advocacy meeting.

Amreeta
Eh in Chinese, yellow films is the same as blue films ah?


Me
Yup. It's like BM also what - 'budaya kuning'.


Amreeta
Oh really ah?



Hannah
Ya, tu, last time in essays, we always wrote, "pengaruh budaya kuning dari Barat".



Amreeta
Oh yes. When we were growing up, we were always taught to blame the Barat for everything.



Dima
Yup, and bila sampai universiti, kita mengagung-agungkan case law dari Barat.


seriously, 
i think we're more influenced by budaya kuning negara Siam nowadays.

yak yak yak.

Got back from a well-needed retreat yesterday. 

Yup. We're not allowed to post pictures online. Haha.

You know, I always knew there was something wrong with me, but I never knew what, until the retreat.

I always thought it wasn't right, that I loved things more than people. 

Or that I entertained a great indifference for people.

I could never understand how people could talk till four in the morning, 

or wake up in the middle of the night to surprise people for their birthdays, 

or just hike around campus in little groups for fun,

or spend hours on Facebook commenting on other people's lives. 

See?

If I were like those people, I would've said something like this:

I could never understand how people are not willing to listen to each other, no matter how much time it takes, 

or do something they've never done before to make someone happy on their birthday,

or just take time off to hike around campus and give undivided attention to each other, 

or invest in Facebook to discover each other's lives. 

Too much?

But that must be what motivates people to do the things they do. 

Uncle Phye Keat came up to share with us on Saturday, and he said this - 

"You'll discover this if you have law friends - we can't stand pointless conversations, or small talk. I'm so used to meaning what I say and saying just what I mean that I can't listen to people go on and on about something before coming to their point. I keep thinking, 'So what's your point?' I become very impatient with my friends, and it shows. Sooner or later they say they don't want to talk to me anymore. So I had to consciously decide to just TALK to people, even it means talking about nothing."

It's true. 

I have a structure for conversations, which is the same structure we were taught to apply to our essays:

1. Introduction
2. Point
3. Elaboration of Point
4. Illustration of Point
5. Conclusion

E.g. 

1. Have you heard of Shaun the Sheep? 
2. Shaun the Sheep is the most amazing TV show I've ever watched. 
3. It's only seven minutes long, and the sheep are so cute! 
4. For example, there's this fat cuddly one, and a skinny cute one... and the theme song super cute. *sing theme song* At the end of it, Shaun the Sheep's mulut will go senget wan. 
5. You should watch Shaun the Sheep.

If you've talked to me before, you'll realize that if you miss Point #2, I'll probably say something like, "So what's your point?"

Or start drifting away in the conversation.

If you miss Point #3, I'll probably say, "What do you mean?" or "Where did you get that idea?" or "Are you sure?"

Or plain disagree with you, and start elaborating on my disagreement.

If you miss Point #4, I'll probably say, "For example?" or "In what sense?"

Or plain disagree with you, and start giving a few illustrations of my own to contradict you.

If you miss Point #5, I'll probably say, "So?"

As you can see, I can be quite a pain. 

And that's exactly why I need to change.

Start talking to people because I want to talk to them, not because they have something to say.

Ok, now I'm sorry I got angry.

at the risk of sounding very spoiled...

I'm fed up with people saying NO.

It's not just a simple NO when you're up to here *gestures* organizing too many things and at least one person from everything you organize says NO.

See, there're already three NO's there. 

Now make that four.


on a bright note, 
the kakak at the launderette said my skin's like tofu.
*whee*

conversations.

Me
Shaun! Read Angels and Demons! About Iluminati wan. Amreeta said so!


Shaun
Haha ya, but don't want la. Reading too much about the devil's plans ain't exactly time well-spent. Better to read Christian books or about being boastful and dengki (Pride & Prejudice). Or football. XD



Me
What makes you think the devil doesn't play football? He already wears Prada!



Shaun
Don't get mixed up between Prada and Puma wei. Footballers don't wear Prada!

A terrible world would be one where people stop laughing, 
and where people stop making each other laugh.
=)

when you're busy tahap gaban...

...but still manage to eat Honey Stars at an hour you know you're not supposed to.

You know, as much as I like Honey Stars, I can't help wondering who came up with that idea.

As far as I'm concerned, it would be quite frightening if stars were made from honey.

Cuz then there'll definitely be giant alien bees in the universe.

See? Geli or not?

Or maybe giant Winnie the Pooh's. I can't say for sure which is worse.

Basic sci-fi logic ok. 

the power of reason is...

...when you're on the brink of pulling your hair out but don't, because you realize that you still need your hair.

ah.

seriously? 

sabbath, come quick.

when God gives...

..He really gives.

