Nuffnang
Monday, December 31, 2007
.: Do You Fight Fair? :.
I was reading this article in Readers Digest (October 2003) just the other night.
Side note : I’ve always wanted to subscribe to Readers Digest, but due to my stinginess (I rather use the word frugalness – well, I’ve read an article about distinguishing between stingy and frugal, but we will leave that discussion to another day now, shouldn’t we *wink*) I’ve never gotten around it. And just the other day, where JC got his house repainted, his dad was about to dispose the older copies of Readers Digest, and he knew I love to read it so much (coz everytime when I go over and on the table lays the latest copy for the month, I will read it from cover to cover – till JC sometimes say I’m actually ignoring him *hehe*) so he asked if I would like to have them. I was super ecstatic ok! :)
So I have at home now with me about 30 copies of Readers Digest for my reading pleasure, usually in bed before I sleep. Wish I could take more, but knowing that my room itself is in dire need to cleaning as it has been too cluttered over the years of non de-cluttering (is there even such a word?), I stick to the 30 copies instead.
Anyways, back to the topic, do I fight fair?
When it comes to argument, be it with family members, and now the more frequent ones, with JC, or a friendly, playful debate with my friends, the parties involved have provided feedbacks on the way I argue. And the common feedback that I have from all parties is – that I argue like a lawyer.
What they meant to say is I like to argue based on facts, but somehow would manipulatively twist the facts (wow, I didn’t know I’m manipulative) until the “defendant” reach a dead-end. And no matter what answer he or she gives, I will have a comeback argument for him or her. So much so that they would just dismiss the argument with “It’s such a waste you’re in the wrong profession now, as you would make a good lawyer…”, often this statement is accompanied with a bitter, sarcastic tone.
I guess to a certain extend; it has to be true (due to corroborative statements from totally unrelated parties).
The article also wrote about other signs that we need to look out for that we are fighting dirty :
1) Swallowing your gripes, then dumping them all at once.
2) Playing prosecutor
3) Getting to intense
4) Trying to win at all cost
5) Not letting the other part know that you love him/her
6) Get defensive
7) Be nasty
I really guess I would need to correct the way I fight with others, if not, it would really cause a strain in my relationships with others. Ok, will work towards learning to fight fair and square! :)
Sunday, December 30, 2007
.: My Blog :.
Well, it’s not like I really have nothing better to do, or that I like stalking other people’s life (like how Qianhui so nicely put it).
But rather, I like to see the perspective and approach some people view or take in their life.
They might be my friends whom I’ve known for years, or people I just met, or some a perfect stranger.
It’s amazing how much you can learn about someone from the way they blog, from their spellings the fonts and colours they use, to the actual content of each posting.
And sometimes, you can learn even much more by reading between the lines.
SuM PpL i KnOE Lyk 2 TyPe LiDDis!
And some people use loads and loads of emoticons like and colourful colours
Some, with the mix of Bahasa Manglish cham-cham language also boleh pakai wan lah
And some would write pages and pages long when they are emo-ing.
Some, just a one-two liner of really deep thoughts.
Some just post pics *click* and pics *click* and more pics *click*click*click*.
Some blogs are just F*&k#%$ vulgar with $*&T loads of foul words.
Interestingly enough, when I read back mine, I wonder if I really project the person I’m
I shall describe my blog as being occasionally-mild-emo-very-unentertaining-with-rare-appearance-of-any-sort-of-pictures.
The underlying purpose of me creating a blog was really as alternative mean to express my thoughts, perceptions, emotions, will, memory and imagination of who I really am deep down inside.
And the truth of the matter is, this blog is my emotional sanctuary.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
.: Blessed Birthday JC :.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
.: Count Thy Blessings :.
I have in my hands two boxes,
Which God gave me to hold,
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black box,
And all your joys in the gold."
I heeded His words, and in the two boxes,
Both my joys and sorrows I stored,
But though the gold became heavier each day,
The black was as light as before.
With curiosity, I opened the black,
I wanted to find out why,
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole,
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.
I showed the hole to God, and mused,
"I wonder where my sorrows could be!"
He smiled a gentle smile and said,
"My child, they're all here with me.."
I asked God, why He gave me the boxes,
Why the gold and the black with the hole?
"My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,
The black is for you to let go."
Monday, December 24, 2007
.: CON-sultants :.
A shepherd was herding his flock in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW appeared in a cloud of dust. The driver, a young man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, RayBan sunglasses and YSL tie, leaned out the window and asked the shepherd, "If I tell you how many sheep you have, will you give me one?"
The shepherd looked at the yuppie, then at his grazing flock, and calmly answered, "Okay."
The yuppie parked his car, grabbed his handheld GPS, whipped out his Pocket PC, surfed to NASA's web site, entered in the GPS data, brought up a recent ultra-high-resolution satellite photo, transferred it to Photoshop and exported it to an image processing facility in Hamburg. Within seconds, his Blackberry had an email notifying him that his image was processed and its data stored in a SQL database on a networked server nearby. He downloaded the data into an ODBC-connected Excel spreadsheet, ran a statistical analysis, transferred the results to Word, outlined it, massaged the outline, then OLEd it into a short PowerPoint presentation, which he then showed to the shepherd.
It read, simply, "1,586."
"That's right. Well, I guess you can have a sheep."
The young man selected an animal and loaded it into the BMW's trunk.
The shepherd then asked him, "If I can name your profession, can I have my sheep back?"
The man said, "Okay, sure. Why not?"
