I Write. My Blog Speaks.

Lame CNY Greeting 2012: Origin

2012-01-23T23:22:00.000+08:00

Me
Happy CNY! Enjoy family & ang paus!

Esmond
Okay... I cannot resist this one... ang paus... like RED WHALES? Hahahahaha.

Me>Everyone
Happy CNY! Enjoy collecting red whales! (ang paus)

I shall use this again next year for the people I didn't get to text this year. =P

"it".

2012-01-12T12:33:00.002+08:00

I don't know if it's because I left MGC, or because of the year-long advocacy course, but I feel like I've lost "it".

I can't lead anymore, the way I used to in MGC.

I've lost the confidence in organising ice-breakers.

I feel strange when I'm asked to lead worship.

I'm less proactive than I used to be.

I think I'm less intelligent and less analytical too.

Devastating, for both a student of the law of God and the law of man.

How do I get "it" back when I don't even know what "it" is?

Or maybe I've just become more brethren. (yes, it's an adjective)

First YF Saturday of 2012.

2012-01-07T23:18:00.003+08:00

I'm back in PJ and blogging when I should be studying.

I think I'm at that point of my life as a student.

The -Ever Point, i.e.:

Whatever

(Whatever lah this exam)

However

(Die leh if I fail)

Forever

(I'll be in UM forever...)

Ever

(... and ever...)

Ever

(*eerie echo*)

When did I become so lame? I used to be quite serious.

Seriously.

Was so long ago i think only my siblings remember.

Anyway.

Two students made me very happy today.

I will share my joy after my -Ever exam.

=)

i'm still getting used to...

2012-01-05T18:49:00.003+08:00

...people asking me for legal advice.

It's weird.

Really weird.

Makes me feel like studying harder.

Haha.

fight.

2012-01-05T11:51:00.002+08:00

So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.

Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.

Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubble that we are not able to build the wall.”

And our adversaries said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”

So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people,

“Do not be afraid of them.

Remember the Lord,

great and awesome,

and fight for your brothers,

your sons,

your daughters,

your wives,

and your homes.”

Nehemiah 4:7-14

I was moved reading this today.

I was just talking yesterday, about the times we thought we couldn't do something, that it was impossible to survive..

I've had those times, the worst of them being in 2010.

In 2011, I turned around and looked, the way Nehemiah did, and I was amazed. I remember what I said then - "How far we've come!"

People who don't believe in miracles are people who've never looked back and said just that -

How far we've come.

I don't do year-end evaluations anymore, because ever since 2010, my year begins and ends in May.

Posted this before -

when the world says you can't,
it'll tell you that you can.
what is it?

"yay ken!"

2012-01-02T22:16:00.003+08:00

Since you're out here, you might as well help me hang clothes!

Ken

No! I have to go inside and put down my bag and then miraculously lose my power to walk. *runs inside*

when people

2011-12-15T23:27:00.001+08:00

...don't take any initiative to do anything at all.

Doing that thing would have taken less effort than avoiding it.

Too many different people in the world.

I just don't understand.

pili-pala.

2011-12-14T17:58:00.000+08:00

Mary Poppins: "When you have nothing to say, say... supercallafredgilisticexpiellidocious!"

When I have nothing to say, I say pili-pala. Shorter. Simpler. Hah.

Caroling last week reminded me of how much I used to love to sing.

Not so much singing.

Bursting into song.

Sometimes it's the very motion of doing something that we love.

E.g.

It doesn't matter what tea I drink; I love the act of drinking tea more than tea itself. It makes me feel calm.

It doesn't matter what movie I watch; I love the act of watching a movie / TV show with my siblings more than the movie / TV show itself. It makes me feel relaxed.

It doesn't matter what song I sing; I love the act of bursting into song more than the song itself. It makes me feel musical.

It doesn't matter what I thank God for. I love the act of thanking God more than the good or bad thing itself. It makes me feel... grateful?

I think we 'grown-ups' need to learn to sing again.

Thank You, God, for this fine day

Right where we are!

another poetic judge.

2011-12-14T00:50:00.001+08:00

"I am told that I would be breaking new grounds in deciding these two issues. But, whether this decision would survive the test of time is yet to be seen. Only time will tell. Nathaniel Hawthorne in "The Marble Faun" once remarked that:

Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.

Shakespeare, in Macbeth 1, said:-

Come what come may, Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.

What Hector Berlioz said as quoted in Almanach des lettres francaises is quite interesting. There he said:-

Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils.

I will now proceed to the heart of the matter."

--Per Abdul Malik J in Faridah Ariffin.

LOL.

2011-12-02T20:22:00.001+08:00

The week doesn't end for me. It goes on and on and on.

I need a break. I need my Sabbath.

But before the Sabbath, I must work like mad.

Skip sleep tonight.

Christmas. 17 December.

2011-12-02T18:45:00.001+08:00

Directed by the same guy who directed these:

Dinner provided! (hence, programme at 5pm. ^_^)

He gives grace.

2011-11-29T12:39:00.001+08:00

But Father, give me enough that I may give some to others too.

God of Night and Day,
expand my hours.

language of apology.

2011-11-25T23:57:00.001+08:00

According to Gary Chapman (the guy who wrote Five Love Languages), there are also five languages of apology.

Of late, I have come to discover mine.

Just sincerely say you're

Add a touch and I'll probably cry.

So.

Don't touch me. Haha.

Seriously.

Can't handle physical contact.

Except the messing up of Ken's hair.

Clockwise from left: Jason, Goo, Shaun, Ken

on on on on on on

2011-11-25T09:27:00.001+08:00

It's about passing on the vision.

If I leave the earth without passing on anything,

I think God wouldn't be the only disappointed person.

Sang this in church a few weeks ago. I've sung this song all my life (k exaggerating). But it really only sank in then.

Let me show you what went through my mind as I sang it.

I'm a pilgrim on the journey

Of the narrow road

And the PKV-ians who've gone before me line the way
Cheering me on as I try to be faithful,
Encouraging me when I'm weary
Using their lives as a stirring testament
That God's grace sustains, and more than sustains.

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
How can I run the race only for the prize?
But as those who've gone before me
I want to leave to those behind me
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives

Oh may all who come behind me find me faithful
May the fire of my devotion light their way
May the footprints that I leave
Lead them to believe
And the life I live inspire them to obey

Oh may all who come behind me find me faithful.

I have hopes and dreams
When they have come and gone
And my successors sift through all I've left behind
May the clues that they discover
and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find

Oh may all who come behind me find me faithful
May the fire of my devotion light their way
May the footprints that I leave
Lead them to believe
And the life I live inspire them to obey

Oh may all who come behind me find me faithful!

2011-11-15T09:42:00.001+08:00

Tutorials.

Remedies Assignment.

PKV's AGM.

PJGH Choir Practice.

PJGH Choir.

Chor Hui koko's Wedding Lunch.

And now Examination-in-Chief.

How am I going to stay alive?

By God's grace.

wills!

2011-11-12T11:21:00.001+08:00

In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.

Was delighted to find this in the Bible - Hebrews 9:16-17.

Amazing!

P/S: The New King James Version uses the words "testator" and "testament"!

Malacca, the centre of the universe.

2011-11-04T23:23:00.001+08:00

The one post that can spark so many comments:

Why do Malaccans love Malacca so much?

It's like... the way Penangites like to boast of how their food is better than Malacca's. (when it actually isn't. take that, Samuel Lee =P)

It's like... the way Ipohites like to say the Ipoh Chicken Rice Shop isn't from Ipoh.

It's like... the way Hainanese yell, "Su ki!" ("orang sendiri") when they meet a fellow Hainanese.

None of the above makes sense, especially the Penangite one.

So... there's really only one way to find out why we love Malacca so much.

Come visit us in Malacca.

Us.

Not just the state.

You'll see why.

=D

passage of the day. (which began at 6am)

2011-10-31T09:18:00.000+08:00

“People in Johor Baru have always been wary of AirAsia especially when they still remember how it broke its promise with such ease,” said the principled MP, who resigned his seat in 1988 to stand as an independent and was convincingly re-elected. A year later he rejoined Umno.

Earlier, during the debate, M. Manogaran (DAP-Teluk Intan) said he noticed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak doing all he can to win over Indian voters – doing walkabouts, drinking tea at Indian stalls and travelling by bus and trains.

“Maybe next Thaipusam he would even carry the kavadi,” he said.

Everyone laughed good naturedly until suddenly, Datuk Sri Mohd Zin Mohamed (BN-Sepang)realised what Manoharan had said and asked deputy speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee for his ruling on the DAP MP’s suggestion that Najib, a Muslim, carry the kavadi.

