Interesting Argument

Here's another forwarded email Hun sent to me....pretty interesting argument. I wonder if this is a real account? Cos if it is, it's really wisdom from above to be able to give such a good arguement on the spot! Whatever it is, enjoy!

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty. He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.
Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?

(Student is silent.)

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fellow. Is God good?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...God...
Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.
Prof: So who created evil?

Student does not answer.

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Prof: So, who created them?

Student has no answer.

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.
Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes. Student: No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absenceof it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it sir... The link between man & God is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

Cookie made cookies!

Haha....suddenly decided to test and see if the new toaster in my home can make cookies since it has a control which allows me to turn on the top or bottom heating coil or both.

Here's the end results!


I think it came out pretty well...mom and bro both said it was nice.

Personally, found it a little too soft and sweet...but it hardens up when it's refrigerated :) But the happy thing is that now I know the toaster CAN bake things! Just that I'll have to watch the time very carefully and bake at smaller time intervals in case the temperature gets too high and my things get burnt!

Here's the recipe:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar (I think you can reduce the amount by half if you don't want it so sweet)
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
(what's the difference?! I dunno...so I used 1 teaspoon of double action baking powder instead)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (can replace with the baking M&Ms)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light. Add the egg and mix until fluffy.
Blend the flour, baking powder, soda and salt together well.
Add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the chocolate chips.
Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375°
NB: If you're using a toasted oven like me, likely you'll not be able to control the temperature. Instead you can try to shorten the baking time to 3-5 mins, baking in intervals until they turn brown.

Accomplishment :) next up...muffins perhaps?

Have a cuppa...

Here's something Hun sent me which I thought is quite nice to post. A meaningful life lesson using coffee as an analogy...

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together tovisit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned intocomplaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee,the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal,plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:"If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up,leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself, adds no quality tothe coffee in most cases, in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... and then began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee, and the jobs, money and positionin society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life,and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality ofLife we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail toenjoy the coffee God has provided us.

..........enjoy your coffee.

Appreciating the little joys in life....

1. God meeting my little-lest needs
I woke up late today and was in a rush in order not to be late for work. As a result, I didn't have time to buy fresh milk to go with my cereals. When I reached office, I was just telling myself to have milo for breakfast will do. When I was washing my cups and pot at the pantry area, I saw my colleague cutting a loaf of bread which she bought yesterday and offer me some. Thank God for providing breakfast!!

This wasn't the first time God has in his own way provided me with food when I did not have. Thank God for looking out for me in small ways like these, and in providing for my needs even when I myself do not feel that I need it. God loves in big and small ways indeed!


2. Being able to buy the things that I like!
As mentioned in my previous post, I bought quite a number of new things over the weekend...here are some of my 'spoils':


3 new pairs of shoes at only $25!


Iora blouse for $15 & skirt for $23!


3. Wearing my own hand-made accessories


Made this 3-strand beads necklace on sunday :)


3. Watching Fusuke fall asleep...ZzzZzz...



My ever-sleepy furball....so sweet :D

Shopping Spree!

Last weekend was shopping spree weekend!

Iora was having a roadshow at Tiong Bahru Plaza so I went to have a look...ended up buying a black blouse for $15 and pink skirt for $23. I thought it was a good bargain cos I looked through almost everything they have there...and I really felt that compared to the rest, these 2 are really worth the price and it's something I like to wear. Plus I needed more office wear anyway...haha....

Next, I went to the Face Shop and bought a pore minimizer essence at $32.90. It was also something that I've been wanting to get since I felt that my skin wasn't as nice as last time...*sobsob*...kept complaining to my colleagues and Hun that my skin is aging liao...now I know that what they say is true....women start to age at 25 onwards. Really...I mean I really felt a big difference in my skin 5 years ago and now. Now it seems to take a longer time regain it's smoothness and healthy colour. Whereas when I was still schooling, without taking much care of my skin, it still looks good! I feel like I'm losing my youth!! So now is the time for remedy! Hopefully by the time of my wedding I will really look my best :) For the moment, must remind myself to stay stress-free and happy...and get enough beauty sleep! No more going to bed past midnight!!

