Tuesday 23 December 2008

my pinky malas

so i won't be writing with proper punctuation (caps) for some time. aha.

practice has been going on, the youth are getting semangat-ed - i think - and...

i still dance like a frog.

never mind. i've accepted my shortcomings over the years. and dancing is something i've given up on since eons ago. bah-ness. let me take a moment to do some emo stuff.

T_T

ah, done.

i've been re-reading books like little women (yeah, even for book titles also my pinky malas. laziness knows no discrimination.) and 20000 leagues under the sea. books like these, including heidi, are books that don't make me feel like there's a distinction between a lawyer and a writer, or a reader and a writer. on the contrary, i feel like i can be a writer too.

why?

because these writers write from their souls. little women was penned from 35 years of real-life family experience. interesting fact: that's why she was able to finish the book very quickly.

20000 leagues under the sea was written by a guy who got severely beaten by his dad after he tried to stowaway on a ship. from that moment on, he vowed he would travel using his imagination. this same guy invented the submarine long before the idea of such a machine even existed.

heidi is basically a story that makes me want to drive back to my grandma's house and smile at her. you need to read it to know why.

oh ya.

today my aunt (lin's mum) was telling us why she would be leading the singing again for christmas (she leads every year. almost.):

because no one wanted to songlead.
Jesus was crying already.


i laughed, along with my other siblings.

she smiled, and then all she said was, "Yes, He was."

no one volunteered when someone had to die on the cross. even if someone did, no one could.

our camp verse was isaiah 6:8. it reads:

then i heard the voice of the Lord saying:
"whom shall I send? and who shall go for us?"
and i said:
"here am i. send me!"


about 2000 years ago, i was unable to volunteer. mostly because i didn't exist.

but even if i did, i dun think i would have. or could have.

me, the one who loses her temper, procrastinates, lies sometimes, and neglects family and friends.

who would want me to die for them? (i'm not so muka tebal also)

2008. i can volunteer. mostly because i exist.

but also because i will. and can.

dear Jesus, thanks for volunteering when i couldn't and wouldn't.

now, let me have my turn.

hey.

i did write some caps after all.

good 'ol pinky.


oh ya.
church got broken into again.
for the umpteenth time.
pray for the thieves.
they lose more than property.

Saturday 20 December 2008

Ta-da!

design: yen


do come!

psst: it's free.

*croak

people are carefree bubbles of potential waiting to be burst.

then they flow out to everyone else, and everyone is happy.

sidenote:

i dance like a frog.

don't ask.

Tuesday 16 December 2008

URGENT: Calling all MGC-ians.

Check your emails for news of the thing we're doing for Christmas. Hush hush, as always.

And as usual, reply my email with an email confirming that you received it.
Thanks, Liverpool!

Monday 15 December 2008

simply incur extra cost without informing me.

i am in a bad mood.

if i wasn't in such a bad mood, i would blog them to death.

i will create hoo-hah when i get back.

i will splash newspapers with news of their tardiness.

i will go to their office and jeling them.

i will call them up and complain.

i will blog them to death.

i will sharpen a parang.

...

probably only do the calling up and jeling.

but i feel like doing all that anyway.

i feel like calling someone stupid.

Friday 12 December 2008

There's wifi here. Muahaha. Anyway... Seoks' Tag.

10 Random Stuff

1. Each blogger is to write ten random facts/habits about themselves.
2. Don't forget to leave them comments telling them that they've been tagged.


Musicals - I love musicals. I hated Phantom of the Opera. I felt it was an insult to the industry of musicals. Musicals should be filled with singing and songs but should, at the same time, stay sane and unridiculous. (i mean, come on, how on earth did the guy manage to sing with a rope around his neck?)

Strange Ears - Sometimes I can't hear people very well. On the other hand, I'm ultra-sensitive to other sounds. When I hear a song, it may take a few rounds of listening to the same song before I actually hear the song instead of the technical aspects of the song. I don't just listen to a voice/song/piece of music and say it's not nice. I tell you precisely what's wrong with it.

Critical - I think I'm very critical of people and things (reason explained above). I have trouble ignoring little flaws and seemingly trivial technicalities (i think most Chinese and Japanese songs are boring, unadventurous, excessively similiar, and don't require exceptional talent to execute...). But I must stress that this does not make me a disagreeable person, because I have learned to accept such flaws when they are not fundamental to a situation. However, I believe there is a fine difference between human error and sloppy imperfection.

Cartoons - I think this is my biggest scoring point with kids. I LOVE CARTOONS. Too bad there aren't enough kids around whenever I'm watching a cartoon. All I got is Ken. (ken: hey!)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - It used to be a crippling problem for me. Among many other examples, I used to lock and unlock a door at least 4 times to make it a perfect even number, and spend 3 hours typing 5 sentences on the computer in organized point form. Over the years, I have come to terms with this problem, and realized that all it takes is excess tolerance and a highly-intended, purposeful 10-second delay between the first and second attempts to lock a door to bring this OCD under control.

Crazy Over Chocolate Milk and Apple Juice - Or anything close to that. Like Ice Milo. I WANNA DRINK CHOCOLATE MILK AND APPLE JUICE!

Messy - It would be helpful to know why the mind and the body can have such varying degrees of system and order.

