the Band with no music-theory-background (& I thought the Yamaha-recorder in Pri Sch Music lessons was tough enough!)
- my Brothers came into my life and we formed ChìChiñg Utd FC, the social-support on and off-the-field :)
- I started hating Math~! :p
- you wrote to me ;-)

Things changed when
- An Art-teacher encouraged my artistic-growth and I decided to take up Art for my A-Levels.
- I decided to still take MathC if only to fufill Architecture's prerequisites.
- I unfortunately burst a lung.
- I met you again *timeless Stairway-Scene replays*

I believe all the above, being Captain, Band-Major and Pope was part of the plan. I believe that He was with me all along. Yes, it's been a long time coming. And still He remains faithful.

I finally believe, that the "miracles" I've experienced during my challenging-but-overall-smooth-sailing N.S-days were only granted through His amazing grace (credit also, to friends and family for their silent prayers). Although they weren't outrightly, explicit epiphanies, I'd like to give credit to the Almighty; for turning difficult circumstances around; for working through everyone who has blessed me so far~! Hopefully, I can reminisce & recollect more memories of the loving Father's works-in-my-life (from my "unbelieving" past) to share with everyone :o)

If there were anything more purposeful for us than living life itself, it'd probably be: Knowing God.
Which means so much more than just knowing about God.
May His bleesings touch your hearts always. :D

a random from my Sunset-collection:


What was once lost, has thus been found!
Onward, to discover God's will now~

Love, Actually hor

Deep bass-guitar, synthesizers, bongos and maracas provide a backdrop of a lovely Caribbean sunset.. before a sultry voice croons "I can't believe... You're a dream coming true... I can't believe... That I've fallen for you..." and piano & saxophone riffs add the icing to her creamy vocals... *"Fallen" by Lauren Wood*

Have you ever felt your heart acheing? Particularly, an intense longing for someone?
When you felt that way, you probably asked yourself: "Could this be Love? Am I in Love with..."

Love. Another one of life's mysteries.

******
I recently stepped into a Christian Book/Gift Shop out of curiousity... thinking I might be able to get something useful to guide me along my new walk of faith. In the store, they had set up a small TV up in one corner, with a video recording of some seminar being played-back.
Frankly speaking, I wasn't paying much attention to the "pastorly" voices coming from the video as I was browsing the books on offer.

However, something did catch my attention. A middle-aged-sounding voice proposed an analogy to do with maintaining marriages : "Marriage is like opening a joint-savings account("of emotions", I'd add) with your spouse."

The speaker went on to add:
"Everytime you tell your husband/wife little words of love or spend romantic-time together, you make a deposit into your savings account. Everytime you have a fight and get upset with each other, you make a withdrawal from that account. So the more you contribute to this savings account, the healthier your marriage will be"

Well, that was at least what I remembered and/or rephrased. So, not only does making a "withdrawal" not translate into spending-credits, it also damages your personal well-being(s).(not to mention the kids' too!) Though we can't actually spend these "savings", we only need to contribute a little a day for it to grow substantially overtime. This is possibly one of the best places to "invest" in because of the win-win situation & infinite "returns" overtime.

Okay, end of "financial" advice. ;-) But seriously, it's certainly a concept applicable to almost any aspect of life; be it attaining our life-goals or pursuing the love-of-our-life.

******

(Warning to love-cynics and skeptics, "Cliches ahead")
Since you might ask how it feels like, this is what goes through:

I wake up thinking of you. I turn to smile at "you". But all I have is your picture by the bedside. Ah... How I'd make you some breakfast if you were around..

The morning sunshine greeting me reminds me of your smiling face. Another day to work, a day closer to when we might embrace.

The day's barely halfway, and I wonder if you're doing fine. "Had yourself a nice breakfast(or brunch) already?" I'd ask, when I suspect you've gotten too busy to remember "meal-time".

By afternoon I'm thinking, how best to throw surprises - that won't squeeze your schedule tighter but still make your day brighter!

And when the day seems to get stuck at Tea
I have only to receive a msg from you; & my eyes light-up with glee;
and "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" starts playing automatically! :D

By evening-time, you've got your school-hours & I picture you
tinkling or tabulating away.. wonder if you've brought a jacket
to keep the chills at bay..

And even after our "Good night(s)",
I can't sleep till I know you're safely tucked in.

Otherwise, I pray you'll complete your late-night-task soon.
Looking wistfully at the bedside-picture, i drift off feeling over-the-moon~

******
Aye, all that might not have been the anticipated-reply to some insightful relationship-related blogposts that I've came across recently. ;-) But, this'll have to suffice while I think on the uncovered-topics further~!

Hallelujah

Some time ago, I got this gift from Jo's cell-mates over one post-service dinner (was actually a prize that the cell won from taking part in a Bible-Quiz) It wasn't my birthday or anything, but since the prize couldn't possibly be split amongst cell, they decided to give it to me (being a "guest" of sorts then.. hee) It was a porcelain-mug upon which a verse was printed on; in large friendly fonts, that read:

" You did not choose Me, but I chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit -
fruit that will last. Then the Father
will give whatever you ask for in My name. " John 15:16

I thought: Was that a prelude for greater-things to come?


******

A little side-topic:
Give those who you feel deserving a word of thanks. Acknowledge their efforts; because it reassures them. Shows your appreciation sincerely, for wholehearted-expressions beget love. We were not born to read one another's minds(literally-speaking), so speak we must~! But always, use your tongue wisely and let encouraging words leave your lips; as much as possible.
Gratitude.
Have you got your dose today? ;-)

******

Today's topic:
In all unlikelihood and un-Weirong-like actions, I did something quite unusual today. Went out for dinner with a person I barely knew: a cell-group leader from church. But, it proved to be a thoroughly meaningful experience eventually. We chatted over dinner about general affairs and of course some words about the faith; before moving-on to a more chat-friendly environment. & Pacific Coffee House with its plush red armchairs offered that.

