scones, tea, gfs. :) The strawberry cream cheese was gorgeous - and even though the scones were not totally well done, the creamcheese (and choc chips) pretty much made up for it. The tea was fragrant - but I really miss the Rooibos still! Anyway, it was great time catching up, and as usual, twas a great place to chill at, coz there weren’t many people on a lazy Sat afternoon, but more so for the fact that it has been a long time since. :)        how did you know? Now i’ve got a hot guy on my fb. FINALLY. *grin* But seriously N, you could have chosen someone who is at least single?        my bf. (dont tell her) Now i’ve got a hot guy on my fb. FINALLY. *grin*        i finally caught a movie. It’s been a while since I’ve had a proper girl’s day out doing things-that-girls-love-to-do and talking about things-that-girls-love-to-say. I would say, whoever mentioned that 20th Century Boys was good really deserves to be shot. Nevertheless, Aston’s was good lunch (salmon fillet this time round :D), stuffing ourselves with cheap junkfood, random spurts of shopping plus J.Co coffee, together with lotsa things to yak about = great time. Plus we got ourselves the one-thing that we needed most and have been looking for. :)        I was curious. we all need a God’s man to rule. I’m glad we’re nearing there :) http://www.newsweek.com/id/145971/page/1        out of singapore. I love my bennies. The veggie bene I had in this early Saturday morning was nice - not yet awesome enough because one of my eggs wasn’t runny and there wasn’t much hollandaise sauce to begin with. But the location made up for it - i thank the wife-to-be who was willing to share this quaint little cafe with us! Everything about this place, with the horses and the greenery, little kids with their families, was so English and relaxing. :) Then M brought us to Chinatown, around the vicinity of where my old shophouse-office was. It was nice to see the colourful buildings again, but we took a quick refuge from the hot sun into Highlander Coffee Academy where we had the most awesome cappucino ever. To tell you a secret, I have never fancied the coffee in any of the big coffee joints (SB, CB, GJ….) but this was gooood. This small little space sells the most amazing coffee machines, syrups, and even hold coffee cupping and appreciation sessions…and barista training! It really reminded me of Melbourne - the shop layout, the SBS channel, the magazines, and the whole place oozing of strong coffee culture. Then I realised, the boss studied in RMIT and UTS - which explains why! Of course, more importantly, we had an awesome time catching up (and poking fun). :D        here’s when u say…. BIANG-EH!!!!! deez keedz have no boneees!        Your aching heart. have you cared for someone so much that you tried so hard, then stop trying altogether leaving everything into His hands, because the person just decides to slip away…. Have you? Father, thank You for showing me the burdens of Your heart for Your children.        shine your light so the world will see Am currently living in a state of a-little-more-than-just-contentment, with an added pinch of joy and a little bounce in every step. The empty gaps and bumpy roads are filled and replaced with better things so like I said, “At the end of the day, I have more things to be thankful for than to complain complain complain”. As I was on the way home today, it is with gratefulness that I think of R and D and how the opportunities they had/have given me, and just being their very-passionate-about-dance selves that really just got me back on track. I would say, I have never felt this deep about dance in a long long time. “Great dancers are not great just because of their technique; they are great because of their passion.” I can cry just reading this out aloud okay. “Jesus came and redeem and restore us back to the way God has originally intended for us to become; where Man is never passive but actively seeking God. Now that you are saved, go and release all the talents and gifts that God has given you to shine your light to the world - because He is a creative God and He can do all things through you.” So it must not be a coincidence when peopleofpassion come flooding at once, even strangers at that. A fellow Flickr-ian added me and I realised that he had some really pretty awesome street dance photography that left me in absolute awe. The emotions, the actions that he’d captured were breathtaking. I’ve never known photography in that way ever before - so it’s not just about stills, angles, lighting, candid shots, surreal images…. but it also can be strong and powerful when captured with expressions/emotions + the right actions at the exact moment. It must be a helluva hard one to get but it’s all. worth. it. I’m overwhelmed. really really am. from william hamon. is this amazing…..        