Without a moment's hesitation, the shepherd said, "You're a consultant." "That's right!" said the yuppie, "but how did you know?"
"Easy. You showed up here even though nobody called you; you expected to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I never asked; and, you don't know a damned thing about my business. Now give me back my dog!!!"
.: I Believe ... :.
Biologically, I think it is true, or so what my Bio teacher taught me.
The chromosome that determines the sex, i.e. the 24th chromosome are either
XX - male
XY - female
However, there's mutation of the genes, which causes some genes to be XXY
Therefore, a male, born with a Y alel (the female alel). Such syndrome is known as the XXY Syndrome or the Klinefelter Syndrome. To know more, click here
I've known some friends who are gays, and I've hearn rumour of a few lesbians among my friends.
Back in secondary school, there was a lesbian couple, a Chinese girl and an Indian girl, who both have no problem expressing their affections towards each other. They were groping and caressing each other in public without feeling any shame.
Public display of affections (PDAs) are fine with me, just make sure that you put a limit to it, coz you are doing it in public, not in private, and people are watching.
Anyways, back to lesbian and gay couples, I'm sure that my cousin Yin & Swi Shyang has more stories to tell since Yin was from an all-girls school and Shyang was from a boys school.
Is our sexuality really our choice? Or are we actually born with it?
I don't really know.
What do you think?
Sunday, December 23, 2007
.: These Are The Moments, I Thank God That I'm Alive :.
Sunday (today) my confirmation in church by the Bishop. Got my certificate of confirmation *so proud* :)
After church, had yet another argument with JC, and now I'm mad at him. But I shouldn't be so bothered about it anyway, wasting all my energy into being angry. I have other better things to do. And I just have to learn to let go alot of things and baggage in my life, and being in this relationship has really taught me so much.
So here I'm, on a Sunday night, recapping my weekend well spent, with the people I love and care about. And I thank God once again for these beautiful moments, that I truly appreciate.
And these are the moments,
I thank God that I'm alive.
And these are the moments,
I'll remember all my life.
I've got all I've waited for,
I could not ask for more.
- Edwin McCain -
Friday, December 21, 2007
.: And That's How The Cookie Crumbles :.
I baked yesterday. Gingerbread Man. Well, some of them are slightly burnt - let's just say I'm not racist, so that's why there are some Gingerbread man darker than the others ( this is the semangat perpaduan ) that our Prime Minister is preaching about. *wink*
Jokes aside, the first batch of cookies really was slightly burnt and turned out darker. Having learn from the first mistake, I took out the cookies slightly earlier even though it was still "soft". Apparently, the texture of the cookies was suppose to be like that, but after it cool down, it hardens. Think it's because of the molasses.
Personally, I think it was too sweet, and really lack of spice (I can hardly tell that there was ginger in there), but the cinnamon really made the cookies smell so lovely when they came out from the oven. Mmmmmmm.....
The original plan was to use a cookie cutter to cut out the shape of the cookies, but after hunting high and low for it, to no avail, I've finally decided to use free hand stencil instead. So, there I was outlining my stencil one by one, with a knife, the lil gingerbread man, and transferring it to the baking tray. In the process, some of the cookie dough crumbled and needless to say, there was a huge wastage of time. I was a real tedious process, especially for someone as unmeticulous as I am. So after making like 2 dozens of the gingerbread man, I used my mom's cookie cutter to cut a spade shape cookies. So much faster and efficient, but not as Christmas-y feeling as the Gingerbread Man. The final last bits of the dough, I decided to make a lil Christmas Tree, and it turned out so cute :)
Well, that's it for my cookie making experience (it's my first self baked cookies), so on to my next project. *wink*
JC says that that is what he dislike about me, after making once and that's it. No making a few more batches to perfect it, etc, etc....
Well, I guess for me it's more about the thrill of trying something new. For me, having to do the same thing again, but better, is not as challenging as having to do something new altogether.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
.: I Believe ... :.
It's true to a certain extend, that we can never be truly appreciative of what we got until we have to part with or do without.
It's the taken-for-grantedness attitude we, as human being, have.
There will come a day, where we will have to say goodbye, nothing will last forever.
And perhaps, the only way to mitigate this is to once in a while stop running the rat race, take a step back and savor the moments we have with the people we love.
We will never know if there's another chance to do just that.
Specially dedicated to my late Grandpa whom I miss so dearly...
It's been one and the half years since he left us, but the memories still remains with all of us.
Whenever I see someone who reminds me of my Grandpa, I still cry.
I really miss him.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
.: I Believe ... :.
When we look at the other side of the fence, the grass always does seem greener doesn't it?
And somewhere out there, someone else who is at the other side, wishing that they could be where we are - the supposedly "greener" side.
I was having a conversation with Seat Jian the other day. What struck me was that in life, if we do not like where we are now; we can change two things;
our environment
or
our perspective
During a conversation with a few of my accountant friends, we noted a unusual trend that there seems to be a demand for accountants in every part of the world. But the unusual part is this - accountants from the UK are migrating to Australia, and the accountants from Australia are migrating to UK.
Accountants from China are looking West, while the Westerners are moving East.
As for me, I used to be so eager to go overseas. Even as I was doing my ACCA, I remember that my parents promised to send me overseas to do my final core papers (the final 3 papers), but when they went back on their words, I was very very devestated.
Then, if you ask me to make that choice of being here in Malaysia or going overseas to work, without skipping a beat, I would say overseas.
But ask me the same Question now, and I will hesistate.
