An empty subway

Are you inspired to join the army/navy/airforce?
An empty subway! Rare indeed!

My first time at Settler's Cafe

The cow dung game! Nothing much to say except you have to play it yourself and find yourself loving it very much.
There's my hand [with my purple nails!]. The objective was to find pictures either first or within a time limit of 1.5 min. Cool? Cool! We had a lot of screaming in this one.
That's us holding up a completed picture of Blokus. Jake and Andrina won, their colour being red. I was paired up with Dan for the second round and we won second. Great game!

The Zone 3B leaders were at Settler's cafe in katong on Boxing Day. We stayed 4 hours there playing 3 board games. It was a fabulous time and I honestly think that thru' the games, we got more geled. A lot of screaming, especially in the 'cow dung' game and in Photohunt. The last game was Blokus, which is a game of squares and shapes and strategies. It was a much serious game and whenever each pair [we teamed up in pairs] took a lot of time deciding over petty positions, the rest got frustrated. But it was fun!

Little Jay

Meet Little Jayden, who is my cousin from my dad's side. He's 4 years old and he played the violin for us at his house when his family hosted a Christmas party for us. The above is a picture of him in his cute wee suit that includes an adorable red bow tie.

EMPLOYED!

I'm employed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll start work as an A-maths teacher in Bedok North Sec on 7 Jan. This is an prayer answered so right and more by God. All glory to HIM!!!

Meanwhile, I shall go plan my HK trip. :):)

Called to be peacemakers

Jo: As in. you know. I'm gay.
Me: Huh? What do you mean?
[i know, i sound like an idiot here]
Me: Why you choose to be gay?
Jo: WHoa nelly. You don't choose to be gay, you are gay. Like how you're a girl and I'm a boy.
Me: No, it is a choice.
Jo: If it were truly a choice, why would i choose to be gay? hey, it's not easy being gay in Singapore.

From here, we went into a long argument on homosexuality.
My stand: The Bible clearly states that homosexuality is an abomination in God's eyes and since I'm Christian and I also take the Bible to be totally inerrant, homosexuality is thus wrong.

Jo: Are you shocked?
Me: I never knew. Well, you know me, I'm Christian.
Jo: If you don't wanna talk to me anymore, it's fine. I'll just go over to a corner and cry. [or something like that was said]

Well, this part was the hard part. The above conversation took place over MSN. It was hard for me and personally sad as well. I just came from surfing Facebok and viewed an online argument via posts over homosexuality.
Questions raised: Should religion be involved? There are Christians who are gays as well right? The Bible's wrong? Being gay, a crime?

It's getting heart-wrenching as we face a growing group of atheists and agnostics who are incredibly intelligent as well as articulate. They seemingly break down our every argument, tearing each word apart only to stand over us and say, "What have you got to say now?" Do we, as children of God, hide and cower and be quiet? Would we make clear and strong our stand?

It's important, therefore, to remember in all that we do, we hide behind the cross of Jesus. He goes before us and conquers. In the book of Joshua in the Bible, chapter 1, the Lord told Joshua to be strong and courageous 3 times. Likewise, let us not be faint-hearted in the face of growing controversial ideas. At the same time, we are reminded by Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to be peacemakers and gentle.

Leader Retreat '07

Leaders' Retreat was fantastic. God has been so good to us, granting us a safe journey and renewing our energy for 2008. Ps John Partington had many timely messages for us. It would be easy to forget them too because all too often, we go to listen but not practise.

But one of the most colourful aspects of the trip was going to KL with my family. I was surprised to see KL modern and extremely fashionable, a far cry from Melacca. Bukit Pintang, the Orchard Road of KL, was large and filled with malls. One of the malls was called Times Square [so New York!] and inside it featured an indoor theme park! I saw it and got blown away. It looked Lego-ish for some reason. haha.

Then we went Suria KLCC, it's like Vivocity but bigger! Got my manicure and pedicure there... guess what colour i chose?HAHA, purple! I usually take red, but i thought I'd do something different this time.

All in all, I ENJOYED every iota of the moment. It was Fair Havens indeed. But back to real world... He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world.

Medge:the emo house

We had a stayover at Joel's emo condo on Tuesday night. This condo is weird, situated 20-min on foot from Novena MRT, it's only a block with a swimming pool that people would mistake for a fountain. BUT it's a nice apartment without furniture. Because we went there late at night, we could all view the beautiful night scene of city but it can't be captured on cam though.

Though many people came for the evening for like only 2 hours, most went back, leaving 4 of us only, which brings to question why they came all the way at all. We played bridge[at this point, i'm a teeny weeny sick of bridge, but it's still a great game!], one game of scrabble party version[this game is so cool, it's un-traditonal and has a wicked timer], Seven and one incomplete round of Monopoly. You would not believe how sophisticated board games are these days. For monopoly, instead of notes, cards are used! There's this calculator-look alike that registers the amount needed to add or subtract to a player's card.

