Just like every other year, 2013 was the year where I made new friendships, strengthen some but lost one or two along the way. Not exactly lost, but the friendships weren't as strong as before. Time changes things and people and perhaps the lack of communication weakened the bond. But I've also strengthened some with quite a number of friends I thought I'd never be close with, and i'm surprised and glad at how well it's going :) I lose some, I win some. 

Ok time for some pics: 

Had a good chat about life with them. I like talking with older people bcoz i learn to grow and mature and they broaden my perspective in life. Also we all agreed that we can share our lives better with smaller groups (coz we're all introverts haha) rather than in big crowds.

Christmas '13 with my choir peeps. It was a good experience leading. I've learnt so much and am really thankful for the few who were supportive in choir, who gave feedback, who helped out when I was too tired or stressed or didnt knw what to do... thank you (theyre in the pic..of course).

With my fav sista. We knew each other back in our form 6 days but we got much closer in uni. We talk about random things from movies to music to scully and mulder. :P she's loved by all!

This was one of the highlights of sem 5; berbonding time. We had waited for this for so long as we didnt have the chance to hang outside classes coz we were all so tied up. Michelle and I were so excited that we hope it will still jadi eventhough people were pulling out last minute. In the end it happened & twas a really good time of getting to know one another more. Good berbonding.

The four of us. We talk and laugh about random things.There was once we used the audio in our whtsapp chat & talked for hours. lol. and we took pics of wherever we were/wht we were doing and shared it in our chat. haha. My comfortable and sakai bunch of people.

Cheers to the friendships God has abundantly blessed me with! 

week 14 has passed! Yay! But the storm will only pass after finals. Ah well.. This semester flew by real fast, maybe coz I had nonstop assignments and choir practices. The weeks just kept coming and going that by the time I realize it, I'm in the last week already.

What a hectic semester it has been. Juggling choir and assignments was not easy but I thank God I managed to pull through and I felt that my time management was better haha. Like when I know I have practices on thurs and sun nights, I made sure I finish my assignments before those nights and that gave me a sense of accomplishment and responsibility. I like that :) 

I remembered one of the days last week was my first day ever where I could just wake up without having to worry about choir/assignments etc. I think that day was a day with no lectures or choir practices. I really had nothing to do and I felt kind of lost, like I needed something to do, to keep me occupied. I forgot what it felt like to have nothing on my schedule and when that happens, I felt a bit weird and couldn't get used to it. But it was a good feeling, nonetheless :) 

As christmas comes tomorrow, it will be the last time choir will be singing those songs, or the last of our practices. I feel relieved that it's ending, but also kind of sad too, all the fun and hard work will just be memories. A bittersweet moment indeed. 

Merry Christmas, everyone. Cheers. 

sing noel

Have yourself a merry little christmas, and may we not forget the true meaning of xmas :) thank You for coming into our world.

Week 14 and it's the final week of everything! Busy bee right now but sometimes I like this adrenaline rush & sometimes I dont. I jst wana crawl in my bed and shut out the world. blek. Or read a good book with coffee. 

Have a good pre-xmas week! i gotta dash now to do my work sigh. Blogging is one of the avenues for me to chill and gather my thoughts. haha. 

sampai dah December

everyone is saying bye Nov and hi dec. haha me too, Hello dec, u've arrived too soon but it's good because you make us reflect back on the past 11 months. Can't believe it's almost the end of 2013. It just seemed like yesterday was the beginning of '13 and lookie now, we're almost finishing the race. 

Can't believe too that it's been 2 months since the first choir prac started. Cepat. Our performance is drawing near and I can't help but worry over many things - small and big. However I'm reminded that God lives in me and He is my source of trust n strength. very thankful to those who've encouraged and gave me pointers during these 2 months. It helped me learn from my mistakes. :) 

so ironic, who would have thunk Dec is the busiest month of em all with xmas, easter production thingy and juggling my studies. All a student's life lah as they say. 

Have a good month, yall. 

btw, three glasses of Sangria gave me a minor skin rash. -.-" I know im not a very good drinker but rash?! huhu. this ain't the first time. I think it's an Asian thing. 

Today I looked up the behind the scenes of Lord of the Rings and immediately I was reminded of the magnificent scenes in the trilogy that left me in awe and wonder. Clearly this is the best movie of all time because the production is so, so big and all the actors had to stay in NZ for 15months (imagine leaving your family etc behind for that  long period) to film this. And.. every little detail counts in making this movie spectacular; from the costumes to the set design and even to the stunt doubles for actors. Amazing.