I'm now learning to see that the grass on my side is green too, learn to appreciate and be thankful for all the opportunities I had here (those that I would have missed if I was working overseas). Yes, I know, there's sacrifises that I've made - my career progression, my opportunity to earn more moolah, my experience of four seasons, etc...
But can that replace the moments I spend with my family?
Replace the birthdays, christmas, new years we celebrate?
Replace the people (including JC) that I've met here?
Honestly, I rather not........
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
.: Happy Birthday Yin :.
and each road leads you where you wanna go,
and if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
if it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile.
But more than anything, more than anything...
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.
I hope you never look back, but you never forget,
all the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
and you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
and always give more than you take.
But More than anything, yeah, more than anything...
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish. Yeah.
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish
.: The 20 Dollars Bill :.
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked,"Who would like this $20 bill?"
Hands started going up.
He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this."
He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill.
He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
Still the hands were up in the air.
Well, he replied, "What if I do this?"
And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?"
Still the hands went into the air .
My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson.
No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.
Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you.
The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE.
You are special.
Don't EVER forget it.
Pass this on to as many people as you can. You may never know the lives it touches, the hurting hearts it speaks to, or the hope that it can bring.
Count your blessings, not your problems.
If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.
Monday, December 17, 2007
.: I Believe ... :.
When I love, I love whole-heartedly.
I will take the chance that I might not be loved in return
I will take the risk of getting my heart broken.
And if you were to ask me, would I do it all over again, I'd say yes.
You have not truly lived your life, if you've never experience heartaches and heartbreaks.
How can you fully appreciate what you have now?
If you never knew what it was like losing it?
Indeed, we will never appreciate true love, until we know what it is like living without it.
Friday, December 14, 2007
.: Results!Results!Results! :.
Updated (Sat morning - the morning after)
To realize the value of one year: Ask a student who has failed a final exam.
To realize the value of one month: Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of one week: Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of one hour: Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of one minute: Ask the person who has missed the train, bus or plane.
To realize the value of one second: Ask a person who has survived an accident.
To realize the value of one millisecond: Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.
And to realise the value of ONE mark: Ask the person who passed an exam paper on the dot (that's me!)
Well, the stress of anticipating for the exam results is finally over, and I really thank God that I pass this time round. Am really happy that I did, even though I know I did not do well at all. It was indeed because of God's grace and goodness.
When the marks came out, I was even more thankful. I got exactly 50marks, which is the required mark to pass this paper.
Having been taking many exams (from highschool days to ACCA and now ICAEW) and receiving results after results after results, it still never fail to make me so anxious about my results. Coz I always, always, always feel that I did not do my best and "think I will fail this time - seriously" (I know many of you guys have heard me saying that like over and over again - it's the same old line I use, isn't it?)
But honestly, this is the way I feel! I don't recall a time where I came out of the exam halls thinking to myself "This time, I know I can pass". Admire those who can gauge themselves that way.
Anyways, I never really am bothered much about the marks, but being at the borderline (this time really on the borderline), just makes me be extra thankful. :)
Well, to all those who has passed, congrats! :)
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
.: When Boyz Become Men :.
WARCRAFT
*sigh*
Two grown up, working men, talking about Warcraft during lunch break. Can't they be more mature, grow up, and talk about something like global warming, or the next economic crisis/boom, or anything to that line?
Boyz will never be men would they?
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
.: 4th Floor...Going Up :.
A roadblock during rush hour! How sensible are people nowadays?
Was thinking that since it was a Selangor public holiday, it should not have been so jam. But ends up the other way round. Well, the roadblock is most likely to prevent another illegal gathering in KL, but it's also preventing people like me to get to work on time!
Anyhows, arrived at office at about 9.45am (two hours - I could reach Malacca in two hours!) panting and gasping for air (ok, so this time I'm exaggerating) running (ok - fast walking) from the Raja Chulan monorail station to my office.
So there I was at the lobby, with others, who are also late probably for the same reason I was, waiting for the lift. And there was this two British men (can tell from their accents) who walked into the lift, as all of us did, looked at the lift buttons, mumbled a few words to each other, then walked out of the lift.
I took a few seconds to register the conversation they exchanged. One of the men actually said something to this effect
"No 4th floor. We must be in the wrong lift."
Well, I guess they didn't know that 3A is the 4th floor. Typical chinese aren't we, that we are so pantang of the number 4.
Too bad my synapses is a lil bit too slow, if not, I could have informed them.
Monday, December 10, 2007
.: The Notebook (based on a Nicholas Sparks novel) :.
This story is based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks (as you all know, I'm a big fan of Nicholas Sparks).
I love this movie so so so much, and I'm going to watch it again and again. Needless to say, tears were shedded and my heart was touched. How beautiful love story of Noah and Allie, from how they met, to where they are now, 40 - 50 years down the road.
This story reminds me of something my Grandma used to say. "Kalau ada jodoh, takkan lari." (my Grandma is Peranakan, so she speaks to us in Peranakan, which is something like a cross between BM and Hokkien) which literally translates to "If it's fated, it will never run."
Do watch this movie, or at least read his novel....
Saturday, December 8, 2007
.: Enchanted :.
This movie is about how fantasy collides with reality, where Giselle learns the harsh true reality of the world, after being banished by the evil Queen Narrissa, Prince Edward's step-mother to New York.
Her innocence, naiveness, child-like view of people makes me wonder if there's actually such a person in reality who thinks just like her.
So, like all fairy tales, this movie ends with a happily ever after (but how could it not, right?).