We got really beat by 3am, so the 2 other guys went off to sleep in the other rooms. Kudos to Bethel for raising great gentlemen, they let us have one giant pillow and the thin mattress. So with my sleeping bag as a blanket, Abbie and I had a comfortable time. But we talked for like another 45 mins on TYPICAL girls' stuff. The guys slept on cold hard floor. POOR THINGS! JOEL, get some furniture!

Nevertheless, stayovers are damaging. They steal your beauty and upset your biological clock. Maybe that explains why I'm blogging at this hour!

p6 camp

The P6 camp was cool, the kids were a lot more well-behaved than I expected. While I generally dun like to handle children of the upper primary age, I should have given Cecilia more credit that after one year with her, the P6s would be more thoughtful and mature. [or maybe, kids do mature faster these days..] Before I went for the camp, I wrestled with my internal conflicts about P6 camp. I've always dreaded this camp, cos firstly, i dun like camps and 2ndly, i dun like kids. But I really prayed about it and asked God to help me go with an open mind. It turned out that what transpired was more that I could ever have expected.

To say that my leadership has matured, albeit a little, is an understatement. As i looked at the kids, i felt a pang as i realised I haven't been childish for quite a while and still get away with it!

About P6 camp, the coolest programme was the sandcastle building activity. I only came halfway, cos I had choir prac, which btw was REALLY MUCH BETTER THAN BEFORE. You will see from the pictures that the sandcastles built are really like sandcastles! Cute huh? For the castles not to crumble, water and pressure must be added. Anyway, of course, the whole activity had a lot of spiritual and practical lessons to draw from. In the middle of sandcastle building, [there were 6 sandcastles], we were told by the instructor to swop castles and complete another group's sandcastle. We were devastated, of course. All our hardwork and effort would now be nullified as we handed our castle to another. And it was hard to complete someone else's castle. Anyway, it was just so fun.

Thanks to Regina and her team for giving me a wonderful weekend. And to Cecilia and her p6 ministry for giving unto the Lord all these years. :)

shing-shing vocabulary

Shing-shing is the sound of two knifes grinding each other so that both may be sharpen. SO shing-shing vocab is sharpen your vocabulary. I got the next list of words from the latest issue of TIME mag, of which I'm an avid reader. See how many you know, btw, i knew none of them.

Above-the-fray, progeny, pariah, caucuses, mulatto, malaise, graft, sedition, sodomy, de facto, plaudits, bedevil, albeit, parochial, tinseled, pantheon, mirthful, solipsistic.

SHING-SHING... SHING-SHING...
[p.s. I got this phrase from a friend who is from VS. whenever his group of friends and him see a cute girl on the streets, the code word is shing-shing. It means, 'let's eat!']

ALL-BRIDGE afternoon

My 3 girlfriends and I played bridge for several hours yesterday. To say it was exhilarating is an understatement. It's a pity that everyone, with the exception of me of course, was less sharp than usual. There were the craziest blunders made, so I usually got confused who's my partner and stuff. Towards the end, I taught them this game I learned from my classmates called 7. The actual name my classmate gave it is more vulgar, so I'll just simplify it. IT WAS SOOOO FUN. Who says only mahjong is fun? [for which i have no idea how to play]

Life after A levels is THE BEST. [say it in the Gurmit Singh style, if you're familiar with 80's Rewind!]

Scholarships

I've just submitted two scholarship applications. To MAS and CAAS. It's been tiring to fill out the online applications, especially the questionaires. It wasn't easy trying to be as honest and true to myself and yet sell myself at the same time. There's this paragraph I wrote in the personal statement to MAS which I like, haha, but i can't put it here in case anyone steals my lines. Somehow through it all, [i took a few days to complete], I felt God's presence with me. The sense of peace and joy are not coincidental, and i feel that even if I'm not even waitlisted, God has a future and a plan for me.

I came across Deut 12:12 this morning during bible reading. Then I read EDWJ [Everyday with Jesus]. And when I combine the two together, this is what I've learnt:

God requires MUCH from us! Our heart, soul and mind, which is just about everything I own. He leaves you none of your storage space so that i can keep what i want. It seems that the God we serve is demanding and when Christians have such a view, of course, we get tired. DUh, it's like having a split personality! BUT, what we truly lack is the revelation of how much GOd loves us. The bible says that we cannot know the width, height and depth of His all-powerful love. But if we would have just but a glimpse, we would find that all that we have to give is not even enough.