Ok....I've deviated...haha.....back to shopping. Last Saturday, I went to IMM with mom after dinner...Hun had a road show there and I wanted to spring him a surprise. But he was too clever lah...he knew I was going. When we reached IMM, we went to Heart to Heart and mom saw a ring that she liked very much. I will be getting her that as a Christmas gift. Then we passed by a Kiosk that sells earrings and I bought 3 pairs of earrings for $5. AFter that, we went to Poh Heng and mom saw a pearl pendent and earrings that she liked very much and was seriously considering buying. So we asked abt the cost and everything...Again, like my Destinee pendant and earrings, she asked us to pay by credit card 0% interest instalment and she'll give us the cash. We didn't buy it then as the shop was closing, but we did ask the guy to reserve the set for us and we'll go back on sunday to get it. After that, we had a quick cup of coffee before we parted our ways with Hun. On the way to the bus stop, we passed by this kiosk selling streetwear and shoes. Their shoes were on sale and going for $9.90 a pair and $16.90 for 2 pairs!! I saw 2 pairs that I liked and mom saw 1...when she couldn't find a second pair she liked, I got to choose my third pair! In the end, I chose a pair or white, a pair of black (same design as the white) and a pair of green heels. Mom got a pair of brown heels which was the same design as my green ones.

Then on sunday, we went back to IMM to get the jewellery from Poh Heng. As we were waiting for Hun to end his road show, we went to DMK to find my wedding shoes. And indeed I found them!! I bought a pair of white shiny heels with covered heel and slightly open-toe to match my wedding gowns. And I bought a pair of golden strapped heels to match my evening gowns :) The white one was $39.90 while the gold one costs $49.90. We also finally purchased my mom's pearl jewellery and she was so happy she could find something she liked that she can wear for my wedding :) After that we went Heart to Heart to look at her ring again, but we can't find it. THe salesgirl said the ring did not have her size....strange...mom just tried it on saturday! But anyway...mom was a little disappointed, but she rationalized that her ring would be quite easy to find :) Maybe I would tell her a bigger budget so she can choose something nicer! Afterall, I'm getting my bonus....hopefully!

It has really been a "bountiful" weekend...ha!

1. Iora Blouse ($15) & Skirt ($23) : $38
2. The Face Shop Pore Minimizer Essence: $32.90
3. 3 Pairs of earrings: $5
4. 4 new pairs of shoes: $33.80
5. 2 pairs of shoes for my wedding: $89.80

A total of 12 items.....All for a little less than $200!! When I would probably have to spend this amount if I were to custom make a pair of shoes for my wedding....Thank God for a fruitful weekend!

Too tired...

It must have been lack of sleep for the past one week...feeling tension in my head at my temples and in between my eyes :( the worst thing is that whenever I get headaches like these....sleeping doesn't help much...cos I can't sleep well in the first place.

God help me through the day!!

God's Promise for 2007 for first-borns

Another prohpetic word by Patricia King. Many first borns are going to be visited supernaturally by God. For those who believe in prophecies, lay hold of this promise for yourselves or your children! For those who may not be into these things, no harm keeping a look out and see if u hear of anyone who's been visit by God and his heavenly hosts.

I'm gonna lay hold of this and pray for God to visit me...I'm a first born too! :D

Eating at my office

We all need little things around our workstations that will cheer us up amidst all the stress at work. Here's a corner of my work station which I've dedicated to all the yummies!

Ta da!! my breakfast this morning...heeheee...healthy cornflakes and milk. Me dun like milk, but need to drink for calcium...the solution? Chocolate milk!

Team Hoyt part 2

Here's another video on Team Hoyt. With interviews with Dick and Rick. As nice as the first one :) Enjoy!

God works in small little ways too

Had initially planned to go for a facial treatment yesterday after work. Went to Tiong Bahru Plaza during lunch to check out the packages and prices....found a good deal at this place called HeartSprings Spa which offers an introductory price for the facial for only $28 for first-timers.

Ends up that my colleagues wanted to go as well and the 3 of us are planning to go together after work coming monday...yeah! But just as well, I received an sms from my mom informing that my granduncle who has been in coma for the past 2 weeks or so have passed away the same morning. So my family will be going down to the wake at night but probably only my dad will go down for the rest of the nights.