Not going to elaborate further for those of you who have not watched the movie yet.
Strangly enough, I find the movie quite disappointing, but to be fair, I had really high expectations of it being that I've heard many great reviews from friends. It is a movie that I would pay to watch, but not for the second time.
Ever wonder if the power of true love's kiss is that magical ? *wink*
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
.: Big Thank You! :.
Daddy , Mummy , Ah Ee , Ben , Tammie , Rach , Kevin , Ah Kim , Yin , Shyang, Kor
Thursday, November 29, 2007
.: Emptiness :.
SJ : Got such thing wan meh?
Kath : Got la.
SJ : What kinda problem you have? Got work. Got money. Got people. What else do you need?
Kath : I don't know. I still somehow feel empty.
SJ : Empty? What else do you lack?
Kath : Seems as if I already have everything, doesn't it?
SJ : You have enough for now. Not everything.
Kath : Then how come do I still feel so empty inside?
SJ : Either you want more, or what you have now is just at the surface, as in a shell of the real things you want.
Kath : I guess what I have now is only the surface. I have the things that people see as enough, but it's not what I want.
SJ : Yes, it would seem so.
Kath : Why am I like that? I feel like I'm so ungrateful for what I already have.
SJ : Ungrateful is not true. You are unsatisfied. You will only be satisfied when you get what you want, not what others want.
Kath : If only I know how to be happy with what I have. I feel so guilty when people tell me I have everything. But I really feel as if I got nothing. I feel so under achieving.
SJ : You are doing things to please others, not yourself. Til this point I see you still doing for the sake of others, you are not doing it for yourself.
Kath : I don't know how to get a grip of my life. And I'm turning 22 soon. Sad isn't it?
If only I can learn to be happy with what I got.
Sometimes, I feel that it is all a facade to mask all the insecurities inside me.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
.: Quarter Life Crisis :.
Monday, November 26, 2007
.: First Day Of The Week :.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
.: Sunday Morning.. Rain Isn't Falling Though :.
Alot has been running through my head lately, and I had been feverishly praying to God to help me to face this rough patch. I know that in the midst of all this chaos and twists in my life, God allowed it to happen. And His grace would not allow me to go through more than I can handle.
Anyways, looking forward to meeting the kids at Sunday School today. It's their FINAL practice before next weeks Sunday School Presentation.
The kids in Sunday School are going to have a small lil presentation next week, so if any of you guys are interested, do come to my church. They have been practising real hard, and given the time constrain and all, they are really good!
They will be doing two songs;
Sunday School teachers helping some of the kids dress up
Caleb said that his "jewelry" is making him itchy
I'm so so so proud of them! :)
Saturday, November 24, 2007
.: Micheal Buble : Lost :.
I watched the whole thing fall
And I never saw the writting was on the wall
If I only knew
Days were slipping past
That the good things never last
That you were crying
Summer turned to winter
And the snow it turned to rain
And the rain turned into tears upon your face
I hardly recognized the girl you are today
And god I hope it's not too late
It's not too late
'Cause you are not alone
I'm always there with you
And we'll get lost together
Till the light comes pouring through
'Cause when you feel like you're done
And the darkness has won
Babe, you're not lost
When your worlds crashing down
And you can't bear to fall
I said, babe, you're not lost
Life can show no mercy
It can tear your soul apart
It can make you feel like you've gone crazy
But you're not
Things have seem to changed
There's one thing that's still the same
In my heart you have remained
And we can fly fly fly away
'Cause you are not alone
And I am there with you
And we'll get lost together
Till the light comes pouring through
'Cause when you feel like you're done
And the darkness has won
Babe, you're not lost
When the worlds crashing down
And you can not bear to crawl
I said, baby, you're not lost
I said, baby, you're not lost
I said, baby, you're not lost
I said, baby, you're not lost
.: Joshua Harris : I Kissed Dating Goodbye :.
"Being in a relationship is an opportunity to love another person like God has loved us.."
I believe that as human, we often misuse the word love that it has lost it's true meaning.
.: Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul 2 :.
Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul 2 will deepen readers faith and expand their awareness of how to practice Christian values in their daily livesat home, at work and in the community.
Themes of forgiveness, faith, hope, charity and love will lift their spirits and warm their hearts.
Each story is a reminder of the daily miracles readers can discover when they welcome Christ into their lives. Powerful stories will deepen readers compassion for others, inspire them to greater acts of charity, lead them to forgive others and themselves, encourage them to stand up for what they believe in, and, most of all, remind them that they are never alone or without hope,no matter how challenging and painful their circumstances may seem, for He is always walking by your side.
Excerpt from www.amazon.com
To be updated when I finish reading this book (written on 6th August 2007)
Updates :
So I finally finished reading this book today!
Again, as always, this book just knows how to hit the right string in my heart.
Be it alone in my bedroom or in a crowded bookshop surrounded by a million people ( ok, so a million people would be exaggerating) I still somehow can't help but *sniff*sniff* a lil.
So if you guys bump into me sitting down at a corner of Borders bookshop in Ikano, reading a book, sniffing all the way, then its most likely that I'm reading some heart warming, soul touching book. Either that or I'm down with a flu :)
Friday, November 23, 2007
.: Friday Blues :.
It's 8.40pm and I'm still in office, dreading that my boss is leaving to Florida tomorrow.
Not, it's not like there's something going on between me and my boss, that would be scandalous (and scandal is so not me! *wink*)...
