you.me.and a thousand different ways.

Thursday, June 29, 2006

this must have been the only vacation that i went for without even 20 pictures taken. less than 10 if you minus those taken by me while watching the sunrise on the plane while travelling there.

but thank God, it was a safe trip. He really looked out for us, providing journey mercy and good health (most of the time) for everyone of us. my father went wif a flu (but recovered there), May had a mild issue with too much food intake one night, and I had the on-off problem of not being able to digest the oily & salty food there.

we were in shanghai for a week, and it was one of those laze around vacations, where you're not a tourist visiting the nation for the first time (though it was my dad's first trip to the city), but really, you're just soaking in the sights (nice & ugly), and sounds (piercing & annoying) of a nation.

we ate, and slept, and walked, and shopped - in that order.

in singapore, i tried my absolute best to stay clear of japanese food, but in shanghai - i can't remember when's the last time i felt so glad to be going to sakae sushi.

foodcourt's considered a luxury in the country, whereas restaurants are dirt cheap.one fish, one chicken, one vegetable, one soup - less than RMB 100, about less than SGD 25? you won't even get this price at the hawker centres in singapore!

the good thing that i realised - is delivery. they deliver everything to you if you ask for it - from tailored clothes, to food. at a reasonably cheap price of *gasp* SGD1.20!

met up with my cousins nana & paul, saw my new niece joy's CT scan (the marvels of technology), and even spent half a day with wye yee shopping in the soon-to-be-defunct xiangyang market.

the weather's stuffy, very humid. don't believe what the weather forecasts always tells you abt the weather in china really. take what you know from the forecasts, and add them by 1 or 2 - that's THE actual temperature.

*hot hot hot*

but what was most important to me was the runaway i had from life here. to not be conformed by commitments, responsibilities, tasks for a week was pure bliss. i read my books, spent time with God, spent a lot more time sleeping, writing, and appreciated the simpler things in life that we sometimes neglect.

and that includes the seemingly structured lifestyle we have back here.

true, everything's organized a lil too neatly at times - but the stability we have here in the nation is not similar to what the mainland Chinese experience. we're spoiled and pampered by what we're provided right here, and it takes vacations like this, when we become one of them, soaked in their culture, to realise how fortunate we are.

to carry your backpack on your back and feel alright about it, to walk around with earphones and not worry abt crossing the roads in an unsafe manner and risk getting hurt (hmm... sometimes?).

there's always a strong gladness when i touch down in singapore after every vacation, because i miss the people here (though the whole family was away this time, but i still missed everyone else), but also, to return home to what we have.

(oh, i must emphasise this - to HEAR nice english and to watch the WORLD CUP in english is always a good thing. there was coverage in shanghai, but i couldn't understand a thing. yep, you can call me a potato.)

of course, i know that we'll all be busy and/or complaining once we're back, but at least, we've had a vacation to rejuvenate ourselves for what's ahead.

at least, til the end of the year.

02:15 | com[ments] |

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

woke up with a real terrible stomach. uh-oh.
ended up practically hugging the toilet for the whole morning - so much for wanting to revise a bit more before the paper.

took out the Bible and somehow was prompted to read about Jehoshaphat's trimuph over the three nations by simply having that army praising the Lord throughout, and reaping great returns by instilling that great faith in the hearts of everyone, and scaring the enemies away (2 Chronicles 20).

though I joked to a dear friend about me slipping that note of praising the socceroos for their comeback against japan for my exam later, we both know that I'm going to leaning on Him these few days as i continue my revision until Friday.

keep a clear head, and keep praising.
Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever. -2 Chronicles 20:21

12:21 | com[ments] |

Saturday, June 10, 2006

21 has finally knocked on my door.

and i have so many so many things to be thankful for this time round. wonderful celebrations, memorable night! who ever said 21st birthday must have big parties? what i had was just as sweet, just as memorable, if not better.

big shoutouts to everyone who sent me birthday messages throughout the day.

to xiandan and keryn,
for the last minute surprise you guys sprung on me, i finally celebrated my birthday at macdonald's! thanks, love you two so much.