She said to leave the decision to me whether or not to go. But the wake is just a walking distance from my home...and it's my father's immediate uncle...not right not to go. So I asked Hun along too since he was the prospective grandnephew-in-law...good thing we did. Met my parents along the way there and ended up having dinner with them...my dad's treat! haha....

In retrospect, think that it was really God's divine planning for me to change my facial plans and be a good girl to go for the wake, and asking Hun along too. I think the little choice to obey pleases Him and my earthly parents too...and is a good testimony to my un-saved relatives. Thank God for His little nudges!

Team Hoyt

Hun sent me this video which was sent him by his colleagues. Have been meaning to watch it since last friday by apparently Youtube was having a scheduled downtime so I couldn't access the video.

When I finally got to watch it, it really touched my heart. Especially when I'm working with the physically disabled people now...this is really an inspiration and once again opened my eyes the see the dedication of many care-givers out there. No, they may not have participated in marathons and triathalons, but they have dedicated their time, service and commitments to their loved ones.

Enjoy the video!

For more information on Team Hoyt, visit their website: www.teamhoyt.com

Counting down to CLOWN musical

Was looking at my schedule for the CLOWN musical...will be stuck in VT from 12nn till 11pm almost everyday for the week during the musical. Feeling abit of the stress oredi...5 more combined rehearsals at Trueway, 3 tech runs at and 2 full dress at VT...must polish and perfect my chords really quick!!

The pay-off is of course the experience and the fact that I get to play on a Steinway & Sons grand!! Probably the only time in my life that I would get to do that...and this may be the only time I'll be involved in a musical as part of the band. But then again...if another opportunity comes, I may decide to get involved again! After all, music is one of my greater passions in life. I've always dreamed of being part of the musical as one of the actors...but guess up till now, I don't have the courage to go for the auditions...the thought of acting and memorizing the lines is enough to freak me out!

But joining the CLOWN as a musician was a step of faith. I had initially wanted to join the choir...which I feel was the safest for me...cos there's comfort in numbers. But decided to push my limits a little and audition for the band instead. I must say the whole learning experience as been great. Learn a few things about playing as a band, and a whole lot of new chords!

Overall, the experience is great! And I'm enjoying it more and more as the performances approaches. I have no regrets being part of this musical...except that I have neglected my dear Hun ever since all my saturday evenings were taken up by the rehearsals since October...But still I appreciate your encouragements and support since the day I went for the auditions :)

"I want bread now!"

My little darling simply loves bread...to the extend he's learn to talk to express his love for it. Whenever you ask him "Fusuke, you want bread?", he'll reply with a slow motion "Now!". Check it out!

Gemstones from Heaven

Just got the permission from the originator's website to post this video up...but sadly, the clip is too long and YouTube does not allow any clips more than 10 minutes. So will just put the link here for those who are interested to take a look at it.

This video is about an elderly couple who had visitations from angels who brought them gemstones from heaven. Here are the pictures of some of the gemstones that he was given.



(See more supernatural pictures)

In the video clip, Patricia King, a minister of God explains the authenticity of this sign and wonder. She tries to answer the question of some viewers who raised the caution that this might all be a hoax. There is also a segment where they interviewed the elderly man who received the gemstones and right during the interview, another gemstone appear!

Are you ready? Do you believe in the awesome signs and wonders of God? Enjoy!

For hi-speed connections, click HERE.
For dial-up connection, click HERE.

For video teachings of other supernatural signs and wonders, visit the Extreme Prophetic website.

"hoon-kee" tea...yucks

Bought tea leaves from NTUC yesterday and made the first brew this morning...it smelled so burnt and smells like cigarettes!! yucks!! And it's supposed to be Zhejiang LongJing tea...yucky :( Think i'm gonna invest in some better quality tea...cannot buy packaged tea leaves from NTUC anymore *bleh*

Fusuke's 30 seconds of Fame!

Fusuke's debut movie!

Instant Green Tea

Wanted to buy some tea to drink in office...so went to the provision shop nearby my office to buy before going to work today. And this was what I got...

Was quite shocked to see that it instead of tea bag, it comes in powder form...den after making a cup of it, I realised that its the sweet kind...tastes like Yeo's packet drinks...sweet one somemore...and it's $3.50 for 10 sachets, means it's like $0.35 cents per sachet!