Movie: December Boys

My review:

A slow-moving show, with a couple of dashes of nude scenes, the story could be deemed as poignant but just not directed well. And, the ending! Seriously, endings are so important yet directors are so clueless abt them. December boys are about 4 orphans who have been given a 2 week holiday by the beach. Of course they were estatic since they live in outback Australia where the dessert rules. I was most interested in Maps [or isit Max?], the oldest, who is becoming a hot-blooded teen and he meets Lucy, a pretty pretty pretty pretty girl. Maps was played by Daniel Radcliffe, so it felt weird to see him in a non-harry potter movie. Misty is a freckled boy who gets on my nerves by being 'holy' since he wants to get adopted. Since December boys is based on a classic novel, there isn't really a clear storyline. It's just to show how brotherhood is a noble thing but what struck me most was the carefree spirit the children had. Anyway, December Boys was hard to chew cos of the cultural and time difference.

Fashion Bar

I was warm from my ears to my shoulders. 'Manda, touch here.' I pointed to my shoulder. 'Oh, that's hot!' she replied. Ok, so now i know i flush easily. Or was I the one who drank the most since i felt like i was sucking the straw a lot.

We had the whole Fashion Bar to ourselves on Monday night! Since there was no one else, I took off my shoes and sat my favourite way, cross-legged. It was cold so I naively tried to use the pillows for some sort of shield. Naively. The toilet was for both male and female so I felt disgusted to know that there was a guy in the cubicle next to mine, and as i walked out of the toilet, another guy walked in. Not particularly traumatic, but definitely weird!

Since we all specifically asked for light drinks, we didn't feel in the least bit inebriated. As i took the MRT home, I felt fine though i think my senses were a teeny weeny dulled. Our bill, for 3, was $72 for two rounds of drinks. Talk about exhorbitance! Mum gave me the lecture of the year when she picked me up at Eunos, and she claimed she could smell the alcohol off me. Even after a shower, my skin around my neck and shoulders were splotchy red. It was so warm, even as i went to sleep.

Plague: Indecisiveness

Me: Oh dear, I'm really domineering, am I?
H: No Anna, it's just you. Besides most people can't make decisions.

Yes, that's the problem! People these days, no, Singaporeans can't make decisions. I'm not even talking about good decisions, it's just making a decision. Which is worse, no decision or a bad decision? To be indecisive is to be unconclusive and irresolute. Boys, please grow up to be men who make decisions. And girls, take a chill pill and let them learn.

Maybe.. the root of our problem lies in from our education and upbringing. All through our lives, the government makes the decisions for us, our parents, pastors. In order not to be 'whacked', we just listen, and listen obediently did we! Yet, we are rebellious in our nature so it comes our in other ways, the way we talk back to elders rudely, speaking foul etc. And now when the government is taking more of a backseat and encouraging the public to speak, they hear nothing because every Singaporean is hoarding golden nuggets in his mouths and is too lazy to think, for himself or for the nation!

The first step to making a good decision is to maybe learn how to make any decision.

Life: A Doublebill

Last night, we went to watch a double bill production by Faithworks, 2 plays! The first was Implosion, the second one, Just Late, was the better of the two.

Implosion:

A poignant play about Max who finds it difficult to express himself, he meets a Dr Fang in questionable circumstances. In the beginning, i was like, Oh dear, is this some dark humour play? But as the plot rolled out, the story became more simple. The laughs came from the character Anita and Kai, the former suffering from OCD and the latter from tourette's syndrome. Kai shouts vulgarities once in a while, a condition which results from his disorder. Of course, I didn't like to hear them. But oh well. The relationship between Max's wife and the doctor was a little suspicious... Anyway, this play was quite abstract. Lessons to learn from it is COMMUNICATE WELL with your love ones and do not the let the little bubble of trouble IMPLODE in you.

Just Late:

The better of the two, Just Late boasted of an exellent script sprinkled with idiosyncratic Singaporean phrases. An old man, the Ah Gong, was supposed to celebrate his 70th birthday on the eve of his birthday. While waiting for his late children, then came 2 hilarious, super stereotyped 'Ah lian' and 'Ah beng' robbers. The old man being blind mistook them for his grandchildren, letting them in the house! What turned out was a 3 hour talk with the old man instead of a simple 5 min robbery. Through it all, the old man never suspected anything except that he thought his grandchildren, Alex and Angel, were really rude. A super touching play about the realities of ageing, [his children never came, after all, giving really silly excuses], it's one rare play that makes you cry and laugh at the same time. The Singapore context of the whole play makes this story even more real and touching. What i've learnt from it is, TREAT the old people with respect and pay your elders a visit when you can. It's really not easy being old.

I love theatre and musicals. If u know of a good one, but not too expensive unless you wanna treat me, let me know! Art makes you reflect on what's going on in society. Part of the reason from going to this play was because i wanted to support the local arts scene. Glad to know that it's got substance.