Once my finals are over imma do a LOTR movie marathon. :) yay

on a side note, i haven't been doing any reading lately. I didn't pick up any novels to read, sigh. Too busy perhaps. I miss the feeling of reading. :/

Oh well.. so many things to do after my finals! can't wait then :) Have a good week 

The Precious Search

Searching, searching and searching, but still she could not find

the One thing that brings fulfilment 

to the Soul;

The One thing that is the missing piece

to Life's puzzle;

that promises an eternal fountain of 

Joy

Hope

Peace

and Love;

The One thing that also allows trials and tribulations

so that we can learn to grow

and trust

in the One who is in control.

This One thing is precious -- more precious 

than silver or gold.

It is a relationship

with the One 

who carried the Cross

and paid the Price

for 

us.

Alas!
She found what she was looking for;
that ray of Light amidst the blanket of darkness.
A new heart, mind and soul,
she was never the same again,
for to live is Christ
and to die is gain.

-TM

Wow Hello November :) Time flies indeed. Speaking about time, I recall the latest bible study class last Sun. The person heading the study asked us, who created God? And he said God existed even before time. Wow. I remembered being refreshingly amazed and in awe of this. :)

Anyway... good news, my ankle is healing & no fractures. Finally went to see an orthopaedic surgeon & he gave me some physiotherapy exercises to do at home. See, all the trouble I had to go through by just one silly mistake of texting and walking down steps. Memang padan muka saya.

All is good so far. Getting busier as xmas/assignment deadlines draw nearer. But somehow I still manage. God helps me to stay afloat. 

I can do this! Nov, you are mine to conquer. 

Dear blog,

Today marks the third week of my injury. There is progress in healing, but I'm still unable to walk normally. I tried to, but there will be an uncomfortable jolt in my ankle. Why is it healing so slow?? :( And i noticed my left foot's muscles have weakened a lot. Sigh. Limping for 3 weeks already and I don't want it to be a permanent limp!

But a sprained ankle doesn't stop me from enjoying good food. FInally, I had authentic korean food!!! Yay. Sizzling pork slices, anchovies, kimchi, seafood kimchi soup etc at Little Korea, Solaris. It was real good. Thank u, gongcha whtsapp group for layaning my lunch request & being patient with my slow walking.

Till then we meet again, blog. I don't think I'll be updating very often since I'm getting busier.Hopefully my foot will be healed 100% the next time i blog. 

Yours,

TM

It has been a week since my sprained ankle and thank God it is healing. I can now limp and walk REal slowly which is a big improvement compared to last wk where i had to hop. Oh well. Lesson learnt. Doc says I should not walk unless i have pressing matters to attend to :(

A pic my close friend Hor Fun posted on my wall: 

hahaha. So apt. 

On a different note, I saw this pic online and it's such a great picture - being caught off-guard. In case you didn't already know, they're both best friends in real life. So sweet. 

On another different matter, the pic below is taken from a friend's fb album. She's been travelling around for student exchange and this happens to be in a library in Amsterdam. How. Cool. Click to enlarge and you'll be amazed. 

That's all. Today's post is all over the place haha. Have a good week. :)

Btw first choir practice was pretty good, praise God!

sprained

lesson learnt: dont walk down a flight of stairs while texting. 

it happened today; i was whtsapping while hurriedly walkin down a short flight of steps & lo and behold I fell forward and felt my ankle twist 90degrees to the left. The pain was immensely intense when I stood up. Had to clench my teeth ok

Then two girls behind me had front row seats to my fall and they went "Gasp!" but none came to help.

 Is it a reflex problem? Did they take time to process my fall and watch me struggle to get up? sigh

whatever it is, I am half-immobile now and it sucks.

i cant walk as freely as i want to. I have to rely on parents n bro to get me stuff -- even menial stuff like my bottle, tissue etc. :S and my left foot looks like mutated. D ankle swelled up to the size of a large ping pong ball. *cries*

 i wish i have clutches with me now to walk. At home I improvised by sitting on a chair that has got rollers beneath n jz roll around the house. hah. rock and roll. 

I'm in third week of uni and it has been pretty tiring. :/ Although there are few subjects, each subj weighs a lot more compared to last sem. I did a lot of thinking during some classes and after that my brain went dry. It's a matter of coping I guess. But the upside is classes either start at 9am, 10am or at 2pm! yay. 

This Sunday is the first xmas choir practice @ church ^^ excited, nervous and scared as it's my first time leading. Learning to trust God in this. May everything go smoothly. :) 

Cheers. Hope you had a good week.