Still it doesn't taste too bad lah...would taste quite nice if cold actually...but I think I still prefer making tea from tea leaves or at least tea bags...think lunch time will go and buy tea again.

Another case of money wrongly invested...sigh...

Thriller..the original one

Here's the original MJ Thriller.

Thriller??

Bollywood version of the famous MJ number

Another pair of new earrings!

Made for me by my sweet colleague as a belated birthday present. This is my 3rd pair of earrings for my birthday! Yay!

Kee House

Haha...saw this at Serangoon...The chinese character for "Qi" is exactly the same as my "Qi"! And the best part is that this is a shop that sells all sorts of arts and crafts materials...hmm...maybe next time I should just buy over the shop from them and add a "h" to "Kee"...no need to change sighboard somemore! hahaha...

Autumn

Check it out! The leaves of this tree has turned all red! such a pretty contrast to the rest of the green trees...

I Am Fusuke

I am Fusuke. For the past 2 months, life has been cruel to me :(

My paws were itching so badly that I had to keep biting them to stop the itch. But sadly, I caused them to be badly wounded and infected :(

So Che Che decided to put something on my head. That thing stopped me from biting myself. It was such a torture!! And I had to go through so much pain everynight when Mommy put yucky stuff on my wounds. They hurt so bad...

"Mommy! Please stop!" I screamed each time with tears in my eyes, "How can you bear to hurt me like that?" It was so painful, but the good thing is after each time of torture, Mommy will always give me bread! That's my favourite treat!! I would go through all the pain in the world for yummy bread!

Sigh...At times I wonder when will all these end...when will I ever regain my freedom again?

Each day I look forward to visiting Dreamland again...

Ahh...this is life...doing what I enjoy most and what I'm best at. Life is good after all...See my special spot on Che Che's bed? I am King!

Birthday Celebrations

I had a very happy birthday this year :) On Sunday, my parents treated me to lunch at the Hilltop Restaurant in the Civil Service Club at Bukit Batok after church. After that, Hun & I went karaoke and sang to our hearts content for 5 hours! In the evening, I went to have dinner with Hun's family at the Rong Guang Seafood restaurant along Ulu Pandan.

This year, I received many birthday presents. I got a pair of earrings from my mom, a bottle of perfume from Hun's parents, blusher from Hun and a Bodyshop giftpack from Hun's brother and girlfriend! Also, my colleague gave me a necklace too...I was so surprised to receive the git from her as I totally did not expect it :)

On my birthday,we went to a teahouse called Tea Chapter and enjoyed a simple afternoon of chinese tea, snacks and games :) For dinner, we went to Earle's Swenson's at VivoCity and proceeded to Haagen Daaz for ice cream :)

I ate so much during this year's birthday! But this birthday is especially memorable for me cos it's my last birthday before I get married...and I'm glad that my parents could celebrate it for me this time :) Told Hun as we were looking over to Sentose from VivoCity that for next year's birthday, I hope to be able to spend the night over at Sentosa for a simple getaway...hehe...but well, that's still one year to go. Now I gotta crack my brains for Hun's birthday first!

New Earrings!

My new earrings from China...given to me by Hun's mom :)

Sweets!

Fuel to keep awake at work during the afternoon!

Saturday's Home-cooked Lunch

This was Saturday's home-cooked lunch. We made sweet potato porridge and had fried egg with chye poh, braised potatoes and fried mix veg as side dishes...not forgetting the canned pickles too! Delicious!!

4 Weddings and A Funeral

Yup, that's what I have been/will be attending from now till the end of the year...1 funeral service and 1 wedding in Oct, 2 weddings in Oct, and 1 more wedding in December...hmm...

Chocolate Chip Cookie-Ling in Recuperation

I'm plagued by unexplained rashed all over my hands and feet since yesterday :( Feet have been itching for the past few days...but only yesterday did the rash start to appear all over my hands too...not my hands looks worse than my feet!!

seen the doc this morn but he couldn't determine what it was...it was only "probably an allergy". Was given some cream to apply and monitor the situation. So I took leave today from work. Thot that since I was already itching so much....getting into contact with all the dust from outside might make it worse.....