Day One of Post A's

Invigilator: You may all go now.

Gosh, for a while, I couldn't stand because I was overwhelmed. I thought I'd be the 'cool' type, where I would go, 'Oh, so it's over. No difference la.' I was so not cool! On my way home, in the bus, a smile plastered my face all the way. TO prevent myself from looking ridiculous, i covered my mouth with my hand. So today is day one of eight months to come...

Did my first run in weeks this morning. I was so slow and tired. But the sight of manly joggers, some bare-shirted, [don't they have to work?] and perspiring all over, was delicious. The Bedok Reservoir view is so serene and beautiful.

But however, the main activity of DAY ONE is... CLEANING UP! It's not partying, it's not shopping, it's not some other glam stuff. Yup, I turned my house upside down with my A levels, notes strewn all over the dining table, piled high and it's so unsightly! I separated all the paper into one-sided used and fully used. And i threw the fully used ones into the paper recycling bin. This brings the mind the whistling song and unforgettable, "if i can adopt an environmentally-friendly lifestyle, so can you!" Ciao.

A levels... will be history soon

Aaaaa Levels are NOT over yet. What peeves me is that for most of my classmates, it is! I've got the dreaded H3 Pharm Chem tmr. To future JC students, do not ever, ever take Pharm Chem. It'll make you miserable, even if you really love chem. I'm talking about the difficulty level that's as high as the sky.

But, it'll be over soon, one more day, that is. Yeah! God deserves all the glory for bringing me through, He has kept me sane and my fears are not just allayed but gone in Jesus' name. I've been battling wild thoughts and irrationality. It's been difficult to go to sleep at night, maybe due to my lack of exercise in the past weeks, all the sugar is not being burnt and my mind's really active. And there are those nightmares... There was one that was horrible and scared me hard. I remember waking up fearful. Then I thought, hey this isn't right, I've gotta pray! Did that and my nights have become better. God is so good!

What I wanna do after A's is to take a tree-top walk, climb a mountain and drink spring water.

Make a Difference

Benjamine Mukakajuga’s Story: Brought Out of Grief

In a wash of evening sunlight in the northeastern province of Gicumbi, Benjamine Mukakajuga, 38, stands in her golden wheat field, beaming with a broad, gap-toothed smile. In a proud and victorious manner, she sweeps her arm in the air, gesturing to a 12-acre parcel of jutting green crops.

Benjamine Mukakajuga cares for six children and works a 12-acre parcel of land despite being HIV-positive.“All of this that you see was acquired because of that cow. Before this, I had no land.” In 2002, Mukakajuga began to feel ill and tested positive for HIV/AIDS. The devastating news only added to the severe challenges she faced—caring for two of her biological children and four other orphans from the genocide. Her husband abandoned her. Like others who suffer from HIV, she felt stigmatized because she was weak, sick, and couldn’t support herself, harboring a deep-seated feeling that she was a social burden.

That same year, she became a beneficiary of a cow that soon began supplying more than five gallons of milk per day and has since birthed three calves, including the one she passed on. Mukakajuga saw the opportunity and wasted no time turning the proceeds from her milk, which drew a competitive price at market, into food for her children and a regimen of ARVs for herself. Over time, the medication and a diet of milk and homegrown vitamin-rich vegetables have significantly improved her health.

“I am now feeling healthy, looking good and positive. I am moving on!” she says.
On the way back to her house, Mukakajuga points to another sign of her progress: a series of long wooden poles strewn on the ground, ready to be constructed into her second cow shed.

Mukakajuga named her first cow Imaragahinda, a word that means “brought out of grief.” And so much of what she has today comes from Imaragahinda. Thanks to the benefits of one animal and a means for sustainable living, Benjamine went from a decimated outlook on life to building genuine hope for tomorrow.

“I would not be alive without this cow,” she says. “This cow is my husband. It took away my grief. I drink milk every day and all the work around me is because of my cow. With it, I can afford to hire people to help me and care for my well-being. In brief, my cow is my life.”

Source: http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.3584665/

Everyone, and I mean every red, white, black and brown person, deserves a chance to start afresh in life. We are so fortunate to live in Singapore! Go read more articles on Rwanda. In 1994, a genocide took place which killed 10% of the population, i believe that translates into more than a million Tutsis. There's a movie on it called Hotel Rwanada. Another fact on poverty: The total GDP of the world's poorest 48 countries (ie a QUARTER of the world's nations) is less than the wealth of 3 people combined. [ www.globalissues.org ]

You can make a difference this Christmas! Gather a group of 10, and each fork out US$50 to buy someone out there a heifer. Saaaaaaave up. Dun eat Mac's, give up that extra pair of shoes, that psp game, gifts for him/her! Who says you can't change the world?