K to the orean

I have a sudden yearning to indulge in korean food again (must be due to runningman influence). The last time I ate Korean was months ago at Little Korea @ solaris mont kiara for a small bday celebration.The food was uhmazzingsauce, prolly the best korean cuisine I've eaten, not like I have it very often oso. But there's something magical about this cuisine that attracts me. Maybe it's the broth, the colours, the spices or whatever that I find it unique.

Below are some korean pics I obtained from Google:

Yes. I love how they put diff. dishes in small bowls. Colourful and inviting. I like their small, fried anchovies. 

Yes again.. spicy octopus. My coursemate Wana whos currently in korea now for student exchange recently had this and she said it was brilliant. *yum*

Another fav is spicy korean soup. I love the aftertaste effect this has, leaving you inhaling for more air to cool your tongue. 

Tteokbokki aka rice cakes in sweet n spicy sauce. Chewy, spicy & filling, this is an absolute must-have when you go for Korean food.

Check out this cool korean food gallery for more delicious pictures. You'll be hooked in no time. 

Ttfn!

Drinking vietnamese coffee in the evening today was a bad idea, because i'm now wide awake. :( hence i shall blog about my awesome viet coffee. It's my first time havin it & my rating : 8.5/10. Very aromatic & gives a good kick. Good to have this in the morning to keep u awake.

Vietnamese dripped coffee wit milk. Highly recommended :) You can get this in TCM at a vietnamese restaurant, Pho Hoa. Their noodles are pretty yummy too, almost close to authentic viet noodles. 

it's back again

September reminds me of this mini-stint I did last year. try and spot me in my fav indian blouse ;p

Good experience being in the arts scene of KL, albeit a small part only. If any of you are unfamiliar with this, it's a competition of sorts for budding actors, musicians, dancers and comedians to showcase their talent to you, malaysia. check out more here: S+S  it's happening every sept annually.

hee promoting S+S here pulak. For me I would avoid doing this again while still in uni coz it's seriously hectic and draining. ALtho the performance only takes up 3days, it's tiring coz I had to rush back to my then-college to change and go straight to klpac for tech runs etc.. and not forgetting all the practices before the main event. But if this is your sort of adrenaline rush then go for it :)

 it's also the first time i composed music for a 10minute 'musical'. No joke k, considering how amateurish i am, with little exposure to music composition. But nonetheless it was exhilarating, awesome and cool to display your own music to other people, to be judged at and to have a small cast to dance according to yr own music.

So go for this. priceless experience :)

p/s: is it just me or is september flying past very fast?

Third Year!

I still haven't gotten over the fact that I'm in my third year in uni. For me, 3rd year is like the threshold, the "climax" of the entire 4-year course. It's diff from 4th yr coz when u reach it u're like, Yeahhh anything goes lah. You're the oldest tree in a sea of young, eager fresh greenery, and they probably see you as Treebeard from LOTR:

Yup. 

I'm half-excited and half not-so-excited about 3rd year :/ It's another cycle in the life of an undergrad. Quoth someone: "The never-ending cycle".

Oh wells.. this sem I'm just gona do my best for myself & for God. I'm gona try quit procrastination (this is a big promise but imma try!). 

Cheers to a new semester come Monday.

All this while I've been holding firm to my own belief that pianos are much nicer to play than keyboards. But after playing joseph's keyboard at yueensan's wedding 2 years ago, my belief was shaken. 

The keyboard was amazing; it understood perfectly whether i'm gona go into a crescendo or diminuendo mode, adjusting well with my mood. The keys are not too hard or not too light to touch but just nice. And the sound that comes out.. my gosh it's better than my own piano at home.

Conclusion: I have deduced that pianos and keyboards can be on the same level, but for the keyboard it has to be a good one like jo's. I think it's called Roland? no idea. 

Random post indeed. Happy tuesday.

And uni is starting next monday. *groan* maybe it's a sign that I've had enough holidays already.

This post is inspired by a good friend who jumbled up her name and came up with Asia Colion.

So I did the same and here it is:

Nice Hen Time.

o...k...

Or Cienne Minteh. i like this better than nice hen time. thx to Asia Colion who did it. sounds french/vietnamese-ish.

u shud try it.. see what other names ur name hold.

I'm now 2/3 through 2013 and so far it has been an interesting journey with ups and downs. I've learnt a lot from people; the way they carry themselves, their perspectives, their actions & how they handle life issues. I've also learnt to deal different kinds of people with very different personalities. Oh speaking about ppl I've seen the true colours of many friends where some are encouraging, some are not. 

