Confessions of a teenage bloke

Malaysia Part 2

2010-01-16T10:27:00.005Z

Malaysia was about food, friends, and family. Uncle Yin picked Bryan and I (severely tired) from the LCCT, and drove us back to Serdang. At the house, we basically slept a few hours. And then we ate at Old Town (of all places!). I suspect he was trying to protect our stomach, which was probably a good idea given how much we would eat in the next few weeks.

There was the rainy day Uncle Yin bought us lemang and some rendang.

Then when Ash arrived in KL, we went to Tenji in Sri Hartamas. The poor girl was rather sleep-deprived when we took her to the Japanese buffet, though I hope she still enjoyed herself. I had been looking forward to having her in KL for a while =)

Bryan enjoying himself - note the soft shell crab =)

Ash and I outside Tenji

In hindsight, maybe taking her to a buffet on the first day wasn't a good idea, when she was too tired. Then again, she only had 4 days in KL so we had to maximise our (eating and shopping) time.

Later that night, she also had the opportunity to meet the Sin clan over dinner at Uncle Moses' place - the main reason she came to KL was to meet my extended family =) More on that later.

Resolutions

2009-12-22T11:59:00.003Z

The last time i blogged i was in the topsy-turvy weather of Perth - cold one day, hot the next. At the moment, I'm sitting in the darkness of an air-conditioned room in Serangoon Gardens. It's been a whirlwind trip.

Firstly, resolutions for the future:

Never take the midnight flight to Malaysia/Singapore. Given I've never been able to sleep on planes, what was I thinking? Oh wait I wanted to save a few bucks. Having said that, someone decided to cheer me up whilst I was waiting at the Budget Terminal at Changi at 3am. Thanks sweetheart - she drove over just to see me for 2 hours in the middle of the night =).
Let's take it easy on the MacD... Guess what Bryan and I's first meal was at Changi - McSpicy. I can just imagine Ash rolling her eyes. Yes. I do have a Maccas fetish.

Anyways, that's it for now =) more updates on the trip coming soon (when I remember =P).

Ash is ill at the moment, so prayers would be appreciated.

090909

2009-09-13T15:52:00.007+01:00

Happy 6 months anniversary dear =)

我爱你

What cousin Michie was thinking about at church =P

2009-09-13T15:48:00.002+01:00

"Can I have one more, please?"

Assault, Abortion, Les Miserables and Ice Cream

2009-08-18T14:49:00.005+01:00

After a hiatus of about 2 weeks, I've resumed work on the dissertation. The legal part's done and now it's just the fun part - thinking about the ethics of prenatal paternity testing. I feel a headache already. But I can see the finish line, and God's been there for me.

What else have I been up to? There's a Youth Service on this Friday, and I'm on the team for Sunday. Means I've got a wee bit of driving to do tmr (but that's another story).

Oh and I got assaulted (must really go and ID the guy at some point) =P (I've put it off for 4 days)

And if any of you were wondering, it wasn't Ash.

Though we do occasionally get on each other's nerves,

Chocolate ice cream seems to do the trick for both of us...

Love =)

Screening

2009-08-09T18:41:00.002+01:00

As I walked to the kitchen, I noticed she was commenting to my last post. So I stopped to look/ Noticing this, she covered the screen with her hand and told me not to see...

Go figure =P. Love you dear.

Of hotness and 5 months =)

2009-08-09T18:31:00.003+01:00

Her: [tries to write] "dear, my pen isn't working... can you warm it up?"

Moi: "sure... no worries"

[places pen on hand, imitates sizzling sound - think sound of steak hitting hotplate]

[Pen works again]

[I return it to her with a smirk]

[She's speechless. Then she hits me]

Can't help being naturally hot...

Ps... happy 5 months dear. And hope you enjoy the (now-redundant) hairdryer.

She took me to see Les Miserables at the Regal last night, which was v sweet, given I'd mentioned months ago that it was one of my favourite stories [awww]

Seriously though, we really enjoyed ourselves =) Love.

2009-07-30T04:18:00.003+01:00

Funny but it seems I always wind up here with you

Nice to know somebody loves me

Funny but it seems that it's the only thing to do

Run and find the one who loves me

[Rainy days and Mondays - the Carpenters]

Amazing how sometimes you push away someone you love. I've been guilty of that.

Reminders of my fallibility really ask questions of whether I have of what it takes to love.

But at the end of the day, it starts with a decision.

Missing you - 5 more days

2009-07-10T08:20:00.003+01:00

We've got so many good memories from Matilda Bay =)

9th April

24 May

But thankfully, she's coming back soon =) This wednesday to be exact.

Done

2009-06-15T07:33:00.003+01:00

Just finished my last (and second) exam this morning =) Now just waiting for her to finish. Can't wait till Thursday evening. In the meantime, things to do:

Pick and sort out songs for Parents' 50th birthday
Learn 'I Will Search' by Israel for a wedding
Write that chapter on the current law governing PNT and abortion in Australia
And other stuff which I wont mention just yet =)

Can't wait - i can see the light at the end of the tunnel haha

Himglish and Femalese

2009-05-19T08:00:00.001+01:00

MODERN MISCOMMUNICATION (courtesy of the Times)

Femalese E-mail

To Jonathan Himglish From Alice Femalese

Hi Jonathan, It was lovely to meet you at the party on Friday. Did you have a good time? I did. What an amazing DJ! Anyway, work has been so busy this week, I am really looking forward to taking it easy this weekend, although I’d quite like to catch a film or something. What have you got planned? Alice x

What she really means Will you go out with me this weekend? Please note I have signed this e-mail with an “x”, indicating my romantic interest (you will only get more kisses once we are properly dating).

Himglish E-mail

To Alice Femalese From Jonathan Himglish

Hi Alice, Great to meet you too. Yes, I think I’ll also be laying low this weekend. I also enjoy films — maybe I’ll see that new one with Seth Rogen in it. Jonathan x

What he really means I am rather oblivious and have terrible taste in films.

Femalese post-date tweet

Alicefemalese Just had the most amazing night with a new friend.

What she really means I just went on a really hot date and am totally smitten.

What he thinks she means I went out with this guy tonight, but I don’t fancy him. I guess we can be friends, though.

Himglish text message

Thanks for a great night! I hope I can see you again soon. J

Her reaction “Great night”? What does he mean by “great”? What a dull adjective. Wouldn’t he say “lovely’ or “amazing” if he really liked me? And he didn’t sign with a kiss. I’m sure he signed one of his previous texts with a kiss. Does this mean he doesn’t fancy me? I don’t think he does. This is awful. I’d better call my best friend and discuss this terrible development with her for at least three hours.

The Valley

2009-05-18T17:33:00.007+01:00

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

Psalms 23:4

I may be in a valley right now, but God will always be my God - my refuge, my strong tower, my hiding place, my strength, my promise.

I may be in a valley right now, but I thank God for family, friends who've stuck with me and supported me (and still are). I thank God for Ash, for she's been there, and never stopped pointing me back towards God.

God, I'm in a valley right now, and this is my prayer:

Find Me Here

Speak To Me
I want to feel you
I need to hear you
You are the light
That's leading me
To the place where I find peace again.

You are the strength, that keeps me walking.
You are the hope, that keeps me trusting.
You are the light to my soul.
You are my purpose...you're everything.

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

You calm the storms, and you give me rest.
You hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall.
You steal my heart, and you take my breath away.
Would you take me in? Take me deeper now?

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

Cause you're all I want, You're all I need
You're everything,everything
You're all I want your all I need
You're everything, everything.
You're all I want you're all I need.
You're everything, everything
You're all I want you're all I need, you're everything, everything.

[Everything - Lifehouse]

A meeting with a Doctor

2009-05-16T08:55:00.003+01:00

I've run into problems on the thesis. Having nearly completed my legal research, I've realised that there's really nothing that the law can do in relation to the ethical issue I'm discussing. i.e. I'm slightly stuck. And my thesis is going to just me a summary of the existing law - and won't be a thesis =(...

Having said that, I had a really good meeting with Dr Richard Tai (Obs/Gyn), who talked me through some of the central issues in relation to the provision of prenatal testing. And no, I'm not pregnant - it's for my thesis.

It's amazing how much he knows about the topic (well, he's been practising for 29 years). But he really had a sound grasp of the law on the topic, which was, for a law student (yours truly)... =).

Anyways... back to summarising what we talked about. Or rather, what he taught me

A month and counting =)

2009-04-25T06:56:00.006+01:00

If only every day was like this

I'd run out of smiles

我爱你

Grace is always a reason to smile

2009-03-19T05:42:00.005Z

Unexpectedly, she made me dinner last night =)

It had been a long day and was going to be a longer night. I had assignments due soon and a band practice to get through. Not that practice was a bad thing, but the Procedure assignment was deadly.

But in between commitments, whilst eating great pasta and enjoying good company; I realised with a wry smile the true meaning of grace.

Grace

elegance of form, manner, motion or action
courteous good will
the free and unearned favour of God

[The Concise Oxford English Dictionary]

Plain English, where art thou?

2009-03-05T06:15:00.005Z

There are days when I wonder whether law school is for me. Somehow I've got to get this done by tomorrow.

Commercial Practice, Conveyancing and Drafting 2009

Tutorial 1 - Drafting

Redraft each of the three clauses in quotation marks below using plain English. Where appropriate, you should use punctuation, short sentences, numbering, headings and clauses following the rules and examples provided to in the Manual and in the lectures.

“All benefits compositions and payments received by the Joint Venturers from or on account of the Guarantor or the Company (including any dividend upon the winding up or bankruptcy of the Guarantor or the Company) or from any other person or from the realisation of any security capable of being applied by the Joint Venturers in reduction of the indebtedness of the Guarantor under this Deed or of the Company under the Assignment Agreement shall be taken and applied by the Joint Venturers as payments in gross without any rights on the part of the Guarantor to stand in the place of the Joint Venturers in respect of or to claim the benefit of any moneys so received or any securities held by the Joint Venturers until all moneys owing under this Deed have been fully paid and satisfied and all covenants agreements and obligations on the part of the Guarantor under this Deed and the Obligations have been fully performed, observed and discharged and so that in the event of the Guarantor being wound up, made bankrupt or its estate sequestrated, the Joint Venturers shall be entitled to prove for the then total indebtedness of the Guarantor to the Joint Venturers under this Deed.”

In between

2009-02-22T06:46:00.003Z

Kind of feels like I'm in between a lot of things at the moment.

After the Youth Leader's meeting yesterday, we decided that we needed to change attitudes in church, and it starts with us... or well in my case, with me. I find it easy to see where I need to change, but to actually change... that's a tad harder.

For me the challenge is to move from self-sufficiency to trusting more... which is something i've always found hard to do, as I've generally well been up to most of the stuff life has thrown at me. Up until last year at least, when life threw some curveballs and I realised that I was going to run into the ground unless I trusted God and other people more. Still a work in progress.

Can I trust God with my honours year?
With my plan to go to YWAM next year (instead of starting work)
Can I trust Him with my finances?
Can I trust Him with my relationships?
Can I trust Him to do something fruitful with my life?

I posed these thoughts as questions, because to be honest, some days I wonder if I can trust. And other days I know God will come through. Some days really shake my faith in God, and yet on other days God is just so real.

So why was this post titled 'In between'?

I know I'm getting somewhere... but the journey's going to be difficult, and I wont make it on my own. But I know the endpoint's worthwhile. It's worth my life.

And ultimately, I know I dont go alone, and that's a reason to smile.

Busyness and clarity

2009-02-11T14:33:00.004Z

It's been a crazy few weeks. I've been forced to relive the joys of dissertation writing - thank God I've finally found a topic, and have a rough plan. The proposal's due on the 2nd of March, but in between tonight and then, there's the minor matter of the Employment Law 100% exam.

In the midst of this, I've had some time to just work out what I'm meant to do this and next year, and I think God's started some things in motion. More on that later on, but let's just say I'm pretty excited about 2010 (I know it's 2009). In the busyness, clarity seems to be emerging.

While it seems like 2009 will be spent (at least until October) in the Law Library, it isn't all bad. Life often brings you something beautiful when you least expect it. God loves keeping me on my toes. And that's probably a good thing =)

Set the world on fire

2009-01-28T14:14:00.003Z

I've always struggled to reconcile the dreams I have, with the reality of who I am. After a certain age, you realise you're actually not perfect. Far from it, in fact, so how exactly will I make a positive difference with my life?

But thankfully, I've just realised that life isn't all about me - my strengths, my flaws, my successes and my failures. God's not looking at that.

He's looking for the desire and the willingness to set the world on fire (metaphorically). But most importantly, a heart after His.

So, while this old jar of clay is still sharp around the ages and scratched-up; I'll trust Him to hold it, shape it, and use it however He wants =)

Musing

2009-01-26T15:54:00.006Z

There are days when I feel like a jerk.
There are days when I feel stretched to the limit by commitments.

I suspect both the above are related.

I've found myself behaving unexpectedly (in a bad way) in seemingly innocuous situations.
I've found myself trying to do the right thing when it's hard to. And often failing.

I suspect I need to deal with this.

I'm getting sick of being inconsistent. One moment smiling. The next moment tearing strips off someone and passing it off as humour. The next moment being a friend again.

The people I care about in my life definitely deserve better.

But it all starts somewhere doesn't it?

The Overdrivers =)

2009-01-21T02:00:00.003Z

We're practicing for J-life camp tomorrow at Keith and Nat's place. I know it sounds a tad early (camp's in Easter), but hey why not?

Songs:

Everyday (B)
Deeper (E)
Draw me close to you (B)
From the inside out (B)
All who are thirsty (G)

Pics of the band are upcoming, but thus far, we've got .net (our drums and bass section), as christened by Bryan, Bryan himself and Keith on the electrics, Mich as a singer, and me on the acoustic. Promises to be a time of fun and worship. Also promises to rock out the neighbours =)
Cant wait!

Back - the serious post

2009-01-17T14:25:00.010Z

Wow... after some interesting holidays, I've finally come home. First, what I got up to in Singapore:

Evan and Gen's wedding

I think I've never seen a more touching wedding service. To Evan and Gen, congrats and I wish you all the best in the future. It was a great privilege to be there, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Don't forget to send the kids over in the future =)

I'll leave you both with this Irish blessing:

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May sun shine warm upon your face,
May rain fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hallow of His Hand.

Catching up with old friends

Dennis - famously ultra-tight running shorts, supreme fitness, and a nice guy to boot =)

Steph, Mel, and Fiona - old friends who now work in Sg/Brunei

Justin, Tim, Kristine, Shawn, Dot, Joe, Bryan and Keith

Adeline - my old cell member and all-round awesome person - she owes us a visit sometime =P

Shawn - currently doing NS.

I guess the sad part of life is that it often pulls your friends away from you. People go away to work back home, serve in national service, or in my case, go on exchange. I really missed my friends when I was in Glasgow (though I did have a great time there). Nevertheless, I've realised that true friendships have a way of surviving and even growing even through separation.

So that's my key resolution for 2009 - to really be a good friend to those God has put in my life. To not get caught up in activity, but to instead just be who God wants me to be, one step at a time. As Evan said to me this year:

Don't do. Just be.

Skating

2008-12-17T20:50:00.004Z

I celebrated the end of exams with a trip to the city with Alfred, Galvin, Rachel and Lily for some skating! There's really nothing quite like the feeling of gliding on ice in the middle of the city, with a concert in the background, and Christmas decorations all around =)

Oh and I didn't kill anyone skating also. Last year I nearly decapitated a good friend on the ice. But that's a different story. We remain in contact...

Murder on ice...

Putting on those skates (here come blisters)

L-R: Rachel, Lily, Galvin and I

Alfred and I (see Rachel, I post unglam pics of myself too!)

Alicia - A 1st yr law student from Birmingham. Skates pretty well*

The highlight: Alfred and Rachel skating**

* She managed to keep up with me as I took her around the rink. I can't skate slow, as it makes me lose balance for some reason - probably detrimental to my partner's balance =P

** The look on Alfred's face when i told him "In skating, speed is your friend. It's easier to keep balance when you're faster..." was priceless. Mind you, his skating wasn't bad la. He just needs to go faster =P

There

2008-12-17T13:43:00.004Z

After the intense pressure of exams (all passed, hopefully), I finally managed to relax at 1030am Tuesday. I walked out of my IPL Oral Examination, shirt and tie soaked, hair dripping, and smiled =). Why was I wet? Glasgow weather decided to reassert itself on the one day I had to dress up. But it takes more than a little (ok a lot) of rain to wipe the smile of my face.

I met up with Wei Yao at Di Maggios (2nd time this week) for lunch. Aye... after 4 months, we caught up for the last time, and talked (as men do) about life.

Will miss you dude =)

Anyways, the food wasn't bad also (another thing very important to men). They had a 3 course Christmas lunch special for 12 pounds.

Does this look familiar Michie? Think herb sauce... =P
WY's dessert - I reckon my cousin's profiteroles are better though =)

Later post: Skating =)

Nearly there...

2008-12-15T14:49:00.002Z

One more exam to go. One more.

Admittedly I nearly fell asleep in the Jurisprudence examination this morning. It probably wasn't the best idea to wake up at 630am to study. But thank God it's over.

After badminton tonight, it'll be IPL tomorrow. Well it shouldn't be that bad. Just an oral examination that I haven't started preparing for. Time to turn on the charm factor... =)

Mantra for the week: "I just want to pass!"

1300?

2008-12-11T21:03:00.005Z

At around 1230 today, I decided to check my exam timetable for the umpteenth time just to make sure today's IPL exam was actually at Bute Hall. Suddenly, it all clicked [lightbulb flicks on].

1300 does not imply 3pm (as I'd somehow assumed)... but rather a time much more proximate.

I got there on time. Just.

Oh, and happy 21st birthday Ashley. You're officially mature now, and it's all downhill from here haha. But every day's another day to live, laugh and love, so enjoy your big day. After all, each day comes by once. Just live each day to the fullest (and don't call me 'irritating' too often la) =D

Status update

2008-12-06T00:53:00.004Z

Relationally - the status quo remains the status quo.

Mentally - Studying (or at least trying to) - covered Domicile and Habitual Residence for IPL today, and prepared 1 Jurisprudence exam question. Not bad for a night's work I guess.

Physically - somehow I've added on 2kgs over this semester, which is probably not a bad thing. At the moment, legs are a tad sore after a 5km run on the treadmills. Right shoulder's crocked. Other than that, I've got the usual soreness that comes from a good gym session. And a splitting headache - nothing sleep can't fix.

The Random - I bought something very interesting today =) Guess?

Responsibilities - Passing those exams to avoid having to repay A$4000 to UWA. Planning family travel around Inverness, St Andrews, Glasgow, London and Paris. Some Christmas shopping (after exams). Surviving. Staying sane.

And in the midst of all that... keeping the faith.

Ultimately - I'm inspired.

Random speeches.