restoration (in process) “Jesus (Yeshua) came to redeem and to restore us back to what God (Elohim) originally intended for us to be, not a passive Christian always crying out to God but an active one seeking wisdom and God’s will and ways for us…” Does being active means actively relying on God to open the way, or to act on God’s little clues? I am really unsure, but seriously, I don’t even dare to try. But the mind’s playing and replaying and it’s getting quite irritating actually. God, if this is Your will for me, let it be done.        la femme These days, I seem to have a fetish for dresses, shoes, bags (ok everything). I bought another dress today (again!) when I haven’t even had the chance to put on the previous two that I’d purchased from the flea market. But it was so aussie so I couldn’t resist!! Flipped through my wardrobe and realised that I have: retro, vintage, sweet, party dresses; a sundress, two work-dresses and simple plain dresses from sg, australia, manila… too many! The oldest dress i have is a white Daniel Yam white silky tube dress which I’d worn 4 years ago during my sis’ wedding :); the next is a sweet flowery print dress I’d worn 3 years ago at N’s graduation (and that was probably the nicest dress I’d had then): And there’s more! Note to self: no more dresses for this yr (or even the next).        now it’s called sdz. Chanced upon my alma mater’s dance club blog. Reminds me of those days……..multi-purpose hall and all. ahh. i miss.        It’s been an exciting week! Thanksgiving becomes so much easier when taken on a kind of sensitivity towards every aspect of life. It’s easy to lament about the negativities that accompanies a very rushed societyandculture, being in the workingworld, and of people who have interesting attitudes/characters. It’s a choice, i say. Naysayers are easy to become, yet being one doesn’t bring about results, save for the waste of time and energy on empty talk. So amidst all the pandemonium, I am blessed because being part of a team who really work hard to help one another successfully complete an event; being part of the whole moving process and experiencing both the old and the new; given opportunities to sow seeds and build strength in others during trying times and learning to handle difficult situations without losing my head - these are all doors to greater growth. Love, because He first loved us. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.        now i know what i/you meant. “The reason why He doesn’t give us the things we want most right now, is because He wants to work on us so that we will be able to receive and handle the things we want when He provides.” “For me, it’s not really about wanting anything, but rather believing that i can receive them.” “I see. yeah i know what u mean.”        A to J (coz of TM) All thanks to J, I FINALLY FINALLY have a new genre to listen to. My favourite one at that. :) And I really REALLY love his songs. TM rox my sox!        perks My second event. I’m beginnning to like my job more. :) Can’t wait for dermatological conferences (I wonder what lies ahead!).        God’s dancers. I think it’s amazing, how God plans and places people and opportunities in His rightful time, and I feel slowly transported back to where/what my heart is, slowly but surely. God IS faithful and never fails to fulfil our heart’s desires. :) It never really did happen but it is tremendously heartening to have like-minded and equally passionate people, for God AND dance, to come together to fellowship. It’s funny to know how we have met many years ago but never really did have a chance to become any closer than mere acquaintances. This time, I can say that it’s really Him who brought us together. And as I am reminded of the silly things we do (like staring into space while trying to figure out how to do popping with our butt muscles - ROFL!!!), it just shows how serious we are for dance and how awesome that gradually, each one of us is learning to make use of our spiritual gifts/talents to serve God and to reach out to others. Thank You Jesus, to bring me back here again. (and Kenny Roger’s Lucille set rox my sox)        Happy birthday dad, happy children’s day to me. :) It’s often easiest to recognise the presence of God with the coming of a new start (that even the toughest times couldn’t put me down), but the path is rocky and I fall, along the way. I stopped at Isaiah and forgot my promise to the Lord for continued diligence and faithfulness. It was hard reading 4 chapters of Scriptures a day but it really isn’t about the quantity, but of the heart. I see the two bookmarks left in the thick book of Daily Walk, my unread books, the unopened CD - and I saw those futile attempts, or rather, the lack of effort to even try anymore. At Isaiah, things began to slide downhill as the faith subsides. I knew, I saw, I felt - yet it was really hard to bring myself back to that level, as though the enemy was so tangibly pushing me down. So Hari Raya Eve, I met up with two long-ago friends and had really awesome fellowship. I picked up Facing The Giants and played it last night. Something stirred in me, and I wept silently in my room as the movie played on. It was as though He came and lifted me up into His embrace. This morning, I plonked my bible into my workbag and peeked into the readings to do for the day, and I realised, that 1 October (my dad’s birthday + Children’s Day!) marked the readings of the New Testament. I smiled, knowing that He has His time for me; that 011008 is a day to remember, the day when I celebrate my earthly father’s birthday, a day of joy as a child of God, and also a day for a brand new start, again. Thank You for not giving up on me. So as I read through Matthew, it was like a summary of all that I should know, reminding me of the verses that I used to hold so tightly and dearly in my heart - verses like Matthew 5:13-16, Matthew 6:33….. and I resolved, to go back to when my life revolved (purely, not merely on the surface) around Him and His words. And as I marvelled at the Exodus Dancerz (who are only 18!) who made use of their spiritual gifts to worship God, and through my conversation with my colleague, I think I finally saw what His purpose for me is - it’s getting clearer and clearer now. Thank You for Your grace and mercy, my Father.        