220 or 398?

D: Is your enthalpy change 220 or 398?
Me: 220 la.. WHY?
Y: It's 398! Confirm, isn't it just product minus reactant?
D: Yeah lor... yours wrong la.
J: NO, i'm very sure it's 220.
Y: OK let's vote, ok, 4 people here say 398, only you two say it's 220.
J: No, i ask Hu already, his answer is 220 too.
Y: OK lor, so you guys 3 votes.
Me: No! that's different, Hu's answer stands for 5 votes! [Hu is the smartest guy I know]

...

D: Your answer for the type of reaction, nucleophilic substitution then what? I put elimination.
Me: Mine's decomposition.
D: What, decomposition?
F: i put hydrolysis!

... The next one generated the most debate!

D: So was your tyre deflated?
Me: Yeah, i put deflate because pressure difference higher what.
Fe: No, it's not deflated! I calculate already, the pressure difference is lower.
Y: Pressure difference must be at least 7 bars leh.
D: What 7 bars la? Internal pressure of tyre must not exceed 8 bar, is totally not talking about pressure difference!
Y: Then why would they [Cambridge] state that internal pressure of tyre must not exceed 8 bars? They put for fun meh?
D: No! it's talking about 2 different things. One is about tyre and the other is about pressure difference. IF u think about it, which aeroplane will carry inflated tyres???

OK, enough already. So now you know how geeks talk. The above 'conversation', to put it mildly, took place right after our Chemistry Paper 2. 10 points to you if you know what's enthalpy change!

For econs, there was this essay qn: Discuss whether Singapore is among the countries with the most to gain from globalisation. [25 marks]

I'm pretty sure no one in singapore did that question unless you didn't study at all or are a gungho genius. Why gungho genius? Because even geniuses wouldn't do that qn! Interestingly, out of the 6 questions given, of which 3 must be done, 3 was relatively easier than the 3 other more difficult ones. Hmm, maybe Cambridge is testing our ability to choose questions.

My First Movie Review

I watched the Bee Movie yesterday! Here's my opinion:

A funny movie, but not roaringly hilarious. I like the bright colours. If you're looking for a light-hearted, good moral story with a cheesy ending that would only be able to melt a 5-yr-old's heart, Bee Movie would be great for you. It started out NICE, as in it really seemed original, but kinda spiraled downwards after that. I'm still looking for my next 'Finding Nemo'!! It was the first animation that made me fall in love with Pixar but there was never a movie like it after Finding Nemo. [expectations is higher now what.] Nevertheless, Bee Movie was a good reprieve from exams for me, exactly what i needed; A hearty, no-brainer show.

p.s. Bee Movie was by Dreamworks, not Pixar, that might explain some.

Playing the piano again

I'm starting to practise this romantic Christmas piano piece called In the Bleak Midwinter. Oh man, i looove the melody. If you play it without feeling, it sounds horrible. To be able to ring out it's soul, you need to put in your heart, and boy, it's tiring! So far, i've halfway into page 2. The emo-ish, tricky intro is killing my fingers. Looks like I've got to cut my nails, but i can't bear to! They're starting to grow nicely and I wanna paint them after my A levels. :(

The music piece keeps ringing in my head. Music, the language of the world..

Makan makan

There was an informal leaders' meeting, just zone 3B, at Pris' house last Friday. It was a blast.. because Jake and Jon were blasting our ears away. Food: satay, bbq wing, stingray.. and more. All on Pris' tab, thanks Pris!

Only Andrina's missing, she wanted to stay home and study.

My highly respected cousin, Ant.

The pretty ladieeeeeeeees. There was certainly lotsa laughter around.

This should be the photograph of the night.

There are a lot more photos, but it's so troublesome uploading them. I've only got the patience for these few. Hey, I've got A levels. Haha.

Not someone's rose yet

An excerpt from The Little Prince -

' "You are beautiful, but you are empty," he went on. "One could not die for you. To be sure, an ordinary passerby would think my rose looked just like you - the rose that belongs to me. But in herself alone she is more important than all the hundreds of you other roses : because it is she that I have watered ; because it is she that I have put under the glass globe ; because it is she that i have sheltered behind the screen ; because it is for her that I have killed the caterpillars (except the two or three we have saved to become butterflies) ; because it is she that I have listened to, when she grumbled, or boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing. Because she is my rose."

The little prince was speaking to a rose bush, wherein lied many many beautiful roses who surprised him because he had believed his rose was the only unique one in all universe. Although he felt deceived at first, he then went on to learn a great lesson in life, that he loved his rose because he had spent so much time on her. The moving speech he gave to the other roses really gave me insight into what having a relationship with someone you love was like.

