what dreams are made of

What are dreams made of?

Is it the neurons in our brain working overtime when we sleep? That images of the past and imaginations of a possible future mix and match. When our soul flashes before our eyes with what we hope for and what we are afraid of. A place we can go and take refuge in when reality becomes too much to handle. Or the place of our worst fears that won't leave you in peace.

Is it the vision of a better future that we could have or give. The spur of passion that drives us to find and fulfill that vision. The very thing in us that keeps us going and fighting against all odds to find some kinda of purpose and meaning in what we are doing. Because without it, we just don't know how to live.

What are dreams made of?

Some of us can't wait for our dreams to be realized. Some of us are afraid to dream. Some of us are willing to go far for what we want and some of us don't believe we even deserve it. Some of us know they are God given yet some of us think its all made up....

What are dreams made of anyway?

Homemade Mushroom swiss

I had the best free burger ever!
And right here in Seremban...

But you can read it here
Way better narrated

Picture by Jewoley

Sakae Sushi

It was a long long long time since I met up with some of these old intians. I remember we used to hang out a lot in the "old" days. Old days. haha. Makes me sound so old. But perhaps I am. Time has a way of changing things - erasing things or bring them back. Perhaps time is too short to be childish about the past.

And perhaps sometimes we just get too swept away bout the busyness and forget the more important things in life - people. It's funny that I know all this but still find it hard to do it. It's like fitting people and appointments into our planner. How inhuman like. Yet we do it. Yet I do it. But Winne is different. She sees people as people and has the heart to do something about it.

Anyway, I've always enjoyed times like this - hanging out, talking and laughing, eating. hehe. And it was at Sakae Sushi. I always love going to some place new. Life's too short not to try new things?

Ah that's about the food. I'm not much of a food blogger. But those pictures look to good to be wasted in my collection only. Here's the people:

More photos

Jame's injured

Announcement

James is injured! And it's all my fault! bohoo.... Poor poor James

Heart ache heart ache..

Take the Stage

Aspirers had our talent time where the youth took over the stage. There were some really interesting impersonation, new found "talents", awkward moments, dancing cups, and even thunderous applauses. *clap clap*

I'm quite proud of the effort some of them put in and the talents we are seeing. To me it is more than being able to play the guitar or act or anything like that. It is the courage to stand before a crowd and fight our own fears, it is understanding personal responsibility in doing something you promised, it is thinking our of the box of how things are normally seen, it is learning to work with one another despite their differences and circumstances. Sometimes I wish I can explain that to parents. It's not really all about what you accomplish or achieve but what happens in you and through you.

Since I can't upload the video for the entire event here (with each session spanning more than 5minutes) I only upload partial of my sisters' group's presentation here (call my bias but this IS my blog). The final winners will be announced this Saturday in Aspirers and will be invited to present during our Aspirers 25th Anniversary.

New Stuff

I got a new watch. Cost me just about how much I was willing to pay for a watch. Everything else is more expensive. But for that price, perhaps it IS too simple. I guess it was for the brand.

Agape on GoogleMap

Andrew had a spur of... something... for Agape and the website he abandoned and decided to put us on the Map!
Btw, cousin, someone suggested that you put BOTH versions of the map on the website so people can have an alternative.



So now lil' ol' Agape in lil' ol' Seremban on google map for all to see! Like wow. What an "honour" to be noted on satellite by the world.

Cooking

Lately I've decided that I wanted to learn how to cook. And for that it takes practice. So I started experimenting with my parents. I had the help of my maid to chop and dice and fry and even to ask for opinions. I wanted to try everything from chinese dishes, western, even local delicacies, and other countries. I'm willing to try. So far I've cooked (without pictures):

• mac and cheese
• bak kut teh
• mash potato salad (good)
  
• fish fillet
• vegetable broth (good)

This week (the date stated on this blog) I cooked something slightly different. .It would have been difficult to make it from scratched so I got the packet stuff:

But I'm not into pastry or baking. However, I went over to Su-Ann's the other day to learn a few cheese baked stuff. I was late and eventually only helped stir for the macaroni and cheese bake. So technically I did not contribute that much. But though Su-Ann was not happy with the results, I thought it was good. My family thougth it was good too.