It was supposed to be the fullest day in the world today... before my three-hour trial got cancelled. 

It was supposed to be the second fullest day in the world tomorrow... but tomorrow's two-hour-and-a-half tutorial is also cancelled.

This Sunday, I was supposed to try to either:

• choose between a Law CG dinner & my last annual Faculty buddy meet; or
• try to be superwoman and be at two places at once...

But then they postponed the buddy meet - albeit to a date on which I'm not available - and I'm now out of a painful dilemma.

I still have an assignment and a law article due on Friday, and I'm still supposed to go home on Friday and then drive back up at 6am on Sunday, but as it is, I'm grateful enough.

This will do, this will do.

God of Night and Day, 

thank You.

=)

start something that matters.

I actually thought this was pretty irritating at first,
but he really has something to say.

There is a box suppressed deep in our chests

Where forgotten dreams and consuming passions are laid to rest

This wooden crate is packed tight with:

Crumpled sketches on coffee stained napkins

Brilliant ideas from an enlightening conversation

A painted canvas full of life and imperfections

Notebooks spilling with business plans, poems, and powerful intentions

We’ve all heard about the bottom billion

  How 72 million children can’t attend school

How 22,000 of them die daily from poverty’s rule

How HIV, Malaria, and Diarrhea are preventable, even treatable

How we have the tools

Yet millions still suffer and die because what they’re missing is me

What they’re missing is you

What the world is missing is what you have always longed to do:

To provide water, clothing, shelter, shoes

And to do so following your boxed-in muse

So I invite you

To unpack your crate

Find your spark, light your fuse

And start something

That the world can truly use

Then when your box is empty

And your tools are in hand

Flip your box upside down

to use it as your voices’ stand

Shout your dreams, wave your banners

Plant a seed, pen tomorrow’s chapter

I say to you standers

You box top dancers

Paint all you painters

Paint something that captures

Write all you writers

Write something that answers

Build all you builders

Build something that shelters

And start all you starters

Start something that matters.

Powerful poem, don't you think?

And a lesson to myself not to judge what people say by how they look or sound.

me: "pms."

back from the...

I won't finish that sentence. 

A coursemate who disappeared from the Faculty a year ago, deactivated his phone number and email, and temporarily suspended his Facebook account. 

He came back just to say this. 

This is, I think, a testament to Wai Hwa's life. 

Other than the absence of just one friend, 

Everything is as it should be in the Faculty.

Everything is as it should be,

But the world is now short of at least one person. 

It just makes life seem so...

Doesn't it make you feel that there has got to be more to life than just... us?

berserk.

when you have too many things to do, and they're all different things for different people...

too cute to ignore.

No la. Hippos don't go berserk. You go berserk.

But then when you think of cute things, you become sane again.

Chen Li's photo.

Or maybe that's just me.

Father,

Again I ask: 

Expand my hours.

*knock*

In a single day, over a span of 2 hours, I've discovered so many different kinds of knocks.

Did you know the standard style is to knock three times? 

It's the strength of the knocks that makes them so different.

There's the...

Timid Knock

It makes the knocker sound very unsure of himself. And it makes the knockee feel quite uncertain herself. All hail the postman who isn't sure if this was the right unit to come knocking on.

Urgent Knock

It's three knocks still, but much faster. Because the faster you go, the louder the knocks are. Like when you need to wake your housemate up because the postman is asking for his signature, and your housemate is sleeping like a log.

Hmmph Knock

You can literally feel the "Hmmph" in this one. (for the record, "Hmmph" and "Hmm" are two totally different sounds) Like maybe, the way your neighbour feels when you're parking in his parking bay and he needs you to get out of it pronto. And the knockee usually runs to the door. Or hides. In this case, she ran.

Here I am!

I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, 

I will come in and eat with him, 

and he with Me.

Revelation 3:20

When Jesus knocks, what kind of knock is it?

medical negligence.

"Claimants don't go from "I'm angry" to "I want to sue" just like that. It's usually because when they ask for an explanation or an apology, all they get is a stone wall. Worse, they end up paying even more money to remedy whatever happened because of someone's negligence. And while all this is happening, everyone they ask lies to them. In the end, they feel that suing is the only option left."

--Dr Sharon.

Truly. 

Sometimes all it takes is "I'm sorry".

if everybody could just love everybody,
that would be the end of it.

but we don't live in that kind of world.

we live in a world full of weak people.

it's because you're fragile that you have to try to be tough.

with that in mind,
maybe we can love everybody better.

what law students do on a public holiday.

 

 

another soul.

"eh tsehwei, going for lawnite?"

 

"no..."

 

"why!?"

 

"my grandma's 90th birthday."

