Twins' Scribbles

Ho ho ho Holidays!

2010-12-20T20:34:00.001+06:00

What you’re about to witness, is a true account of the adventures of S.H.E and friend without any adult present or supervision…what a BLAST they had!!! xD

Dec 6 TO MALACCA!

On the plane from SDK-KL, Sam and Han had good bonding time. Sam enjoyed spaghetti (which he slurped so loudly he prevented any sleep from descending upon his beloved sister along with most of the passengers on board), while Han had chilled chicken sandwich.

The plane experienced slight turbulence, and dipped suddenly, causing Newton’s First Law to act upon both Sam & Han’s teacups (with hot Lipton milk tea) in hand. The hands which held those teacups suddenly rose above eye and head level as the plane dipped low, threatening to spill boiling hot tea onto the shiny balding head of the gentleman in front…luckily that didn’t happen, so Sam & Han missed any drama which may have taken place.

Not long after that, the trio and friend whom we’ll call Tes here, along with a group of college guys, took a bus to Melaka. On the way, almost there, the bus started producing weird funny sounds, as though it were gasping for air, and the driver had to stop. The gang (including the trio & Tes) decided to wait at the roadside for friends to rescue them. And Malacca welcomed them with a smile. A double rainbow was painted across the sky. The pic only shows one of it though.

That night, after dinner with Elynn’s family, SHE and Tes were brought to Dataran Pahlawan where they saw amazing Christmas decorations and experienced the nostalgic moment of the Declaration of Tanah Melayu’s Independence.

(Left: outside restaurant. Right: Deco at Dataran Pahlawan mall)

Later, they met up with the gang at Perkampungan Portugis where the air is filled with Christmas anticipation and joy.

Dec 7 TO IPOH, PERAK!

The 4 musketeers had breakfast and headed for a quick visit to Malacca’s places of interest: the Kota A Famosa and Taming Sari Tower.

In the afternoon, they took a long, tiring 6 hour journey to Ipoh, Perak. On the way, they ate the tastiest, creamiest, most mouth-watering Malacca durian puffs. You’ve gotta try it (unless you’re anti-durian)! I heard they’re really great! Smooth durian flavoured cream oozes out as you bite into one! *drools* Thank you Mrs. Suah!

And finally they reached Ipoh, dead tired! With the little strength they had, they went cari makan in shops nearby the hotel. And boy, the taugeh there are really fat and juicy! By the way, I heard from them that the hotel (Regalodge Hotel) has really good service! *Thumbs up*

Dec 8 STILL IPOH!

Awake with stomachs rumbling, the 4 Musketeers were all set to explore Ipoh. (Below: A view from the hotel window)

But first, breakfast. And I had to say Wow! For the 4 Musketeers had a really sumptuous breakfast! Thanks to sharp-eyed Sam who spotted a good restaurant crowded with people! Take a sneak peek at what went down their oesophagus and into the tummies! *drools somemore*

(P/s: And erm, because they were too hungry, it was almost half-way through the meal that they remembered and began taking pictures of the food).

With tummies full and contented, the energised 4 Musketeers began to conquer Ipoh. However, places they went were not on their list at all. (Truth be told, they didn’t have a list. Just wanted to visit the Geological Museum). The taxi driver took them to Perak Darul Ridzuan Museum instead, because it’s nearer.

Next, they went to check out Perak Tong, as recommended by the same taxi driver. Amazingly, they managed to came out alive (though stinky with sweat) after climbing steep steps up the limestone mountain in which the temple was built. A whooping 450 steps all the way to the top. I think they didn’t reach the top, only almost there. But it was a feat nonetheless to Est who has mild acrophobia (fear of heights).

Next stop was Gunung Lang Recreation Park. This one provides wholesome fun for the family. The 4 Musketeers got to enjoy a pleasant boat ride on the scenic lake.

That night, they went to sleepover at a friend’s house. The family was warm and friendly. No doubt they had a good rest there, and even gained insight on life as a medical staff. Fruitful conversation.

And guess what? God provided good fair weather! All glory belongs to Him who created the Heavens and the Earth!

(Author says: Alright, I’ve got to go. That’s all for now! This is just part 1 of the holiday adventure I’m covering in this post. More to come as I will soon take you on a trip to KL with the 4 Musketeers! TTFN!)

Oh my books!

2010-12-14T19:36:00.001+06:00

Phew! Just cleared loads of spider webs from our bookshelves, and of course, from this blog… (words of opening for a new blog post always sounds like this, huh?)

And that’s when I come to realize that we own huge amount of books and magazines, all collecting dust and rotting away on the shelves. What a waste! The vast knowledge these books contained were not assimilated at all into our minds and souls! What’s the use of thousands of printed materials and thick books when we are not able to apply or even garner anything from any of them?!

When we are exposed to a fact, we memorise it when we deem it necessary, thus that information becomes a short-term knowledge. But this info is something which we do not quite fully grasp, and to retain it in our brains we have to keep repeating or memorising it. (Yeah…Sounds a lot like memorising definitions of biology terms ). Gradually, we find situations in which we can actively and appropriately apply that piece of knowledge, now this is called wisdom. However, if a learned fact is left in the mind untouched, not being retrieved for churning or digesting or applying, it disappears!

Now I wonder how many books of mine faced this same fate of just being a display item on the shelf! I know it may not be easy to put to practice everything we read, but it is good to remember that we will never own the knowledge in a book if no effort on our part is made to remember and apply it in our everyday lives.

Actually, I believe learning gets easier once real life applications are involved! This is a new challenge for myself too, especially in learning examination subjects like Biology, Economics, Chemistry… … I remember applying the pupil reflex when going in and out of my house, much to the annoyance of my roommie, because I kept telling her what the sudden brightness or darkness is doing to my pupils. That’s the way I am able to learn and remember at the same time!

Come on, let’s make the best out of the books we have and the Ringgits we’ve spent!

Time of “Testing”

2010-04-26T20:48:00.001+06:00

It’s been a very long while since this blog is last touched. Quite busy recently, getting ready for tests few weeks ago, Ethics exam, and now the end of semester’s exam is just round the corner.

Yet, always thankful for GOD because our source of wisdom is from Him, not through our strength and knowledge. However, sometimes we are so overwhelmed with our problems and tests that we seem to focus too much on ourselves, our studies. We begin to worry whether or not we have sufficient time to finish reading the textbook and past years, consequently brushing God aside for a moment. God, forgive us of little faith!

Truth be told, that is the time when we need to be still and KNOW that HE IS GOD! Time to see God GREATER than our tests, time to see Him WISER than us! For what is man’s wisdom to God? Trust in the LORD with ALL your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in ALL your ways acknowledge HIM, and HE shall direct your path, trust and hope in the LORD. ~Proverbs 3:5

Yipee! It’s time for GOD to take charge! I’m counting on YOU, LORD! (but I’ll do my part in studying :D)

Being Short (Arggghhh><'’)/Petite (that’s better^^)

2010-03-09T19:15:00.001+06:00

ALMOST 19 years have passed, we are nearly falling into “young adults” category….of course, no doubt age has began to catch up, fortunately, our maturity and intelligence are not far behind too. Nevertheless, one stubborn variable that chose to remain constant all this while (since age 13) is---our size/height (or lack of it…=S)

Both of us are small in size… (must be the jeans! Ahem, genes.) If mom and dad are reading this, yea yea, our fault too because we lazy bumps didn’t like to jump/exercise during puberty…== Ah, no use crying over spilt milk!

Anyway, just for fun post here, enumerating the “pros and cons” of being “vertically challenged” (~English translation: short~). To be frank, we DO NOT ENJOY being short…but we have to accept this obvious, in-the-face fact. Funny to say, but many people envy our height and size! What do we say to that? Well, we are humans and so most of us are not easily contented with what GOD gave us.

ADVANTAGES (some contributed by friends):

Easily avoid being seen (esp when teachers are choosing students to answer questions)
Can pick dropped stuffs easily (nearer to the ground)
Looks very cute (i highly doubt it…)
Easily squeeze through crowds
Tendency to be protected by others (another highly doubted thing)
Buying shoes is easy
Have reasons to wear sexy high heels
More stable (lower centre of gravity)
Do not have bend when standing in buses or vehicles
Do not have to duck to avoid tree branches or sign posts
Have wide range of choices of “mates” (applicable to girls only)
Looks younger (sometimes)
Can get children’s fare occasionally (entrance fee etc.)
Use less shower cream compared to others (smaller total surface area)
Sometimes can be clumsy and not regarded as clumsy, just cute =P

DISADVANTAGES

Tendency to be looked down upon (literary & non-literary)
May suffer from neck pain during conversations (looking up to taller people)
Have to stretch a lot to reach higher places
Have to smell different odour and breathe in used air (esp in crowded area where ppl sweat…eewww)
Easily blocked by others (when wanted to be seen/ wanted to see something)
Hard to find suitable clothes (found mostly at kids’ section)
Need greater effort when carrying things (Esp things like luggage that’s as tall as you)
Ignored by peers because regarded as kids (look kiddish =(…)
Doesn’t usually look good in most fashionable cloths
Easily knocked down (by taller persons & cars)

I think that’s what I can come up with for now…haha.

Anyway, I’m just thankful and trying to be the best I can be, doing great things for Him, in this little body God blessed me with!

Walking in the Light

2010-03-05T16:12:00.001+06:00

Last night, we had cell group, a time of fellowship and learning of the Word. We will be studying the book of 1 John. We started with 1 John 1:1-10, a short but concise passage, showing us essential truths.

1Jn 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleansed us from all sin.

Our Cell leader shared an interesting story (circulated by email) about a professor who asked his class whether they believed that God created everything. All the students said yes. The professor then challenged them, saying, “If God really did create everything, He is not a good God because He created darkness and evil.” The students were dumbstruck and were not able to answer him. However, one particular young man stood up and said, “God created everything, light and goodness. He did not create darkness or evil because darkness is the absence of the LIGHT God created, while evil is the absence of the GOOD God created.” How true! in the absence of God, darkness, fear, hopelessness dwells!

In light, darkness flee. Light is associated with hope, peace, joy and security, while darkness only reminds one of fear, despair, sorrow and uncertainty. When we walk in the light, the paths before us are clearly seen and we have confidence not to stumble and fall, we can see our destination clearly.

As the Light of the World, Jesus Christ came into the world filled with sin and filth, we begin to know hope and freedom. We no longer have to grope around for a way out, for freedom from sins, for love and acceptance, for the gateway to eternal life, because the Light from Heaven died as the penalty for our sins. Jesus is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. Through faith in Him, we are citizens of the Kingdom of Light!

~JESUS LOVES YOU VERY MUCH!!! UNCONDITIONALLY!!!~
`

Be Anxious for Nothing

2010-02-27T09:30:00.001+06:00

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” ~Philippians 4:6

Appointed as transport coordinator for our CF, I received “advices” from seniors and even super-seniors, that this ministry requires lots of prayer. Drivers have to be contacted, number of people attending CF has to be estimated and number of shuttles have to be taken into account.

Thank God for His faithfulness and grace. For His grace is truly sufficient for me. He blessed me with an efficient “partner-in-crime” who plans everything well.

I am indeed thankful for all the drivers God has provided for us--- the church uncles and aunties, as well as seniors and my peers, who sacrificed their time to serve God in this ministry. *God, may you grant our drivers strength and joy in serving you! Multiply their time and prosper every work of their hands! Amen.* For this is not an easy task, they give up their personal time and strength to fetch others to and fro CF, always last to reach hostel.

Each CF would give me another chance to experience God’s goodness, even though not through great thunders-and-lightning way, His acts of love is tangible. Most of the time, I would be anxious about transport because something usually crops up at the last minute to cause a lack of transport or drivers. But God works in ways we cannot see, even 5 loaves and 2 fishes fed 5000+ people. So each time, miracles happen and we always ended up with more than enough transport for everyone!