2008-12-04T19:40:00.006Z

Life and How to Survive - Adrian Tan (speech given at NTU)

I must say thank you to the faculty and staff of the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information for inviting me to give your convocation address. It's a wonderful honour and a privilege for me to speak here forten minutes without fear of contradiction, defamation or retaliation. I say this as a Singaporean and more so as a husband.

My wife is a wonderful person and perfect in every way except one. She isthe editor of a magazine. She corrects people for a living. She has honed her expert skills over a quarter of a century, mostly by practising at home during conversations between her and me. On the other hand, I am a litigator. Essentially, I spend my day telling people how wrong they are. I make my living being disagreeable. Nevertheless, there is perfect harmony in our matrimonial home. That is because when an editor and a litigator have an argument, the one who triumphs is always the wife.

And so I want to start by giving one piece of advice to the men: when you've already won her heart, you don't need to win every argument. Marriage is considered one milestone of life. Some of you may already be married. Some of you may never be married. Some of you will be married. Some of you will enjoy the experience so much, you will be married many,many times. Good for you.

The next big milestone in your life is today: your graduation. The end of education. You're done learning. You've probably been told the big lie that "Learning is a lifelong process"and that therefore you will continue studying and taking masters' degrees and doctorates and professorships and so on. You know the sort of people who tell you that? Teachers. Don't you think there is some measure of conflict of interest? They are in the business of learning, after all. Where would they be without you? They need you to be repeat customers.

The good news is that they're wrong. The bad news is that you don't need further education because your entire life is over. It is gone.

That may come as a shock to some of you. You're in your teens or early twenties. People may tell you that you will live to be 70, 80, 90 years old. That is your life expectancy. I love that term: life expectancy.

We all understand the term to mean the average life span of a group of people. But I'm here to talk about a bigger idea, which is what you expect from your life.

You may be very happy to know that Singapore is currently ranked as the country with the third highest life expectancy. We are behind Andorra andJapan, and tied with San Marino. It seems quite clear why people in those countries, and ours, live so long. We share one thing in common: our football teams are all hopeless. There's very little danger of any of ourcitizens having their pulses raised by watching us play in the World Cup. Spectators are more likely to be lulled into a gentle and restful nap.

Singaporeans have a life expectancy of 81.8 years. Singapore men live to an average of 79.21 years, while Singapore women live more than five years longer, probably to take into account the additional time they need to spend in the bathroom. So here you are, in your twenties, thinking that you'll have another 40years to go. Four decades in which to live long and prosper. Bad news. Read the papers. There are people dropping dead when they're 50,40, 30 years old. Or quite possibly just after finishing their convocation. They would be very disappointed that they didn't meet their life expectancy.

I'm here to tell you this. Forget about your life expectancy. After all, it's calculated based on an average. And you never, ever want to expect being average. Revisit those expectations. You might be looking forward to working, falling in love, marrying, raising a family. You are told that, as graduates, you should expect to find a job paying so much, where your hours are so much, where your responsibilities are so much. That is what is expected of you. And if you live up to it, it will be an awful waste. If you expect that, you will be limiting yourself. You will be living your life according to boundaries set by average people. I have nothing against average people. But no one should aspire to be them. And you don't need years of education by the best minds in Singapore to prepare you to be average.

What you should prepare for is mess. Life's a mess. You are not entitled to expect anything from it. Life is not fair. Everything does not balance out in the end. Life happens, and you have no control over it. Good and bad things happen to you day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment. Your degree is a poor armour against fate. Don't expect anything. Erase all life expectancies. Just live. Your life is over as of today. At this point in time, you have grown as tall as you will ever be, you are physically the fittest you will ever be in your entire life and you are probably looking the best that you will ever look. This is as good as it gets.

It is all downhill from here. Or up. No one knows. What does this mean for you? It is good that your life is over. Since your life is over, you are free.

Let me tell you the many wonderful things that you can do when you are free. The most important is this: do not work. Work is anything that you are compelled to do. By its very nature, it is undesirable. Work kills.

The Japanese have a term "Karoshi", which means death from overwork. That's the most dramatic form of how work can kill. But it can also kill you in more subtle ways. If you work, then day by day, bit bybit, your soul is chipped away, disintegrating until there's nothing left. A rock has been ground into sand and dust. There's a common misconception that work is necessary.

You will meet people working at miserable jobs. They tell you they are "making a living". No, they're not. They're dying, frittering away their fast-extinguishing livesdoing things which are, at best, meaningless and, at worst, harmful. People will tell you that work ennobles you, that work lends you a certain dignity. Work makes you free. The slogan "Arbeit macht frei" was placed at the entrances to a number of Nazi concentration camps. Utter nonsense. Do not waste the vast majority of your life doing something you hate sothat you can spend the small remainder sliver of your life in modest comfort. You may never reach that end anyway.

Resist the temptation to get a job. Instead, play. Find something you enjoy doing. Do it. Over and over again. You will become good at it for two reasons: you like it, and you do it often. Soon, that will have value in itself.

I like arguing, and I love language. So, I became a litigator. I enjoy it and I would do it for free. If I didn't do that, I would've been in some other type of work that still involved writing fiction - probably a sports journalist.

So what should you do? You will find your own niche. I don't imagine you will need to look very hard. By this time in your life, you will have a very good idea of what you will want to do. In fact, I'll go further and say the ideal situation would be that you will not be able to stop yourself pursuing your passions. By this time you should know what your obsessions are. If you enjoy showing off your knowledge and feeling superior, you might become a teacher.

Find that pursuit that will energise you, consume you, become an obsession. Each day, you must rise with a restless enthusiasm. If you don't, you are working. Most of you will end up in activities which involve communication.

To those of you I have a second message: be wary of the truth. I'm not asking you to speak it, or write it, for there are times when it is dangerous orimpossible to do those things. The truth has a great capacity to offend and injure, and you will find that the closer you are to someone, the more care you must take to disguise or even conceal the truth.

Often, there is great virtue in being evasive, or equivocating. There is also great skill. Any child can blurt out the truth, without thought to the consequences. It takes great maturity to appreciate the value of silence.

In order to be wary of the truth, you must first know it. That requires great frankness to yourself. Never fool the person in the mirror. I have told you that your life is over, that you should not work, and that you should avoid telling the truth. I now say this to you: be hated. It's not as easy as it sounds. Do you know anyone who hates you? Yet every great figure who has contributed to the human race has been hated, not just by one person, but often by a great many. That hatred is so strong it has caused those great figures to be shunned, abused, murdered and in one famous instance, nailed to a cross. One does not have to be evil to be hated. In fact, it's often the case that one is hated precisely because one is trying to do right by one's own convictions.

It is far too easy to be liked, one merely has to be accommodating and hold no strong convictions. Then one will gravitate towards the centre and settle into the average. That cannot be your role. There are a great many bad people in the world, and if you are not offending them, you must be bad yourself. Popularity is a sure sign that you are doing something wrong.

The other side of the coin is this: fall in love. I didn't say "be loved". That requires too much compromise. If one changes one's looks, personality and values, one can be loved by anyone. Rather, I exhort you to love another human being. It may seem odd for me to tell you this. You may expect it to happen naturally, without deliberation. That is false.

Modern society is anti-love. We've taken a microscope to everyone to bring out their flaws and shortcomings. It far easier to find areason not to love someone, than otherwise. Rejection requires only one reason. Love requires complete acceptance. It is hard work - the only kind of work that I find palatable. Loving someone has great benefits. There is admiration, learning, attraction and something which, for the want of a better word, we call happiness.

In loving someone, we become inspired to better ourselves inevery way. We learn the truth worthlessness of material things. We celebrate being human. Loving is good for the soul. Loving someone is therefore very important, and it is also important tochoose the right person. Despite popular culture, love doesn't happen by chance, at first sight, across a crowded dance floor. It grows slowly, sinking roots first before branching and blossoming. It is not a silly weed, but a mighty tree that weathers every storm.

You will find, that when you have someone to love, that the face is less important than the brain, and the body is less important than the heart. You will also find that it is no great tragedy if your love is not reciprocated. You are not doing it to be loved back. Its value is to inspire you. Finally, you will find that there is no half-measure when it comes to loving someone. You either don't, or you do with every cell in your body,completely and utterly, without reservation or apology. It consumes you, and you are reborn, all the better for it.

Don't work. Avoid telling the truth. Be hated. Love someone. You're going to have a busy life.

Thank goodness there's no life expectancy.

A little beating about the Bush

2008-12-04T18:36:00.002Z

What I did today (the day after)

2008-12-03T22:18:00.006Z

100 - I realise that the reason I can't sleep is because I'm worried about exams. Get up and study for another 45 minutes, covering Jurisdiction in Contract and Delictual Cases. Head back to sleep.

800 - My personal alarm wakes me up. I snooze her =P

830 - Get up for real after the alarm wakes me up again. She's irrepressible, thank God.

930 - Prepare to skate to uni. Realise with relief that there's less ice today. Walk instead.

1005 - European Legal History Tutorial - free mince pies given by Dr Finlay. Feel slightly more relaxed about the upcoming exam (not due to the pies).

1100 - After the tutorial, I head to the library for some more IPL - this time covering choice of law in marriage (after checking sports news)

1305 - Jurisprudence tutorial. If you're wondering why I'm always late to classes, it's because unlike in Perth, classes start at 5 past and end 5 before the hour.

1335 - Tutorial finishes early as some ppl didn't make it to give their presentations. I face a tough decision: do I gym or do I study? Common sense unfortunately takes a back seat and I begin the walk to the Stevenson Building (Gym). Meet Mutinko (find out, amongst other things that he has a cousin in Perth and that he's a Christian).

1530 - Leave gym. Didn't really work out that hard today. Did the chin-ups, shoulder, chest, triceps and biceps. But didn't really feel 'in' today. Was grappling with a headache (and residual soreness from the night before). So... hmm maybe I've hit diminishing returns.

In response to Kristine:

Time spent in gym today: 100 minutes
Time spent studying thus far: 90 minutes.

1600 - Grab some afternoon tea - fixed a bacon and cheese omelette. Egg tally for the day: 3. Proceed to complete MLH Essay =)

1800 - Head to cell, guitar in tow. Slightly more slippery this time. Arrive, and practice for worship with Rachel (our budding pianist). She's come on leaps and bounds. Last week was only her first time, and today the improvement was tangible. Awesome for a girl who doesn't have a piano to practice on.

Songs for the day:

All who are thirsty (G) - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=oCwDtSFMjdw&feature=related
You are my world (G) - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gX36X1lTjiw
In Christ Alone (C) - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dDCdGPJQ-hM

Got piano, will play

1900: Have dinner (we all take turns to cook). This week it was Wei Yao's turn. On the menu: spaghetti and Ikea meatballs - not bad, except that I'd had spaghetti twice in the last 3 days. Needless to say, I didn't take the leftovers.

My poser of a cell leader =)

1930: Cell starts... no need to say much la. It was another good meeting =).

Gordon first got our thoughts re the semester just gone by and shared re future plans. We discussed what a church we would want to go to would look like:

And no - i wasn't the one who suggested 'good looking ppl' [Jason]

Wei Yao then shared from Mark 4:26-7. Turns out the passage isn't just evangelistically-focused. The seed is also God's word in our hearts. The first chapter of the gospel of John describes the word as made flesh. In other words - Jesus is that seed in our hearts.

As Wei Yao was sharing, I realised something. Seeds need to be buried underground, in the darkness, under pressure from the surrounding soil to grow. To grow, they must fight gravity and head towards the sun. I realise that that's kind of like us. God gives us a word/promise, and often life will bury us straight after. It's so easy to crumble under that pressure.

The thing is, without pressure, there can be no growth. Eg gymming - muscle growth is impossible without some form of resistance. In any case, there's life even in that dark. Jesus lives inside us. And the promise from this passage is that even if we don't know it (for whether the farmer sleeps or gets up), we're growing as long as He's with us.

Pastor Gordon (the white guy figuring out his moble) and Caleb

This was Jason's last cell with us as he heads back to Sg on Saturday. Unfortunately I can't catch up with him there as he returns to Glasgow on the 6th. Will miss you mate. Take care and I hope next sem is better for you =)

He needs a haircut more than I do =P

2230: Wei Yao sends me and Rachel back. There ends another great day in Glasgow =)

What I did today

2008-12-02T22:51:00.005Z

820: Alarm rings - Snooze - then get up and reset it to 900

900: Alarm rings - reset it to 920

920: Get up... decide to take time shaving and actually use a mirror this time. Take a relaxed shower. Unlike Kristine, I didn't take pics of me when I wake up. After all, this is a family friendly site.

940: Fix breakfast. Greet housemates. Fix lunch. mmm bacon sandwich... =)

1030: Set off to uni. Take one step onto road, and owing to icy conditions, end up inadvertently skating to Glasgow University.

1103: Arrive at IPL Lecture... complain about ice to classmates, who nod knowingly.

1155: Stagger out of lecture. Watch Michael nearly slip down the stairs - darn that ice! Eat lunch (the aforesaid sandwich).

1220: Head to Law Workshop to study. End up spending 30 mins checking email, sports news etc. Did some IPL study though.

1420: Head to gym. Tough routine today. Did 3 sets of chin-ups and dips, followed by some pectoral flies. Then Big G walked in and I worked out with him for another hour. After he left, I also went to the changeroom to get my stuff. Then realised that I could probably work out abit more. Stay for another 20 mins

1530: Head to Somerfield for some supplies. Skate home - still icy.

1545: At corner of Winton Drive, ice forces me into an inadvertent pirouette. Manage to gracefully recover balance though use of a dustbin, and in the same move, extend supporting hand to cute girl falling over behind me [smooth]. She thanks me.

1600: Get home, walking/skating slowly. Realise that the only way to get anywhere is to walk on the road and hope noone hits you. The sun sets rapidly. Proceed to hit the books + MSN. Prepare worship for cell.

2000: Dinner - leftover spaghetti, garlic bread. Cup of Ovaltine. Decided to keep it simple tonight. Quebecois housemates return from Tescos with enough supplies for a month, it seems. Mohan tells me that apparently the salt bins outside are for us to melt the ice with. I told him that I thought it was just to make us feel better about slipping around as we'd think we were doing something about it. Laughs his head off. Didn't think I was that funny. Contemplate taking wooden board and snowboarding down Botanic Gardens hill (will try it this weekend).

2100: Hit the books again. Procrastinate. Read sports news.

2300: Blogging. I will study... soon

Random postings

2008-11-27T22:55:00.007Z

I'll post up on my trip to Barcelona later. With exams in 3 weeks, admittedly my priorities are getting a little skewed. I've gone to the gym 3 times this week already just to relax and blow off some steam. Tonight's session was with Gordon and Alfred, and the Big G put both us skinny Malaysian boys through our paces... it was a tough night of gymming (especially as I'd run 5km and gymmed the day before). Then again, I managed to bench 45kg today (I only discovered today that the bar actually weighs 20kgs itself!).

I was famished after I got home. It was 9pm and all I'd eaten for the day was an egg sandwich for lunch). Tonight's dinner was very satisfactory

Soy sauce chicken, chicken soup and rice

Actually the soy sauce chicken was really easy to knock up - some shallots, ginger, soy sauce and water. And the chicken, obviously.

Don't ask why I had time to garnish it with spring onion. I was starving, but hey, food is art =)

Mohan was cooking at the same time, and we ate together: the Chinese guy with his Chinese food and the Indian guy with his curry and home-made chapattis. Actually it's quite funny when you think about it... multiculturalism in action

Nic. Stop taking pictures and EAT!

Anyways, I'll leave you with a few snaps of Barcelona:

Our favourite building in Barcelona. It's anatomically correct.

View from the Cathedral

This is my favourite shot - Pigeons attack kid in Placa Catalunya =)

A man should know where he stands.

2008-11-24T21:53:00.003Z

Whilst in the midst of deciding what units to take next year at UWA, I browsed through the handbook to find:

LAWS3364 Criminal Procedure: The Trial Process [UG]

The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of going to press but may be subject to change.

Credit: 6 points Availability: Semester 1 Old unit code: 200.364

Outcomes: Students are able to (1) identify the key pieces of legislation relating to the procedure of criminal law; (2) apply key sections of the legislation to factual situations and explain their consequences; (3) apply key case law with legislation to factual situations and explain their consequences; (4) interpret key sections of that legislation, both discussed and not discussed in class; (5) integrate principle and policy arguments in relation to fundamental procedural considerations with current and proposed procedural rules; (6) draft in plain English key procedural documents and forms; (7) justify their position as a lawyer in the criminal justice system; and (8) stand at the correct end of the bar table in their first court appearance.

And yes, I've decided to enrol in this unit.

A man should know where he stands after all.

Confirmed tail ender

2008-11-16T21:04:00.008Z

After a mad few weeks of assessments, this week finally returned to normal... after Wednesday's Medieval Legal History exam. Have had a quiet weekend, just doing some reading (for fun) and playing cricket. We had our last game for the season today as some of the guys are returning to India/Singapore.

Back row (L-R) - Sharath, Newton, Nishit, Fazi, Afaar, Alinda, Ram, Pradeep, Hasan. Front row - Omar and I

There's nothing quite like being the only Aussie guy in an Indian cricket game. Chasing 65 from just 8 overs, the last game was a foregone conclusion. I'd watched a succession of wickets fall in front of me, and I was the last batsman left. I needed oh, about 30 runs from 12 deliveries.

The recent Australia-India Test matches come to mind - 8 Indian fielders (including one guy with a helmet) surround the Aussie tail-ender*. An off-spinner stares him down from the other end. Talk about pressure eh? We weren't going home until I got out.

I have the dubious honour of being the last wicket taken for the 2008 season:

I've got to work on that cut shot**.

What can I say? Indians love their cricket. Most of them are pretty good at it. They're friendly guys as well. All in all, the cricket experience, and getting to know some very friendly guys is something I'll remember fondly from my time in Glasgow.

If you guys are ever in Perth, do drop me a line =)

* for those less cricket-inclined, the tail end batsman is the worst batsman in the team. What this means is 2 things: (1) he normally bats last, when all the good batsmen are gone, and (2) fielders normally stationed near the boundary suddenly move a lot closer.