wwjd, he did. One mistake, all at stake. It must have felt really awful - first the unforgiveable mistake, then the reality sinking in that the entire world may hurl verbal abuse upon him, his actions causing a Ferrari world title contender to lose his rankings, and the most painful consequence of all - to lose his job. Thankfully Felipe Massa had a heart, and he knew all these when he took no action against the Ferrari mechanic who failed to detach the fuel hose before the car fired off. “We are all human beings, everyone makes mistakes. I am not the sort of person who goes to a guy and fights with him”, he said, “So I went to the guy and gave him even more motivation because we need him and we need everybody together for the last three races of the season.” Considering all the pandemonium arising from this single event, I think it’s absolutely commendable of him. If anything, it just shows not how great a sportsman, but how awesome a person he really is. Felipe Massa, I RESPECT. :)        the second rehearsal. After 6 years of dancing, I actually finally realise exactly what style of dance it is that keeps me going, and more. Yes, after SIX LONG YEARS. lol. Nope, I’m not talking about other kinds of dance (if you’re thinking jazz, ballet, salsa)… it IS hiphop, but it isn’t so much of popping, locking, mtv dance, reggae, whacking. nope. It’s KRUMPING, yo!! (Ahh the inner-afroamerican in me is speaking!) The nightmare of the previous week thankfully didn’t repeat. In fact, I spend many bus-times visualising and memorising dancesteps, which was put to good use when I finally mapped thoughts into actions today. I also realise the importance of monday classes because it helped with the new steps and reinforced certain techniques. I think formations are awesome coz you see the transitions of patterns and when everyone gets in synchronisation and krump to the same rhythm, it’s really a very spectacular sight. Plus, we had alot of fun. :) Somehow I feel very pleased when the girls around me (who are soooo young omg!) think I’m the same age as them. Oh the joy. Hahaha. It was indeed a very good 2.5 hours today sweating it all out through those heart-thumping, adrenaline-surging moves. As I took the bus home and felt the salt residue forming on my skin, I felt accomplished and energised. The tension drains from my limbs now as I rest on the couch after a good shower, and especially after a good meal to kill the hunger pangs. ‘cept for the fact of the lack of food the entire afternoon giving me a slight migraine till the dinner settles in, everything else was proof that today had been a great workout, and an indication that my body is finally getting accustomed. There’s a reason why I am still so much in love with dance. :)        happy third HHDS! TGIF for this week features our inaugural 3rd HHDS 2008 - with my favourite lunchtime buddies. It was ALOT of food involved - imagine my shock when they decide to order THREE platters! omg I was filled to the brim even before the highlight began! It was a good break considering a very busy Friday with loadsa meetings back-to-back and—-. So to kill the stress, a very nice chillout venue plus booze plus an exhilarated bunch of people was all it took to have a good hangout and gathering. In view of the first F1 night, the rooftop was filled with zeeezoomzaams of the racing cars while town seemed surprisingly empty with lesser cars along the streets (commuters decide to travel by foot and public transport instead!) I think Mr Bus-Driver who sent me home was all in the mood for F1 too, + the empty roads gave him a good excuse to pick up speed. Thank God that I need not spend another $5 (plus other god-knows-what surcharges) on top of the normal cab fees! Looking forward to our 4th HHDS! *HHDS = happy hour drinking session. :)        Being a Christian On comprehending and interpreting the bible, I recall a rather amusing comment by a friend back in Jakarta: If Jesus were to appear one day, He would have told us, “THIS ISN’T WHAT I MEANT!” Thing is, I really believed those words. I can’t help but think that, it is most often Christians who drill themselves so much into Christianity, that they lose the gist of it - God Himself. (Disclaimer: the following depicts the author’s mere personal opinions and is not intended to attack any views or opinions.) I believe in having a child-like faith and attitude towards God. But having child-like faith does not equate to spiritual immaturity, nor does it imply a lack of wisdom. I would think, it’s pretty much the opposite. It is often most difficult for us to assume an “innocently-faithful-and-loving” disposition when age and time pushes us to think and evaluate things that are important to us. On the other hand, discernment is not about being judgemental. The things that the Bible teaches are for us to mould ourselves - it is not a guide for us to look at people in a different perspective but rather something to remind ourselves not to be swayed by certain actions or words. We should, in fact, extend our love further to bring people closer to God. God is a loving God, a kind God, a wise God, a simple God who just wants us to be more like Him. The issue comes when people of same religion, bounded by certain societal influences, come together as a congregation to build their faith. It really says something about the culture of a church when an influential person passes any remarks that suggest anything negative about another church. While saying so, a church should not focus on just one aspect of being Christian - but rather to cover all aspects of life to become more like Christ. Does being Christian mean that we should spend all our time in church serving? Personally, I believe not. Jesus doesn’t wish for us to be another Martha, but to be more like Mary. Does this mean that we spend less time at church but more time with unbelievers? Yes and no. Being in church is to seek God’s words, for fellowship, to build up one’s faith with fellow believers, but in my opinion, we are also meant to share our joy of Christ and be living testimonies to others, so that we can share the gospel to non-believers as well. Does missing one session or two of church make you less of a Christian, someone less loved by God? No. I believe that God is a practical God who does not wish us to be burnt out by events. Yet saying which, fulfilling our duties as a child of God, by recognising Sabbath Day and coming together to worship the Lord and to seek His word in a church, is an act of obedience and should be done out of love of God, not through social obligations. I think, sometimes God just wants us to be simple people. I want to be a child of God and to love my Father with all my heart and not become an unChristian, bound by certain doctrines, thoughts, influences, and having to put on a Christian mask just because.        the great distance These days, the concept of “distance” perturbs me greatly. If only the name on screen can mimick the same length at which real conversation can be brought across, I’ll be happy. Which is why, when I mention that instantmessaging at work brings me great joy, I wasn’t kidding. I am thankful for technology in times like these (which is what keeps me going really), yet I scoff at the loss of whatever value spending personal time with someone has to provide - which is exactly why I’ve been so busy that I’d overworked my body a little too much. blearghh. Today I received a surprisesms from melbourne and it seemed so surprisingly easy suddenly, to remain in contact despite the lack of internet. I wished I could send over a big hug right after work, or something along the line. But not till december, I realised. And also, if only there is a chance in near future to ______________. I think I’m just feeling a little empty these days.        i nearly fainted. I’d wished lunch with Mum and Dad would have been better if not for the intense exhaustion kicking in, making me feel really weak. I’d spent the whole of Saturday recuperating but didn’t expect that it would spill over to Sunday - and so, my first dance rehearsal turned out to be rather disastrous. Halfway through the 2-hour session, I was already seeing bright-lights and there was a point when I couldn’t even see what Daniel was doing AT ALL. It was terrible omg! If I didn’t take a break at that critical point of time, I think I would have dropped flat on the floor in front of the entire class. On a completely random note, Manhattan Fish Market sells really cheap lunch sets (fish and chips + drinks + soup = $9.90!) and the salad and clam chowder are reallyyy gorgeous. :D        favour keeps pouring in! You mean…. I missed the audition and STILL got in?        nearly dozed off while typing this: Exhaustion is my middle name for these two weeks and Tx1000GIF today when two consecutive weeks of runningherethereeverywhere has finally taken a toll on my body. Let’s do a recap: Last week: Monday - Movie with R; Tuesday - running around at Screme and still hanging out with G till late; Wednesday - start of new job, had to wake up early, hence a lack of sleep; Friday - cellgroup; Saturday - out with Evie and P and then church; Sunday - church + Mt Faber + Sentosa + meetup with the girls + timbre (yes ure right) till wee hours. This week: Monday - start work, then dance + supermarket shopping with E; Tuesday - woke up REALLY early for Suntec conference + shopping with G; Wednesday - went to 2am dessert bar after work to meet the girls (again); Thursday - free movie with G but cancelled (THANK GOD! Sorry babe :p) to rest; Friday - lunch with S then cellgroup after work, whereby I was braindead through it all! I actually fell deep asleep in the office in the late afternoon while sitting upright - I couldnt help it! I guess there’s only so much the body can take even though the heart really yearns for good quality time spent with dearones. And not to mention, I had to push off some other appointments tonight and am secretly thankful that V postponed her flight, again, which really saved me! And even though they have yet to come, Saturday is already packed with lunch-with-parents + fga later then maybe hanging out a bit, and Sunday is gonna be church, following which I have to rush off for dance rehearsal. Next Monday’s dance class again, Tuesday’s gonna be a long day because of some late afternoon meeting; Thursday’s gonna be my date with SW, and soon enough it will be Friday again then the same drill for the weekend! I feel like a superwoman already. God if only you made man not having to need sleep to rejuvenate, I’ll be very thankful.        