Praise God for His goodness and mercy all this while in my ministry. I know I ought to be anxious about nothing, for He has control over my life and I am in safe hands.

Valentine’s Special

2010-02-13T08:57:00.001+06:00

Found this on the internet and would like to share it here…

"Wait For the Man"

Adrienne Sadosky
Pittsburgh Standard

Wait for the man who pursues you, the one who will make an ordinary moment seem magical, the kind of man who brings out the best in you and makes you want to be a better woman.

Wait for the man who will be your best friend, the one who will drop everything to be with you.

Wait for the man who makes you smile like no other guy makes you smile.

Wait for the man who respects and loves you for who you are, not who everyone else wants you to be.

Wait for the man who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats and no makeup, but loves it when you get all dolled up for him.

Wait for the man who praises God for you, and encourages you daily in your walk, and most importantly, wait for the man who is more in love with God than you. (note: this is most important!)

Someday, someone will walk into your life and make you realize why it never worked out with anyone else...

Bonding Moment at Bukit Cahaya

2010-01-28T06:51:00.001+06:00

Just a brief post here about my (Hannah’s) short trip to Taman Pertanian Bukit Cahaya on the 22nd-23rd January 2010. Organised by our Christian Fellowship seniors, the main objective of this trip was to foster close relationship between committee members of our CF.

The place was in Shah Alam and we went there in our trusty church van. There were 16 juniors and 5 seniors. Obviously, there were also more girls than boys. Our lodging place was known as “Kampung Idaman”, haha, cool huh? And our chalets were Pak Alang Negeri Perak for the girls and Pak *whoops…forgot* Negeri Terengganu for the boys. The exquisite architecture designs are based on real traditional houses of each state in Malaysia. Sadly, I hadn’t been able to see either Sabah or Sarawak chalets.

Pic below (from left): The boys chalet (less spacious than girls’), and the living room (the girls’ chalet)

We started off with prayer and the fun began. We were led into a series of icebreaking games in which my group managed to escape punishment in the form of lipstick doodles on the face. But I guess it would be fun to get our faces decorated once in a while. Next, we broke into 2 groups and were given tasks to do. A lighted candle and balloons tied to our ankles were placed under our care.

1. Build a drinking straws tower which reaches a specified height without talking with group members. Our mouths were sealed with masking tape. But because of all the sweat and saliva, it didn’t adhere properly. Hehe…

2. Members tie themselves facing outwards to a piece of newspaper with balloons placed atop. Balloons must not fall off. Meanwhile, there were keys and hangers scattered all about. Hangers were for attacking enemies while keys were to open the locks later.

Obviously, we were having A BLAST!!!!

Unfortunately, we became too preoccupied with attacking each other till we forgot our main goal, not to open the locks but to keep the newspaper intact and balloons safe. Hmm, lesson learnt. Just like serving God, we should always come back to our main purpose---glorifying His name and not be distracted by all the things we thought was important around us.

That night was supposed to be barbecue night. Unfortunately, it rained like cats and dogs. In spite of that, the boys insisted lighting up the grill and they sang in the rain. In the end, food was barbecued on the stove instead. (Note: the chicken wings and drumsticks were marinated by Jan, Cecilia, Yee Farn and me on Thursday 10pm-11pm, tiring work!)

After the sumptuous meal, we had a brief meeting. Then, we began the Smugglers’ Night, prepared by the seniors. The game started at 12am exactly so eerie atmosphere blanketed us as we await at the game site (the boys’ chalet). We were told that there will be guards with torches in the house who could catch us by shining on us. Our goal was to deliver a note to the Collector hidden inside. There might also be a Deceiver disguised as the Collector. By the way, it will be pitch dark in there with obstacles laid on the floor. We were only allowed to enter one at a time. Noise and sound will attract the Guards. If team members were caught, we had to choose to save him or to find the Collector. Most of us chose to save our friends from the dungeon (the toilet).

Thank God I managed to grope my way around and as I am of small build, I easily slipped away from the Guards and came out alive. Haha!!! Funny and scary the way the Guards say: “I hear sooommmeeeoneee….” or “Someone’s in my Hoouussseee….”. ESPECIALLY when it’s already past midnight. Below shows our expressions when we knew what lies ahead.

That night (or rather, morning), I slept little because of aggressive group of mosquitoes feeding on my legs, back and face! I slathered on Tiger Balm, a thick layer of it, on my whole body, including on my pants and socks but to no avail. Hence, I spent the whole dawn scratching, covering, and applying medicine to ease the itch.

Daylight finally came, and I along with 3 other friends went for a refreshing morning walk. God showed His majesty in nature. Really was refreshing to see the breathtaking pictures God paints using sunlight and trees.

Later part of the day was spent wandering around the Taman Pertanian with main stop at Four Season. A place which showcases plants and real atmosphere of the four season. Around this time, we got the chance to experience the freezing cold winter, temperature of –2degree C! However, the feeling was just like being in a freezer. Trees and plants were dormant so it looked quite deserted and dead.

Pic below clockwise: Just outside Winter area (Frm left: Jan, Grace, me, Yen Mei, Sarah), Snowman and igloo, frozen roots, sleeping trees (real ones!)

Below are sceneries taken (clockwise from 1st pic on left): Lake on the way to Four Season(x2), morning scenery, shafts of light through the trees, exploring the place together.

Visit to Assunta Hospital

2010-01-15T20:07:00.001+06:00

Recently, a friend of mine from our Christian Fellowship, whom for now shall be known as Fred, was admitted to ICU for he had dengue fever at a critical stage.

We departed from hostel in a van full of guys, there were only 2 other girls with me. We got our directions from Google maps and I am here to say that it was reliable. After a few hours drive, we finally reached PJ, Assunta Hospital.

Fred’s parents were by his side, and they welcomed us. They looked relieved and quite well rested. Everyone waited for their turns to visit him as the ICU rooms only allowed admission of 2 visitors per time. Good reports spread and indeed we found his condition improving, he regained his appetite. He pointed out that his arms hurt (they were severely bruised) because needles were forced into them for blood sampling. I am glad to see him better again, all the more because his humorous nature was still intact. When I asked whether he remembered me (it has been quite a long time since we last talked), and he said, “You’re H-A-N-N-A-H…” Smiles…cause he didn’t know how to spell my name the first time so he kept repeating H.A.N.N.A.H just to get it in his head. We prayed a brief prayer of healing for him before we left.

Upon leaving the building, we realised our driver lost the parking ticket which was supposed to be presented on our way out. The fine will be RM30 for the loss, hence everyone franticly “turned the van upside down” in search of the tiny card. But we failed. So, one of our girls went and begged mercy from the security cum parking officer. We prayed hard. And to glory to God, he let us go and we all shouted our gratitude to him, bade him goodbye with “GOD BLESS YOU”s and high fives. Thank you Lord, for such an understanding guard.

Dinner time. Some guys introduced the rest of us to a food court in Subang, near Taylor’s Business School. The guys became extremely excited and they effusively ooh and ahh-ed over every “cool” shop we passed by. Their behaviour was most probably due to the lack of shops and facilities back in their hostel area. Indeed, an array of food stalls awaited us, sending out smells of food which wafted temptingly into our nostrils. In the end, I had a mushroom chicken rice while others tried western and weird fried mushrooms.

Anyway, to my amazement, almost all of us were from east Malaysia, majority from Sarawak. Thus the Sarawakian gang happily chatted away on our way back. Thank you Lord, for granting us safe journey. And thanks be to God for speedy recovery of our dear brother in Christ.

Brushing Up on English

2010-01-14T13:41:00.001+06:00

Good day! Been busy updating blog, as you can see. The reason? I’m posting as much as I can while I’m still free to think and go online.

Well, my extremely, unbelievably low marks in my English essay has finally triggered the red alert: MUST IMPROVE ENGLISH! Since God has allowed my sponsor to generously offer me a study opportunity in UK, I should be up and about brushing up on my English. Here’s a picture I “saved” from the internet, my future twinning destination---University of Nottingham, UK. Totally heavenly. Thank you, God.^^

So, we are embarking on a whole new journey. By the way, our English lessons have morphed from fun to serious. That’s because we will be taking IELTS this year, no play-play. Today, we did our speaking practice. Speaking is actually my weakness, which by God’s grace, I hope to overcome. Speaking tests require candidates to be calm, confident, fluent in the language as well as having the ability to express mature views on issues discussed.

To begin with, our lecturer decided to split us into 2 groups for an activity which she called “speed dating”. Don’t worry, we were allowed to date those of the same gender today. Haha. The main point was to make us comfortable conversing with our friends in English. So a group of individuals will be “the dates” and the other was “the interviewers”. I was one of the dates and I got to pick any interviewer I like. We changed partners every 5 minutes. Now that IS speed dating! Hehe!

I tried my best to eliminate Manglish elements in the conversations with my “dates”. Unfortunately, I only managed up to self introduction, then all the “lah”s and loh”s and “where got”s came spilling out like an overflowing river. Arghh. Irritating bad habit. Meanwhile, some of my “dates” encounter the same problem too. =) Sample conversation:

Me: Oh, so you’re from Penang…it’s famous for food, is it?

Date: Yes, there’s Penang char kuey teow for example.

Me: So, how much ah, the food prices at hawker stalls?

Date: Erm, normally ranging from RM3 to RM3.50 loh.

Me: Ohh…quite cheap also hoh, compared to places like KL.

So, we spoke in minimum amounts when the lecturer came by, embarrassed by our typical Manglish conversation in an English class. But speaking that way somehow proves that I am a Malaysian. Should we carry on preserving our proud Manglish heritage in UK? I wonder…

But where got people speak like that in UK? Everyone will be speaking good and real English mah.

To be on the safe side, I’d better practice and brush up my English.

Illusions

2010-01-13T20:21:00.001+06:00

Not long ago I watched a movie entitled “ A Beautiful Mind” about an eccentric but brilliant mathematician by the name of John Nash. His major breakthrough in his studies was when he improvised an economic theory, subsequently got his dream job.

John was recruited into a secret taskforce to crack the codes of the Russians, to track their latest directions and prevent future attacks. However, only towards the end of the movie did we discover we were actually perceiving the truth from within the distorted mind of a schizophrenia patient.

All the fears as a secret agent and the attacks by Russian soldiers were merely illusions which came to life in John’s mind. His closest friend and roommate during uni life, Charles, whom he often mention to his wife, was also one of his fictitious characters along with Charles’s niece and the Secret Agent officer.

John had been living in illusion all along. The “important” moments in his life did not existed. What a shock it was to be zapped back to reality just to find that you have wasted your time, energy and enthusiasm on something far from reality.

Maybe that is what the Devil wanted too. To keep us in illusions, out of touch with the fact that God loves us. He crowds us with worldly riches that we work day in and day out to garner. We are blinded and do not see the need for God’s love in our lives as well as in the lives of others. We perceive the world through our erroneous views, often placing ourselves or wealth on the pedestal.

This is a sad truth but many a times we forget that we are children of God, with authority over all circumstances. We forget that we are chosen people, royal priesthood set aside for His service. We blended in with the ways of the world and loved what the world loves; and hated what the world hates even when God’s will is the other way round. It’s time for a great awakening---only achieved through knowing clearly what God’s will is---only achieved by digesting the Word.

I’m born again. I abide in Him and He in me. Today I’ll wake up and see with spiritual eyes. God, give me the strength to finish this race on earth, and to break free from illusions pressing in on me.

AMEN.

Driving with Confidence

2010-01-10T19:19:00.001+06:00

Haha…mom didn’t had confidence in our driving, so she got us a driving sifu to bring us out to “safely venture into the wild traffic world”…in the ALMIGHTY FIERY RED Kancil ^^

It was quite an experience, because it opened our eyes to see that we were not really ready for the fast and furious…I (Hannah) had really a hard time controlling the steering as the sifu uncle kept saying: “Control steering…control…” until he sighed and had to literally “give me a hand” on my steering. Nevertheless, the frequency of this situation greatly reduced after 2 hrs of “practice”.

