Sun.S22 class gathering!

It was our first class gathering since we graduated from nj 1.5 years ago and it was great seeing everyone again :)Met kf tk and alan to buy food at parkway before heading down to ecp. Everyone doesn seem to have changed much.. lol and it sees army doesn have much impact on the guys,except weizhe and yongtat are super fit now!Though it rained later, we eventually had our bbq under a shelter using the aluminium trays. Being the nice and homely guys(LOL), teck kuan, weizhe, kefeng and alan cooked the food while we sat down to eat.. tsk. Amy and kaiyun came in the evening and we had fun talking abt many stuff and trying to cross the mud using gu-niang methods. Was jeered by the guys for being an ex-canoeist, but hahas who cares :P

Mon. New year eve. 31dec07!
Cycled @ east coast with beth and marcus and it was my first time cycling till Changi! We were blessed with fine weather and headed to Parkway for dinner after cycling, where we took pictures with the Christmas deco. :) hahas, better late than nvr isnt it.

Later beth left for her watchnight service and marcus for council gathering, while i headed for KAP to meet shumin, chilled for a while before we took the last bus to mich's house. Mich made a nice wooden frame with our team photo from scratch for peishan! She didnt sleep at all and drove us to the airport.. an archi trained student indeed.hahas.. sadly mich will be leaving nus archi for RDI.. sigh, one less person i will see arnd in sch :(. Used the com for a while, searched facebook for chit's greg, tried to help with the photo frame (but my wood-cutting skills really suck) ..before i fell asleep -_-'' Napped for 2 hrs before we headed to the airport to send ps off :)

FRI.team gathering @mindy's house!


FULL TEAM :)lovely lovely.




few of us.


van! mutual santas.. lol


SAT: met up with weiying, mich&gloria :)


@plaza sing :)


gloria and weiying!


with mich!


us:)


beth&marcus:)


rach joins in. clowning arnd!


ben popped in...and we didnt realise until the shot was taken :S



hahas ok a proper shot with beth :)


gals with pastor charissa


with rach


stomache! i really had one and rach posed for it. lol

:)

o man, i dont deserve it. It's only possible by God's grace..thank you Father! :)

Christmas :)

I watched the Christmas tale thrice, yet each experience was a feast to the senses and a different part of the message stood out. The first time immanuel, God with us, stood out. Then later it was ' His gloria birth was for his glorious death' and thirdly was looking for God. Nevertheless, all spoke forth of the immense love God has for us, a message that we forget repeatedly or fail to comprehend deeply.

Christmas was.. weird. Joy messaged me at 5am to ask if i was ok because God prompted her to pray for me and she couldn get to sleep. marcus asked if i was home safely at 4am? Was kinda perplexed because everyone knows i dont party till wee hours and return home later than 1am. Jie pangsehed sis and me for chc Christmas service so the 2 of us ended up shopping in the afternoon. :(

Anws, on Christmas morning just before i left the house for a jog, i was talking to mum and as usual, she was sharing her testimonies about how God spoke to her and how mightily God moved in the past(and of cus is still moving). I told her i find it hard to hear from God at times and she reaffirmed me with Deuteronomy5 where God spoke to Moses in the past and that He will continue to do so with us today. I felt so thankful for mummy who continually shares testimonies with us and edifies me with the truth of God.

fri

Had combined varsity christmas party today! Really enjoyed buying and preparing the food with eunice amanda huixian and gim, esp the dissecting of the turkeys and slicing of meat. I rmb dreaming of becoming a chef and even hairdresser at various points of my life. But innocence weaned off and reality sank in, i am not cut out to be either so i can only cut my own hair or cook my own food. lol. Was delighted when pple found the food nice even though we didnt season and cook them thou. hehe, at least it meant that the arrangement for the food can be considered a success.

oh, younger sis did something damn cute lah. She stuck her drawing of spongebob and patrick in my wallet and when i opened it today i was pleasantly surprised to see the note that wished me an early merry christmas?! lol, times when sis is adorable.