** Mis-hit cut shots have gotten me out twice in 2 days.

Another reason a finance degree is useful

2008-11-11T18:24:00.001Z

This appeared on Craig's List
What am I doing wrong?
Okay, I'm tired of beating around the bush. I'm a beautiful (spectacularly beautiful) 25 year old girl. I'm articulate and classy. I'm not from New York. I'm looking to get married to a guy who makes at least half a million a year. I know how that sounds, but keep in mind that a million a year is middle class in New York City , so I don't think I'm overreaching at all.
Are there any guys who make 500K or more on this board? Any wives? Could you send me some tips? I dated a business man who makes average around 100 - 150. But that's where I seem to hit a roadblock. 150,000 won't get me to central park west. I know a woman in my yoga class who was married to an investment banker and lives in Tribeca, and she's not as pretty as I am, nor is she a great genius. So what is she doing right? How do I get to her level?
Here are my questions specifically:
- Where do you single rich men hang out? Give me specifics- bars, restaurants, gyms
-What are you looking for in a mate? Be honest guys, you won't hurt my feelings
-Is there an age range I should be targeting (I'm 25)?
- Why are some of the women living lavish lifestyles on the upper east side so plain? I've seen really 'plain jane' boring types who have nothing to offer married to incredibly wealthy guys. I've seen drop dead gorgeous girls in singles bars in the east village. What's the story there?
- Jobs I should look out for? Everyone knows - lawyer, investment banker, doctor. How much do those guys really make? And where do they hang out? Where do the hedge fund guys hang out?
- How you decide marriage vs. just a girlfriend? I am looking for MARRIAGE ONLY
Please hold your insults - I'm putting myself out there in an honest way. Most beautiful women are superficial; at least I'm being up front about it. I wouldn't be searching for these kind of guys if I wasn't able to match them - in looks, culture, sophistication, and keeping a nice home and hearth.

THE ANSWER
Dear Pers-:
I read your posting with great interest and have thought meaningfully about your dilemma. I offer the following analysis of your predicament. Firstly, I'm not wasting your time, I qualify as a guy who fits your bill; that is I make more than $500K per year. That said here's how I see it.
Your offer, from the prospective of a guy like me, is plain and simple a crappy business deal. Here's why. Cutting through all the B.S., what you suggest is a simple trade: you bring your looks to the party and I bring my money. Fine, simple. But here's the rub, your looks will fade and my money will likely continue into perpetuity...in fact, it is very likely that my income increases but it is an absolute certainty that you won't be getting any more beautiful!
So, in economic terms you are a depreciating asset and I am an earning asset. Not only are you a depreciating asset, your depreciation accelerates! Let me explain, you're 25 now and will likely stay pretty hot for the next 5 years, but less so each year. Then the fade begins in earnest. By 35 stick a fork in you!
So in Wall Street terms, we would call you a trading position, not a buy and hold...hence the rub...marriage. It doesn't make good business sense to "buy you" (which is what you're asking) so I'd rather lease. In case you think I'm being cruel, I would say the following. If my money were to go away, so would you, so when your beauty fades I need an out. It's as simple as that. So a deal that makes sense is dating, not marriage.
Separately, I was taught early in my career about efficient markets. So, I wonder why a girl as "articulate, classy and spectacularly beautiful" as you has been unable to find your sugar daddy. I find it hard tobelieve that if you are as gorgeous as you say you are that the $500K hasn't found you, if not only for a tryout.
By the way, you could always find a way to make your own money and then we wouldn't need to have this difficult conversation.
With all that said, I must say you're going about it the right way. Classic "pump and dump."
I hope this is helpful, and if you want to enter into some sort of lease, let me know.
____________
Rob Campbell
J.P.Morgan
Diversified Industrials Investment Banking
277 Park Avenue, 16/F, New York , NY 10172

Loch Lomond

2008-11-10T15:08:00.020Z

The highlight of last weekend was a trip to the gorgeous Loch Lomond.

Here's the castle where we stayed - it's now the Loch Lomond Youth Hostel. Apparently the grounds used to be the site of a hunting lodge of Robert the Bruce.

On a clear day, you can see the snow-capped peak of Ben Lomond from the grounds of the castle. After the hike up Ben Nevis, I was rather less keen on doing it this time. It's only 974m after all...

Rather, it was time to do something that I'd never considered doing, but which rapidly became something I chose to do - willingly - and I wasn't under the influence of alcohol at all. Let's start from the beginning.

It was a gorgeous day along the castle grounds

The evening started with us chilling in the lounge room of the castle.

Left-Right: Kelley, me, Kevin (of Clan McBeth), Melanie, Katrina

We then had a ceilidh, which was run by these guys:

I think some students didn't really get into the whole ceilidth thing. I walked out of the hall for a breather to find:

It was that kind of party

Anyways, hot and sweaty after the ceilidh, I walked out of the hall again, to hear some guy decide aloud that it would be a good idea to take a dip in the waters of Loch Lomond. It was approaching midnight.

Another random pic.

Being completely sober (i'd swear this on a stack of bibles), and still within the warmth of the castle, I said the fateful words:

"why not, I'm in"

I was instantly committed. Let's just say it was a very long 5 minute walk in the cold from the castle to the Loch. I had time to think about what I'd just committed myself into as I dodged puddles along a wet path in the rain.

Yay! I'm going to freeze alive!

Mind you, we did warm up beforehand:

There was nothing to it but to take the plunge. I'd note here that Loch Lomond looked much more inviting during the day.

Let's just say it wasn't very warm after midnight.

I had to do a wee bit of cropping for this pic...

Along the way to the lake, I came to the realisation that Kevin and I were the only 2 non-intoxicated people taking the plunge. Kev didn't even plan to swim... he was just there to egg me on (what friends are for). I mentioned this aloud, to hear the reply from an intoxicated Scotsman:

"It's more manly if you do it sober"

To which I'd reply:

"It's more idiotic if you choose to do it sober"

The only 2 sober guys

In any case, now I can cross off one more thing off my list of things to do in Scotland (though it wasn't on the original list, it deserves to be there for sheer audacity/idiocy):

Take a midnight swim in Loch Lomond - Done

Edinburgh

2008-11-07T15:52:00.006Z

It's been a mad week. I had to hand in an essay and do an oral presentation on Wednesday, and spent last night cramming for an exam today. Thank God it's all over. The exam was interesting, giving us a choice of 2 questions from 4. It wasn't pretty. Basically, I looked at the first 2 questions and realised something: regardless of whatever the last 2 questions were, I'd have to do them...

I went to Edinburgh on the weekend. Managed to tour the castle and the Scottish Parliament. I'd highly recommend the castle - the views are spectacular on a clear day (admittedly those aren't so common here)

The Castle

Looking down the Royal Mile

The view from the battlements - The Firth of Forth

Some of my classmates

The chapel in the Castle grounds

The most handsome man alive poses with Arthur's Seat in the background =P

The Scottish Parliament

Anyways, that's it for now =)

Of driving

2008-11-03T23:57:00.007Z

Having been in Glasgow for 2 months, one thing I do miss a lot is driving.

I find the act in itself quite therapeutic, and that's even before I get passengers on board. There's something about having 5 lives on your fingertips (before you even include pedestrians and other drivers) that just makes me want to put the pedal on the metal, and fly...

[looks back on what he's written]

I'll stop now before:

my parents take away the car
the govt takes away my licence
you all think I'm some kind of psycho... MUAHAHAHAHA!

Admittedly I miss my regular passengers - some who get in out of choice, and the vast majority out of necessity -

Brian, Ashley, cousins - they're family - if I don't drive them, they don't get anywhere =p
Keith and Natania - regular passengers - often participate in whatever crazy thing I decide to do in the car (eg start a water-fight with the Tangs' car whilst driving on Mts Bay Road)
Russell - can sleep in my car. Witness of the infamous indecisive skid at the Ranford Rd/Bannister Rd traffic lights...
Kristine - complains about my driving and yet keeps getting into the car - I think you're a daredevil in disguise =)
Amanda - who'll only get into my car when she's dead tired or has no car - "Nic... there are some ... unappealing aspects about your driving"
The OD girls - basically I end up hearing high-pitched girly conversations from UWA to Broadway.
The Tangs - I'll quote Michelle on this: "I can sleep when Nic's driving... because I drive like this too"

Oh wait... I just realised that all my passengers get in my car out of necessity

Circa 2006 - Brian praying furiously as I raced from Banjup to Nedlands in 15 mins, including a petrol stop.

I have a few things to say in my defence:

I haven't actually got into a prang yet (though not for want of trying). I'd attribute that to reflexes.
I'm quite safety-oriented - I always insist that all my passengers wear seatbelts, and always have an eye on the rear mirror (for cops)
I would never do anything I wouldn't do if I were driving alone.
Majority of passengers surveyed said my driving was a "[....] experience" - fill in the blanks yourself...
I'm actually really qualified to drive. Over-qualified in fact. I'd tell you why, but I'm keeping it for future sermon material
Finally, I also park really well =)
Circa 2008 - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3999078&op=4&o=global&view=global&subj=563231373&id=795785111

The good news is that I'll be back in January =)

Comments?

Dinner

2008-11-02T23:49:00.001Z

What's better than rendang?
Home made rendang =)

Ben Nevis - Part 2

2008-11-01T19:58:00.014Z

I left whoever reads this blog (basically those ppl after my guitars) with the impression that I nearly died climbing up Ben Nevis. Well to be honest, it wasn't nearly that dramatic. Admittedly, it was the most physically gruelling thing I've ever done in my life.

On a random note: the first song playing on the radio as we woke that morning was the Beatles' 'Live and let die' =)

Here's a map of our route.
Don't worry - we used a real map on the day=P

Anyways, lets get on with the story... at the Lochan (the Red Burn), I decided to put an extra layer on (which entailed removing a few layers). At the very moment when I'd partially undressed, the skies opened up, and I've never seen hands go cold so fast...It was quite embarrassing as it got so cold in the space of 30 secs that my numb fingers couldn't handle the buttons on my raincoat, meaning I had to get Steven's help - male bonding time inspired by a moment of sheer serendipity.

The Lochan from about 100m above:

There's so many lakes (lochs) in Scotland... lets just say they don't have a water problem =)

The clouds and snow kicked in once we hit 800-900m, meaning the temperature, and visibility dropped. Steven and Maude were 15m away when I took this picture.

But there was one perk. I saw snow for the first time in my life, and remembered the old adage about yellow snow. Fortunately I wasn't that thirsty. And no. It wasn't me.

Hakim, Patrick and I:

We were greeted with a procession of people retreating from the summit. One told us the summit was an hour away. This wouldn't have been so bad, except that 40 mins later, another person told us it was another hour away. This happened a few times. It's a bit dispiriting. On the other hand, on our descent, it was pretty fun playing the same mental games with people on the way up =P

The last part of the climb was probably the hardest. Freezing hands, tired legs.and bad visibility. The path was pretty brutal on the feet, and the snow had a treadmill effect.

The novelty of snow rapidly wore off after my right quads cramped up... (I can almost hear my UWA football kaki telling me to eat more salt). Ever tried walking uphill without your right leg?

Here's a summary of my thoughts at that point

I've used up most of my energy already - God I'm less fit than I thought I was
Have I got enough in the tank to reach the summit?Have I got enough to get down? On the other hand, if I die here, I won't have to lead cell group in Perth. Or deal with the joys of 5th year Law.
How much longer is it anyways? The guy we met 60 mins ago said it was 40 mins more...
Bloody (&^l my leg hurts! I look like a fool crab-walking up this mountain.
I'm hungry (typical male)
I can't believe Evan put me up to this...

You can almost hear the desperation in my voice as I helped promote 2009's J-Life Camp - ONE!

At certain points along 5-Finger Gully, the path seemed endless, and uphill. Sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and plant one foot in front of the other.
However, after 4 hours, we got to the top of the UK!

It was bloody cold (-10C i think), but on the other hand there was an observatory meaning we could get out of the wind, and grab some packed lunch. Couldn't really order a pizza.

The descent was way easier... Anytime one felt tired, one could simply look up at the mountain top... and thank God that we were heading DOWN. Plus, as mentioned earlier there was the entertainment value of telling people on the way up that the summit was 2 hours away =P

Steven and I all smiles. He was absolutely flabbergasted upon realising:

I'd never seen snow in my life,
I'd never climbed a mountain in my life, and
I'd decided to knock both these things of my "things to do before I die" list. Simultaneously. On the highest mountain in the UK...

The best part about the descent were the views, especially when combined with that satisfactory feeling you get after you've climbed that high. I'll end off with some hard-earned pics (some are from Steve's camera):

Aside from a great sense of achievement, I also got a souvenir from Ben Nevis.

Let's just say I felt every single rock on the path through my boots...

Ben Nevis - Part 1

2008-10-27T23:10:00.016Z

I made it up the mountain!

On Saturday, 6 of us: Matthew, Steven, Maude, Patrick, Hakim and I left Glasgow for Fort William. We planned to stay the night and hit Ben Nevis the next morning. We got a little bored that night...

Here's us after dinner. We had the one dish that no one can screw up - spaghetti bolognese...

Can you believe it? Daylight saving was good for something. We actually got an extra hour of sleep that night, as we turned our clocks back an hour. October 25 marks the last day of British summer - which was slightly ominous for us.

Apparently it's not safe for novice hikers (ie me) to go up Ben Nevis from November onwards. Hence why we went on the last weekend of October =). While Saturday was a day of absolutely wild weather, the forecast for Sunday was relatively better:

The sun was out as we hit the trail at 9am. Note: that isn't Ben Nevis in the background. It's actually to the right of the picture, but the bridge was on the left. Don't ask why...

My housemates and their friends... easily identifiable by their blue waterproofs

Matthew still in a good mood =)

The Ben Nevis Inn, and that night's dinner.

View from the walking path:
Maude and Steven
Glen Nevis is incredibly scenic. These ppl were on a morning walk...

Took about an hour of solid walking to get to this point. Models: Matthew and Patrick

Patrick and moi
Maude and Hakim - those sticks became very useful later on...
I was enjoying the walk thus far - weather was great =)

And then I turned around...

It was 1 hr 30 mins into the hike...I actually can't remember whether I was looking at the rain slowly coming to us (see below), or just gasping for breath. Or maybe I'd realised something: we still hadn't got to the saddle by the Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe. The Lochan's only 570m above sea level. The mountain's 1344m high...

In some countries, you get the four seasons. In Scotland, you can get four seasons in a day, localised on the same mountain... this was the wet season coming in.
On a sidenote, the wonderful thing about Scotland is that you'll never die of thirst. The saying "water, water everywhere" comes to mind.

Once we rounded a bend in Glen Nevis, we could start seeing the slopes of Ben Nevis. The summit was obscured by clouds (the cloud line's 800m up)

1 hour and 50 mins into the climb, we finally reached the Lochan (570m). I was happy. It was sweltering actually, as I had 4 layers on. In hindsight, that was a good problem to have.

Anyways, this was the easy part of the ascent... I'll leave the part where I thought I was going to die for the next post =)

Nic

Ben Nevis

2008-10-25T10:27:00.002+01:00

I'm going to hike up Ben Nevis (translated: 'the mountain of heaven') tomorrow. It's the highest mountain in the UK, which isn't saying much as it's 1344m high =P

Having said that, I'm not underestimating it. Apparently 13 ppl died there over a 5 year period... time to put on the lucky underwear (and then some: it'll be freezing). Seriously though, my housemates and I will have to be careful. The weather's likely to be foul up there.

Will update once I get back.

Love,

Nic

ps... Bryan can have my guitars if anything happens =)

Paranoia

2008-10-22T17:23:00.003+01:00

Today's MLH lecture started with our lecturer mentioning the formative essay. I may be paraphrasing, but if so I apologise in advance for any negative interpretation anyone may make. After all, I don't intend to commit a libel against anyone.

You may wonder why I started this post with that clause... let me restart:

Today's MLH lecture started with our lecturer mentioning the formative essay.

"It's generally a good habit to hand in the essays on time"
so far so good... i thought - after all, I handed it in on the revised deadline of Monday

"Rather than simply posting about them on your blog"
I'd swear that he looked directly at me when he made this statement. Mind started running at a rate of knots...

I suspect the percentage of students who blog in that class (there's less than 20 of us) is fairly low. I also suspect that the percentage of students in that class who were as aware of the law of defamation such as to mention their lecturer in a post is significantly lower.

Maybe I could be paranoid. After all (and I checked this later in the Workshop), there's no direct link from my student data to this website; and I suspect Dr Finlay has better things to do with his time than Googling his students. In any case, looking at the post, I don't think I libeled him

Another possibility presents itself: my lecturer uses Facebook =)

Sometimes paranoia's just having all the facts - William S. Burroughs

Someone's looking out for me

2008-10-20T23:46:00.004+01:00

God's awesome. Did you know that?

I was at a pretty low point over the weekend, having to grapple with my studies, finances, and worries about cell and church back home. I couldn't sleep last night, in fact. I'm one of those people who lies in bed thinking at night. Last night, there was just so much to think about that i just couldn't rest. Compounding it, I'd had one of those weeks where a lot of the small aspects of life which you take for granted decide to go wrong (eg a bike chain slipping off the gears - twice). Almost like death from a thousand cuts =P

Eventually, around 1-2am, I got up, went on my knees and prayed. There was just nothing else to do. I just went to God with my worries .

Today started like any other Monday in Glasgow. Woke up at 8am, fixed breakfast and went to class. To be honest, I didn't feel like gymming today but went out of force of habit. I came home pretty tired, and finished off last night's dinner - beef stew with carrots, celery, onion, spring onion, garlic, ginger, tomato and lettuce =)

Some of the guys from GCCC had asked me to play badminton tonight. To be honest, at 3pm, I was so tired I wanted to pull out. Instead, I figured I needed to defuse and so at 740pm, Vong (one of the guys from GCCC) picked me up (it was freezing outdoors) and we set off to the Scottish Badminton Centre.

Looking back now - that was ridiculously fun. Don't get me wrong - I played pretty badly. We all played pretty badly (except Wei Yao, who's several classes above us). But we had some hilarious rallies (including one where at every shot, the sound of racket frames rang loud), and it was just great to laugh, and hang out.

A piece of advice: Don't gym before badminton - doesn't help you when you're looking for that extra few percent of effort.

After the game, Vong fetched me back. On the way I mentioned that I was planning to hike up Ben Nevis this weekend. Upon hearing that, Vong insisted on detouring to his place and giving me some safety equipment (ie a safety bag, and a whistle). We ended up hanging out at his place for a while.

On my part, it was great just to be able to relax and talk to someone. Also (and don't laugh too hard here), he even gave me a jar of this stuff:

I'm sitting in my room reflecting on my day now, and I've just realised that sometimes God will just cheer you up through sending people at the right time. Random acts of kindness aren't actually so random after all - often they're God-inspired, no matter how random they seem at the time (a jar of kaya?).

The next time you feel you should do something to help someone...

Jokes aside, I'm absolutely serious on this point. Let God use you as His hands and feet. You'll be surprised at the impact.

I'm inspired because my God cares.

Amen.

How not to spend a tuesday/wednesday

2008-10-19T22:18:00.006+01:00

Tuesday
930am - Wake up, shower, breakfast (cereal)

1030am - Walk to uni for my International Private Law lecture

1100am - Run into Mikey (classmate who also does Medieval Legal History)

Me: "so Mikey, started your MLH essay yet? I'm gonna work on it today."
Mike: "Yeah started on the weekend"
Me: "It's due Friday right?"
Mike: "... err no actually it's due tomorrow"
Me [frantically checks course outline]: "... shit... you're right"

At that point, the lecturer walked in and you can guarantee that I absorbed very little in that class. I was frantically planning an essay.