*Took a pic of my hand....but tink it's too awful to post it up here*

I suspected it was HFMD (hand foot mouth disease) but doc didn't say it was so i guess it's not then....anyway Hun said only children gets HFMD...which is not true! It affects children and adults, but children below 5 are much more susceptible to it. Den he concluded it because I act like one...dats why kena....and I told him the germs recognize the wrong person liao....mistaken me for a child! haha.....(okay, we're being mushy here, I know....ppl in love with each other can hold the weirdest conversations sometimes....)

I'm spotted with rashes today...feeling a little down cos my hands are marred, and it's so itchy!! :( Comparing myself to a chocolate chip cookie and taking a break from work is one of the ways i'm comforting myself...

My lunch today

Felt lazy to walk out for lunch today...so bought from my office canteen. Rice with beansprouts, veg, fried fish and steamed egg...only $2.50...hahaha...

Saw my colleague buying lunch oso...he asked me if I cooked so i said sometimes...den he asked me if I cooked at home for my husband, and I told him I'm not yet married. He was quite surprised and said that I looked like I'm a married person...haha...

Do I look like I'm married? I thot I have the I'm-getting-married look...haha...anyway, this was the first time someone commented that about me..hehe...

SuPerstar: The Pop Musical

Went to watch the SP musical last saturday. It was a good show! Considering all amateurs, they really put up a pretty decent show which I felt was enjoyable :)

Perked me up for my own musical at the end of the year...haha...of course mine is not so big scale lah...no big sets or anything. Just a simple 1 hr musical with 8 or so songs. And I won't be in the pit like my bro, I'll be on stage!!

Can't miss me...I'll be sitting beind the Steinway....

Picture of reunion!

Thanks to Enqi, I've got a picture of us at Xing Wang :)

OE Day

Yesterday was my workplace Organization Excellence Day or OE Day for short. It's a time where we showcase our new initiatives as well as all the WITS projects that have been put up by the various departments.

All staff had to wear the organization shirt and it was quite interesting looking at a sea of beige polo tees with blue collar!

Overall, it felt like a big family meeting...and I felt like "wow!"...once again I realised that the place that I'm in now is pretty dynamic! more exciting days ahead to expect!

CardioLatino! and a great reunion after that

Tuesday was an eventful day for me :o)

Went to make a presentation at Central CDC and met up Ling Ling & Annie, had a short but enjoyable catching up with them. It's really so nice to meet up with your classmates after not seeing them, except for during certain social work functions/conferences. Invited them for my wedding next year too :)

As my presentation ended earlier than the time I usually knock off, I finally had a chance to try out the CardioLatino class at Amore! If was so fun!! It was like using using the moves of latin dances to incorporate into an aerobics workout. I thoroughly enjoyed it cos the instructor is also such a fun lady and she really made the whole workout so enjoyable. I had a great time and a good sweat out!

After Amore, I met up with Sze, Enqi (Charlize) & Hui...it's been like a year since I last saw them!! They've grown up...Charlize can drive now!! time really flies. But yet in a way, they are still pretty much them...we had dinner at XingWang at Marina Sq and later proceeded on to Gelares for waffles. Were cracking jokes the whole night and I literally was laughing all the way! haha...Meeting up with them made me realise how much I have missed them...We should do this more often :)

Been lazy to put up pics lately as Hun has been photo-blogging alot. So if u r keen to see pictures, go on to Hun's blog. Or I'm sure Charlize would put some pictures up too....hor? *wink*

Birthday Celebrations

Celebrated Hun's dad's birthday yesterday. Went to Sin Ming Rd for chinese food as they used to live there. Chanced upon the ice cream parlour that my JC classmate set up...Icekimo . Told them that it's opened by my classmate and Hun's eldest bro suggested going there after the dinner since it was just across the street.

We went there and ordered a little surprise for Hun's dad...got a brownie with a candle on it and sang a birthday song for him. Think he was quite happy last night :)

We quite enjoyed ourselves too I guess :) Nice food, good ice-cream and a great time!

See double?

Nope...this is not a mirror image...I have 2 Smoquirs now :) Bought another one at $2 to help raise funds for my company D&D. The client who sold it to me said that tmr i'll start seeing little smoquirs around...haha...if that really happens, then they'll be renamed as Broke-Back Brothers.

Today's lunch

Had lunch at this cafe style eatery called Lai Lai. They serve wanton, dumplings noodles, char siew and roast pork at one counter, and claypot and steamed rice at another counter.