Hair - Most people think I got my hair straight for vanity's sake. That's partly true. I believe hair makes a huge difference in the way a person looks. Case in point: Bald Britney v Blonde Britney OR





Long-haired Angelina Jolie v Excessively Short-haired Angelina Jolie.





But what most people don't know is my hair used to be really straight. Then my hormones had to change in Standard 5, and I got a strange head of hair that's frizzy on top and straight underneath. My frizzy hair being an incredible penebat haba, my hands and feet would sweat more than they needed to, and my whole day would be ruined because walking on wet floors did not make me very happy. My frizzy hair was also very difficult to manage. It got to the point where I didn't bother combing my hair and went for 6 months or more without a haircut, because I felt it wouldn't make a difference. People thought I was a confident person, but I say that my self-esteem was very much affected by my hair. I once told my sis I thought I was cursed for having such hair. There are many reasons for my change of hair, as contained above, but I would admit that one of them was that I did want to look nicer. Even with straight hair now, I can't do much with it, because it needs volume (hence, length) so it wouldn't frizz all over again when the new hair grows. (so all you people with naturally straight hair - please do something nice with your hair. it's terribly frustrating to us envious frizzy-haired people when you don't.)

Brain Jam - My brain jams at a certain point of thinking. E.g. middle of a riddle @ math question. Sometimes this applies to problems in the youth or assignments that need solutions. I really have to force myself to think and not be lazy.

Music - I like music. I think I'm well-justified when I say most music today = noise (e.g. most of Rihanna and Akon's songs...) I watched Adrian's ACT II (yeah, still yours. =P); despite the flaws I managed to rake out of the show, I did leave with this thought: I think I really would go out with a guy who asks me out in song. Aha. (remember my critical mind though)


Next list of victims:

Yen
Shaun
Sarah
Mau

Thursday 11 December 2008

I was away.

And I'm back!

And, well, going away again.

Anyway, updates!

Briefly,

1. I went for youth camp - Metamorphosis. Fuh, youths' vocab's obviously increasing. (so proud!)




2. I found a mushroom outside the house that looks like a giant flower.



More?

Uh...

3. I ate a giant roti tisu!



Believe me, it was bigger than it looks. (a bit stingy on the sugar though, bah!)

Oh ya, I went for Adrian's ACT II before the giant roti tisu event. I wouldn't blog about it now, because it would take my entire day to write, and about a half hour of yours to read. We don't want that now, do we? Aha.

Anyway, am so sorry for not keeping in touch with friends who are back from uni. I will definitely make up for it after I get back from er my ancestors' homeland. Then you'll get souvenirs too! Hee.

I'm off!

Thursday 4 December 2008

Guest Appearance: Blog Owner!

Hey, Blog. I haven't scribbled on you in a long time. I have so many things to tell you, so many pictures to show you, so many videos to let you laugh at. Alas, my new Bluetooth Adapter was a farce. I can't upload more than one file at a time. Don't worry, due to my benevolent nature, I will not knock that PC World Sales Executive's (I took his name card) head for it.

I haven't really done my assignments because I'm working on something really special for Christmas. I can't tell you what it is, or it'll spoil all the fun. You know what? To make up for it, I'll tell you all about it, with the videos and stuff, after it's all done.

But I'm afraid the network disruption that causes the wireless network to malfunction in the house is quite taxing. You know that I love blogging on my own computer, don't you? In my own room, too. Sigh... it looks like I won't be able to keep that promise to you in very quick time.

Blog, is it okay if I don't put up that cheesecake picture like I promised? You don't really eat cheesecake anyway, right? I knew you'd understand.

And all the tags I got tagged with? You'll wait, won't you? Ah, you're my best friend. You always understand.

I've got to go now, Blog. Tell everyone I miss them, and that I'm sorry I didn't call, wouldn't you? And tell them I'll be back soon!

Have a joyful Christmas, and don't forget to give something back to our Lord this year. It'll be terrible to exchange gifts with everyone else and forget the birthday man, wouldn't it?

Merry Christmas!

Tuesday 18 November 2008

Coursemate: Kock Sin

Background story:

Kock Sin is a close friend of the Three Football Clubs. He is rumoured to have once had a relationship with Chelsea. One version of the rumours says that he rejected her and made her depressed. The other version says that she rejected him and made him depressed.

Here, we seek to uncover the truth.




"Actually I'm not that bad right?"

"Er for the dead to rise to lawan you, I think you quite bad la."


true version of the story?

i still have no idea.




chelsea wanted a burger but wasn't well enough to go out,
so i asked kock sin out for supper.
he said, "you want ar? ok."
i added, "chelsea not going noe."
"it's ok. never mind."
the lawak love story between them aside,
i really appreciated that reply.
it's for little things like these,
that i really enjoyed Lawnite Teambuilding today.

Sunday 16 November 2008

I'm glad I layan my tolerant thoughts.

Issue resolved.

Saturday 15 November 2008

Shut up and go away

This is one of those times I wish I could retaliate when someone said that to me.

But that would be mean.

Would being mean on purpose feel nice?

Before the point of commission (sebelum buat), maybe.

After that, it's downhill all the way.

To not retaliate is so grr-ing.