This year will also be my first time takin over from Joseph to be conductress for church choir. and to be honest I'm nervous, excited and scared. I've never lead a big group before (ok CF doesnt count it's different) and especially there're people older than me, like 10+ years. A lot of 'what ifs' and expectations from people expecting me to be on par with Jo or better because I've got big shoes to fill. If I let these get to me it can be overwhelming and can cloud my purpose of serving. :( I don't want that to happen. sigh.. I mentioned briefly to a friend in church abt me doin choir n she said I need a lot of support -.- You don't say, sister. 

I'll hold on to God's promises and have faith that thru Him all is possible. Oh one of my fav lecturers posted this as her fb status: "It is not a matter of what God can do but your faith to believe what God can do for you". :)

Happy journeying through the remaining 1/4 of 2013. We'll see how things turn out :)

P/s i've realized the beauty of flat white and am gonna ditch my all-time favourite latte!! JOin me in my new favourite.

teenage life as we know it

While listening to a conversation between two 19yr old boys, I realized I can't really tolerate their immature jokes and teenage drama. :P A summary of it was quite a lot of foul language (I cringed), joke insults thrown at each other, shallow jokes about each other's well being and their life drama which seemed so minute compared to the drama adults face. 

I never felt so old in my life. Hate to admit it but annoyance started kicking in and I had to bite my tongue from being sarcastic. Kids, what do they know about sarcasm haha. This doesn't mean I don't like talking to youth. I really do coz they keep me young & going. But for this I guess it's just the way they communicate? Duno. 

It also made me ask myself, How did I even tolerate all these teenage goo when I was in my teens?! Gah. Then again I was once in their shoes so who am I to complain. 

But still!!

Trust me when you're my age or older you would know what I'm talking about.

In the meantime I wish them all the best in their teenage endeavours and may they see the light at the end of the tunnel like how we older chaps did. We made it & now we have a new phase of life to deal with -- bigger, meaner, harsher & packs a mean punch compared to what these kids face. 

Dear Joyce,

thanks for the warm catch-up today over coffee and velvet cake. It was great with laughter, stories, boys, old memories and your plans after SPM. I'm blessed by your friendship. Can't wait to see you grow and learn more each day, and finally seeing the woman you will become. :)

love always

miemie 

Sorrow drips into your heart through a pinhole

Just like a faucet that leaks and there is comfort in the sound

But while you debate half-empty or half full

It slowly rises, your love is gonna drown

*

I want to live where soul meets body

And let the sun wrap its arms around me 

And bathe my skin in water cool and cleansing 

And feel, feel what it's like to be new

-Death cab for Cutie-

making it count.

I regret not following up with people I'm supposed to. I don't know, I guess I'm too caught up with my own social life to make time for them. I guess by the time I'm done socializing I'm already tired and have probably forgotten to keep in touch with those i know i should have. 

 I have to really make an effort to make time for them and to build that sincere friendship. I have to quit making promises that I can't keep, like say "jom let's have lunch/coffee sometime" and then not do it. Where is my sincerity in saying that. :/  Yea that's my habit, I say ok let's makan sometime and soon tak jadi. Actually that's what we adults say to each other but don't mean it. It's... the norm to say it I guess.. or how the 'system' goes. Anyway...yeah it's never to late for me to realize this & change. At this age you cannot not think about all these stuff. :0

I decided to read and scan through my blog posts since '11 and I was cringing almost almost the whole time. :0

I started with year 2011 and oh man I can't stomach what I wrote. The posts were so... chatty, so light-weighted, so kiddish and innocent-like. And rarely any deep or thought-provoking posts. Then I skimmed through year '12 and it wasn't so bad but there were still traces of fairy-dust and cotton candy. And then comes this year where all chattiness ceased and the cheesiness died off. The mood was somewhat more mellow and the tone more mature. It's like the lights dimmed a lot more on my stage compared to 2011. And to be honest, I like it. I like the 'me' now, more thought-centred and mature. I guess this year, the naiveness toned down a lot compared to the last two years. 

I've changed.

Come thou fount of every blessing
Turn my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it
Mount of Thy unchanging love

memories are all that's left...

Today I received a shocking news from Michelle that my lecturer, miss Asma has passed away yesterday night. At first she told me at about 9 something in the morning that she saw an fb post by her friend about it but both of us comforted ourselves that it was just a hoax. Also because our uni did not issue an official statement about it.

However, in the afternoon the news was confirmed where the official statement was issued.

I'm speechless and at loss for words. Why..? she was so young... I will always remember her boisterous laugh, her funny jokes, her spontaneity and how she was the one who insisted to have my phone on her desk for 3 classes straight coz I was playing wit it too much... 

rest in peace, miss asma. 