Ordered their 梅菜扣肉饭 which was not that fantistic. It wasn't too bad, but not fantastic either. Just amused that there is this shop tucked away at a little corner of Tiong Bahru Plaza.

Sometimes I wish I had Hun's mobile blogging service...then can blog on the spot. haha!

Eventful weekend

The weekend that just passed has been very eventful.

On Sat, I attended an ex-cell mate's wedding. The dinner was held at Raffles Hotel and the dress code was lounge suits and evening gowns! It was indeed the grandest wedding dinner that I have ever attended. The experience was interesting also because the food was served individually instead of being placed in the centre. And the pace was slow too...on the average, the interval between each dish was 20 - 30 mins. Because of the long waiting time in between dishes, coupled with the small servings each person is given...I ended up feeling hungry the whole evening...haha...

After the first dish, I had already worked up an appetite and all ready for the second dish...but we had to wait 30 mins before that came. By the time, I was so hungry that the small amount could not really satisfy my hunger...left me craving for more food, which also came another 30 minutes later. And this went on for the next few dishes that by the 4th or 5th dish, we were all talking about going for supper after the dinner.

This is the first wedding dinner that I have attended that I was actually looking forward to the noodles dish...usually by then, everyone would be too full to eat the noodles...but for my table, all of us finished our noodles! The dinner ended at about 11:15pm...by then we were all so tired that we called off supper and decided to just go back home instead.

But still, I must say that the service was excellent. They do not top up your sprite or coke...each time you finish your drinks, they give you a new glass. They were also very polite and professional in the way they serve the guests. The food was delicious too...one of the best for wedding dinners I've attended so far. On the whole, I would say it was still a pleasurable experience for me :) Hun took photos of us in our glam wear...u can see it in his blog.

On Sunday, Hun gave me a surprise...He brought me to watch a play staged by The Neccessary Stage titled Fundamentally Happy. It was a play that dealt with pedophilia issues. He was so sweet to plan the surprise...brought me all the way to Marine Parade CC where TNS was and I had no idea we were watching a play until we reached the entrance.

When the show started, we had another "surprise". For the show that we were watching, there was a group of old folks from a home accompanied by their nurses. They were brought here to watch the show for free. One of the old man apparently could not understand english as was quite bored throughout the show that he was making quite abit of noise.

He obviously did not enjoy the show at all and kept making loud comments...like when the actors were quarrelling in the play, he said in hokkien "ke pak, ke pak" which means "go fight! go fight!"; when the actor was packing up because she was moving home in the play, the dear old man said "siu liao, siu liao...balik balik!" meaning "keep already, go back! go back!". He also kept 'reporting' the time at 4pm, 4:05pm, 4:10pm....every 5 minutes...cos apparently it was told to him that the show would end at 4pm.

After the show ended...Hun and I were laughing all the way cos of the old man. We were at a loss about how to feel...while the actors were protraying the mixed emotions of being a child sexual abuse victim and being a child sexual abuser's wife, we the audience were feeling a mixed emotions of whether to laugh or be angry at the old man...after all you can't really blame him...he didn't understand a word they were saying at all.

Still I told Hun that I wouldn't have enjoyed the show any other way...it was quite an interesting and definitely unforgettable experience!! haha...

Guidance from the Lord

God answers prayers in little ways.

I woke up this morning feeling so tired and unwilling to come to work because I had a not so pleasant dream. Prayed to God that He will strengthen me for the work today. Was singing "God is the strength of my heart" in mandarin while I was bathing and declared that "today is the day the G0d as made and I will rejoice and be glad in it!" and "the joy of the Lord will be my strength!".

Positive declarations like that does help in lifting my mood up because I'm making a stand to rejoice in the Lord despite of my weakness and also making a choice to depend on Him to go through the day.

As I was reading the ODB (Our Daily Bread) online, the passages for both yesterday and today spoke to me in a still small way. The first one was about Power that destroys. It talks about God's rule and requirements of a leader...that he has to first be a servant to the people he wants to lead. Jesus came to be our King, but He did so by serving others while He was on earth. So likewise, we should do the same for. Whether we want to be leaders or not, our calling is to be a servant of God that loves His people and serves His creation. This is the way, I feel, to effective be a light to those not yet saved...actions speaks louder than words. This ODB thus encouraged me in the aspect of my profession...that I ought to thank God for giving me a job that gives me so many opportunities to serve those in needs.

