Who took them

I'd like to find the goon who lost / wiped out the photos in the CF Card. Hmph! My lovely photos are missing, somewhere in school and I hope Jo and I find them tomorrow. Photoshoot, photoshoot, photoshoot.

Today Is The Day

I keep putting Lincoln Brewster on repeat because he plays amazing guitar riffs which are reminiscent of Stevie Vaughn / Dream Theater.. and he just proves people who say Christian music is substandard wrong! I mean, check out the musicality in the album, it's mindblowing. In his new album, he even delves into jazz, blues and the like. My favourite song off any of his albums will still be Love The Lord, which is great for congregational worship. I wish they played it at MegaLife :)

Today I took my last Higher Chinese mock exam, which is also technically my last paper in IP sitting in a freezing lecture theatre, bundled up in my blue woollen Nike jacket. Attended a pretty amusing PSL inaugration ceremony, where the IP1s parodied certain people.

Then, headed to my weekly gym where I did Cardio finally (cycling)! And weights. My quadriceps are super power! I can press 60 reps of 253 pounds (114kg) x 3 sets. Hahahaha. I ate at Long John's later as I was starving. Combo one, two piece chicken with fries and crumbs! The worst thing was, when I got home I had to eat a second dinner consisting of rice, egg with prawn inside, tofu, vegetables, fish and wintermelon soup, with what else but wintermelon inside! I almost died but I managed to complete it. I am so thankful for my amazing metabolic rate.

I have just realised today that I've signed up for an immensively boring sounding Management and Leadership workshop for CCA leaders in school, which will take up two of my days in the Holidays. It has a high propensity of being lame, but I'll go with the flow and take the plunge. Hopefully, I'll get to know new friends and people then!

I've been getting a lot of education about Europe lately, about the EU and its dark side. Did you know that in Ukraine, they arrest people who are discovered to have AIDS? And you always think, AIDS = Africa, but there's actually an AIDS Epidemic in Ukraine. I've heard that there is practically no borders in the EU, no officers but just Information signboards like "Welcome to Germany State", but borders between EU and non-EU countries are tightly controlled with guard dogs and stuff. I love knowing about the world. My ToyVoyager is coming soon - Tiggy will be arriving next Wednesday if all goes well. And tomorrow I'll be posting Joshy's letter, I love that boy :) Will be meeting the FISHHHHH for cell planning as well as getting contact lens!

I think I'm going to move over to the Arts Faculty when I enter University. Science is a temporary holding ground for me now. International Studies, Political Science and Psychology look really tempting now.

Byebye Pandora's Box

In an unrelated thing to the previous post, I just read through a scary Pandora's box filled with many negative emotions. I'm so glad I've put the past behind me. I wonder if you have. I'm so glad, that I'm me. I'm happy & not lying about it :) A kid back then, I've grown up now. I'm different.

You can't go forcing something
If it's just not right

-
Within this week, I'm going to send some love to Joshy in Perth and Amanda in USA :) Good ol' snail mail.

3 years

I wonder whether dead people actually look down from heaven to look at those on Earth. Because I've always held this train of thought that they don't, that they're happy up there where they are, worshipping the Most High King. Which is why I don't believe in "talking" to those who have departed, but only remembering them.

ILM

Tiggy

Yay yay Tiggy's on his way here to Singapore from the Czech republic! :) Where he is going to spend a week with me, go off to some place elsewhere in the world to 4 other hosts then back to Czech republic. Basically, I'm going to bring Tiggy around with me to various places around Singapore, and write about his experiences. To read more, click here

Interesting day

I have a friend who has 7 siblings. I also have a friend who wants to be a paramedic. Matt and I had an interesting French Wall-to-Wall chat today. Ca va? Ca va bien! Spastic, but fun.

Joshy keeps bugging me to go visit him in Perth, something which I've wanted to do since years ago back in Primary school (we go way back), but I don't think my mum will allow me to anyway. Me: "What do I tell my mum!?" Joshy: "Maybe something like, a good friend of mine lives over there and wants me to go over for say a week to go sight seeing and experience a new world, new ways of life and all up have fun"

Ah, it's refreshing to talk to my buddies :) They make me happy! Especially Joshy who's always a bundle of sunshine.

