The Stand

You stood before creation
Eternity in Your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand

You stood before my failure
Carried the Cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand

So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So I'll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
This life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand

So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So I’ll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all

So I’ll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

© 2005 Hillsong Publishing

love the bridge.

Lavish

You lavish me with love
As I wait at Your feet
Your Love like sweet perfume
Washes over me

You comfort me with words
When to You I run
You hold me in Your arms
My haven from the storm


I can't help but tell the world of Your great Grace
How You come to love
Crucified You've saved


I speak of Your great love for me
I glorify You Majesty
Your Love
Will never ever change

I see Your open hands of Grace
Nailed to the Cross for me in Grace
Your Love
You lavish on me


Your Love
You lavish on me

© 2007 New Creation Church

in the days since that last paper on friday, i've been doing the following:

friday - LAN
saturday - LAN then watch transformers
sunday - play jedi academy
monday - play jedi academy and read harry potter & the half-blood prince
tuesday - LAN and read harry potter & the half-blood prince
wednesday - LAN

this really has to stop.

In Christ Alone

This is a beautiful, beautiful song.

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save

Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground his body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

© Stuart Townsend and Keith Getty

and here are two mvs of the song i found.

with lyrics:



without lyrics:


beautiful. simply beautiful.

it's wonderful when you know God has spoken to you. :)

I Stand In Worship

In Your hands
Are the depth of the earth
And the height
Of the Heavens above

I worship and bow down
Kneel before You
My Lord and Maker


In Your hand
Is the breath of my soul
In Your love
I stand righteous and bold

To honour You my King
Glorify You my Redeemer



With open arms
I stand in worship
Feel Your Love's embrace

In reverence
I Enthrone You Jesus
Lifter of my head

With gratefulness
I stand before You
Faithful Loving King

I rest in hope
For You are my portion
With thankfulness I sing

© 2007 New Creation Church

a blog update was in order, so i just turned off the tv (was watching "campus superstar" but found it... shall we say, sleep inducing).

anyway, what a week it's been! the two main things that have happened were my pre-NS checkup and the planetshakers "the zone" concert.

but firstly, i shan't go into too much detail about my check up (lest the powers that be decide that this trigger-happy blogger has said too much or spoken his mind a little too much), but i think i'm allowed to describe the procedures involved.

1. they take a passport-sized photo of you in official army uniform (no, not the combat ready one, the one that high-rank officials wear, minus the badges). after i took the photo i realised i hadn't shaved those tiny hairs above my upper lip a la hitler's moustache (well, mine wasn't as thick). i just hope i don't look like the fuhrer when i see my photo.

2. the first actual station of the check-up involves you urinating into a bottle (in the loo, but you can't use the cubicles), then dipping some paper stick and see if there's any colour change on those coloured areas (5 in total). in retrospect, it kinda reminded me of a pregnancy test... but then again, boys do not get pregnant (excluding arnie)

3. they draw your blood. not once, but twice. (third time lucky for me though) first they prick your finger and draw it up a capillary tube then put it in a device that keeps shaking your blood. prevents your blood from agglutinating i suppose. but then again, without enough platelets, how will it clot? i dunno. the second time, the guy smears alcohol over your vein on your arm, then smacks it real hard before plunging the jabber (or jabbing the plunger?) to draw blood for tests. for me, however, the MO had to draw another vial (5 ml per) for some hep-B tests or whatnot. thanks ah.

4. checking teeth. the only funny thing that occurred at this station was this guy who wasn't doing the check up but punching the keyboard (well, not literally), was for some reason wearing his combat uniform (ie the field one). considering he was in a building in the base of the ministry of defence, i have no idea why he wore that uniform. oh well.

5. take x-ray. nothing much here, except that the guy in charge of this station had a voice which was too... high for this station. considering we had to take off our shirts and face the wall, while he got to push our backs to the wall (physical contact!)... but i'm probably just being paranoid. besides, that's too much information as it is already.

6. eye check. colour blind tests + the "tell-me-if-you-can-read-the-last-line" test. nuff said.

7. hearing test. it involved you going into this room where it's totally quiet and then putting on headphones. the guy'd play a sound, and if you hear the sound in your right ear, you raise your right hand. ditto for left side. for me, the sounds were really soft, and they were played very quickly, so i had to keep raising my hand on either side. at one point i considered raising both hands permanently but thought against it.

8. the "scariest" part, if you will. for this is where you have to tell the whole truth, the "naked" truth about any medical history you'd have. the fabled "strip-and-cough" session was much, much shorter than i imagined, and because i know this blog is read by children, no other information will be provided. please talk to me personally for details (if you so desire, for whatever reason)

they put me in PES D, pending my hep-B tests. i'm not saying i have hep-B, but since my family has a carrier, it's best they did further tests (hence explaining the extra vial of blood drawn. -_-"). in all probability, i'm going to end up as PES B (though i think i can qualify for PES A, but i don't want that.)

9. the best part! the famous "vocational test". on hindsight, i should really have selected "PSLE" when it asked "highest educational level". selecting "A-level" meant that questions involving differentiation (!) were asked. wth. the only really funny part was the speed/response test. when a number was flashed, you'd have to tap that number (on the keypad) 3 times quickly. so, since my responses are a bit lag (those who lan with me would know), i think i did quite badly for that section. still, it was funny when tapping those keys made so much noise, since they keyboards there are those from the late 80s/early 90s. and since the room was pretty quiet (everyone was concentrating on their own test), you could hear the "click-click-click-click-click" sounds pretty clearly lol.
also, one thing i found out is that you hardly have enough time to complete some tests. considering i pretty much zipped through most questions, there is really very little time to do all the questions, eg 15 mins for 30 math questions. wth? i ended up using my gc (since i was going to mug in school that day, i brought my bag along) to calculate math problems. i later then found out i'm not allowed to. whoops.

finally, when i came out (i finished much earlier, before everyone else lol), i met wei lai at the door, who'd came for the check-up around 20 minutes before me. and we left at the same time.


~end of part 1




check back again later for the post on the planetshakers concert!

Hillsong - The Time Has Come

Found love beyond all reason
You gave your life Your all for me
And called me Yours forever

Caught in the mercy fallout
I found hope found life
Found all I need
You’re all I need

The time has come
To stand for all we believe in
So I for one am gonna
Give my praise to You

Today, today
It’s all or nothing
All the way
The praise goes out to You
Yeah all the praise goes out to You

Today today I live for one thing
To give You praise
In everything I do
Yeah all the praise goes out to You

All we are is Yours
And all we’re living for
Is all You are
Is all that You are Lord

church retreat

was very enjoyable.

amidst all the praise i received about being a good interpreter and whatnot, it was actually when i stopped my interpretation duty that i really started to have fun.

initially i'd thought i had to give up this and give up that. hearing howard tell me about how he could play citadels up till 3am, and hearing about the ywav-ers hanging out and having a lot of fun together wasn't exactly very encouraging, given i had to spend my afternoons and nights reading up and preparing for the next sermon. granted the preparation part itself wasn't actually very long, because i had no idea what the speaker was going to talk about, so i only had to read the relevant Scripture parts. still, it meant that while other people were having fun in genting, eating more meals than they should, or even just lounging around like lizards (to borrow a phrase), i was in my room either: a) studying biology, b) reading the Bible (either for quiet time or preparing for the sermon) c) watching dvd sermons by pastor prince (the smartest thing i did on this trip; bringing the dvds along).