nearly dozed off while typing this: Exhaustion is my middle name for these two weeks and Tx1000GIF today when two consecutive weeks of runningherethereeverywhere has finally taken a toll on my body. Let’s do a recap: Last week: Monday - Movie with R; Tuesday - running around at Screme and still hanging out with G till late; Wednesday - start of new job, had to wake up early, hence a lack of sleep; Friday - cellgroup; Saturday - out with Evie and P and then church; Sunday - church + Mt Faber + Sentosa + meetup with the girls + timbre (yes ure right) till wee hours. This week: Monday - start work, then dance + supermarket shopping with E; Tuesday - woke up REALLY early for Suntec conference + shopping with G; Wednesday - went to 2am dessert bar after work to meet the girls (again); Thursday - free movie with G but cancelled (THANK GOD! Sorry babe :p) to rest; Friday - lunch with S then cellgroup after work, whereby I was braindead through it all! I actually fell deep asleep in the office in the late afternoon while sitting upright - I couldnt help it! I guess there’s only so much the body can take even though the heart really yearns for good quality time spent with dearones. And not to mention, I had to push off some other appointments tonight and am secretly thankful that V postponed her flight, again, which really saved me! And even though they have yet to come, Saturday is already packed with lunch-with-parents + fga later then maybe hanging out a bit, and Sunday is gonna be church, following which I have to rush off for dance rehearsal. Next Monday’s dance class again, Tuesday’s gonna be a long day because of some late afternoon meeting; Thursday’s gonna be my date with the arty-girl :), and soon enough it will be Friday again then the same drill for the weekend! I feel like a superwoman already. God if only you made man not having to need sleep to rejuvenate, I’ll be very thankful.        soon. Aching so badly. But it’s all gonna worth the pain. so long, farewell. Describe one colour for the week that you had gone through. Unlike P who so imaginatively came up with blue and purple and swirls and all, I settled with red for mine. Red being intense, exciting, challenging, powerful. The week’s been of great favour in the workplace and also, revealing some things about myself and more importantly, being given a chance to be able to re-connect the dots which went a little askewed along the way these weeks. I loved Saturday and what i received; I enjoyed what Sunday had in store for me (despite mosquitoes, dresses-and-their-lessthanadequate-linings, wasted cable car rides). I heart new awesome places, new awesome people, and nice cosy time shared with girlfriends. To be frank, it was totally new to me but I fell in love with the place. I want to watch J&R and SaraWee!! And to mark the night when we had to bid farewell to V, we opened red wine and exchanged cocktails. Farewell was apt - and sometimes when I stop to think, I cannot fathom the impact of it all when once she boards the plane, we’ll probably never see her again. It’s different when people leave for studies coz you know they will be back, somehow, but this? It really didn’t hit me till when we were heading home at 1am and I heard conversations being replayed and then the sadness really kicked in. I think it’s rising up still at this moment. Goodbye. I will miss you, really. beautiful. There’s something amazing about crafting words and piecing them together in a beautiful composition that speaks forth an honest reflection…so honest, so true, that it stirs hearts. You can love someone without being in love with them. You can also be in love with someone and not love them. Being in love is helium-balloon-high. Blowing bubbles. It’s eternal summer. It’s lush and sweet, ripe and immediate. It’s a flower you want to pick and take with you. It’s moonlight at night. It’s electric. It’s ice cream. It’s a song you cannot stop singing. It’s watercolor. It’s impressionist. It’s a dream you had one night and you never did wake up. Love is feet on the ground, toes in the sand. It’s gritty and gutsy. It’s a shovel to use in the trenches. It’s a garden you dug and planted with your own hands. It’s evergreen in winter. Love is candlelight. It’s meat and potatoes. It’s a photograph. It’s black and white and gray. It’s living life awake in textures and shapes. Being in love is feeling drugged; while love dies for someone, suffering even in small ways. LSG, you’re amazing. :) Speaking of love, look what mummy sent me! Loved. :)