The "maybe he/she said that because..." and "i've got to give him/her another chance" and "he/she is in a bad mood, that's why" - tolerant thoughts - don't help either.

They help the other fella, not me.

This is during the time of commission. Afterwards, it feels better.

But still, since now is the "before" of retaliation, and "during" of tolerance, it's killing me.

And bah, I don't care if this post is gibberish.

I take it all out on you, blog!

Bang! Kick! Punch! Boom! Piang! Crash!

Okay, alright, well done.

I shall sleep now.


at least in my blog, i get to do what i want

Thursday 13 November 2008

Just one more day of studying hard



Then I'm free.

Free to:

1. Type minutes of meeting for youth meeting



2. Organize my Contacts in Gmail




3. Get things organized for MGC Blog


*promote promote*



4. Force the Football Clubs to watch Kungfu Panda



5. Continue watching Avatar!




6. Drink apple juice

Ah. Life.

(of the average OCD-stricken, that is)


no cheesecake pictures today

Thursday 6 November 2008

I stuck to reading the newspaper for 15minutes



GEORGE TOWN
: An accountant filed a suit at the High Court here yesterday against Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) and the state government over the multilingual road signs.
Nik Rizman Sapian, 33, of Kuala Lipis, Pahang, said he was offended by the road signs.

He named MPPP and the state government as the first and second defendants respectively.

In his statement of claim, Nik Rizman stated that on Oct 24, the Penang government, at the state executive council meeting, had approved MPPP's application to put up multilingual road signs at the heritage areas here.

He stated that the decision was reported in local newspapers as well as on the Internet on Oct 25. Nik Rizman went on to state that after reading the reports, he felt disturbed and offended.

He claimed that he felt his right as a citizen to accept Bahasa Malaysia as the national language had been breached.

He is seeking a declaration that the state government's decision to approve MPPP's application to put up the multilingual road signs is against Article 152 of the Federal Constitution.

He is also seeking an injunction to prevent MPPP from putting up the multilingual road signs at the heritage areas.

Asked why he was filing the suit, Nik Rizman said that as a responsible citizen, he felt the need to do so as the Federal Constitution was being breached.

About 200 members of Gabungan Graduan Melayu Muda from Johor, Perak and Selangor gathered at the Esplanade here to show their support for the suit.

Here's art.(152) of the Federal Constitution for your reference and meditation.

152.

(1) The national language shall be the Malay language and shall be in such script as Parliament may by law* provide:
Provided that-
  • (a) no person shall be prohibited or prevented from using (otherwise than for official purposes), or from teaching or learning, any other language; and
  • (b) nothing in this Clause shall prejudice the right of the Federal Government or of any
    State Government to preserve and sustain the use and study of the language of any other
    community in the Federation.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Clause (1), for a period of ten years after Merdeka Day, and thereafter until Parliament otherwise provides, the English language may be used in both Houses of Parliament, in the Legislative Assembly of every State, and for all other official purposes.
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of Clause (1), for a period of ten years after Merdeka Day, and thereafter until Parliament otherwise provides, the authoritative texts-
  • (a) of all Bills to be introduced or amendments thereto to be moved in either House of Parliament, and
  • (b) of all Acts of Parliament and all subsidiary legislation issued by the Federal Government,
shall be in the English language.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of Clause (1), for a period of ten years after Merdeka Day, and thereafter until Parliament otherwise provides, all proceedings in the Supreme Court or a High Court shall be in the English language:
Provided that, it the Court and counsel on both sides agree, evidence taken in language spoken by the witness need not be translated into or recorded in English.
(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of Clause (1), until Parliament otherwise provides, all proceedings in subordinate courts, other than the taking of evidence, shall be in the English language.
(6) In this Article, "official purpose" means any purpose of the Government, whether Federal or State, and includes any purpose of a public authority.

Has he ever thought about why the council wants to put up multilingual roadsigns?

I bet he REALLY sued for fear of breach of the Constitution. So noble. Ah.

Nothing better to do ar? I heard accountants quite poorly paid wan leh. Got money to waste in lawsuit eh?

And we wonder why we're still so stuck in our current economic and political state while places like China grow mountains.

It's amazing this sort of thing still happens enough to be mentioned in the papers.


i've decided to begin and end each post with a cheesecake photo.
p/s: this is for you, shan. XD

Thursday 23 October 2008

aloof.

btw, i'm tryin to do the fishmouth thing
the backdorm boys did for S.H.E.'s song.
those glasses are supposed to help reduce my eyepower.
*yay now i can see!*



Perhaps it's a curse to be able to observe everyone without bothering to care that they know I'm doing it.

Perhaps it's to my misfortune that precision is my passion.

Perhaps I played too much Harvest Moon.

I spent - what - years (?) playing that game. And not just playing - combing the internet for walkthroughs, meticulously observing every character to know their daily schedule, then painstakingly putting together my own walkthrough, precise to the very last detail.

How ironic.

I never finished the game.

I spent my time replaying and restarting the game. Every answer to every sentence by every character weighed and measured before I gave it.

I used to say that playing the game made me a guarded and calculated (not calculative lol). Looking back though, I think that game only brought out the nature that was already in me.

I do weigh my words - heavily - before I speak.