When I read the second ODB, it seems to be like a continuation from the first. The second one talks about giving to those in needs. Open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land. —Deuteronomy 15:11 Once again, this was a confirmation and affirmation that I know God is giving me regarding my work as a social worker. God is good...He knows just what I need and He comforts me in my times of need.

Perhaps I have never seen my being a social worker in this light before: that this is one of the ministry that God has planned for me. And He will not leave me alone to do this but will strengthen me. Ironically, I have been the one who did not see His outstretched hands and chose to struggle on my own. I pray that I will continue to rely on His strength to do the work that is laid before me. After all, He did say that His yoke is easy and His burden is light...

New shoes...yay...

Bought a pair of new shoes during lunch break today. The pair I wore to work has soles that are so thin that every step I took was painful. Shopped around all the shoe shops in Tiong Bahru Plaza and couldn't find the one that I wanted.

Strange how when you are looking for something, its so difficult to find..but when you do not intentionally look for it, there it is. Like tha pink shoes that I bought on Tuesday...it looks nice and matches my pink engagement gown which I'm gonna wear for a friend's wedding. That cost me only $11.95 after a 50% discount so I got quite a steal!

Anyway, this pair of wedges are not bad too...$16.50 after a 25% discount. And it looks like what most shoe shops would charge at $39.90 or at least $29.90. Another good buy :)


Top view and side view of my new shoes :)

Thinking about thinking

I think I think too much. Latetly I've been thinking about why I tend to think so much. Maybe I' m just half-asleep...let go down and buy some snacks to keep awake.

Reaping what you sow

It's scary that things like this is becoming more common in Singapore.

A case of under-aged pregnancy which led to tensions between the families of the couple. Quarrels over who should be responsible and who should take care of the baby are happening more frequently. The young couple is also under stressed from their family members...tho I do not know, I believe this is very trying for their relationship.

Sets me thinking...if they have not had sex, they wouldn't be in this situation now. Thinking further, if they had stopped themselves from having sex the first time, then perhaps it would not have led to subsequent ones which ultimately resulted in getting pregnant.

What the Word says is so true...that we reap what we sow...

I have compassion for this young couple...I can only imagine the kind of stress they are going through...whether they ultimately are the ones who bring up the baby or not, this has forced them to grow up sooner than they should. I'm sure they have regretted it...but somethings cannot be reversed.

I'm a believer that humans are capable of certain responsibilities at certain age. For example, in this modern time and age, a young couple below 18 and still studying is definitely NOT ready for parenthood. But yet parental instinct is also natural...so the result is them carrying a responsibility that's way too big for their young shoulders to carry. It's not impossible, but near impossible.

It's already difficult enough to bring up a baby, but to give the baby sufficient love and care, parents have to be physically, emotionally, financially equipped to be prepared for the lifelong responsibility of parenthood. But for this young couple, its really an uphill task. And things are not made easier by their own parents.

But stand on the parent's side and you may get a glimpse of what they are going through. Blaming the guy for impregnating their daughter, but at the same time angry and disappointed with their daughter, yet not daring to be too harsh on her cos she's pregnant and already in distress herself. The guy's parents blame the guy (guys always gets blamed for this first, cos when he's turned on, the organ that is thinking is not his brain), but they know that it take 2 hands to clap. They can't really blame the gal's parents for being upset, but yet they can't help feeling frustrated themselves. The gal, already feeling vulnerable, becomes demanding and possessive, but that's just because she is afraid that the guy would leave her to care for the baby on her own. The guy cracks under pressure and have thoughts of just leaving everything and move on with life. The baby? Before he/she's born, is already feeling the blame and rejection from his family. These are all very real and possible things that the families goes through. And it so difficult.

Only love can help them overcome all these....but no ordinary love...it has got to be a love that's strengthened by God himself. For the parents, it takes an unconditional love to overcome their own frustrations and disappointments to still give love to their children and grandchild; the couple needs to learn how to love beyond infatuation, to love even in bad times, to love enough to care and support even though they are hurting, to love unselfishly. And they need to love each other enough to draw strength to love their little one.