but, but, but, a thousand times but, my Heavenly Dad really blessed the last day of the retreat. after the last sermon, the responsibility (it wasn't really a burden) of doing interpretation was over, and that meant that i could really have fun. don't misunderstand me, it is both an honour and a joy to serve. but being freed from having to prepare for the next sermon really allowed me to have some time to fellowship (mingle) with my peers. and thursday afternoon and night were really enjoyable, since i was reverting back to the identity of just a participant in the camp. alvin the servant had finished his duty.

and boy, was it a day to enjoy. playing basketball in the afternoon with howard and the ywavers was really enjoyable, maybe because i scored 19 out of the 21 points we scored, including a 3-point shot. =P but i think i've used up my exercise quota for the year as well, even though we only played 2o mins or so.

at night we had lots of fun during the concert, listening to and watching the performances. i even managed to sit somewhere which wasn't the first row! (for all previous events, i had to speak beside the speaker. i'm the interpreter, remember?)

but the fun was going to last waaaayyy beyond the concert. we later went to the ywavers' room and proceeded to play 20-man heart attack, then mafia (an alternate version of "polar bear"), which lasted till around 1.30am. we later moved to someone else's room, and despite my tired self, i somehow managed to last till 3am (inclusive taking some personality test) before finally trudging back to my room. howard seemed more reluctant than me to leave. and to think he was initially pretty reluctant to even join the ywavers. but thanks to the awesome persuasion powers our great kin shun wields, we both made the right decision that night.

now, i wouldn't go so far as to say i know a lot of ywavers, but i'd venture to say i can at least recognise some of them. which is saying quite a bit, since this time last year i didn't even know more than half the soar-ers.

after the camp i've had a newfound love for the church, which, i freely confess, wasn't truly there before. and it's because of this that i wish the shepherds would stop beating the sheep. feed them and they'll grow. if you keep hitting them on the head, how are you going to get a strong church? a good church?

Dad, we need Your help.

Yours Forever

I wait on You
Jesus You satisfy
My heart and soul

Your tenderness
You give to me
In Your embrace

You cover me
You keep me safe and sound
Under Your wings

Your peace and rest
You give to me
By Your sacrifice

And to You I belong
By Your grace
You have called me Your own

Jesus I am Yours forever
Close to Your heart
Held safe in Your hands

I'm carried high upon Your shoulders
Nothing can take Your love away
From me

the last official midweek bible study was held last night.

i already knew that it was going to be a special night, when we got to sing two of my favourite songs, "In You I Live", and "I See Grace". my suspicions were confirmed when pastor prince walked out during the last song, and got all of us to sing and pray in the Spirit for an extended period of time. (for the uninformed, we're only supposed to see pastor on screen, not in the flesh, because he was supposed to preach only on thursday nights, not friday nights as well).

bible study itself was, as usual, full of Jesus. sometimes i wonder if we do take bible study for granted. all the anointing, all the revelations, i hope no one has gotten to a place where he is so used to these precious things that he doesn't see them as exciting, because they truly are. nothing, or no one rather, can change one in such a short period of time as God's word, who came in the flesh. His name is Jesus. =)

so, at the end of the service, pastor even dedicated us a song, the english version of Jacky Cheung (张学友)'s 祝福, sung by pastor daniel. in the end, emotions ran quite high, as everyone, from the pastors top down, had already started to miss bible study.

friday nights just wouldn't be the same anymore.

God has condemned my sin in the flesh.

Saved My Soul

Your Spirit is calling

My soul is thirsty

My heart's desire is for You

My God

You're my salvation

Eternal Saviour

You came

You gave Your all

For me

When I was lost

Your love

It searched for me and found me

And for this awesome grace

Forever I'll sing

Oh Lord You saved my soul

Lord You saved my soul

You came for me

To give me life

A higher life

For Your eternal grace

I live to give You praise

Your love for me

It never fails

It never fails

quite a lot of people have been/are sick these days...

by the grace of God, i've stayed healthy, and apart from my ulcer, i'm perfectly okay!

and praise God, it's healed already. =)

hope everyone gets well real quick! =)

Your Spirit's calling
My soul is thirsty
My heart's desire is for You, my God

Planetshakers - The Reason I Live


I was no one when i first met you
I had nothing of worth in my life
But then i found you and it all became clear
You're the one that i've been searching for

From the start i couldnt figure it out
Why someone like you would die for me
But i know that your love for me is so great
And that is why im giving you my life

I am yours every part of me
Jesus you're the reason i live
Take my life lord and use me as you will
Jesus you're the reason i live

I can't believe that you're with me til forever
I'll never leave you and you'll never leave me
It's what i long for your presence here in my life
Cos you're the air i breathe my reason why

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnCJ3VdKVsI

Lord of All

Shout praises to the Holy One
God makes us strong we'll see His will be done
From the highest place He came to save us

We stand in the power of His name
Salvation's work in our lives proclaim
Living from the kingdom of hope within us

Shine Your light
Be that city of light

We're gonna shout out loud
It's time to let it out
It's Your life in me for all to see
'Cause our God reigns always
Till the end of days
We’re gonna stand strong, stand tall
Cause Jesus Christ is Lord of all

Colours flowing through my life
I'm not the same now my heart desires
To see the whole world come to know You

I'll shine my light
Be that city of light

We're gonna shout out loud
It's time to let it out
It's Your life in me for all to see
'Cause our God reigns always
Till the end of days
We’re gonna stand strong, stand tall
Cause Jesus Christ is Lord of all

Shout shout we're gonna let it out
Shout shout we're gonna let it out
Shout shout we're gonna shout Jesus is Lord

Shine Your light
Be that city of light

We're gonna shout out loud
It's time to let it out
It's Your life in me for all to see
'Cause our God reigns always
Till the end of days
We’re gonna stand strong, stand tall
Cause Jesus Christ is Lord of all

He's the Lord of all
He's the Lord of all the Earth
'Cause our God reigns always
Till the end of days
We’re gonna stand strong, stand tall
Cause Jesus Christ is Lord of all

i made a mistake.

i overrated my ability to be independent.

but, thank Jesus, He never left me.

even when i thought i was alone.
even when i did some pretty stupid things the past week.

i want to say sorry to those i offended, to those i neglected, because i was feeling neglected. not any more.

i want to thank all those who stuck by me when i felt alone. i was probably kinda blind and looking to myself most of the time, to miss those who were always beside me. thank you 7b, especially those who were nice to me this past week and who talked to me, no matter how much or little, thank you. thank you lw and neo, for offering a listening ear any time. thank you joeyee and carmen, who're always there for me and were so nice to me.

this week's going to be a great week. i don't know it, but i believe. =)

the past week's been both physically and mentally draining. (you have to keep in mind the difference between this past week and a normal week for me okay)

it kinda went downhill from monday onwards, with a super demoralising math test (alarm bells are starting to ring), followed by napfa on tues (oww my legs), and then ptg traffic control duty on thurs (which was still fun, but tiring), then translation in church yesterday, and HCLeap today. i reached home after dark from wed to sat. o.o

things weren't helped by the fact that my parents decided to go AWOL (okay, so they had official leave) and couldn't fetch me to/from school. if i had my way, i'd have gone by car from wednesday through saturday. no hitchhikers please though.

the only positive thing which happened this week was silver for napfa....and that's it.




thank God this week's over.

was rather touched by the people who showed me concern today.

thank you steve, matthias, jonathan, samuel, ka yiu, for asking me how i felt and if i was ok. thank you for giving me sound advice (ie not to run if not feeling well). i sometimes forget how uncommon it is these days to hear some proper advice from people.

thanks lw for the bus ride and listening to me complain. i haven't done that in a long time you know.

many, many thanks to eden who graciously volunteered to accompany me to run the whole 2.4 after school! although i did feel like punching you at times during the last lap, thank you for all that pep talk (while running) and encouragement.

yay napfa get silver! shuttle run 9.2 and 11 pullups woot!



also, hope carolyn, kenneth and jonathan are feeling better. lydia too.

this coming week's gonna be full of stuff!

monday - math lect test (bring it on?)
tuesday - napfa (alright, all of yall, i want you to run 2.4 - mr ram)
wednesday - parents flying to hk (yay no parental control?)
thursday - PTG traffic control duty (what i've wanted to do my whole life... or, more like, my whole life)
friday - translation for church business meeting (err yay? :S)
saturday - HCLeap (it better be good)



i don't remember the last time i had a full week of activities. what's happened to slacking?
nnnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Above All

Above all powers, above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Above all kingdoms, above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what You're worth

Crucified, laid behind the stone
You lived to die, rejected and alone
Like a rose, trampled on the ground
You took the fall, and thought of me
Above all

dad told me they'd uploaded the sermon where i was translator!

http://www.qbc.org.sg/qbc_english/audio/070408.mp3

the sermon is 1 hour+ long.


oh and btw, the voice speaking in chinese is me.