However, I must say that I'm quite sucky at it, and that's why the normal observation of me by others is that I'm quiet. It's not because I'm super introvert, shy, don't like to talk, etc, it's because I'm thinking of what to say.

And not just what to say - how to say it, when to say it, why I should say it, and whether there's a better alternative to say it.

Playing Harvest Moon has just taught me that, unlike a game, you can't restart any event in your life. Once it's done, it's totally done.

There were more times than I can count, when I woke up thinking I had a bad dream. Just when I start to comfort myself and say it was a bad dream, I realize it wasn't. It happened. Things I said, things I did, or failed to say or do.

Harvest Moon taught me that I have to be calculated, precise, careful, in all that I say and do, because I can't do it all over again.

To be honest, I hate the "what if"s that flood through my mind every time I want to say or do something.

People take Nike's tagline "Just Do It!" for granted without knowing how much it means to people like me.

Just do it.

I wish I could.

I wish I'd gone for that national choir competition my choir teacher asked me to go to as their pianist.

I wish I'd played for Ms Fong when she asked me to help with her album.

I wish I'd handed in that essay even when the teacher told me not to.

I wish I'd said that something at that opportune moment. (nothing to do with boy-girl relationship. i know my readers. ah ha.)

I wish. I so wish.

I'm here now, with so many blessings in my life.

I'm in law school, doing what I love, being around words my entire day, saying what I want when I want to without being chided for being bold, having people listen to my opinions and what I think of things.

I have a good church both in Melaka and in Jalan Gasing.

I have a fantastic (albeit out-of-tune) piano in my college that I can jam on anytime I want.

I have an ice-cream stall outside the canteen from which I can buy a double-scoop whatever-flavour-you-want ice-cream for only RM1.50.

I have crazy roomies I can be totally crazy with.

But there is still one thing I don't have.

The ability to let down my guard.

Most people think I despise fun.

I do not. I'm an advocate of fun. Good, clean fun. Ask my roomies. They know.

I just don't like going outdoors or going all crazy outside the confines of my room because I don't like losing control.

I hate having crushes on guys because I don't like the fact that their every word and act governs my emotions.

I hate talking loudly and unnecessary body movement because I'm the number one ambassador of calmness and collectedness.

I hate reacting to things because I don't like the fact that something can rattle me.

I don't smile very much because there have been times people didn't return my smile. It's childish, but it stuck. Like a tum-tack to a bulletin board.

Listening to Chelsea and her stories of her close relationships with her teachers and friends, and watching her close relationships with the people in the faculty...

Frankly, it doesn't help very much.

I wish I could be like her. Carefree and jolly always. It's not that I'm not. It depends on where I am and who I'm with. And whether there's food in front of me.

It frustrates me that people don't see it that way. That most people will never see that part of me.

Most times, I feel like I'm standing aloof, watching a crowd of people enjoying each other's company while an invisible barrier stops me from joining them. And that's why I stick with my cameraphone, the only item that acknowledges my views and my perceptions of life without me having to say a word or change a fragment of who I am.

I don't feel like being bubbly and cheerful all the time. I don't feel like making funny comments about what people say and do all the time. I don't feel like making quick and comedic gestures all the time.

Do I have to? Do I need to?

There are people I love being around. Because with them, I don't feel like those things I mentioned are things that I do. They're just me.

If I be not mistaken, Sarah blogged something around these lines once. Ah haha.

Anyway, I feel the need to tell people who feel uncomfortable around me (I can tell from your body language and eyes ok): What you feel is my guardedness. I'm not that scary. Talk to me. I don't eat people. I only eat beef, chicken and fish.

Anyway, here're the tags I got tagged with.



Yen's Tag - My Fridge

Creative right? Oh *bangga*.

Like I told Yen, as much as I would love to, I haven't been able to smuggle a fridge into my college room. Hence, this is what my mental fridge looks like. Try to decipher it. Huhu.



Elena's Tag - 6 Six Things

Six Things I'm Passionate About.

- Understanding the Bible and Christian living
- Words
- Knowledge
- My favourite food
- Precision
- The fact that any number less than 10 should be spelt in full (tho i don't always do it. still tryin to fight my obsessive compulsive disorder concerning accuracy, you see.)


Six Books I Read Recently

- Princess, Jean Sasson
- Daughers of Arabia, Jean Sasson
- 1 Timothy, Paul
- 2 Timothy, Paul
- Law of Torts in Malaysia, Norchaya Talib (haven't finished still kira rite lol)


Six Songs I Can Listen To Over and Over Again

- Mary Jane, The Click*Five
- Part of Your World, The Little Mermaid
- Drowning, The Backstreet Boys
- Don't Wanna Miss A Thing, Aerosmith
- It's All About You, McFly
- Whatever It Takes, Lifehouse

(it must be clarified that these songs are the songs i downloaded from youtube and are the few songs i have on my com and therefore listen to every single day because i can't live peacefully without music)


Six Things I Learned This Past Year

- People are not Harvest Moon characters

- I love Law, it's everything I expected, and beyond.
- I can say something lame without a single mark of expression on my face
- I don't like black fish (especially the one in college)
- I can still swim
- I have a wedding to attend this Saturday and I don't know what to wear


Six Valuable Things I Own

- My heavy Study Bible + spiritual diary (they must come together)
- Jeans I can fit into
- My love for language
- My love for words
- Mr Acer
- A lovely bed that's nicer to sleep on than Chelsea and Liverpool's =P (tho technically I don't own the bed unless I buy it from the college but what's the point?)


