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