And then all the good Muslims who had laughed looked at each other as if saying “God what have we done” and immediately stood up to shout “tarik balik, tarik balik” as loud as they could in anger as well as to atone for laughing earlier.

Manoharan, too, realised what he had done but the deputy speaker saved the day for him by insisting that the remark was made unintentionally, that it was just a careless remark. But by the time the Dewan quietened down, the Teluk Intan MP’s time was up.

-- Zainon Ahmad, "AirAsia, MAS Deal in the Limelight", TheSunDaily, 21 October 2011.

that one person.

2011-10-31T06:33:00.003+08:00

Sometimes we already know what to do.

Then someone comes along and says something.

Or we begin to see alternatives. Better alternatives.

Then we become philosophical.

"Maybe there's more to this than I thought."

To make it a bit more Christian, we say:

"What if God is leading me here instead?"

"What if God is telling me this instead?"

And then we confuse ourselves.

"What is Your will for me, Lord?"

When all He wanted us to do, He'd already told us from the start.

And then we say life is tough. Life is confusing. There are too many choices.

Well, at least that last bit is true.

There are too many choices.

Being people of discounts, we look for the cheaper choice.

The one that costs less to make.

Obedience comes with a price.

Everybody knows that.

But how many know that disobedience comes with the greater price?

Experience knows.

And experience is something to be gained.

The Father knows His child is weak.

So He sent someone to set her back on track.

Just ONE person.

But it has made all the difference.

Where a shadow of doubt was once cast,

there is now certainty again.

Or at least, a tilt in the balance of probabilities.

(I hate Criminal Law,

but it is useful today.

Hah.)

Thanks, Phye Beng. =)

I love PJGH.

I love the people in PJGH.

I love what I can do here as a Christian.

I love what I can do here as a lawyer.

But is it about what I can do?

Whose work is it?

Mine, or the Lord's?

He will bring the work in Malacca.

Anderson talked about faith vs. belief.

I believe that work will come, and work will be meaningful in Malacca,

But above all, I have faith in the God of my Work.

Come what may, this God will not fail.

lovebirds.

2011-10-27T09:48:00.003+08:00

"It's my prayer that we'll grow ever deeper in love each day,

Centred on Christ our Lord,

Cuz we've got a long way to go."

This is what every couple should aim for.

Instead of just romance and what-not's.

Because romance alone can't keep a relationship alive.

Some of us have seen enough to know.

So those of you who haven't,

Please just take our word for it.

Oh by the way,

for those of you who missed it,

MY SISTER'S ENGAGED!
*fireworks*

2011-10-16T00:24:00.001+08:00

"Remember the calling you received

when you made the decision to come to law school.

If not, remember the calling you received

when you first made the decision to stay in law school.

Open your eyes to the beauty of the law.

Law school is difficult, but

remember your passion,

because it will keep you going.

You will be a lawyer.

Period."

take your own advice, hwei.

How to date a lawyer. (because EVERYBODY WANTS TO!)

2011-10-10T11:25:00.000+08:00

Fish where the fish are
To meet a lawyer, you need to be in a lawyer-rich location, preferably where around 1 out of every 12 people is a lawyer.
2
Go in for the kill
Once you’re in a lawyer-rich environment, you’ll need to go in for the kill. Our survey made it clear that lawyers spend more time in one place than any other: the office. If infiltrating a law office seems impractical or illegal, your next best option is a bar—that is, a bar association event or continuing legal education seminar. Finally, you could frequent bars (where they sell drinks) near courthouses, but exercise caution to avoid alcoholics in legal trouble.
3
Beware the lawyer personality
Once you’ve snagged a lawyer, beware. According to 20-year psychologist, Dr. Fiona Travis, “the same qualities that persuade juries and win cases can also work like acid on marital relations.” Our survey indicated the same, with one lawyer wife telling us that she endures “power trips” and “being spoken to like opposing counsel." Studies also show that lawyers tend to be defensive, argumentative, skeptical, and anti-social. However, the bright side is that you won’t experience these things often because lawyers are rarely at home. As one lawyer said, “Lawyers tend to be type A workaholics and have a hard time balancing work and family.”
4
Only repeat things you hear from credible people
Lawyers are trained to destroy witness credibility on cross examination. That’s why if you ever repeat something you’ve heard, you should volunteer the tipster’s name, education, occupation, and criminal history.

Use Latin whenever possible

Lawyers feel warm and fuzzy when they hear Latin. An easy way to use Latin without knowing any is to give your pets Latin names. When you say, “Why, yes, I have a pet! It’s a poodle named Locus Standi!” any lawyer will turn to putty in your hands.

Make love notes long and confusing

Brevity and clarity make lawyers feel uncomfortable and agitated, much like normal people feel at the DMV. For example, don’t say, “Let’s head back home early for some fun.” Instead say, “Let’s return early to the domicile for some malfeasance.”

Don’t be surprised when your lawyer sweetheart nitpicks everything

When it happens, don’t accuse him of splitting hairs. That would be like accusing a dolphin of swimming. Instead, thank him for being both a gentleman and a scholar.

Always cite sources

When in doubt, point to scientific studies, real or imagined. For example, instead of saying you “feel” that fried Twinkies should be illegal, say "They’ve been associated with stroke and suicidal ideation". Your lawyer lover may chastise you for sloppy research later, but will respect your appeal to authority.

Never speak of beliefs not backed by empirical evidence

For example, if you believe in the healing power of magnets, keep it to yourself. Instead, loudly and passionately accuse wait staff and small children of non sequiturs. Throw in a disparaging comment about the Malaysian education system for extra points.

Remember, it can all be very worth it

Lawyers, despite their posturing and sometimes-aggressive demeanor, are really very sweet at heart. As one lawyer put it, “I am looking for honesty, loyalty, a good listener, someone who can be confident, a companion and my best friend.” With a little training, persistence and patience, a lawyer can be the love of your life.

---Adapted from "How to Date a Lawyer" by Avvo.

People hate us, don't they?

Haha. =P

The best YF Saturday ever.

2011-10-09T19:38:00.002+08:00

Anderson
Why does God have to punish sin? Why can't He just let us off the hook? Because of His sense of.....?

All
*blur*

Anderson
Ok, everyone look at Tse Hwei. Think of Tse Hwei and answer the question. God is....?

All
*blur*

Anderson
Tse Hwei is...?

Kenric
Perfect.

Haha! Thank you, thank you! *flattered*

Anderson
The answer is justice la! God's sense of justice la!

Phye Beng
Oh, the answer was a bit of a stretch la, but can la.

Me
Apparently it's not a stretch to think I'm perfect.

Haha!

BEST YF SATURDAY EVER!

=P

POST-MS

2011-10-08T23:24:00.003+08:00

Besides the calendar, certain other signs are very telling.

For example, blaming the bathtub for my pail of clothes that fell off it.

Or telling a hanger that it's irritating.

I'm sorry for being so irritable this week. =(

(apologizing to people, not the bathtub and hanger)

Also, I do realize that I've been zoning out quite a bit, or at least being very inactive in times when I should be proactive.

Taken from here.

My life has been a-tumbling since two weeks before school started.

And I haven't quite adjusted to my final year.

So much to do, too little time.

When I have time, my brain refuses to work.

When my brain is working, my body refuses to allow it to stay awake.

When my body allows my brain to stay awake, it's already time to do a whole list of other things.

I don't like this. My first year was much easier to adapt to. In fact, I think I adapted on the very first day in my first year.

I need space.

K. Maybe not this kind of space.

Was very inspired by what Dr. Living said last week about keeping the Sabbath, or at least, having a rest day the way God intended. No tutorials or studying on Sunday, even if there's an exam or assignment due the very next day.

I need that Sabbath. I now see why God put such a thing as a Sabbath in the 10 Commandments.

Workaholic is in the rehabilitation centre and is hopefully on her way to being cured.

I still want to give my best and my all in everything I do.

I just...

have to find a better way to do it.

Father.

Please help?

Also, am very aware that I will be leaving PJ in June. And along with PJ - Petaling Jaya Gospel Hall, PJGH Youth Fellowship, Ezra CG, Law CG, PKV, Tiara, the Faculty of Law, the University of Malaya, and... another chapter of my life. I want to close this chapter well. No regrets, more rejoicing.

Father.
Please help.

2011-10-07T00:15:00.002+08:00

i should have known better than to ignore my gut feeling.

*edit*

when the world says you can't,
it'll tell you that you can.
what is it?

you.

2011-10-01T21:09:00.001+08:00

Thoughts of you have been bugging me recently.

I can't sleep without thinking of you,

I can't wake up without thinking of you.

In every conversation I have,

I talk about you.

I don't understand you. At all.

Yet, in spite of everything,

I still love you so, so much.

Why?

Why are you so complicated?

Why are we so complicated?

Taken from here.

Oh, Law.