It's just that there's heaps of things which I have to follow up when he is not around. And I don't like following up. He deals with all the high post executives (CEO, CFO, CIO, whatever C's you can think of) and frankly, I'm quite intimidated in dealing with these people.
They are far more experienced, far more knowledgable, far more confident... me talking or interacting with them is like... gosh, it can really be so stressful sometimes!
But that aside, most of the people I deal with are generally nice.
Anyways, I shouldn't be staying in the office too late, I've got a farewell party to attend, plus it's really suffocating and stuffy in here.
Looking forward to meeting Eddie and the rest of the gang :)
Happy Weekends !
Thursday, November 22, 2007
.: One Of Those Days :.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
.: With All My Heart :.
One Father of the Church, St. Augustine, studied the mystery of the Holy Trinity and although he was at his wits' end, he still could not comprehend it. One day he was walking on the sandy beach by the ocean. There churned in his mind the mystery of the Holy Trinity. He was talking to himself: "One God, but three Persons. Three Persons--not three Gods but one God. What does it mean? How can it be explained? How can my mind take it in?" And so he was torturing his mind and beating his brains out, when he saw a little boy on the beach. He approached him to see what he was doing.
The child had dug a small hole in the sand. With his little hands he was carrying water from the ocean and was dumping it in the little hole.
St. Augustine asked, "What are you doing, my child?"
The child replied, "I want to put all of the water of the ocean into this hole."
Once more St. Augustine asked, "But is it possible for all of the water of this great ocean to be contained in this little hole?"
And the child asked him in return, "If the water of the ocean cannot be contained in this little hole, then how can the mystery which you are meditating on be contained in your mind?"
Well, it wasn't exactly the issue of Holy Trinity that was dabbling in my mind late (yes, late) last night.
But it was more of how do I interprete the obstacles / challanges in my life?
Is it God trying to say " Go on. Carry on. Don't give up. It's just a trial for me to shape and mould you to be a better, stronger person."?
Or is it God trying to say " Stop. Make a U-turn. You are going the wrong way."?
I do know that God speaks to us in many, many ways. And it's not always in a loud audible voice or sending His angels or in dreams or given verses from God.
Sometimes, the message he sends is more subtle - through advises of friends, soft voice inside your head, or your heart telling you it's right (or wrong).
The problem with me is that I tend to have a very small satellite dish (for the lack of an appropriate analogy) and it's not easy for me to pick up those subtle subtle messages.
It could be that He has send me so many, and yet I'm to blind to see, to deaf to hear or to numb to feel.
It is at this time where I start questioning myself, is this a sign? Is this a sign? Or maybe this?
But through the passage of time, as my walk of faith with Him strenghtens, I continue to learn to put more trust into Him rather than put my trust into others or even myself.
I learned never to question or challange His ways and timing, coz as the illustration has pointed out, my mind is way to small and way to finate to comprehand something so infinate like Him.
But understandable, I'm still human. There are times in my life where I begin to question, begin to be impatient for answers to my prayers, and start taking things into my own hands.
Perhaps, the purpose of Him putting me through all this trials and tribulations is to remind me that at the end of the day everything is in his Hands. Not mine.
And I guess I will have to hold on to this verse, which I so vividly remember till this very day.
Trust the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding.
With all my heart, I do trust in You Lord. Thank you for all the trials and testings you have brought into my life. That is to remind me that it not a matter of whether it's a sign that says this or that or it is not a sign to begin with. But rather, it is a matter of learning to put my full trust in You all over again.
Thank you Lord.
Friday, November 16, 2007
.: Operator, The Line Is Fake :.
Hi. Can I speak to Mr Kevin Chua Hong Chun please?
Kevin :
Yes, speaking. May I know who is on the line?
Celine :
Hi Kevin. This is Celine calling from AAD. I'm actually calling you regarding you resit examination results. I'm sorry to inform you that out of your two papers you sat for , you've failed the Pharmacy Practice paper.
Kevin (sad tone) :
Oh....
Celine :
The reason why we are disclosing this to you in advance is because you are the only one in your batch to fail.
Kevin :
I'm the only one?
Celine :
Yes. So now, you currently now have two choices, either you repeat your semester 4 with the P107 students, or you quit the course, which I hope that you will not. But in the option that you do, you can claim back 20% of your Semester 5 fees after you have filled up a form. We will process your cheque and you can collect it from us.
Kevin :
So, these is my only two choice?
Celine :
That right, you either resit for one semester, or you can quit this course.
Kevin :
What was my mark for the paper that I've failed?
Celine :
It's 42 marks.
Kevin :
Oh...okay...
Celine :
Well I let you think about it and if you choose to continue, you can drop by Peter Pook's office later.
Kevin :
Ok. Thanks.
Celine :
Thank you.
I was Celine for the day, helping my brother and a few of his friends pull a prank on his coursemate. Wonder if I had been to nasty? Sounds worse that Hitz.fm's Gotcha doesn't it?
.: T.S.L :.
After getting the news from JC that he is going to Miri for two whole weeks, I felt kinda heavy inside. Exactly one year ago, on this very same job, I flew to Miri - for two weeks. When I returned home, JC told me that I should never leave him that long. Now, one year later, he's going off, leaving me here.
Since we started dated a year and the half ago, we barely spend a day without seeing one another. Prior to me going to Miri, the longest we have been away from each other was three days. I remember him telling me that he missed me so much and how he hugged me and kissed my forehead when I came home from the airport. I remember he bought a cake - to celebrate my birthday.
Now that things have changed, now that we have known each other much longer, seen the best and worst of each other, will all this feelings change?