1200pm - After IPL, I rushed straight to the library and proceeded to, in a panicked fashion, research stuff that would help me answer this question:

"A Roman Lawyer without Canon Law is worth little: a Canon Lawyer without Roman Law nothing". Discuss.

At this point, some of you will say - why didn't you read the course outline properly? Well, page 1 of the outline stated that the essay was due Wednesday (Week 4's lecture). However, on the very next page, the actual essay question said that it was due in week 7. Don't ask how I thought it was due Friday Week 4. I'm a genius. Not.

Anyways I managed to get some scratchy research done, after lunch with Jacklyn. Eventually, at about 2.30am Wednesday morning, I completed the crappiest essay I've ever written in my whole life (and this includes my Standard 2 essay about "siapakah pemandu kereta yang paling teruk?"*).

Wednesday
230am - I went to bed.

730am - woke up for the 9am lecture...

900am - front up for the lecture half-dead with way too little sleep. The lecturer's first words:

Dr John Finlay: "I know the essay's due today [pauses]. However, I won't be in this whole week... so just hand it in Monday"

Me: "......" [clenches fist furiously under table]

To be honest, I can't really blame him... after all i should have read the outline properly - but it did kill my day.

1000am - All i could manage after the lecture was to stumble to the library after class to try to catch up with some readings. There I ended up napping for an hour (ask Elie).

1100am - I gave up on the study and went home to sleep.

300pm - woke up and went to the gym...**

What a day. Then again, cell was great that night (see earlier post).

PS: I've just finished the essay =)

* translation: "who's the worse driver" - how prophetic eh Kristine?
** re the gym - you can now see where my priorities lie.

Cell

2008-10-16T18:28:00.005+01:00

I finally made it to Wei Yao's cell last night. Admittedly there was the promise of free dinner cooked by Jason. He's the one in the right. Nic's the dude on the left*
Anyways I really enjoyed cell (both the dinner and sharing part). Never realised how much I missed it, and Jason's a great cook! Anyways, as a memory aid, I took pics of all the ppl so i could remember their names. From right to left: Nick, James, Wei Yao, Rachel and Jason (Yay! i remembered!)Then I put down the camera and we started eating. I was absolutely famished after having just come from the gym, and the chicken + noodles were awesome! No close-ups because haha i was too preoccupied with the eating =)

Anyways, later Gordon (the pastor of GCCC) came along with another guy, Caleb. That night the discussion focused around what it meant to get closer to God. For most of us, we've seen it as a list of beneficial chores:

more QT (Bible study)
more prayer
more service - ministry/community work etc
more being a good person - righteousness etc etc

For many of us, me included, we strive so hard to be good Christians through our works. And we miss the point. Last week, Gordon spoke about Christianity as being an organic faith. Sometimes, rather than letting the fruit grow on the tree, we attach fruit (the stuff from the list above) to the tree. So we find ourselves doing the same good things, but with different motives: to be seen as a good Christian, to get closer to God etc etc.

The funny part is that we just don't get it. God loves us. Full stop. Nothing we can do can make Him love us more. It is when we embrace his love, when we remain in it (John 15) that fruit comes naturally - from the inside out. We can't earn our salvation through works. We can't get closer to God through effort. It starts by accepting and embracing the fact that God loves us - that's faith.

Paul has it spot on in Philippians 3:7-11 - his righteousness comes not from the law (ie works) but from faith in Christ. What faith is this? A faith that His death on the Cross saved us and made us innocent in His eyes (though often not in our own). A faith that He loves us unconditionally.

On a side note - sometimes I wonder why isn't the fruit coming now? Wei Yao pointed out that the answer lies in nature - fruit comes when it is in season. Ultimately, God is the one who knows when the right season is for us.

Anyways, that was a quick summary of what cell was about last night... and i'm looking forward to next week =)

Reminiscing

2008-10-14T00:03:00.005+01:00

Lets just say it's a bad idea to look at old pictures when you're feeling homesick and wistful...

I started today trying to start an essay due Friday. But somewhere along the line my 'research' got me to the NLCC website... and a few short clicks later, to all the camp websites. Of all the J-life camps I've been to, Crossfire and Got Love stand out.

It's funny how time flies eh? I can barely remember what I was doing up to Crossfire, but those 4 days stick out like a sore thumb in my memory. God takes us a step further each day if we let Him stretch us. I guess that was the point when ministry moved from being something I did because I was competent in whatever I was given to do, to life.

Life where you're thrown into the deep end, have to deal with relational crises, an honours dissertation, and responsibilities you don't feel capable of handling . God didn't physically write my dissertation, or take notes for me in class. He didn't slap me awake through those exhausting and exhilirating days at camp. From a human point of view He didn't actively intervene in my affairs. And yet without Him it wouldn't have happened.

One thing is clear - He was there. When I was at my wit's end over what to do. When I was exhausted at camp. When I was slugging it out with Excel over economic data. When I messed up. He was there, in that quiet whisper in my heart, more meaningful than audible words could ever be, telling me to hold on to Him. Telling me that He would never let me go no matter what happened. Telling me to trust Him.

And that kept me and still keeps me going. I'm in a foreign land for a few months. Let me make it a better place for me being there. God's with me on this one. I know it.

My new favourite shirt =)

2008-10-12T23:38:00.002+01:00

Procrastination

2008-10-12T20:11:00.004+01:00

Damn... i should be doing my jurisprudence readings...

Anyways, I had a pretty good day today (as evidenced by 2 posts thus far). Played guitar at GCCC for the first time, which was a pretty different experience. Then rushed home to play cricket again, and gave a slightly better account of myself =)

For those of you who don't know me, I'm (despite my occasionally nice demeanour) highly competitive. In fact, I'm (as Amanda pointed out) competitive about being the most competitive. Thus, a sport which I enjoy playing but am the worst player in naturally attracts more concentration...

I arrived late at the dirt field we use as a cricket pitch... and came in as the last batsman. It was an 8 over match, with each team having 5 wickets (making me the 5th best batsman =P). Anyways with nothing to lose, I got 15 runs from 9 deliveries, and managed to take 2/7 bowling (again complete gibberish to the non-cricket inclined).

Am I happy? Yup =)

Am I still one of the worst players to ever wield a bat? Maybe I'm slightly better than this guy...

But at least I now have a modicum of confidence when I'm holding an irregularly shaped piece of wood facing a guy hurling a nice hard taped ball at me.

And confidence is everything.

Random Sundays

2008-10-12T10:26:00.003+01:00

It's 10:30am on a Sunday, and I'm getting ready to go to another worship practice before service... Surreal eh? Feels almost like I'm slipping back into an old, rarely used gear. It's been a month since I last fronted up at church with a guitar. Small band though - just 2 guitars so I'll be layering basically. I honestly can't wait =) The fact that services are at 1:30pm are also helpful.

On another note, the sun's out today. I'm hoping to be able to get in some cricket later today with the Indians, and hoping to not get as embarassed as yesterday when I couldn't hit a single scoring shot to the offside (that's probably indecipherable to you guys...)

Anyways, now I face brutal choice that will decide the rest of my day: omelets or soup for brekkie?

Dinner

2008-10-09T21:59:00.003+01:00

There's nothing quite like fried rice, a fried egg on a bed of lettuce =P

London - Day 1

2008-10-09T17:00:00.008+01:00

London is a 1 hour flight from Glasgow. Or, if you're on a budget, an 8 hour bus through the wee hours of the night*. Lets just say that I'll remember the National Express Bus 588 for the wrong reasons. I boarded at 11pm, and arrived at 615am to an absolutely freezing city.

My first port of call was Victoria Station, which was, well absolutely huge. Its arrivals and departures board is larger than Perth Airport...

Anyways, I went down to London to catch up with Richie (a.k.a. Wee Cheng to the rest of the known world**) as he was on a work conference (paid holiday). At 9am, we went to check in to our hotel to discover that we could only do so later in the day. This was slightly annoying as I was hoping for a quick shower - i'd slept 4 hours on-and-off the whole night on a bumpy (and annoyingly vertical) bus seat...

Well there was nothing to do but hit the town and see the sights... smelly socks and all... First we paid a visit to our good friend B. Elliot

Traipsed down to Big Ben
We also took a look at Westminster Abbey. On a sidenote, we also wandered into a Westminster Cathedral, and were about to explode into full tourist mode (camera flashes everywhere), when we simultaneously noticed that there was a service on... and made a hasty retreat =P

The London Eye - for some reason, it doesn't look as big in real life.

The (Over) Friendly Indian tourist...

It was still early in the day, when we'd walked past Westminster Bridge, so we went on through Whitehall - the govt area. Richie wanted to pay a visit to his boss Mr Brown.

Unfortunately, his office was closed - obviously the British PM doesn't work weekends =)

However, we were just on time to watch the patrol of the Horse Guards. They seemed like a nice bunch of guys on horses, though maybe they took themselves maybe a tad too seriously.

Anyways, later on we headed to Trafalgar Square. And being the culturally aware people that we are, we proceeded to the National Gallery (in the background). The Gallery boasts paintings from Monet, Cezanne etc etc... and we used the toilet***. Ok we also saw the paintings lah. We're not complete philistines.

Anyways, I'll end this post here... with a brief teaser of the nocturnal activities that followed our exertions =)

You can tell what the highlight of my weekend was.

* I realised later that Ryanair flies to London at pretty cheap rates! Gahhh
** Apparently Mr Yeo Wee Cheng took up the alias "Richie" in Australia because his lecturers couldn't deal with 3 syllables...
*** Public toilets are sparse in London...

On things chocolate

2008-10-03T15:11:00.006+01:00

In the beginning: it started with a glance across the room
And once I had a taste, I wanted more. She was sweet... dark... like those lovely shadows that play across the park in the evening. Or that cute Spanish chick at the bar*.

I ...

I used her. And now there's regret.
I need to go back to the gym

* - I'm flying to Barcelona in late November for completely unrelated reasons. No seriously. I like Gaudi.

2008-10-02T17:39:00.003+01:00

My housemates are pretty cool. Let me introduce a few of them:
Steven and Maude from Quebec - Steve's studying engineering and Maude's an engineer on a working holiday . Both are pretty awesome ppl. And both are inducting me into the joys of maple syrup.

Mohan from Tamil Nadu in India - funny guy who's doing his PhD in Chemistry - says he can't cook but the smells from the kitchen indicate otherwise (well except for dinner 2 nights ago - that beetroot stuff looked a tad off =P). But anyways, we've had some pretty hilarious chats:

Nick: To be honest eh, I really can't cook that well. I'm just kind of working it out backwards based on my memories of what my mum's and my grandma's cooking tastes like. It's all improvisation.
Mohan: Same here actually. Well I'm a chemist so I'm combining my ingredients as one! (laughter). And you, well, you're reverse - engineering your food (more laughter).

The other day, I'd managed to get 2 packets of strawberries for only 1.50. At that price, I was worried that the small Scottish strawberries would be ridiculously sour. Actually, they were surprisingly sweet (sweet enough to make Nutella taste almost redundant)

Anyways, I was hankering for some dessert (after making fried chicken) yesterday. Desire leads to imagination, which leads to:
One happy chef !

At this point, the housemates decided to join in and make their own. Basically: get a clear glass, and layer yoghurt, strawberries and nutella as such:And enjoy =) it goes pretty well with some tea biscuits (the plain kind) broken up. Now I know what I'll serve my date if I'm out of dessert ideas. It also doesn't look half bad. And the taste? Decadent.

Another take on international relations

2008-09-30T13:43:00.002+01:00

Another way to relax i found off Lemuel's blog =)

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just get all the world leaders into a boxing ring and let them settle it, without hassling us?

Faith Fighter

Click here to play this game

Normal service is resumed

2008-09-29T16:15:00.002+01:00

Started raining as I was walking back home from uni... sigh...
Anyways, I'm quite happy today - firstly, I got some IPL readings done, which is a good thing, given I'd procrastinated the whole weekend).

Secondly, my keyboard's now working relatively properly (after a weekend of being a tool). Basically, the whole weekend, the letter 't' was just going missing. You never realise how important something is, until you miss it (eg the letter 't') - sounds like a Sesame Street commercial =P

On a lighter note, only God knows what some ppl would have made of it if the malfunctioning letter was the one before "w".

Things to be thankful for

2008-09-28T23:57:00.002+01:00

Having been in Scotland for 3 weeks, I've so much to be thankful for:

So far this week, the weather's been awesome =) hasn't rained that much.
Great housemates - 2 guys and one girl from Quebec, and Mohan from India - awesome ppl. We've just had a nice, long pot luck (started 930, finished just now). Anyways, it was a great time of just hanging out, learning different things about each others' cultures (including the joys of maple syrup), and yeah laughing at the same time. Its funny how a bunch of ppl who didn't know each other beforehand can get along almost instantly haha...
A ministry to serve - I've been signed up to guitar for GCCC in 2 weeks! looking forward to it. You would not believe how weird it was knowing that there was a J-life service on today and that I wasn't playing.
Things to do - i fear boredom =)... but I'm taking up fencing, and hoping to play football for CU. Oh, and today I played cricket with some guys from the subcontinent. They play every weekend so I'm hoping to join them regularly. I also proved today that not all Australians can play cricket well.
Great sermons. The past few weeks, I've really been blessed by being able to hear from Ps Gordon at GCCC. Today's sermon was from Psalm 107:23-32. Basically, if you want to see God really act in your life, you've got to go out of your comfort zone. God comes where He's at stake.

Anyways, that's enough for now. Got some readings to catch up with =)

Skye High - Part 2

2008-09-25T15:55:00.008+01:00

Classes finally started this week, and so I've been busy learning about the weird and wonderful world of Jurisprudence, Medieval Legal History and International Private Law. I've also made my first curry...

Anyways, last Saturday, we went to the Isle of Skye... and proceeded to do some pretty interesting stuff. Visited Eileen Dornan Castle, as I've mentioned earlier, and we also went to this place called Kilt Rock.
basically, the rocks in the background are meant to resemble the back of a kilt. Chad was good enough to model this one.

Anyways, let's get back to the list. The tour guides (the aforesaid Tony and Mikey) got us to write up a list of things we wanted to do. The list, at the end included things like trying on kilts (Chad), sipping some water of life (whisky), seeing Loch Ness, getting plastered, kissing a Scotsman (not my wish), and swinging a claymore (mine).

No 4: Swing a claymore

I got a bit more than i bargained for... the claymore got upsized to a lochaber axe...

The man wanted to demonstrate what happened to traitors, and i realised something
Blades that don't look sharp often are - basically, pull upwards.

But at the end...

It was worth it.
Ok that's a lochaber axe, not a claymore. Claymores went out of fashion (like bell-bottoms ... oh wait those are coming back). Anyways, claymores they went out of style because swinging large, sharp, double-edged swords at high speeds while running down hills (the Highlanders' favourite modus operandi) meant that you often chopped off the ears of the person next to you.

There's probably a moral in there somewhere.

Skye High

2008-09-21T22:25:00.014+01:00

I've just returned from a weekend trip to the Isle of Skye... at the moment, my legs are a tad sore, given a spur of the moment decision to walk all the way back from Buchanan St Bus Station in the CBD to the West End (took me around 40 mins)... I'd swear the city is uphill most of the way.

Anyways, I got home, greeted the Canadian housemates and made a quick dinner. Clan Campbell made the soup for me =P
I realise that this could be a long, long post. A lot happened on this weekend. Anyways, I went to Scotland with a list of things to do... and managed to cut through a good swathe of the list this weekend =)

No. 1: Eat some haggis (Evan's suggestion)

For those not in the know, haggis is basically a sheep's pluck (heart, liver and lungs), minced with some other stuff, and boiled in the sheep's stomach. Doesn't that just make you hungry thinking about it? Here's the dish the traditional way: "Haggis, 'neeps and tatties"

I had it with some friends at the Royal Mile. I was told it didn't taste bad. Our guide Tony said: "if it tasted bad, we wouldn't eat it". Well, it actually didn't taste that bad...
Tasted like a slightly spicier sausage roll filling...if you close your eyes, you can almost taste the lungs... it's abit chewy (actually to be honest, I quite like it)

Actually, the Scots are quite similar to us Chinese people. We don't waste food. If they did, the Highlanders would have starved to death. And us Chinese? We're just cheap =P

No 2: See some castles...

Urquhart Castle

Random fact no 1: The castle sits on the banks of Loch Ness
Random fact no 2: There's a trebuchet on the castle grounds (can't see it in this pic)

Ruthwen Castle

Random fact no 1: The castle is close to the battlefield of Culloden - possibly a battle that changed the face of the earth as we know it.
Random fact no 2: 12 Redcoats once held this castle against a besieging force of 200 Jacobite troops through some improvisation - using spare uniforms to make it look as if the castle was bristling with troops...

Eileen Dornan

Random fact no 1: This is the most romantic castle of all time... apparently
Random fact no 2: The movie "Highlander" was shot here
Random fact no 3: This was my favourite place in the whole trip. And no. Don't even think that way. Random fact no 1 is completely irrelevant to why this was my favourite place.

Obviously, there's a load of history to go with these castles (which I won't bore you with). Actually I love history so I was just soaking it in as Tony told us about the Stuarts, Robert the Bruce, William Wallace and the Highlanders.

But I'll leave you all with one of the highlights =)

No 3: See Hamish the Highland 'cou'...
Obviously beef was on the menu that night...

Skye-time

2008-09-18T11:57:00.003+01:00

Currently packing for a weekend trip to the Isle of Skye. The trip was arranged in literally 10 minutes last Friday - not a bad effort eh? Who says guys can't do admin?

Mind you... i honestly can't wait to go - just have to sit through a 2 hour law lecture first (intro to the Scots legal system). Last night I watched The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas with Chad, Gianni and Nana. It was an amazing film about the Holocaust, seen through the eyes of Bruno, the 8-year old son of the commandant of a concentration camp. Slowly he gets a glimpse of the true realities behind making his nation "great", as he befriends a young Jewish boy. Anyways, had a tear in my eye as the movie ended. It's highly recommended.

Its raining

2008-09-16T17:56:00.001+01:00

Incredible how much it rains here. Other than during the first 3 days I arrived (when it only rained once), its rained almost everyday since then. For the last 48 hours ... it's been pouring.

Crazy weather - and yes, I was warned. Thank God for raincoats.

1 + 1 = 3?

2008-09-14T23:18:00.005+01:00

Part of the fun of being an exchange student is meeting many new students from overseas. Glasgow's a hub for students from all over the world - including those from the fairer sex. With so many people new to the environment... sometimes 1 + 1 = 3?

Never fear though. The University is prepared for most eventualities, as Dani found out.

After all, you never know where that hot French girl has been (the label on the poster: you may have had more partners than you think):

It's an interesting university. That's all I'll say about it.