And I'm not even kidding.

This verse is so much more real now:

"His delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on His law, he meditates day and night."

Psalm 1:2

How do I meditate on two laws day and night, Father?

Teach me how.

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yield its fruits in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers."

Psalm 1:3

Maybe it's obvious which law I should meditate on.

Father, grant me discipline.

(Eu Pui: "So, when is your turn to get a boyfriend?"
Me: "When I have time for my boyfriend, I will go get one."
I will leave meditating on the laws of relationships for a better time.)

my lame brother. (how many times have i used this title?)

2011-09-29T00:31:00.001+08:00

See, I'm not so OCD after all.

They're all different sizes.

*bangga*

*edit*

zhen qi cooked maggi mee!

2011-09-28T14:06:00.001+08:00

For me.

Didn't take a photo, but it looked something like this.
Maybe with a few differences.
...K, maybe many differences. Haha. (for one, no veggie! Yay!)

Ah.

Am in my final year. Former Justice Gordon Law said on Monday that by the process of law school, we're supposed to become master wordsmiths, masters of reasonableness, dealing with this product called "words".

One thing he said struck me, simply because it was so true:

Would be nice to sit down and read a novel instead, wouldn't it?

It would be nice.

Instead of reading journals, cases, and textbooks, I really would like to sit down and read something non-legal.

But then again, he said:

You're not normal people.

You've had your brains scrambled.

You will leave law school forever changed.

Again, so true.

I will never look at a car accident or read the papers the same way again.

So that's why...

When I go home, I'm gonna just sit at home, watch a cartoon like Phineas and Ferb, and not talk, or talk nonsense all day. Which, I'm (thankfully) quite good at. Haha!

The Fast and the Phineas. HAHA!
But seriously, this is one cartoon everyone should watch.

Also, I'm thinking about my six-year-old motto:

I will be a lawyer. Period.

So what happens once I'm a lawyer?

*edit*

do not let your hearts be troubled.

2011-09-19T00:13:00.000+08:00

"Let not your heart be troubled.

Trust in God; trust also in Me.

In my Father's house are many mansions;

If it were not so,

I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come back and receive you to Myself;

that where I am, there you may be also.

And where I go you know,

and the way, you know."

riddle!

2011-09-17T00:16:00.002+08:00

Man calls it an accident; God calls it an abomination.
Man calls it a blunder; God calls it a blight.
Man calls it a defect; God calls it a disease.
Man calls it a chance; God calls it a choice.
Man calls it an error; God calls it an enmity.
Man calls it a fascination; God calls it a fatality.
Man calls it an infirmity; God calls it an iniquity.
Man calls it a luxury; God calls it a leprosy.
Man calls it a liberty; God calls it lawlessness.
Man calls it a trifle; God calls it a tragedy.
Man calls it a mistake; God calls it a madness.
Man calls it a weakness; God calls it a wilfulness.

What is it?

again.

2011-09-12T00:38:00.002+08:00

Again.

Esmond said every time he steps into USM, it's so painful it feels like someone died.

Like all that's left are memories.

I can relate.

Waving at you from where I am, Raymond.

=)

memories are hard to leave behind.
if we take them along, but continue walking,
i suppose we're doing okay.
let's not forget to pray for those who need it.

you better keep that asam pedas up there, friend.
cuz i will eat it.
and when i do, it better not be basi!

running on adrenaline.

2011-09-12T00:20:00.001+08:00

It's that time of the year again. That time of the year when I walk around looking really tired but still somehow manage to get things done, because I'm running on adrenaline.

D. E. Hoste, Hudson Taylor's successor once asked Hudson how he could overcome the wandering mind during prayer. Among other things, Hudson told him to allow his body enough rest.

This also reminded me of something Melissa (Chin) said about a doctor who worked long hours -

"You can't run on adrenaline, because then you make mistakes."

If anyone asked me what I learned most in my term as President, I think it would surprise some people that I wouldn't talk about how I learned to organize people and things, how I learned patience, how I learned that people are not robots that can easily be told to do this or that.

I did learn all of that, in greater measures than I ever imagined or maybe... wanted. Haha. (Now that I've learned them, I want them la. Haha.)

Above all, I learned to ask for help.

People like to call me a superwoman, but I'm not.

I'm really not.

I know the difference between working with passion, and working on adrenaline.

And today, my body tells me that I am slightly overworked.

I'm still working on asking for help, because the natural thing to do seems to be to do everything myself when things get messy.

I'm learning to help other people help me.

Sometimes that takes more work than doing things myself, but then... was it ever just about work?

It came as a sort of surprise today that I was able to tell Evelyn (paraphrased):

It's not my work, it's His.

So, Father - it's Your responsibility.

You carry it out.

I'll work with what You give me.

The greatest line from church today, which I think baffles the world:

The fruit of the Spirit is

love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Self-control helps you say that it is ok not to be in control.

Because God is in control.

Doing the Lord's work doesn't mean I become a superhuman.

It just means there will be strength from above.

In the meantime, the weak body shall rest to refresh the willing spirit.

Father,

Your will be done.

On earth,

as it is in heaven.

Amen.

because sometimes it helps to laugh.

2011-09-08T21:05:00.001+08:00

I forgot when I learned to laugh at myself,

but life has been better ever since.

work.

2011-09-08T00:18:00.000+08:00

I have more work now than when I was working.

Have actually been very, very frustrated and stressed out for the past two weeks.

I shared at The Plan 11 -

"I know I should feel like work is getting in the way of CF [Christian Fellowship]. So why do I feel like CF is getting in the way of work?"

The past few days have been especially stressful for me, and I felt like pulling my hair a number of times.

I don't like getting irritated with people, and here I was getting very irritated.

I don't like feeling like scolding someone, and here I was feeling like giving someone a good scolding.

Everything wasn't as it should be, time is short, and I knew it.

Today, I read:

"God will never fail! Every need will be abundantly met, if not through one channel, then through another. The work is the Lord's."

The work is the Lord's!

That really broke me.

Work, work, work. I've been so obsessed with work that I think everything I do is mine. Mine to work at, mine to keep, mine to delegate, mine to oversee, mine to cry over, mine to ensure success of.

But the work is the Lord's. I'm just someone with the privilege of being a part of it.

And two pages later:

"Unless he [the leader] is constantly and faithfully wrestling in the heavenlies with the powers of darkness, there is real danger of his becoming involved in wrestling with his colleagues."

Indeed.

I have been unfaithful. How can I now condemn others?

Father,

take what is Yours.

It is safer in Your hands.

2011-08-19T11:54:00.002+08:00

i have never felt so useless in my life.

back on msn.

2011-07-21T20:51:00.000+08:00

2011-07-18T17:00:00.002+08:00

Long fingernails are good for nothing but jazz.

muhibbah.

2011-07-13T12:33:00.000+08:00

I got into a muhibbah accident in Malacca today.

Two Malays, two Chinese, one Indian.

Almost like the ratio in Malaysia. Almost.

Anyway.

I was right.

There is a big difference between getting into an accident in KL and getting into an accident in Malacca.

One line from the Chinese guy - "Bila kita tengok accident, kita tak cakap bangsa bangsa semua tu. Kita bantu saja."

Indian guy added - "Motosikal tu boleh baiki, tak apa."

Malay guy finished - "Yang penting orang selamat."

Thank you, kind Malaccan strangers. T_T

Thank You, God, for these kind people. T_T

footstool players.

2011-07-11T10:46:00.003+08:00

Taken from their site.

I've always enjoyed their performances - clever lines, the absence of soppy unnecessary romantic scenes/lines, fast pace (unlike Korean & Taiwan dramas which I find very irritating), and the frequent organized multiple personality disorders. =D

Lame lines from yesterday:

A: There was a hole in the pot.

B: A pot hole!

Cracked Pot: Let me just sit here and decompose. From clay I came, to clay I shall return. SOB.

Person: Mould me into the image of Your Son, God.

God: Okay. *gets chisel ready*

Person: Wait! Aren't You a carpenter?

God: That's my Son.

And as always, they finished with an impactful skit - one that dealt with something I've always struggled with. Two years ago, I wondered what I would be without my music. That was probably one of the reasons why I didn't want to go to a church whose people knew I could play the piano. Because I wanted to see if I could be something by just being me, instead of being what I do.

Why church? Why not go on this journey of discovery elsewhere?

Because it's a bit difficult to not be defined by what you do in a place where you are precisely what you do. I.e. school.

Anyway.

After three years in PJGH, I've found that I can still be someone even without being a pianist. But now I'm a pianist again, and I've often found myself slipping back into that mindset - the one where I forget that what I do is just a part of who I am, and not the other way around.

Yesterday was a good reminder.

And it just occurred to me that I haven't brushed my teeth.