to may, grace, kaishi and jianing and the fruits,
for that chessecake that finally tasted delicious, and that surprise that you girls planned too. appreciative!

to jasper,
for the efforts you put in even though you were struggling with exams and assignments (you know i'd be angry with you for this, but i'm indebted).
for the dedication you put in to make sure that the night's wonderful(do that too when you're attached next time ok?).
for the unconditional love.
for the fact that you are what you are.
love you.

to nick,
for your more than 5 hours of hardwork with those butterflies in the book, the card, my dog (her name's diva-dodo-fly), that are fluttering all around even though you should be studying! (feeling guilty - i'm indebted.)
for dressing up on the very last minute (still very handsome lahh).
for the unconditional love.
for the fact that you are what you are.
love you.

01:28 | com[ments] |

Thursday, June 08, 2006

saturday at uber was fantastic, if you forget about the awful service experience we've went through. for a detailed rundown of that day, read may and eugenias' entry. but i love that gift - never thought that clooney will be mine to hold on my 21st. one of the most unexpected gifts. but love it.

(yeah, you can laugh about the fact that i named my palmtop. better than someone who is planning to name hers underwear underwood.)
at least mine's a sexy man. her's palm is gonna be some underwear.

the girls and i are trying to make plans again to go out for some karaoke before i head off to shanghai for a vacation. and of course, with cheryl's most prob definite plans to leave for london/hawaii for her undergrad studies, spending time together suddenly appears to be something precious and important.

but what was most memorable that sunday when we went out must have been those insane minute where we tried to come up with 9 poses at that neo-print (yeah we still call it that) machine. the last time we took one must have been, when we were 15? no one understood a word of japanese, no one knew what to do, no one knew which buttons we were to decide on, no one knew the protocol of getting that thing done. like 5 children, we were making a big fool of ourselves (probably scaring the cashier by quite a bit), but heck, nobody cared.

we laughed at ourselves even more when we realised that there were english instructions pasted beside those buttons. how come no one saw it?

part of the G3 gang was in our room at shunfu last night watching singapore idol together on television. bryan, being the usual pig grabbed one sofa by himself, leaving alan on the floor, anna and i on the other sofa, and pearls on the sofa bed, with that almost 9kg kaile (i can't carry that dog for more than 5 mins now) beside her. prob the last time i'd see bryan with his messy ruffl-ish hair for the next two years (should have taken a photo!), but i know he'll be under the watchful eyes of our Heavenly Father above when he goes in to serve the army.

but here's the funniest thing bryan and i noticed last night:
we now have cartoon network on cable at shunfu!

oh man, one good reason to be over more often.

14:06 | com[ments] |

Friday, June 02, 2006

*sigh*

such a long week.

teaching hasn't been the least bit fantastic, and with the letters in today, this isn't encouraging at all. although my grades have been consistent and i feel as though it's getting better, with the downfall of teaching, sometimes, i just don't know what is best.

don't dare to ask much about what's going to happen over the weekend when i'm out with my family and friends celebrating my 21st. the reason why i dismissed the idea of a big party, was because i didn't want to be disappointed much (with the absences of others), and felt the need to spend quality time with the people that really matter to me.

yet, even now with the smaller celebrations, i feel a strange pain in my heart by the negligance of others.

everyone just seems to be breaking my heart these days. (jasper, hear that? so it's not just you (though you rank high up there in turns of damage)! *grinz*)

if birthday celebrations are going to be a hassle, then i'd rather not celebrate anymore. coz in my heart, if i know it'd be like that, i'd feel sad. and all these celebrations wouldn't be enjoyable anymore. hor?

but 2 weeks of endless endless endless birthdays (3rd, 6th, 8th and 15th)! so here goes:

my "mopeng" stewart, happy happy 24th birthday!

jonathan, i know i owe you big time for all the times where we should have met up but didn't, but i'm real thankful that we never allowed what happened ruin the friendship. it's special and i really cherish it. happy 21st birthday, and please please, smile!

amy, thanks for being such a blessing in my life, happy birthday to you too! and God's presence is always always with you, i know.

joy, what can i say, you bring me JOY. happy sweet 16th!

23:38 | com[ments] |