On another note... sometimes serendipity happens. It did today for me. There she was across the room =)

Castles and Whisky

2008-09-14T18:23:00.007+01:00

The first week in Glasgow has flown by. I've been attending introductory lectures in sweltering lecture halls, meeting more exchange students, and gradually getting a feel for the place.

The uni took us on various tours yesterday, and I went to Stirling Castle and the Glengoyne Distillery. The castle is an amazing place, having been taken and retaken countless times by English and Scottish forces over the years.

You can understand why, after seeing the view from the castle. It controls the countryside for miles and miles.
The monument on the hill in the centre is dedicated to William Wallace. The weather was... Scottish yesterday. Had Scottish dew (light rain) throughout.

A succession of Scottish kings (Chad and I included) have set up their thrones at the castle over the years.

Anyways, we also went to the Glengoyne distillery. At that point, my camera ran out of juice, and so I'll have to keep it short. The whisky here is good stuff =). Nothing quite like single malt when it's free. The men working there must be the happiest men in the world - well at least the quality control guy must be.

Ceilidh

2008-09-11T16:58:00.004+01:00

Last night I went dancing the Scottish way last night in Bute Hall. The University organised a ceilidh night for the international students. Admittedly, it's harder than it looks =) yours truly made the mistake of wearing boots there.
Anyways, ceilidh is tiring, requires coordination, and is also incredibly fun =). Strongly recommended (but don't wear boots)

On another note, I've met some pretty cool people here - a lot of Americans (some claiming Canadian nationality), some French, some Germans... and so forth. The University's pretty cosmopolitan. Oh and I ran into my first Malaysian last night. Here are Nadine (NZ) and Melanie (US) at the Glasgow Cathedral.Basically, aside from keeping Guinness in business, I've also been around the city. The cathedral at Glasgow is just amazing. The University organised a bus tour just yesterday and I'll be back again. Church services at the start of every month =)

Anyways, off to cooking dinner - having a pot luck tonight with some people. Cyas!

When it rains it pours

2008-09-08T18:54:00.002+01:00

Unfortunately the near perfect weather I had enjoyed couldn't last forever. The honeymoon is over - might as well blog.

On Sunday, I attended Glasgow Chinese Christian Church (the church of a friend of a friend). The English service wasn't bad. Pastor's name was Gordon Cheung, but he doesn't sound like a Cheung. Sermons are even more interesting in a Scots accent. Anyways he spoke from Psalm 107:4-9 about wanderers. Actually I loved the way he structured it - he just went through the passage verse-by-verse, and elucidated. It's amazing how the Bible is just so accessible. You don't need a doctorate in theology to know God - just a heart for Him.

Prior to that, i had the pleasure of having a vegetarian brunch - some of the ppl from the church met up prior to the "half-one" service - afternoon services anyone?

Anyways, today I proceeded to slice my thumb making soup... bled for abit, I kept cooking... and tonight's oxtail soup was made with sweat, blood (literally) and tears (onions) =P... didn't quite get the mix right though... possibly too much paprika and water.

What else did I get up to? Well I met up with Severine, a French architecture student to see the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Amazing place, featuring a famous painting by Dali, and various other brilliant pieces of artwork. I'll definitely be back again, this time with a working camera. Also, we were lucky enough to pay a visit when the organ recital was on - given I'm practically a philistine in the area of art, the only piece i recognised was the soundtrack from Babe =P. But honestly, I could probably spend 3 days in that museum.

Anyways, time to sign off for now. Planning to watch a comedy gig later (once it stops raining).

The Stew

2008-09-07T19:01:00.004+01:00

Remember the stew I was making yesterday while waiting for the pork to cook?
Turned out pretty good =). Had a bit of a disaster boiling rice though, so had to fry some bread instead - I need to work out how to make rice properly.

Stew ingredients: some beef (preferably cuts meant for braising/stewing), carrots, spring onion, garlic, tomato, onion, soy sauce, sugar and plenty of pepper. Can't give the exact recipe, because I realise I'm turning into an agak-agak cook =P

But I cant really complain about today's meal. Another satisfied customer =)
Was in Matthews - a Chinese grocer in a less well-known part of Glasgow. While doing some shopping, came across this. Doesn't taste that good unfortunately (was feeling a tad homesick)
Lest you think that all i do is cook - well to be honest, until I left Perth I never really had the time to do it, what with ministry, work and study. But food is something I'm passionate about, along with photography.

In case you don't know, I was really into photography in high school, but I just let it fade (quite sad actually that most of us give up something we're passionate about when we enter adulthood). I'm slowly getting back into it though. I'm looking towards getting a new camera over the next few days. My current one just doesn't have the functionality I need. Given Glasgow is quite gloomy, the lighting is pretty bad and the camera doesn't have quite enough settings to tweak. Ahh well - here come's the shopping bug!

Cooking

2008-09-06T20:43:00.011+01:00

One of the fun parts about living overseas is that you tend to cook often (to save $$$ for traveling around). Breakfasts aside, I've had to cook 2 meals thus far. Why don't breakfasts count? I could cook them with my eyes closed =P. Breakfast is one of those things men should naturally be able to do. Can't be that hard to fry an egg - well actually wait...

So on my first night, I pan-fried some salmon, and stir-fried long beans and garlic (along with some rice). The cooking was going fine, until i reached for some salt to cook the salmon with.

Then I realised that the plastic covering over the salt shaker (it was brand new) was quite tight. Unfortunately, the pan was getting too hot, and I was in a hurry (some other stuff was starting to burn). Rather than taking my time and getting a knife, I tried to rip it off... and successfully got a sea of sea salt over the kitchen.

Other than that though, tasted alright (aside from the soggy rice). I learnt some valuable lessons:

To pan-fry salmon successfully, it needs to be well lubricated with olive oil and the pan must be flamin' hot.
To get the skin crispy, coat it with salt (hence my accident) prior to frying (stole that idea from Chinese roast pork).
Most importantly - I should never multitask.

So that was the first night. Tonight I felt more adventurous and attempted dad's signature pork dish: pork belly with sweet ginger and garlic sauce. Basically involves a nice long simmer of the sliced pork belly with sugar, kicap hitam and the rest of the ingredients. Easy - but takes time and you have to make sure the pork's cooked. Came out good (if I say so myself).

So while it was simmering, I figured I'd make a beef stew. Let's hope it turns out alright - it's still cooking away now. Note to self: add some flour tomorrow to thicken. Also, buy some herbs.

3 September - nearly a flight from hell.

2008-09-06T00:18:00.009+01:00

After getting sent off by my parents and Yong and Michie, the flight from Perth to Glasgow started at 3:50pm Perth time, and culminated at 9:10am Glasgow time. I was bedraggled after the flight. Despite my pre-departure prayer.

Having lost an argument to Mum, I carried two pieces of hand carry luggage. Simple yes? Nevertheless, the increase in global terrorism means increased airport security. For me, it meant that at all 3 transit stops (Perth, Singapore, and Amsterdam), I had to remove my jacket, ipod, wallet, laptop, and drain my water. Was a tad embarrassing given it meant I held up the line for a good 10 minutes each time. It culminated at Schiphol (pronounced "schop-pel") Airport where, having nearly completely undressed, my boots set off the metal detector. Ever tried taking off boots quickly?

Oh and Changi airport was for some reason absent of air-cond - meant I reeked like a salted fish throughout the 13 hour flight to Amsterdam. I'd dressed thinking I was moving from winter (Perth) to autumn (Glasgow). Btw, the weather now's pretty similar to Perth.

Nevertheless, it wasn't all bad. Lest i sound like i'm complaining, most of the above events actually made me laugh quite a bit (after I'd arrived at my accomodation and taken a bath). Also, on the flight to Amsterdam (the 13 hour leg), I managed to get to know 2 of the guys sitting next to me - Derek P and Mark F, the former being a true blue Scotsman. Both were Aussie truckies in real life. They were hilarious. We had some hilarious discussions (Scottish words italicised)

me: I heard Glasgow's a pretty good place and the people are friendly.
D [looks quizzical]: No. [long pause] Wait... do yer drink?
me: Yeah
D: then yairss =)

And aside from the multitude of pubs in Glasgow, another thing I'll have to contend with is the accent.

me: D, could you teach me some slang?

D: Nae... even if i sporke to you all the way to Glasgow, I couldn't even start
me: Ahh... so how do i deal with it?
D [serious expression]: Don't say yes. Not until you're sure what you're hearing.

mind you, at times i struggled to make out what he was saying. Nevertheless, they were nice guys. They bought me a coffee (obviously it's quite easy to get on my good side).

Anyways... this is turning out to be a long post. Let's just say the journey from the airport to my accomodation wasn't straightforward either, owing to

A road block
A blur secretary running the Accommodation office
My failure to get a proper address for where I was staying
A very blur secretary

But on the other hand... at least the taxi driver got me there.

Today, I went out with some other overseas students - Markus L (Ger), Hannes K (Ger) and Vilde A (Nor). It was educational, as I learnt a new word at a place called Committee Room 9:

Tanqueray - pronounced "tan-ker-ri" with the last 2 syllables rushed.
"Tanqueray & tonic" is synonymous with another famous beverage that also goes with tonic. Was cheap too, at 2pounds a hit.

But rest assured, I'm not becoming an alcoholic. I'm just trying to keep Guinness in business.

Last day

2008-09-02T04:35:00.003+01:00

Flying off to Glasgow tomorrow evening, and today's turning out to be more rushed than I anticipated. Still have to clear my room, sort out the IC posters, and pack last minute... breathe...

Caught up with A last night - good to catch up with her before I fly off. One of the things discussed was the fact that things would in general be different when I come back. Situations change anyways, but often you don't realise it because you're living through it. But going away and coming back means you're often going to be confronted with different things as you return. All good... I'm quite excited about going =)

Am absolutely going to miss my friends here though. You know who you are. Everyone's been really special. Rae made me an absolutely fabulous cake - and it came with a pot =P. Oh and thanks for the shirt, you J-lifers

Mike Guglielmucci is a fake and a fraud - but what about you

2008-08-21T08:57:00.002+01:00

Nic's note: I found this blog while surfing the net today - makes you think eh?

Okay. So Twitter and blog-world are exploding today with news that the latest church worship celebrity, Mike Guglielmucci of “Healer” fame, has been a total liar, fake and fraud when it comes to his claim of beating life-threatening cancer. His story and the song which is supposedly inspired have been the talk of the worship world for the last month or so - especially with the news that Hillsong had recorded it and were including the song (along with the powerful live video) in their latest release, “This Is Our God.”

Here’s a quick recap of Mike’s story -

Diagnosed with cancer
Comes home, sits at the piano and begins singing
The melody and words of “Healer” pour out in this incredible time of worship

The song was then recorded by Planetshakers on their latest album and apparently caught the ear of the Hillsong folks who decided it would be great for their album. Once the promotion for that record started, Mike’s story was front and centre - including a promotional video that was released with Mike telling the world his story interspersed with shots of him singing the song at the live recording, oxygen tank, nose tubes and all.

So word breaks this morning that none of Mike’s story can be verified. Here are some links -

Adelaide Now
“Michael has confirmed that he is not suffering with a terminal illness and is seeking professional help in Adelaide with the support of his family.
“We are asking our church to pray for the Guglielmucci family during this difficult time.”
The Australian
It appears Mr Guglielmucci, who was a pastor with one of Australia’s biggest youth churches, Planetshakers, may even have deceived his own family.
“This news has come as a great shock to everyone including, it seems, his own wife and family,” Hillsong general manager George Aghajanian said in an email to his congregation yesterday.

Crazy. Idiotic. Foolish. How can someone even DREAM of something like this?? What kind of sick, deranged person lies in their bed at night trying to think of ways to gain fame, notoriety and recognition while perhaps lining their pockets with some extra coin based on sales of a song that might be inspired by such a tragedy?? This is a total disgrace and another black eye on the modern evangelical church.

So. How do we respond? Some say stone him! Some say blacklist him! Some say he just needs a swift kick in the ass! How about you? What do you say?

What do I say?

I don’t know.

Part of me is so tired of this. I’m so tired of trusting people and their stories of God doing amazing things only to be once again disappointed. I’m so tired of having to defend a church that wants to hold these people up based on their lies and deceit. I’m so tired of having to explain to friends why I would even associate myself with an institution that allows people like this to get famous. Nevermind the fact that I’m so tired of an institution that is making these people famous in the first place!

Part of me wants to stand on the rooftops and shout “I AM NOT ONE OF THEM!! I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE LYING, CHEATING JERKS WHO IS SELLING YOU A FALSE GOSPEL!!” I want so bad to distance myself from these idiots and their garbage lies and their cheating ways. I would scratch their name from history and have them never heard from again if it was up to me.

And then I wonder.. What does God say?? What does He think of all of this?

Ugh.

Why wouldn’t He turn His back on the whole lot of us and just let us all go down in flames? Why wouldn’t He just give this world a little nudge and send it spinning off in to the darkness of the universe? Why wouldn’t He just hit the cosmic reset button and start this whole damned thing over again?

And all I’m left with as an answer is “grace.” Because of grace. The only reason we are still living and breathing and spending a single moment on this planet is because of grace. God has every right to squash every last one of us and laugh at our stupidity - thinking that we have anything more to offer than Mike or Todd or whoever the next one will be. God has every right to stand on the rooftop and yell “Don’t listen to them!! I am not like them!! I don’t do things the way he says I do them!!” while pointing directly at.. me.

Cause that’s the truth, right?? We’re all Mike. We’re all Todd. We’re all messed up, screwed up, broken, deceitful, lying, sinful people. Now we may not be as devious or as scheming as those who are exposed and exploited but does that make us any better or any worse? Not at all. At the end of the day we are broken, sinful people in need of grace. Only God’s grace. And I need just as much of it as Mike does.

Could you imagine if all of your crap was exposed for the world to see? What if your Twitter account really detailed everything you were doing? everything you were thinking? Uh oh. We wave the “authentic” flag as though people are getting to know the real us if we post a little of our family struggles or about our issues with this sin or that, imagining that if people are given a littel glimpse in to a bit of the hard side of my life they might give me a little pat on the back for being so honest. And really it’s just misdirection - let’s give them a bit of what’s behind Door #2 so they don’t want to look behind Door #3, cause if that door was opened it’s game over.

Right?

I don’t know. I’m not suggesting that we all have stories like Mike’s. I’m not suggesting that we’ve all cooked up schemes like his. But if it was YOUR song that Hillsong was releasing and YOUR name being used to promote it and someone uncovered ALL of YOUR baggage and garbage, don’t you think it would be the talk of the town? Yeah. Sure it would.

I have nothing to say about whether or not you should play the song. Some will say that the song is born in the heart of the writer and there is no way to use the song to lead people in worship. Some will say that the song - not the writer - is anointed and if God can speak through a donkey he can certainly speak through a deceiving, lying songwriter. Some will say that the song is worthless and not very good and shouldn’t be used in congregational worship anyways. So take your pick

So there you go. You’ve heard my thoughts. I’ve read lots of yours. I’m sure this will be talked about for a while. What’s next? Where do we go from here? What do we do with the famous ones in our church culture? Lets hear you

pre-emptive homesickness

2008-08-06T16:20:00.004+01:00

After some haphazard preparations... I'm flying off to Glasgow on the 3rd of September. I can't believe it's just a month away.

I feel ambivalent about leaving. It's going to be a GREAT experience, but on the other hand, I'm going to miss absolutely everyone here (that's right, including those annoying people who nevertheless still give me something to talk about). Is this what its like to be an overseas student?

I decided not to preface this post with "its been a while since i last blogged" - after all, i'm not ashamed of blogging infrequently. Also, it gets boring =)

Led worship for the first time last Sunday. I've never been so nervous before. I couldn't sleep the night before to be honest, and after practice on that morning, my nerves were shot. The fact that I had to make a 15 minute detour to Wilson also didn't help. Nor did driving 30km/h over the limit just to get to church 10 minutes late.

However, in this i'm pretty grateful for Joseph, who inspired us all with a brief pep talk at 9:59am. Ultimately it comes down to this - you can let the circumstances dictate your attitude to God, or you can worship in spite of the circumstances. All I wanted to do was just worship. The band backed me up, and I really believe our hearts for God just shone through the service.

I've also realised that I'm a really lucky person. A man is lucky if he can go through life and have 2-3 good friends throughout. I have people who will (and have) stick (stuck) by me through the thick and thin and I'm extremely grateful for that. You know who you are.

Anyways, till the next time I blog, I'll leave u with this picture:

Sitting in the kitchen, Mum and I heard a nature documentary on the TV, and thought dad was engrossed in it (he was sitting on the couch). Highly surprising, given the aforesaid program did not contain much fight scenes, gunfire or sport.*

Anyways, our hopes were slightly crushed as we walked into the lounge. Turns out my camera interrupted his nap** =)

Love you Dad

* Believe me, I have a high respect for my dad. However, this is a man who can't stand movies with dialog scenes > 10 minutes. He likes Bruce Willis - need I say more?

** The pink object is my sister's stuffed rabbit, nothing more.

A message that found its way to my inbox

2008-06-13T08:17:00.001+01:00

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior" (Hab. 3:17-18).

When we experience adversity, we generally respond in one of three ways: (1) we become angry; (2) we try to gut it out; or (3) we accept it with joy.

Anger

When adversity comes our way, we say, "Why me, Lord?" We become bitter and resentful and blame God and others for our problems. We view ourselves as victims and demand that God answer our accusing questions: "Why don't You love me, Lord? We feel entitled to life, health, wealth, and happiness.

Gutting It Out

Another way we respond to adversity is by adopting a stoic attitude, repressing our emotions. We lie to ourselves and say, "I'm gutting it out. I'm demonstrating endurance." In reality, we are merely isolating ourselves with a shell of false bravado. We don't meditate on God's love, we don't pray, we don't believe God really has anything good planned for us. We simply tell ourselves, "This will soon be over. I'm a survivor." We never receive what God has planned for us if we stay here.

Acceptance with Joy

This is the response God seeks from us. When adversity comes, we rest in His love and trust that He knows best. We realize that nothing can happen to us without His permission. If there is pain in our lives, we know it's because God deems it necessary for our growth or wishes to use our pain to minister to others.

God revealed to the prophet Habakkuk that Israel was soon to be invaded by the Babylonians. Habakkuk knew that Israel was about to suffer intense adversity as part of God's loving discipline of His people. Habakkuk faced the looming national tragedy with an attitude of acceptance with joy.

If Habakkuk could be joyful in the face of a national calamity, then we can rejoice in the Lord no matter what comes our way.

on marking

2008-06-03T15:59:00.002+01:00

Having been busy marking essays recently, I've uncovered some gems of prose:

"so, if this is what happened to food now, what is going to happen in the future? Certainly, new technology like genetic modified crops and hybrid rice had resulted in magical increase in land productivity. They will show the magic again, but not after a long time"

Lovely...