"So what's holding you back?", KL asked.
"Well..." I paused a moment before adding on, "Apart from a few uncertainties about what a Godly-life encompasses, I think there's nothing else really".
I continued to elaborate as KL promptly clarified my concerns.
*phone-beeps*

******

"Did you know that one who behaves self-righteously is in God's eyes, but a piece of dirty-rag?" KL stated gravely and continued: "No one should tell God what he deserves to receive from Him; for no human-being can equal the goodness of God's love for us."

At that moment, his statement sparked a thought in my consciousness. I remembered I once held a belief that if I portrayed myself well in the eyes of others and served their needs, I was pleasing God(back then: unknown, nameless to me). Truthfully, I was even secretly revelling in my "status" as "Pope" to my bunch of closest friends. All that "glory" for nothing particularly "holy" or "Godly" that I did. Self-righteousness? Yes, upon retrospection.. oh yes.. that was me then.. part of the growing-up-phase where one finds his place-in-the-world and sense-of-belonging I guess. I confess my sin to you all now~ (-.-)

******

We left the comfy bistro for a quieter place. Outside, the air seemed cooler than usual(in the city-area especially), seemingly to welcome us into the night.

We settled at the foot of a long flight of steps that led toward Marina Square. (Quite symbolic actually, to think that this is where one starts "climbing-up")

I thought: "Alright, this is it."
I closed my eyes and was led through the Sinner's Prayer after which KL added-on his prayer for me. In a few minutes, "Amen".

I peeled-open my eyes to see the night-time city-scene just as before.
There wasn't any overwhelming feeling that came; but I felt a little spark inside ignited, a re-awakened sense of spirit, a spiritual-renewal! :) (Myb I should confess my sins more often to continuously feel this good) But seriously, I will have to devote time in the Word and prayer and etc.. to build upon that first step.

I remember KL said, "All you need, is to have a 'child-like' faith in God" "This is how we all begin our relationship with the Lord - with Faith"

Here is where I start "learning to walk again", i thought; "like a child led by his Father."

******

Now, a flashback to the *phone beep* up there^:
I was still deep-in-conversation w KL & I didn't check it till much later. The sms was a reply to a matter concerning school. But, surprisingly, that sms was amzingly-appropriate as a response to my reply to KL's question~! Excerpt of the sms: "... Thank God for that... Now's the time to complete it... " I was stunned at that "coincidence"... but as God's child, I shall say instead, that it was God (divinely intervening &) showing his love~!

******

Thank you, Lord God, for the blessings in my life; & for planting the seed of your love in all who are dear to me. From this day forth, I proclaim Jesus Christ as my Personal Saviour; and hold steadfast Your promises and purposes in my life; and yearn to grow more&more like Him. Amen.

:0)
Dear Brothers and Sisters, when I am more learned, I will share the good-news will you too~
God bless you all~

Brother Samuel

Flashback :

13th Jan 2001
ChiChing Utd's New Signing

Samuel Lim Liang aka "Jimmy" receives his club-shirt finally after leaving the Anglican Fields for Texas 1 year+ (as at the time of this event) ago. Physio-cum-Manager-cum-Centreback Daniel welcomes him home "officially" in this presentation-ceremony~
(P.S. This was actually Brother Zhiwei's 18th B'day.. an event which was attended by 17 in all; we had to open 4 tables up just to squeeze ourselves and the BBQ-steamboat-buffet dinner!)


******
I dialled the numbers. The person on the other end answered.
The deep voice was sounded strangely familiar and novel at the same time. Over the phone, his "not-especially-jolly-sounding"(myb even tersely) spoken "Hello" belies a warm, easy-going and humorous character. :p He's still just as laid-back in person as before.

I travel down the escalotor and saw a familiar face that smiled just frm the eatery a few paces away. Heh, he still looks the same. Maybe more formally dressed only, heh heh. His sister, her husband, & husband's parents were there with him; together with a little bundle of joy~!

Samuel: "Heh, I'm called 'Uncle Sam' now.." "Meet my niece, Esther~"
*3mth-old-chubby-looking-face-looks-around-everywhere-in-self-absorbed-manner*
WR: *smile* "Awww..."

******

WR: How've you been all this time?
S: "Been doing really good"
"Look" *proceeds to pinch a palmful along his tummy*
Both: *chuckle*
WR: "boy, when was the last time we met up?"
S: "Think it was some dinner; or somewhere maybe at Melvin's place"
WR: "Thought you came back once when we were still in the Army?"
S: "No, I think you all weren't in Army yet"
WR: "It seems like not long ago since you left"
S: "I've been in U.S. for 5 & a half years already eh~"
WR: "Oh yea.. you left straight after AHS~!"

******
updates about our Brothers, general happenings in SG, etc..
******

WR: "What made you decide to join the Bible School?"
S: "I've known these group of people who attend this school for a very long time already." "Since I was a kid even. I've always been a Christian although sometimes I don't go to Church; and never once thought about enrolling in Bible school~! But when I was in U.S, there was a group of fellow Christian students who I got to know, and regularly met-up with. In those sessions we got to hear each-others' personal experiences with the Lord. After some time, it softened my heart. There are times when I think about some good things that have happened in my life, I think they happen for a reason: Wow. God is really working in my life!
I let my parents know, spoke with my Sis(s) abt it too; and they were all ok with it. And so now the church, I was attending, is sponsoring my 2-yr course in Bible School. I kinda' like a 'missionary' now; heh heh.. So far, what I've learnt has been very meaningful and I'm really lucky that everything has been provided-for."
WR: "Wow. That's great. I'm really happy to hear all this"
S: "Yeah. Life's been great really~"

******

The flight beckoned.
We left the eatery to proceed to the Departure Hall at a leisurely pace.
Samuel takes this opportunity to carry Esther about along the way. His aunt-in-law mentioned: "By the time you come back, she'll be able to speak with you already~" :)

Then, once more, his family bade him their warmest farewell; with a hug from his sis too.
S: "See you in maybe 2 years"
WR: "Take care man~"
*wistful sigh*