Will he still miss me the way he did?
Or will he not?
But another question that I should post to myself is - will I miss him the way I did?
Or will I not?
I've realised that as time passes by, the sparks has fizzled. Instead of lovey-dovey-mushy-mishy feelings that I had, now settles and mellows down into i-m-comfortable-with-you mode. Like I can be in a total mess and I don't mind him seeing.
Well, I guess I shouldn't be upset over such petty petty things and enjoy my T.S.L for the time being :)
It's party time! :)
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
.: Holidays + Weekends :.
To be honest, I should have taken a big rest on Thur during Deepavali holidays, but I did not. Instead, I occupied my time cooking (real food - not microwaved ones). Together with JC, we made chocolate mousse - which turned out okay (not fantastic) but a lil too sweet for my liking. JC thinks it is not sweet enough. Hmmm....
And for dinner, we made our own beef hamburger patty - Aunty Doreen's (JC's godmum) "improvised" recipe. The reason why it was improvised was beacuse we couldn't find any onions, so we used shallots instead, and I found out that we were suppose to use beef stock cube, instead of chicken stock cube to enhance the taste of the burger patty. So that's why it doesn't taste as good as Aunty Doreen's!
Anyhows, having said that, it still taste good, and we had a really good and hearty meal at home of prawn salad, mushroom soup and beef burger :)
Then come Saturday, which I know I should be taking some rest. Instead, I was up at 8am. Had bak kut teh with dad and JC for breakfast cum lunch in SS2 (my dad suggested Klang, but I'm not that adventurious when it comes to food, unlike my dad and JC. JC and I had an early home cooked dinner and then we decided to walk around Ikano/Ikea/The Curve.
It was crowded there (as always). Wanted to do some shopping (I'm a very very light shopper by the way), but JC doesn't look very interested.
Anyhows, had a great evening just walking up and down, enjoying Ikea's curry puffs (I absolutely love Ikea's RM1 curry puff...mmmmm...) and good music (they had a live band along Ikano's bazaar walkway).
Sunday morning - church. Been helping doing sewing of costumes for the Sunday School's kiddo presentation this coming December. Me sewing? Yes, I do sew ok, contrary to what you guys may think. Though it would help if I was much much much neater *wink* Just hope that the kids costumes don't tear up into bits and pieces while they are presenting.
Went over to Secret Recipe to buy JC's dad a birthday cake. Picked the Chocolate Banana cake (coz that is MY favourite *hehe*). Had a big hearty meaty meal at Euro Deli in D'sara Kim, nearby my place. Ordered spaghetti carbonara while the rest ordered pork knuckle, pork belly and a beer chicken (or something like that). Since the portion was too much for one person, everyone ended up sharing some of their meals with me :)
Ceke cutting session after dinner, though JC's dad was too shy to have candles and would not allow us to sing "Happy Birthday!". I did manage to sqeeze in a lil space for dessert (I have NEVER said no to desserts for those who knows me well enough *wink*wink*)
So, with such fun filled activities during the hols/weekends, one can not help but drag oneself out of bed on Mon morning, and Tue morning, and most likely Wed morning too *wink*wink* :)
Sunday, November 11, 2007
.: Love Is Blind :.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
.: Chocolate Mousse :.
300g good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
3 eggs
1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
1 tbs good-quality cocoa powder, sifted
300ml thickened cream, plus extra whipped cream to serve
Grated chocolate, to serve
Method
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water). Stir until melted. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Place eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with electric beaters for 5 minutes, or until mixture is pale, thick and doubled in volume. Fold in cooled chocolate and cocoa powder until combined.
In a separate bowl, whip cream until thickened (be careful not to over-beat). Use a large metal spoon to carefully fold the cream into the chocolate mixture, trying to keep the mixture as light as possible. Spoon into 6 serving glasses and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour. Remove from fridge 15 minutes before serving, then top with extra whipped cream and grated chocolate to serve.
Notes & tips
Add your favourite spirit. To keep it French, go for Cognac (or another quality brandy) or Grand Marnier, adding 1 tablespoon to the melting chocolate.
For a flavour twist, add a tablespoon of vanilla extract to the chocolate as it melts.
Chocolate and coffee make a great pairing, so try adding two tablespoons of prepared strong black coffee to the chocolate when melting.
For a cool treat, serve the mousse as a semifreddo - freeze for about 3 hours (but don't freeze solid).
Source
delicious. - September 2004 , Page 44
Recipe by Chrissy Freer
Friday, November 2, 2007
.: Teardrops :.
Regret only to those who makes you cry...
A boy with a rose in his hand, said this to the only girl he has ever love.
"The only time I would want to make you cry is when you're touched with what I've did. I want to be there for you whenever the next teardrop falls, coz I want to be the one holding you in my arms, wiping away your tears,pacifying you and tell you that everything will be alright.I want to hold your hands and pray with you and for you.I want you to know that you that I'm always there for you when you need me."
He cried. Bend down and laid the rose in front of her tombstone, regreting never having the chance to confess his feelings to the girl he loved.
And now, he can only tell it to the wind....
.: Tears and Rain :.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
.: Tears & Rain - James Blunt :.
Shed the clothes that become my skin;
See the liar that burns within my needing.
How I wish I'd chosen darkness from cold.
How I wish I had screamed out loud,
Instead I've found no meaning.
I guess it's time I run far, far away; find comfort in pain,
All pleasure's the same: it just keeps me from trouble.
Hides my true shape, like Dorian Gray.
