Su Ann's 18th Birthday

Su-Ann is 18!! So upon her request we traveled to One Utama, Damansara and organized a large scale dinner. Though it was very last minute, most people made it. It was the 100th (exagerated) birthday celebration for the month. But it never gets stale. What else was there to say except that we probably saw too much of each other in this one week.

All in all we always have a blast. The food was good and the company was great. We are at that age in time. I remember the days when we look up to the young adults in church and figured they were quite happening ( I was a kid then). Now we've actually reached that age. The happening yuppies group, also known as the marriageble age. Guess it IS a cool age. Hahah what else can I say? *smile*

Church Camp 05

It was that time of the year again as we geared up and packed our bags and headed to the mountain top. We were all excited to see what God was going to do and excited to spend much-needed time away from the world and with each other. This year round too I was much more expectant. I was no longer downcast and burdened by things I needed and should be doing. I also brought along my laptop and books in hope that I will some how some way find time to get things done. Big surpirse I never did. When will I learn?

The camp itself was refreshing... Renewed in mind, spirit and soul. We were challenged to get out of our complacency and reached for God. Stir it up in our hearts Lord! Stir up your church that we will long after you like the deer pants for water. You are the air we breathe. Being the official photographer I got to see many antics. What is the most touching picture one can take? Knowing the answer and feeling the need I got off my knees and started snapping. Lord you long to see your people worshipping you. A soul that cries out desperately for God, a family that prays together, a church that worships at your throne, a nation that on their knees. People of God the time has come for us to come back to the living God. The best pictures in the world are that of a people that are not afraid to cry out to God. Some of those pictures I've uploaded in my multiply site. What do I want to see after this? I want to be more desperate for God.

This year we also see a strong rise of young adults in this church. There are so many of us after all. YES we are young adults. I'm a young adult!! We spent days and nights together. Laughing mostly - so hard in fact that our stomachs ached. We played cards, taboo, and God knows what else. We spent so much time together that it felt like yesteryears. We even sacrificed sleep for it. Who's bright idea was it anyway? Sometimes in the midst of it I'll feel slightly guilty for not mixing with the kiddos instead. But aunty Jo reminded me that I can't put all the burden on myself. I cannot forgo my entire life either. I have a life I need to live too. It's not that I neglected all else, I just made time to allow my life to go on. What did I learn through this? I need to socialise with people my age as well... to live to grow.In the course of this camp, I learnt a lot of things. For example how to catch a person when he/she is slain. (I learnt this the hard way) I have injured my back because I was not able to catch people properly and thus them landing on me. Heal me O Lord! I have found much things too. Like renewed friendship as well as made new ones. The list goes on.... But all in all God be the glory forever and ever. Praise His name all ye children, shout unto the Lord.

Check out the pics!

Praise ReporFor

The past week has been a potentially stressful one for me. On Monday I was feeling the stress filling my breathing space. Headache came, sleepless nights came.... and I began to fear. Fear that the stress would eat me whole. Swallow me. I didn't want the monster in me (which is the product of stress) to surface at work. Somehow I took for granted friends in church who bore all my nonsense all this while. So I got down on my knees and pray............

I was supposed to organize this Treasure Hunt event for the students and staff members in my college and I was begining to feel the stress of organizing as usual. I thank God first of all that I've had all these experience from serving in church. I also want to thank God that I DID NOT, i repeat DID NOT get stressed up or any headache at all....... until the event was over, and suddenly the migraine came. But anyway the event itself was quite an event, if i can say so myself. Sure I was dead tired preparing and running all over the place, sure there were problems here and there (I've learnt that you just can't be prepared for everything. that everything that can go wrong will go wrong) but the team spirit showed before and during the event was amazing. It touched my heart to see them working together in unity. It moved my heart to see so many of them showing up. I count it a success if just each person gets to know one other person. I was really contented at the end of the event. I thank God that it didn't rain and there was no haze and it was not hot. I thank God that most if not all was happy about the event. yayyyy!! i dont actually care so much if my boss dont like (but they do), I care more bout how the students feel. For more pics check out my multiply site. Hheeheh... below pic... gaya only.

Second thing praise report is that we now have a part time Indon maid that will clean once a week or somthing like that. YAYYY. Thank God!! Don't need to do so much housework liow... Less one headache!!

Yay church camp starts tomorrow... Need to pack now! Thank God for this break..

My Birthday!!

August 12 (Fri)

It's finally my birthday!!! I was so excited. For some crazy reason I love my birthdays! Maybe because it makes me feel special. Maybe because for once I can be in the limelight (something I normally shy away from). Yet I don't ask for much. Every year on my birthday, I only want to be happy. Fully and totally. 24hours. Just to be with the people I love and to know that they love me... is enough to make my heart soar.