Go and read The Little Prince. It's really a long parable on life.

it's getting hotter

"Who says you can't change the world?"

With respect to global-warming, the energy crises, pollution, will we ever change our ways/habits so that we can change the world? Tell your mothers to bring a cloth bag when they go NTUC, 2 if need be! I get quite incensed when i see youth-alivers take plastic bags to carry their bread bought from Garden near church. Will you die if carry the bun in your hand? Reuse paper that is printed only on one side. And if the paper has outlived its use, good gracious, walk to the recycling bin and dump them there. One more thing, stop buying bottled water!!! Why get bottled water when you can get it at home for it virtually free? Plus manufactured plastic bottles are non-biodegradable. [oh yes, i know they've come up with biodegradable ones, but i hardly believe they'll come to singapore]

And those vampire electricals like your handphone and laptop charger, UNPLUG THEM! or turn the switch off.

Now, who says you can't change the world?

ggr, bbr

The Prime Minister of Cambodia just severed ties with his lesbian daughter, just after she got a wife for herself. THEN, he also, in his statement to the press, said that we should not discriminate gays. What a hypocrite!

A friend from cedar asked me to be her girlfriend once, that was 3-4 years ago. Out of my curiosity, i started asking her about her past relationships and i think i got to know too much.

A lot of my Christian friends like to label gays as crazy or in dire need of counselling. And on the other side, gays themselves assert they are as human as anyone and were 'born that way'. I read the essay part of Time mag, in which the author laments how gays are not daring enough to be in major roles of films and movies. I was going, 'Huuuh?'

I'm still in the midst of finding a way to be tactful yet clear about my stand on homosexuality. But as i ponder, there's really only 2 options, to be a sympathizer or a straight-forward legalist. Blend the two and you'll be confused.

It's finally here

My first A levels paper, Physics H2 paper 3, is 5 hours away.

Save up your money for someone

Check out www.heifer.org

Go to their gift catalog... Anyone wanna share with me to pay for a trio of rabbits for some farmer out there? It cost US$60. It can be a Christmas gift.

Geez, since I started attending lessons at School Of Thought, I've become more emotional about poverty.

"Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not being able to go to school and not knowing how to read. Ppverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom. Poverty has many faces, changing from one place to place and across time... Most often, poverty is a situation people want to escape. So poverty is a call to action - for the poor and the wealthy alike - a call to change the world so that many more may have enough to eat, adequate shelter, acess to education and health, protection from violence, and a voice in what happends in their communities." - World Bank

You have two choices now, you can harden your heart and go on with your life or truly think about what you can do to help. For simple starters, caring for the environment helps alleviate poverty because the poor are extremely dependent on their land for economic support. We can all do something.

the growing gay movement

I'm absolutely torn between the issue of rights and dignity versus my Christian beliefs.

The Bible clearly states that homosexuality is an abomination in God's eyes. Forgive me, i'm not sure where it states that though. But it just is! Although people these days downplay the gravity of sin, sin gives birth to spiritual death. It doesn't just apply to homosexuality, but also to rage, jealousy, anger and murderous thoughts.

On the other hand, it is assumed in this "enlightened" age that everyone ought to have rights and in no way should the State rob that of anyone. Imagine if you weren't allowed to celebrate Christmas because Christians were hated? Likewise, to the homosexuals, the banning of anal sex robs them of their basic dignity, despite contributing economically to this nation. [they earn a lot you know, because gays are highly sought-after creative individuals..]

But at the end of the day, we all have to be accountable before the Lord. Blessed are those hold His word and commandments precious to their hearts, NOT by being legalistic but full of love.

My only concern is that religious people, especially Christians, get all fiery and judgemental, thus creating a bad impression of our perfect Jesus before others. Don't do that.

Love for myself or nation?

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee... the citizens of Singapore...well, you know the rest.

Alex and I had a mini debate about the government and policies. CHEEM right? I must say you had be quite intellectual to understand. Alex is a history freak and knows way more about Singapore and world history than I do, so debating with him was no mean feat. So i had to bluff some of my way through.

Me: Why are you anti-government?

Alex: There is no total freedom of speech and there many atrocities the government has done, especially YOU-KNOW-WHO, which are unknown to the public. Many of the major companies are state-owned. [Briefly: we all learn in economics that it's bad when companies are state-owned.] Eg, Singtel, Mediacorp, indirectly SPH, Temasek Holdings who has a 20% share in SIA, which is ironically supposed to be private, etc.