Marcus came back from egypt yesterday and i think today was the first time i met him ever since the hols started man. Chris came back from sep in US too! Was rather surprised he lost weight instead and according to him the overseas stint was 'life changing' as he was alone most of the time. He went to a church over there too but the culture is way different from the charismatic one in coos. It reminded me of the trips to the church back in germany. Different culture but ultimately, we worship the same heavenly father. Man, i wonder how wld sep be like for me in year3 sem2. But one thing i am sure of, i want to be deeply rooted in God before i leave for it's easier to backslide w/o the fellowship of brothers and sisters overseas.

Was pretty tickled by what sister said.

xiaomei: Jas, tell you sth. Spongebob squarepants has 4 fingers. Bet you didnt know!
me: ok, let me test you. how many eyelashes does spongebob squarepants have?
xiaomei: hmm...
me: haha! 3.
xiaomei: Now my turn. How many fingers does Patrick have?
me: (anyhow whack) hahas i know! 3!
xiaomei: LOL. patrick has NO FINGERS.

Anws, jie came back today and we had zi char downstairs!:)) Lol, it's pretty ironic cuz thou we stayed here for close to 20 years, its the first time we actually went down to have dinner together as a family. Usually mummy will cook/ buy back from downstairs or central/ order pizza/ go out to further places. Went to shop for Eunice's present with gim in the afternoon. Got her a black mphosis bag and hopefully she likes it! Was quite surprised when gim expressed interests in ladies pants.. those that resemble guys bermudes sold in NUM/ bodyknits, except that the feminine details like buttons and folds that differentiate them. gosh, i would haf mistook him for a gay if i didnt know him personally man. lol. discovered very nice acryllic diy materials at beary hip shop too. cool stuff.

Yesterday it was presents making with beth@ mac cafe,ps. Coincidentally, the ppl at the adjacent 2 tables were making Christmas gifts too. It's cool how we bought miscellanous stuff and the concept of our little gifts slowly formed along the way.
Met Eunice and Gim at amk cathy in the evening for Alvin and the CHIPMUNKS!! The chipmunks are so,so,so cuteeee!

Lunched with zl on wed@ ichiban and had unagi omelette again.:) lol,maybe i shld try cooking that someday. Caught the Warlords, which i felt was kinda sad cuz it's filled with betrayal and bloodshed. I can never comprehend the desire for power that drives ppl to kill too. Went to tecman too and bought books at discounted prices! lol.

Baked with beth, rach and camelia @ aunty pauline's house today :) Pastor gerald's daughter, Cheryl, joined us too and the whole process of kneading the dough and cutting out the cookie shapes was simply enjoyable! Love moulding unusal shapes and ways of adding the chocolate to the dough. hehe. Silly rach brought chinese herbs out (red dates and gou qi zi) by mistake cuz she mistook the gou qi zi for cranberries! But she didnt make that mistake in vain cuz Beth brewed nice sweet tea for us. lol! :)

Sunday: Went for morning prayer.. then watched Nanking with beth and sirong. A pretty good movie which stirs up anger and wrenches hearts with scenes of the massacre and mass rape. And i think it must be extremely painful to make the survivors recount their experiences of rape, and how they witnessed their loved ones being killed or tortured.Each time they recalled certain scenes, tears would well up intheir eyes as they choked with emotions. :x

Sat: Was on ushering duty for church service and i was very very glad everything went on rather smoothly! :)

It was a horrible rainy week, but it made me fully appreciate the almost all year round summer season in Singapore. Fortunately, it didnt rain today and i finally got to swim! Missed the cool waters and gliding with each stroke. :)

Had medical appointment yesterday morning..which was horrible. Luckily i met up with lx singhui and lichan in the afternoon and felt so much better seeing them! Went back to ny in the evening for nyco homecoming dinner and enjoyed walking the grounds of ny, esp in the quadrangle and outside xiu mei auditorium. Everything felt so familiar and close to heart. :) Chatted with ms Chek and she talked about how our xian yue juniors were forced to nod their heads along with the music, till the motion internalised in them and moving along with the music became something natural. It somehow struck me while i was swimming that it was analogous to spending time with God isnt it. At times when we dont feel like spending time with God, it becomes imperative to intentionally set time aside to read His word and pray. Because by doing so, we create a habit to spend time with God naturally, and at the same time, because His words speak, it draws us to desire God more..