Never knew i'd such a high voice.

The One Thing

Lord, I'm here
To sit at Your feet
To behold Your beauty

Speak Your word
Your voice I will heed
Let Your presence wash over me

It's the one thing that I need
Your presence is all I'll ever seek
Overwhelm me with Your love
Till all I see is You
All I see is You

Jesus
All my fears, they fade away
When I see You
When I see You

it certainly feels good to receive praise from people even a few days after the easter sermon.

"hey, alvin, great job at translating!"
"hey, you did very well!"
"you're getting even better and better!"

but i know that if not for Jesus, i would not be here today. certainly, i would be unable to stand in front of more than 700 people and translate the easter message to the church. if not for Jesus.

there's nothing for me to boast about.



It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God -- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
- 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

thank You Jesus. =)

a trip to the carnival!

i haven't been to one in ages. i think my last trip to a carnival in singapore was around 4 years ago, when i was in sec 2.

it turned out to be a nice stroll down memory lane. of my (pretty short) childhood. i am, after all, only 18, and i don't think my childhood days (or years, for that matter) are necessarily over yet.

anyway, i'll let the photos do the talking. (you do know i'm speaking metaphorically right?)




this is a bird's eye view of the entire place. pretty decent for a neighbourhood carnival, if you ask me. there were, among others, bumper cars, mini roller coaster, the 360 degree spinning thing (called "top gun", i think they were trying to honour a certain mr cruise), and those things which spin like a dryer/washing machine. and of course, game stalls!



i swear i didn't mean to capture the old lady in the photo. all i wanted was a picture of the entracnce. guess i got more than what i bargained for.



the ferris wheel! i think it's called "euro wheel" because i was in a euro fun park. the climate wasn't very euro though.



a close up of the ferris wheel.

for some inexplicable reason i wished my TIP friends were there with me.



the thing called "top gun".

for some reason i wished my s7b friends were there with me.





a game stall with all their prizes being crayon shin chan dolls. i actually had a good mind to play the game and bring a doll home. it only involved throwing balls into a small hole of some sort, so no kick. but i realised that i'd have no place to put it, and would have to end up giving it up to someone else.



i used to really, really like this ride as a kid. unfortunately, there weren't many of these around (at least, not at the carnivals i went to).

for some reason, i wished my cousins were there with me.



i've probably relived more childhood memories in this one night than the past 4-6 years combined. and i suddenly had this insatiable urge to sms all my classmates to tell them to all come here and go on all the rides together. as a class outing. just to re-experience those memories.

it was fun while it lasted. =)

took this photo while taking the bus home today.



has it ever occurred to you where the food the birds are eating come from? i mean, it's not like this is the forest, it's a pavement! and i don't see any food wrappers lying around.

it reminded me of what the bible said in matthew 6:25.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?



He cares for me.

You Are So Faithful

Like the sun that rises everyday,
You are so faithful.
Lord, You are faithful.

Like the rain that You send,
And every breath that I breathe,
You are so faithful, Lord

Like the rose that comes alive every spring,
You are so faithful.
Lord, You are faithful.
Like the life that You give,
to every beat of my heart,
You are so faithful, Lord.

I see the cross and the price You had to pay,
I see the blood that washed my sins away.

In the midst of the storm
through the wind and the waves,
You'll still be faithful, You'll still be faithful,
When the stars refuse to shine and time is no more,
You'll still be faithful,
You'll still be faithful, Lord.

street evangelism!

spent my afternoon outside plaza sing participating in street evangelism. for the uninformed/ non-believer, it's simply spreading the gospel on the streets. so basically, i was in "converting christian" mode.

out of the 2 hours we were there, we spent half the time looking for people to approach, half the time buying food and eating (specifically terry) and the rest of the time trying to talk to them.

out of the few people our group talked to (there was hardly enough time), among others, was a group of ny sec 1s. they were there because they were doing a survey for a project (i clearly remember doing no such thing in sec 1), and funny enough, they were the easiest to talk to. i think the fact that the 2 older girls in our group (from glowing) were talking helped. or maybe it's just because they're sec 1. or maybe it's because they're from ny. i don't know. in exchange for listening to them, we did their survey, which was something like "what class flight do you take: economy/business/first". i didn't do it though.

later the 2 girls told terry and i "hey you guys should also approach people,", conveniently forgetting the fact that it was the first time for both terry and myself. that's not an excuse, but perhaps it would've been better if we split into 1 guy, 1 girl? at least people wouldn't be intimidated/put off by 2 guys trying to convert them.

this is what happened when we went up to 1 guy.

terry: "uh hello, we are from qbc. i'm terry, and..."
guy: "it's alright."
terry + me: "..."

can't blame us for not trying.

still, it was quite a good learning experience. although honestly, i don't know what i'm supposed to learn, or what i have learnt.



in any case, Jesus still loves me. with all his heart. =)

alright. some post-blocks nonsense!

I'll Make a Nerd Out of You

Let's get down to business
To study for blocks
Did they send me slackers
when I asked for nerds?
You're the slackest bunch
I ever met
But you can bet
before we're through
Mister, I'll make a nerd
out of you

Tranquil as a slacker
but on fire within
Once you find your textbooks
you are sure to win
You're the slackest, pale
non-mugger lot
And you haven't got a clue
Somehow I'll make a nerd
Out of you

I'm never gonna get to slack
Say good-bye to fellow slackers
Boy, was I a fool in school
for ponning lects!
This guy's got 'em
scared to death
Hope he doesn't see
right through me
Now I really wish that I
knew how to mug

(Be a nerd)
We must be swift as
a supercomputer
(Be a nerd)
Mug all your notes
like a great typhoon
(Be a nerd)
Use all your brain cells
to memorise notes
And most importantly,
no more games for you!

Time is racing toward us
till your As arrive
Do your every tutorial
and you might survive
You're unsuited for
the rage of blocks
So pack up, go home
you're through
How could I make a nerd
out of you?

(Be a nerd)
We must be swift as
a supercomputer
(Be a nerd)
Mug all your notes
like a great typhoon
(Be a nerd)
Use all your brain cells
to memorise notes
And most importantly,
no more games for you!

(Be a nerd)
We must be swift as
a supercomputer
(Be a nerd)
Mug all your notes
like a great typhoon
(Be a nerd)
Use all your brain cells
to memorise notes
And most importantly,
no more games for you!

i saw this poster hanging from the ceiling of the Cheers store opposite my flat which said this.

"100 tickets must be won to watch jolin 'live' in concert! Spend min. $5 to qualify."