Ah but the cheese bake potato was awesome. I could eat the whole plate.

Strength

The left picture is a cooking herb called 'sage'. It's symbolic of strength.

What does it mean to be strong?

Lifting heavy objects
Not crying
Braving the physical pain
Going beyond emotional scars
Standing up to defend the weak
Turning the other cheek

There are so many definitions and view of strength in a person. Some say turning the other cheek are for the weak but it really takes strength to do so - to hold your anger. So its all about the perspective.

But do we recognize it when we see it? Is there really a reason we need to be strong? A lot of women are expected to be strong in the face of their work/home/family. Stories and poem were erected in honour of women who were a pillar of strength. And I've always admired such strength. Still do.

What is it about strength that encourages people, keeps a family together, moves a crowd, bring people through tough times, inspires and draws hearts... What is it really about strength that people honour? Perhaps it is simply that. Strength like that is rarely found, barely inherited, seldom passed on, scarcely exhibited. A strength like that is not human. Only with God... only with Him...

Social Networks

"Sites like Facebook and MySpace need to find more useful applications if they intend to remain relevant and popular."
- "Interest in Social Networks Waning" (under Features section of InTech, The Star 8th April 2008)

And I agree!

Personally I've been tired of all the "cute" irrelevant functions and begun leaving my virtual networks on maintenance mode. I knew I'd bore sooner or later. If only there are functions I could actually use - then it will really take over my life. LOL! Oh no!

The article starts off by talking about the success of virtual networks whose networks are in the millions or more. I forget the actual figure presented to me only a few weeks ago. Please advise if you know. And truly, it's so widespread that who-lah doesn't have an account.... Okay, I actually DO know a few who refuse to be sucked into the trend and remain anti it.

Virtual social networks are the things of today. It has its benefits and problems as well, like everything else ever made. It was through these social networks that I "found" back friends long gone. And I guess in a way, you feel like you're still "connected" to that person some how. But today's generation who depend on these social network to expand their network and build their friendships are missing the authentic relationship that you can have by really being with a person - the joys and the pains built into a support group that really pulls a person together, especially in those dark days when you need it most. COMMUNITY! Though nothing is perfect, we need to learn to balance our life, taking the good and ridding the bad. Or rather learning from the bad.

So did I just promote Facebook or discredit it? Uh... hmm...

typo findings

Michelle told me that she accidentally typed my blog address wrongly (1 letter short) and ended up here.

LOL!

Why would he use this add name i wonder? Maybe it stands for something else.

How Great Is Our God

Yesterday in Aspirers, we viewed yet another collaborative tour by Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio, called "How great is our God". This is the second part following the "Indescribable" tour. For those of you has watched the first part will identify with me that the second connecting part must be just as awesome. And it was. I had tears in my eyes and goosebumps on my hands. And I wasn't alone on that.

But what struck me most and rendered me almost speechless (or rather choked with emotions) was that the God that created all those huge ferocious, indescribable stars in the far galaxies, even marked it with a cross and watches earth from above and beyond.......

Left picture:
Whirlpool galaxy, also known as the Darling of Astronomy

Right picture:
At the core of the galaxy is a black hole, which the Hubble telescope has photographed - a cross that stares straight down on earth.




......is the same God that made each human uniquely different never to repeat in history of mankind, and is the very key that holds us together, marked by an adhesion protein molecule called "laminin".



The picture you're seeing on the right is a diagram of laminin. There are many little laminins in our body, whose primary job function is to hold our cells together and tell the other organs in our body what needs to be done and so on.
Isn't it amazing to note that He marked us in our cells to tell us that we are HIS and that He is in control. He's holding us together even during the times that we think we cannot handle it anymore.