I also realised that I am infected with “roundaboutphobia”---the fear of roundabouts. Approaching any roundabouts, my palm be DRIPPING with sweat (exaggeration present) , chill zaps down my spine and a fight or flight mechanism is immediately triggered, who knows why. The intensity of the symptoms increases with the increase in amount of cars, who knows why. By then, I will instinctively stomp on brake, press clutch, grab and force the gear free…simultaneously, within 1 second. By this time sifu uncle will already be pale and yelling in Hakka: “Slow down! calm down, one thing at a time!” while franticly steering from the passenger seat. So I make sure I prayed for safe journey each time I go out driving. I’m quite sure sifu does the same. =)

Anyway, I’m real good at speeding! I can press on the “oil” non-stop till meter goes up to 60km/hr!!! BTW, I’m not allowed to go beyond 50km/hr. Sad =(

Well, I just hope someday I can drive with confidence like any other people, without having to worry about road traffic, red traffic lights, steep slopes or the weather. I hope this day will come soon…but before that I’ll need several hours of parking practice too! Haha.^^

Alrite, end of story, gotta go study. This post is actually to test the effectiveness of a new free programme that comes with the Windows email. Because I wanted to be able to update the blog easily. Goodnight!

Adorning and Equiping

2010-01-10T14:12:00.000+06:00

After the more tahn a month break, it's time to get back to school...college, that is.

It surprised me to see familiar faces, but with thoroughly unfamiliar hairstyles on their heads! (This is about the girls)...hmmm, many had major "makeover" during the holidays. Although the outward appearance changed, from good to better, from pretty to prettier, I was wondering about the inner self. Did that become better too?

Our minds are bombarded daily with images of pretty faces (usually under thick cosmetic make-ups), stylish clothes and branded handbags/sunglasses etc. Needless to say, this often tempt us to be materialistic in the way we look, just to impress others. We feel extra good when others say, "Look at her shoes! Those are hot!" and then people will come flocking around us because we are cool, stylish people. What does this mean??? Vanity!

I am saddened by this widespreading phenomena:
Teenagers who painstakingly put on make-ups, adorning themselves with all things stylo and fashionable but do not even bother to improve their inner being with knowledge. Seeing youths abandoning their studies, their family, and even their Creator and seek fun from the gang of friends who accept them for their looks/styles. Study became totally uncool, God became unreal, helping out the family is lame.

Youths, wake up! Beauty is fleeting! Yes, you may have beauty which attracts the opposite sex, so what? Do you really want people who like your beauty only instead of you? What is the point of having lots of company when you are actually lonely within? Is this kind of love and attention satisfying?

Anyway, as Christians, I believe we are from the world but not of it. We do not operate under the laws of this earth. We are under God's will, acting and thinking righteously. Hence, let our hearts be pure and let us yearn for God's presence and love. Adorn ourselves with the beauty of Christ: gentleness, humility, kindness and AGAPE LOVE. Equip ourselves with spiritual armour, enrich our minds with the Word of God so that we can stand and fight when temptations come, and emerge victorious.

GOD BLESS YOU,

Let the pure beauty of God radiate from within.

Looking back at 2009, Moving forward to 2010...Part 3

2010-01-01T15:41:00.000+06:00

July-Nov

Our college life really begun, although we do not at all feel like we are grown up college students. We relied on God everyday in our studies, because without Him, we are not able to do anything. Throughout these months, God was real and close to us. College life has led us closer to our Father in heaven. There were many lessons learnt these few months, God has made us realize the need to trust Him and not lean on our own understanding in every situation.
God had also blessed both of us with a church, a family in which we can be nurtured, grounded deep in the Word of God, and grow. We met wonderful people in church, eveready to give us the encouragement we need in our ministry.
Exam season came, and we cling onto God all the more, when thosse around us were in a study frenzy. Lights were on at night, everyone seemed to be stressful. But we trully thank God that we were able to study everything we need without having to be pandas. Although there were some sleepless nights before the exam, God helped us to stay awake and have clear mind during the exam. Now, we done our part by revising, and we trust God to bless the works of our hand, for the workers labour in vain without God's hand upon their toil.

Dec

A season to remember the birth of Jesus with our family. We cherished every moment we have with our family, and our family in our home church. We had a great time with our friends in Sandakan, and were thankful to God for how much matured they grew to be.

Final note, we thanked God for the abundance we enjoyed in 2009 because of His faithfulness and love to us. We will look forward to experience much more of this abundance and breakthrough in every area of our life, and seek to glorify His name in everything we do. Our theme for this year, same as the theme of our home church, which is to be "Abiding in Christ", that we may enjoy His presence every second, bear much fruit and bring glory to His name.

Thank you, Jesus. May this blog be dedicated to sing and speak of the wonderful blessings that God has poured into our lives.

Looking back at 2009, Moving forward to 2010..Part 2

2010-01-01T11:36:00.002+06:00

Now for the 2nd quarter of the year:

Apr:

Many -many interviews to attend, even though we felt that we did badly at every interview, we still trusted God, although sometimes we doubt -how can God help us secure a scholarship when we made a mess in our interviews? Nevertheless, we were sure that if all these doors were closed, He would always open another door (even if it was Form 6).
A door was opened for us, we got matriculations while most of our applications for scholarship were turned down, even the one we hoped for the most--perguruan gave no news. Yep, we figured this is the door God opened for us since both of us got it and both to the Labuan campus.

May:

Before going into matriculations, we got good news that Yayasan Sabah is awarding both of us a scholarship to study early childhood education, which was our passion. We decided that this was "the door" God really opened for us, so we accepted the offer. However, we still went into matriculations for about a month.
In matriculations, we were neighbours with our taska friend, which made the short period in matrics fun. Although there was constant shortage of water supply, and we had to carry pails of water from ground floor up to 3rd floor, we were grateful to God that He toughened us for survival. If we survived matrics, we can survive anywhere else on earth. We also met friends from Sarawak, God had enlarged our friendship circle.
In matrics however, God had another surprise for us. Our previously rejected JPA applications which we appealled, was approved. Its all a "terima" click away. One of us gladly accepted, as the course was "ok" for her. The other one (me lah), struggled because I didn't want the course offered. I decided to go for Yayasan Sabah scholarship anyhow.
We left matrics end of May. Both of us had decided by that time, that we would take JPA's scholarship, because that way, dad and mum won't have to worry about us at all. God is good, He made everything turn out for the good of those who love Him. We were among the few who got the scholarship. Thank God!

June:

A new life began the day we both went our separate ways. This was the month that both of us, unseparated since birth, was separated---far apart---different environment---yeah, totally different. God's grace enabled us to have many wonderful and true friends around us, eventhough we thought we left all the best-est friends we could find by moving forward. We were in the midst of the brains of the nation, and were humbled (not that we were proud before this, but the fact that everyone around us are cream of the crop, awed us all the more). We knew we need to trust God all the more to be able to excel in our studies.

Looking back at 2009, Moving forward to 2010...Part 1

2010-01-01T09:26:00.000+06:00

Well, the end of the year 2009 has flitted past...this time is always for reflecting upon the year, how much God has provided for us. Here is a chronological list of what we experienced throughout the year and we are grateful to God for being there for us whenever we need him the most,

Jan - Mar :

Just after SPM, working at a taska. God led us to meet our very unique, funny, best friend. We shared our stressful workload together, and fun moments at work. She made us see things in a different light, because she is one funny and cheerful friend. Thank you, CMT! (If you are reading this...)
This period of time, we were also busy hunting for every possible scholarship, as we do not want to burden our parents financially. We applied for Shell, Petronas, JPA, Yayasan Sabah, Perguruan, Khazanah, Sime Darby hoping that the probability of getting at least a scholarship is high. Meanwhile, we also placed hope on matriculations. We prayed for God to open a door for us.
The climax of this first quater of the year is our unexpected SPM result. Truly ALL glory be to God! For it is by His grace and mercy that both of us can obtain 13A1s. We are not boasting here, for we know, we cannot possibly have scored such excellent result without God. It is because God is just sooooo good to us! We truly thanked God for this great blessing upon our academics.

Friends

2009-10-28T20:42:00.000+06:00

God is trully good to me. He has given me friends whom I can count on in college. Friends who accept me as I am, accept my flaws and all embarassing quirks...Thank God for the grace He showered upon me.

My friends are the ones who keep me up and about in college. Everytime after the holidays in my hometown, I return to my hostel room, feeling lonely and empty, missing my home, family and old friends because I usually arrive earlier than the rest of them. I would feel like crying...but when all my friends arrive in college, this feeling would immediately vanish, and I would feel relieved and happy. I guess its because my friends are my family in college, they are the shoulder on which I lean on when I can't stand on my own, they are the ones to share my joy and sadness, and lame jokes.

I know that God gave them to me for a purpose. There are many things God wants me to learn from them, and many things God wants me to show them--His love and grace. Yep, most of my friends haven't come to know Jesus personally. I know that God placed me among them to extend genuine friendship to them and show them His kind of love. Sometimes I felt that I am not good enough, but I am learning to rely on His strength for me to continue to show love and care to my friends. I admit, when I rely solely on my own determination to be kind and loving, I find it hard and tiring. It is hard when I rely on my own strength, but it becomes easy when I see that it is by the Spirit of God that I can do it.

I lean on the grace of God and avail myself to be used as an instrument to bless my friends by being a good friend to them. Though at times I feel that I have failed to be a true friend, I know that it is through this process that I can rely on God all the more, and be perfected into the likeness of Jesus, and that my friends will see the difference God made in my life and come to experience the unconditional love that can only be found in Christ Jesus our Saviour.

Studious Time

2009-10-28T20:21:00.000+06:00

Life in college is really a new experience for me. Especially in a college where everyone scored 10As and above in SPM, where stress level is always at the critical point...I can feel the stress everytime a test comes. Yep, a minor simple test...people study like studying for SPM... I felt that every little test seems like SPM, people have sleepless nights,, devouring and munching on books, drowning mugs of coffee to prop their eyes open. I can't understand why they have to be like that, and when I see them like that, it makes me feel relatively lazy, because I sleep at 11pm instead of franctically studying.
Stress is inevitable, but, I am so grateful to God that I can handle and survive every stressful moments by His strength. It's comforting to know that our Father in heaven always keep watch over His precious little children, never leaving us nor forsaking us. Sometimes, I felt overwhelmed by the tight schedule and the many revision that I have to squeeze in to ensure that I can cope with the syllabus and the teacher's teaching. Then again, every night, I would surrender everything into the loving hands of God, knowing that He will help me in times of trouble and stress. By giving to God all my worries of the day's unfinished work and the worries of the uncertain tomorrow, I can rest in His peace that transcends all understanding, knowing fully that everything is well taken care of by God.

I truly thank God for His faithfullness in my life in college, that every single moment, I can see His hands at work, granting me the grace and mercy anew every day to sustain me through the day. I see each day as a miracle, a chance for me to draw closer to God, to know Him better, to be like Jesus. I have decided that every breath that I breathe is a worship to God, every step that I take I take by faith, and every deed that I do, I honour God. I know that the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want, He leads me to green pastures by the waters, where I can rest , wait, and draw strength from Him, yes, even in moments when everyone around me is stressed, worried, I shall be still and know that He is God, He is in control.

Weekend with dad and mum

2009-09-18T19:42:00.000+06:00

12-13/9/09

The weekend spent with dad and mum sure is fun! We tried the KTM for the first time!

cool eh? Now that we know how. we can go anywhere we want!!! Muahaha...and here's us ( wearing mask...not kiasi la..many people what...)

Soooo crowded, have to stand...but we already biasa lah naik the bus at campus also like that...

We went to Bank Negara that side, the hbusy part of Kuala Lumpur...but didn't take pics, too rushing that time, and so crowded, got many sales especially at SOGO, many people jostling to get in, and many people buy stuff for hari raya.