Now, enlighten me if i am mistaken, but should the word "must" be replaced with "to"? After all, the chances of winning a whopping 100 tickets just to "watch jolin 'live in concert!" are not that high. I don't think the chances of winning even 1 ticket is high. So whoever can actually win the 100 tickets must be one lucky bugger.
Furthermore, assuming that you spend a minimum of $5 to qualify, what does it qualify you for? 1 ticket? 100 tickets? Either way it doesn't make sense. if it's $5 to stand a chance to win 1 ticket, it doesn't take a nuclear physicist to calculate that one must spend at least $500 just to have the chance to win 100 tickets. And that's assuming for every $5, you do win 1 ticket. Even a ticket for "Phantom of the Opera" isn't worth $500. Or World Cup tickets. But maybe PotO and WC are all passe. Move aside Phantom, Jolin in the house!

The other alternative would be even more implausible. If you spend $5 to qualify for 100 tickets, Cheers would be haemorrhaging money. Assuming, this time, that each ticket costs $40 (which is about the average price, unless i am sorely mistaken), Cheers would lose $4000-$5= $3995! Which self-respecting convenience store trying to compete with the likes of 7-11 would be so bloody stupid to risk $3995 just to try to boost their sales a little?

Of course, these arguments are all based on the assumption that the word "must" should be replaced with "to". But something's not right. Firstly, Cheers's own website states clearly that "Cheers, a wholly owned subsidiary of NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd", which Wikipedia states "is a co-operative of the National Trade Union Congress", which Wikipedia also states "Relations between PAP and NTUC are very close", which Wikipedia also states that PAP "has been the ruling political party in Singapore since 1959 and thus enjoys a significant role in the formation of the government of Singapore". So, unless i'm making a wrong logic jump, Cheers is owned by the government?

At the expense of sounding like a patriot, but mistakes and the Singapore government do not go together. My history textbook tells me that it was the government who solved the problem of housing in the 1960s, after the war. It was also the government which introduced technical education to prepare less well-educated students enter the workforce more easily. It does not follow, then, that if the government is capable of formulating such important policies, surely it cannot make a simple language mistake? If any staff from Cheers, NTUC, or the government came across my humble abode, (which have pretty high chances at 1/3,000,000, assuming everyone in Singapore has a blog, and i'm not counting blogs of staff from the aforementioned 3 bodies. If you don't, you are outdated, because even our ministers have blogs now!) please do not take my questions personally. I am not trying to offend anyone, but merely to express my humble opinion.

No, something is not right here. Either the government made a mistake when designing that poster (specifically Cheers staff), or one really has to win 100 tickets just to watch Jolin 'live' in concert. I can only eliminate the first option and deduce that yes, one must win 100 tickets just to watch Jolin 'live' in concert.

joke of the day.

which halogen is my brother?















chlorine.

because mak chlorine = maclaurin.





ha.

when they said that JTS would be pushed to after block tests from this Thursday, i thought that for once, common sense finally prevailed.

alas, it wasn't to be. turns out that this is the case because some juniors can't make it.

in any case, i shouldn't be complaining. i got what i wanted. which apparently no one else wants. not that i care. =)





also, it occurred to me that it probably wasn't wise to be telling people all about my exploits in the washroom.

what the crap.

Disclaimer: Due to the graphic content of this post, viewer discretion is strongly advised.


If you ever have the chance to go to Paradiz Centre, make sure you have emptied all your bowels/bladders, and have nothing coming for at least the next 24 hours. Make that 48. I am not kidding.

It’s experiences like the one I had yesterday that makes me appreciate splendid toilets at hotels/shopping malls/ home, and wonder why in such a kiasu country like Singapore, why more isn’t being done to improve the standards of toilets. Sure, this may be one of those rare few toilets in Singapore which hasn’t undergone a radical facelift, but if anyone from the government/ Paradiz Centre’s management reading this entry, please, please, please, for the love of humanity, DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR TOILETS. (basement one, to be specific).

So yesterday, I was playing pool with some of my classmates after going for the Open House of 2 universities, and we wanted to kill some time from 5pm to 5.45pm, because we were meeting other classmates later to have dinner. I was already having a slight stomachache, presumably from eating the half-cooked chicken wings I myself cooked at the class barbeque the previous night (I’m giving my classmates who cooked the benefit of the doubt and just assume I was the only lousy cook who couldn’t get the wings to be fully cooked. But they were still rather tasty). Anyway, if I had known before yesterday the state of toilets in Paradiz Centre, I would have gladly told my bowels something along the lines of “You’re not getting out of here for the next 2 hours. Now stop giving my stomach a hard time, or I’ll plug your exit permanently,”

I should have known that the state of the shopping centre would give me a clue or two about the state of the toilet. My toilet sense was already tingling when I saw that the shopping centre was dimly lit, and the only people who were there at that time were either foreign workers or punks. But no, I chose to believe in the best of the shopping mall, and hence, the toilet as well.

The first time the pain really shot through my whole body was when we were playing our first game of pool. Being unable to stand the pain any longer without crapping in my pants, I tried as nicely as possible to ask the pool shop owner where the nearest toilet was. Through gritted teeth I said, “auntie, where is the nearest toilet?” and she just nonchalantly replied, “go out turn right,”. So I thought to myself “Hallelujah! At least the toilet’s not far,” so out I turned. 4 times. I bet they constructed the path to the toilet like that for people like me to wish they’d cleared their bowels at home every morning. Just when you think you’ve reached the corner of the toilet, you round the corner and see…another 10 metres of straight path to the next corner. Now, I’m not saying 10m is long, but after 3 turns you start to wonder if you’re in a maze, and whether going back out the way you came from would be a faster way to find the toilet.

Finally, when I reached the toilet after 2 hours, I rushed into the nearest cubicle. Immediately I saw a whole family, probably with their extended family, of flies. Now I’m going to call them “dungflies” here, because what other name can you give to a fly that hides in toilet cubicles, waiting for people’s…waste products? So, on the verge of screaming a profanity, I bit my tongue and went to the next cubicle. And the next one. And the next one. I ended up using none. Because it turns out that the dungflies are either all spending their march school holidays camping in a cubicle (1 cubicle per family plus extended family) waiting for some poor chap to provide them with a feast, or just to hibernate there. BECAUSE THERE ARE BLOODY DUNGFLIES IN EVERY DAMN CUBICLE. And it’s not just 1 or 2, it’s around 10 each. Tell me, would you feel safe exposing any body parts in the presence of around 10 dungflies? I guessed not.

That wasn’t the only problem. None of the cubicles had any toilet paper in it. Can you imagine? What the tourists would think? If they stumbled upon Paradiz centre and had the same predicament as me? They’d probably be like “what the *#@$ ?! And I thought Singapore would have world-class toilets! They have world-class this and world-class that, but they don’t even have a decent cubicle here? What the @#$% is wrong with this place?” thankfully, I’m not a tourist. But just imagine.

As I came out of the toilet, I could hear my insides screaming already. “Get this stupid crap out of me!” and I had to be like “I’m trying to, okay? But there’s no damn paper! How am I going to explain this to Mr. Pie Hole?” then I saw this toilet paper dispensing machine. Yes, that’s right, a toilet paper dispensing machine. It said “insert 10c here” at one end. Those mercenary bastards. I had to run back down the Road Less Travelled to retrieve my wallet, avoid the curious glances of my classmates and beat a hasty exit once more. As I inserted a 10c coin in the machine, I had never felt so humiliated before (at least that day). It was almost as if, when the machine was dispensing the toilet paper, it was saying “you big LOOSSEEERRRRRR. You don’t even bring toilet paper when you go out,” This was, without a shadow of doubt, my biggest waste of money this year. And, I could have sworn I heard some evil auntie hiding in a corner sniggling somewhere and saying, “hah! Another moron falling into our devilishly scheming plan to increase our income by 10 cents. And therefore our standard of living.” I could have sworn, if I had anything sharp at all, I would have torn the toilet paper dispensing machine to shreds. Not the paper, but the machine. Also, I will from now on, never again leave home without taking out at least 1 packet of tissue paper wherever I go.