 

"ah yes, that one more important, that one more important."

 

 

 

and just like that,

that was our last conversation.

i remember leaving the cafe that day with a smile on my face,

thanking God for the timely encouragement

that assured me that i wasn't giving up my final prom

for something less.

"do you know where to find a mechanic?"

"near you ah? section 17 got. i take you there tomorrow."

and just like that,

that was the last time i heard his voice.

in a phone conversation with hooi ping

about my punctured tyre.

 

 

 

 

 i remember wondering

why i never knew he was such a kind person before.

i'm thankful that these are the thoughts and feelings

i was left with.

 

but still,

 

i lost a friend.

again i ask myself 

why i never tried harder with this friend.

but today it is not about me.

today it is about his family,

his two best friends who lost a comrade,

and my coursemates who were closer to him than i ever was.

so much to pray for.

will you pray with me?

RIP,

Wee Wai Hwa.

 

 

simplicity.

I usually won't come up to speak in front of an audience, but someone has to tell you all about the awesomeness of my grandfather.

I never got to hear my kong kong speak, because he was always sick. But I got to read what he wrote. When I got baptized, I got a bag of my kong kong's notes. They were very tidy, very neat.

My kong kong is also a loving person. When we went out to eat as a family, he would take my sister in one hand, and me in the other hand, and cross the road together. 

When we wanted to go to the toilet, he would also accompany us. 

I remember last time, I would tell my mother I want ice-cream. My kong kong would straightaway take out RM10 and say, "Go buy your ice-cream." But I don't want. I would rather argue with my mum. 

...That's all. Thank you.

-Joel Tan-

And in those few words, inarticulate as they were, 

we were all reminded of his kong kong's awesomeness. 

So simple, so sincere, so genuine. 

I know I've used this title before, but what this 14-year-old grandson said really struck me.

I'm still so taken by simplicity.

I've never heard anything more beautiful. =)

two.

like i said,

i guess you can't always get two wishes.

well,

i'll just choose the one i should choose,

and He can give me the one i really want if He wants to.

my last birthday before...

...I leave PJ.

And I didn't get to celebrate it in PJ. 

Oh well.

I suppose if two wishes clash, only one can come true. i said in pkv that all i want for my birthday is to go home.

People say the funniest things on my birthday (compare with last year's haha):

Gembira Lahir Hari, loyar! Tuhan restui! Tinggal lumpuh dengan jenaka anda. =P 

-Calvin Yong-

Happy and Blessed Birthday Manchester.... 

-Uncle Honch-

May your lameness continue to grow with your age.XDD 

-Chia Leng-

Missing your random gag jokes... haha :D 

-Simon Lye-

Your lame-ness is catching on!

-Wai Yan-

Queen of lame jokes and sappy love music!! Happy birthdaaaay!! I hope nigahiga will make your dreams come true. =P

-Adila Khairul-

Since it falls on Earth Hour 2012... don't light the 24 candles ya. :p *crickets chirp at the lame joke

-Thurston-

Miss your lame jokes!! :P

-Yin Hoong-

Happy beeday tse hwei, the amazingly Lame and funny lawyer! :)))

-Tien Mie-

Happy birthday Kardashian :p

-Jason Lim-

Have you thought of one day celebrating your birthday in court? Lol...

-Daniel Koo-

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Ask Chelsea Chan belanja u makan on my behalf. HAHA.

-Neo-

Happy Hilarious Birthday!

-Kenneth Wong-

Kinda miss those moment where we gather all together and talk about LAME joke = = hehe... I think you have upgraded your level nowadays...

-Choo Soon-

Can't wait to hear more cold jokes from you. Heee.

-Yi Yeen-

El Lame-o. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

-Daryl Tan-

Woo, Melaka :) btw hapsy birthday!! Enjoy your weekend thoroughly, get some cake, enjoy your hugs, count your blessings, forget the calories!

-Lareina-

Some just really make me smile la. Hee.

Happy bday my fav pianist!

-Camie-

Blessed birthday, my friend. *hugs*

-Hooi Ping-

Waiting for you to be my colleague!

-Zhi Hong-

Happy bday. Next badminton i belanja u makan

-Stephen Lew-

Whee.. blessed birthday! When will we see you again?!

-Jennifer Chew-

Bunny, Happy Birthday, sis!

-Edmund Teo-

Fuhyoh birthday! Party!! Happy birthday hwei!!

-Yen-

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAYY TSE HWEI! (: we had an iPhone cake for you! (; hehe. Miss you at class today, but I hope you're having an awesome possum day so far, (: God bless <3

-Huey-

Happy birthday dear cousin...

-Chor Yeow-

I'm a words person. Can you tell? =)