A Thought

Don't miss the forest for the trees. Or a tree for that matter.

Nights in rodanthe

I realised today that I'm a sucker for romantic movies, though not to the extent of sobbing away in dark cinema theatres or grabbing the person sitting next to me. Watched Nights in rodanthe today, and I have to say it's pretty good. At least to me. Slam me if you want! :) It's a tearjerker in a sense, with all the tension and grief towards the end, but yet saccharinely sweet at parts. Nicholas Sparks writes such sad novels - where's the fairytale endings? There's a lot of themes interwoven into the movie: how to grapple with pain, the power of "I am sorry", love and loss, identity and there's the ever-charming Richard Gere. The only downside to the movie was that it involved too many kissing scenes that I'd rather not watch.

Hahahaha I like romance movies. But still, The Dark Knight is the best anyday. And I've a rekindled love for TAR - The Amazing Race, as well as a new found love for Grey's Anatomy thanks to Eduardo's persistence.

I'm learning (or at least attempting to) French at the moment, and I wonder why they have femine nouns. But it's all good fun!

The Power Of Your Name

I listened to this song about one week ago, when I bought Lincoln Brewster's new album, Today Is The Day at Trumpet Praise. A few minutes, and each word and stanza in this song means something. This song packs so much depth in it, and it is really my heart's cry. Because surely, God loves us. And that's nothing but the life-changing truth :) Not half-truths, but absolute truth, grounded in the word. I'm sure this is the heartbeat of God

Surely children weren't made for the streets
And fathers were not made to leave
Surely this isn't how it should be
Let Your Kingdom come
Surely nations were not made for war
Or the broken meant to be ignored
Surely this just can't be what You saw
Let Your Kingdom come
Here in my heart

I will live
To carry your compassion
To love a world that's broken
To be Your hands and feet
I will give
With the life that I'd been given
And go beyond religion
To see the world be changed
By the power of Your Name

Surely life wasn't made to regret
And the lost were not made to forget
Surely faith without action is dead
Let Your Kingdom come
Lord break this heart

I will live
To carry your compassion
To love a world that's broken
To be Your hands and feet
I will give
With the life that I'd been given
And go beyond religion
To see the world be changed
By the power of Your Name

Your Name
Is a shelter for the hurting
Jesus Your Name
Is a refuge for the weak
Only Your Name
Can redeem the undeserving
Jesus Your Name
Holds everything I need

I will live
To carry your compassion
To love a world that's broken
To be Your hands and feet
I will give
With the life that I'd been given
And go beyond religion
To see the world be changed
By the power of Your Name

Lincoln Brewster (Feat. Darlene Zschech) - The Power of Your Name

This December, My Hope Singapore, Orang Asli, here I come.

-

I'm done with the Biennale visits! Today Karen came up to me and told me she saw the Ma.s S.elamat sticker at the City Hall art installation that we pasted, so coooool.

The Elusive A1

Bwahaha finally the elusive A1 has arrived. With my 40/50 History Essay. And 18.5/25 Geography Paper. Suprisingly, even though I'm not an Arts student, I'm doing exceptionally well for it. I could have done better for Language Arts though, lost 5 marks because of reading a question wrongly. Otherwise, my essay was a satisfactory 36/50.

The other subjects aren't really worth mentioning but I failed math by two marks again, and that's going to cost me $1000. I'm dead.

Went to Sentosa with the crew after school today, where they made me cycle even though I was rather reluctant to at first but after awhile, I realised Sentosa's flat paved roads are much less daunting than Ubin's by about 10 times - they even warn you at the steep slopes! Went swimming at the beach later. I love my crew even though they always bully me :)

With All Your Heart

More dismal results, a string of Cs and a B, but hey, I haven't failed anything yet. Just got to work harder next year. And I really mean it!

Gym today and ribeye steak at Phin's. Which wasn't even very good. I still prefer Prive's Tenderloin, anyday. Not like I can afford it though. Ahhhh USDA Prime!

Anyway I had the best laugh in a long, long time today :)

3 years soon

Wah, a phonecall just reminded me that almost three years have passed..

Everlasting

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades

Because You are true in and out of season.