This trip, dad also drove! Eventhough he didn't know the route to anywhere we are heading to. We counted on Garmin. Who's that? Heheh...its the lady GPS. She gave us direction...although sometimes no satellite signal, and dad tersalah jalan didn't obey her orders, thank God we managed to arrive at our destination safely. We went to Carrefour of Subang Jaya, got ourselves soft icecream..yumm! Saw this cute little rabbit for sale...

And dad drove all the way to Petaling Jaya for his ordination service! Hurrah dad! Because the taxi driver who was supposed to fetch us didn't turn up, and dad didn't want to be late, so he sat behind the wheels and let Garmin lead the way, and thankfully, we got there on time!

Here's their happy faces..umm...I didn't rotate the pic, nevermind.

Thank God for the wonderful time together!

Shah Alam Lake Garden Sceneries

2009-09-11T12:39:00.000+06:00

Alright, finally got the time to upload these pictures that have been laying around in my computer...

Nah, the food we prepared! The boys made sandwiches and fried rice. The white plastic bag contains butter kaya bread Yee Farn & I made...tasty tapi tak laku =(

See the beautiful lake and sceneries...lush green trees! There were some bangaus around too!

And this is some water fountain...^^

We went past the Laman Budaya during our stroll in the garden. But we didn't visit the Galeri Kebudayaan...sayang eh?

Here's someone's speedboat, we climbed in and borrowed it for a while, for photo-taking! It smelt of gasoline...

I enjoyed this trip overall, looking forward to another visit to other places when I'm free and when I have the financial means!

Ok, God bless ya all! Happy Hari Raya holidays!

Picnic at SA Lake Garden!

2009-09-08T17:49:00.001+06:00

Yesterday, I went with a group of 3 girl friends and some boys to Shah Alam Lake Garden...

Here's the pictures of people, sceneries will be in another post...
Below: The whole group of us, excluding Tiong from Sarawak, the camera boy...

EATING TIME!!!

Walking along the path...can see me carrying leftover/unfinished food in a giant plastic bag... (From left: me, Yee Farn, Cindy)

Resting at a booth...these are some of my classmates...

(From left: Tiong, Ming Keat, Ming Khai-class rep, Cindy, Ivy with cap on, Yee Farn, and lastly, me!)

All aboard! (This is an unmoving boat...)

Resting again, notice 2 additional liang moi! (From left, ignore the boys, Yee Farn, me, Yan Xin, Ivy with cap, Shiau Phey, Cindy)

Heehee...Total expenses, taxi fare to-RM6, fro-RM8. Food-contributed by everyone...

College Pictures Unveiled!

2009-09-07T17:25:00.000+06:00

This is the buletin board outside our house, each floor has one and we decorated this. (Me & my 2 neighbours)

This is tha park outside the place I stay, last time I often come here jogging, but now, seldom already...but I still exercise by walking stairs and standing in bus.

Speaking of buses, this is our free transport to campus, this pic is taken on a Friday afternoon when everyone has to queue up to get home...

The side view of our library...newly built in 2008...fresh! It's freezing cold inside though...you'll have to go toilet many times just to melt yourself...

The carpark viewed from my window. And sunset picture taken in the evening after jogging (that was a long time ago...heher...)

Settling down~New Church

2009-09-07T16:53:00.000+06:00

At the beginning of my studies here, I've prayed hard for God to let me find a church in which I feel belong & can look forward to Sundays just like I did back in Sandakan. (CCC Sandakan brothers & sisters, I reeeaaallyyy missed you!)

The Methodist Church was definitely not my type, because of the rituals or practices that are totally alien to me...another charismatic church in the city was too big and too loud, the people there didn't even know our seniors who attended the church for more than a year, that's not for me because I need all the church support I can get...

Thank God for answering prayers, I came across a church which was just nice, with youth mucisians just like CCC Sandakan; joyful ushers who made me smile and laugh each time I step into church; uncles and aunties who tried hard to remember and get our names right, asking how are we doing and sharing life's experience with us; fatherly pastors who greeted us and were interested in our studies and our what's-ups...; hilarious and talented bunch of college students (the youths) who can't just let you be dead serious; and most importantly, the worshipful attitude of the church as a whole.

The church I'm attending now is New Life Restoration Centre. There's youth cell group called Life Extreme after service where we had games and short sharing just like Joshua Generation. Sometimes, we were provided lunch and that allows me to save on food expenses! Hehee...( In the pic below: one of the groups during quiz session on 30/08. My group got number 2 but no prize, just for fun!)

The pictures below shows the interior, bulletin corner and stage of the church.

And there was once, we were some of the early birds, so we witnessed the humble "opening" of the church hall...

Additional info, this is also the church where we had our christian fellowship called Campus Alive every Thursday fortnightly. I back-up-sang once and lost my voice for the next 5 days...incredible huh???

Ok, that's about it, I'll try to take more pics to show you. Currently, we have 3 seniors (boys), and 8 juniors (5 girls, 3 boys) attending this church.

Summit Subang (29/08)

2009-09-07T15:49:00.000+06:00

After enduring almost 5 days of pure boredom, my 3 friends & I went to Subang Jaya USJ2 Summit Shopping Complex to jalan2.

It's not a big/huge/collosal shopping mall, but there are numerous "cheap" Thai imported clothes! RM5-RM30!!! Anyway, I managed to get myself a "No Jeans" white singlet worth RM5. While enjoying window shopping of accesories and pretty shoes!

Overall expenditure, RM16 taxi fare from Shah Alam Section 18 to Summit, and the return fare was RM25 actually because the driver went the wrong/LONG way...thank God he has good conscience and gave us RM5
"discount".

Was overall a good experience & exercise. Got to eat tasty Mushroon noodle at a Chinese stall. That's RM5.50. Very delicious and fulfilling! Praise God for a wonderful day out!

Kedah Day 8

2009-08-29T21:26:00.001+06:00

An interesting day indeed, I went to the muzium padi, a must-see if you are going to Kedah--Jelapang Padi Negara. That's me at the main entrance. In thepictures below, you'll see a platform like place where we can see the whole Kedah from the viewpoint of Gunung Jerai. Can you believe it, it's not real! Its a painting by 50 Korean artist, drawing the exact view of Kedah in different directions from Gunung Jerai. The scenery is painted on a transparent plastic sheet. where the artist actually drew the exact scenery of that time.The mountain you'll see in the background is Gunung Keriang, where people can actually go up and collect crystals, of course not so good quality wan lah, the good ones were all taken out and sold. The platform where we are standing/sitting on is a rotating platform, we don't have to move an inch. We just sit back and relax and see the scenery move. Interesting isn't it? Too bad we didn't have time to go collect crystals..In .the pictures you'll see, are Michelle and her friends, and me. Enjoy!

HAHA...just being plain crazy sticking on the pillar....Enjoyed myself...Tomorrow going back to college...huhu...means hard work again...and no blogging...see ya when I'm free!

Love, E

#I plan to travel the whole Malaysia in this 2 years. So far I've been to Sabah (duh~),Sarawak (Sibu only), Johor (passby only-doesn't actually count), Pahang (only Kuantan),Selangor, WP KL,WP Labuan, WP Putrajaya, Melaka, Kedah...

# Places left unexplored: Sarawak, Johor, Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Kelantan, perhaps Pahang again.

Photo

2009-08-29T16:33:00.002+06:00

As I've promise, I've figured out how to transfer file from my hp to computer! Hurrah! Congrats! As though it's some kind of incredible feat...yeah, for me yang buta computer...

Anyway,

My academic building. And...my nest...hehe...

Me, at Alamanda

And me, with Michelle, and funny burger king crown, this picture was taken at the toilet.

Kedah Landmarks

Balai Seni Diraja

and the fountain at town centre.

Superflow soup kitchen. This is "lo bak" yummy!

Umm...messy eh...duno how to organise...nevermind, will try my best to keep things neat for pleasant viewing.

Book of my life

2009-08-28T12:14:00.000+06:00

Our life is like a book. I have a book which is about my life.

The author of my book is God and me.

The beginning of my book was written by God alone, although I was not involved in planning into which family I would be born, I am thankful to God for His decision, which I know is the best for me, and the best way to start the story of my life.

Up till now many chapters had been written, and I do not know how much more chapters are there for me to write.

In some chapter, I wrote on my own, unwilling to let God be involved. In the end, I screwed up the entire chapter, with blobs of black ink and mistakes, only to realise that had I let God help me in writing those chapters, the story would flow beautifully. But God is ever so loving and merciful, He would "blanko" the mistakes with Jesus' blood and then turn the page over for a new chapter.

I have decided to start a new chapter today, which is a new part in the book, in which I have decided to be the pen in God's hand. In this chapter and the chapters to come, I expect to see that each page will be colourful and filled with thanksgiving, trust in God, joy, love, peace and hope. I, as the pen, will give my all to fulfill my duty as a pen, being the humble instrument in God's mighty hand to unfold the wonderful storyline God had in mind for this book.

I would not know when the last chapter of this book will be written, or how it would end. But it doesn't matter, for I know that when the book is finished, I will still be in God's hand.

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain--Philippians 1:21

E

Be prepared for our departure

2009-08-28T11:36:00.000+06:00

Life is really short.
Our days on earth are numbered and only God knows the date of our departure.
Our days fleet by, as we are
engrossed in accumulating material wealth that cannot go with us to the next life,
engrossed in counting the times that people hurt us,and planning revenge,
engrossed in pleasing men instead of God,
engrossed in whining and complaining,
engrossed in thinking of I,me, my, mine,myself...

not realising that all these things took our focus off Christ's work on cross, stole our heart from Jesus, and took our minds off pleasing our wonderful and loving Father.

Will we be ready when God announces our departure? Or are we scrambling to gather our earthly wealth only to realise that they are worthless? Or are we panicking in search of our heart, wondering where was it all this while?

Christian Poems on Life's Journey

2009-08-28T11:14:00.000+06:00

Christian Poems on Life's Journey: "LIFE IS LIKE A VAPOR
This life that we live is like a vapor.
That appears for awhile then goes away.
But there is a much better life hereafter!
God's own promise to those who live His way.
Living God's way can only be a pleasure,
Pleasure in knowing we now live by His grace!
All trials that we faced will be forgotten,
When we see the blessed Saviour face to face.
For one day we will stand before our Maker,
And give account for all that we have done.
The wise will be rewarded for their good deeds!
The unwise will be punished for the bad.
The only sting to death is the sin we carry.
So why not give this burden to the Lord.
He waits to hear from you if you are willing,
If you're willing He will cleanse you by His blood.
Albert W. Pelley
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada"

Kedah Day 6

2009-08-27T22:05:00.000+06:00

27/8/09 Thursday

What a day! Just came back from AIMST in Sungai Petani, managed to meet with my matrics and fellow Yayasan Sabah friend. The place is so modern! So mem"wow"kan!

A lil' recap on the day's activities: Went to Soup kitchen in the morning, like yesterday, but today encountered a rude old lady...learnt that "geh tam bo" means the people wants me to give some more lauk. A few people took advantage of us new helper by beimg choosy, demanding and greedy. Want chicken paha la, want more potato lah, want one more ketul chicken, want more gravy, want more and more of everything...haih...have to be strict although serving them. Quite hard.

In the afternoon, we went to Rumah Superkids and gave tuition to the kids. I have to teach the kids 乘法表. Walao! So hard it must have been for them to memorise all basic 12 of it. It was really a miracle that I managed to learn that. (Thanks mum, for teaching me without giving up, and thanks Hannah, for showing me the answer behind mum's back..hehe...) I had a hard time getting my kid to memorise at least 2 & 3. But then I applied the method we used to teach memory verse in sunday school. List all of them on a paper n then rub off bit by bit, until the paper is completely blank and yet the kid can recite perfectly well! Heheh...good strategy learnt eh? But but but, at the end baru I realised that she could do it because there were still traces of it on the paper...no wonder she can't memorise without staring at the already blank paper lah, anyway, I consider her pass lah, kesian bah little girl.