As I'm reflecting, I thank God for my life and the perils He has protected me from. I had a happy childhood in an intact family, I was free from BGR troubles through my teenage years, I have wonderful friends in my late teens/young adult years (of course I fell in love a few times with the wrong ppl ie it was one sided on my part, but it's over now and we're still good friends!). I had often prayed to have a boyfriend and have gotten impatient to be in a relationship cos everyone around me have been in one before!

But I'm glad I waited, or rather God preserved me for the best. Today I'm happily engaged to my Hun, who is also my first and only boyfriend. Though I have waited 23 years to meet him, it was worth the while cos I'm convinced that he is the best that God had prepared for me :)

No, I'm not gloating at other's sufferings, but I do feel thankful for all the things that I have and it becomes even more obvious how blessed when I compare myself with others who are not so fortunate as me.

I do feel alot for the couple and their families...and I pray that God's peace will be with them. Receiving a baby into the world should be a joyful thing...and I pray that they will overcome all their differences and receive that joy! And I pray that the baby will get the love and concern of his family too...Amen!

Frustrations of a Social Worker

Read an article a friend forward to me from the STI...it was talking about upgrading the image and prospects of the social service professionals. Had so much after-thoughts after reading it...Disclaimer: this post may be offensive to some of you who read it. I apologize before hand if it upsets you, but I'm not making any personal attacks. These are purely my thoughts which may be very skewed of course...

Singapore should learn to appreciate social service professionals more man...Singaporeans should learn that profit making businesses are not the only ones that are worth respect...Singaporeans should stop treating social service professionals like second class citizens or volunteers...We are citizens too, we need a good pay to survive oso...stop telling us "it's not about the pay"....stop thinking that if we earn as much as you means that our organization is mis-handling public donations.

If a person is paid as high as $5000 a month for doing things that increase the company's profits ie just about money, what is wrong with paying a social worker $5000 for doing things that adds joy, opportunities, help in times of needs in people's lives??

No...that would be a sin...cos that would mean that the VWO is "mishandling public donations"....in other words, the poor ought to be poor...it's jus their bad luck...people who help the poor should not think about how much they are paid..."be thankful you are even getting a pay"...People in the helping profession is somehow immuned to hunger and financial stress...people who are helping the less priviledged dun need to eat one! They must stay in humble homes, eat humble food, have humble clothes....otherwise, it means that they are mis-using public donations.

So quit telling us how much you admire and respect us working in the social service sector...quit your crap...if you don't truly mean it , don't say it. If you mean what you say, then don't just say it...actions speak louder than words. Stop seeing us a "paid volunteer", our work is our profession just as much as yours is to you. Please learn to see us as your fellow professionals too!

Lucky Draw Prize

Hehe...bought a $3 lucky draw ticket yesterday to raise funds for my company...got a soft toy, a smoking squirrel which I shall name.....hmm....well, Smoquir...haha

It's not just any toy squirrel ok! The tail and hands is adjustable one leh...dun play play....

Tree Top Walk on 2 Sept 2006

Hun knew I was feeling stressed lately...so he agreed to go with me on a relaxing tree top walk last saturday!


Here we are at the start!


0 km...long way to go! so many things cannot bring in!


Only 0.5km!!


Can u spot the critters along the way?


2.5 km! After 30mins of walking. Funny posters along the way...Hun and I interprete it as "Do not feed smiling monkey with half-peeled banana". Haha...lame...I know....but it's funny for me anyway :)


Approaching...................Finally arrived!!


"I'm finally here!"


All ready to cross the bridge...no turning back!!


Happy me and Hun


Touching the tree tops. How often do you get to do that?!"


Look at the beautiful view!

Posing for the camera...oops too bright!

This is much better. Cheeze!

After more than 2 hours of walking...we're both tired. But we're only halfway through! So we faithfully march on...

Under the mercilessly hot sun...

When the jungle folks are seeking refuge under the shade...

And even Sadako's not interested to climb out of the well...

We thought the journey would never end...But suddenly...

We met an angel! In the form of a father with 2 young kids.....and a pick up!

Happy Hun and me got a free ride out....

to civilisation again!

What an adventure it has been....and truly enjoyable too!