I then had to choose which cubicle had the least number of flies. Or at least, the greatest proportion hibernating. In the end, I chose the first one, because I reckoned that perhaps they’re like humans on the MRT. They always choose the ones in the middle, leaving the cubicles at both ends relatively empty. So I opened the door and walked in as softly as possible, hoping not to wake them up from their deep slumber.

I’d prefer not to talk about the minute details of what went on next, but suffice to say that it was traumatizing. For starters, imagine, that the toilet bowl is so dirty, you cannot, absolutely cannot, sit on it without risking getting STDs on your pie hole. So there I was, balancing myself on my feet, trying not to get one leg stuck inside the toilet bowl, and getting Mr. Crappy to get out of me. Then suddenly this dungfly flew in through the space below the door, looked at me as if I was goodness knows what, before flying out again. I could have sworn it was telling me telepathically, “peek-a-boo! I see you!” not exactly something you’d need if you were trying hard to get certain things flushed out of your system would it? if, thousands or millions of years later, it evolved to have a neck, i'd come out of my grave just to wrap my hands around it and squeeze.

I also was having a hard time trying to cover as much of myself as possible in case of the flies waking up from their hibernation. Can you imagine? This fly who’s asleep suddenly wakes up to the smell of crap and says, “Blimey! Honey, wake up! We’ve hit the jackpot! Some idiot’s come in to give us our meal for the year! Hurrah!” desperately trying to avoid this situation, I was trying to cover myself as much as possible in case they decided my gluteus maximus was a buffet table.

And as I was holding my “thinking man’s position” there, I thought to myself, “why am I suffering a third-world condition in a supposedly first-world country?” and I found no answer to that. Perhaps one day when I’m lying in a hammock at home when I’m eighty I will. But not today. It certainly did not help matters that by this time, my bowels were trying to play “hide-and-seek” with me by not coming out. Try as I might, I just couldn’t find them. I think some of the buggers are still inside me now, as I’m typing this. I’ll deal with them later.

Finally, after 10 minutes (surely a world record) locked up in that cubicle, I could stand it no more, and after cleaning myself with that measly few pieces of paper, I dashed out (but not before flushing the toilet thoroughly), washed my hands, and ran towards freedom. Surely, surely, I wasn’t going back to hell now.

A few lessons have I learnt from this episode. They are:

1) never, ever, ever, ever, go to the toilet in paradiz centre. Unless they hire pest extermination to clean that defiled place. And I have at least 10 rolls of toilet paper with me.
2) Never ever attempt to try cooking at a barbeque. I know I’m supposed to be good at outdoor cooking, having passed that test in scouts, but let’s keep that a secret okay?
3) Never ever go to paradiz center, especially after eating funky food that day or the day before.
4) Someone should really, really do something about the toilet in paradiz centre.

ok... made a new discovery today, which was, suffice to say, shocking. but in a funny way.


anyway, first heard this song during dramafeste. recently joseph told me what song it was, and, thanks to Youtube (again!), i can share this nice song! :)

oh in case you don't know, youtube's site is www.youtube.com



Lifehouse - You and Me


What day is it?
And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive

I can't keep up
and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time

Cause it's you and me
and all other people
with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me
and all other people
And I don't know why,
I can't keep my eyes off of you

All of the things that I want to say
just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words
You've got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here

Cause it's you and me
and all other people
with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it's you and me
and all other people
And I don't know why,
I can't keep my eyes off of you

There's something about you now
I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right

Cause it's you and me
and all other people
with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me
and all other people
And I don't know why,
I can't keep my eyes off

of you and me
and all other people
with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it's you and me
and all other people
And I don't know why,
I can't keep my eyes off of you

What day is it?
And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive




ok the mv is a bit mushy and lovey-dovey and whatnot, but it's the closest thing i could find to an actual mv.

mrs ang said something today which made lots of sense.

if you don't do well for your studies, you're insulting your intelligence.

what did you feel when someone you held dear to your heart didn't regard you with the same importance?


angry? upset? sad? or disappointed?




thank God Jesus isn't like that. =)

it's been quite a week.

went with joseph and velden to get our sch accts unlocked. when we told the techie our userids, he scrolled to them on the name list, and there, beside my name, the offence was written as:

"play com" o.O

hope they don't put that on my testimonial. =P

today our seniors got their results! thanks to them, we have a full day holiday on monday. i don't dislike having a holiday, but i'd much rather it come later (like after block test) or earlier (like early feb, cny time. eh wait, it's still cny now).

nowadays, i don't know why.

maybe it's my new chair.
maybe it's junior class.
maybe football manager's losing its appeal.
maybe com games are losing their appeal.
maybe it's what jk said about what i do at home.
maybe it's what zhuo said.

whatever it is, i like what's happening to me. thank you Jesus.





heard this song playing on tv and quite liked it.



Take That - Patience

Just have a little patience
I'm still hurting from a love I lost
I'm feeling your frustration
That any minute all the pain will stop
Just hold me close inside your arms tonight
Don't be to hard on my emotions

Cause I need time
My heart is numb has no feeling
So while I'm still healing just try and have a little patience

I really wanna start over again
I know you wanna be my salvation
The one that I can always depend
I'll try to be strong believe me
I'm trying to move on
It's complicated but understanding

Cause I need time
My heart is numb has no feeling
So while I'm still healing just try and have little patience yeah
Have a little patience yeah

Cause the scars run so deep it's been hard but I have to believe
Have a little patience
Have a little patience

Whooo cause I
I just need time
My heart is numb has no feeling so while I'm still healing
Jjust try and have a little patience
Have a little patience

My heart is numb has no feeling so while I'm still healing
Just try and have a little patience

i know that as far as results are concerned, we only need them for this year.

i know that getting good results isn't everything. people aren't going to remember you for how well you did in school; they remember you for the fun times you gave them, for the warmth you showed them when they were in need, and how you were there with them when they were going through hell-ish camps.

i know that although good results are required if i want to go to any course i want to, that does not mean that if i do not have straight As, i'm condemned to being a failure my whole life.

i also know that in the grand scheme of things, results don't really matter; you aren't going to your grave with the epitaph saying "here lies a straight As" student etc. (for the record, it's probably going to say something like "here lies a beloved father/son/brother/etc"




having said all that, it feels pretty darn good to do well academically.
even if it's only for one test. =)

...and i'd almost forgotten what it felt like to succeed.