Me: Please open your eyes to see, firstly, there's no perfect government in the world. Total freedom of speech, which is essentially an American concept, does has its downside. Does it really matter that you know you have the right to stand in front of Istana or some state building and shout, 'You suck!'? Surely there are more constructive ways for us to vent our anger? Take away the government's influence from the media and you can forget about having free-to-air channels anymore. [ok, i didn't say this ytd, but it just occurred to me] Who knows, pornograpic channels will be widely available on screen after ten, which is not uncommon in Western counties?!

ALex: ...

Ok, i win. HAHAHAHAHA.

But he had some really good points. He had a lot of concern for the poor, who are experiencing depressing wages. OK, let's first defined poor. According to Mr Tong, the poor in singapore are way more fortunate than the poor in other countries. Even though the singapore poor suffer somewhat, at least they have a roof over their heads! If you have time, go youtube and type in worldvision. Look for a video that is filmed in Laos. Children at the age of 5 walk miles EVERYDAY just to take water and beg.

My dear friends, let's all learn to look beyond the hedge we have built around ourselves. When was the last time you felt compassion for someone? Not someone who has lousy grades or stay in a 3-room flat, but someone who finds it hard to live through the day. And about the government... let's face it, we can't do much about it. For now. except to pray for them.

Meet Mr Chan...

This happened last friday, after my graduation in vj.

Just as i was chatting away with Charles, sipping the chin chao drink he bought for me, I spotted Mr Chan, the principal of vj.

Me: Mr Chan!
Chan: Yes, what can i do for you?
Me: Oh, well, nothing really. Just thought of having a conversation with you, since I've never had one before, especially since this is the last day of school.
[i saw Charles taking a double-take]
Chan: Oh my, you're so sweet! sure.
[so he came to seat with us]

So i talked to him for another 15 mins, told him that he did give a really good message for our farewell assembly. Something about the Little Prince.. At the end, because Serene was waiting for me and refused to join us,

Me: Mr Chan, i have to go. I'm Anna, do remember me. :)
Chan: I can't promise you that but i'll try.

You know, he really looked pleased at how mature i was being. (muahaha) It took me a lot of courage to call him out because I don't remember ever doing something like that. Great leaders are people who will mingle with their followers, if they can, and I'm glad vj has a great principal. So if you ever feel you'd just like to have that impossible chat with a certain someone, why not give it a shot?

Physics. Love it or Hate it.

Q17. The temperature of 1 kg of hydrgen gas is the same as that of 1 kg of helium gas if

A) the gases have the same internal energy
B) the gas molecules have the same root mean square speed
C) the gas molecules have the same mean translational kinetic energy
D) the gas molecules occupy equal volumes

The above is an MCQ Physics qn from a revered, elite junior college's Prelim Paper 2007. Don't worry, it's not from mine. It's probably the easiest question I would find in the whole MCQ paper already, yet the question is full of scientific jargons, which i'll totally forget in 6 months. Can you imagine tackling another 39 such questions for A's? In 1 hour 15 mins??? Well, I can and i did it (for my own prelims), and I have no idea how i survived it, suffice to say that it must have been by God's grace.

Physics is probably the easiest scoring paper ever, unless you're a math freak, cos math CAN be easy to score too. But physics is one subject I'll never really understand beneath it's A level's surface. Heck, I'm already having trouble trying to make sense of the syllabus. Anyway, physics is all about formulaes.. And when you put in some common sense, tada, there you've got the answer, without knowing how you did it. [this is how i feel most times when i'm doing physics! it's a terrible feeling, doing something you don't know!]

If you haven't made sense about what I'm trying to say, it's alright. At least now, you'll understand how i feel sometimes. The answer for the above qn is C, did you get/guessed that right?

Prelims

Prelims ended 2 weeks ago and I have gotten back all my results already. Thank and praise God for everything cos I did pretty well. To me, doing well has never got to do with just getting As or Bs but rather whether there has been an improvement for the last test.
GP - D ( I so need a breakthru' in GP!)
Math - A
Chem - B
Physics - A
Econs - C
My Pharmaceutical Chem (H3) was crazily poor, i had 19.5/100. Teachers are suggesting to students to be absent from this exam. But somehow, even though I'll most probably fail this paper, I still wanna take it because it's just a matter of a try. It's not that I hate pharm chem either because it's extremely difficult, and if anything, i've learnt some interesting stuff out of it.

Prelims was a good period of time for me, in which I studied hard and felt quite prepared for most papers. For this, i truly give God all the glory. :)

All I want is You

You made me hollow inward
Gave me a bucket of tears.
Sleep cruelly eludes me,
Anxiety my constant companion.

Depressed, I turn to You
To find You loving me.
You held me in Your arms,
the sweetness of Your embrace.

Darkness pursued and
Confusion followed.
For it was to be a
Time of gleaning and cleansing.
Tears of sorrow rained,
As I saw my wretched state.
Blessed are all who put
Their trust in the Lord.