Runaway Train

School design projects are managing my life now; threatening to turn me into an insomniac. The feeling now is akin to riding a steam-powered locomotive.. on creaky, old tracks that give you the feeling that your choochoo would derail any moment; built over a trecherous mountian/ravine terrain.. And even if it manages to keep on-track, I am suspecting where I will finally end up.. For this train has lost it's brakes~! Still, I've to keep feeding the coals into the furnace; or risk stopping along the old-tracks (over a ravine) that might give-way and leave me freefalling.
*gulp* (o.0)
Right. I must remain in control -.-"
I'll work it hard to take it as far as it can safely go~!
*shovels coke into hungry-engine*

******
1 week ago, the service I attended was closed with a mass-healing prayer-session. When the congregation was dismissed, a very special song was played. It was the only other familiar tune I could remember from AHS-Wednesday-Assembly days... Another memory-reel revisited and I was compelled to sit myself down. To soak-in the good ol' song and reflect on its significance once again.

So here it is.. (Brothers, I'm sure some of you all must find this familiar.(since so many of those songs on Wed-assembly were in Mandarin~!!))

"God Will Make A Way"
A:
Oh God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way.....
He will make a way

B:
By a roadway in the wilderess
He'll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain
And He will do something new today

Repeat: A

******
I might beeee "gone" for quite a long time, but will try to update this space to show y'all I'm still pretty much alive and well (or rather "hanging-on-for-dear-life" hoho) :p
Later~

Contentment

Happy 47th Birthday, Mom~!
(oops, did I just reveal your age?..er, let's hope i rem wrong & added more years to it.. :))

got my Mom a pair of leather slippers from Leather Ark; Bugis Junction... I told her she needed some nicer footwear for casual-walking bcs she's been wearing this pair of maroon-sandals with slight heel (i dunno how else to call them?) for ages~! Plus, they were on offer, at a price I thought was reasonable for leatherware - $25 :D
We didn't get her a cake :< but we'll probably treat her to some place nice for dinner this weekend :D

******
" I've got plenty of nothing; and nothing plenty.
Got my Song... got Heaven all day long " - frm Porgy & Bess

******
Folks, I still can't count my blessings enough, for my life is abundant with more than just basic necessities now~! No, I've NOT struck Toto or won $1M in some lucky draw..

But what I do have, and hold dear to my heart, is really having meaningful human-relationships in my life~! I've got a loving family, a soccer-team's worth of Brothers & also someone special to keep in-mind. But alonside(or beyond?) these worldly blessings, I long to see God - the Father who has provided & wonderfully-enriched my life.

A friend said to me, "We're not getting any younger already"... As the years roll by, we may get too caught up with working our lives to fit our ideal futures; such that we lose a sense of child-like wonder and youthfulness that once allowed us to enjoy the simple things in life. Some of us had void-deck soccer(played w plastic-ball) kakis, whilst others were content just doodling with oil-pastels or flinging five-stones . And then as we grew up, some started wanting more "toys" to entertain themselves with - Nintendo & Sega consoles... and soon after, Playstations and Sega Saturns.. And when we're thrust into adulthood, although we've learnt how money works... we sometimes still crave for more gadgetry or luxury! There will never be enough to satisfy our already sophisticated lives... So think about it; whether something will actully make you happier before splurging on it.

Folks, I'm not asking you all to give up your 5Cs-dream, or go enrol yourselves in monestaries and live a religious, frugal life. My point to you all is that, do not fret over what you do not posess... Aim and achieve yes; but be content with what is already on hand, and feel blessed that you are not disabled or afflicted in anyway to enjoy life's basics. I heard a pastor say this recently, "Live simply, but don't simply live." I thought that was a piece of simple yet meaningful advice. So, if you just try counting your blessings; accounting for even the tiniest of tidings, you might come to realise how wealthy you already are~! :D


******
Now for a song:

I'm 15 for a moment
Caught in between 10 and 20
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are

I'm 22 for a moment
She feels better than ever
And we're on fire
Making our way back from Mars

15… there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
15…there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live…

That was an excerpt only; full lyrics here :)

Existence & Immortality

"Existence is how you remain in others' Hearts & Minds"
WJ: this was something I read from your Messenger "personal msg" some time back..

When I reflect on it, I think that has some profound meaning within. I think WJ meant "existence" to encompass not just a"state-of-being-alive-&-of-consciousness" but at the same time, "a-state-of-being-where-one-feels-a-sense-of-belonging"...

Take for instance, if one's only aim in live is to merely survive, he might choose to live alone. Like a hermit; in solitude, depending solely on himself and shunning human contact. This would be an extreme case of social-exile; but it illustrates the point of being "non-existent"- where even in death, no one is aware to mourn the passing. One's existence would be sadly pass-by unrecorded ... be rendered "negligible" even!,

On the other end of the spectrum, if one chooses to live a life where he abundantly-invests his time in things that involve the rest of humankind, he can be assured of perpetuating his name, the part of his worldly-existence that extends even after his body goes 6ft-under or is scattered as ashes. One must have a sense of belonging to his people(to even want to have anything to do with them), to even be compassionate in the 1st place, before being given any honour, let alone that of "perpetual-existence". However, the things that could grant one such "existence" could be far from good as well... i.e. Hitler's notoriety is associated with his ethnic-cleansing & war-mongering ways...

To infer further, existence beyond one's last breath; lies within others' hearts & minds. Such existence can even be considered as "immortality"~! If you think about all the history-makers the world has ever known, they are survived by their accomplishments or contributions; that have shaped the course of history as we know it today! Will expand on this topic at a less unearthly hour in future..
until then... "WR Out"~!

