It's 2010!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

bleah...

arhhh...why is this world so shallow?

Fragile

I think a life can be so fragile...

sometimes we wonder, why do bad things happen to good people?
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on a happier note, Monday is over!!!
the office is so empty today. so many people on leave.

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

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

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

More blessed...

to give than to receive...

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

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

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

Some stats:

Food for 1 child for 1 month in China
$58

1 goat for 1 family in Myanmar
$59

Warm jackets for 2 children in Myanmar
$14

Hep B vaccinations for 5 children in Bangladesh
$5

Support 1 family in Cambodia
$250

Feed 1 street child for 1 mth in Cambodia
$178

Sponsor a child
$45/mth

and the list goes on.....

This Christmas, what can we give?

Where are you heading?

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

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

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

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

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

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

MINDS and BBQ

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


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

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

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

Our team, with the prizes.



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

One of the other game stations there.

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



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

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

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

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

I have so much to learn...

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

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

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

Getting old....

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

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

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

The Ginseng Chicken soup there is nice too =)

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

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

Will things change??

*Keeping my fingers crossed* =X

Disturb us, Lord, when

with the abundance of things we possess

We have lost our thirst

For the waters of life;

Having fallen in love with life,

We have ceased to dream of eternity

And in our efforts to build a new earth,

We have allowed our vision

Of the new Heaven to dim.

By Sir Francis Drake

A bit bored at work today.

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

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

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

What should I blog about? Lalala....

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

Maybe it's just the quarter-life crisis.

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

Humans. So hard to satisfy.

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

Oh well, who am I to judge anyway?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Will let the pics do the talking...

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

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

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

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

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

The view from the restaurant.

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

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

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

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

The glasses are nice though...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on Monday, 20 July, 10pm

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

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

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

Therapy

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

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

Wanted to complain but suddenly remembered this verse

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

Philipians 2:14-16

promises....

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

Continuation...

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

I shall make this short.

This is what we did after breakfast.

Clockwise from top left:

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

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

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

Day 3

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

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

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

Eat..shop....walk??

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


Reached Taoyuan airport around 7pm I think.

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

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


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



This is the common living room and our bedroom.

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



And hence ended our first day in Taipei



18 Apr 2009

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

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


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

To be continued...

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

- CS Lewis

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

1 Samuel 16:7

Need I say more?

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

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

Do nice girls finish...last?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you think that nice girls finish last, consider this

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

Mark 19: 28-30

Posted on 13 Apr 2009, Monday, 10.30pm

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

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

Mark 15:33

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

Out of the overflow of his heart...

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

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

Luke 6: 45

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

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

2000 years ago...

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

falling in love all over again...

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

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

Dancing steps...

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

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

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

Posted on 4 Apr 2009, Sat, 11.58pm

Guess what this is.

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on 29 March 2009, Sun, 11.30pm

Promise...

Poem by Annie Johnson Flint

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

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

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

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


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

Which is easier?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Holding Out for a Hero
By Bonnie Tyler

Where have all the good men gone

And where are all the gods?

Where’s the street-wise Hercules

To fight the rising odds?

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

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

I need a hero

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

He's gotta be strong

And he's gotta be fast

And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero

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

He’s gotta be sure

And it’s gotta be soon

And he’s gotta be larger than life

Larger than life

Somewhere after midnight

In my wildest fantasy

Somewhere just beyond my reach

There’s someone reaching back for me

Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat

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

I need a hero

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

He's gotta be strong

And he's gotta be fast

And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero

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

He’s gotta be sure

And it’s gotta be soon

And he’s gotta be larger than life

I need a hero

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

Up where the mountains meet the heavens above

Out where the lightning splits the sea

I could swear there is someone somewhere

Watching me

Through the wind and the chill and the rain

And the storm and the flood

I can feel his approach

Like a fire in my blood

I need a hero

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

He’s gotta be strong

And he's gotta be fast

And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero

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

He's gotta be sure

And it's gotta be soon

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

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

He's gotta be strong

And he's gotta be fast

And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero

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

He's gotta be sure

And he's gotta be soon

And he's gotta be larger than life

I need a hero

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

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

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

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

Haha.

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

Oh well...


Posted on 7 March, Sat, 11.55pm

A friend sent this in an email...

G U I D A N C E
Dancing With God

Author unknown

When I meditated on the word Guidance, I

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

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

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.

The movement doesn't flow with the music,

And everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

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

Both bodies begin to flow with the music.

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

Or by pressing

Lightly in one direction or another.

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

The dance takes surrender, willingness,

And attentiveness from one person

And gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.

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

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

God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust

That I would get guidance about my life.

Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings

And mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.

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

Dance together with God, trusting God to lead

And to guide you through each season of your life.

This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached.

If God has done anything for you in your life,

Please share this message with someone else.

There is no cost but a lot of rewards;

So let's continue to pray for one another.

And I Hope You Dance !

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

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

Even if he exists, he would mostly probably be

(1) Married

(2) Attached

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ash Wednesday

The period of Lent has begin

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

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

Quarter...

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

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

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

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

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

Salsa anyone?

Night out with friends

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on 16 Feb 2009, Mon, 4pm

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

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

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

Bak wan kepiting (meatballs)

Babi ponteh

Kueh Pie Tee

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

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

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

Posted on Mon, 9 Feb 2009, 10.30pm

Wondering...

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


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


Is this all worth it?

Have I made the wrong decision right from the start?




Posted on 17 January 2009, Monday, 10.55pm

Why do such people exist?

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

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

Just let God do the judging....

I'm so full,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on 12 Jan 2009, Monday, 11.50pm

Sunflowers

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

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

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


Posted on 10 Jan, Saturday, 12.30am

Changes...

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

Do our taste buds change as well?

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

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

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

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

Posted on 4 Jan 2009, Sunday, 9.30pm

Unclutter

"What have you been busy with in 2008?"

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

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

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

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

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

This year, I pray...

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

Have a blessed New Year my dear friends...

Posted on 1 Jan 2009, Thursday, 8.20pm