Through It All

You are forever in my life
You see me through the seasons
Cover me with Your hand
And lead me in Your righteousness

And I look to You
And I wait on You

I'll sing to You Lord
A hymn of love
For Your faithfulness to me
I'm carried in everlasting arms
You'll never let me go
Through it all

Hallelujah
Hallelujah

reasons why there'll never be a Batman in Singapore

was watching The Batman on Youtube today when this question came to mind. here are some answers i thought of:

1. it's too damn hot (really want to wear black clothes on your whole body. plus that cape, hot until you sweat everywhere, even in your underpants outside)
2. singapore police force too efficient.
3. singapore has the death penalty. any clowns or idiots who go around committing serious offences would be hanged, forcing Batman out of business
4. too few high-rise buildings (you really want to chase your enemy on top of hdb flat. or you want to swing from hdb block to block?)
5. parking the Batmobile would be a little conspicuous.
6. if he ever flew the Batwing, the RSAF would shoot it down the first time round.
7. if he ever drove the Bat-submarine (or what it's called), it'd be shot down by the singapore navy. not to mention he can only park it at either punggol marina or tanah merah jetty. not exactly easy to get to it eh?
8. singapore is a small country. it wouldn't be too hard to narrow searches to deduce one's identity. what's more, singapore's multi-racial too, so if Batman were an ang moh, it'd be pretty easy to find out who he is.
9. many villains would be out of business in the first place. here are a few examples:
a. mr. freeze wouldn't survive in singapore for a day, much less threaten to freeze the whole country over.
b. there are plenty of people who love and feed stray cats, so catwoman wouldn't have to go around kicking some cat abuser's butt.
c. singaporeans love the environment. what with clean and green week and whatnot, poison ivy wouldn't have to use evil means to force people to save the environment. hell, there're litter bins everywhere! (actually she's more of a plant activist, but what the heck)
10. all of Batman's equipment would have to be imported, since his alter ego probably wouldn't be able to set up a factory to build his gizmos without the government taking notice.
11. the government wouldn't allow it (because having a vigilante go around helping people would imply that the police force sucks. also, this would imply that singapore has lots of social problems, and this wouldn't give off a good image of the government now would it?)
12. Batman's just a fictional character anyway.

Here I Am To Worship

Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes let me see
Beauty that made this heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You

Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You're my God
You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me

King of all days
Oh so highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above
Humbly You came to the earth
You created
All for love's sake became poor

I'll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross

my centennial post! and what better occasion to blog about than valentine's day?

strictly speaking, it was more like friendship day (considering i have no gf, which is probably a good thing at this stage), and revealing ourselves to our mortals!

i tell you, God works wonders. only about a month ago, i saw this batman figure i really wanted, but it cost sth like $24.90, and when i wanted to buy it, my mum told me to use my own money. so i prayed that day, "Lord, give me that toy, but i don't want to pay for it. i want You to give it to me. in Jesus' name, amen."

in less than a month, i'm currently holding it in my hand (well not really, or i wouldn't be able to type). i'm telling you, God supplies me with not only my needs, but my wants as well! thank you Jesus.

and also thank you everyone in s7b who gave me something! (claire for the toothbrush :S, lydia for brownie, jess for the egg, which i cracked and had to throw away =(, see wah for cake, val for biscuit, sam for rice cracker, li ru for sweets, angeline for marshmallow) and i didn't get u all anything! oh well, guess girls are always more thoughtful...

thank you jiayi and mabel for the presents! and to think i spent less than u guys... but i guess amount doesnt really matter. hey, i gave them 3 presents each! (counting the tissue box as well lol)

next up, cross country! since i chose checkpoint 2, there were no casualties lah. was paired with this girl called xiaona, she's a chinese student, and i had to spend like 2 hours conversing with her in chinese only. considering i haven't used it actively for more than a year, i must admit i myself was pretty surprised at how much mandarin i could speak. (canto doesn't count) then we saw lots of people walking this year....or has it been like that every year? maybe i didn't notice or sth. oh and tengara was my teacher-in-charge at my checkpoint. talk about twist of fate. and she was saying sth like "...cherr" to me, cos that's what i always do to her in class: call her "cher" :P

after cross country the casualties started to pile up lol. there were at least 2 guys who had heat exhaustion, and countless cases of bruises, scratches which involved bleeding, not to mention to usual sprains and strains (there's a diff u know). the students should really watch themselves you know, always getting injured after the run. don't so pia lah! slower by 1 or 2 mins will die meh. lame.

went for dinner after everything with some classmates, and we had lots of fun talking nonsense. then went home with carl and tai hao, reached home at like 9.30 omg.

happy v day/friendship day/fire drill day/cross country day everyone!

and thank you Jesus, for loving me so much, You went on the cross to die for me. You're the lover of my soul.

...of uncle daniel, the 156 bus uncle

was taking 156 with tai hao to bishan to buy presents for his angel and mortal, when the bishan gay/ 156 paedophile/ bishan gay /uncle daniel boarded the bus, along bukit timah road (near adam road.)

presently, there was a group of 4 chinese high sec 1/2s (they're so puny it's hard to tell) sitting in the last row. tai hao and i were sitting around 2-3 seats in front of them.

once uncle daniel (i shall use this name rather than the other derogatory ones) boarded, one of the boys shouted (yest, shouted), "it's the bishan gay! it's the bishan gay!" for around 5-6 times non-stop. then, quick as a flash, he whipped out his camera phone and turned it to cam mode. saying "excuse me" quickly as he almost ran past us, he aimed the device at uncle daniel. the latter, obviously being a seasoned pro, immediately flashed his trademark smile at the boy, petrifying him so much he scurried back to his seat almost as quickly as he ran past us previously.

this incident obviously stirred uncle daniel's attention. from then on, he never stopped looking to the last few rows (i didn't know if he tried to stare at me, just dao). then when we reached the stop near SJI, a horde of people boarded, obscuring his vision. but he must have been delighted to have been the first one the people who just boarded saw, for he was sitting at the seat facing sideways.

when we finally arrived at bishan interchange, many of us alighted, including uncle daniel.

***

my dear chinese high boys (i'm from anglican/dunman high now), what is so fascinating about uncle daniel? don't you think you are being very mean to him?

let's walk a mile in his shoes. suppose everyday, you wake up eeeaaaarllly in the morning just to make sure you don't miss the boys when they take the bus to school. at his age, he shouldn't be doing it at all! he should be at home, sleeping, taking care of his grandchildren and whatnot. and yet, early in the morning, he is already hard at work. can't you just let him have a good start to the day?

you know, after you all start going to school, he has to spend like 5 hours doing nothing you know, just to wait for you stupid little boys to come out. so why don't you all just take the bus home straight away at 1.30pm when you're dismissed to cut short his misery?

and think about it. you think it's so easy to go around, dressed like that? his bag must be full of equipment, like spying devices, phone interceptors etc. and why do you think he wears such outdated specs! they are definitely spy cameras! you think it's so easy to lug all this stupid stuff around, just to spy on you all? you boys wouldn't last a day! and you think it's so easy to produce that image he gives off? you need not only experience, but the correct skills you know. even if you're having a bad day, you must give a megawatt smile! if not people will suspect that you actually might be human! and the angle where he places his specs? it has to be at the exact position to give off that look you know. most of you all would just fail outright.

and you think you see him all the time? you should see his schedule! he has to make sure he's there at the bus stop when you boys are dismissed you know, and not only does he have to do chinese high, but RI and SJI as well! (throw in CJC, NY, SCGS if you want too) you think it's so easy to be there on time, and try to spy on more than 300 kids? (i'm assuming 50 students take 156 per sch) you try it lah! you don't even know what's the interval between buses. and there he is, rain or shine, making sure he gets onto as many bus rides as possible. and don't you think for one moment that he doesn't miss those people he failed to spy on!

some more, say he takes 10 bus rides a day. if we take normal adult fare (approx 60 cents), that's like $6 a day! can you imagine yourself spending $6 a day on your job? you don't have to, cos you have your parents to pay for your transportation! he doesn't have! spare a thought for him lah, give up your seat to him. it's very tiring, you know, getting on so many 156 buses in a day!

as if his work is not stressful and tiring enough, he has to endure so much stick and nasty comments from you. don't you think you're being very mean? you wouldn't even survive one day in his job. if he were to be awarded CIP hours for doing what he does, they'd have to measure it in years, or maybe even decades. hell, he's probably been in this line of work since even before you were born.

so, the moral of the story is, respect your elders. give uncle daniel some respect. next time, instead of behaving like a total, complete idiot when he's around, try to be nice to him, and if possible, give him some snacks (he is human after all), or maybe a bit of spare change. who knows, one day, you might be the next 156 bus uncle.

i don't understand believers who don't want God's blessings.