Six Bloggers I Tag

Mau, Yen, Chen Li, Sarah, Sis, Shaun. (kenalah kau semua =P i spare pei ling ah ahhaha)




it's nice to not do this alone.

plus.

hello, buddy.

congratulations for making it this far.

haha.

Monday 20 October 2008

I got a new cup. (after i broke the last one *paiseh*)

i looked. i saw. and i knew it was the one.
"jie, i got feelings for this cup."
"oklah, buy lor."



Fear not, for I have redeemed you
I have called you by your name
You are Mine.

Isaiah 43:1


Was just thinking in the bathroom.

Seniors always tell me that chambering is completely different from studying law in university. It is beyond what I can possibly imagine now. I struggle to grasp that concept.

Is it very much like how one can attend so many BGR talks and be so informed about marriage, and yet walk into married life one day, look around and say, "Yoh, this is way beyond what I imagined"?

Or is it very much like how one can attend so many sermons and be so informed about God, and yet walk into heaven one day, look around and say, "Yoh, this is way beyond what I imagined"?

Someone once said that perhaps in heaven, music can be seen.

To see music, grasp it, hold it, and enjoy it tangibly.

Having perfect pitch means I "see" music. It's in my head. Like whenever I listen to a song, I "see" it in my head. Notes floating about in the air just waiting to be caught. I see them. I reach out, and catch hold of them, one by one. Then I place my hands on the piano, and I place each note where it belongs.

But still.

Seeing music outside the mind. That is beyond imagination.

I watched an episode of Star Gate SG-1 once (me = big fan of sci-fi series). There was this bunch of people from some super advanced planet, and they had this radio-like thing that could translate feelings from one person to the other.

Cool, huh?


He has made everything beautiful in its time.
Also He has put eternity in their hearts,
except that no one can find out the work that God does
from beginning to end.


Ecclesiastes 3:11


Mayhap this eternity that is in our hearts truly exists in the eternity that is prepared for us in heaven?

Tuesday 14 October 2008

Trapped.

Neh, this isn't one of those "I feel trapped" posts.

I WAS trapped. In the bathroom.

With a shower that trickled every few seconds.

And then I bathed with yellow water.

Ah.

Joy.

On the brighter side...

I have Photoshop!

Though the price that comes with it is well... pretty much like bathing with yellow water.

And so here I am, trudging on, photoshopping with my unphotoshopable photoshop skills.

This is one of those moments I can say I tried to do something (but failed? hope not.) I can't really do.

Anyway, I went to watch the Lantern Festival event in the college. The video was awesome. Awesome means I laughed my head off. I enjoy watching comedies (immensely), but I don't enjoy watching comedies in the cinema. Why watch an RM9 comedy by celebrities in the cinema when you can get the same deal *FREE* with lay actors in other public places?


-from here on I may blog in bullet form except without the bullets cuz I malas-


I listened to Anna play the piano for Vivian the way I taught her, and I couldn't help feeling a bit bangga. Heh. Not because I'm a good teacher (because I readily admit that I'm not), but because she's a good student. She completely developed the technique I taught her. Fuh. Macam Naruto.

We finished preparing the case bundle for our mooting exercise next week, and I must say it's been such a joy representing a client who wants to claim for infringement of his freedom of speech because he's not allowed to drop a car from his helicopter to demonstrate its solidity and fine suspension.

I went to the Footstool Players' drama, That Crazy Little Thing Called Love again. I went with Chelsea, Evelyn, Jason, Jira, Liverpool and Louis this time. Sam Leong and Su came round to drive us there, and I got to experience the get-people-to-fetch-me-and-pals to church event thing again. It was kind of nice to not be the one cracking my head over transportation and driving around fetching people.

Not that I don't miss playing host.

...

Ok, I don't miss it that much.

But I don't really mind it either la.

It's just that playing the guest is way easier than playing the host. Even when I socialize with people in PJGH and Life Chapel, all I do is smile and be nice and responsive when they talk to me. I don't have to worry about making anybody feel welcome or comfortable when I talk to them. Most of all, I am in control because I can choose to feel welcome or unwelcome.

Is this what I was meant to do?

I do find it easier to bring people to church and events by being free to mingle and run about as I please, instead of being tied down in church as a committee member or as a member who's supposed to socialize.

I went for Law CG on Wednesday. I don't know why, but I felt an ease I've never felt before in CG. I didn't judge their every word and gesture, but found myself wishing I could write down every single one of those in my handphone's notes. They weren't lame or loud anymore. Have they changed? Or have I?

I went for PKVUM on Friday. Uncle Phye Keat (Ms Choong's husband) spoke on Atypical Hypocritical, which means "a type of hypocrite", not "a typical hypocrite". It was a very profound and applicable talk, and I found myself filling both sides of the handout with blue ink.

I went for Youth Fellowship on Saturday. I was weaved into Jason's class by Juen. Sam (Lee) chuckled and said, "Bye, hwei, have fun in the underaged class" before he ran off to the - I don't know - aged class (there, snubbed you) with Anderson. I was introduced to the 5 people in the room, and I really can't see how a class with a 28-year-old, a 20-year-old, and three 19-year-olds, makes for an underaged class. I wonder how old the people were in Sam's class. Hah.