Haha!

a teacher who teaches.

2011-07-04T09:03:00.001+08:00

Read this on Facebook - a status update by my brother's friend in MHS, Upper Six (edited to sound more coherent haha):

Cikgu Hong ajar,

Jangan cakap Bahasa Cina depan orang-orang Melayu sebab diorang tak faham.

Jangan pandang rendah orang kelas Sastera kalau kau tu budak kelas Sains.

Jangan nak praktikkan perkauman dengan pandang rendah bangsa lain.

Kalau nak berjaya kena belajar sama-sama tak kisah lah walaupun berlainan kelas.

Semua benda tu dia sebut tiap-tiap masa.

Lebih daripada "kau semua kena dapat A untuk Econs"

Kalau tak faham erti ajaran sebenar Cikgu Hong, jangan nak berani mengaku kau anak murid dia lah.

I thought this was lovely.

I also thought this was lovelier coming from someone four years younger.

I also thought,

If only every teacher in Malaysia would teach like this.

Then maybe there would be no need for a BERSIH rally.

Because our leaders would be men and women of character.

Part of the sorrows in life comes from knowing what could have been, if only.

attachment fees??

2011-06-27T13:08:00.001+08:00

We had to print our own papers - confirmation, insurance, instructions for supervisors, list of tasks, evaluation forms.

We had to spend money (a minimum of RM4 everyday for me) getting to our attachment places.

We didn't even receive nominal allowance (except for the lucky few).

And now we have to pay RM100.80 to UM for our attachment.

"Because our attachment is considered a special semester."

What did UM spend to send us there???????????????????

RM0.60 Stamps? Electricity for the fax machine? RM0.05 on photocopying? 0 seconds from not having to monitor us?

What?

What did they do that could possibly amount to RM100.80???

I don't usually use so many question marks, but this is really mind-boggling.

What????????????????????

who will go?

2011-06-22T09:13:00.006+08:00

why aren't we teaching our young people to bloom where they were planted?

why aren't we showing them what's happening in our small churches?

why aren't we harnessing the power of their youth for greater things?

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
"Whom shall I send?
And who will go for us?"

Isaiah 6:8

who will go?

who will go?

why aren't we teaching them to say,

"Here am I! Send me!"

Isaiah 6:8

since then, things have not changed.

we are not teaching the children.

we cannot teach them if we don't first show them.

i'm good at casually making dire predictions.

here's one:

if we don't show them soon,

our small churches will die.

my dire predictions don't always come true because

i don't ever want to be able to tell a friend "i told you so".

what about you?

what will you do about it?

of mak nyah's, sex workers, and abused children.

2011-06-18T21:02:00.001+08:00

We were finally allowed to go somewhere other than the courts and the Centre.

Simply put, my perception of a lot of things has changed.

The transgenders were very nice, very helpful, very friendly.

I don't condone their lifestyle, but I now see that I've been giving them labels without bothering to know the individuals behind those labels.

A primary school teacher once asked me if prostitution was wrong. I said, "Of course". She replied, "What if she's a single mum, who didn't even finish her SPM, and she has nowhere else to get money for her baby?"

At 11, I'd said that it was wrong anyway.

It's wrong. I still think it's wrong. But 12 years ago, I hadn't thought that it was important to think about how that single mum felt about what she was doing.

Not happy.

She's not happy about what she's doing.

Nobody writes "sex worker" in the "Cita-Cita" section in that huge report card.

It's wrong. Prostitution is wrong.

But now that I've met these people, I see that they aren't the only ones who are wrong.

Judging is wrong.

Seeing a need and not helping is wrong.

Sneering at others is wrong.

And the visit to Protect & Save the Children (PS the Children) left an impact on me.

I've heard the stories before - Mum catches Dad forcing his daughter to perform oral sex on him, family friend groping his girlfriend's brother...

Taken from psthechildren.org.my

But standing in the therapy playroom (toys still fascinate me), I thought that it was really sad.

Because toys are supposed to make a happy child happier, not try to heal a broken child.

What do you do when having a big heart isn't enough?

Question of the day as I left the Centre.

it just occurred to me:

2011-06-17T19:00:00.000+08:00

This post I wrote about the impromptu speech topic I got in English class:

To what extent has digital democracy or the freedom provided by the Internet led to any improvements in the democratic situation in Malaysia? Give reasons for your opinions.

...is one of the stuff I covered in my academic project.

Ms. Gill had the gift of premonition!

yay, i can go for the committee retreat.

2011-06-16T21:44:00.000+08:00

My sense of direction has been tested for the past few days.

Why?
Why?
Why?

Why bother to test something that doesn't exist?

How did I pass Geography?

By remembering the monsoon seasons.

November to March - angin monsun timur laut.
May to September - angin monsum barat laut.
April + October - tempoh peralihan angin.
April - angin Sumatera.

So far, the only time I've used this piece of knowledge was when I attempted to explain why there were no fireflies on a certain night at a certain place.

sheep.

2011-06-15T00:06:00.000+08:00

Today's Bible study somehow led to the sermon on the mount again.

The one where Jesus says to turn the other cheek when someone slaps you, give extra baju when someone takes your baju, go the extra mile, love your enemies...

Whenever it leads to this, Mr Lian always asks the same question:

How can we do something so illogical?

How, indeed.

When someone wronged you on purpose,

When someone lied about you to someone else,

When someone took what should have been yours,

When someone is just so mean,

How do you forgive?

How do you give even more?

How do you not do anything to retaliate?

"God is in control," I replied.

It's what Mr Lian said the first time I attended a study which led to the sermon on the mount.

Every time I say it, it hits harder.

Every time I say it, I can't say it very loudly.

Because it's so personal,

Because it's so real.

Today, Mr Lian added another lesson that I will never forget:

If you truly believe in God,

you will trust Him.

You must not just believe that He exists,

you must trust Him.

I wrote,

Father, I cannot.

Truly,

when it had mattered most,

if it were solely up to me,

I think I would have been unable to trust Him.

But praise be to God,

because it wasn't solely up to me.

He put me in a situation where I had no choice but to trust Him.

Because there simply wasn't any other way to go.

Belief.

Trust.

To believe is easy. The gullible believe many things. And they believe many things many times over.

But even the gullible fail to trust.

Coupled with trust,

is when belief becomes faith.

Let not your hearts be troubled.

Trust in God;

trust in Me also.

John 14:1

ken:

2011-06-14T22:57:00.003+08:00

*edit*

"Jie, you want bad news or good news?"

"Good news."

"Oh ya, the bad news is..."

by chance (you and i).

2011-06-13T20:56:00.002+08:00

The guy starred in a few of Ryan Higa's wacky clips, most notably "Daily Life of Rustin Hieber" and "Daily Life of NinjaHinja", and sang this for Higa's "Agents of Secret Stuff".

The line that caught my ear and made me google the lyrics is in bold. Haha!

A bit cheesy for my liking, but I still like the cucumbers line. ^_^

(listen)

Girl, you just caught my eye

Thought I should give it try

and get your name & your number,

Go grab some lunch & eat cucumbers

WHY, DID I SAY THAT?I don’t know why.

But you’re smilin’ & it’s something’ I like

On your face, yeah it suits you

Girl, we connect like we have bluetooth

I don’t know why

I’m drawn to you

Could you be the other one so we’d equal two?

And this is all based on a lucky chance

That you would rather add than subtract

You and Icould be like Sonny & Cher

Honey & bearsYou and I

Could be like Aladdin & Jasmine

Let's make it happen

Hey

How’ve you been?

I know that it’s been awhile.

Are you tired? 'Cause you’ve been on my mind

Runnin’ thousand & thousands of miles

Sorry, I know that line’s outta style

but you

You look so beautiful on this starry night

Loving the way the moonlight catches your eyes and your smile

I’m captivated

Your beauty is timeless, never outdated

I don’t know why

I’m drawn to you

Could you be the other one so we’d equal two?

and this is all based on a lucky chance

that you would rather add than subtract

Babe

,It's been five years since that special day

when I asked you on our first date

I guess it’s safe to say

You and Icould be like Sonny & Cher

Honey & bears

You and I

Could be like Aladdin & Jasmine

Let's make it happen

Let me say,

You look beautiful on our wedding day.

i don't think.

2011-06-13T02:56:00.004+08:00

Eh. I do.

It's an incomplete sentence ok. I.e.:

I don't think that it's impossible to explain attraction, or non-attraction.

I'm not attracted to buff guys. At all.

I'm not attracted to guys who don't talk about anything other than sports.

I'm not attracted to guys who don't watch movies.

I'm not attracted to guys who don't laugh.

I'm not attracted to guys who don't want to learn.
I'm not attracted to guys who don't have an opinion.
I'm not attracted to guys who argue without listening first.