At night, went with my friend and her friends to Sungai Petani, 1 hour away from Jitra, to go AIMST and then eat dinner. I was so glad to meet my friend there! Din talk much though because I'm with my friend and her friends. We went to this nice chinese shop in Bedong, one special dish is the pork leg! Fried, the meat tender...yummm...savoured every bit of it...and we tapau-ed "man tou" very special also, like burger, but the bread/bun is steamed. Actually wanted to take pic to let you guys see, but too late, because already slide into my stomach..hehe..yep, food makes me sooo happy!

Actually on the way back from Sg Petani to Jitra, got news from dad n Hannah that this blog has been removed, so scared, so sad...but thank God, He helped me find and found this blog, dunno where it went, the first thing i did when i reached "home" was to check this blog, and i can''t find it, it says that "the blog has been removed, wat twinsscribbles does not exist..." so scared! Then i prayed and tried again, it came back. Thank God!

This blog is to let you know what's going on in our lives--even spiritually. Hope you appreciate this blog and hope what we have shared will be an encouragement to all of you in some ways or another. If a certain post has encouraged you, feel free to comment on how it encouraged you. I 'd be so happy to know that what I've written is not nonsense semata-mata...

okay, just to let you know, I love you all...God bless!

E

Kedah Day 5-Pekan Rabu

2009-08-26T19:11:00.001+06:00

Pekan Rabu is a little market where they sell malay stuff and of course food! There, I bought keychains for you, Sam, my beloved brother. All 6 of them special ones. Hope you'll like em.

Here you go, take em lah if you can...

There got lots of things to see, lots of things to buy, but of course have to know how to find the booth with cheapest price lo. We bought dodol lemak and dodol durian...yumm...can't wait to eat them!

Kedah is so colourful and full of delicious malay and chinese food!!! Makes me so happy whenever I think of food! Hehe...

Pekan Rabu

Kedah Day 5--At the Soup Kitchen

2009-08-26T19:01:00.004+06:00

26/8/09

I went to SuperFlow Soup Kitchen. Its a place where free lunch is served to the public, but of course those who can afford won't go there wan...I served soup to the people. And again, I realised the importance of Hokkien...I just can't understand anything that's going on, the workers there are from SuperHope--special people lah, they speak Hokkien to me, I just smile and nod, cannot have conversation at all, unlike my friend who mixed with the workers there quickly because they share a common dialect. And I can't "get" that what they just said was an instruction, I there blur-blur yet maintain my friendly smile,not doing anything, until my friend came to the rescue and be the translator, baru I faham...they must have thought that I am dumb lah..hehe..

Then the people who came for the free lunch also speak Hokkien...I didn't know that don't want the soup until they wave their hand in surrender, baru I faham--action speak much louder than words eh? I learnt "lu ai mai geh terng?"=do you want chicken soup? haha...I only said this the whole day, nothing else...oh ya, and "ho chiak bo? chiak ba beh?" (this phrase i memang know wan). Then there's this once I go serve the mihun coz no one really wants soup, so I out of business, so i suka-suka go my friend there la. Then this uncle take the plate of mihun and mumble something. I just smiled and nodded, and said "ho chiak-ho chiak.."he stared at me blankly...i smiled "sweeter" and repeated myself...turned out he asked me to tambah mihun...ehhh...malunya me...must learn hokkien, hakka here no one knows wan...hish-hish...semenanjung people mainly speak hokkien and cantonese.

I can see that many of them were grateful to have this place where they can eat of free, especially the elderly, they kept saying "thank you ah" to us. But of course some of them wants to take advantage of this service and wanted to "tapau" some more, but the supervisor won't allow at all because there are others who needed the food there and then.

Then we cleaned up the dishes when time is up. We worked with a boy (not really boy, more to a man, but he is a special kid la), we talked to him, but he just smiled at us didn't say anything. So we worked together without speaking, just smiling and lots of facial expression and gestures to let him know what are we up to, cause he was assigned to supervise us. I learnt that once again--action speaks much-much louder than words. And sometimes, we don't need words to understand each other and work together, we can just understand each other perfectly through gestures, and most importantly, a smile!

Smile is a universal language which is beyond the boundaries of language itself.

After that, we went to Rumah Superkids to give tuition to a form 5 girl there. This superflow foundation is where SuperKids from which our church's sunday school is modelled after, come from, which is actually founded by Ps. Clarine Chun.

Great Experience!

Kedah Day 4 At the Dental Clinic

2009-08-25T18:19:00.000+06:00

25/8/09

Just came back from the dental clinic...hmm...a lot of insights of a dental surgeon's daily routine.

Case 1
A women wth painful tooth, didn't want to cabut the tooth cause she believed that if tooth pain cannot cabut, so she went out with her still painful tooth and a packet of painkiller which does not really cure the pain at its source. This belief is totally unscientific explained the dentist after that, like the myth that pregnant woman cannot cabut gigi. He warned us to be scientific dentist...hmm...taking notes...

Case 2
A woman with calculus (not maths one, dental istilah) =calcified plaque (d dentist said wan...) on her teeth. So we observed the dentist "wash" her teeth by a process called scaling, where he "scraped" the plaque off...some blood visible..uurggh...And I get to help suck away excess water and saliva. Oh, not suck using my mouth lah, mind you...use special suction instrument.
Here's proof:

Can see me in action? Got dentist look? Hehe...but i pening see blood...uuhh...

Case 3:
Little boy with a tooth protruding the upper lips. Its not with the other teeth, its up in the gum, that it "gores" the upper lip. The dentist had to extract the tooth because it will cause disfigurement, where we saw in the photo, a woman with a hole on her upper lips because the tooth "tembus", and she had to extract the tooth...how scary is that? The little boy kept wailing and crying so pitifully and can't sit still. I was really worried that the dentist will tersilap inject the anaesthetic ubat...we helped hold the boy and calm him down. But I didn't know how to say any calming words in Malay so I ended up only saying, "Oooiii...ooooiiii....jangan takut...tak sakit pun...oooiiii...". After the area around the tooth become numb, the dentist just "flicked" the tooth out, because its root is not embedded deep in the gum. Wow, amazing! Not much visible blood in this case...phew...

Case 4
An uncle with painful and senget tooth. The dentist took x-ray of the jaw as he suspected that there's a baby tooth under that tooth still in the gum. We got to observe the process of developing the mini x-ray in a mini darkroom, actually, its more to a "darkbox". No baby tooth was seen, and the dentist suggested to extract that tooth, but this uncle also held to the belief that painful tooth cannot be extracted, so doc can't do anything.

Case 5:
Little boy with huge hole in his tooth. Crying and wailing and kicking as the dentist dug out all the stuff stuck in that hole. The dentist tapped on that tooth and asked the boy "sakit ka?" the boy cried loudly nodding his head. Then the dentist tapped another tooth far from the "hole-ly" tooth, and asked the same thing, the boy nodded even harded and cried...turns out that every tooth the dentist tapped, he also say sakit...haih...the hole too big, but the parents want to "tampal" first, don't cabut...so the dentist filled in "temporary" fill, and ask the parents to bring the boy back when the filling come off, which signals that its time to extract the tooth.

Case 6:
Most interesting case of all! The best for the last! This mother went cycling and fell when the tyre got stuck in the drain cover. Her whole lower jaw tercabut at the joint, causing the jaw to move inwards and she couldn't bite at all. She came wearing metal braces which realign the jaw into the correct position so that the muscle at the joint can go back to its original position. The dentist just helped her wash her teeth and cleaned her wound on the chin. This accident happened few days ago lah, and the dentist just explained her case to us.

The dentist also showed us some pictures. There's one showing pus (sticky-watery-yellowish fluid trapped in the gum when inflammation too serious) draining from the right side of the cheek near the jaw line of the guy...yuckksss...that's what happen when you wait too long to see a dentist when you have inflammation in the gum.

Another is a boy. This boy had a cyst( a growth with water in it) in his gum!!! The picture was taken after the surgery so can't see how he actually looked like with the huge cyst in his gum, but the dentist said that the boy's cheek was so swollen that his eyes shrunk and his nose was pulled to one side...and we got to see the cyst. Yep, the dentist preserved the tooth he extracted from him along with this huge cyst the size of a ping pong ball...yuckksss also...but interesting...

Quite interesting eh, definitely learnt a lot today!

Moral of the story, take good care of your oral hygine, brush at least twice a day, brush the right way, the way we were taught in tadika...

E.

Kedah Day 3

2009-08-25T17:08:00.000+06:00

24/8/09

Slept the whole day coz raining...supposed to go dental clinic help out, but then tak jadi coz sleeping...
Nite time is the best part, cause...yep, food!

I went with Michelle n her family to this chinese hawker stall in Alor Setar.Along the way, we passed the Istana where the sultan actually stays, very grand but i tak jadi take pic. And the balairung seri where sultan kedah meets his subjects, very beautiful. And the museum, old historical buildings,very attractive, especially with the lighting effects at nite.

There were many hawker stalls. Each selling various food. My friend's dad ordered "moi" for me = porridge in hokkien. I m picking up hokkien, as people in semenanjung don't speak hakka, and seldom speak cantonese, and i can't speak hokkien, why lah didn't i learn it in Kudat, my mum's hometown...and we ordered "ling" teh, a herbal tea, i assume, i just follow-follow what they order, hehe...Their "zhu cheong fun" (cantonese) was unlike sandakan style, the kuah is sweet and spicy, yumm!! And there's this "lo bak" = gravy and pork? a mixture of fried pork, fried bean curd, fried pandan chiken (like satay), fried yam in salted egg...

I'm so full today!!! It's a foodie holiday!

25 Quotes to Ponder

2009-08-24T12:30:00.000+06:00

1) Justice --- When you get what you deserve

Mercy ----- When you don't get what you deserve

Grace ----- When you get what you don't deserve

2) A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.

3) Are you wrinkled with burden? Come on into Church for a faith lift!

4) Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.

5) Do your best and then sleep in peace. God is Awake.

6) Don't put a question mark where God put a period.

7) Exercise daily. Walk with the Lord!

8) Forbidden fruits create many jams.

9) Give God what's right, not what's left!

10) Give Satan an inch and he'll be a ruler.

11) God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

12) God doesn't want shares of your life; He wants controlling interest!

13) God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

14) He who is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.

15) He who kneels before God can stand before anyone!

16) If God is your Co-pilot - Swap seats!

17) Kindness is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.

18) Man's way leads to a hopeless end! God's way leads to an endless hope!

19) Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory capacity.

20) Never give the devil a ride! He will always want to drive!

21) Nothing ruins the truth like stretching it.

22) Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

23) Prayer - Don't give God instructions - just report for duty!

24) The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.

25) The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not protect you.

Worrying -thanksgiving- peace

2009-08-24T12:03:00.002+06:00

I usually can't help but notice that to stop worrying, it will always in some way or another connect to being thankful and then having peace.
Philippians 4:6-7 says: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

There's this self-help book titled "Stop Worrying and Start Living". Worrying is a part of life, I used to think. Its normal, and even Christians worry. In fact we worry about so many lil' stuff that Jesus addressed this issue in Matthew 6:25-34, the same thing recorede in Luke 12:22-34. The Bible is the greatest "Spirit-help" book, yeah something like "self-help", only that you do not help yourself but the Holy Spirit in you helps you "not by might, nor by pow'r, but by the Spirit of the Lord.".

I use to worry a lot, that's where all my pimples during Form 4 and 5 came from. Every single one of them represented seconds, minutes and hours spent worrying and fretting about homeworks, tests, presentations, assignments, exams...and limitless "what ifs...". That's me. The real me, although I may look "cool" (kekeh..) on the outside, in fact, I'm worrying on the inside.