3500 years of the Sedition Act - Malaysia Today

2008-05-27T08:23:00.000+01:00

It is clear that the Sedition Act can solve all our problems. The Sedition Act, properly and seriously implemented, would result in the entire world sharing just one religion. There would not be so many religions, which, today, are the source of most of the world’s problems.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

There is an old law which many Malaysians do not realise still exists in this country. This law is called the Sedition Act. How old is this law, you may ask. Trust me, it is very, very old.

The Sedition Act was already around 3,000 or 3,500 years ago during the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs. At that time a man called Musa -- namesake of Musa Hitam, Musa Aman and Musa Hassan; who are all the exact opposite of the Musa of old Egypt -- received a message from God. And the message is that the Pharaoh is not God, as he believed he was, and Musa was to go tell him so.

Of course Musa was scared because he was aware of the Sedition Act and anyone who disputes that the Ruler of Egypt is God will be dealt with severely. So Musa asked God for permission to bring his brother along since his brother had the gift of the gab and was able to ‘spin’ just like the Bloggers of modern days. Knowing that a lot of spinning would be required to counter Pharaoh’s claim of divinity, God agreed and Musa and his brother then went and confronted the Pharaoh.

The Pharaoh asked Musa what are the credentials to become God. Musa then replied that God gives life and God takes life. The Pharaoh then sentenced Musa to death thereby ‘taking his life’. The Pharaoh then commuted the death sentence thereby ‘giving back’ Musa his life.

“So I have just taken life and given life,” argued the Pharaoh. “That means I am God.”

That was certainly a very smart move indeed. So what is the moral of this story? Simple. If the Internet and Blogs had been around 3,000 or 3,500 years ago, the Pharaoh would have been the King of Bloggers since he is the best spin-doctor in history.

But Musa insisted that the Pharaoh was not God and this resulted in the Pharaoh invoking the Sedition Act on him. Any act to make the people hate or turn against the Ruler is an act of sedition and punishable under the Sedition Act. However, Musa did not play fair. He skipped bail and escaped from Egypt and this resulted in the new nation of Israel being created. And, ever since, this has been the cause of great turmoil and countless deaths. If the Pharaoh had arrested Musa under the Sedition Act and had not allowed him bail then, today, there would be no turmoil and chaos in this world and we would all be living in a peaceful world, in particular in the Middle East.

Slightly over 2,000 years ago, another person by the name of Isa came along. This was Isa The Man, not ISA the Internal Security Act. Isa too was seditious and he turned the people against the Rulers. Of course Isa was not really that successful because he only had about a dozen followers, not even enough to form an Umno branch, which requires more members than that. But the Ruler made the great mistake of making a martyr out of Isa and his support grew, until today where he has more than one billion followers.

That was certainly not a very smart move indeed. So what is the moral of this story? Simple. Never make a martyr of someone who commits the crime of sedition, as then his or her following will grow beyond controllable proportions.

1,400 years or so ago, another man came along. This man was called Muhammad (but he had only one Muhammad in his name, not like today where we have people with two Muhammads in their name). For ten years he tried turning the people against the Rulers of the tiny state called Mekah. Finally, the Mekah government could stand it no longer and they tried arresting Muhammad under the Sedition Act.

But Muhammad managed to escape to another small village called Medina. Within 12 years this village grew into a city and they managed to build a large army and then went back to Mekah to topple the government.

That was certainly a very smart move indeed. So what is the moral of this story? Simple. Never allow anyone who commits the crime of sedition to escape to another country, as he or she can then build up a large army and come back to topple the government.

These examples of Musa, Isa and Muhammad have taught the world a thing or two. Firstly, never allow anyone to commit the crime of sedition. Secondly, sedition is not about punishing someone for lying. Sedition is about punishing someone who tells the truth. And that was demonstrated in Penang not too long ago when Marina Yusoff was found guilty of sedition for telling the truth -- yes, she proved that she had told the truth and had not lied. Marina Yusoff wrongly thought that if she could prove she was telling the truth she would escape punishment. Little did she realise that the Sedition Act does not punish you for lying. It punishes you for telling the truth. And Musa, Isa and Muhammad too told the truth so they are all rightfully guilty of sedition.

600 years or so ago, the English King decided to make it illegal to speak against the Ruler. God appoints Rulers as Rulers, argued the King, and to oppose the Ruler or speak ill of the Ruler is seditious and you can be arrested and your ears will be cut off. So many people who did not bodek the King were arrested and punished under the Sedition Act.

62 years ago, Malayans too started opposing the British Monarchy. They did not like the British proposal to form the Malayan Union. The Malays then got together and formed an amalgamation of the many Malay movements, societies and associations, which they called Umno. And through Umno the Malays began to make seditious statements in their many road-shows that criss-crossed the length and breadth of Malaya.

As the movement gained momentum and Umno started winning the support of the Malayan population, the British decided in 1948 to introduce the Sedition Act, more than 500 years after it was introduced in England. That was of course 60 years ago but the Sedition Act did not achieve its purpose. Finally, in 1957, Malaya managed to gain independence from Britain in spite of the Sedition Act.

Today, the Sedition Act that was introduced to punish Malayans who speak against the British still remains. But there is no longer a British Colonial government ruling Malaya. Today, Malaya is Merdeka and is now called Malaysia. But the law that makes it a crime to speak ill of the British still remains even though no one speaks bad about the British any longer other than Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who was Prime Minister of Malaysia for 22 years and who managed to get Margaret Thatcher’s knickers all twisted into knots.

Sigh….if the Pharaoh had been serious about the Sedition Act then there would be no Jews today. And if there were no Jews then there would be no Isa; so there would be no Christianity. And if the Mekah government too had been serious about the Sedition Act there would be no Islam today. And since there would be no Jews, Christians and Muslims, then all 26 million Malaysians would today still be Hindus, like they were more than 600 years ago. And since we would all be Hindus there would be no problems and therefore no need for Hindraf. And as there would be no Hindraf then Barisan Nasional would not have done so badly in the 8 March 2008 general election.

It is clear that the Sedition Act can solve all our problems. The Sedition Act, properly and seriously implemented, would result in the entire world sharing just one religion. There would not be so many religions, which, today, are the source of most of the world’s problems.

Malaysians must be able to look at the Sedition Act in this light. Against the backdrop of the Sedition Act being able to prevent the growth of new religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam -- which would result in world peace -- then the Sedition Act is good. But because the Rulers since 3,500 years ago failed to ensure that no one escapes the Sedition Act, today, we have so many religions that have divided the world and which have created a lot of conflicts that have resulted in so many deaths.

And remember, the Sedition Act is used to punish those who tell the truth, not those who lie. If they lie then there are so many other laws we can use against them.

music + lyrics

2008-05-04T14:20:00.002+01:00

No. this is not going to be a post about the romantic comedy starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. Though I'm sure that was a decent movie. Actually this is about something amazing that happened last night.

One of God's gifts to mankind is music. It has the power to bring happiness to an environment, and it can coax people into looking deep inside themselves. It can bring a smile to the face of people passing by, and it can bring people from otherwise different cultures and races together.

I discovered all this and more volunteering at Drug ARM last night. EM, one of the volunteer girls brought a guitar (which she actually can't play) with her. RI, the social worker (and accomplished classical guitarist) on duty that night agreed to bring it along, if things were quiet on the Van. And as we drove to Northbridge, we sang and made music. Our moods lifted, which was really needed because some of us just had had a tough week, and some nights on the Van are draining - emotionally and physically.

Its funny. All we had was a cheap beginner's guitar with plastic strings, and a couple of voices. But people came to the Van last night, and though they came in with their troubles, their tough experiences, their problems, and their pain. though we came in personally burdened (we're human after all)... somehow music lifted the mood. there were broad smiles on normally frowning faces. Gruff voices sang classic songs loud and clear in that concrete amphitheater. "Wonderwall" was performed twice by a street choir - the only song everyone knew the words to.

For a moment I forgot my tiredness. For a moment I forgot all the things that often intrude unpleasantly on your consciousness - the urgent assignment not completed, the early morning and full day ahead, the responsibility of ministry. well "forgot" is probably the wrong word to use. Music isn't all about escapism. But it can help us to rediscover our heart.

i know music touched people last night. and i was so glad to be a part of it. Some people later that night told me that being part of a disparate group of people singing "wonderwall" to someone on the other end of a phone call made their night. but they made mine =)

On that vaguely hippie-ish note, I'll leave it here for now. Got to finish that assignment after all

And now my lifesong sings - Casting Crowns

2008-04-23T16:11:00.004+01:00

Sometimes you just get so caught up in your own work that you forget who you are. You find yourself acting out parts in a play, where you don't know the lines and you trip over the words. You find yourself being someone you're not, because you feel you have to.

And at some point, the gap between the masquerade and you becomes harder to distinguish.

And you lose sight of who's truly important in the big scheme of things.

But at the very end... I hold on to this:

I once was lost, but now I’m found
I once was lost, but now I’m found
So far away, but I’m home now
I once was lost, but now I’m found
And now my lifesong sings

I once was blind, but now I see
I once was blind, but now I see
I don’t know how, but when He touched me
I once was blind, but now I see

And now my lifesong sings...

I once was dead, but now I live
I once was dead, but now I live
Now my life to You I give...

There's so many people I'm not. There's so many people I cant be ...

But there's only one person I am. And only one person I will be.

And there's one I live for. No matter what it costs

back to You

2008-04-17T12:39:00.003+01:00

i haven't blogged regularly because... well it's been a mad few weeks. Since the J-Life Camp (18-21 April), I've basically been running full throttle through assessments, vacation work applications, exams and various other responsibilities. But now just one Administrative Law assignment remains, before I can enjoy my one week "study" break... oh, and I have to prepare for an interview at Minter Ellison on Tuesday =)

One month on from camp, I'm still amazed by what God did there, and what He's continuing to do in the youth ministry (definite growth). But the thing is to not just look back, but to keep pressing on =) I cant wait to see what happens this year!

Personally, several things have happened at (and since) camp which have really impacted me...
I've started to realise that I'm not always being honest to God, myself, or to others. and maybe i try too hard to impress. Sometimes, I put the "cell leader" hat on when I'm chatting to ppl, and then I stop being me in exchange for someone who I think i should be. So who am I? It's a very fluid concept according to Gen, but i realise I have to stop doing and just be... which is slightly scary. Basically, to be able to love, you have to be able to be vulnerable. And it starts, as always with being honest to God...

you know me inside and out... how I was sculpted from nothing into something (Psalm 139:15)
so that's one thing that i've been grappling with lately. the other thing is more practical. I spent the week after camp frantically writing up covering letters and a resume for vacation work applications at law firms... eventually I managed to apply for 8 of the larger firms (finishing the last application 15 mins before the closing date). Its surreal to be selling yourself =P. But thankfully (and I sincerely thank God - my resume's a tad empty), several firms have offered me interviews. The first one is with Minter Ellison on Tuesday, which will give me an idea of what to expect in forthcoming interviews. Prayers appreciated. Practicing law is something I really want to do, so this is a step towards that.

song currently in my head: Indescribable by Chris Tomlin
we're doing it at the J-Life led service this Sunday =)

On things back home

2008-03-11T11:14:00.003Z

Those of us who keep track of things back home in Malaysia may have realised that there was an election over the weekend. The results thus far have been astounding. The Opposition took 5 states (out of 13), and the National Front's (Barisan Nasional) share of seats in Parliament was reduced from 91% to 63%. Crucially, they can not pass constitutional amendments without a 2/3 majority in Parliament.

There is a stack of opinions and comments going around re the Malaysian election, so I wont repeat most of them. You guys can look it up yourselves =) A good starting point is malaysiakini.com. For the government's point of view, take a look at thestar.com.my.

However, I do have some points to make:

Firstly, congrats to the Opposition for their success. However, they now have a much greater responsibility. It's always a lot more difficult to criticise other's actions than to do the right thing yourself. For the country's long-term future, let's hope they do a good job running those 5 states, and as a strong Opposition. Why? If they mess things up, the next election will not be pretty for them as Barisan will basically be able to say: "you guys had a go, and cocked it up". And they would be absolutely correct. There will be a huge loss of credibility for the Opposition (not that Barisan has much to speak of anyways). However, Barisan would likely win strongly again, and that will be that for Malaysian democracy.
If the Opposition do a good job, then we'll see, for the first time a viable Opposition, which can only be good for the country. Absolute power corrupts, and a strong Opposition (preferably denying Barisan the 2/3 majority needed for constitutional amendments) is a great check and balance.
I suspect that the election result was due to popular discontent expressed in a nationwide vote against Barisan, as opposed to a vote affirming the Opposition. Their laundry isn't that clean either, and they have a lot of hard work ahead of them. There are parallels that could be drawn with the recent Australian election. I read it as a vote against the Liberals (who were getting rather stale), rather than a vote for the Labor party, given that the latter had its own history of economic mismanagement and corruption.
Another point... i suspect the dominant political party in a neighbour down south should have reason to get nervous. So far in Malaysia (based on my observations), we've seen a coalition which has had uninterrupted power for 40 years given a good slap on the face by the electorate, for a myriad of reasons. If it can happen up north, it can happen down south too (albeit for different reasons). The point here is that political leaders really have to beware of being seen as complacent or arrogant. Eventually, the people will have their say... and it may not be pretty.

Personally, I'm not a fan of Barisan for obvious reasons - rampant corruption and cronyism, the NEP, and the fact that it is a coalition of race-based parties (when most countries have moved on to ideology-based parties, we're still looking at colour). Nevertheless, it has done a decent job in bringing the country to where it is today (whether by luck or merit). The country had a 50% poverty rate at Independence. Like it or not, they did make a difference, and I'd still prefer them running the country, as opposed to an opposition coalition comprising of an Islamist party advocating a Malaysian theocracy (PAS), a predominantly Chinese party (DAP), and a Justice Party led by a man who has his own skeletons in the closet (PKR).

Just one last thought - wouldn't it be great if we didn't base political parties on race? Why should we assume that people of the same race have the same ideologies/interests? Why should we assume that a Malay man can never empathise with a Chinese/Indian man or v.v.? I stopped looking at people on the basis of race a long time ago once i realised that people rise and fall on their own merits, not on the basis of their skin colour.

In a sense, categorising people's political preferences on the basis of race dehumanises them. It pigeonholes them into a box - eg Chinese people will always vote for whoever takes care of their beloved economy. It may be true for 99% of Chinese people (joke there), but it is not necessarily true for everyone with a 3-syllable name. Some of us have realised that there are things in life more important than Mammon - freedom (whether religious, political, economic), equality (in society) etc etc.

In conclusion, we can't really pigeonhole everyone on the basis of race - and that is why I believe race-based politics is an anachronism.

2008-03-07T15:04:00.002Z

Based on some conversations with some good friends, and some personal observations, I think it is arguable that society, at large, is confused about man. What does it mean to be a man today? What are his responsibilities? What is he supposed to aspire to?

I obviously don't intend to cover this whole subject in one blog post. But I aim to explore it in a long-term manner. Obviously at some point, something I say on these pages will raise someone's hackles. I'm cool with that as people can agree to disagree. Its why humans are special creations - we're all unique. To be honest, if you agree or disagree or couldn't care less, do say so. I really would appreciate your contributions to this discussion. I don't claim to be the authority on manhood. Rather, I'm going to explore the topic online (ie think out loud) and I'll try to look at it from different perspectives.

So where do I start?

"in the beginning"

The Bible's depiction of creation refers to God saying: "let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule [over the rest of creation]" (Genesis 1:26). There are no gender distinctions at this point, and so you could clearly argue that there is a mandate on humankind (whether male or female) to rule.

The first mention of gender comes the very next verse:
"So God created human beings in His own image,
in the image of God He created them;
male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27)

Something interesting here: via repetition, God emphasises the fact that we are created in His image - and men and women are a reflection of different aspects of His image.

What does "image" mean? Character. Thus, the way men are, and the way women are, reflect different aspects of the way God's character is. So far so good? Excellent - I'll end off for now...

week 1

2008-03-05T14:14:00.003Z

This might be the slackest timetable i've had for a while (well since Honours last year). As my tutorials are fortnightly, I only have to attend uni 2 days a week every other fortnight - on Mondays and Thursdays. Good or bad? Well to be honest I'm not sure. On one hand, I save heaps of time in terms of getting to uni (public transport takes me nearly an hour). On the other hand, it does mean I have less time to catch up with the people that matter (well those that reside near UWA anyways). Which is difficult, because after all people do matter.

On another note, I've realised that this year, I really need to start hitting the career trail, which begins on Monday with me attending a careers fair at the Convention Centre. I have no idea what the dress code is, so i might just go smart casual and have a bob each way, so to speak. I tend to have recurring nightmares of being the person who is either too casually or too formally dressed. But i need to start thinking about the career side of things. After all, my time at UWA approaches an end.

Finally, something my pastor said at a sermon many weeks ago still resounds in my head. Basically, in layman's terms, he said that God will make you into the person (give you the attributes/gifts) which will allow you to achieve His purpose for your life. For some reason, I'd got it into my head that my personality, with its general introversion, occasional moments of aggression (exhibited on sporting fields) and a tendency to be intense (well because I am intense) would prevent me from doing certain things in life (eg be an good youth leader/preacher/lawyer). Untrue. God will change you - if you let Him. God will mould you - if you let Him. My prayer is that I let God shape me in His image, the one I was created to be in. I just have to make sure I don't use my perceptions of who I am personality-wise as an excuse to limit what He can do.

Uni awaits

2008-03-02T12:08:00.002Z

The semester starts tomorrow for real... on a public holiday. Well actually I'm looking forward to it a little. It means I'm getting along with my life - summer holidays sometimes feel like a long delay for me - not that i don't enjoy holidays, it's just that after a while you want to do something.

A little recap of what happened to me over summer (obviously because I'm narcissistic and it all has to be about me - well not really - it is my blog after all)

Was the best man for Dave's wedding - went home to KL - caught up with relatives
Sundays were, strangely enough the days on which i woke up the earliest (there's an ugly sentence for you) - worship team duties =).
Played a decent amount of tennis with Jon Q - actually I've really been enjoying the games - probably because we're pretty even so far - he's the more consistent player, I'm the sneakier one so the games often get quite interesting.
Didn't find a job - but I'm tutoring Micro 101 this semester, so it isn't that much of an issue
Volunteered a few times with Drug ARM's Street Van - now that is a challenge - talking to people you have never met from a world far apart from yours - having said that, I enjoy it immensely.
Music + Lyrics - played a lot of guitar this summer - also had to scramble to write up a camp song, which was finally finalised yesterday with A Tan. I recall someone actually hitting her head on the floor saying "thank God" after finishing writing the song =). will play it for the Camp Comm tomorrow night - hope my voice holds up.
Went to the Young Adults camp yesterday for a day - actually I had a ball - it was pretty good to catch up with the YAs - they're not that old =P
more obliquely - I got challenged to grow over the summer. Got forced to grow up pretty quickly. But ultimately, I got God's love and that's what matters at the very end.

the infrequent daily update

2008-02-10T14:01:00.000Z

Had a couple of friends over for dinner tonight. Mother outdid herself in the kitchen (thanks). We ran the whole gamut from fried chicken, to char siew, to ginger-stewed duck. Amazing. Oh and the company was great as well. Thoroughly enjoyed, and embarrassed myself. I shall never again utter the words "girls wont play soccer" ever again. Having said that, one of the girls from my high school was a state soccer player, and my skills (or the lack of) are limited in any case. Just another incident of foot-in-mouth disease.