What's difficult to explain is why you chose that one person among so many in the same category.

This is in response to those soppy movies that say, "you should never ever be able to explain why you love someone".

Yup, I know some couples say that too, and so do some counselors, but I think that statement by itself is incomplete. And it doesn't make sense at all, actually, without some qualifications.

How can you not explain why you don't like a guy who farts loudly in public places?

Or sneezes into a handkerchief, then shoves it in your face?

Or says "I don't know and I don't care" to everything you say?

Or says you're fat every time you ask?

Or wears a William Hung fan shirt when he goes out with you?
Or does drugs?
Or doesn't flush after he poops?

We all like certain things in certain people, and that's a fact.

And we all dislike certain things in people.

You discover more things that you like and dislike along the way, which you learn to love and live with eventually, but you start somewhere with something.

I sound random, but I've been thinking about this for a very long time. Like, ever since I watched Winter Sonata, where that guy said that to the girl about her fiance.

Picture taken from this site.

And it sounds really petty, but I've got to write it here, otherwise it'll be like having the solution to a Sudoku puzzle but keeping it in your head.

CANNOT.

And the reason why I'm still awake is because I woke up at 10.15PM after five hours of sleep.

But don't worry,

Fortunately, sleeping is a hobby.

Good morning!

shit.

2011-06-10T00:18:00.001+08:00

No, not cursing.

Shit,

has been all over my bathroom floor lately.

It came back up every time we washed it down.

I personally don’t think it’s shit shit. It’s some geli, brown stuff from that hole in the bathroom floor which I’m sure has a lovely technical name which I’m not aware of.

I spent the last two days bathing and washing my clothes in the washroom beside the pool.

The contractor finally came today after much heckling from us, and everything is supposed to be cleared now.

I feel so tired today la.

I had no idea what the contractor was telling Ah Will, and felt like I didn’t really care either. Auto-tune-off.

Had a dinner full of laughter (mostly directed at me) with Amreeta & Thulsi.

Then went home slightly depressed at being called “un-irresistible” and washed the shit-filled bathroom.

Now I’m sitting here trying to collect my thoughts for tomorrow.

I think there’s a co-relation between my mind and my table.

Post.

Menstrual.

Syndrome.

It exists.

How?

Easy.

Seek out my fellow lame persons! Nigahiga is leading at the moment. =D

i forgot.

2011-06-04T14:19:00.000+08:00

how much studying the Bible stimulates the brain.

sometimes i don't feel like i'm teaching the youths at all.

the Lord's kingdom is one where both teacher and student learn in the same class.

socrates.

2011-06-03T14:53:00.008+08:00

First, although I will graduate with a good degree from UM, I must never be pompous about it. Otherwise, I’ll be starting out with half my legs chopped off already.

Taken from here.

Second, wherever there are more than five personnel in a firm, there will always be two groups, and there will be sides. Expect that, expect to be bad-mouthed and talked about behind my back, and accept it as a part of life. [In his first week, he insulted someone very badly without knowing it. Sounds like something I would do. Yay.]

Taken from here.

Third, the KL Legal Aid Centre will be very different from the Malacca Legal Aid Centre because of the different environments the two are in. I am to gain as much as I can from the exposure to legal life in KL, but I must not use that as a benchmark for my perception of the practice of law, because ‘life does not have to be that crazy’. [For once, someone agrees with me. And he's Socrates! Haha.]

Fourth, use my leverage to the max. Being a UM student, I will have a slight advantage over my contemporaries. But we all grew up around computers, and technology will guide the future of the legal circle, therefore I must work to excel in what I already have.

Fifth, learn to do the nitty-gritty work (e.g. photocopying, stapling, binding), because when I’m in the office late at night, there will be no clerk to do it for me. [Today I finally got the chance to photocopy like mad. (I must be desperate to want to photocopy so badly) Binding is next!]

Sixth, adapt to my master and supervisor’s working habits. Have a personal template ready so that I can send a letter in five minutes. Be industrious! [A reason to for OCD. =D]

Taken from here.

Seventh, don't forget to gossip and eavesdrop. [Har?] And don't exclude myself from others when waiting for a case to be heard in court. Listening to an expert in a particular legal field for five minutes is worth much more than an hour of research in the library on the same subject.

Taken from here.

Eighth, check out the AGC's website to see the most recent trends in sentencing, because the cases there are updated daily.

He also said that most people would end up doing conveyancing, so that's probably what I'll end up doing.

He said that it's a reality of life.

I will fight reality then.

Anything but conveyancing.

Maybe buka a firm that specializes in Jurisprudence.

Client

Hey, someone ordered something from me but don't want to pay. I wanna sue.

Ah, but first: What is law?

Client

Hah? Law is law lah. All I want is to sue that guy for breach of contract!

Ah, but what is a 'contract'?

Client

...

A wise man named Socrates once said...

--Copyright: Anderson.

Bright future for me ahead!

try!

2011-06-02T17:08:00.001+08:00

I once said, "There has got to be a better way."

Today, I say,

Bring it.

Trying because you know you can be more than what you are now is one of the little things I enjoy.

I think I have come to know where my heart is.

I hope this is where His heart is too!

homosexuals.

2011-05-23T15:45:00.002+08:00

Why do people keep saying homosexuals are born homosexuals?

If that baseless assumption is proven wrong, what else would you have to say in defence of your sexuality?

Nothing? Then maybe it's time to evaluate yourself.

If you have something else to say, why don't you say it instead of that flimsy defence that you keep repeating?

Am I being prejudiced/biased?

I assure you that I am prepared to give anyone a hard time who doesn't think it important to do well-grounded research before making lofty statements.

"It is time for a change"

"It has always been this way"
"I have my rights"

"I'm not hurting anybody"

"It's my prerogative"

I hate hearing those statements.

They sound argumentative, but they're just pure emotion.

Unless you can defend your statement, it shouldn't see the light of day.

Next, people are going to say they were born with the "Lady Gaga" gene.
You weren't born this way, Gaga. Who're you trying to kid?

attachment.

2011-05-21T21:38:00.000+08:00

Currently attached to the Malacca Legal Aid Centre.

It's really not what I expected. Details later, now I wanna watch Bones. Haha.

But still, I've learned that when I make mistakes, I made them, not God.

All this is still within His plan, and my job is to make the most of where I am and what I'm doing to discover that plan.

Have had the opportunity to have direct contact with chambering students, and that's a good thing. Have also been to the courts, and that's also a good thing, because I find things so amusing there sometimes. But then again, I find most things amusing.

Anyway, a lot of things will be happening beginning May 28.

Sin Yee's getting married, for one! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Then Chen Li and I will drive up to PJ to follow Gabriel to camp.

Then I'll be doing all sorts of other awesome things.

Awesome things await!

And the first one is an episode of Bones!

Ta!

"guess what?"

2011-05-11T20:41:00.000+08:00

"I quoted Spiderman's uncle for Azmi Sharom's assignment and I got 8/10. Haha!"

Esmond
Uncle Ben has been quoted so often. He can be considered a credible source.

things i managed to remember besides law.

2011-05-11T11:47:00.001+08:00

"We do not come before God as equals."

-- Uncle Leslie.

"Christ's death aims to make us sin less not sinless."

-- Uncle Phye Keat.

"The coming of Christ was not complementary, but complete."

-- Uncle Lian.

"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

-- Jesus Christ, John 11:25-26.

You will notice:

My love for good usage of words.
My respect for wise men.

But the presence of good men is not an excuse for women to slack. Hunger and grasp of Scripture and spiritual things is the calling of all - and in Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female anyway. (Galatians 3:28)

There is only the lazy and the unlazy.

after my final paper on thursday...

2011-05-11T00:05:00.004+08:00

MERDEKA!!!!!!!

*flap flap flap*

Right.

For those who haven't heard me say it gazillion times,

I'm going off to do my attachment in the Malacca Legal Aid Centre May 16-June 3.

Then I'll be attached to the KL Legal Aid Centre June 6-24.

In between, I'll try to take two days off to attend PJGH's Family Camp from May 28-31, missing the first day of camp because I'll be attending Kah Wei and Sin Yee's wedding dinner on May 28. (CAN'T WAIT! I LOVE WEDDINGS!)

Then I'll fly to Kuching July 6-9. Which was supposed to be a good break, but which may not turn out to be one after all. [insert appropriate expression here]

Almost right before the new term starts in September, I'll be going off to a camp called The Plan 11 from August 31-September 3.

Knowing me,

I'll spend two months (after deducting attachment time) ~~worrying~~ thinking about Christmas, the PKV t-shirt, the Promo Booth, Junior Visitation, Malam Suai Kenal, Convo, and possibly, Camp.