"He (Christ) is before all things, and in Him all things hold together"
Colossians 1:17

Read more here: Larissa

- How Great Is Our God, Chris Tomlin

The splendor of a King,
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice,
All the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in light,
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at his voice,
And trembles at his voice

How great is our God,
sing with me
How great is our God,
and all who sing
How great, How great
Is our God

Age to age he stands
And time is in His Hands
Beginning and the End,
Beginning and the End
The Godhead, Three in one
Father, Spirit, Son
The Lion and the Lamb,
The Lion and the Lamb

Name above all names
You are Worthy of all praise
and My heart will sing
How great Is our God

an old reunion

When I really think about it, these are probably the oldest friends that I've got. One that are still friends, that is. (excluding the fact that leonard doesn't really keep in touch despite modern technology. LOL)

Over this last week, the twins came back to Seremban on family business but we got to meet up again. It has been too long. So we took the opportunity to rebuild old bonds and find that we really haven't lost it. Without having to go into details about what happened those nights out (like some sort of a boring diary), I was really thrilled to find something I thought I lost. And I haven't thought about how to describe that yet. Or what that means to me... yet.



Some things are too precious to loose. And it's amazing how time doesn't wreck some things. Despite what others might say. I guess it's really about the bonds you created - how you created it, what the foundation was, and stuff like that.

I remember being told when the twins first migrated that "friends come and friends go". At that age, at that time, I refused to believe. Refuse to give up. Winne felt the same. And even though so many years has passed, she and valerie more than me, made a whole lot of effort to keep in touch. And it was important. And looking back, I'm glad they did.

Just my sentiments. Pictures

I'm getting just a tad bit sentimental. =)

______________________________________________________________

UPDATED 7th APRIL 2008

The newspaper today told a story of a retired air hostess in search of her long lost siblings. They were separated for 50years and now reaching the end of her life, she yearns to see them again.

What took her so long to realize the importance of bonds?
Why is it that we wait until we are old and lonely that we look for love and community and some sort of connection with people?

We need to realize that life is about people - people we touch and people who touch us along the way. Cause when we're at the end of our rope, we're gonna think about people - the people we forgot or left behind. So let's not forget people - the one thing that DOES actually matter in life. Let's not wait to be on our dying beds to think about that. It takes a bit of time now and then but it's worth it.

Bird's Nest

For days now my maid has been showing me the various spots in the house compound that birds have built a new nest, eggs have dropped to the ground, a green baby bird was sitting in a nest, or the storm had destroyed yet another nest. I'm beginning to think she's too free or really fascinated with them nests.

Yesterday she showed me an almost too perfectly built nest with a baby bird roosting in it! It was right outside my front door on the "bonsai" plant! It was amazing to see an actual nest so up close.



It was amazing to witness nature in action. How amazing it is that God has created a little sparrow with the ability to built (with straws and leaves) a perfectly shaped nest. A common little sparrow! I mean! It's so beautiful. (better in real life) If you wanna see it you better come quick. I think I'm going to keep this nest even after the babies fly away and the sparrows move away.

How awesome is our Creator
He who made all that is in Heaven
The greatest stars and the tiniest humming birds
Who can compare to the majesty of His work

Nothing escapes His attention or notice
Every need He has prepared in advance
No plan of His can falter or be thwarted
He is worthy of all our praises forever

He sees the tiniest bird that falls
He places the universe in just the right order
Yet it was for us that He gave His life
Our Father who cares for you and me
- written by Anne

"Look at the birds of the air;
they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?"
Matthew 6:26 (NIV)

Attempting Bulemia

Warning: This is a disgusting story that you might not want to read if you are eating or have just eaten.

Just after lunch today, I had a lump of phlegm and a terribly dry itch in my throat. I could not stop coughing. So in the privacy of the toilet I figured I could cough till it comes out.

Instead my entire lunch came out. Partially digested. Scorching through my esophagus. Covering the sink and toilet bowl. The smell only caused me to throw up more. I had rice and minced meat and cauliflower and taiwanese sausage. Cost me RM4. *cis*

Of course I did not take a picture
Would you have wanted to see a picture of vomit?

Anyway, I had to clean up the office with water tissue and un-stuff the toilet sink with my bare hands. Yuck. Mind over matter. Mind over matter! Don't THINK about it!!! Ugh....

Ok enough said...