******
P.S. TagBoard has gone Kaput~! Their web-site seems to have crashed.. So for now,(myb in future) do use the newly-installed Chatterbox here~! :D

Immeasurable Joy & Thanks

:D
I'm feeling like the most contented 22yr-old-bloke in this world now~!
Thanks to Marcus & WanJun for party-planning & rawfood-preparation(applaudable nitty-gritty effort~!), Reuben for doing the groceries(finger-licking delectable treats~!), U-Wei & Juliet for Wine(mmm..hope y'all liked it?) & Apple Crumble(yummy~i'm sure y'all loved it!!) Daniel & Mandy for capturing the cheers on digital-film~ Appreciate the gifts frm Marc, WJ, Alvin & Gerald too.. But most of all, to the rest of you, my dear Brothers & Sisters:
Your presence alone was more than what I could ever ask for as a birthday-gift!!
Thank you all for coming together last evening to chill out & celebrate with me!

P.S.: I've to say I wasn't expecting anything more than your company, but well, well.. what a sneaky surprise from the gamemasters~!

& last but not least:
Thank you Jo, for being there; especially so when you've to take time off from your busy schedule and to familiarise yourself with the whole "family" that evening.
Thank you all; my Brothers & Sisters, for making her feel welcome too~! :D
******

A Star Is Born~!

Last Sunday, I went went with Bro Kerong & a mutual friend to support our dear Bro Melvin when he competed in the finals, of this local talentime competition(called Xin1 Yao2 Jie2 in Mandarin) featuring upcoming local Mandarin-song composers & performers:
******
Here are some snapshots of the event:

Not in the limelight
but still shining in his keyboard-performance of the song he co-wrote. Melvin is rapt in emotion here, playing "Kitchen" (Chu2 Fang2)














A Few Words
from the the composer himself(2nd frm left), after his second song. Yes, TWO of his songs made the cut for the Finals~!










Misc Shots:
























you can pretty much tell where we were seated from this shot.. lol.. ideal position for sniping photos w/o much intervention from ushers.. however, they did not seem to care much with ubiquitous camera-flashes throughout the event. Especially when guest-performer Gigi Leung came on stage to present two songs. My batteries were almost out then & I wanted to save the last bit for a Melvin-moment; just in case... so I couldn't take a shot of the HK diva~ >.<


It'll take more than chants and spells for your friend to win Pal.. heh heh... :-p











Melvin's song "Kitchen" wins the "Most Popular Song" award~!
Oops, I missed a chance to shoot the actual prize-presentation when the battery went dead crucial moment~!
The low-batt-beeping-alarm sounds as I go, "D'oh!" (>.<)
Strangely, after popping-out the batt from the camera & letting it "cool-off" for a while before popping it back in, I managed to catch this final group photo of all the participants and guests of honour~!
Well done Bro~!

"He"

A song I first heard in good ol' Anglican High school hall... So, I recently rediscovered it on this "AHS Musical Groups" compilation-CD we got in Sec 1, back in 1996.
Now, when I listen to it again, I feel the lyrics ring a familiar bell from long ago. Kinda like the chimes that the mass-broadcast speaker system play on the first noon of each month.
When I think about how I didn't receive Him back then, it's indescribably miraculous how I'm here today; acknowledging His presence and His love. I find this is a simple, yet emotive song about Him. I've got the MP3 if you'd like to hear it too.. For now, let's enjoy the words...

"He"
A
He can turn the tides
And calm the angry sea

He alone decides
Who writes a symphony

He lights every star
That makes our darkness bright

He keeps watch all through
Each long and lonely night

Chorus:
He still finds the time
To hear a child’s first prayer

Saint and sinner call
And always find him there

Though it makes him sad
To see the way we live
He'll always say,
“I forgive”

B
He can grant a wish
Or make a dream come true

He can paint the clouds
And turn the grey to blue

He alone knows where
To find the rainbow’s end

He alone can see
What lies beyond the bend

Chorus:
He can touch a tree
And turn the leaves to gold

He knows every lie
That you and I have told

Though it makes him sad
To see the way we live
He'll always say,
“I forgive”

******
Lyrics from www.gospelmusic.org.uk

Weiliang~21~Joseph

From left to right:

Douglas: Why is KorKor sitting on the floor~?
Derek: When will it be my turn~?

Weiliang: Why they make me wear this~!?












My brother,
this day,
you have come of age.

No more,
shall you be bound
to childlike freedom.

But hold on,
to that sense
of humility and love.

Trust,
what your faith
has provided you.

Forgive me,
if I have not done
my uptmost as a brother you.

If anything,
I bid you Truth, courage,
wisdom and compassion always.

God bless Mum & Dad;
God bless You

Forgotten Feelings

I was alone in my room doing some work on the computer with MediaPlayer on Auto-Playlist. During some moment of deep thought, the orchestral theme of that film started playing. And then the memory of days long past get replayed in a grainy, sepia-tinted mental filmstrip. Again.

Do any of you remember watching the animated film "The Land Before Time" ?
I loved that so much, my Mom/Aunts probably rented the video for me; to watch it over, more than a few times~

The main "crisis" of that film was about how pre-historic Earth's geography suddenly changed; seperating land masses and breaking apart "species" of dinosaurs (& their "families"). I can only remember the name of the main character, the little brontosaurus "Littlefoot", out of the rest of his migratory-mates. And so, the storyline centred around Littlefoot & gang as they made their way through many challenges; to finally rejoin their flock where greener pastures lay.
Littlefoot had several moments of doubt when encountering difficulties in his journey, but he felt better once he thought of his mother & how he longed to be with her again. However (of I didn't remember wrongly), he lost his Mom when she fell into a ravine during some violent, episodic tectonic-activity. I felt really sad for him~! And when the film showed him revisiting fonder memories of his Mom, my little heart was touched as well.. I think that film left a profoundly nostalgic impact on me; making me fear for the worst should my parents be gone suddenly...

******
*gulp* *a tinge of guilt surfaces in own conscience*
where did those feelings of cherishing parental-love go to, over the years?
actually, they're still very much within me; just that they've become somewhat like a buried treasure-chest over the years... one that I've hidden away for too long & not know where to find it again...
I think the problem also lies with not knowing how to express it in words... I find it easier to just help out with the laundry or dishwashing; but I know that to really feel that kind of family-love lies in establishing the elusive connection with spoken words of love and gratitude.
Hope to do that... before it's too late!