Why do I worry? Sure, I know that God provides, I know that He is all powerful, nothing is impossible with God...I learnt that from Sunday school, bible classes, and through Bible Knowledge. Yes, but I didn't really UNDERSTOOD. It's a wonder how I survived Form 4 and 5 with all those worrying, God really spared me.

Anyhow, I used to think that if I did not worry, it means that I did not care enough. So I tend to "do my part"
by thinking about that something = worrying. But after listening to an audio sermon by Pastor Joshua Yee from Renewal Lutheran Church, then only i know that it was not not not God's plan at all for me to worry at all!
Its Satan's trick to cause me to worry and thus shift my focus off the goodness of God and His provision.

I realised this truth and it has set me free from unneeded worries and unnecessary stress. I began to see each day and each challenges as a chance to trust more on God, to see His hand at work. I start each day with praise and thanksgiving, thankful that I can be here, that I have a chance to study sponsored by the government. With that in mind, and focus on God, my day was full of great and little things that I am grateful for. I began to notice God's work in everything--the streak of gold in the sky,the soft breeze, the smile on my friend's face, the teachers who are good...

I do not worry about my studies, not that I don't care about it, but that I dedicate this area of my life into His care and I trust Him for wisdom, understanding, and ability to cope with the syllabus. And I do my part by studying, giving my best in every assignment and leave the result into God's hand. With that, I have this peace in me. I do not worry, I'm not stressful, and I thank God that I started living again--a vibrant worry-free life in college for Him!

Scribbles by E

#Worry is the darkroom in which "negatives" are developed.#
*You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future.*

Day 2 in Kedah

2009-08-24T09:53:00.000+06:00

23/8/09

Woke up real late, around 1 pm...so we had intergrated meal: 2-in-1 breakfast + lunch haha...then laze around the whole afternoon...I did some homework (Maths), but then got stuck, dunno how to do, dunno who to ask...so I stopped and rest my almost exploding brain. Maths in IB is not hard, but then, the questions they ask is hard, requires you to twist and turn your brain to apply the concepts into the questions...I am so bad at this, my brain enggan bekerjasama with me...

In the late afternoon, my friend brought me with her friends to bazaar ramadhan. WOW! So many stalls, so many food!!! All looks so delicious. Colourful kuih-muih,savory gulai, kari, nasi ayam, roti jala, jemput2...yumm! We bought a variety of food, murtabak, pasembor, kuih, satay,cucur udang, malay bihun sup...and we had a great feast at my friend's friend's house! My stomach really full...1st time I eat so much!

Now start to worry about the amount of fats and oils and the heatiness...huu...i see new pimples on my forehead...huhu...

self confidence?

2009-08-23T23:22:00.002+06:00

Sometimes I felt like I'm not meant to be in this college.I'm a rayuan-scholar, not a scholar chosen rightfully through interview and test by JPA...I got this scholarship by appealing, its not for me in the first place..

So I have this very-very low self esteem...and almost empty tank of self confidence. Everyone seems to be so clever, all bright looking people, parents doctor, brothers and sisters all under sponsorship, anak Datuk, anak Nenek..hehe..but yalah, you should understand how I felt...Then on the first day, we had this taklimat and the officer suddenly talked about Sabah, and he asked if there's anyone from Sabah. I timidly raised my shaking hands, along with another girl who turns out to be my classmate. Then he pointed at me and ask which part of Sabah was I from.

"Sandakan..."
"Oh, saya pernah ke sana, erm, Sandakan tu status pekan ke?"
"Bukan, Sandakan tu bandar." I answered innocently.
"Ah ha...orang pekan tak mengaku dari pekan, mau anggap diri seperti orang bandar!"
Everybody laughed...i was so malu and angry and sad and alone...i din know what to say...my self esteem become negative...

And then ah, in class, I found out that the other girl from Sabah was my classmate. She just got this air of bright-student-ness, Both of us were from Sabah, both of our results were the same, but I was completely different from her, sorry, I think i let sabah chinese down...I was so timid, my voice was shaky when i introduce myself in front of the class, i don't bravely put my hand up to ask or answer questions...teacher don't notice me, i sit at the back corner. In short, I'm not outstanding.

My classmates are outgoing people. No, almost everyone here are bursting with self confidence, walking with heads held high,unafraid of challanges, excited about tough syllabus, and they like to talk to anyone, always the ones to start a conversation. But I'm nothing like them, and I felt that I'm so weak and kampung-ish and not belong here.And I din think I was good enough to be here with this bunch of bright, high and mighty scholars. I felt inferior in many ways...and inferior because I'm the minority-- from Sabah.

But then God gave me insight during a walk alone on the jogging trail. As i walked along the path. The spirit led me to see that this path that I am on right at that moment symbolised the path in my life. There's a purpose to why I am on that path. It wasn't by accident that I came to this college. It wasn't about how good or how bad I thought I was that I don't deserve to be in this place, but its because God knew what was best for me, so I ended up on this path, in this college.

It wasnt because the government suka-suka allow all 13A1 and above to obtain the scholarship freely, it was because of the work God's hand, the government can easily announce that all 14A1 and above only then can be given the scholarship, but they didn't. It wasn't the government who accidentally picked me, but it was God who purposely chose me.

As i continued to walk and the spirit revealing to me through my thoughts, I felt my heartbeat and breathing accelerated. The spirit compelled me to slow it down or even make it slower than usual. I struggled, I can't lah, how can i control my heartbeat or breathing,its involuntary. I can't make it stop then restart it. Its beyond my control. This function is not configured and hardwired into my system, i argued in my thoughts. Ting! Exactly! I realized that if I can't even control the two most essential mechanism of basic survival how much more is beyond my control! I was led to look to the Master who operates this complex vital mechanism. I learnt to place my confidence in Him, the all powerful and loving God, instead of in myself.

What self-confidence that I admired in other people melted away...I don't need to have self-confidence. What can I do? I can't even control my heartbeat or breathing! What confidence placed on ourself is based on nothing. I realized what I lacked was not self confidence, but GOD-CONFIDENCE. I did not trust enough on God in me. I didn't see myself in God's eyes. I doubted His plan, I "blamed" Him secara tidak langsung. I turned my gaze away from Jesus' face to the storm around me. No wonder I was so negatively charged, so depressed, so lonely, so inferior. I did not see the great power of God in me!!!

Nearing the end of the trail, I repented and rededicated my life to God, choosing to trust Him, and trust what wonderful plans to "prosper and not to harm" me He has in store for me.

Instead of saying, " I can do all things, I believe I can, I know I can!",
I'll be saying, "I can do ALL THINGS through CHRIST who strengthens me! I believe He can, I know He can, therefore I can."

Hope that this encouraged you who do not have "self-confidence" and feel inferior about not being good enough. GOD LOVES YOU, He has great plans for you, all you have to do is trust in Him and let Him work in you and through you. Do not hinder and stop the flow of God's wonderful surprises by looking down upon yourself, and saying that everyone is better than you---

you are God's child, apple of His eyes, best friend of Jesus, royalty, holy people chosen by God, loved so much by Jesus that He died on the cross in your place--what more do you (we) want or could ever want?

Love,
Esther

List of things I want to thank God for

2009-08-23T22:18:00.000+06:00

Since I am quite free rite now, I might as well write some more.

Back to the point, eh, i always keluar tajuk wan oh hoh...nevermind, as you read these blogs, I'm sure you can imagine me talking. Because i write the way i talk.

1. Good roommate--God answered my fervent prayer--she's exactly what I prayed for,Sarawakian, Christian, friendly, can ngam with me... hmm...can start praying like that for future husband..hehe..

2. Clean air, many pokok here, not in city. No need to worry about dirt, or pollution.

3. Good environment to study--no distractions like shopping complex, cinema etc...actually quite sad that none of these things are within my reach, but then i think that's the best that God have intended it to be so.

4. Very good teachers--they speak real good mat-salleh English..fuu~sometimes have to try hard to understand...oh, and they are malays, all graduated from overseas, very qualified...

5. Many facilities to keep fit--staircase lah, long walk b4 reaching class lah..just joking--all the facilities that i mentioned lah, i use all these facilities lah, so i'm quite fit lah now, compared to when i was in sandakan.

6. Good IB course, it forces us to be an all rounder...not round as in body size lah...although the stress that comes wth it might result in compulsive eating disorder (like me, when studying under stress, have to eat lots of food wan) and lead to that lah...the syllabus itself requires us to be active in community service, will talk about that later, got more pics along with that, active in sports, and active in using our talents,creativity, leadership and interpersonal skills...not just studying...that's why its challenging (my positive way of saying stressful, tough...sweat...).

7. WATER SUPPLY..no need further explanation, we all know the importance of water.

E

mY CollegE

2009-08-23T21:36:00.015+06:00

I'm E...

Yup, my college is quite far from civilisation. Its surrounded by ladang kelapa sawit. that's why line not so good. Sometimes i have to retry-retry many times just to send a sms...mine's maxis, it din follow me everywhere hoh, not like DIGI...hehe...and then ah, the public transport very susah wan, take a bus to nearest town Banting have to wait for quite some time, to Alamanda, lagi long the wait...many people din know this college exist, especially in such "ulu" place.

The last time i went back to college after H1N1 cuti in sandakan, (yep, but i kena quarantine, din get to meet up with church frens, sorry...), I took a taxi, RM 52.50, and the driver din even know where my college is!! He took me to Banting town, so far away from college! Scare me, but thank God i recognize some landmarks and "directed" him to the right direction--towards the kampung road. At first he din't believe me, "酱kampung的地方你跟我讲有college?!" and he want to patah balik to airport so that i can find another taxi driver (and spend extra money)...hish...i so geram, i told him i paid, and is my college, tak mungkin i silap jalan wan. So he diam-diam follow my finger pointing and i took us safely back to college. He was so shocked...and sorry...that he offered to drive me right up to my asrama block.

Ahh, about my asrama block, its block D, room 110, (as if you can come and find me). The picture shows block F, taken from my room window. As you can see, it's just plain white. The first month I was here, I felt that going back to asrama was like going to prison...coz the main gate of each block is blue and looks exactly like prison...i always tell that to my roomate whenever we walk thru that gate. She bosan hear that already, hehe...

My cell, i mean, my room, is very small, my roomate and i can bump into each other when walking in the room, coz there's just not much space to avoid each other. Got tekanan fizikal. Confined space, limited movement. But thank God la, I'm not space consuming also, my roomate lagi skinny, oh, i mean, slimmer than me. So relatively the room is quite spacious for us--just us...

errm... very messy the way i put the pics, nevermind loh hoh, errm, the pics are laterally inverted, like seeing in the mirror, because i took them with my webcam, and it inverted laterally what it saw.My bed is actually on the right side of the door. FUN FACT: To see the real position of my bed, see it in a mirror! Look like prison cell??? Okay all my hidden stuffs exposed laa...messy table, messy my part of the room...

Me, a month ago, fresh and so xcited about college life...now...hmm..not so excited already...hehe..

The environment is good, that's what I like, got trees, fresh air, mist in the morning, birds singing everyday...and I like to jog (hmm...now seldom liao...) in the evening along the jogging trail, spend quiet time with the Lord, and thank Him for placing me in this college.

Another good thing is clean toilets and plenty of water!!! Waa, you know ah, on the first day, i went to asrama, i rushed to toilet--got big business--no lah, to check out the toilet.. cos in matrics labuan make me got go-to-toilet-phobia and "dirty toilet and no water supply" nightmares...I was so happy when the toilets are sparkling clean, can be flushed, and the paip air can actually function!!! I feel cleaner now in my college than at matrics...sorry yea, matrics fren, i left you guys for this clean toilet...

The classroom here very small and crammy...i think because of the big desks they gave us lah...i sit near window, quite good, windy...but easily distracted by the scenery outside the window...green fields, trees, sooo beautiful...hehe...