Was just chatting with michelle my coursemate on fb and she randomly asked me: "Tien, do you love malaysia?"

I'm sure she meant it as a random question without thinking hard about it, but to me it was a question that made me ponder... Do i love my country?

When I was young I used to dream of living overseas because of the four-seasonal weather, cute sheep, cottage houses, beautiful beaches, good food.. everything that is not Malaysianized. But now as an adult, my perceptions differ and my dream has changed. I realized that I'm so used to the environment here and the way how things are. It's like my second skin you know. And it took something big like the recent GE results to make me appreciate my country even more. It was the first time I ever cried for my home-ground. Now that's another story for another time. 

So my answer to her was: Yea i love my country..i love the people, i love the food. 

Lol that is like a summary of everything kan. but i really really do love the people and food. :-) 

So recently I have been in love with a unique kind of comfort foot wear: Birkenstock. A friend told me it fits your feet like a glove. Really. The contours of the sandal is designed specifically to fit the outline of your sole where once you wear it, it fits snugly & comfortably. That's why I want to get it! It is not cheap and that's why not everyone is willing to buy it. Hence, I wana be different & be one of the few to buy it.

It is a sandal of rarity, of class, comfort & style. (in my opinion la). I WILL buy you this year!!

These two are my top choices for colour. :) Doesn't look cheap at all. Yummy. 

Today I had a good catching-up session over lunch with these two. It was great sharing our lives with one another, which left me feeling all warm & cozy. :-) The person missing in this pic is Diana. Come back faster from UK!

what the holidays did to me

I can't remember where I got this pic from but it sure is pretty calming to look at.

Since the hols are here I've been having the time of my life; relaxing and chilling to the max, except for some stuff that needs to be done like christmas preparation & visiting english classes as a requirement for my course. I've also done a lot of reading (very happy!), finishing the Tiffany Aching  & Hunger Games series that I bought in Feb. I was soo tempted to read it then but I controlled myself, saving it for holidays.

 I love reading. Can't understand how some don't like reading. different interests? not used to the habit of reading? To read a book is to be edified, to be taken into a whole new world to feel, to love, to sympathize, to cry. I've spent an entire day finishing a book because it's too good to put down. Everyone needs an escape sometime through a good book with good coffee. 

I've also done some re-checking on the friendships I've made throughout this year (or my entire lifetime haha). Quite cryptic huh. Some friendships are for keeps, some are stagnant where no one wants to probe further while a few needed to be released from my circle. That being said, it sorta opened my eyes to who are my true friends and who are not. 

Self-reflection also has been done. One needs to reflect back in order to improve... Yup. You'd be surprised how fulfilling this is. 

Running man has also been on my list! My fav show. :-) K lah I feel my blogging mojo seeping out of me. Tata! Until next time.

Feel

Yesterday evening out of spontaneity I decided to step out onto my front lawn to observe greenery & to feel the wind flowing through me. And I was not disappointed :)

The wind was surprisingly very breezy. I loved it. Loved how the cold wind (yes, it was cold!) blew through me, whipping my hair backwards. If only I my house is outside a beach...

I noticed too that the clouds were fluffed in a purplish-violet hue. 

My grass was mostly brown, prolly suffering from draught (haha) but there were specks of green growing at random spots. 

It was my first time in '13 to put down what I was doing to just step out to my lawn, be still, observe & feel.

Farewell, Year 2!

Exams came and gone with the wind & for that I am relieved that I survived it. Still can't get over the fact that I'm no more a Year 2 student, but approaching Third Year! Omg. I guess it hasn't sink in yet. And after 3rd year imma go for my teaching practical. Now that is something I'm not ready for. Quite excited but mostly nervous & scared for what it will bring, prolly coz i'm not prepared. 

Oh well. It will come. But for now, happy holidays! I'm gona be brain-dead for a while by doing everything else other than studying. 

Ending this with some wise words:

Day 5

fast forward 6 months & i'm feeling nostalgic of ALL that we've gone through; tough training, funny moments,  makan sessions, doing makeup together on performance day, the conductor's lame jokes & berbonding time. Twas a good group to be with. *cheers* to the good memories being made in '12. 

I wonder what this year has in store for us...? 

and so that wraps up the 5day photo challenge :-) it has been a pretty good walk down memory lane doing this. It's pretty fun coz u get to dig up your old pics and reminisce of those awesome moments.

All the best to my fellow war comrades this coming monday!! let's try our best for the last 3 papers. :-) See you then. 

Day 4: mango & ice cream. 