This year I started the day (at midnight) happy. But my heart started to drop soon after. Lav and gang was in Genting that night (yes they called) but I was beginning to wonder what I was doing here. I would have been there too if I hadn't come back to Seremban. A part of me still wants to be there. I know I'm doing the right thing being here.. .some how... yet I still have a part of me that wants, yearns, desires. Sometimes doing the right thing is so hard.

Sleep was not kind that night, thus my morning quite ruined. I was too tired to do much work though there was lots to do. My students had their final but taking a peek at their answers I was quite visibly disappointed, which my students actually apologized for. However, I had lunch with the class and they bought me a cake. I also got a teddy bear and pen from them. How sweet! Most of my colleague did not know it was my birthday though till I LOA-ly told them. HAhahaha!!~ Bee Ling and Azura knew and gave me something. It was so sweet. I applied to go home earlier that day. No point spending my birthday time at work *wink*

I got back to cook up an Italian feast with Su-Ann's help. I actually started getting a little stressed up as the time drew closer till my friends from college arrived (students and colleague). My mom was there to help too and they chased me out of the kitchen at 6+ so that I could bath and they could clear up. Thank God my friends arrived late (though I wished they hadn't cos that gave us no time to socialize after dinner). And my 'kai sai lo' made it!! They were all very sweet. And since most of them had never tasted these food, they found it nice.... hahahah!~ I never got to do any tasting actually. I was too worn out to eat. But Su-Ann, you go girl!! We had to look into many details as my friends were quite diversified. There was a vegetarian, seafood allergy, and so on...

We had combine cell that night. And my darling friends purposely turned up for me... Feel so happy. Cell still went on though I tried to explain to my friends (from college) that this was no party. Plus, I led cell tonight. Unfortunately some of those friends could not stay for long or did not understand half of what I was saying. Ohyes, I had two cakes that night. But of course we only used one. I was covered with hands and prayer which is one of the wonderful blessings you receive on your birthday.

(There's some reflection on my face according to the picture. Eeee....)

Anyway, I was plainly exhausted when all was said and done. And when the night came, I craved for my bed. I jus wanted to sleep. Zzzz....

Ohya I did not get the bouquet of flower I had hoped for. Oh well...

Aug 13 (Sat)

Racing agaisnt time after Aspirers' Cottage Fellowship @ Pang's Residence (which went very well thank God! and thank you to all leaders who put effort into it. I did not had to lift a finger this time around), we hurried over to Kensington (without bathing) to dine. Most of us were max-ed out from tea. Myself, I had lunch at 3pm, tea at 5pm and dinner at 7pm. I still could eat though, slowly. Anyway dinner was with a whole bunch of people.

Though I thought that I would have been happy, I wasn't. Maybe because I was again tired. Maybe because the group was too big and I never was good at socializing in huge groups. Maybe I wasn't getting the attention I wanted. Mayb I fel overshadowed. Maybe my thoughts were elsewhere. Maybe a hundred and one maybes. But I was just not happy.

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I've given up on trying to be exceedingly and perfectly happy. Because there's no such thing. Circumstances in life will always toy with our emotions. There's never an end to feelings. It's a rollercoaster ride. The key is to learn to be contented no matter what. True joy flows only from God. Only God can give that perfect satisfaction despite our circumstances in life. Only God and God alone....

Happy Birthday to you~

This month is a month of birthdays.. many many... So here goes to being 'pokkai'. I haven't even bought presents for any one who's birthday fell in these last two weeks yet. No time. Forgive me!!

Thursday (Aug 4) Lavinia's 22nd Bday
Traveling up all the way from Seremban to the heart (yes i mean the HEART) of Kuala Lumpur's TGI Friday. Thank's to Kin Sang's map I did not get lost! With a group of 14 people in attendence on a very long table, it was quite a party. Fortunately, they put us in one corner of the restaurant to make all the noise we want.

The food was good. I tried a bit of almost everyone's. (hahahah) and decided i would have loved Lavinia's Jack Daniel's. Apparently TGIF has improved over the past few years and it would definitely be worth visiting once in a blue moon. The price was a killer. I can't remember the last time I paid so much for food. I really can't. For a drink I had this Friday's Freeze: orange sherbert plus vodka (my first vodka and no it wasn't enought to get you drunk). Of course I had expected a much fancier glass (pic). Oh yes, the mud pie was heavenly.