The class is doing a series on Love Languages by Gary Chapman. Last week's lesson was on Passionate Love. I missed it. Because I was in Malacca. The one I attended was Words of Affirmation.

YF wasn't what I had expected at all.

Firstly, I am now known as Sharon. Time is too short to tell you why.

Secondly, it was only when I was with those people in that little room that I began to wonder when I had last bared my soul to another. Not just my diary or my blog. To another person. Something alive that I can understand and be understood by.

It was a good time of sharing, and I was moved by the sincerity and genuineness with which those boys and girl shared. I'd never thought I'd find a guy who can actually be honest abouthow he feels.

My criteria for a guy is #1 Christian #2 Malacca boy #3 Right priorities. The fourth, which is an implied term, and which is implied by the officious bystander test (ok, ignore all that), is honesty and genuineness. He must be someone I can perceive to be a man, and yet call a boy. So few of those around. The Gazebo scene in the Footstool drama remains the one scene I can really relate to. The words of the wife ring through my head:
I feel like you've let me love you more in the past 5 minutes
than I have ever loved you in the past 5 years.


I went to PJGH on Sunday. As Ruth, Pei Win, and I walked in, the elder's wife walked past us, and greeted me. My two friends looked at me oddly and Pei Win asked,
"Did she just call you Manchester?"


Ah. Long story.

To cut it short, I found the PJGH-ians at YF uber friendly, and for the 3 hours I spent there, PJ felt like home.

I know I have built a reputation of "criticizing Jalan Gasing" among PJGH-ians (aha), and prolly got some PJGH-ians reading also, but I don't care! Nyeh nyeh. =P

I didn't mean to condemn anyone anyway; I just write what I see, the way I see it.

It may well be that I have been blinded by home-sickness, or maybe I am blinded now, but I shall now write what I see:


I see MGC right here in Jalan Gasing.


And here's the way I see it -

Maybe MGC flew over in those two days, maybe not. But this I know - there is new motivation for me to continue to try to be a good, responsible member of Christ's body where I am. There is a ministry here which has a single empty place for me, and it is my duty to fill it.

As usual, this post about Jalan Gasing will end with a summary of names:


Anderson,
Cheng Sze,
Desmond,
Ei Leen,
Eu Bing,
Geng Yi,
Grace,
Jason,
Jon Lee,
Juen,
Kie Ron,
Pei Win,
Richard,
Sam,
Shing Lung.



What these names mean to me I shall keep in my heart and ponder as I click the Publish button.

Wednesday 8 October 2008

tummy-aching in kemahiran maklumat class.
oh, who got the tummy-ache-giving power?
*groan*

Monday 6 October 2008

Chelsea Insisted.

gigi putih. =p

Hwei Is Wise


The strongest offense is that which comes from within.




Therefore,

If I got to choose a super power...

I would choose to have the power to inflict people with tummy aches.







yeah, i realize that phrase would be a lot cooler
if i illustrate it with stuff like low self-esteem, depression etc.
but hey. the aim is to break out of monotony.
Though,
don't ask me why I didn't choose the power to give cirit-birit,
stomach ulcer,
parasite in the brain
or whatever.

Friday 3 October 2008

Disappointed

I came back anticipating a Bible Study after all the hungering for it in PJ.

To tell the truth, it was a disappointment that they cancelled Bible Study for a barbeque.

Thursday 2 October 2008

*Note*

I am not seeking to promote controversy or disrespect or demotion of anyone, especially not the leaders.

As I said, I have been thinking, and I do not want to lie about what I think.

It felt much better pouring it out on paper, but I suppose I shall have to pour it out on a real person.

That will be done, don't worry.

I'm not going to set about begrudging anyone in my heart and behind their backs.





by the way,  i got selected for an ad campaign!
but i turned them down cuz it was alcohol-related.
bummer.
but i think there's still some campaign going on in the ad.
i think la.
ish. i know all you ppl out there dah biasa get selected.
ceh!

Time to claim my freedom of speech as this blog's author

...and to just be really blunt with what I think and feel.
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and having non-Christians as roommates means that I mostly have to do all that thinking by myself. So here's me thinking aloud.
Note: I'm gonna just talk like you people aren't here (and like you know what I'm talking about).


These are times when I feel like using the phrase, "You earn respect". I don't understand how people can go around expecting to be respected just like that, just because they are in a certain position. Yeah, you get respect alright. Positional respect. Meaning I respect you because of your position. But to go as far as to respect you for who you are - your character, personality, principles, integrity, infallibility? Neh. You earn respect for those things. Earning means you work and labour for it. Respect is something I take very seriously, because I had some experiences when I was much younger, that taught me - albeit the really hard way - that people don't just hand respect over to you.

I don't like to fight, argue, quarrel - whatever people these days call it. I prefer to have everything done in a peaceful manner. Everyone's happy with everyone, compromise here and there. Better yet - don't compromise. Better to have everyone tetiba and somehow happy with the other naturally without having to alter any part of their principles.

Fairytales. How we love 'em.