Source: http://www.recipesnus.com/ice-creams/mango-ice-cream

i put this pic because I've been craving for something like this. wouldn't this be awesome for a hot day?!? perfect. 

Day 3. 

This was last year during VBS with the youth. The biggest age difference between me and them is 8 years haha. I wonder how and why we can click. :p I guess, serving with young people really keeps me young & youthful, not tht i'm super old (but i feel old sigh). it also reminds me that i'm not a teen anymore, hence i should start to be more mature & responsible, to set a good example to them. Maybe, in a few years' time, I should be a youth teacher......(?)

Day 2 of the picture challenge:

TLC. the church i grew up in. Without the people, my life would be pretty dull & uneventful. It's also where I learnt a lot about life, music, how to deal with youth/kids... priceless lessons tht i've learnt. 

Let's do a picture-a-day-for-five-days challenge :) everyone reading this who has a blog is tagged. 

Pangkor trip with my coursemates.

 It was nice hangin out with them on a remote island with the perfect sun, sea and sand (minus the gazillion of flies eew) and talk about everything other than studies. All of them are unique in their own way :) It also got me thinking; during our graduation day, I think all of us are going to tear up for sure. I really can't wait to graduate! *throws phantom grad cap*

click to see it clearer. Ohmygash this is the second blog post about R.Man..

Because they are so worth watching. 

Did i ever tell you how much I love runningman? :P It's so funny, you just HAVE to watch it & get hooked immediately. Initially I had this runningman mental block (or a Korean mental block), but this show changed my perception. Truly funny and never fails to make me laugh. All of them are really good speakers with funny comebacks and sarcastic remarks. 

So for my favourite Egg roll frm d pic above would be Sparta/Grasshopper roll with Kiddy & Dance machine egg! 

To those who haven't watch it yet, you should!!! I'm giving you a 100% guarantee that you'll love it :)

discovery

pangkor, the island of sun, sea and sand. a mini-getaway with coursemates :) and as usual, every trip has its good and bad. 

Here're 2 pics of the beach!

this was taken on the first day of the trip at 5something in the evening. So pretty :)

and this was taken in the early hours of wednesday morning at 7am. so serene!

our feet on bare sand. love the feeling.

so, what I took back from this trip were:

1) the hidden beauty of beaches that I tend to overlook sometimes. 

2) tolerance on disappointment.

3) I am blessed with friends who taught me little things that make life more sunshiney. 

Cheers to study week break!

what can I say, week 14 has finally come and go! Can't believe Year 2 is over. It has been hmm, a not-so-stressful sem except for the remaining last few weeks where I'm thankful I barely escaped. Week 13 and 14 are always the toughest weeks because it's not only where students rush but also the lecturers where they too give last min work. Seriously, whoever said uni was easier after goin through F6 was prolly knocked in the head or something. the level of difficulty of each subject has definitely increased compared to the previous semester. And it shall continue increasing until my final year.

But i'm happy and thankful I survived Year 2! Wow. 2 years already in uni. Doesn't feel that way at all. In these two years I've come to see the true colours of some of my coursemates; some good, some not so. I've also learnt more about myself as each sem goes by. 

So... good bye, Year 2. You were nothing close to special. The only thing worth keeping are memories with my favourite coursemates. I'm glad it's over. I really am. Good riddance, finally. :-)

freedom?

I've come to realize I can't rant about my friends here because some read my blog haha. Want to talk about someone also cannot because they might read this blog. Seems like I've lost my freedom to write freely. Perhaps I should start over, get a new blog and only allow those few to read. Duno lah... but I like this blog. Sayang la want to close this down. 

We'll see. Anyway, I'm thankful for tumblr! It's a place of privacy. :) 

I've come this far...

It's week 12 and i feel it in my bones; the sky is clearing, the birds are chirping and the sun is coming out.

Year 2 is about to end.  

:-) 

About time!

I was browsing through my facebook news feed and I came across this caption (or status) made by a friend that fits the right frame:

"Reporting from stadium Kelana Jaya... where the rage of a disappointed rakyat echoes in every roar. Palpable anger courses through the veins of a people whose hopes were not meant to be.

Vox populi vox dei!" (The voice of the people is the voice of God). 

Aptly written indeed! 

On the solid rock I stand

"democracy is dead".

No, it is not dead! Please stop saying that. If you say it is, it means all hope is gone for change to happen. There is still hope in the darkest of night! We can cling on to that and do something about it... it's more than changing your profile pics to black.

This dark episode will be etched in my heart as a painful reminder of broad-daylight unfairness and uncleanliness. The hurt, anger and disappointment that i initially had upon hearing this news have been replaced with acceptance, hope and assurance for indeed, all is not lost!