*sniff* (-.-)
******
If we Hold On Together - Diana Ross

Don't lose your way
With each passing day
You've come so far
Don't throw it away
Live believing
Dreams are for weaving
Wonders are waiting to start
Live your story
Faith hope and glory
Hold to the truth
In your heart

If we hold on together
I know our dreams Will never die
Dreams see us through To forever
Where clouds roll by
For you and I

Souls in the winds
must learn how to mend
Seek out a star
Hold on to the end
Valley, mountain
There is a fountain
Washes our tears All away
Words are swaying
Someone is praying
Please let us come
Home to stay

If we hold on together
I know our dreamsWill never die
Dreams see us throughTo forever
Where clouds roll by
For you and I

When we are out there
In the dark
We'll dream about the sun
In the dark
We'll feel the light
Warm our hearts
Everyone

If we hold on together
I know our dreamsWill never die
Dreams see us throughTo forever
As highAs souls can fly
The clouds roll by
For you and I

Deeply Inside

(edited)

When you feel all hope is gone, seek peace within yourself & He will give you strength!

Just Keep Swimming

Bling-Bling
Swarovski'es under the ice-cream tub lid
:p










Dear Friends,
if you've been disappointed by lack of postings, I apologise for every unfruitful trip you've made to this musty, cob-webby place that is mah' Blog. A wave of projects has swept across my academic-life that threatens to flood, spillover & drown out other aspects of me; but I reassure you that I'm still clinging on to my rubber duc.. er, dinghy.

So, to ye faithful bunch who still drop by, Thanks Very Much~! I'd wish you left me a note or two though~ Even a simple "Hello :)" or "Jiak4 Ba4 Buay3?" would be really encouraging~! =D As it is, my numerous concurrent creative-projects are squeezing me dry of creative-juice to produce nothing more than rough research sketches... Argh.. But I'll try to spice things up with a pic or two to support (or rather make up for) my wordy,weary rantings ;-)

******

By the way, bro Alvin's recent posts are National-Geographic & DiscoveryChannel worthy~!
Check out his latest post on his cute cuddly 8-legged pet; and in a previous post, huge swimming creatures ~! Eye-openers I tell you~!

******


Into the West
Not too clear here, but I thought the interplay between perspective and light in the actual scene was interesting~ :)







******
When I was prayed-for by R and E recently, I listened to every comforting word they each spoke & I felt "loved" inside.. I was both touched and grateful at their gesture.. but I was also saddened, because I didn't know if the Holy Spirit would come to me at all.. "Do I even deserve His Love?",I thought.

Once again, R's suggestion for me to continue praying hard echoed within. And so it shall be.
:o)

Finding His Way

caution: marathon post(s)

Today in school, I found myself surprisingly awake; despite having only roughly 4 hours of shut-eye. Firstly, I think it was by divine intervention that i even woke up w/o hearing the alarm ring~ I discovered later that my alarm was set to ring 12 hours later than intended~! Phone-clock was mixed up between a.m. and p.m.~!

Post-Dated:
Saturday 17th July
That must have been the first service I found myself somewhat disconnected from... most of the programme... But I believe there is purpose in it all. So, the emphasis was on "missions"; since it was the church's "missions festival" after all. But then there were some interesting testimonies:

There were two young people who shared their personal experience in missionary work. They were a 26yr-old lad and a 20yr-old girl. The man had been in the "missions-field" for about 7 years now; and he said he never felt any internal struggle or hesitation when he answered His calling. The girl however, said she had totally hated the idea of getting involved in overseas missions for a long time before. This attitude, she said; somewhat stemmed from her experience with her own missionary-father. He was very active in the mission-field & would frequently ask his daughters along if not they might not see him for up to months. But alas, during a service where her church's leaders were appealing for mission-volunteers, this girl who was still apprehensive & troubled by a nagging feeling, finally found it within herself to say, "Yes, I'll go~!". & as she said that, she immediately felt more at peace inside, despite the change of heart. And somewhat ironically as well, on her maiden mission to Timor-Leste, she became the 1st amongst her family members to spend more than 6 months away on a mission.. she was there for 1 whole year in fact~! She chuckled when she mentioned that she found that she even put on 10kg from her stay there; pointing out that a missionary's simple way of living does not mean having to starve...

An interesting piece of history Pastor BL related to us went something like that: Around 1266A.D, (Mangu &) Kublai Khan; son(s) of Genghis Khan, was ruling over the vastest empire ever held by the Mongol empire. Two Venetian merchants, Maffeo and Niccilo Polo, were brought before the Mongul rulers. After receiving the Mongul court's hospitality, the two Polos were sent on their way with a letter in Turki addressed to Pope Clement IV asking the Pope to send him 100 learned men to teach his people about Christianity and Western science. When the Polos completed the 3year-journey home, the Pope had passed away. When the Polos set off toward China once again, they only managed to bring with them two friars and gifts for the Khans. However, the friars turned back because of some difficulties faced early along the route. Thus, the Khans never received the 100 learned-men they had requested for. And the Mongul-rulers embraced Tibetan Bhuddism instead. And then Pastor BL said: Christianity's greatest evangelistic-opportunity ever, had passed on; His "hour of visitation" had gone. (You can read up more here; although not all the above revealed during the service are included)

Another issue discussed was about sacrifice.. Matt 26:6-13 were the verses highlighted...
The virtues of "courage" and "sacrifice", examplefied by the woman recorded in those verses; were then re-emphasised again in the Pastor's appeal for volunteers in the year-end mission to Timor-Leste.

