Compromising

For the past week, from Monday to Friday, I've eaten dinner out everyday. I feel almost homesick. Next week, no appointments. SHOO, everyone!

Do you know that when I turned 19, I told God that I'm staying single til my 21st birthday? The reasons are another story, but a big one was really setting aside the last years of my glorious teenage youth for ministry work and taking that buffer time to grow up. I thought this promise to God would be chicken feet. Staying single only what, no big deal right? Wrong! I don't really know how to elaborate, but the kind of single-mindedness and discipline is tough to cultivate. It's so easy to go on dates, flirt. They just seem harmless. But deep down, I just know that I'm compromising my stand with God.

Why am I talking about this? Well for one, for a long time I know my posts have been superficial. I find it tough to talk about my life. But hey, a blog is for influence right? So my point is, for the above para, yes this is one area I wrestle with God. True, I've read the Christian relationship books, heard from the older leaders and pasters, but that doesn't make application easy. Nevertheless, He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world. Just gotta run this race and trust God. :)

The power of perspective

Random fact: this is my 206th post.

Why do people blog? That's easy. We all just love attention. We crave for people to know our thoughts and the way we analyse things. When photos are posted, we're really just waving a flag to say, 'look at my cool photos. I'm having a life, what about you?' I don't mean all these in a bad way. I'm just saying, we are just really human.

In a more positive light, and to rephrase the whole paragraph above, it would go: It's important that our views are aired and our lives be portrayed. Blogs serve as a platform to know each other's thoughts and lives in intimate yet convenient ways. It is wonderful that pictures can be put up as well, for pictures paint a thousand words. Above all, I hope people gain some insight when they read my posts or at least, be entertained.

Picnic at Botanic Gardens

We've planned this for a week. I commented, on Tuesday, that I felt like Anne of Green Gables and that my Gilbert (Anne of Green Gable's husband) was missing.

Driving me crazy

My Dad just bought a Chevrolet Aveos, 4 years manual. Before he bought it, he texted me, 'Can you handle a manual car?' I replied, 'My driving license says I can!' So now, my family owns a third car, an object that I'm frustrated with. Gabriel sat with me for some manual driving practice today. I'm so bad with changing up and down gears. I'm jerky and scared most of the time. On top of that, I hate changing lanes and slopes.

I practiced thrice today. In the morning, I drove Gab and myself to Changi Village, did some parking there. In the afternoon, I drove to Yishun's Northpoint with Gab beside me too, after which he drove off when I dropped off. That afternoon drive was the worse! It was such a long journey. I live in Eunos! PIE, CTE, then finally SLE, then exit into Yishun. In the evening, after a long day with Ps Cat, Laureen and dinner with Ps Rachel, Dad texted me, 'Do you want some practice of night driving?' Well, since I REALLY need the practice, I said OK, though I was pretty tired.

This evening, I drove to Botanical Gardens, then to school and then back home, using the Altis, an auto car. Even with an auto car, things like sharp turns and changing lanes on expressway still scared me. Sigh. Nevertheless, I thank God I'm safe and sound. Nothing biggie happened. Whew. And I thank God for loving parents who were pretty encouraging, especially my father. He really wants me to get over this whole driving fear. Hmm, maybe so I'll stop asking him to fetch me around? :p

Choir singing

Good news - my choir conductor says I've got a good voice.
Bad news - my vocal techniques are flawed, so I'm destroying the whole blend of voices from the Sopranos. AND until I fix that, that's going to be a problem.

I love singing in the choir. But to sing well requires a huge amount of technique and practice. So the next time you meet someone from a choir, say 'Wow, you're so cool.' Haha.

Happy birthday to me

1) I've just turned 20! WHEEEEEE!
2) My cumulative GPA stands at 3.78. Hmmm, mixed feelings cos it could have been worse but I did so much better last term!
3) Next choir performance on 5th June! Please come!
4) Today's the 1st anniversary of the Sichuan 2008 earthquake. So please take a moment to think about the people who died and all the sadness in it.

LOVE STORY (Taylor Swift) meets VIVA LA VIDA (Coldplay) - Piano Cello - by Jon Schmidt

Wow. Makes me wanna play piano again. Hear the off beats and beautiful cello playing.