There's one thing that brings down the little protective, contented fence in me, though. Or maybe two:

#1
When people are being plain ridiculous. I either laugh at them or raise an eyebrow at them. Then I say something.

#2 When people are putting down somebody else. Usually someone I really care about. (if i don't care about you then too bad la. yeah, that's how i am. you're not shaking your head cuz that's prolly how you are too. yay.)

But bah, cuz I wasn't around when all those ridiculous things were happening back home.

I went for youth on Saturday, and came home wondering when the ISA got into the church. A Christian ISA, that is.

Elders are priests, just like every one of us. They're in the leadership position to oversee the sheep, but they themselves are sheep. Just maybe extra wool or somethin'. Jesus Christ is the Shepherd. How many times have we gotten that wrong? The elders are not some mega Hitler person we need to tiptoe around. Yeah, respect the elders. But has anyone ever stopped to consider that the elders spoken about in Paul's letters were worthy of their calling?

Thought simplified
: What do you do when you don't think your leaders fit the requirements in 1 Timothy?

I confess that I'd never really really read 1 Timothy. So when things like the position of a deacon being portrayed as substandard to an eldership position happened, I was given the impression that deacons are like 2nd-in-command, probably to do more of technical stuff.

But there I was one day, reading 1 Timothy 3:1-13:

Here is a trustworthy saying:
If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.
Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife,
temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle,
not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
He must manage his own family well
and see that his children obey him with proper respect.
(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family,
how can he take care of God's church?)
He must not be a recent convert,
or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.
He must also have a good reputation with outsiders,
so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect,

*author: you are worthy of respect, then you become a deacon. not the other way round.*

sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain.
They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.
They must first be tested;
and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect,
not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
A deacon must be the husband of but one wife
and must manage his children and his household well.


Deacons are in every way equal to elders.

Every way meaning position, character, blamelessness, lifestyle, and duty.

Thought simplified: Is it okay step down as an elder and take up deaconship instead?

Isn't this sending the message that "it's ok if you can't make it as an elder, still got a little bit qualified to be a deacon"?

When I asked Mum about it, she said: "If you study the requirements, you'll find that those are the qualifications of all Christians."

It didn't solve the peculiarities in church, but that helped. It took my focus off other people and onto myself.

Thought simplified: Am I qualified?

(and perhaps strange things have happened because i'm not the only one who has been brisking through 1 timothy 3)

But then somemore things bug me.

How is it that you can create a policy out of thin air, impose it on other people, and then break it yourself a month later?

And nobody will stand up to them (or maybe, just him), that's for sure.

Somehow, people stand up to innocent, honest people who are actually sitting down, so that they tower over them, but let jerks get away with bigger things.

Back to that issue of a Christian ISA - it's time for us to speak up.

Speaking up is often associated with "lawan tauke" in our society.

You say something against the majority, you're being lawan tauke.

You raise your hand to speak after sessions when people don't normally say anything extra, and you're a problem kid. (not referring to youth meeting)

You look your leaders in the eye and tell them what you think (which is normally contrary to what they just said), and you're susceptible to being black-listed.

You raise a question about why you have to do something out of the norm for a youth camp, and suddenly you're the one who's supposed to explain why you don't want to be imposed with something out of the norm. (we should be asking you why you wanna do something out of the norm. isn't that the natural thing to do? LOL.)

Ridiculous, ain't it?

We make so much noise about how the ISA in the country is yucky and mucky and stuff, but in our own haven, where everyone is equal in the eyes of the Shepherd, we act like we're under some Freedom of Speech Act.

Sensitive issue?

Didn't we scoff at our beloved Prime Minister when he said that?

Should we not scoff at ourselves now?

All the more, me thinks, because we condemned someone for it, and did it ourselves moments later.

Oh ya. Another thing.

A wants to have a word with B. But somehow A doesn't want to be the one to call (as ridiculous as that sounds). So A wants B to call A. But then even more ridiculously - A tells C to tell B to call A. The laugh is at the part where C is not even related to A, like living under the same roof or something.

If I asked Shaun to call Chen Li for me, at least Shaun can pass the phone to me when he gets the fella right?

What's the point of asking, say, Jessica to call Chen Li for me? Then Chen Li will have to call me after that right?

Worse - I want to tell Chen Li something, but I ask Jessica to call Chen Li and tell Chen Li to call me so I can tell it to her.

And it's even more hilarious if Chen Li obeys and has been trying to call me a few times, and even sms-ed me, but then I don't pick up, and don't reply, and then I call Jessica again and tell her to call Chen Li again to call me.

You'll be amazed how some people can actually do that.

And no, it's not Jessica, Shaun, Chen Li, or me doing this redundant triangular exercise.

Ah well.

I was practicing for debate once. I thought of a point the opposition might raise, and asked my debate teacher what the answer should be to a question they might raise. He shrugged and said something I'd never forget.

Lesson learned: When you simply can't figure out an answer to peculiar happenings, just say:

"Well, there are a lot of crazy people in the world."

Sunday 28 September 2008

mgc = sampat



Yeah, as yen said, can't really tell who's who. Kekeke.

p/s: i think i'll look good as a superhero. =P

Wednesday 24 September 2008

Random. Maybe.

someone offered to take a photo of the photographer.

thank you.




it's like I've forgotten how to smile for the camera.