& a meaningful quote was presented:
"He is no fool who gives
what he cannot keep
to gain that which he cannot lose"
- Jim Elliot(missionary who did not survive mission to bring the Word to natives in Ecuador's jungles)

******
Friday 15th July
Alas, the final installment in our musical buffet. What an enjoyable time it has been~ But, guess not all good things come to an end yea *wink* ;o) Most importantly, it was joyous _____ ____ ___~

******
As i skipped along the pathway toward the estates' gates, it was already starting to drizzle. I hurried and heard the sound of a plastic-card hitting the tarmac. I looked back & saw nothing unusual. Then, before i took another step, I reached for my shirt-pocket & realised that my EZ-link card was missing~! *That explained the sound~!* Ah, I almost panicked but retraced my steps and saw a small, dark drain(with metal grille cover) by the sidewalk. Oh man~! But before I imagined the worst, I bent down & felt the familiar plastic of an object right at the edge of the roadside-drain opening~! I wiped off some dirt from the surface and put the card safe back into my wallet. He's not let me down; get lost or leave me stranded since I began my personal walk. *smile* Thank You God~!

******
Could it be that: The Creator's test is set in our daily lives; in our very own mortal existence?

If it would do You justice, I'd strive for the what is lovely in Your eyes... but I cannot speak Your Word when I myself have not grasped it. So I pray that You build me up; to last the distance; so that I will confidently become a mouthpiece for Your word.

How shall I ask Him?

(Belated Post)
Last night
It was not your everyday sight on the usual Bedok North Exit from PIE... Not 30m into that tricky bend, we passed a sedan that had crashed into the left-side wall of the curved-road. I gazed in partial shock & amazement; at the rather mildly damaged(front was slightly crumpled with light smoke rising from under the bonnet) vehicle. Its driver & passenger in front (thankfully) seemed to be unscathed. The taxi-driver who I was riding with immediately exclaimed to me that, that very car had just overtook us not more than a minute ago before driving into the same exit. Now look where the provisional license holder has "parked".

******
One night before:
I said perhaps food and drink eases one into conversation & merry-making...
& so there I was...
in a sea of unfamiliar people; with only a few new acquaintances and you...
This I felt was what I had to do.. To aspire towards that similar joy in all those faithful hearts, I guess I have to seek and speak to those who are experiencing it in the now~!

******
& then, he suggested praying for me with another with church-mate. The words were meaningful no doubt. But they did not emote me to feel compelled to embrace the faith. & Richard said to me, "Perhaps you're not being serious enough.. But do not worry... If you should decide to challenge God to show Himself to you, He will speak to you if you pray hard enough", So that's what's left to do. To sustain my faith in Him not through seeing his physically-manifested Work; or hearing his spoken Word,, but through sheer faith.. even when I fall to my darkest hours; continue to pray I must.

******
Do not worry, for you did not desert me then -
for "our communion was not bound to words" or physical presence...
but i hope; unltimately in true faith and spirit.
:-) *contented smile*

Silently

Somewhere in this previous post , I talked abt one of nature's gifts - mutual unspoken understanding. Back then, when I only had my Chiching Brothers, I mused often about how I'd like to develop that kind of bond with someone special someday. Now, I'm elated to be actually working on it!

More specifically about matters of the heart:
So far, I find standing by these "universal-rules" has helped in the initial stages:
- consideration; respect for both parties' background, ways-of-life, personalities & percularities
- commandments; derived from the above, to do with respect
- communication; maintaining contact to bridge distances, that endures even periods of absence/silence
- community; on top of companionship; participation within the parties' social circles
- conscientiousness; of the above C's, without fail; but with forgiveness

Not the absolute set of C's by all means... but think these are kinda working well for us~ (you think so too? ;-)

******

& then after the energetic, charismatic worship, the Pastor reminded us about the importance of having "silence" & being comfortable in it.. so that we do not miss the slightest whisper from our Lord.. (& I thought:) or maybe, to even hear His "breathing" - His living-presence amongst us mortals.

Safety Gear

of parachutes and oxygen tanks and body armour...

It's an exhilarating feeling to have sky-rocketed myself into various new ways of life; its challenges & situations. It's the greatest ever, since N.S-days.. or really, since for the longest time in my life.. Heh~
It's looking bright and cheery now at 14,000feet(ask U-Wei abt his real sky-diving experience in Aussie) but think I've gotta make it to the ground soon. Get down to earth. Get hands dirty with proper work now. If not, hanging up in the skys will only get me sucked into a thunderstorm sooner or later~!

I think I'm free-falling now...
Parachutes? *check*

Ooh Yeah~

Reporing live frm LaSalle-SIA's DM-101 (Computer Lab)~!

I'm in the midst of the most babelicious looking beauties ever known to geek-kind; or mankind for that matter! Somebody spank me! Woohoo! My Design Technology module; in which I'm taught new sofware, is conducted in a computer-lab with the latest oh-so-lovely POWERMAC G5ives~! the 25 terminals each come with 20INCH CINEMA DISPLAYS~!! Wahhhh~!!! I'm drowning in my own drool already~!!

On a more serious note:
My classmates(who have by now dispersed into where I can only imagine as out-of-school since there is no class until 6:30pm later) told me that Adobe Illustrator is a more powerful software. Hmm, that gives me some consolation over my lack of Macromedia Freehand-knowledge. good thing I picked up basic Photoshop over the past months too! Later, I learn from my DT lecurer/tutor Yulius, that the Powermac G5s were a recent addition. They just replaced them last semester, upgrading from the years-old G4s.. Boy am I lucky to have come in at this time =) Yulius mentioned that the Mac versions of the Adobe software do not differ very much from the PC. Only some keyboard-shortcut differences. Otherwise, all the same in terms of functionality. *phew*

Ok, my stomach is calling again. Although my fingers waant to stay glued to the keyboard; & my eyes want to continue ogling at the 20" Display, I have to get sustenance to keep up. Oh, & I better visit the library to start research later.. Darn..

adious~ for now...

Timeless Botany

Morning Glory ;shot whilst on bus to workplace, earlier this year. Such was inspiration, other than the thought of you... ;-)

******
When the gift was passed-on to its intended recipient, it was not exactly what the gift-giver had hoped for. The petals had yet to be split outwards to display its blossom. & so, the Lily remained innocent as it's sealed-state & pristine exterior; susceptibly a gesture of hope & redemption.