Some idiot has misquoted the Bible and said stuff like "prosperity is evil", "as Christians, we have to suffer", and said stuff like that which have confused a lot of believers into thinking that having the zoe life, the resurrection life, only starts when you die. it doesn't. it starts now.

God wants all of us (i'm talking about believers only) to be healthy, wealthy, successful in life, so as to give Him a good testimony. but He doesn't want our effort, He wants His fingerprints to be shown.

that said, i'm not saying we don't have a proper occupation. i'm just saying that He doesn't want us to think, "i've worked 12 hours overtime this week. i deserve more." He wants us to think, "i'm going to be successful not because i work my butt off, but because Jesus has blessed me."

there's something about grace which totally nullifies our hubris, because my qualification for grace, which is undeserved, unmerited favour, is my disqualification. for grace to be grace, it cannot be earned, or qualified.

and yet, so many believers today believe that "i don't want God's blessings and grace because i don't deserve them." hello? the entire reason grace exists is for people like us! if you have it all together, what the hell do you need grace?

and the people who reject God's blessings because they don't think they deserve it, is like slapping Jesus in the face.

He who went to the cross and made every payment for not only every sin, but also for every blessing to come to us. if we reject the blessings, we're saying, "Jesus, i don't want what you died to give me."

the most confusing point though, is this: if you ordered a set meal in a restaurant which comprises 4 dishes with rice and soup and dessert, and say everything comes. but then the guy forgets your dessert and gives you the bill. wouldn't you demand your dessert come first?

shouldn't it be the same, then, for God's blessings?? Jesus paid for every single blessing, including health, prosperity, favour, success; and yet people are ready to say "we don't believe in having God's blessings," if you demand that even your dessert comes, would you pass up on having the great blessings of God which come absolutely free?

as for me, i'm claiming them all in Jesus' name.

tired

...walked the whole distance for cross country today. that makes it 7.2km i've covered in 2 days.

that's it. i've used up my exercise quota for this month (and possibly the next too.)

still

hide me now
under Your wings
cover me
within Your mighty hand

when the oceans rise and thunders roar
i will soar with You above the storm
Father You are King over the flood
i will be still and know You are God

find rest my soul
in Christ alone
know His power
in quietness and trust

I'm Held By Your Love

I’m held by Your love
Upheld by Your strength
On Your shoulders You bore me
By Your faith I stand

Cherished by You Lord
Treasured in Your sight
So close to Your heart
Held firm in Your hands



Chorus:
So awesome is Your love
So mighty is Your hand
On eagle’s wings You carry me
Your grace shall be my strength

So perfect is Your love
You sacrificed Your Son
Amazing love reached out to me
With joy to You I come



Not by my wisdom
Not by my strength
Gently You guide me
Lead me by hand

Total surrender
Jesus I am Yours
Now and forever
In Christ I now stand

the weather in school these days has been, well, refreshing.

i do remember cold mornings last year, but not cold, windy mornings like this past week. or gale-y lunch breaks and afternoons. even at 3pm it feels cooling (unless you're sweating in the sun. duh)

kinda reminds me of taiwan. of how my school, on top of a hill, always had those mountain breezes the whole day everyday, and it'd be chilly from dawn to dusk. and how, on one particular day, the poor girls in our group who had to wear their own school uniform (for that day) were all trying to huddle together to keep warm because they were wearing their own school skirts. and every time the wind blew they'd all say in their shrilly voices, "so cccoooollllddd!" ha. wear skirt wear so short lah. lucky we boys had pants. =P

and no, i'm not getting emo about taiwan again. i'm just making an observation.

i went to order fried dumpling noodles from the noodle stall at the food court.

i could've sworn, out of the 4 people who ordered bak chor mee before me, at least 2 of them said they didn't want pig liver.

mb, i think you influence singapore more than you know.

...so singapore beat malaysia in the cup (albeit on penalties). hooray!

still, england could take a tip or two from our strikers. at least we don't aim for aeroplanes.

anyway, i wonder if there's going to be any celebration/holiday if we win the cup?

probably not, unless it was the world cup.

LOL.

blogthings!

disclaimer: i do not believe in such things, but i'm just putting them up for fun.

out of immense boredom.

Your Birthdate: January 2

You may watch someone from afar before you finally decide to make your move. It takes a long time for you to develop an attraction to someone. Generally, you prefer to pick who you love. Anyone who tries to rush you is in for some heartache. Number of True Loves You'll Have: 3 Number of Times You'll Have Your Heart Broken: 4 You are most compatible with people born on the 2nd, 11th, 20th, and 29th of the month.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean For Your Love Life?

rriigghhtt... but maybe the part about people trying to rush me is probably true.

You Are Iceman

You tried to live a normal life, but it just wasn't possible A bit of a slacker, you rather tell jokes than cultivate your powers Powers: turning self and others into ice, making ice weapons, becoming nearly invisible

Which of the X-Men Are You?

it's true! except that my weapons are cold jokes instead. the invisible part.... if i shut up the whole day in school, then maybe.

You Are 14 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

funny. i was almost sure my "age" would be less than 10. oh well, guess i'm growing up.

alright, back to mugging econs lolz.

mugalomaniac.blogspot

...taking a break from studying chem. i'm sorry if you're hoping for something for interesting to read, but i'm not having one of those inspired moments right now...

BUT, there is this website you can go to:



brilliant site i have to say, what with tips on gaming, swearing, staying healthy, ALL FOR MUGGERS! this is one site you have to visit.

go muggers!

Jesus My Lord My Life

You take my hand
Lead me to Your side
Your warm embrace
Sets my heart on fire

You are my shelter
God of all wonders
You are the hero of my life

I live for You
Saviour of my life
Your love for me
Is wider than the skies

You are my shelter
God of all wonders
You are the hero of my life

You came for me
Your life for mine
When I couldn’t save myself

You bore my pain
My sins, my shame
Jesus my Lord my life





(i dunno much abt the vid, but this is the only place i could find the song online)

a conversation with a friend today sparked off memories about taiwan. again.

away from the hustle and bustle of school life, where lessons are already in full swing, in no small part due to me taking my a levels this year, taiwan seems like a really good place to escape to, if only mentally.

i think you must realise by now, if you haven't, that taiwan was indeed full of fond memories. maybe my first posts after i came back were a bit emo and all, but to say that it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience wouldn't be too far from the truth.

occasionally, seeing yongchun again, seeing the bus the 20 hcians were on again, seeing the places we went to again, seeing the places those of us in the yongchun group went, if all only in my mind, is enough to bring back the sweetness of the trip.

i suppose no amount of description could truly do the experience justice. like i said before, sometimes it's just better to relive them myself, even if it's to give myself temporary solace and escape from school life and homework.



but, having said that, there are new people to meet this year, new friendships to build on, new angel and mortal to write to, new topics to study for each subject, and above all, a whole new year of wonderful experiences to go through. i believe (not cynically, but sincerely) that a levels will be one of the more memorable occasions this year. or, at least, the end of it would be memorable.

in the meantime, let's just enjoy each day this year brings.