Sunday 21 September 2008

My life that is forever intertwined with the piano

Guess what? Bluetooth adapter has malfunctioned, and so I can't upload any pictures. Ah well. Sila tahan post ini yang padat dengan perkataan dan completely void of pictures. Terima kasih.


Met Sam Lee in PJGH today! He's back from his superlong-May-till-Sept holidays.

Me: You don't play the piano here?

Sam: Yeah, I do, actually. Thanks to my friend (emphasis not mine) who told the music director that I can play. And so I play the bass and the piano.

Ohhh ok. Who's the music director?

Tuuu, that one. I can introduce you to him, if you want. And then I can let it slip that you can play the piano.

-_-


-paying up at the counter after lunching with Sam, Desmond, and Cheng Sze-


Sam to Desmond: She can play the piano very well.

Desmond: Oh izzit ar? Good good.

Me: Oi, Sam!

Oh ya, he's the one who got me into playing the piano.

Revenge la nie?

Yup. Kekeke.



Although I have no idea why I'm the one who terkena the dendam against Desmond.

Ah ha.

That actually reminded me of Friday's CG at Ms Choong's place.

I took a seat next to Grace and left Geng Yi with the sofa (which he'd probably have to share with 2 others).

Geng Yi: Oi, let me sit la.

Me: You sit on the sofa la. Muahaha.


-sometime later, while waiting for the rest to arrive-


Ms Choong: Ohhhh ok, ok. Tse Hwei will play then.

?_? + o_O

Come, Tse Hwei, sit at the piano. We can start already.

I looked at Geng Yi, and guess what? The dear fellow was standing beside Ms Choong (i wonder why) and snickering, albeit sheepishly.


Faster go sit at the piano. Then I can sit your place. Kekeke.

-_- !



Anyway.

I joined the Jeremiah CG at Ms Choong's house, just to make an attempt at another means of berkamcheng-ing with PJGH-ians.

It felt so much like Malacca - All that sitting around waiting for people to arrive when we already thought we were late, using the Spectrum of Praise for singspiration, feeling tempted to drop a pin in the moments of silence during the discussion just to see if it could be heard, the makan and discussion of movies and politics around a dining table afterwards...

Ahh. Good ol' Malacca.

I was quite afraid before going for CG. Especially after all that Geng Yi said about the CG having 20+ people, about the CG being very serious (somemore cannot wear shorts? apalah) and only a few people talking wan etc. (that happens in the Bible study back home too ah ha...)

But as Anderson* closed the session in prayer, I told God, "God, I can do this. Thank You for bringing me here."

Yeah, everything was quite Malaccan except for the fact that we had no fish-head noodle soup and there was no studying of the Bible. Hmm.

I shared about the importance of the Bible to me. It's funny how the Bible has suddenly become the one link between me and my identity as a Christian. I don't go to church 4 days a week anymore. I don't plan youth programmes or troubleshoot problems in the youth. I don't play the piano every time there's something on in church. I don't help to wash dishes. I don't need to play host to anybody. I haven't been explaining anything about the Bible to anybody. Haven't been encouraging and listening to a brother or sister's sharing.

I've lost it all. All that had made me feel like I wasn't just a pew-warmer or a regular attendee in church, or truly a servant of the Lord.

How do you feel like a servant when you're not serving diligently?

How do you feel like an older Christian when you're not exhorting a younger one?

How do you feel like a disciple when you're not discussing the Bible?

How do you feel like a Christian when all you do is attend church?

Ahh.

This is truly a step out of the comfort zone.

I'd always thought that being out of my comfort zone meant serving till I dropped. (cuz I'm pretty lazy and lethargic)

But here, God reveals that being out of my comfort zone is actually not serving the way I used to.

Uncle Min Choon shared last Sunday that we always think, "Must come to church and get involved only can do something for God". I never fully realized the reality of that until I found myself in it.

It's a struggle to remember why I am a Christian, and why I go to church.

Not because I do Christian things, and not because I need to do Christian things.

Such a simple truth that I'd always taken for granted.

Oh ya. Sang a wonderful song in church today. Was so captured by the lyrics.


I hear the Saviour say,
"Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all."

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone
Can change the leper's spots
And melt the heart of stone.

When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise
"Jesus died my soul to save"
Shall rend the vaulted skies.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete
I'll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus' feet.

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow.


All in all... Dad was right.

A church is only as good as the member of the church who takes it upon himself to take care of you.

In this case...

A church is only as good as the members of the church who take it upon themselves to take care of you.

Thank you, Cheng Sze, Desmond, Geng Yi, Grace, Ms Choong, Pei Win, and Sam.




*one of the youth advisors. trying to get to know the people thru devious means, like matching the names in the bulletin to the people upfront. hey, have to la. how la am i supposed to go up to the church members and ask them their names? tak kena tempat. ish ish.


note: dialogues and events penned down (or typed) according to author's own perception and interpretation. success in sueing for inaccuracy or misstatement is highly improbable.

note 2: i did not forget Juen and er Shanny. this post is based on today and fri. hee.

random statement: i am now the "girl with currypuff crumbs in her hair". don't ask me why.

random statement 2: desmond taught me the secret to getting past level 1 of Desktop Defence. sam shook his head. bah.