Also, knowing me (see, I know myself so well),

I'll probably get myself into something (or some things) that would keep me busy for two months la.

And then I'll be in my final year.

Oh ya, now I remember what I wanted to do.

I wrote in my spiritual diary that I'd start a study on the "I am's" in the gospel of John.

Now that is really something to look forward to.

Actually I look forward to all of the above,

except the part where HEP's latest creative and innovative ideas are going to make life for PKV a little more difficult.

(can you recognize sarcasm when you see it?)

Before all that happens,

I shall just enjoy studying Public International Law. YAY.

In case you're wondering why I sound like a bimbo, it's because I'm off in the head.

To honour bimboism, I shall end perfectly bimbotically:

Toodles!

not to sound shallow but…

2011-05-10T14:49:00.001+08:00

The ‘Chocolate Paste’ on Choki-choki?

Is translated as…

(I like pasta, but this ain’t no pasta)

off in the head.

2011-05-09T08:26:00.000+08:00

Zhen Qi

Just cite AG v. Great Eastern Railway for everything!

Tse Hwei

In the case of Great Eastern Railway, there was a railway which was very great and it was in the East.

invigorating.

2011-05-08T15:02:00.001+08:00

It was different from other discussions about Christianity because these weren't people who just wanted to argue.

These were people who really wanted to know, and that, in itself, was very satisfying.

Have been lamenting the inadequacy of my knowledge of Scripture. All I know is whatever I've heard from sermons, Sunday School, Youth, Bible study, and a little from my daily readings, since who knows when.

Today was a reminder that there is much to learn from older Christians, and there is much to teach younger Christians.

Today was also a flashback to 2005. It was like looking back and remembering why I decided to read law.

Hwei, buck up!

section 132E(6).

2011-05-07T22:32:00.001+08:00

A director or substantial shareholder of a company or its holding company, or a person connected with such director or substantial shareholder, in whose favour the company carries into effect an arrangement or transaction and who knows that such arrangement or transaction is carried into effect by a company in contravention of this section, or a director who knowingly authorized the company to carry into effect such arrangement or transaction, in contravention of this section, shall be guilty of an offence against this Act.

Penalty: Imprisonment for seven years or two hundred and fifty thousand ringgit or both.

(98 words)

You know, this reminds me of something Dr Azmi said some time ago:

"I THINK, that these people went to special schools.

Special schools to teach them how to be completely...
incomprehensible."

All in agreement say 'aye'.

bribery.

2011-05-06T14:49:00.001+08:00

It's like training a dog. The theory is that I tell you to study, and after you study, I give you a chocolate, then you'll study harder.

Kock Sin

And after I study, you'll buy Starbucks coffee for me! Yay! I go study now!

this was a long time ago, but.

2011-05-05T13:43:00.001+08:00

(Eminem teaches Jimmy Kimmel how to rap)

Cannot tahan la.

Ahaha.

The ending's not here though.

The ending was good. =P

jurisprudence is over.

2011-05-04T22:21:00.001+08:00

It was actually my favourite subject.

Before I went for the exam, I told God that no matter how it turned out, Jurisprudence would still be my favourite subject.

Now that it's over, the real battle begins.

Company Law (the subject I know almost nothing about),

Public International Law (the subject I forgot to register).

See my bleak future?

The casualties of Law Fac exams:

irritated.

2011-05-03T12:15:00.003+08:00

the various heights of stupidity constantly amaze me.

theirs, especially.

almost two years of working with them,
and they haven't changed.

13 may - 42nd anniversary.

2011-05-03T12:04:00.002+08:00

FIVE ARTS CENTRE and POCKETSIZE PRODUCTIONS

present

I was 13 at the time. On the day it happened...
A Workshop Presentation of Stories of 13 May 1969

directed by Chee Sek Thim

text curated by Jacqueline Ann Surin
performed by Foo May Lyn, Lucille Dass and Shah Zainal

11, 12 & 13 May 2011

8.30PM
at Socio-Economic & Environmental Research Institute (SERI)
10 Brown Road, Penang

Admission by donation of RM10
Call 0124828619

14 May 2011
5pm at Leonardo's Wine Loft, 61-2 Jalan Bangkung, Bukit Bandaraya,
Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur

9pm at Five Arts Centre, 27 Lorong Datuk Sulaiman 7, Taman Tun Dr Ismail,
Kuala Lumpur

Admission by donation of RM10
Call 0125162891

This event will present a reading of different stories of 13 May 1969 told by Malaysians as they remember it. The stories will be juxtaposed with the official rhetoric of government, political parties, politicians, academics and the media regarding the racial clashes of 13 May.

The purpose of this workshop presentation is to reclaim what 13 May means to Malaysians by allowing other stories of the incident, apart from the official rhetoric, to be told and/or retold through performance in a public space. The hope is that by doing so, the official history of 13 May can be contested, and a space or spaces for more nuanced and compassionate memories of the incident can be created.

For more information email fivearts@tm.net.my or pocketsize.productions@gmail.com

all knowledge is relative.

2011-05-03T00:13:00.002+08:00

It was against the Sophists that Plato's writings are directed. But we must admit that it is the Sophist attitude that comes closest to the view that most generally prevails today - that all knowledge is relative to the person seeking it.

No man is in a position to call another mistaken. Not many people today believe, with Plato, in a 'form' of goodness, an absolute and ideal standard by reference to which we can determine universal, absolute, ethical values.

The Sophists, to most present day ways of thinking, were correct.

So when Japanese soldiers entered villages in Malaysia in the Second World War, and for sport threw babies and young children into the air, catching them as they fell on the end of their bayonets,

they committed nothing that can be regarded as absolute wrong.

When two teenagers broke into the flat of a partly blind widow of 92, and beat and raped her, and gouged out one eye,

these actions were wrong merely according to the particular code of our own time.

Absolute certainty as to the wrongness of any act can never be laid down.

All values are merely relative.

Is this not so, dear reader, is this not so?

-- Riddall, J. G., "Of Big Fish and Little Fish", Jurisprudence.

I couldn't find the news about the 92-year-old widow, but finding these troubled me enough.

And,

Riddall's book was published in 1999.

I weep as well.

what is law?

2011-05-02T15:05:00.000+08:00

free?

2011-05-02T10:36:00.000+08:00

mother's day @ pjgh.

2011-05-01T22:03:00.001+08:00

Today, I laughed as I listened to a little boy's five-line tribute to his grandmother.

Today, I wept with a 30-year-old son as he acknowledged his mother in tears.

Today, I smiled as I listened to a husband's appreciation of his wife.

I was very moved,
and it didn't matter anymore that I'd been in church for 8 hours.

Because today I saw that true love does exist.

And people only cry like that when they mean what they say.

Love does exist.
And love can stay pure.

Father,
I believe.
And forgive me for forgetting,
that time spent for You is never time wasted.

procrastination.

2011-04-30T13:29:00.001+08:00

My pretty sister (pictures taken by Chen Li):

She claims that she’s not lame (unlike the rest of us).

Believable? Hm.
(also, see this blog post)

My brother who is admittedly quite handsome:

His most serious picture d. Taken by Han Sze.

To date, he has not refuted the designation of Lame King (read this blog post):

This is arguably one of his more serious pictures.
Taken by Chen Li.

And my cute little brother:

His most serious photo, because he’s concentrating
on the laksa. Photo taken by Aaron See.

He constantly calls me lame (pot calling kettle black):

Taken by Pei Ling.

So.

In this kind of environment,

how not to grow up lame la!

It’s their fault that I grew up this way.

Tsk!

law abiding citizen.

2011-04-29T00:01:00.001+08:00

Finally got Chelsea to watch it. =P

I like this movie, despite the gruesomeness and the occasional swear-words, not because it’s about the law and I’m a law student, but because…

…It’s real.

Both their struggles were real - struggles I knew I would face if I chose to be a criminal lawyer. That’s why I said I won’t be one even before I got into law school.

And that’s another thing I like about the movie – that they struggled.

It’s not easy to admit you’re wrong when you’ve held for 10 years that you were right.

It’s not easy to hold on to a decision when everyone else thinks you’re wrong.

An exchange from the movie that struck me:

Nick
Do you think your wife and daughter would feel good about you killing in their name?

Silence.

Clyde
My wife and daughter can’t feel anything.
They’re dead.

And just one more, for the law student who may lose sight of her ideals one day:

Sarah
Would you do it the same way now? Would you still cut the deal for Darby?

Nick
This is the job, Sarah. We have to make choices.

Sarah
But did you make the right choice?

Nick
We made the right choice, alright?

Sarah
I don’t know.
I’m 35, Nick.
And there are things – there are possibilities that I’m not gonna have now.
And it’s okay. I know it’s part of the deal.
And don’t get me wrong. I love working for you.
But I just want to make sure I gave up those things for more than just a high conviction rate.