I've heard what they say, but I'm not here for trouble.
It's more than just words: it's just tears and rain.
How I wish I could walk through the doors of my mind;
Hold memory close at hand,
Help me understand the years.
How I wish I could choose between Heaven and Hell.
How I wish I would save my soul.
I'm so cold from fear.
I guess it's time I run far, far away; find comfort in pain,
All pleasure's the same: it just keeps me from trouble.
Hides my true shape, like Dorian Gray.
I've heard what they say, but I'm not here for trouble.
Far, far away; find comfort in pain.
All pleasure's the same: it just keeps me from trouble.
It's more than just words: it's just tears and rain.
Tears and Rain.
Tears and Rain.
Far, far away; find comfort in pain,
All pleasure's the same: it just keeps me from trouble.
It's more than just words: it's just tears and rain.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
.: Get Well Soon :.
Heard that you're not feeling well
Wishing you a speedy and complete recovery
Will be keeping you in heart and prayer
*Hugz*
Thursday, October 25, 2007
.: Let The Music Take Control :.
Music is food to the soul.
Music heals the soul.
Well, it's not that I listen to the most up-to-date, happenin music round town, but I do love a variety of music, from instrumental to accapellas, from rock to oldies, from ballads to pops, in any language - English, Chinese, Malay, Spanish, Latin, etc, etc
Well, just for the kicks of it, I've listed a few songs that I just love (or in some cases don't like)
My very own Top Ten Chart
(I damn sampat - this is what happens when I sit at home too long and I'm no longer motivated to study)
10 songs with really meaningful lyrics
- Man In The Mirror (Micheal Jackson)
- My Wish (Rascal Flatt)
- There’s Gotta Be More To Life (Stacie Orrico)
- Butterfly Kisses (Bob Charlie)
- Reflection (Christina Auguilera)
- In My Daughter’s Eyes (Martina McBride)
- Angel (Robbie Williams)
- Only Hope (Mandy Moore)
- The Graduation Song (Vitamin C)
- I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe)
9 beautiful duets
- Come What May (Nicole Kidman & Ewan McGregor)
- I Finally Found Someone (Barbara Striensand & Bryan Adams)
- When I Fall In Love (Celine Dion & Julio Iglesias)
- Private Emotion (Ricky Martin & Meja)
- We Could Be In Love (Lea Salonga & Brad Kane)
- I Do (98 Degrees & Shania Twain)
- Everytime I Close My Eyes (Mariah Carey & Babyface)
- Canto Alla Vista (Josh Groban & The Corrs)
- Where's The Love (Black Eye Peas & Justin Timberlake)
8 sad songs for the broken heart
- Out Of Reach (Gabrielle)
- Menghitung Hari (Kris Dayanti)
- Blue Eyes Blue (Eric Clapton)
- How Can You Mend A Broken Heart (Michael Buble – original by Bee Gees)
- Like We Never Loved At All (Faith Hills & Tim McGraw)
- All Out Of Love (Air Supply)
- Ghost Of You And Me (BBMak)
- That's Why You Go (MLTR)
7 love songs
- Looking In The Eyes of Love (The Corrs)
- So Much In Love (All 4 One)
- Fallen (Lauren Wood)
- I Love The Way You Love Me (Boyzone)
- First Love (Utada Hikaru)
- Aku Cinta Padamu (Siti Nurhaliza)
- Truly Madly Deeply (Savage Garden)
6 songs to slow dance along to
- The Way You Look Tonight (Michael Buble – original by Frank Sinatra)
- You Belong To Me (Jason Wade)
- It Feels Like Home To Me (Chantel Kraviazuk)
- She (Elvis Costello)
- Back At One (Bryan McKnight)
- Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton)
5 songs that you blast out of your radio when you have a really bad day
- Since You’ve Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson)
- Linkin Park (all of their songs esp Numb, Crawling, In The End – I just can’t choose)
- I Don’t Love You Like I Love You Yesterday (My Chemical Romance)
- Scars (Papa Roach)
- Shut Up (Simple Plan)
4 songs to play at your wedding
- From This Moment (Shania Twain)
- Everyday I Love You (Boyzone)
- The Rose (LeAnne Rimes)
- The Way You Make Me Feel (Ronan Keating)
3 most annoying songs
- The Ketchup Song (Les Ketchup)
- Oops… I Did It Again (Britney Spears)
- Blue (Eiffel 65)
2 booty shaking songs
- Sexy Back (Justin Timberlake)
- Buttons (Pussycat Dolls & Snoop Dogg)
1 song that I find meaningless
- Absolutely (Story of a Girl) (Nine Days)
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
.: Saw Throat + Fever + Flu :.
Suppose to have dinner at Shangrilla Hotel tomorrow. Ex-company post audit dinner.
I'm suppose to be studying now, but as usual, procrastinating is my middle name :)
Now....anyone has the fastest, most effective way to cure a bad sore throat?
Updated:
I've tried :
- propolies (better than honey - or so they claim)
- gargling with concerntrated salt water
- taking strepsils
What else left to try? Someone please come out with a solution....
Updated:
I'm now down with fever and flu :(
And no dinner....
*sobs*sobs*
Saturday, October 20, 2007
.: The Nutty Lecturer :.
And as usual, I presented my lecturer a small Thank You card to express my appreciation and gratitude for all that he have done for us.
In it, I wrote this;
A different Thank You card this time, but with the SAME BIG APPRECIATION! Thank you Colin for making tax classes so entertaining and fun, in spite of the subject being dry and boring.