We learn of the white flower's blossoming days after. Even though the gift-giver never saw it, he revelled in knowing that she appreciated the gift; even to it's final wilt & wither.

******
Perhaps, how beautiful a flower's bloom appears to one; depends on one's state of mind.

******

Algal Bloom inside Bedok Pond 'B' (Man-made Water Catchment). The sun gives life, even to what is actually a huge drain.



White Hibiscus from a few years back. I don't remember seeing a white one before that. So, I was struck by its beauty and was glad to have had the camera with me~

******
& I forgot to ask:
"Did the sunflower reveal its full bloom; in all its leafy green & bright yellow glory?"
Because that day had been blissful, the thought of your joy supercedes the eventuality of the stalk of life... To me, it remains smiling even though I cannot actually see. It is because I feel.

Inseparable & so, old they grew; together.

The First Hour

(updated...)
Reporting live from LaSalle's library:

8:55am
earlier, i hopped into a cab from Kallang MRT & zipped down to school in 5mins! Darn~ I'd better wake up earlier for this class in future!!

9:00am
my classroom is empty
i wait along the corridor; watching students strolling to class along the groundfloor plaza... the canteen looks lively already...

9:10am
this other person waiting along the corridor comes up to say "Hi"
"er, you can call me.. David"
"oh, my name's Eunikee" (tt's how i think it shd spell; frm what she said) -.o
she mentions her indonesian-heritage and then her class begins not long after

9:25am
i head(storm) to the Design Staff Room to seek out my supposed tutor for the lesson "Design Practice 1" I was supposed to have.. Well, found out from this lecturer that i was just supposed to come for the orientation later in the afternoon. Oh well, at least she apologised for the communication breakdown. Hmm, guessed I should have asked for confirmation also, during registration-day last week.

9:35am
I head to the library. I step through the dark-screened door cautiously. On my right, I hear a mildly rowdy discussion corner before I even turn to see. To my left, I spy beautiful iMacs lined up in a row of wooden computer desks. Not a difficult decision to make.

9:40am
Plodded onto the seat at the only unused station. Ah, the sleek LCD-display... That curvaceous mouse... The pristine minimalist keyboard... erm... but where's the power-switch ah? asked this girl beside me who looked slightly irritated(myb amused inside/having morning sickness) and she directed me to look for a button behind the LCD-panel's base. Neat.

10:00am
after admiring the aesthetics of the software, i finally find the familiar Internet Explorer application. Then, I proceed to bombard the online community with limited reach and ammunition(er.. no MSN Messenger ard here.. just have to make-do with Blogger!)

10:30am
the canteen is calling for me... wait, the canteen is calling my stomach... or perhaps, the stomach is taking over my brain... well... more later.. when Oriientation begins proper.. will probably go somewhere to nua all the way till after lunch..

******
retelling frm home
11:15am
i've just finished an ice-milo with my home-packed sandwich... i trod across the plaza toward the Design-block when I hear my name called by a familiar voice. It's E.T! Oh what a nice surprise~! He was having a break and had to go for class only at 1pm. I had time until 2pm. So I head toward the canteen with him again... I got a ham & egg sandwich from the snackbar since I didn't want to just watch my pal eat alone. While at it, I felt rather self-conscious & suspected that there might be some other students there who found me familiar; from not longer than 15mins ago.

11:40am
i follow E.T. up to his assigned classroom, one of the few dedicated to the Interior Design programme. The air conditioned ambience felt welcoming; on such a hot, sunny day.

12:30pm
Both me & E.T. head to the library. after a little browsing, we parted as E.T. went off for his Drawing class. I decide to plant my bottom at an iMac-terminal and grope the uber-cool keyboard & mouse with my lovestruck fingers. Can one ever have enough of so yummy a hardware i wondered?

1:15pm
A friendly lad steps up to the unused terminal beside mine. He asks if I knew how to power-on the iMac. So I showed him where to find the Power-switch. Nice to be able to "pay it forward"; I thought. He then introduced himself as Keshav & said that he'd arrived in SG only 5 days ago. I learn that we happened to be pursuing the same Graphic Design Degree, only thing different was that he was starting out in the Foundation Year whereas I was going into Level2(Year3). Said he'd no family here to support him & asked if he could approach me in future for assistance on school matters & etc. I told him that I was new ard here too, & asked him not to misunderstand that my being-in-Year3 was a sign of experience of the school's academic systems and the such. He seemed a good guy who's all alone in a foreign land, so I gave him my email and contact no. just in case there was some way I could help. I leave for my Orientation and bade my 2nd foreign acquaintance of the day "Good Luck".

******
2:10pm
Orientation was nothing fancy. It was rather a serious overview of the academic structure & outlineof the year's projects and objectives. When the session ended; after just over an hour later of teaching-staff presentations, I found myself slightly unnerved. Now, I have to pick my project-work soon & embark on it asap~! Missing the first Design Practice session (a few periods with tutor)this morning due to miscommunication doesn't help at all. And I still don't know who my fellow classmates are; except for the class-rep whom I marked my attendence with.

******

I finally pick up my order at 3D Sense Media School. Will test my Wacom tablet out later & myb post something I create with it. heh heh...

*naggy but motherly voice* "ah long" "come & have your dinner~!"
Till later folks~!

A New Hope

Well well... wadeya' know... tommorow's the first day of school~!!
Nothing too hair-raising though. Been through it before. Just that now...
I get to do what I lurve--------!!!

Now, I haven't got much things to say before the big day tmr. So here's a buncha' visuals to reward you for taking the trouble to drop by this place :o)

******
Contemplation
Fighting back the pre-school jitters,
I ripped out some of my hair.

Ok no... I just went to see the barber.
Opted for the no-fuss short-crop.

Much to my Mom's delight.
Maybe Mom knows best after all.
:o)




Sweet~! *Slurp*

King's Banana & Strawberry Swirl~
don't resist anymore!

You know you wanna go
grab yourself a tub now~!!