Went out with sis on wed and tried the new chewy junior cream puffs@ bugis. :))

Tue.. packed my drawers in a desperate attempt to find my missing bible. Sloted some of the developed photos from the germany trip into my photo album too. lol.

i cant commit to any job cuz of miscellaneous things in the middle of the hols.. there goes my hope of earning some cash. lol, shall just be part time maria at home then :) Caught Hero with sr on sun. Window shopped with mich lp today at bugis and chit joined us after her work.. was great to meet them esp since the last team outing was quite some time ago. And hais, i still cant believe how careless i am. i actually lost my bible..my precious bible. :(

holhols.

fri:
Caught the golden compass with jas leo shawn and wayne. lol i think that was the first time we had a complete jie mei outing. The Golden Compass is worth catching thou i didnt like the ending hanging like that.. :( Was pretty amused by leo who gets scared so easily that she was jolted by the movie sound effects and suspense twice. And Loo was peeping at some scenes thru the 'hole-ly' part of her jacket because it was supposedly less scary like that. lol! Had a good time laughing at da jie too cuz of his strategic seating position in the theatre.hahs. Left for cell in the evening and it felt so nice to have cell once again after having a series of workshops this sem! Got to talk to Belinda more when we split up into small grps :)

Sat:
Attended mich and vic's wedding at St Andrew's Cathedral! Pastor Derek preached for their wedding service and his sermon was about wine in a marriage again.hehs. First heard abt it duirng Pauline and kahwoon's wedding and it touched me alot back then. To sum it up, he was trying to say that in a marriage, it is very important to have Christ as the pillar, the foundation of the relationship. It is only when the couple has a Christ centred relationship will they be able to overcome the downs in the long road ahead. Hahs, this is esp true when the inital sweetness of marriage/ dating diminishes because only God can renew and rejuvenate a relationship.

Walked arnd at Raffles City and eventually settled down at Starbucks to chat, then chill and eventually stoned when the fatigue set in. Left for church later and service was great! We had a guest speaker who is a 12 year old blind girl, Ritchell. A talented singer and pianist, she touched me not only with her wonderful vocal chords, but more importantly, her strong faith and trust in God, which exudes from the songs she sings. I still rmb vividly a particuarly lyric of her song that goes ' Though i walk in darkness, i am not afraid, because i have a Lord who guides..' Simple lyrics, simple voice, but speaks volumes of how she places her trust in God who guides and makes her feel secure. Was very, very encouraged by her and am amazed how God uses her to bless many around her!

Dinner was special cuz it was an almost all girls outing! And the few of us went to anchorpoint instead of holland drive/ church hawkwer.


with von and eeli outside the cathedral


amanda me dom & rach @ starbucks


ruyi amanda me rach dennise :)

the HOLS ARE HERE :D

Towned with Beth today! hahas we shopped for euggie's present successfully and did abit of shopping for ourselves too! :) Maybe i shld find a job to fund my shopping trips.. lol or my bank account will be horribly bruised by the end of december.


the pouch we got for euggie!



black and white :)

Tue:
Went to the polyclinic to get a referral letter and waited for 4 hrs in total. Needless to say, i fell asleep while waiting for my turn.. -_- Wanted to go for this walk in interview at paragon office tower but i just cant find the venue of the mysterious 05-36A, which doesn seem to exist! Called jie for help but still failed to find the place.. joined eunice and amanda in town after that thou :)

mon:
Bought a new pair of asics with sis! We went shopping at vivo too and had fun trying on pretty winter jackets that we will never get to wear in spore. lol. Met jie on the way home to pass her the new fbt shorts, didnt get to talk much thou.. perhaps catch up during weekends bah :)Upon reaching home, i had this urge to run so i changed and headed for bishan stadium for a nice slow jog. The last time i ran was like ages ago and now i can get unbelievably slow.. lol. Managed to play on the swings for a while before going home too :))


sun:
hahas. hibernated at home and was on heroes marathon from 10am to 10plus pm. lol, an unhealthy day but it's nice to be a potato couch once in a while. :P



One thing i love abt uni holidays is that we totally do not have any hol work to do, thou the sch term can really get stressful at times... but then again, all sun and no rain makes a desert isnt it?:))