The Sweetest Name Of All

Jesus, You're the sweetest name of all
Jesus, You always hear me when I call
Oh Jesus, You pick me up each time I fall
You're the sweetest, the sweetest name of all

Jesus, how I love to praise Your name
Jesus, You're the first, the last, the same
Oh Jesus, You died and took away my shame
You're the sweetest, the sweetest name of all

Jesus, You're the soon and coming King
Jesus, we need the love that You can bring
Oh Jesus, we lift our voices up and sing
You're the sweetest, the sweetest name of all

alright. first blog entry in 2007!

must say i was rather surprised that so many people knew when my birthday was this year. here are the people i have to thank for making it such a wonderful 18th birthday, even though there was no actual partying and the like.

mum & dad - for the special lunch we had in that really cool restaurant, and bringing me out for a break from doing gp.

liang wei, edmund, kai keat - for trying to come and celebrate with me on the actual day, even though we ended up cancelling the whole thing. thanks anyway, my brudders. :) oh and thank you for the... "card" too!

claire, li ru, ai zhen - for the josh groban cd! omg i was quite shocked that you guys'd bother to actually buy something for me on my birthday. a simple "happy belated birthday" would have been great, but you guys went the extra mile. thank you so much.

TIPpers - for the wonderful day we had on new year's eve! (actually this doesn't really fall under birthday thanks, but since it's only a day apart) you guys even knew it was my birthday! i don't know why, but you guys are one of the very few groups of people i really feel at ease with.

everyone else, who wished me happy birthday, belated or not, via sms or msn, or just a simple "happy birthday", whether from qbc, 06s7b, TIP, or even ex-classmates: Thank you all! your well-wishes made it a really enjoyable birthday. it even made me feel like it was my birthday for 2 straight days! :D






and thank You Jesus, for blessing me with wonderful friends, and for the wonderful year of Your blessings, favour and love ahead.

what i submitted

this is a less emo version of my taiwan trip reflections. heck, i even submitted this one to my teacher-in-charge.

相信对许多同学而言，12月是一个让自己休息以及准备面对下个学年的月份。而我们这80位同学，却在同一个月，在台湾过了一段难忘的日子。

在12月6日，我们的台湾之旅正式开始。前4天的行程让我们到了不少旅游观光景点，包括九份老街，太鲁阁国家公园，七星潭，台湾戏剧馆等地方。而我们到的每一个地方，都使我们能够增广见闻。其中最令我难忘的地方是太鲁阁国家公园，因为在那儿，真的能让我们欣赏大自然的壮观与宏伟。当然，去台湾也不只是为了看风景，而这几天的旅程也让我们更加了解台湾的风土民情。

在第5天，我们终于和台湾的接待同学再次见面，而见面时就犹如重见失散多年的好友，大家都彼此问安，谈起话来更是滔滔不绝，虽然只是没见面3个多月。在欢迎晚宴上，我们的接待同学为我们呈现非常精彩的表演，让大家又再次达到上一回在新加坡送别晚宴时的高潮。

之后，我们就到了各自的学校，开始9天的随班学习浸濡课程，而我和其他3位华中的同学被派到了台北市立永春高级中学。

到了永春，我留意到的第一件事就是学校的楼梯。几乎全所学校都是楼梯，而我也算过，单单要从学校门口走到我的课室，就已经要跨几乎200级的楼梯，可想而知永春的同学每天要走多少级楼梯。幸好他们的上课制不像我们，他们每一班都有固定的课室，所以不必像我们到不同讲堂和课室上课，否则有可能每天都要跨超过1000级的楼梯！

我们在永春上的课，除了随接待同学上他们的课以外，还有自己的特别课程，而上课的内容可说是 “文武双全”，因为我们不只学习台湾的一些特别传统技艺，如捏面人，歌仔戏，水墨画，以及中国绳结等，也上了不一样的体育课，其中包括漆弹射击，合球运动，中国武术。此外，我们也学习了台湾的特殊的地理与历史，甚至参访了台湾的一些古迹，包括十分采风铁路，老街，红毛城等，而到这些地方都让我们对台湾都有了更深一层的认识。上了这么多课，我最喜欢的是中国绳结课，因为我们学会如何用一些简单的绳子绑成美丽的鞭炮，而且还可以用来做装饰品。

在此，值得一提的是台湾学校的饮食文化。永春高中没有食堂，而每天同学吃的午餐只有两个选择，既是从家里把食物带到学校，或在学校订便当吃。学校唯一卖食物的地方是福利社，而卖的也只不过是面包和一些饮料。所以，为了避免自己挨锇，同学们每天都得自备足够的食物。

至于在我们的接待家庭的住宿，这几个晚上的相处，也让我们和接待同学的感情更加友好，而且也让我们认识他们的家庭成员。而他们的热情款待，真的令我们有一种宾至如归的感觉，自己也仿佛变成了这个家庭的一份子。我们的接待同学也很乐意地带我们到不同地方游玩，其中包括西门町，淡水，以及不同的夜市，让我们体验台湾人的夜生活。

很快地，我们也到了这次旅行的尾声。在答谢晚宴上，轮到我们新加坡5所初院呈现不同表演。而在晚宴上，也有很多同学都忙着和新认识的朋友尽量交谈，拍照留念。

到了离开台湾的那一天，在飞机场时，有很多同学都情不自禁地哭了起来，因为我们这一次的交流计划也就在此告一段落。明年，将会是另外一批同学，另外一次的经验，另外一次的回忆。

不知不觉地，就这样过了17天。

that's it. unless i get enlisted for ns before dec 25, i'm celebrating christmas in hong kong next year.

...

may blog about taiwan. or not. depends. on time (or lack of) and mood.

just recovered from taiwan hangover. interestingly, it only started this morning. maybe it was because i didnt wake up to a cold morning. yet my air-conditioner was on. never mind.

i don't know what is it about taiwan that i miss. my buddy? not that much. maybe it's the 17 days without my parents around. only peers (excluding buddy's parents). maybe it's the new acquaintances, oops i mean friends, whom i made. maybe it's just the climate.

gee, i only meant for this to be a short entry, and now it's long. alright, stopangstingalready.

here are 2 songs from the new FIR album, get high and 眷恋. heard them on the plane back. sq had the whole album available for listening. way cool. much better than other planes i've been on in the past 10 years.

anyway, enjoy.


get high


眷恋


while i try to get into the right frame of mind, have a wonderful christmas.









never had a hangover this strong on christmas eve.

taiwan.

it lasted forever, and ended so soon.

Still Sing

Don't need to wait for the sun to shine
Don't need to wait for the clouds to clear
I'll still sing
I know that my God You're so good

Don't need to wait for the waves to still
Don't need to wait for the storms to calm
I'll still sing
I know that my God You're so good

I praise You, You are for me
I praise You, yes You love me
I praise You, You are faithful
I praise You, You'll see me through

Your goodness, Your mercy
Shall follow me all my days
Your goodness, Your mercy
Shall follow me all my days

class chalet tmr & 2 days to tw!

saw this beautiful mv. just had to put it up here.



Magnificent - Hillsong

Who compares to You?
Who set the stars in their place?
You who calmed the raging seas
That came crashing over me

Who compares to You?
You who bring the morning light
The hope of all the earth
Is rest assured in Your great love

You are magnificent, eternally
Wonderful, glorious
Jesus
No one ever will compare to You
Jesus

Where the evening fades
You call forth songs of joy
As the morning wakes
We Your children give You praise

Thank You for the Cross

Thank You for the cross
The mighty cross
That God Himself should die for such as us
And everyday we're changed into Your image more and more
Yes by the cross we've truly been transformed

And we're so amazed
And we give You praise
That You would save us at such a cost

And we're so amazed
And we give You praise
For the power of the cross