The college inside got dewan selera, where they serve free food (government paid for it, and our allowance

less than Hannah's place punya allowance), and where we are trained to defend our food---from flies!!! Got many-many-many-many flies there, they are in armies! Worst, they langsung not scared of us supreme human beings, they just land on our food and feast, not bothered by us trying hard to get rid of them, swatting and flinging our arms till they become flabby...huu..talk about practising your arms waving technique. Now the people at dewan selera are setting up traps for the flies, a pice of sitcky paper that will trap the innocent flies that land on it without knowing the evil of the paper...but like that lagi gross, cos the people just leave those paper lying beside the food that they serve...one whole paper filled with black mass of flies trying to get free...yuckky...really makes me don't feel like eating everytime i see that...next time i try curi snap a pic for u guys to gross out...

Ermm...there's a kedai koperasi, like mini-market where i'm a share-holder, actually everyone is a shareholder, they include the shareholder fee or something into the registration fee like that, we were "forced shareholders". And there's a dobi, where we can send baju twice a week according to schedule for each block. We paid for it too, hidden in the registration fee, so i really take advantage of this service, coz we were "forced" to pay. But the baju takes days to be washed, and the baju come out like ham-choy, have to iron, but i usually don't bother, so i end up wearing crinkly and crumply baju everywhere--who cares? hehe, no lah, i wear like that oni in asrama la... And ah, dunno why socks are attracted to my laundry basket wan, everytime after collecting the basket, my roommate and i would discover 1 or 2 stray socks that lost its way and end up in our basket, and we dunno how to find its owner--by looking out for people with only one sock on his/her feet meh?

Oya, there's a lot of sports facilities, got gym ( i went there once only, most thingy in there broken wan), jogging trail, basketball, netball, bola tampar, tennis,squash court, and dewan for badminton and ping pong...Not bad lah, make me sporty and healthy. Every afternoon i go play something, badminton, ping pong ar just walking...release stress...this one thing is good about the college too.

Still got anything i missed out? Ya...the worst nightmare...no wifi!!! Sooo sad! Cut off from the outside world! The pengarah wants us to focus on our studies and not chatting, blogging waa...so many of us bought broadband or streamyx account lo...what to do..

Me...taken just now, i m in Jitra Kedah now, in my friend's room..hmm...lighting effect not so good eh...nevermind...Happy "2 months in college" Anniversary!

To be continue... continued DAY 1 Part 2

2009-08-23T20:12:00.000+06:00

Hehe...berjaya upload d photo lehh...from my hp wan...haha...actually i took d picture of my hp picture using my webcam, so not very clear loh...i not yet know how to transfer file from hp to computer...yet...

Oh ya, back to my story, the flight was fast, tak sempat panaskan tempat duduk already have to get down d plane. Once touch down, I was whisked off for dinner with Michelle's friends who all came back to Kedah for their holidays.

Walao, I din expect so many people there...its a Thai restaurant, I think..people were so happy to know that I'm from Sabah, but I felt so kampung...my Chinese was not like theirs, I think mine got some unsur-unsur hakka...theirs like so 标准wan. Anyway, my purpose was to eat, so I din talk much also...actually I din know what to say lah...

The food was---touching--why? It made me cry...because its too spicy for me. There's this one especially spicy fish in soup called "keng sum" or something like that. I really choked and got tears in my eyes...but then i see they all can eat as if its not spicy at all...good thing my fren got order one sayur, and fried sotong (supposed to dip in cilli padi sauce, but i din lah) not spicy at all, so i pile up my plate with that dish..hehe..

What a wonderful day, I can conclude, enjoyed the independance, and I felt that I have grown up quite a lil' bit laa...enough to survive...kekekeh...

Oya, sorry, I'm E

My trip to Kedah Day 1

2009-08-23T19:50:00.001+06:00

22/8/09

Saturday---
This the day that I am going to Jitra, Kedah with my friend, Michelle. We decided to go to Alamanda Putrajaya and see see look look first becos our flight is at nite. This is the first time we went to Alamanda, we din even know which bus to take, how to know when we sampai Alamanda...But we decided to have an adventure today, trying new things on our own, being independent. We went to wait at the bus stop and waited like for 1 and a half hours before a bus crawled along...maklumlah, my college in ladang kelapa sawit mah...only got big-big lorry pass by, seldom got Alamanda bus pass by...

The journey to Putrajaya itself took 1 hour, by the time we reach there ngam-ngam for lunch. Waa, that place soooo grand and BIG!!! I like rusa masuk kampung, never seen so many fast food outlet all in one place. Got KFC, McDonald, Burger King, A & W, Kenny Rogers, Baskin Robbins booth, Dunkin' Donut Booth...fuuu...my stomach jump for joy!!! Coz in college, they got serve free government paid-for food wan mah, always ikan kampung, kobis, beef, kari ayam...repeat and repeat wan. Not that i'm complaining la, but then very bosan of the same dishes for almost 2 months woh..

We had our lunch at Burger King, and we like budak-budak wear the burger king crown to take picture for rememberance that we pernah menjejakkan kaki ke Burger King Alamanda. I dunno how to upload photo..yet..wait and be patient, when i pandai, i will upload every photo of my trip.

After that, we took a bus back and got our luggage out from the college and dragged it all the way out to the bus stop again to wait for yet another round of bus to KLIA. Next time i'll share a photo of the road we had to walk before reaching the bus stop, it's not far, but its quite far lah. We must have looked so tired and horrible that a Malay woman stopped by us and asked how far had we dragged our luggage.

At KLIA, we were sooo lost because everytime, we used to tag behind our parents, sometimes wandering mesmerised by colours and famous amos smell that dad and mum had to pry us off the floor to get us going. But now we had no daddy or mommy to follow, we are on our own! Its a wonderful yet frightful feeling that we are truly independant, we had to buka our mata and telinga besar-besar to know where when and how to check-in, board etc... I really liked the idea of being able to travel alone, yet along with that good feel, I wanted to have my parents and family travelling together, really missed those fun times on vacation as a family...sob-sob...

too long liao, to be continued...

Dear Pastor (From Kids)

2009-08-23T14:09:00.000+06:00

Dear Pastor,

I know God loves everybody but He never met my sister.
Yours sincerely, Arnold. Age 8, Nashville.

Dear Pastor,
Please say in your sermon that Peter Peterson has been a good boy all week. I am Peter Peterson.
Sincerely, Pete. Age 9, Phoenix

Dear Pastor,
My father should be a minister. Every day he gives us a sermon about something.
Robert Anderson, age 11

Dear Pastor,
I'm sorry I can't leave more money in the plate, but my father didn't give me a raise in my allowance. Could you have a sermon about a raise in my allowance?
Love, Patty. Age 10, New Haven

Dear Pastor,
My mother is very religious. She goes to play bingo at church every week even if she has a cold.
Yours truly, Annette. Age 9, Albany

Dear Pastor,
I would like to go to heaven someday because I know my brother won't be there.
Stephen. Age 8, Chicago

Dear Pastor,
I think a lot more people would come to your church if you moved it to Disneyland.
Loreen. Age 9. Tacoma

Dear Pastor,
I liked your sermon where you said that good health is more important than money but I still want a raise in my allowance.
Sincerely, Eleanor. Age 12, Sarasota

Dear Pastor,
Please pray for all the airline pilots. I am flying to California tomorrow.
Laurie. Age 10, New York City

Dear Pastor,
I hope to go to heaven some day but later than sooner.
Love, Ellen, age 9. Athens

Dear Pastor,
Please say a prayer for our Little League team. We need God's help or a new pitcher. Thank you.
Alexander. Age 10, Raleigh

Dear Pastor,
My father says I should learn the Ten Commandments. But I don't think I want to because we have enough rules already in my house.
Joshua. Age 10, South Pasadena

Dear Pastor,
Who does God pray to? Is there a God for God?
Sincerely, Christopher. Age 9, Titusville

Dear Pastor,
Are there any devils on earth? I think there may be one in my class.
Carla. Age 10, Salina

Dear Pastor,
I liked your sermon on Sunday. Especially when it was finished.
Ralph, Age 11, Akron

Dear Pastor,
How does God know the good people from the bad people? Do you tell Him or does He read about it in the newspapers?
Sincerely, Marie. Age 9, Lewiston

~~Source: Internet (christianstories.com)

Growing Up

2009-08-22T12:32:00.003+06:00

Wahh...can't imagine we're already 18 years old!

But I don't look 18 outwardly.The funny thing is that when I go anywhere with my friends, people doubt whether I'm really a college student. Coz my friends looked "adultish" and "mature".

But now, I've got to toughen myself up because there will be no one to fuss over me, no one to prepare breakfast, no one to make sure I did my revision, no one to finish my sentence. So, I'm really growing up inside.

I've learn to wash my own cloths (with my hands), prepare my own breakfast, manage my own time, budgeting my money, plan when to wash bedsheets, shopping wisely, take care of my own health, and cook cheap but nutritious food.

I have learn to make friends, because at home, you'll have your parents; but out of home, you need friends. And I'm grateful that my friends are all quality friends. I have learned to be patient, and tolerant with others, through being under one roof with 3 people from different background and of different habits.

I've learned to overlook the outward appearance but search the inner beauty of a person. For what matters to God most is the heart. And I'm not surprise that many of the plain-looking have very beautiful souls.

Most importantly, I have learned to be dependent, not on friends, not on wealth, but on my God, who puts songs of joy in my heart everyday the moment I wake up. I have learned to hold His hand and walk with Him. And God has been thoroughly, splendidly good to me.

Growing up may not be easy, it may also not be fun. But growing up will be wonderful when you are in God's hands. Because you can be sure you are not growing in the wrong way.

Scribbled by H

考试好搞笑！First Time Test Experiences!

2009-08-22T10:56:00.001+06:00

Phew...the intense week of stress is finally over!
Last week we had 4 tests, Ethics test (macam Pendidikan Moral punya), Biology test (huhu...me cham loo...), English test, and on Friday, Statistics test (draw histogram, count median etc.).

人真的不可貌相！Never judge a book by its cover! Last week was truly a "scary" week because the boys who are the ultimate noise producers went to "mute" mode! They transformed into book worms! Clutching their Bio books everywhere they go!!! The girls who are the "study-study" type pun kalah! ~Waseh!!! Amazing!!!~ (My housemates' famous lines)

Anyhow, I study consisitently so I usually don't feel that much stress. But then, last week's atmosphere was sooo full and saturated with "stress" that you are breathing in it and it chokes you.

Ok, Ethics test went quite well...hehe...because the lecturer baik hati-ly and lembut hati-ly gave us loads of tips!!! Yahaha!!!

English was a bit blur-blur because we were required to write only 1 paragraph about the given title...not sure whether the paragraph meant "only introduction/ body/conclusion" or you cram all your isi(s) into a paragraph. But that's what I did. Mine was a mini essay, all in one.

Now...the worst of all was Biology test. Ask any random A level student about their Biology test and you'll get "frustrations, disappointment, anger, geram-ness, regrets" etc. But ask me and I'll laugh coz mine was pretty silly until it's not so saddening.

The question paper consist of 7 structure questions with the usual (a), (b), (c), up to (e) if I'm not mistaken..time given was 1 hr, 4pm-5pm.

So, like any tests, I flip through the paper, noting how many questions I'm not sure and how many I can answer. Then, I quickly jot down short keywords beside the questions using pencil, in case I terlupa any points.

Then, I began anwering using blue pen...scribble-scribble-scribble...time is running out, 10 more minutes left...scribble-scribble-SCRIBBLE...

Finally! I looked around and found many still struggling. No time wasted, I begin to check my answers, and fill in those that I left blank by "tembak-ing"...

...5 more seconds...THEN, the moment of truth jumped in...as I flip my papers to "close" it and hand it in...I noticed 1 FULL QUESTION UNANSWERED!!!
Oh my! I didn't see it! But then, there were pencilled scribbles beside the questions!!! Arrrggghhh...miss liao!