-God grant us the serenity to accept things we cannot change;

 courage to change the things we can; 

and wisdom to know the difference.-

Seriously.

T-minus six days to General Election. And yep I'll be exercising my right to vote this time. :) 

Anyway, one thing that i don't understand; when i ask someone to serve in sunday school (worship lead, musician) or to play keyboard on a Sunday, when they're in church, then why give me the reason that they have exam period, or they need to study? After all, you're already in church so can serve what. and it only takes 30min to serve in sunday school. i'm sure you can spare just half an hour. Exam periods, so what? You can have the whole day to yourself after your serving bah. Unless you're spiritually tired, then of course by all means take a rest. 

Like the keyboard, for instance. Keyboardists are accompanying the main pianists for Sunday morning worship at 8.30am until 9.15am. So why can't someone play the keyboard within that time frame? and what's more, they're actually IN church, but with the reason that they're having exam period. Hmm. 

Just sacrifice 30min/1 hour boleh tak, for God. To be honest it can get discouraging, having people say No to worship leading, to playing piano/guitar etc most of the time. If there are uncontrollable circumstances, that i totally understand. But what if there aren't any? Ah wells. I can't force 'em to serve, because being forced to serve is no point at all kan. Might as well don't. 

Every time I feel discouraged, I'm reminded of the reason whom I'm doing this for, and it keeps me going. 

And so, here's a mini-rant from a worship coordinator. :P Now I understand what they're going through.

:-)

the reason why i don't blog so often is 'cause i'm focusing on assignments and life in general. :) Haha. hello, it's been a while. 

Lately I've been pretty busy until I lost track and got confused of who're the musicians playing for sunday service and youth coz I'm in charge of getting ppl to play for which month etc etc. :/ second year uni is no walk in the park. People think it is but it ain't. I have deadlines to meet, forums, presentations... and on top of that, my responsibility in church and home too. Believe me, it gets tiring sometimes. 

So, my deepest and sincerest apology to all events/meetings/ whatever that I've been missing. It's because I feel that I need a time-out for myself to chill. Not sure if you know what I mean, but deep down I'm sure you do. I wish to have another 1 week break to get more sleep and physical rest. don't worry, im not on the brink of insanity. i just need to chill lah.

Ah well... life won't stop for you or me. You gotta keep up with its pace. 

all these things

mm i would love to wake up to this view! so breathtaking, so enlightening it'll definitely put me in a good mood every morning. I'll prolly add some drapes or blinders to shut the sun out when too bright. But wouldn't it be so cheerful and calming if the source of light in your house is the natural light from the sun itself. Like my F6 lit tuition teacher's house; she has two very big windows  that allow the rays to stream in. very nice, very inspiring. like this: 

i think i'm obsessed with big windows.. they make your house look more warm, cosy, welcoming. :) Below are a few pics of warm and fuzzy houses I would love to stay in: 

if i have a living room like this, wow I wouldn't mind staying home for 365 days and having parties and makans over.

aw man. so pretty! perfect for slumber parties, journaling, studying, sleeping etc. (ps pics from google and weheartit) In short, I love houses with big windows!!!

Btw. Happy 1week midsem break!

just do it!

"because success need hard work."

Don't just say and do nothing! Do it!

over mcd dinner with a friend recently:

Me: dang i put on so much weight you know!! see my face; so round!!  

Her: No. You look the same to me. 

thanks jenna. i'm comforted :)

A pain in your....

hello.. it's been raining a lot recently, mostly around 2-5pm. does rain make you sad? are you influenced by external factors? For me, rain doesn't make me sad. Instead it makes me feel homey and more sleepy, urging me to have more coffee fixes. Sunshine actually makes me feel cheerful, like 'oh yeah it's gona be a good day!" 

this year i've re-evaluated some of my friendships; i realized i have little tolerance for a whiny friend, impatient with a weak, sensitive friend, annoyed at a friend who blurts out stuff without thinking etc.. even the thought of  them increases my boiling point per second. I really need more grace and patience to deal with these kind of friends coz not every friend is without blemishes. Even I have weak points. 

i read somewhere we should focus on their positive rather than their negative points. Hmm yeah i agree with that. And also to tell them off (diplomatically) if they cross the line. It's also for their own good kan. 

Don't you have your little set of weird friends too? i'm sure you know how i feel. 

w00t 2 more weeks and mid-sem break is here!!! 

change is here.