--
On a side note, received dismal results for Physics. Not really affected by it now (yet). I went to Parkway buy the new Lincoln Brewster album, Today Is The Day that was released about two weeks back. I also finally have a new phone to replace my spoilt-in-many-ways Nokia 6233. Goodbye Nokia, Hello Sony.

Gym tomorrow sounds really, really good. Oh and I had a late night run on one of the weekend nights - how does 1AM sound?

To read about Dory and I's adventures, go to Dory's blog : www.dorykhoo.blogspot.com . We did stuff like rockclimbing, taking buses to nowhere and other silly things.

You'll Come

As surely as the sun will rise
You'll come to us
Certain as Your word endures

Let go, and let God

Hear the angels
Shout His anthem
Ever living
God we adore You
That song is on repeat in my brain.

I just realised that my life is complicated. But then again, isn't everyone's? Woweeee, I'm going to work it through somehow. I still remember there was once in Lower Secondary when I started drawing a mindmap of my life in the middle of the night..freaky. And it was a page long. If I were to do the same thing now, there'd be so many more linkages, so many more things that I've done. So many more friendships forged, responsibilities gained.

But life is like that - every day you draw something new on the canvas of your life. Whether it's something dark, bright, vivid, dull, cheerful or bleak, you draw something. Be it a line where you move from point to point, or a new circle of friends, or maybe a box which you can't seem to overcome.

And some things in the past, you just can't erase.. or can you? I still remember I once blogged that no one is perfect, and that's why pencils have erasers. To remove the junk and dirt that's left behind.

I remember the illustration a respected man of God once used. Something about watching a bad movie. If you watch a bad movie, would you want to pay money to sit down, grab popcorn and watch it again? No! You don't! So why is it that so many people keep playing back to the parts where they have been hurt, and watch it again and again? (And hurt even more?) I've learnt that somewhere along the journey of life, and I now know much better than to do that. (Which is why I'm mostly happy!) But to any of you who is still doing this, I encourage you not to. Let go.

If I'd have to share one of the most important lesson I've learnt this year - it is that forgiveness sets people free, and truly indeed :)

I am sort of thankful for the way I've turned out, though I'm not the best person I want to be, at least I'm not superficial, and doing nothing but raving about the hottest actor/footballer/singer/dancer on the goggle box, giggling about guys, dreaming about Ferragamo shoes or being addicted to certain television shows. All these amount to spending time chasing after emptiness.

The outdoors, music, sports, travel and good friends suits me fine, thanks. As well as the best place to be on a Saturday afternoon - MegaLife. As always, the ever living God.

The universe is at Your feet, Gives You praise evermore

Inv!gorate's on again. I surprised myself today by participating in Captain's Ball. Which means my leg's almost healed. My only concern is something / someone ripping off my scab, as my bag did to my right elbow on Saturday. We're making good progress. I think the team's cool, and so are the juniors.

I had to attend a skincare talk by Shi.seido today after school, which was pretty amusing and not as lame as I thought it would have been.

Anyway, since someone fell asleep and didn't call me last night, I watched Home Alone 4 : Taking Back The House until about 1:30am in the morning. Home Alone is such a feel good movie - I've watched all four and still get entertained by them. Then I started thinking about things. Happy things, unhappy things, things I love & things I miss, then putting "I Adore" on repeat and falling asleep to that.

It's amazing how I manage to enjoy so many happy days now. Something which I had less of in the past - and I think a lot of happiness boils down to mentality, really. Happiness is being content with what you have, and thankful for the world you've been placed in. Hey, why not think about it this way: The fact that you're reading my blog means you're hooked up to the World Wide Web, which is a luxury. Because somewhere across the globe, someone your age is fighting, struggling just to stay alive.

Yes, I've lost things, I've lost people dear to me. But I'm still alive and kicking. I am thankful. I am content. I am happy.

I want to go on more urban expeditions, and also those off the beaten track. Yay the presumed golden friend, you game? (start with Kayaking this week!) Then the one day Explore Suburban Singapore tour. Kusu, St.John's, Pengarang islands too.

And the unglam fish is coming over to stay over this Thursday, and I'm thinking of mad things to do already. Yay unglam fishy I love you. And when the chaoda finishes her exams, we three can go and catch the stupid movies that you two wanna watch.