I also spent most of the day cleaning, and watching the cricket alternatively. I suspect inviting friends for dinner may be a ploy by my mother to coerce us into cleaning the house (joke). Oh, and church this morning was interesting. Out of necessity, I had to learn to operate the mixer (albeit at a very basic level). At one point, I was so frustrated with myself I was about to emulate the Monkey Scene in Zoolander ("where are the files???")... ahh well, worked it out at the end.

inconclusive post eh?

Happy New Year

2008-02-08T01:21:00.000Z

First and foremost, Happy Chinese New Year to everyone who reads this blog =)

Being in Perth, CNY is celebrated with a little less joie de vivre than back home, but I did manage to get into some food action over the weekend, with a reunion dinner at my uncle's place. What did I do on the day itself? Sat an exam...

For those of you not in the know, I've been sitting a summer unit for the last 5 weeks, and now only a 7-page research assignment stands in the way of my summer holidays. Having said that, it is worth 50% and thus probably needs some effort.

On another note, on my last trip to KL, I told some of you guys that Perth is bone-dry during the summer, and it never rains. How wrong I was. It absolutely poured yesterday and the day before as well... In fact, it was almost Malaysian standard (couldn't see beyond 10m when i was driving yesterday noon). This prompted several realisations:

Perth drivers (particularly the elderly) are particularly dangerous... I was doing 70km/h towards the library, when an old lady pulled out 20m in front of me. I obviously had no chance of stopping, and thus had to swerve ever so wildly to the next lane... the sad thing is i actually had my lights on, and yet she pulled out ever so slowly. I felt so sorry for her i didn't even use my horn.
Australia may be a 1st world country, but its public drainage isn't exactly the best. Apparently there were floods in Sydney after just one day of rain...
I need to get a move on. This isn't strictly related to the rain, but I was lying in my bed last night, and I realized that i really need to just take opportunities in my life. The notion actually kept me awake for a while. I've probably been a bit too apathetic this summer.

so that's it for me, for now...
have a good one everyone.

ps: the exam went ok.

Too many rights make a wrong - Janet Albrechtsen, January 16, 2008 (The Australian)

2008-01-15T14:07:00.000Z

CANADA: It was one of those rare, particularly sunny days in Vancouver in September when, addressing an audience at the University of British Columbia, I suggested that multiculturalism and its partner in crime, moral relativism, were leading to the demise of Western values.

"But you must understand," implored a well-intentioned woman in the audience, "multiculturalism is Canada's gift to the world."

If Australia is set to follow Canada, then thanks, but no thanks. Call me ungrateful, but we should have returned the gift to Canada long ago. I say that as someone who has long adored Canada. Its politics may be as dripping wet as Vancouver, but the people are warm and funny, and there is something sweet about the US's insecure, slightly wimpy northern neighbour. Yet there comes a point when weakness morphs into a reckless death wish.

That point is about now. I'm back in Canada and the distinct chill is not just in the air. Last Friday, conservative commentator Ezra Levant was hauled before Alberta's Human Rights and Citizenship Commission for publishing the infamous Danish Mohammed cartoons two years ago in the Western Standard.

Syed Soharwardy, the head of Canada's Islamic Supreme Council, complained that Levant had incited hate against Muslims.

Levant's opening statement was a tour de force as far as punchy defences of free speech go. Apparently viewed almost 200,000 times, it is one of the most-watched clips on YouTube in recent times. It's also on his website, www.ezralevant.com, where he describes the chilling process: "No six-foot brownshirt, no police cell at midnight. Just Shirlene McGovern, an amiable enough bureaucrat, casually asking me about my political thoughts on behalf of the Government of Alberta. And she'll write up a report about it, and recommend that the Government do this or that to me. Just going through checklists, you see ... a limp clerk who was just punching the clock. She had done it dozens of times before and will do it dozens of times again. In a way, that's more terrifying."

It was, said Levant, the epitome of Hannah Arendt's warning against "the banality of evil".

Refreshingly, Alan Borovoy, general counsel to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the chap who helped found these commissions in the 1960s and '70s, was equally appalled. Writing in the Calgary Herald, he said "during the years when my colleagues and I were labouring to create such commissions, we never imagined that they might ultimately be used against freedom of speech". Pointing to the empire-building frolic of the commissions, Borovoy advised that the legislation needed to be changed to make it clear that these commissions had no business investigating and making edicts about thought crimes.

Borovoy's warning about the alarming expansion of the jurisdiction of these rights bodies adds another and very timely warning for Australians about the implications of human rights law. Expressed in impossibly platitudinous and therefore vague language, these so-called human rights bodies effectively decide how far their reach extends.

Canada shows where we will end up in due time: with a system of governance where large swaths of social policy have been delegated by parliament to the unelected grey bureaucrats, who get to implement "progressive" policies that could never get through a body of elected politicians.

As the jurisdiction of these commissions expands into areas never originally intended, fundamental freedoms contract. When state bodies start enforcing the religious prohibitions of Muslims, which forbid the depiction of the prophet Mohammed, it destroys a few fundamental Western values, namely the separation of mosque and state and, more critically, the freedom of speech.

This is not simply a defence of Levant because he is a conservative columnist. Far from it. If a bleeding heart on the Left was dragged before a human rights commission for thinking and saying unpalatable things, even stupid things, the defence would remain the same. Defending the right to say the right things is easy. Defending the right to say the wrong things, even offensive things, is what counts if we are serious about free speech.

That's why, some years ago, I wrote in defence of my colleague Phillip Adams when he was accused of racial vilification by an American who was offended by Adams's assertion that the US was one of the most violent nations on earth and was largely to blame for the events of September 11. The comments were daft but Adams has a right to be wrong and so it was important to stand up for his right to say it.

Allowing a state body to investigate it as a speech crime sends a chill down the spine of Western progress. As Levant argued, "Freedom of expression is only meaningful when it trumps other values, such as political sensibilities, or religious dogma, or personal sensitivities. Indeed, Western civilisation's progress in all realms, ranging from science to art, to religion, to feminism, to civil rights for racial minorities and gays, has come about from the free expression of ideas that necessarily offended some earlier order." In short, self-criticism is at the core of the West's progress. The battle of ideas may be no place for the faint-hearted, but it produces exceptional results by thrusting forward the better ideas.

In the Canadian multicultural zeitgeist, where bland political correctness is preferred, those on the Right tend to get hit more often by ludicrous complaints to human rights commissions. A bunch of law students marched off to a Canadian human rights commission complaining about Maclean's for running an excerpt from Mark Steyn's book America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It.

Steyn, like Levant, can defend himself. As Steyn wrote on his blog: "I don't want to get off the hook. I want to take the hook and stick it up the collective butt of these thought police." But what about the little guys put through the human rights commission wringer? Failing to complain about the quotidian incidences of oppression by human rights bodies only encourages the egregious examples to occur.

Take the case of the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Tribunal drafting an inane apology last November to be run by the Mission Beach Advertiser for publishing an admittedly unpleasantly anti-gay letter that offended the catch-all Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Intersex Anti-Violence Committee.

Or when the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal upheld a complaint against The Australian's opinion page editor, Tom Switzer, for saying perfectly accurately, if somewhat colourfully, in 1998 that the Palestinians were "vicious thugs" who were derailing the peace process.

So, we need to watch Canada. As it goes, so will we. And even if you can stomach the idea of handing over power over social policy to unelected bureaucrats and self-opinionated lawyers, you might like to hang on to free speech. Oh Canada, where are you taking us?

Not batting an eyelid after a snick - Andrew Trouson (January 14, 2008, The Australian)

2008-01-15T14:01:00.000Z

THE biggest problem in international cricket isn't Australian supremacy, out-of-control sledging, racist niggling or even the inability of Australian cricket captains to shave.

The single biggest problem in international cricket is the pernicious practice of using independent umpires. It must be stamped out.

As anyone will tell you who has played the game with any passion, batsmen don't walk and fielders appeal for everything.

The reason for this isn't that our society has been corrupted by Big Brother or that the old values of duty and self-sacrifice that got us into so many lovely wars have been replaced by navel-gazing blogging. It is because umpires, all umpires, are crap.

How can anyone really hear a faint edge? How can anyone really understand the LBW law, which of course is less a law and more a matter of opinion. Whenever something remotely doubtful happens on the cricket field, there is an even chance the umpire will get it wrong. If you have been batting and swung fruitlessly at a ball going down the leg side only for the entire slips cordon to go into apoplexy and the umpire to give you out caught behind, you know that the next time you really do nick that leg side temptress, you sure as hell aren't going to walk. And if, fingers crossed, the hapless umpire believes your nonchalant posturing and gives you not out, it isn't some terrible contravention of the spirit of the game, it is just payback. Think of it as restoring the cosmic balance.

The problem with professional independent umpires is that they raise unfair expectations. When they get decisions wrong there is uproar and it is seen as a conspiracy, racism or bad sportsmanship from the players.

For a game in which a large number of wrong decisions are inevitable, this is a fraught recipe. The answer is obvious. It is there for all to see every Saturday afternoon in grade cricket at the local park. Let players from the batting side be the umpires.

Beyond the sheer relish of seeing Andrew Symonds no-ball an irate Harbhajan Singh, this idea has more merit than you might think. It would ensure that batsmen really do get the benefit of the doubt. And it would clear up all the uncertainty over questionable incidents, putting the onus on the fielding team to get a batsman out in the clearest possible manner.

In lower grade cricket it works perfectly. The one rule for umpires in such park cricket is that you don't give LBWs unless the guy has been rapped on the pads three times in an over. Think of it as three strikes and you're out. Everyone know this. It doesn't stop the bowlers appealing, even though they know you aren't going to give your mate out. But they will keep plugging away, knowing that if your mate doesn't start hitting the ball soon you will eventually crack under the weight of evidence.

I had a player in my team once who didn't quite understand the subtlety of this. He had a somewhat odd technique that gave him the ability to miss almost every ball, with the inevitable consequence that he would more often than not be the only LBW on the score sheet. Incensed by the injustice, one day in the dressing room he distributed printed explanations of the LBW law, suggesting that none of us understood it. Of course we didn't understand it, we didn't need to. For us it was just a percentage game.

And herein lies the beauty of using biased umpires as the solution to cricket's latest crisis: the bias can only go so far.

A year or so ago I was playing in a friendly between two publishing companies. I was just getting my eye in batting when I chased an absurdly wide ball down the leg side and got a faint but discernible nick, which the keeper duly snapped up. "Howzat!" went the cry.

Appalled at getting out in such a ridiculous manner, I stood my ground, shaking my head in disbelief, for all the world suggesting that the fielding team were nasty con artists out to get me. I was shocked when my teammate officiating at the other end inquired of me whether I had hit the ball. It was one thing to posture and act like I'd missed it, but it was another thing entirely to lie out loud. So for the first and only time in my life, I walked.

"Good on you, mate," said the keeper as I trudged off. "It's a friendly after all." He was right. And he also knew that if it had been a competitive game, I'd have been entirely within my rights to stand my ground, just as he'd have been entitled to call my mother all sorts of things for the rest of the day.

A personal note:
I was personally quite incensed by how the 2nd test match turned out. It was a brilliant game marred by horrific umpiring and sportsmanship. Nevertheless, it is, after all just a game. No need to burn effigies over it.

2007 review

2008-01-06T13:14:00.000Z

Seems it might be a good idea to just review and reflect on the year gone by. Here's a lighter take on 2007 - a year of heart (break/burn/ache...)

1. Physical injuries
Amazingly for a guy baptised with the "spirit of klutz" by Andy back in '06 (after spraining an ankle playing guitar at a youth service, and nearly decapitating him whilst ice skating), yours truly ran through the year miraculously avoiding any serious injuries - aside from several small knocks here and there, and many cramps sustained playing football. I even managed (for a glorious 2 weeks =P) to be rated the #1 most athletic person in my Facebook network... Having said that, I did manage to get a serious case of conjunctivitis at a rather inconvenient time (right before a catering engagement).
update: I sprained my ankle warming up to play squash with my brother last week...

2. Food-related injuries

I'm guessing that for persons of Malaysian descent, these kinds of injuries merit a category of their own. Highlights include managing to avoid most of dad's cooking (by keeping on the right side of mum) and managing to get gastro in... of all places... Singapore. However, as the pictures above show, that didn't stop my family and I from indulging almost excessively on our recent trip back (that's a scoop of durian ice-cream on the top of that ice kacang btw). The food was great. I mean, I thought I didn't miss it that much, but when I took that first bite... there may be a few things wrong with Malaysia, but the food nearly makes up for it =P. I haven't seen my dad grin that broadly over food since he won the church golf tournament.

3. Most interesting thing i learnt this year:
Crossfire Catering forced me to revisit some long-held notions of mine. Firstly, I have to admit that it is sometimes more fun to cook than to eat. This may be heresy to some but the challenge of raising some funds for camp was actually one of the best experiences of my life so far. It all started with an innocent suggestion from my mum and aunt that I could perhaps raise funds by cooking. One short discussion with Michie, and Crossfire Catering was born.

So with help from my Yr 12 French teacher (for giving me a French cookbook as a prize back in high school), Michelle and I managed to come out with a menu, with her handling presentation (guys are generally hopeless at this) and desserts (her profiteroles are excellent), and I handling the mains and sauces. We learnt how to cook salmon, fry steaks (cheers to Marky the chef for some handy tips), and make sauces. I also doubled up as the driver, which sounds easy, but try taking corners in a hurry with full pans on people's laps etc etc... it was the J-life version of Initial D, except I had to worry about an empty tank, traffic, being late, and speed cameras. Michelle had to worry about not getting killed =P

Actually, we were pretty good at the whole cooking thing at the end of the 7 dinners (altogether i think we may have catered for about 60-70 people)... aside from some small incidents. Also, we had lots of help from other J-lifers in the cooking, and waitering etc. Atm, I'm planning next year's menu =P. Overall, learning to cook (a little) has helped me to appreciate my food more, though I still avoid dad's cooking.

note: there were no incidents of food poisoning throughout our catering (as far as i know off). I'd also like to thank Michie S, Amanda T, Michelle T, Yvonne T, Yong W, Gloria O, Kenneth T, Bryan S, and Adrian S for helping out (i really appreciate you guys!). Thanks also to everyone who actually paid to eat something I cooked =P.

4. Proudest sporting achievement this year:
I love sport. It's one of the things I do where I can shut everything out, and just focus on having fun, and seeking excellence (ok excellence is code for winning). Being able to laugh at yourself also helps. After missing a stack of chances at one weekly social game with the engineers (most of which graduated this year), yours truly came good in the last 20 mins, nabbing a hat-trick (including one low right-footed drive between the defender's legs into the far corner - now that was sweet). Having said that, that day I missed chances my grandmother could have put in blind-folded. Can't shoot for nuts.

5. Embarrassing sporting moment(s) of the year:
Also many to add to this list. Getting thrashed 6-0 by Annabel on a tennis court was humbling (All guys need one of those sooner or later - preferably later). So was getting smashed around a table tennis table by Amanda one day. Oh, and badminton players will of course have occasionally executed the Air-Smash, where two distinct sounds are heard: the whish of the racket swinging furiously and wildly, and the tok! of the shuttle landing neatly in the center of our forehead... the key is to be able to laugh at yourself

6. Music of the Year
I managed to add a fair few CDs to my collection this year. Highlights include a Goo Goo Dolls Greatest Hits album, with all their singles. 'Slide', and 'Here is gone' remain my favourite songs from them. Rush of Fools impressed me as well with their debut album featuring the addictive 'Undo'. And oh yeah, while the song actually came out in 2006, 'Oh Gravity!' by Switchfoot has the best intro of any song I've heard this year (well for my tastes anyways). And finally, I managed to get cheaply Santana's Supernatural and Shaman albums - great riffs. Did I tell you my brother and I will be at his concert next month? (thanks mum and dad =D)

7. Prank of the Year
April Fools this year was one where I polished my acting skills. I'll leave it at that.

8. The "Oh you evil B(*&ard" moment of the Year
The kind man who left a parking ticket on my car (2 minutes after I had left it for a quick haircut). Well actually I deserved it, but for sheer comedic timing (I eventually managed to find it funny), he deserves a mention =P.

Actually, I'm finding it hard to dredge up memories of people who have unmade my day - after all, most things can't be as bad as being nailed on a tree, can it? And if He can forgive, I can.

9. Highlights
One highlight (pun intended) was getting my hair dyed an awesome shade on a dare, and seriously surprising the dare(er?) when I rocked up at a youth service with the hair-change. Apparently I was "damn BENG lah!" (according to many cell members, and O-Chin)

Crossfire - J-life's annual camp, which I had the chance to help out at. It was an amazing time of God just touching lives, and bringing breakthroughs. Probably the best camp comm I've worked with. Thanks God =)

Another highlight: Dave's wedding - you had very nice hair colour Dave =P, and thanks for having me as your best man. It's been an absolute privilege. Actually it was quite amazing being there. The boy whom I used to play Sonic and spar at Mortal Kombat with, who taught me how to fix up a PC, and in general one of the coolest guys I know is now all grown up and happily married to a very sweet lady. I wish you both all the best in the many years coming ahead, Dave and Nechelle (and "work hard").

The final highlight - catching up with old friends from Canaan (Joshua, Prakash, Joyce, Jeremy, Ian... the list goes on - it was so great to be able to meet up again), my family, and especially my grandmother during my last trip back home. Means more than words can describe.

10. Goals for 2008

To be a better son/brother/cousin/friend
To be a better cell leader. To serve my ministry better.
To play the guitar more (and write better songs)
To live right. To not compromise on my beliefs even under pressure.
To trust God more, even when the chips are down.
To study hard and well (usual Asian answer: to make my parents proud lah)...

Actually, it can all be wrapped up into one thing. I want to get closer to God. To be a man after God's heart. And I trust Him knowing that He'll make my paths straight.

Nothing new in New Year

2008-01-01T04:17:00.000Z

BRAVE NEW WORLD
By AZMI SHAROM

It should suggest progress but over time, the magic of the new year has waned

FOR a long time now I have disliked the New Year. I enjoy New Year's Day. After all, it’s a public holiday and public holidays are wonderful things.

It’s New Year's Eve that I don’t like. The jollity and counting down the seconds all feel a bit false. “C’mon have a good time, it’s New Year's Eve!” It may be New Year's Eve to you mate, but to me it’s Monday night.

I didn’t always feel this way. Many, many years ago when I was a small boy, New Year Eve was a big deal.