Hey! so i haven't been really updating because i admit i have neglected my blog :) 

March has been pretty all right so far. No major workload YET but a lot of makans and eating and nomnoms which is bad because i think i gained lotsa weight. shit, that kinda sucks.

firstly, MAM (music & arts ministry) retreat was fruitful in terms of planning and fellowship. Everyone got to know everyone better, had good makan as usual (makan is always in the picture) and planned quite a lot for 2013. Responsibilities and some workload to do, but hey I shall see it as an opportunity to grow. huzzah! 

taken from amie's fb :D here is the kickass mam team.

also, the boss aka joseph is going away to china for 3months and im a bit worried that the music dept will not run smoothly. gah. it will be under new management haha. do i have to be strict? as firm? Yes I will, only when needed. anyway there's always email so anything i can email jo. I will leave it to God and rely on his strength. huzzah! 

as a mini farewell for jo, we had good chicken rice in DJ & gongcha after. It was a good time of fellowship :) let's have more soon

cheers to a fruitful March.

the caffeine-induced pal

now you won't be confused which is which. :) jom let's bercoffee.

happy flyday! As for me, a weekend planning retreat with the music & arts ministry peeps is a good kick-start to March. :) 

fact in fiction

I just turned 22 recently and it was a great bday with birthday lunches/dinners/gifts with/from family, course mates, church buddies and campcam family. I am reminded of the people God blessed me with. :)

what does it mean to be 22? 

it means growing in thought, action and speech. It means seeing two sides of the story instead of one. It means looking forward to the future and what's to come instead of dwelling in the past and wallowing in regrets. It means learning to trust God more. It means making wise decisions and being independent. It means being more rational. 

I have plenty to look ahead, and plenty to reflect back. 

P/s: im surprised at how mature I am now!! and childish too. :P

sink in

It's been 45 days of 2013 and so far, so good I must say. My sem holidays have been nothing but pure relaxation. a lot. grey's, vampire diaries, bones & books have been my teman throughout this 1 month. Recovery from semester 1 perhaps? haha. 

as semester 2 comes in, i will be honest to say that i am not at all excited to go through the cycle again :/ this always happens after a comfy sem break where one sinks into their own comfort zone and remain complacent. -.- 

anyway the rm250 book voucher will be mine soon! jenna recommended me some books i should read. yay looking forward to some new books tucked away in my room. I like the smell of new books. pretty aromatic. or am i just kooky. 

oh there will be a change in sem 2. I have decided to not stay in my college because i figured that i need a conducive environment to channel my heart and soul into assignments and studies (hehe) (with all due respect to my room mates) :D so maybe the not-so-good sem 1 results were because of my staying in college!! hmmph.  so yeah. a car is needed so anyone is more than welcome to contribute to my mobility around PJ. xoxo

cheers, and here's to the coming of sem 2! *clinks*

take that.

poor monday. :'(

the grinch.

i dislike the red wong lais, firecrackers, fish, bird, tortoise etc whatever that people these days usually hang outside houses during this season.

i dislike the golden-glittered calligraphy stuck on walls.

i dislike the sea of red clothings, decorations etc

i dislike alien music with weird chords and terrible melodies blasting loudly in shopping malls. 

i dislike the formality of going to certain people's houses (people whom i've never seen before/people whom i usually meet once a year/people im not even close with) and do play-acting.

i dislike superstitious people who don't wear black on D-day itself. 

i dislike travelling back and sewing a fake smile on my face to every person i see, forcefully extending my hand and mouthing "happy chinese new year." 

i dislike everything about it. peace out,

goodbye!

woohoo it's so good to finish sem1. can't tell you how much i've been waiting for this moment... so long. so happy too to be out from The Hole! :D :D :D 

now it's a month of liberation! i'll use it wisely. 

happy holidays!

and so it is time

I've made a pretty big decision yesterday that will require me to step out of my comfort zone a whole lot more this year. It started with a whatsapp from a friend, and I decided there and then. Just do it!!! And trust God. Yeah! Anyway it's one of my new year reso this year: stepping out from my bubble. 

The fear is there, but I believe I can conquer it. He is able when we're unable. :-) 

que sera sera

this year, i'll be doing a lot of thinking, re-thinking of the values 'imposed' on me, pondering, questioning, enquiring, leading, having more responsibilities to hold, stepping out, being in control... a lot more.

there's a lot of good (and pain) in this.

In short, it's called growing up. 

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."

let go

time to let go. time to accept it and let it sink in. i'm truly happy for whatever God's plan is. truly.

yeps, it's time to release the dove and say goodbye. Have closure. 

I admit it ain't easy, but definitely doable.

p/s: don't mind me; i'm perfectly ok. :-)

proverbs 14: 30

-a heart at peace gives life to the body...