Muahahaha~!!
;-D



Presenting...
Fusilli Pollo Vedure
Pasta-spirals in light cream sauce, sprinkled with chicken shreds & assorted vegetables.

Got to help Mom out in the kitchen tonight.
Had fun cooking actually. Hoho..

One more dish to my repertoire~!
That makes 2 altogether (>.<)
Heh heh.. ;-)




******
Till tmr folks~!
*prays for good-hair day*

Farewell

Dear friends, it's good-bye~ to my somewhat hedonistic lifestyle(of 2 months) now. After registering myself at LaSalleSIA's orientation , I am officially bound to student-dom once again; & will be subjected to 17-weeks of full-time grilling in Design. See my timetable to get an idea of days to come. At least we can look forward to a similar vacation-break between Nov-Dec~!! So, expect to see less of me ard here(wasn't much to begin with.. hoho) but perhaps more of my school work. We'll see.

Scene from Bt.Timah Nature Reserve




Spiritual awarness when you look toward the heavens:

Should you gaze till you can't keep still any longer
& regard it's infinite expanse with constant wonder;

believe that through the canopy is your entitled freedom,
& beyond the skys reigns His eternal kingdom.

Eye Power

Recently, when I was making a new pair of glasses, I found out that my eyesight had improved. And this was no small progress, considering I dropped from 700/675 to 600/575. I am amazed myself (o.0) How did I do it? Maybe the late nights and adequate late-morning-sleep did me some good. Hoho...

******
WR's latest free* advice on relationships:
"Do not rush into one like the way a kid does when he unwraps his b'day presents"

Well, at least that should apply to most people in general. It may not appeal to those of you who adopt the Commando / Navy Seal (Bros, you know what I mean right?) approach, but really, I feel patience does count.
(* hence no guarantee :p)

******
Other events:
My ex-boss was promoted on SAF Day(1st July)~! Congrats to MAJ Koh~!!
My TD-buddy Cong turns 22 today~! Think he's having fun in a Sentosa resort/chalet now~!

Faith in the Fort

Folks, Alvin's latest post is a thoroughly good food-for-thought. You animal-lovers out there will probably dig his "pro-animal" sentiments. =)

******
Lord,
with this gift of life I have received,
I will honour Your creations with love & kindness.

with every heartbeat You invest in me,
I will stay faithful, with joy & tenderness.

with these hands You have given me,
I will make the world a better place.

with these lips You have borned me,
I hope to share Your Word and grace.

with the seed of love You plant in us,
I pledge my loyalty always;
Your image in each other - we embrace.

******
Leave a tender moment alone,
for our hands express our hearts' desire
to man love's fort with courage, faith and Truth.

******
Till' later...

Strange but True

A chance meeting with a possible business partner somehow yielded two listening prospects. However, one of them indicated having prior commitments already & wasn't going to join us.
The other fellow; his friend, seemed quietly receptive though. You could almost see him crunching the numbers and figures in his mind.

When we were still warming-up to each other, there was an occasion where I was amused at something this prospect siad. In that wierd moment, I kinda involuntarily half-laughed & blew my nose at the same time. Here comes the unpleasant part: The air wasn't the only thing that came out from my nose. Now, after you finish thinking about what form/texture that piece of booger was, imagine this: It lands right smack on the table-top; between yourself & the stranger you are happily engaged in conversation with.

The tricky part was trying to act amused at myself and ask to be pardoned as I turn my face away to sneeze into a tissue; whilst stealthily obstructing that nasal-poop from the strangers' views and swiping it off with the other napkin-armed hand. (Folks, I don't know if you could visualise that, but I give y'all my word that I do not carry any communicable disease. Unless you count being "in-love" or "love-sick" a malady. hoho..=)

******
At the end, we agreed to contact one another again in a few days to hopefully welcome the new friend aboard.

Thank you brother ~ The credit goes to you really ;-)

Grey Days don't Stay

Rainy days are always gonna be around whether we like it or not.

Thoughts translated from few-weeks-old pics:
******
I don't know about y'all, but when i wake up to find the weather outside looking like this, my mood gets affected somehow...

peaceful gloom 1
I'm either numbed into inaction/nuaness by the uninspiring, flat : almost 2-dimensional-looking scene... or



peaceful gloom 2
get egged into creativity-mode by the most unlikely/unexpected subjects...



untitled sunset
at the end of the day, i'm always humbled by how simple yet profound the colour-schemes above can be.

******
more words tmr~

Mid-year Menopause

The secular past seemed peaceful enough. But, though the paint-job looked good on the surface, the foundation of my personal "faith" could be comparable to a mud-hut in a quake-prone region. Too much lee-way was given, that could only mean inflicting upon myself more ungodly actions. To have felt some tinge of guilt, I guess there must still be some goodness left within. A tiny candlelight that yearned to do more than just glow - to out-shine the darkness, & cast a far-reaching light, radiating a finally cleansed soul. A poem I wrote some time ago encapsulates this nagging-past:

Redemption Seeking:

On a gloomy grey day;
that wasn't far away,
I contemplated my sins -
my impulses doing me in.

Unfortunate was the thought;
a double clot if not.
I drew the dagger while asleep
& finished me in gracious heat.

How did I falter;
can I repent?
Do you hear me Father;
am I your discontent?

For me to realise,
I know there's still hope -
If you help me light
the way to be PoPe.

******
Finally, I am about to embark on my studies again; after half a year's pause. The break has been somewhat fruitful though.

I'm may be repeating myself when I say, "I've expanded my personal space to embrace the spiritual and emotional". But, that really means a lot to me. All that has touched my heart and soul deeply, like nothing before. Even if I were a 10-year-old who's collected every single Happy Meal toy in the world, I would not be happier than I am now. I don't remember ever feeling this contented with life. And I cannot imagine how different life would be now if all those changes were taken away suddenly. I do not know then; if I'd ever find the courage & stamina - to face the professional challenges ahead; or even realise & nourish my faith enough to go to the Lord's house on my own...

Now, there is more meaning in life.

******
More, perhaps... after sun-down.