I bid you a fond farewell

And so, with the final installment of The Hobbit released, 'tis the moment to bid farewell to Middle-Earth. It has been an honour and a privilege to read & to watch such a beautifully written trilogy. 

The epic tale of Middle-Earth has come to an end on screen, but it will never be forgotten on print & paper. I heart LOTR/The Hobbit. 

This is the theme song for the final installment of The Hobbit. It was specifically written as a closing for all six movies of LOTR & The Hobbit. *sigh* 

Blessed christmas :)

In the midst of all presents & performance & food, may I never forget the true meaning of xmas, & never take it for granted.

Merry christmas eve :)

cheers to drinks, feasting & merriment this season. (pic courtesy from Joyee's instagram) 

Random trinkets

This year I've been doing more thinking than usual. The stuff that occupy most of my thoughts are my future, graduation, what I need to improve on as I grow older, the books I've read or need to read, the people I've met or have been acquainted for some time and other minute thoughts that are too insignificant to remember. Put it simply, it's good to do some thinking and not just go through life  and waste another year mindlessly without thought. 

I'm turning 24 soon, and I'm acutely aware that there're a lot of things that I still don't know, especially out in the big bad world. I don't think my circle of friends feel the same way like I do haha. Neways, the good thing is when I look back at the past 3 years that I've entered uni, I can confidently say that I've learnt and grown so much compared to life before uni. Life in uni is so different compared to life in secondary school & F6. Uni moulds you to be independent in action and thought.  it pushes you out of your comfort zone and makes you discover your leadership skills. It is a platform to share ideas and to be diplomatic with one another during discussions. It makes one agree to disagree and to be level-headed in all situations. So many things lah... but all these come gradually in these 3 years, and it takes one to realize it when looking back in the rear view mirror. 

Anyway. Lately I've been looking at my bookshelf and seeing what books I can re-read just coz I ran out of ideas on what books to buy or borrow. So far I've done Marley & Me (cried again), to kill a mockingbird and lord of the rings trilogy. Re-reading a book makes you notice new things that you've missed when u read it d first time. As for now, I'm attempting The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien.

. 

The same author as the lord of the rings. A lil challenging to read coz if you're not a hardcore fantasy person like me, you won't know how to enjoy this. But, I'm giving this book the benefit of the doubt and am trying to read different genres too. I enjoyed reading the lord of the rings so much, so why not give this a try. ;) Happy reading, guys! Reading is good for the soul.

and here comes the end

It's a week til Christmas, two weeks til a church buddy's wedding, two weeks to 2015, and two weeks to the end of 2014. Yet again I'll always say  this at every end-year post: Time flies. (when you're having fun)

2014 was great with the good and the bad. From the top of my head, I'm just gona mention, the stuff that I can remember:
 teaching practicum, a very chill-out Fourth Year in uni, the passing of someone whose principles in life have changed my perception on things & tht i'll never forget, getting involved in the youth ministry, building friendships with the younger youth, sorting out my friendships from the good to the bad, and... that's all that I can remember.

Another year is coming to an end. Have you lived purposefully this year?

Finally, my community project is over. OVER! Phew! If you think my team mates are feeling tired throughout the planning process, the project manager aka me will definitely feel more tired & worn out ok. Spare me some sympathy & thought, if you may. 

Anyway, to me the project was a success. Yes, got tiny blunders here and there but it definitely didnt dampen the spirit. the students liked it :) I'm really encouraged to have met some of mich's students from CHS. They were sooo enthusiastic and were the initiators of everything, and this is good as it kept the energy level up for this event. I spoke to most of them and wow they're very proficient in English. Makes me feel like I'm talking to my older church mates. I like them instantly.  And also I think it's the environment that they're in (cluster school, good family bringing up etc) that moulded them into such positive individuals. Truly I'm encouraged by their lively spirits. 

Finally, I'm reli happy to meet my former students frm BB again. They're such fun sports! Nadia liked them immediately too :) I really am thankful for them to agree to come to this event so willingly without hesitation. They're the ones I owe a lot to in making this event a success. Without them, d event would be a failure. So... thank you once again 4K. first, for changin my perception & teaching me to care more during practical, and now this. Tcare

Food

To commemorate the 500th post, here are some of my favvv foodie pics consumed by yours truly ;)

chicken hor fun soup. super yummy. seapark.

Fatboys burger in publika. 

thursdvys in ttdi. smoked salmon FTW!!

fav korean joint in solaris. Yum. Sizzling pork slices dipped in special sauce. Slurp

rose hoegaarden beer @ brussels beer cafe with my uni mates

& surprisingly their pork burger was.. mmm wow

BBQ of a selection of meat for christmas thanksgiving. Sedap

section 17 burger @ The Grind. beef patty was nice

homemade pan mee by a friend's mum

Ikea meatballs!! You can never go wrong with this. But lately their standard jatuh. Meh

Bavarian House in section 17 tht sells good german food 

Now this; I've been craving for this. Beef pho noodles in thailand, but the closest is in TCM. I wannn

Atas roti canai @ namaste ttdi. My regular roti canai joint.

RAW salmon. slurp

Lai thai section 17. D most authentic thai food in PJ. broth is kickin

young folks

"Familiarity creates comfort. But comfort is often the enemy of improvement."

May I be receptive to change, learning new things, taking charge & being more responsible as I age. haha. 

Lately I realized tht thre is stagnation in a few of my friendships. All we do is everyday blabber and empty chitchat. While all of this is relaxing and fun, there is no growth. It's good to be around ppl with big dreams and a direction in their lives in order to inspire me, to have intellectual conversations with on how to deal with sticky situations, life, current issues, the future etc. All in the process of growing up. 

Thankfully I have my Father up above, my super awesome & matured bro, my wise parents & some matured church peeps to provide some insight & guidance. What will I do without you all :)