At the end of dinner TGIF staff members made Lavi stand on two chairs (with our prompting) and they sang a barely understandable Birthday song after which she was forced to blow her candle with the cake at almost two arm's length away. Yea, that was funny. But you were lovin' it weren'y you, darling? hahaha... Neways "these are the days of our lives". For more pictures, log on to my multiply site or Hazel's blog.

Friday (Aug 5) Alexis 22nd Birthday
He went to Kota Kinabalu.. so a bit relieved. hehehe

Saturday (Aug 6) Yi Khai's 21st Birthday Celebration
Dear cousin Yi Khai's Birthday is actually on the 7th but we had to celebrate it earlier becos of our grandma's celebration the day after (refer below). Neways... Khai you're now a legal citizen (wohoo!!) Yayyy for fishy!! A few of us went to Barney's (in Kemayan Square) to celebrate. They have nice alfredo and Ceasar Salad there bytheway. Elaine and me being the only two girls got quite lost upon topics like Dota and Eutopia.... *sigh* After dinner we stood in the haze for quite a bit until the guys got seemingly a bit high. The haze situation is pretty bad people.. stay indoors!! We continued the celebration in Curry Leaf. Don't ask me why man... I was full.

I learnt a lot bout Dota and Eutopia though.

And we sang Yi Khai the birthday song ... twice (one in barney's one in Regent)





Sunday (Aug 7) Grandma's 80th Birthday Celebration
So after church, the entire... well almost all... family (plus Unc.Keong's side) gathered at Regent to have a feast. It was good to see everyone and just enjoy each other company. We stuck with out own group, quite unwilling to mix tables actually... probably cause we love our own company? or we really just miss hanging out with each other. I mean we only gather like this twice a year: chinese new year and ah mah's birthday.

This bowl of Shark's fin soup was for Winne but Zhong Xiang finished it. But I managed to take a picture of it. I forgot however to take a picture of ah mah or the cake. What a dungu. the cake was beautifulllllll. I picked it out and was afraid it will be frowned at but it was LOVED!! It's a chocolate and cheese semi-spheric mousse cake. Delicious~ I can still taste it in my mouth.....



Other than that:



Tuesday (Aug 9) Leonard & Valerie's 21st Birthday
Will sms them lor...

Maid-less

Two days ago, my maid announced that she was pregnant. After a trip to the agency and a pregnancy test, it proved true. Imagine our horror and shock. My family has had a long histroy of maids (with both parents working all day we simply have no choice) we've never had any problems. God has been good to us to prevent any sort of hanky panky or trouble. He's protected my household all this while and still does. But imagine our shock when we heard that news. Packing her stuff we immediately sent her on her way.

Now we are officially maid-less while awaiting the new batch of maids to arrive, hopefully before Lynne's 16th birthday in November. Thing's would be harder if she were already 16 (govt regulation). The last two days were spent organizing and clearing and all the things you can imagine we need to do. We now have to make our own bed, sweep and mop (dont want so often la), feed and bath the dog (lynne's job), wash plates, do the laundry..... the list is endless!! Oh man.... Can you imagine us sisters doing housework??? argh!! Yes I admit we're like princess. At least winne and I has had our share of housework - living in college and away from home before. We all have to wake up earlier now. Coming back from work does not mean lazing now. My dear mummy does a lot of housework. poor mummy.

SO please pray for us.... especially when lynne has to be home alone sometimes. Even though we've got 4 noisy dogs at home.... But all in all I have a lot to thank God for:

1) Winne was back when all this happened. Helps with settling down a lot.

2) My dogs are behaving. They get into their cages just with one simple gesture obediently.

3) My maid did not run away or steal anything. She came clean.

4) This happen to THIS maid at THIS time. If we were any younger it would have been difficult. or if Lynne was having PMR or SPM this year.

To God be the glory. But please pray for us... It still is going to be quite a struggle.

The Return of the Headache~

The veins in my head are pumping.... steadily... in rythm. The sounds around me is aplified and echos in my head. The temperature in my body rises significantly. My cornea enlarges above normal and lights become too bright. The liquid in my medula oblongata is no longer stable. I struggle to remain alright.

I thank God that through it all, I was still able to stand, to work, to see, to walk. Wishing the day was over sooner did not help the headache go away. Why did I not take the panadol? I believed I could still hold. But even after a reasonable nap back home, the headache remained. And I had no other choice but to resolved to the wretched pill.

But now I am better. Better to live another day. Lord if you are willing, take this headache from me. Though it is but a mere dullness and throbbing it has irritated me long enough. Free me from this cursed spell. Free my family from this bondage... Into your hands I commit my whole family and myself.

P/s: picture by David Yeow