Pretty cool stuff, thou i dont know the boy.. and this reminds me.. my guitar is rotting away at the corner of my bedroom. lol maybe i shld relearn it after the exams :)

Got to chill at the poolside at ho wai's birtday celebrations yesterday. God blessed us with cooling weather and i found it therapeutic to just be still and enjoy the tranquility of the surroundings. As cheesey as it may sound, i somehow wished that time will pause for perhaps.. 1 hr? tsk. Anws, that sense of peace is imprinted on my mind for now, and yeah, i will wait for dec.:)

Comfort amidst unpleasant heavy academic commitments.

wow.http://www.hourofpower.org/video/nick.php has the full testimony and it's awesome mans.

You search much deeper within, for the way things appear.

Heart of worship, what does it mean to You?

This is a classic!
How to do business with two cows?

TRADITIONAL CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies and the economy grows.
You sell them and retire on the income.

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
You are surprised when the cow drops dead.

A FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike because you want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and
produce twenty times the milk.
You then create clever cow cartoon images called 'Cowkimon' and market them
World-Wide.

A GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk
themselves.

A BRITISH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Both are mad.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
You break for lunch.

A SWISS CORPORATION
You have 5,000 cows and none of which belong to you.
You charge others for storing them.

A CHINESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have 300 people milking them.
You claim full employment and high bovine productivity.
You have the newsman who reported on the numbers arrested.

AN INDIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You worship them.

A MALAYSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You signed a 40-year contract to supply milk at RM0.06 per litre.
Then midway through, you raised the price to RM0.60 or you cut the supply.
When the buyer agrees to the new price, you change your mind again and now
want RM1.20.
The buyer decided you can keep the milk.
They go look for milk that comes from recycled cows or the cow urine
instead.
Your two cows retire together with the Prime Minister.

A SINGAPOREAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
One cow-peh and one cow-bu.

-koped from keith. lol.


That was exactly me recently cuz i kept questioning my purpose in engin, or even bioeng. In English terms, it was complaining to reduce the angst within; in dialect, kao pei. But Corporate prayer on friday was indeed refreshing and renewed my perspective of many things. I pray, that many out there and i will get to understand the purpose God has placed in our lives more... and that we will never lose sight of the Father's heart.

6 OCt 07- Jie's WedDinG! :)

the couple :)


singing a love song before sis comes out. hahaha


with parents in the morning


at the in laws


Jie-meis!


and again in the early afternoon


sweet stuff.


friendly receptionists :D


sis and bro-in-law


holy communion. wow.


mummy and papa


lol. bro and sis :)



with sis.


our table


yay. 4 of us!


with jie!

Verse 1
I see the king of glory
Coming down the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes, the whole earth shakes
I see his love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing, the people sing

Chorus
Hosanna, hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

Verse 2
I see a generation
Rising up to take the place
With selfless faith, with selfless faith
I see a new revival
Staring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees, we're on our knees

Bridge
Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdom's cause
As I walk from earth into eternity

Hosanna

Draw me close to you
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear you say that I'm your friend

Help me find a way to bring me back to you

You're all I want, You're all I've ever needed
You're all I want,
Help me know you are near

You are my desire
No one else will do
Cause no one else
Can take you place
To feel the warmth of Your embrace

Help me find a way to bring me back to you


You're all I want, You're all I've ever needed
You're all I want,
Help me know you are near

Father, isnt the gift alr given? the gift of salvation and your love.

A renewed spirit, is all i ask for.

Why didnt i see that,
God You are moving.

random meaningful post.

How Could You? by Jim Willis

A man in Grand Rapids, Michigan took out a full page ad in the paper to present the following essay to the people of our community. It really touched my heart and i hope it will touch yours too.

"When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend.

Whenever I was"bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?"-but then you'd relent, and roll me over for a bellyrub.My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams,and I believed that life could not be any more perfect.

We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs," you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.

She, now your wife, is not a "dog person"- still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy.Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love."

As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch-because your touch was now so infrequent-and I would have defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway.

There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me.These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family.

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her."They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a good-bye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too.

After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home.They shook their heads and asked "How could you?" They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you- that you had changed your mind-that this was all a bad dream ... or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me.When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited.