Justice.

What is justice?

I was thinking,

Maybe the reason why there is this huge area of study called Jurisprudence that tries to answer this question, is because

There is no justice.

That’s why we don’t know what it looks like.

Look around, at the selfishness,
the lies,
the greed,
the nitpicking,
the corruption,
the rationalizing of wrong.

If God would exercise the full measure of His sense of justice, the human race would have died off a long time ago.

Instead, one person took it all.

Justice?

Someone tried to show us what justice is, 2000 years ago.

And we killed Him. And then disbelieved Him. And now we say He probably didn’t exist.

Justice.

Hm.

(d)evolution of studying person.

2011-04-25T18:00:00.001+08:00

*none of the photos are mine. and none of them are me. don't worry. i'm still 23!

new year's resolution.

2011-04-24T18:42:00.000+08:00

law students don't make their new year's resolution on new year's day.

they make it on the last day of study week.

i will study earlier next year! gah!

=P

miss kathleen fong.

2011-04-22T01:39:00.005+08:00

When Lareina spoke an ancient, familiar language today ("dominant", "sub-dominant"), it reminded me of the time I played the piano for a group of vocalists who were going to take their vocal exam. (sini!) I didn't manage to be their accompanist on the day of the exam because the date clashed with MGC's family camp, but it was through that experience of playing for people who were serious about music that I improved as a pianist.

One thing that stayed with me was what Ms Fong asked the day she asked me if I could help (the practices were smack in the middle of exams, I think):

"Can you help?

You're not the type who cannot do anything else during exams wan right?"

It stayed with me because it made the decision even more significant then if she'd just stopped at "Can you help?"

If I recall correctly, my secondary school years were one of the worst in my life. Not just because I wasn't very socially accepted then, but also because I was so busy I didn't have time to breathe.

If asked the same question today, I would probably say the same thing.

That kind of answer comes with a price. The past week has had me sleeping at 4am , 4am, 5am, 3am, 7am, 2am, and finally, 2.45am.

Why do I keep doing this to myself?

I've asked this a million times.

I suppose it's because I have come to realize that being someone who can't do anything else during exams also comes with a price. Everything that I am today would not have come to be if I'd started with telling Ms Fong that I really couldn't do anything else during exams. I can just imagine the string of 'no's' that would have followed that first 'no'.

No to helping with camp.
No to being at camp.
No to playing the piano for events.
No to helping with skits for events.
No to going to PKV.
No to going to Law CG.
No to being the background pianist for Easter.
No to celebrating birthdays.
No to being the Secretary.
No to staying back to help with the children.
No to being the President.
No to having a committee retreat during study break.
No to playing the piano on Sundays.
No to playing the piano for the choir.
No to having lunch with random people during study break.
No to helping with the youth on Saturdays.

Eventually,

No to going to church during exams.

I think the choices we make in life shape the persons we are.

See, great ~~excuse~~ reason to be mad.

=D

Not to say that I won't stay up studying and eventually go mad. I'm saying that that mad is a good kind of mad. I won't choose to go mad any other way. =D

i will not.

2011-04-19T12:47:00.000+08:00

I will not pretend to know how you feel,
but I think I can find someone who does.
God bless you, friend.

in the midst of all this.

2011-04-14T20:26:00.005+08:00

while we worry about what to wear,

what to eat,

what to say,

what to do,

what life even means...

another life has been taken away,

another father lost.

it reminds me of that iguana i often talk about.

lifeless, i always say.

it just sits there, doing nothing.

to that iguana, that is life, someone said.

so silly, i replied.

that's not life, that's lifelessness.

is that what we look like to God?

lifeless?

just sitting there, doing nothing?

and thinking we're doing something with our lives,

when in trying to find life,

we neglected to live?

cherish your fathers,

no matter how lousy you think they are.

you only have one.

i'm sorry for your loss.

my heart is with you.

be strong.

this paper.

2011-04-11T22:48:00.000+08:00

Requires me to dig into Malaysia's history of clampdowns against bloggers.

I've uncovered quite a bit in the past weeks (some in the past year), things I, as a Malaysian, should have made the effort to know, but didn't.

I even came across a blog that had about three months' worth of posts, and he/she wrote something to this paraphrased effect:

I started this blog to write about my country.

But as I wrote,

I have become more depressed at the state of my country.

So I shall now end the short life of this blog.

I thought it was funny at first.

But maybe I'm extra emo today. I feel like crying over everything. Following the events surrounding RPK's arrest, detention, and charges, and reading about the support the other bloggers readily gave him during this trying period, left me feeling like I missed a significant portion of my country's history. Me, a Malaysian, living right here in Malaysia, and letting everything pass me by like none of it concerned me.

Another blogger's profile description reads:

After doing the best I could ...

I would want my grandsons ...

to remember that their grandpa

tried his best

to make this a better world for them.

We can certainly achieve many things without passion.

But was anything great achieved without it?

But for one man's passion for his nation, would India be free today?

But for one man's passion for the chained, would African Americans be free today?

But for one man's passion for the lost, would we be free today?

Why do we sometimes go through life like nothing matters?

this is late, but.

2011-04-10T19:36:00.005+08:00

Selangor gets nod to campaign against ISA

(The Star, 2 April 2011)

So strange. So, so strange. Relevant bits and pieces from the article:

The Selangor government has passed a motion to campaign against the Internal Security Act (ISA).

This gives the state government the green light to set up a special secretariat to run anti-ISA campaigns, as well as an allocation to put up billboards with the theme “Save Malaysia: Abolish ISA”.

Sulaiman Abdul Razak (BN – Permatang) said the motion was politically motivated.

“Why do you want to use the people’s money for this? Not every citizen is against the ISA. If that was the case, the Federal Government would have abolished it a long time ago,” he said.

Sulaiman said instead of spending money putting up billboards, the state government could generate revenue by selling advertisement space on the billboards.

I'm sorry lah, but this is too lame.

Not the motion to campaign, but you know, the other thing.

After reading this, do you feel like you understand why Jesus rebuked Judas for saying Mary, who honoured Jesus with expensive perfume, should have sold the perfume and given it to the poor?

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume;

she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped His feet with her hair.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot,

who was later to betray him, objected,

“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?

It was worth a year’s wages.”

He did not say this because he cared about the poor

but because he was a thief;

as keeper of the money bag,

he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied.

“It was intended that she should save this perfume

for the day of my burial.

You will always have the poor among you,

but you will not always have me.”

John 12:2-8

And,

"Why do you want to use the people's money for this?"

Hello?

Aren't you from the party that wants to build a mega tower?

"eh"

2011-04-09T14:52:00.000+08:00

Hwei

Help me look for the Law VOX Magazine and see if there's info on the number of arrests under the ISA!

Shaun

Oo just put 7, number of completion.

today i was reminded.

2011-04-08T21:24:00.001+08:00

Of what Jubili said one CG ago, in his usual poetic manner:

When I got into UM, I thought I should do something for God.

But I didn't know what to do,

so I decided to be the picture of a Christian.

And I discovered that it was so hard!

It's so hard to not retaliate when someone says something mean to me.

It's so hard not to be angry when someone insults me.

It's so hard to be positive when everyone's stressed out.

It's so hard being alone.

One person can't save the world.

That's why I think it's important to be in a community of Christians.

At least, together,

we can feel like we're saving the world.

I went to the hospital today to visit that uncle whose eyes had seemed to beg us to go back today.

After seeing him, I went to visit another patient who's been there since the week before Chinese New Year. Before I could talk to her, the patient on the other bed pulled my arm and begged me to help her off the bed.

The nurse told me not to, so I stayed with her, not knowing what to do,

listened to her, not understanding what she said,

prayed for her, knowing she didn't understand the prayer.

I told her to get some sleep because she was tired, and then I left.

One person can't save the world.

Everytime I go there, I feel like something, someone, needs saving, but I don't know how to save anybody.

I'm just a law student struggling to complete a thesis.

I'm just a law student.

Just a law student.

I was reminded of the time Avni came with us, showing us that there is so much a medical student can do for Gerakan PPUM.

Lydia and Li Jye came with us yesterday, showing us that there is so much Hokkien-proficient people can do for Gerakan PPUM.

I'm just a law student who can't speak Hokkien,

but together, if we all just used our strengths,

together,

we can save the world.

Or at least,

a ward of broken people.

it's not too much.

2011-04-08T03:06:00.000+08:00

compared to what He did.

away with you, martha-ness!

whee~

2011-04-07T15:47:00.001+08:00

"All bloggers are not in favour of national unity. Our country has been successful because we are very tolerant with each other, if not, there will be civil war, the Malays will kill the Chinese, the Chinese will take revenge and kill the Malays, and the Indians will kill everyone."