No use crying over spilt milk. Might as well laugh over it. It's ok, I told myself, lesson learned. And when I come to think of it, it was quite an experience and quite funny too (unless you're my lecturer or mother or father...hehee...)

The lecturer "promised" to be more "lenient", but how "lenient" can you be to blank papers??? Haha, actually I'm not alone, many of my pwens also didn't habis buat...on the same boat lah! (sinking boat)

Huhh...that was over. Friday, stats test was better, at least I completed and made sure over & over again that I didn't leave any question blank...

Alright, that's all bout my test experience. The results? Er...no so high hopes but fingers are crossed. Gambateh to all students! Learn and absorb my bad experience so you takkan kena the same thing! Haha!
God bless!!! ~H~ (>.<')

A sweet poem

2009-08-22T07:17:00.002+06:00

A nice poem to share with you girls,

Let Him Be Like Thee

"Dear God," I prayed, all unafraid (as girls are wont to be)

"I do not want a handsome man--

but let Him be like Thee."

"I do not need one big and strong,

nor one so very tall,

nor needhe be some genius,

or wealthy, Lord, at all."

" But let his head be high, dear God,

and let his eye be clear,

his shoulders straight, whatever his state,

whatever his earthly sphere."

"And let his face have character,

a ruggedness of soul,

and let his whole life show, dear God,

a singleness of goal."

"And when he comes, as he will come,

with quiet eyes aglow--

I'll understand that he's the man,

I prayed for long ago."

---Ruth Bell Graham

Counting My Blessings (Part 1)

2009-08-21T15:18:00.000+06:00

It's been almost 2 months in IT (real college name you sure know de...), and I am very-very-very grateful to be here! This is almost paradise compared to Esther's place!!! (oops, but true...)

Here, I'm gonna count my blessings, and this is also a brief summary of God's goodness to me! (It WILL be a VERY long list)

1) Good Christian housemates (J and C), I prayed hard before coming here for GOD to bless me with some Christian housemates, so at least we can encourage each other in faith. Truly TUHAN itu baik! We are very close, we laugh together, go church together...I am not lacking in laughters or smiles when I'm at "home". May God continue to bless them richly, I LOVE them from the bottom of my heart!

2) Wonderful roommate (CYee)!!! She was my classmate in school so I understand how she "works" and she understands me too! Thank GOD that we can easily communicate and talk about fun stuffs that happened at school, although we are TOTALLY the opposite type of people...(she's girly & I'm manly in comparison)...haha...

3) Neighbour cum Best Friend!!! Praise GOD for putting my best friend in the opposite "house"! She is also my classmate (both Secondary sch time and now) but we are quite of the same kind...so we play masak-masak together at my house. AND watch Korean dramas and anime together! (Ahem...only when no tests etc...I still study, don't worry, mom & dad...)

4) Fun Classmates!!! (24 of 'em). Thank GOD they are funny humorous peeps who can just blast your everyday! School (err...college) is never Boring with all of 'em around. There's the cute "Soal-er", 2 cool "Yaw Ming"s, plenty of silly+giggly+noisy gurls (me included, >,<), and few silent types (Watch-out! Lots of brains! ...And hidden humour too! ), some soon-to-be Celine Dions, many hot dancers, & the list goes on...

5) Air-con classrooms!!! Whee!!! Whether rain or shine we are will never shed a sweat...for we are bathing in the cool ambience of the indoor breeze...(unfortunately, the side effect includes EXTREME comfort which leads to fatal sleepiness...zZZ)

6) Great lecturers! (Can't leave'em out). Thank GOD for good lecturers who know their stuffs and are willing to help. Unlike other classes...

7) Splendid Cafe! I am so grateful for our A Level block's cafeteria. We had vegetables of many kinds each day (so I never constipated...hehe...), and not spicy dishes for the delicate palate like mine...the dishes greatly resembles Chinese food so "Balabap-bap-bah~I'm Lovin' It"!

8) Awesome Christian Fellowship!!! When I say awesome, I mean AAWWEESSOOMMMEEE!!! True! Seniors were cool people who loved to fuss over us juniors...the fellowship felt just like home! (Wah...I really miss Joshua Fellowship @ CCC Sandakan...anyone miss me??? Cheh...) I can just worship God so freely, discuss about spiritual issues with friends and even bring my non-Christian friend along...we also had great food (yummm), and Cell Groups! And Youth Alpha!

9) Free transport to Campus! (7 minutes ride) Buses come to pick us up every morning and send us back every afternoon...without needing to pay a single cent! Saved on transport money.

10) Easy access to shopping mall O2 (not real name, but quite close :-D), Giant, Mydin (most frequented place), eateries, bakeries, banks (2nd most frequented place), and gift shops (soon-to-be most frequented place after i get my allowance), and park. These places are just within walking distances so I'm sure getting enough exercise every day. P/S: If you see a tiny short girl wearing dark blue "penutup aurat" on the arms, who runs 1 round and walks 1 round in the park then goes home, that's me.

Okie...10 is enough for Counting My Blessings (part 1), be sure you don't miss the exciting new series of CMB (Part 2)!!!
~coming soon to the computer screen near you~

Signed, H ('@')

Friends

2009-08-18T20:02:00.002+06:00

Good friends are God's gift to us. To put a smile on our face when we feel down, to halve our burden, to multiply our joy. They are God's way of showing that He cares. Friends are angels in disguise, though they may not realise it, and we may not know it.

Youths out there, you are (i was) very privileged to be in a church environment where you can befriend brothers and sisters in Christ, especially through Joshua Fellowship. But note that you (we) must be wise in choosing friends. AND...ahem-ahem,don't misunderstand...NOT BOYFRIEND & GIRLFRIEND ahh...

A true and good friend will be like an umbrella in the rain, always there for you,ready to help and encourage you.
True friends will respect you for who you are, and you don't have to "prove yourself" to befriend them.
They will accept you--weaknesses and flaws and all embarrassing habits and still proud to call you their friend.

I am most blessed by God to have a great and wonderful roommate as a friend (although she says we're roommates, not friends..hehe..). She is JS (ok, it's just her initials ,she dowan you guys to find her on facebook or wat waa..) I prayed sooooo hard for a good Christian roommate like her. Just like I did b4 going to matrics and I got Hannah..haha...

We encouraged each other with the word of God whenever we feel homesick, overwhelmed by the homework and assignment yang bertimbun-timbun, or when we feel that we are just not good or smart enough ( yep, as i said b4, poeple here are reeaaalllyy smart wan oh, all top-top punya result...and full of self-confidence...scary...). It feels good and comforting to know that we have Jesus and each other.

Wah...you may think I'm so spiritual and "holy-holy", only talk these stuff with my friend. No lah, besides talking about funny school stuffs and girly stuff (Waa...Esther talk about girly stuff geh meh...jeng-jeng-jeng...now baru u know me..), we help build each other's faith. It's good to have such friend especially when you are ( I am) away from family, away from your ( my) homely-church. Then, we would not be led astray, because there's always someone you can be accountable to, and who can encourage you in your faith.

Love your friends, if you don't have true friends, ask Jesus to be your best friend, and ask God to bless you with a true friend, and please, be a true friend to your friends.

To my friends in Sandakan and Matrics Labuan: I love and appreciate you all, thanks for being my friend and thanks for all the memories we shared. Really missed you guys, you were great!!!

Once a friend, always a friend,
Love,
E.

Life Here

2009-08-18T15:10:00.003+06:00

E here...
Just wanna share about my experience when I 1st came here. The 1st tanggapan I had was: wow! Everybody look soooo bright! They 'memancarkan gelombang of cleverness' wan...scare me... and...they all there "berspeaking" high quality English...fuuu~I don't dare speak my chinglish...so inferior...

I felt like crying that day. I felt so alone. No daddy, mommy, no Hannah, no Sammy boy, no frens...just me---but thank God, there's Jesus! It's truly a comfort to know that Jesus is always with us no matter where we are.

Oh ya, most people thought that Sabahans are bumiputeras. People thought that I am Kadazan. Why? Sad answer: Oh, hehe...your skin dark brown mah, and hairy woh..
And people here really still think that Sabah n Sarawak very ulu, and live in long house or trees...hish-hish...they said they learnt that from Geografi in Form 3, talk about Geografi, give wrong concept wan...what "kaya dengan kayu balak, hutan tropika..."

And when I mention Sandakan to my classmate, she said, "Hey, I din know got people like you come from there wan eh..."
"Then what kind of people you think come from there leh?"I asked.
"Hehe...orang utan..."

We can see how priviledge I am to be able to tell them more about Sandakan, about having jalan raya, bangunan konkrit, bekalan elektrik dan air......makes them surprised!

~I LOVE SANDAKAN!~
p/s: and i don't know why people are dying to get out of there...

Moments Of Joy!

2009-08-15T14:32:00.004+06:00

After a month of separation, both of us finally meet each other! Missed my twin sis a lot!

So many stories to share, so many places to show around and so many people to introduce! Busy but fun!

We hardly slept at night but talked, whispered, giggled, and laughed into the night and through the morning. Therefore, we both were twin pandas the next day...

~See our happy and joyful faces! Photo taken at church (bottom) and at hostel's little shop (top).~

Yours Truly,

A Blog Is Born...TODAY!!!

2009-08-15T14:30:00.000+06:00

Yo! Friends & family in Sandakan and Labuan! Miss YA!

Since we found it hard to use e-mails or sms-es to let you guys know what we're doing...we decided to "give birth" to this blog you are now viewing. So, you guys can come here to visit us!

FYI, (for your information), we are not tech-savvy people, so please ignore the flaws you see on this blog! Haha!By the way, we will only update this blog when we're free..but we'll try our best to keep you all updated about ourselves!

Plz know that you guys mean so much to us, we love you guys and truly miss you...even though we may not reply every single email or sms you send, know that it's because of time and money constraint. We have sooo muuch to tell, yet so limited time to share the fun and new experiences we had over here.

Both of us are in different colleges, Esther ( me lah) in Bukit Changgang, Hannah in Shah Alam. We work together on this blog so you may see different unrelated blogs post...hehe... I'll sign my post with "E" and Hannah with a "H" ~DUH~

Twins' Scribbles

Ho ho ho Holidays!

Oh my books!

Time of “Testing”

Being Short (Arggghhh><'’)/Petite (that’s better^^)

Walking in the Light

Be Anxious for Nothing

Valentine’s Special

"Wait For the Man"

Adrienne Sadosky Pittsburgh Standard

Bonding Moment at Bukit Cahaya

Visit to Assunta Hospital

Brushing Up on English

Illusions

Driving with Confidence

Adorning and Equiping

Looking back at 2009, Moving forward to 2010...Part 3

Looking back at 2009, Moving forward to 2010..Part 2

Looking back at 2009, Moving forward to 2010...Part 1

Friends

Studious Time

Weekend with dad and mum

Shah Alam Lake Garden Sceneries

Picnic at SA Lake Garden!

College Pictures Unveiled!

Settling down~New Church

Summit Subang (29/08)

Kedah Day 8

Photo

Book of my life

Be prepared for our departure

Christian Poems on Life's Journey

Kedah Day 6

Kedah Day 5-Pekan Rabu

Kedah Day 5--At the Soup Kitchen

Kedah Day 4 At the Dental Clinic

Kedah Day 3

25 Quotes to Ponder

Worrying -thanksgiving- peace

Day 2 in Kedah

self confidence?

List of things I want to thank God for

mY CollegE

To be continue... continued DAY 1 Part 2

My trip to Kedah Day 1

Dear Pastor (From Kids)

Growing Up

考试好搞笑！First Time Test Experiences!

A sweet poem

Counting My Blessings (Part 1)

Friends

Life Here

Moments Of Joy!

A Blog Is Born...TODAY!!!

Adrienne Sadosky
Pittsburgh Standard