I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room.She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her.The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood. She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek.

I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?" Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself-a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place.

And with my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not directed at her. It was you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.

By Jim Willis 2001

A note from the author:If "How Could You?" brought tears to your eyes as you read it, as it did to mine as I wrote it, it is because it is the composite story of the millions of formerly owned pets who die each year in American and Canadian animal shelters.

Anyone is welcome to distribute the essay for a noncommercial purpose, as long as it is properly attributed with the copyright notice.

Please use it to help educate, on your websites, in newsletters, on animal shelter and vet office bulletin boards. Tell the public that the decision to add a pet to the family is an important one for life, that animals deserve our love and sensible care, that finding another appropriate home for your animal is your responsibility and any local humane society or animal welfare league can offer you good advice, and that all life is precious.

Please do your part to stop the killing, and encourage adoption.

Heidelberg mit Gulustan und Bren.

View from Philosophieweg. Can see Heidelberg castle, Church of the Holy Spirit, Old Gate Bridge and river Neckar. Niceeeee.
While walking Gulustan was teling us that being a free thinker, she believes that Nature reigns, and that we human beings are always provoking animals(sth along that line..) I do think Nature is beautiful, but it totally coexists with the truth of God, it's not exclusive and in fact, reflects the glory of God. I was trying to tell her that some animals like lions are ferocious inherently and they are not exactly peace loving creatures eh, but she maintained that it was humans who first provoked them by hunting them down. I found that pretty true after some time cuz if we trace back to the days of Noah, lions did follow him obediently to the ark? Perhaps later when humans multiplied and started hunting lions did they evolve to be defensive and hence fierce. perhaps, perhaps.



Us on Old Bridge:)


At Old Bridge Gate.


Closer view of Heidelberg castle when we were nearer.


The cogwheel looking transport that brought us up to Heidelberg castle... nono, brought us up to some wulu place where we had a horrendous time climbing down slipperly narrow steps to Heidelberg Castle. It was a nightmare trying not to slip and roll down the flight of rocks and when we finally reached Heidelberg Castle, my legs were jelly and i couldn walked properly. :x I must profess to be a spoilt city dweller mans. At the end of the mth in Europe the front part of the soles of my Asics were worn out due to such situations. hahas, good reason to get myself a pair of new Asics sometime soon :)


Super close up by Bren. -_-


hc.


More ruins of the castle. This somehow reminds me of my childhood stories like Runpezel, this princess with super long hair... and some piggy and kermit frog cartoon. haaa.


Facade of a unique mini hotel in Heidelberg.


Saw this old Harley Davidson on the way home at Darmstadt and biker gamely posed for us!! But his bike is so antique that he required some time to get the engine going and it produced deafening noises when he rode off. lol.


Fields in the neighbourhood.

We had Spargel for dinner that day too! yay, i love spargel! But Gulustan's version was special, it was wrapped with ham and cheesseeee.. yum. As usual, we had it with potatoes too.

Mainheim.

Went to Mainz on Friday actually but there's nothing fantastic that we did or saw..only remember drinking half a cup of red wine before i ate anything and felt abit dizzy. Felt regretful at the point of time for not controlling my alcohol consumption mans. But luckily after downing much water and eating, i felt much better. phew.

On Saturday, it was a day trip to Mainheim with Winnie Zollin Bumin Malcolm and Kelvin. Malcolm is a friend whom Bumin got to know during the Ruegen trip and Kelvin is a fellow Singaporean student stuying in Mainheim..and he is only 17!! lol, wn and i were quite surprised to find someone yougner than us... but sadly he looks more mature than us -_-.


PRetty Mainheim garden.


Ate at a Japanese restaurant opened by a Taiwanese. Hahs, the salmon was lousy & the rice was ok, but i guess after not eating decent rice for some time.. even the average rice tasted quite gd. Somehow this makes me miss the Jap food at Coronation Plaza..


At Some wine fest. With malcolm's friend and his girlfriend.


Tried some ice cream called Mozart too cuz of the unique name..hehehe..but it tasted totally weird. Hahs, doesn pay to be adventurous in trying food.. u end up eating sth u dont enjoy.