Er, no, I don't feel insulted. I think anybody reading this won't feel insulted. I feel like laughing, actually. And smacking my head against the wall at the same time.

With such a simplistic view of the Malaysian socio-political landscape, it's no wonder people say Malaysia is hopeless.

Oops, will I get caught for saying this?

I AM A HUGE FAN.

2011-04-06T22:28:00.003+08:00

The movie better be as good as the trailer is, else I'll be a huge disappointed fan. Aha.

But truth be told, I only started joining the Thor fan club when I started watching The Avengers. And I actually haven't watched that many. Compared to The Justice League, that is.

Am a huge fan of Thor because I find his use of the English language so amusing.

Like when his fellow Avengers were being beaten up by a horrible-looking mutated thing, he didn't say

"Fight someone your own size!"

"Stay away from my friends!"

or even

"You're gross!"

He said:

"FIGHT ME, MONSTER!"

But I suppose nothing beats the episode where this terrible woman (I'm a huge fan of Thor, not that lady k so I don't need to know her name bweh) told Thor to join her and her evil team of, well, evil people, and he hollered ---- not

"Never!"

"Over my dead body!"

"Away with you!"

but ----

"NAYYYY!"

Who says "nay" these days? (outside Parliamentary voting sessions, that is) Ahahahaha!

And upon closer scrutiny, I would say that Thor is the more gaya version of Hawkgirl, except she swings a mace strapped to her wrist and he swings a hammer and then throws it away:

And of course, he has the more awesome name.

hansard.

2011-04-05T15:52:00.000+08:00

Academic Paper supervisor told me to check the Parliamentary debates for the context of Section 2 of the ISA, so I did.

I got so carried away I also combed through the reports for criticism on bloggers and 'unparliamentary' words.

And I missed class.

But I'm happy about what I found anyway!

apa ni.

2011-04-05T12:20:00.000+08:00

But this made me LIS. (laugh inside)

HAHA.

(inside)

(cuz I'm in the library!)

three days!

2011-04-02T23:03:00.001+08:00

By vol25.

31 March 2011

Car (which was double-parked outside the doby) couldn't start up. Started up after three minutes.

1 April 2011

Car couldn't start up at all. PKV-ians tried jump-starting, cable spewed fumes instead. PKV-ian called mechanic cousin who sent a PJ mechanic along to deliver a battery. This was the day I discovered that the water I've been pouring never went into the battery but into the radiator coolant. LOL. My car's battery is the kind that's dry and 'easy to maintain', in Mark's words. Mechanic also told me my brake oil's (fluid) almost gone. Hah. I wanted to say this, but thankfully, I didn't --> "Oh. Got brake oil wan ah?" Even more thankful I didn't say --> "So much oil in the car wan."

2 April 2011

Sent the car to the workshop in Taman Megah. Got lost for an hour. The extent of my lostness can be summed up in this phrase: "4km to Sunway Lagoon Resort". And my brake fluid, which is supposed to be either green, yellow or red, has turned black. And oh, I discovered that there's such a thing as brake pads.

One thing I discovered through all this is that I'm perfectly content to leave guys to what they do best.

And the mechanics were very nice. They sent me home so I didn't have to wait at the workshop.

PKV-ians were very helpful too. I had no idea what they were doing, but I'm sure it was all very helpful.

On a gloomier note, I got angry at God while getting lost today. And then I told God I refused to say I was sorry. I regretted it awhile later and apologized.

It's terrible. It's like those times I got angry at Mum and Dad and yelled at them.

Guilt-triggering thought of the day was,

He knew I would yell at Him today,

and still He died thinking of me,

for me.

Unworthy.

Unworthy child.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3

Still unworthy,

but more grateful than before.

haha!

2011-04-02T00:06:00.000+08:00

i have many names too.

2011-04-01T01:00:00.002+08:00

Ah Lui | Swee Fang *new*
Amoi | Julian
Boss | George *new*
Bunny sister | Ping Ping *new*
Dear cousin | Chor Yeow
El lame-o | Daryl
Fellow loyar burok | Stanley
Funny one | Janice
Hainanese | Melanie
Justice Tse Hwei | Mai
Kak Mangkuk Hwei | Shu Lynn
Lame Hwei | Melvin
Lame jokes si fu | Chia Leng
Lawyer-to-be, schemer of evil traps, YF co-teacher | Anderson
Loyar | Calvin
Manchester | Jason Chin Jennifer Jason Lim Juen Sher-How
Manchester Hwei | Liverpool
Many many pattern punya senior | Hui Ru
Milo ninja | Stephen
Missy lawyer | Rebecca
"My artist" | Cyrus
"One of the quirkiest persons I know" | Hannah
Pianist | Camie
Piano girl | David
Synonym of lame jokes (paraphrased) | Xin Li
The great city of Manchester | Eugene

Thanks for the wishes, people. And don't believe everything you read. Sometimes, don't believe anything you read.* Especially on Facebook.

*Source: Walski.

since i'm so practical -

2011-03-31T17:55:00.000+08:00

Here's my schedule today for those who're thinking of coming over to do weird surprises:

1900 - 2030 | Free dinner at the Faculty of Law

2045 till I fall asleep sitting down | Thesis

Yes, it's that simple for tonight.

What?

I'm being practical.

=P

Come before I fall asleep sitting down! =P

birthday SMS.

2011-03-31T16:56:00.002+08:00

View Full Album

Anderson

23 years old huh? Sounds old man. One day you’ll catch up and overtake me.

Tse Hwei

Yup, if science permits. =P

Anderson

You saying that Curious Case of Benjamin Button or the Time Traveler’s Wife is not a scientific journal ah?

Tse Hwei

Yalor, quite a baseless assumption hor? Science is more liberal than that! =P

although i've read this a thousand times...

2011-03-31T09:21:00.000+08:00

The case of Law Tanggie v. Untong a/k Gantang & Anor (1993):

The plaintiff was underaged when he bought a piece of land in Sarawak, and he wasn't a native. So he entrusted the defendant with the management of the land until he reached the age of majority and acquired native status.

And guess what?

The defendant transferred the land to his daughter as a - get this - gift.

When the plaintiff asked for the land, the daughter refused to transfer it.

We read these cases all the time, but I'm still shocked at how despicable people can be.

counting my blessings again.

2011-03-30T12:00:00.000+08:00

I've been waking up an hour later than planned for the past week.

It's a good thing I plan to wake up very early. Like, 6AM kind of early.

But I suppose nothing can beat the six-hours-lateness on Tuesday.

Slept at 11.44PM, hoping to wake up at 12.05AM to continue working on the presentation for Trust. Apparently, I'd set my alarm to 12.05PM instead, so I woke up at 6.43AM.

Woke up 1t 8.05AM today, an hour and five minutes later than planned, and rushed the last bits of that Public International Law 24-hour (which was half of that for me, because of my awesome schedule) take-home test.

Didn't like the prickles on my skin because of the realization that I was 'late' (because I had classes right after), but I supposed God thought I needed rest.

I still love what I do, but there's just so much to do in so little time.

I don't wish I had more time, because as I said earlier - I don't think I will accomplish any more than I do now with the current sandwiched-ness of time.

Speaking of sandwiches, Grace's APK group is selling sandwiches for RM1 today. Either the price of bread and eggs went down, or the sandwiches are really small.

Alternatively, Grace was mistaken about the price of the sandwiches.

Haha.

I love sandwiches, so I shall be there.

LONG LIVE SANDWICHES.

Signing out, with much off-ness in the head.

But I must say, that I still love reading Law. =)

What's the verdict?

2011-03-25T17:09:00.000+08:00

Easter 2011 is officially over. At least for PKV.

The rooster didn't crow the first night. HAHA.

And the rooster sounded like a guitar last night. Double HAHA.

Where did the rooster go?

It crossed the road!

Ya. I haven't recovered from the late nights. Whee~

Plus.

I've tried all other means of doing tasks and I've found that the best way is still the To-Do List way.

So, I'm back to using a lot of paper.

Haha.

Helping with the script for the last scene with the other law students was quite fun. Hee.

step up, hwei.

2011-03-22T11:01:00.000+08:00

Need to be better.

When you go out to defend your client, there is no place for overlooking anything.

A slight dent in precision makes for no precision at all!

lim tse ken:

2011-03-21T21:19:00.003+08:00

2011-03-20T17:44:00.000+08:00

it's not about the two hours that has passed.

it's about the number of things that has come to pass in the span of two hours.

i'm very tired.

i lift it all to You, Lord.

You know Your plans.

time. again.

2011-03-20T15:55:00.002+08:00

i manage my time well? really?

but i'm here. on blogspot.

hah.

i think God manages me well.

i'm so tired.