You carried me through
With everlasting arms.
Gave me parents full of godly wisdom,
And friends in my loneliness.
Fear wanted to imprison me,
But in Christ, she has no place.
Prayers desperate,
Yet You heard them all.

A ray of light and
A gleam of hope.
My darkness broke and
Your joy prevailed.

"A miracle!" I cry
"My God is so good!"
All glory unto Him,
All praises are His only.

I have just gone through almost a week of depression, of which symtoms include sleeplessness and loss of appetite. "Buckets of tears" wet my pillow and for many days, i cried out to the Lord for help. His Word was comforting and His strength amazing. It was an unusual time of testing in which I have learnt to depend and trust deeply in the Lord. I am weak but my God is strong. All glory be the Lord. Amen!

My IRRITATING upper ear piercing

A lot of my friends don't know this, actually i don't have a lot of them anyway, I had a ear piercing on my right upper ear in early July. It's no biggie but surprisingly to my Christian friends, those who know, were surprised and some even started to tell me that such piercing can lead to blindness! haha..

So why did i do it??? First of all, i met two good friends in JC who have pierced their upper ears and i liked the look of it. It took me 6 months thinking about it before i went to 77th street to get that 5-buck pierce. (must understand I come from a conservative and Christian background!) After i did it, i had a tiny, tiny inkling on why people do tattoos, piercings and body modifications: It makes u feel proud of what you have, and contrast that with feeling proud of WHAT YOU'RE WEARING or WHAT YOU'VE DONE. basically it's different. (anyway, i'm super against such things not really because it's shocking but because the Bible tells us not to hurt our bodies purposely)

Do i regret it? Well, a little. A week after the piercing, i suffered an infection; there was pus, some blood and LOTS of pain. My MUMMY gently cleaned it up for me, she was so nice about it, hardly told me off at all. After that, i inserted a thin plastic ear stick in. Another 2 weeks later, i swopped the ear stick for a pretty ear stud my friend bought for me. GET THIS: I had another infection the next day. so sue me pleeeeease. In the whole commotion, i lost that pretty ear stud.

Today, my ear hole still remains, i kept it unclosed with the ear stick. Just in the afternoon, i swopped it for the original ear stud i pierced it with. Because the ear stick is transparent, I don't think either Pris has been able to notice it. For the last 2 and a half months, I haven't been able to sleep on my right side, which is my favourite side as well. :( oh sigh.

the irritant

Grey Areas

During yesterday's leaders' meeting in church, just the youth, we had a heated discussion about grey areas. It was exciting, because youth leaders like us have the tendency to just keep quiet when Ps Aaron speaks, forgetting we have a mouth and an opinion each.

Grey areas,especially for Christians, are tricky aspects about life which we have no hard and fast answers for. WE all know we shouldn't have pre-marital sex, no murdering and the like. But what about drinking (just a TEENY bit?), movies (you don't expect us to watch only Pixar animations) and even something artsy but wrong? In June, i watched this live performance at Esplanade called Blue Love... this is the shocking part: there was a nude scene. OK, to explain myself, i didn't really take note of the warning which said 'some nudity, not for those aged below 16' when i bought the tix. Neither was I concerned about the 16-year-old limit, cos I'm 18! In the midst of Blue Love, therefore, i had to cover my eyes. (I loved the show btw)

My opinion about grey areas is everyone is free to do what he wants, but with freedom comes responsibility and the desire to honour God in every way. Preaching and teaching our sheep ultimately have their limits, every Christian must grapple with these issues themselves. Oh, don't forget too that there's also the Holy Spirit who will quicken our spirits to do what's right.

Girls' Night OUT

Haha, it's been a while since i blogged. I wanna forget my old blog, which i felt was too emo. Went out with Reb and Kelly yesterday and brought them to Glutton's Bay. The food's really good!!! We had Hokkien Mee, oyster omelette and satay!!! But it was costly too, i mean, for hawker fare standard.

Reb, Kelly and I agree that at our age (20, 19, 18) there's no better time to be excited about life. We talked about the future, a major concern was actually money. (Gasps, not guys apparently) All of us see ourselves in comfortable, luxurious homes and pampering ourselves to the max. Admittedly, there is something wrong with this image cos firstly, FEW, and i mean, really few can attain such a lifestyle. And why weren't we seeing ourselves as contributing inidivduals to the society?

We talked about guys, of course, which obviously there's no room for discussion here. THE main thing I wanna say is, life is really exciting (now), uncertain, thrilling and there's plenty of room for mistakes to be made, as well as regrets. Obviously I can't say I'm not gonna regret or make mistakes, inevitably I will.. so I'll put my trust in the Lord. In everything and for everything. I hoped that's what we three concluded for the night together.