P/S: A bit of M'sian tax advise. Foreign entertainers are subjected to 15% WHT on income derived from M'sia. We might just have to classify you as that :)
Thanks so much once again. Take care!
Really am thankful for Mr Colin for being so so so very enthusiatic and interesting when conducting the class to such uninspired, unenthusiatic bunch of students. Really never fail to amuse me on how much enthusiasm a person his age (or at any age for that matter) can really be. Such an entertainer. It is such a great joy and pleasure having him as a lecturer :)
If I ever become a lecturer one day (who knows I might *wink*wink*) I would really want to be as passionate as him and Ms Menon (another lecturer whom I really look up to for being so good at what she does!). Well, the same goes for Mr Martin (my ICAEW lecturer), Mr Goh & Mr Simon (my ACCA lecturers) as well as Ms Lim ML (my Form 5 bio teacher)
They are those whom I really inspired to be.
Well, Mr Colin has really put in his best to guide and coach us throughout. Now, it's my turn to put in my best to past this paper.
Wish me luck! :)
Friday, October 19, 2007
.: Friday Night :.
Had an early morning class today with Mr Collins, which I must admit I wasn't really in the right frame of mind to concerntrate. My mom gave me a cough syrup (some traditional Chinese medicine) before I went to class, and she claimed that it does not cause drowsiness. Even before lunchtime, I could hardly keep my eyes open. And I think my lecturer actually noticed, but he did not tease me or anything like that. He knows that I'm usually not like that, and today is an exception (I'm an angel when I'm in class actually *ehem*ehem*)
I've been having this nasty cough/whizz ever since I came back from my church camp trip from Malacca. I guess my asthma has been triggered again, last since the bad haze back in 2005. Been taking the ventolin inhaler to help my breathing every once in a while.
Speaking of Malacca, JC and I bumped into Bridget just now in Atria. She asked how was our church camp, and we both replied that it was good. She then turned to me and say "My brother mentioned alot about you."
Darn, I wonder what Benedict (Bridget's brother) has been talking about behind my back. Well, I always go along with one philosophy; if it's about good things - it's definately true and if it's about bad things - it's an absolute lie :)
JC was not feeling well today, so I drove him to a clinic nearby his house and then send him home. I noticed that many people have been falling sick recently, esp concerning respiratory problems. Probably due to the bad weather.
Hope he feels better tomorrow, so that we can enjoy the dinner I was planning to prepare for us tomorrow. On the menu is - beef steak, potato & pasta salad, mushroom soup...... Mmmmmm...
The beef steaks is in the fridge marinating itself (hmmm...sounds grammatically wrong), potato salad is done (I did it all by myself just now).
*yawn*
It's time for bed.
Nite nite
Thursday, October 18, 2007
:. 3 Billy Goat Gruff :.
Once upon a time three billy goats lived together in a field on a hillside. They were the three Billy Goats Gruff. There was a Big Billy Goat Gruff, a Middle Billy Goat Gruff and a Little Billy Goat Gruff.
Beside the billy goats' field ran a river. One day they decided to cross it and eat the grass on the other side. But first they had to go over the bridge. Under the bridge lived a big ugly troll.
First Little Billy Goat Gruff stepped onto the bridge. TRIP TRAP went his hooves.
"Who's that tripping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.
"It is only I, Little Billy Goat Gruff, going across the river to make myself fat," said Little Billy Goat Gruff in such a small voice.
"Now I'm coming to gobble you up," said the Troll.
"Oh, please don't eat me, I'm so small," said Little Billy Goat Gruff. "Wait for the next billy goat. He's much bigger."
"Well, be off with you," said the Troll.
A little while later, Middle Billy Goat Gruff stepped on to the bridge. TRIP TRAP, TRIP TRAP went his hooves. "Who's that tripping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.
"It is only I, Middle Billy Goat Gruff, going across the river to make myself fat," said Middle Billy Goat Gruff, whose voice was not so small.
"Now I'm coming to gobble you up," said the Troll.
"Oh, no, don't eat me," said Middle Billy Goat Gruff. "Wait for the next billy goat. He's the biggest of all."
"Very well, be off with you," said the Troll.
It wasn't long before Big Billy Goat Gruff stepped onto the bridge. TRIP TRAP, TRIP TRAP, TRIP TRAP went his hooves, and the bridge groaned under his weight.
"Who's that tramping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.
"It is I, Big Billy Goat Gruff," said Big Billy Goat Gruff, who had a rough, roaring voice of his own.
"Now I'm coming to gobble you up," said the Troll, and at once he jumped onto the bridge, very mean and hungry.
But Big Billy Goat Gruff was very tough and strong. He put down his head and charged the Troll and butted him so hard he flew high into the air and then fell down and splashed into the middle of the river.
And the great ugly troll was never seen again.
Then Big Billy Goat Gruff joined Middle Billy Goat Gruff and Little Billy Goat Gruff in the field on the far side of the river. There they go so fat that they could hardly walk home again.
Used to listen to this story when I was young, where my mom and dad would tell me over and over again as a bedtime story. Feeling kinda nostalgic when I saw the same book (Ladybird) that belongs to Ah Fei in Ze Huei's car just now.
I wish I was still 5 and mummy and daddy would tell me bedtime stories.......
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
.: Marco's Pizza :.
.: Rat-a-too-eeeeeeeeeee :.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
.: A Cup Of Coffee Anyone? :.
The students responded with a unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things --God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else--the small stuff."
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. "Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."