Tag replies:
Alisa: Hey Aliiiiii :) All the best for your O Levels (I'm so glad I don't have to die taking it)
Enan: Feeling Fab's supposed to make you feel fabulous. Apparently not, in your case?
Audrey: I've put all the pictures of our partial trackwalk in the sharing folders!
Sarah: Nope! I saw your blog, you lucky girl.
Tingke: Blogshop? Cool.
Abel: Eternity and Infinity are forever. Haha thanks for the concern. Anyway, I think you best described why I don't really feel like going for prom. Yeah, instead of being stuck in a stuffy S.wiss.otel ballroom, I'd rather be somewhere in the wild, trekking and somewhat.
Chai: How'd you spend 8 bucks on a dress, that's rock bottom cheap! Thank you for convicing me into not plucking at my scabs.
Cheryl: Find out yourself, or ask me online :) It's an IP thing. (reffering to prom)

--
By the way, I have decided that certain things must come to an end. And I'm serious about it. Grins.

落花有意，流水无情

Sometimes, some people just don't get the meaning of
落花有意，流水无情.
--
On a seperate note, everyone seems to be shopping for Prom dresses, but here I am, not even budging from my house. I don't know, I'm just not that excited for prom.. the idea of shelling more than a hundred bucks on a dress freaks me out. And! A dress! My goodness! It also doesn't help that my whole body's covered with (healing) wounds now (not like I really bother, but.) It hurts to walk for extended periods of time because my left knee can't extend properly. Wow, what a rant.

Anyway, it's been almost two years in VJ and Open House is tomorrow. I love my school.
--
I'm one step closer to tracking down my hot French guy. He's from a French TV station called TF1 and his name is Peter.

My gosh, I still haven't gotten over the F1 thing, especially when I saw Alik's PITWALK! I should have thought of that :P He's a genius! (And whoa, I met Murray Walker last Thursday, my goodness.)

..Neverending..

I don't want to waste my time away just like that, I've got to do something substantial, something of worth. Now, I'm living, eating, breathing Chinese. Apart from that, I have work (which is yet to come) at H.y.at.t Hotel, P6 Cell and Missions. I don't know why, I'm shying away from certain tasks at hand which are just so boring and mundane that I don't feel like doing - it's my procrastination habit.

I love my quality time with my treasured, loved, and special friends ever the past three weeks. Simple joys of going out, walking around town, trekking at the Southern ridges, cycling and then falling down. Heart - to - heart life sharing on the phone. All these matter. Because these people matter to me :) And there's so many times I want to say I really do love you all.

To anyone who's feeling the crunch of exam stress upon you, chin up, and do your best. Hang in there, it'll be over soon. And to those who have things on their mind, keep trusting, keep loving and believe that someday, it's going to work out for you :)

I love everyone yayyyyy.

Anyway, a nice story - A Cab ride

Janel The Traveller

When I grow up, I'm going to travel the world, and explore every nook and cranny I can get to. The whole idea of globe-trotting enthralls me. I've always been a traveller, it's in my blood. As of now, I've been to Australia, Canada, United States, Switzerland,​ China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Dubai.

I know exactly how I'm going to do it - the way that my family and I have been doing all along. Budget travelling. I think travelling that way is so much more meaningful. Staying at the backpacker's hostel in Switzerland, I really loved the camaraderie and playful banter between the travellers, even in the small and cramped kitchen. Also, interacting with the locals is a far more insightful thing than just hearing the scripted lines of the tour guide. Sure, some might know a lot, but nothing beats walking through the streets with locals, or even taking a ride in their cars (which was what we did in Switzerland too). Budget travelling beats being cooped up behind the fancy glass balconies of 5-star hotels, sipping champagne, and feeling that the travel is ethereal. Because it is not if you do it that way. I say, to experience culture is to live in the heart of it,where it is tangible and real. The living in hotel bit, you could always do it at home.

I still remember how I grocery shopped in Switzerland and Dubai (and cooked for my roommates).

Hahaha my future husband better be a traveller, or I'll just go myself.

Before I die, I'm going to visit

One World Cup
One Olympics
One Grand Prix (apart from the Marina Bay circuit)
Alaska
The Bahamas
The Nazcan ruins
Every continent (Antarctica will be a plus)