It was the night before a new year. Imagine that, a brand spanking New Year, shiny and fresh, pregnant with promise.

I would stay up till midnight eager to watch the birth of nineteen whatever it was. I don’t know what I was hoping for – something magical, I guess. It was as though the New Year brought us closer to a brighter future, one with flying cars.

But over time, every New Year started to feel just like the old one. The same old problems, and not a personal jet pack to be found. 2008 appears to be no different. Sometimes I think we are stuck in time.

New years suggest progress, but there is scant evidence of this around, at least politically. When the Prime Minister came into power, he promised more openness in government. And this supposed openness has been touted by his people as a sign of a maturing democracy. Indeed there was a brief period when things were looking rather hopeful on that front.

However, his government needs to work harder on this.

You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Greater openness will mean dissent, will mean conflict, and will mean the outpouring of anger. You just have to deal with it. And dealing with it does not mean the use of the ISA.

Neither does there appear to be any intellectual progress. The recent fiasco regarding the use of the word Allah by a Catholic newsletter, culminating in the effective ban on the publication, reflects a thinking that is mind numbingly infantile.

There is the false declaration that Allah is a Muslim word to be used only by Muslims. There was no attempt by the powers that be to answer publicly to the fact that the word is Arabic and means literally The God. “Al” means “the” and “Lah” means “God”.

Furthermore, the Abrahamic religions all have the same root language. This being the case, it is not correct to say that Allah as a word is exclusive to Muslims.

Linguistic quibbles aside, what gets to me is the presumption that Malaysian Muslims will get confused if they were to ever get a hold of this Catholic newsletter and see the word Allah in it.

For one thing, it is not as if this newsletter is on sale openly. It can’t be anyway because there are laws preventing the producers from doing so.

For another thing, I think that a Muslim who may chance upon a copy would probably be able to tell that this is a Christian publication. The references to Jesus being the son of God and that sort of thing would probably give it away.

It’s a new year, but we are still plodding along in the same old way. Living in a stunted democracy where to expect intelligent discourse from those who wield the reins of power seems too much to hope for. Rather like waiting for flying cars and personal jet packs.

routine

2007-12-28T04:15:00.000Z

Christmas in Perth has been relatively quiet. After the rush of family dinners, and church service, I've kind of settled into a rhythm in the summer heat. Basically, I wake up, watch the Test match (cricket), read a little, and listen to some music. Sometimes i play the guitar. It's just too warm to go out (was 44 degrees on Christmas day)...

While the impression I've given is that Christmas was very routine, I was quite surprised when my parents got my brother and I tickets to the Santana concert in February - very nice =)

My volunteer work this weekend was cancelled due to the supervisor pulling out, so a lazy Saturday night is on the cards - probably a good thing as I'm on for worship this Sunday.

routines...

home

2007-12-18T15:03:00.000Z

I feel torn between where I am, and where I'm from. Life is bringing me away from my roots, and yet every time I return home, every time I think about the friends/family that I rarely meet up with nowadays, it feels different. I realised on my recent trip back to KL that Perth is where I'm at, and where I'm meant to be for now, and yet I miss home.

I guess it's all a part of getting older - accepting that as you move towards where you're meant to be, some people from the past will play a lesser role in your life. It involves appreciating their sacrifices, and it also means that when we do catch up, we make the best of our time together. In a sense, the price of growing up is that you move away (whether voluntarily or involuntarily) from the familiar to the new. A challenge, and a blessing.

Ma Ma

2007-12-11T16:27:00.000Z

i've been on holiday in Malaysia for the last 2 weeks, attending 3 wedding dinners/lunches and one wedding ceremony. more on that in future posts...

today, i'd like to share one of the true highlights of my trip thus far (LONG, UNEDITED POST AHEAD) - catching up with my grandmother (Mrs Lam Ah Hong/ Ah Hong / Ma Ma). A bit of background. When I was young (in the last few years of my primary school), my family lived in an apartment in Section 17, while my grandma lived in the "family house" in SS2 with some uncles and aunts. As both my parents worked full time, my grandmother was the one who would look after me during the day. At nights, my parents would have dinner in SS2, and we'd return to the apartment, where i'd do my homework, play abit and then sleep. In effect, my grandma's place was where I lived.

In writing this post, I'd first like to say that this is not in any way meant to be a criticism of my parents who have unfailingly supported me all these years. However, this is why i'm especially close to my grandma. She would pick me from school in a Kancil (she'd "gotten" a driving licence in her 60s for that purpose), cook me lunch (and she's an awesome cook - used to do wedding dinners), talk with me, and we'd hang out during the day (I also used to play football daily with some neighbourhood friends). I know it may sound completely uncool to some people (hanging out with your grandma), but now as a 20 year uni student living in Perth, I miss her.

I used to teach her English (and in the process learn cantonese), and we'd talk about how she should give up smoking (she did), her childhood, my day at school, and other things. We'd even garden together. I remember growing long beans, bean sprouts, and on one occasion corn (which didn't work out too well) with her in the garden at the SS2 terrace house. And of course there were the many occasions when I had to help her thread a needle into the sewing machine she kept (younger eyes are sharper). There was even a day when my regular football friends couldnt play and thus she kicked a ball around with me, well until she fell on her back. She still remembers that to this day.

I remember a day at school (when I was in Standard 5) and I had been picked on by my friends all day... to the point where I was about to burst into tears. And I did as I walked out of school towards her. And I will never forget the hug she gave me.

There was also the day when I decided (with one of my "bright ideas") to walk home from school, and I gave her a fright. After searching the school, she eventually drove back and picked me up on the route back. She told me of how scared she was for me. The funny thing is that I can never remember her scolding me to the point where I was afraid, and yet, the lesson would be learnt. She had that knack of making every grandchild feel like the favourite one.

Ma Ma is very dear to me. She has spent all her life serving her family, and I have really been blessed in having her look after me. Today, we went for a walk around the field next door to the SS2 house (my football field many years ago). The years have gone by, and yet SS2 remains almost the same. And later we sat at the swing in the garden, and talked. She misses the days before my family left to Perth, when we all used to hang out together. In a sense the house became quiet after we left, and she felt that keenly (given her family was her life). In her words "ngor um guan jor la. mou lei dei seng yat hai li dou" (I'm not used to it, not having you guys always around). We talked about the times we spent, of how i refused to sleep as a baby, and she would have to get me to sleep - "ngor fan giok chor, but gor lei ger ngan jung hoi tai" (i was asleep already, and yet your eyes were still wide open). We caught up, and she started telling me about her childhood. In a sense, we rolled the years back.

My grandma recently celebrated her 75th birthday (chinese years). And having grown up under her eye, I can see that she's aged visibly. She's not as quick as before in thought and action. She's now on medication for diabetes and high blood pressure. And yet beneath the weight of the years on her features, i can see the heart of a lady who loves her family very much -

an aged rose remains a rose
even after a life flowers
its shed petals grace those nearby
beauty remains in frailty

She's not a Nobel prize winner, or a barrister, or a doctor, or a successful business tycoon, but she's given me so much, and I love her a lot. I cherish everytime we meet, because everytime i say goodbye, i really don't know whether I'll see her again.

God bless you, Grandma

Updates

2007-11-25T13:33:00.000Z

In the last few weeks (since i've blogged), I've:

Received a rejection letter from Treasury (for vacation work) - looks like stacking shelves for me this summer.
Gone to Albany and back (cell retreat) - driving, crying inside every time we pumped petrol into the 4WD, more driving, some sights, some rain, some tennis, some sport... It was all good fun (except for the petrol pumping part).
Fallen sick - upon returning from Albany, what started off as a tightness in my throat went on to become a sore throat on Thursday, a fever that night, and a nice hacking cough on Friday... I probably deserved it though. The only green thing I ate while at Albany was possibly a Natural Confectionery Company Forest Fruits Jelly =P
Finally completed the student exchange application tonight - its due soon. I'm becoming less of a J - inspired by my Boss (though she does things late out of necessity =P.
Oh yeah, and more songwriting. Still not very good, but I hope I'm improving. I have to say I miss my electric (she's on a trip to the East for some warranty repairs - pickup problems). Never mind, the acoustic's still there to caress - i mean play - curse those Freudian slips.

I could sing of your love forever

2007-11-09T15:10:00.000Z

I was at PCLC last weekend, and they had a different take on the song "I could sing of your love forever". I'm sure everyone's heard it before, but the chorus chords are different, and it adds a bit of oomph. Here's to one of my favourite songs

G D B-Em
I could sing of your love forever
C D-Em
I could sing of your love forever
Bm G/B-C
I could sing of your love forever
D
I could sing of your love forever

The procrastination + tennis + pedals post

2007-11-07T13:56:00.000Z

I think this blog's getting neglected. I only post when i have time - the sign of an uncommitted relationship. Having said that, I probably wouldn't be completely responsible if I'd had blogged too often during my exams - there must be a middle ground somewhere.

Ok enough with that... on to more pressing matters. Somewhere along the course of this year, I've reached the end of my Commerce degree. After handing in my dissertation on the 15th of October, only two exams (on the 5th and 7th November) stood between me and world domination (well ok, a well-deserved summer holiday). With three weeks being the intervening period, I set about to my task with grim abandon... and the world would become my oyster.

Well no, in reality, i relaxed for the first week (lying to myself that I had to prepare for the aforementioned Treasury interview)... and then relaxed for half the following week (convincing myself that i was studying when all i was really doing was MSNing, Facebooking, Guitaring etc etc with lecture notes propped mockingly in front of me. Eventually, somehow I managed to get some study done, and i think both exams went decently (well actually Macroeconomics was a killer, but that's another story).

After the exams, I managed to catch up with Jia Wei, Chelsea and Selina for a good coffee... and caught up. All is well on their fronts =). Later, Richie turned out to be a rather formidable opponent on the tennis court. While it was a tad warm at 2pm today, that will not be an excuse for a rather inept show by yours truly. I got a good belting (6-2, 6-1)... managing to kill myself with unwelcome double faults and unexpected unforced errors. It was sad. All Richie had to do was put the ball in my end of the court (or let me serve), and wait for me to kill myself.

I think the heart-breaker for me was one game in the first set. After a drinks break, with the score poised at a tantalising 2-2, I completely lost my rhythm and lost the next two service games easily. Serving whilst trailing 4-2, i quickly went down 15-40, before managing to pull off one clutch shot after a long rally. More importantly, I had regained some measure of form, and was actually feeling confident of getting the ball in (I'm a confidence player - when i'm feeling hot, i hit well, but otherwise it all goes to pieces). What was one more break point to survive? Richie's return off my serve clipped the tape and dropped on my end. After that, it was all over...
But kudos to Richie - it was a good win, and he made infuriatingly few errors.

Asides from tennis, I've been shopping for guitar pedals lately. I've recently bought the Vox Bulldog Distortion pedal, which has a valve in-built (for non-guitarists, apparently valve amps impart better "sound" than modern solid-state amps). The in-built valve would not mean much to me, unless the sound was good, and thankfully it is (it also wins my younger brother's seal of approval). Across both channels, the distortion is amazing, and you can get a wide variety of sounds from it, from a low-gain distortion, to a more modern-sounding distortion. An excellent pedal with plenty of sweet spots. the only flaw I've identified is that the treble knob affects the unit's volume. Asides from that, its awesome.

At the moment, I'm looking at wah pedals. I'm tossing up between getting the Morley Tremonti Wah pedal, or saving up for the ultimate: the Fulltone Deluxe wah (nearly double the price). Having said that, based on what I've heard on youtube, the former looks like a pretty impressive wah for its price...

And now, back to songwriting (or possibly grabbing a quick bite).

2007-10-17T03:16:00.000+01:00

actually i had no idea how to title this post.
It's been a while since i last wrote... I've been rushed a tad off my feet haha so the blogging tends to suffer a little. Basically in the last month or so:

I finished the dissertation and handed it in - thank God its done. I never believed that it would take so long to format something, but yeah now i have my own book =P. Thanks to everyone who kept me going and smiling. Appreciate all the help and encouragement. Aside from one night where i ran through on 2 hours sleep, it was pretty good throughout the last week in terms of workload
Managed to do surprisingly well in 2 midsems i thought i cocked up... so yeah pleasantly surprised.
Got an interview for the Dept of Treasury's vacation work program - atm am scrambling to get 2 referees for tomorrow's interview. Wish me luck.
Been a little busy writing songs for next year's camp - its been a really enjoyable process actually... nothing quite like penning lyrics out on the go. the only problem is i tend to write in spurts, so it has made the rest of my life slightly disjointed
Cut the hair... lightheaded
Rugby World Cup - enough said

That's basically it - doesn't seem like that much does it?

Nic

volatility

2007-09-22T08:53:00.000+01:00

Time to study again...
I completed the Macroeconomics midsem yesterday - it started off well, with the first page stating that the best 8 of the 9 questions would be taken. Q1 went well, as did Q2. Q3 was left blank. So far so good. How hard could it be? Well, Q6, 7 and 9 weren't cakewalks... hopefully the results come out ok. I studied hard for it anyways (if that's any comfort).

On Tuesday, it's time for International Finance to take its bow. Camp is on the following weekend, with the THESIS due on the 15th of October, and another minor (1500 words is minor relative to a thesis) essay due on that week also.

It's starting... i probably wouldn't call it a roller coaster though. The grind sounds more apt for my situation right now.

Things to do:

Go to another Perth Glory game - went last Sunday, and it was awesome. Pics will be uploaded if i remember. I mean, we lost 2-1, but the atmosphere is great, as are the chants (most of them anyways). The next game is on the 1st Sunday of October i think. Interested, anyone? Tix are $10. best entertainment in town (at a per dollar rate, anyways).
Sleep
Study... hard
Play my guitar
Prepare for cell
Keep fit
Run over a clown

this post wasn't anything about volatility, but then again, maybe it is.

Bring the rain - Mercy Me

2007-09-04T15:01:00.000+01:00

Bring the rain

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that
I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings
You glory And I know there'll
be days When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to
praise You Jesus, bring the rain

I am yours regardless of the clouds that may
loom above because you are much greater than my pain
you who made a way for me suffering
your destiny so tell me whats a little rain

Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy
is the lord God almighty
is the lord God almighty
I'm forever singing

Everybody singing
Holy holy holy
you are holy
you are holy

Had a rough Monday - may have wrecked my plans for the summer. And I was bitter, I was disappointed, I was cut. For this was something i really wanted (for ages).
But at the end, as the song goes, "what's a little rain?" compared to what my Savior went through for me (Romans 8:18-39)? Dare I pray that God brings me rain, if that's what it takes to praise Him? Rain hurts... and yet I made the mistake of focusing on my failure, my situation. For a night I forgot that I am Yours regardless of what happens. I couldn't see beyond my disappointment. But nothing can separate me from You, except myself.

For I am certain that not death, or life, or angels, or rulers, or things present, or things to come, or powers, or things on high, or things under the earth, or anything which is made, will be able to come between us and the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 8:38-9 BBE

Lord, bring me anything that brings You glory, rain or shine. I pray that I'll be able to give you glory whatever comes.

Merdeka

2007-08-31T10:53:00.000+01:00

Happy 50th Birthday Malaysia -

It isn't perfect, far from it. But every country has its struggles and idiosyncrasies.
Over 50 years, it's definitely gone places. If you don't believe me, talk to anyone over 40. I'm proud of my country's achievements. Passport aside, I still consider myself proudly Malaysian - a mere document cannot change what's written inside of me - Merdeka remains a powerful word 50 years on. It's funny but though i obviously wasn't there then, it still resounds within - Freedom

As we look back at 50 years of independence, and as all isn't well back home; its tempting to focus on the negatives, and blame others - but this won't help. True, others may be to blame for the less-than-perfect situation back home, and some injustices may seem entrenched, but every human has a choice in how he/she responds to each and every situation that confronts him/her. I'm choosing to pray for my country, and to act, live and hope for the best.
Why? Because I love my homeland.

To the next 50 years.

Hang on to You - Delirious

2007-08-27T15:12:00.000+01:00

And I'll hang on to you
Cause you're stronger
And you keep me from falling
And you brighten the world
With your beauty
Keep me closer
I'm calling

Lookin' out like a little child
Holding tight when it all gets wild

And I'll hang on to you
Nothing in this world will see me through, only you
And I'll hang on to you
Everyday I live I give to you

And your love it is true
I feel stronger
And I'm happy to know you
Cause you shine like the sun
And you're brighter
Than the darkness
That's falling

Nothing in this world
Could ever take your place
Happiness is found
In your holy face
In your warm embrace

I'll take it as a compliment

2007-08-21T12:25:00.001+01:00

I had a rather frantic day today, with my regular 10-1 lecture, followed by a good lunch with DW, and then, having to rush via TransPerth to my orthodontist for an appointment at 2:45. Anyways, after the bus stalled along Canning Highway, I ended up being about 10 minutes late.

Reason for the appointment?
My retainer, having been left out in the open for a day had shrunk. I have no idea how or why. But yeah, I discovered this on Sunday night, after (foolishly) trying to put it on, despite its abjectly obvious minuteness (this will invite a cry of "big mouth!" from any smart alec reading this blog).

So anyway, I strolled into the office, to be greeted by the receptionist, and then Dr Gan's (a middle-aged, thin Asian lady with short hair and glasses) first words are:

"Wow I like your hair! Where do you get it cut? I want mine cut like that too!"
Dr Gan proceeds to complain to me about how her hair is too heavy at the front or something along those lines...
And then...

"Not bad. A soft perm and dye! Where did you get it done? I want my hair like that" (All this in a thick Singlish accent)

She then takes my impression (for my mouth). I doubt she listens, because she tried asking me a question when my mouth was in a mould. It was rather funny for all concerned - well except for me given it "mmmghhh" isn't likely to be a satisfactory representation of how I was feeling re my teeth.

So maybe i need another haircut. She didn't believe me when I said I had never got my hair permed (in dreams or reality). It's just the way it is. I'm trying to work out whether the whole sequence (having a middle-aged lady admire and want to get your haircut) was meant as a compliment or not.

Oh yeah, and I did get the new retainer.

2007-08-15T13:22:00.000+01:00

As i write this, my sister is singing "Accidentally in love" at the top of her voice, abetted by my father. Interestingly enough, he's not allowed to sing, and she's just scolded him for getting the order of the song wrong =P...

I'm also in the midst of sorting out data for the thesis... and the above is a slight distraction. But she'll only be 8 for so long. and one day, she'll probably not remember being so carefree or headstrong, and one day, she'll grow up and remembering this may embarrass her.

And now she's moved on to playing a recorder accompaniment to "Amazing Grace"... she's slightly off-tune... but getting there. Sometimes family's like that - off-beat, sentimental, warm, inadvertently hilarious, cringe-worthy also. And i wouldn't give it up for the world. Because when life brings me far away from home, then it's these moments that will remind me that life is a precious gift from God.

So cherish every moment. You can only live each day once, so live it well.