Clay through Fire

First post for 2008

2008-08-11T00:28:00.002+08:00

Wow. It's been at least 8 months since I posted anything new here. I like to write though. I've always loved reading and writing. Somehow, I felt the urge to rekindle that passion once more.

I read my journal entries and there's always some things that I've had forgotten; sweet juicy details that I might never remember if I had not written them down. I used to store random quotes in my handphone and when I lost it last year - my precious intellectual property is gone with it. Sigh.

Hopefully I can spare some time for things like painting, reading and writing again - sigh my time management skill.

My chat with God

2007-11-27T18:45:00.000+08:00

This was some Artificial Intelligence simulator which I find very amusing. Perhaps I'm not creative enough. Nevertheless it was quite fun.

This was a portion of the conversation:
http://www.titane.ca/igod/main.html

Me : Why is the sky blue?

God : The sky is blue because of the atmospheric optical effect known as Raleigh scattering.

Me : lol

God : I'm glad you find this amusing.

God : You can download me for free and create your own robot personality.

Me : oh really?

God : " You can download me for free and create your own robot personality."? oh really??
For real.

Seriously, downloading God sounds handy.

Me : oh really?
God : Far out. For real.
Me : really?
God : For real.
Me : seriously?
God : I am always serious.

I was testing if the AI was meant to generate similar answers. This made me smile again.

Me : God
God : GOD rules.
Me : am i really chatting with God
God : It seems like you are.. For real.
Me : how?
God : Myself programmed me for it.

This AI is fun.

Me : when will i die?
God : You could check out the actuarialtables at Deathclock.com.

I'm rolling on my belly laughing.

Me : i just had exams, God
God : Do you still have exams?!
Me : yes
God : Ugh.

I could do this for hours. Seriously. Living a Christian life, is something I find difficult; yet I feel it has become part of me. I am who I am today, the way I think and all- I owe it all to God. I may not be that perfect daughter or student- I'm probably the worser bit of the kind yet I'm thankful for the heart and mind that I have. Often, I feel like I disgraced the gifts that I have. I'm sorry. To be honest, I really wished God could answer me as directly like that. I wished God is always online and I could chat with Him- asking him about life, dinosaurs, petrophysics and exam questions. I am getting lazy to manage my life. So many decisions and so many traps. (And so many telephone salesperson oh God pls grant them better jobs Amen)

I made this statement before I navigated out of the page:

Me : i wish u r real
God : I wish I could do it for you.

Fikirkan boleh

2007-09-25T14:58:00.000+08:00

My Spring Break is finally down to less than a week.. Gawd I suck. Last night was quite a memorable one. I fell asleep at 9 but I woke up at 12, 'celebrated' the Mid-Autumn Festival with Hannah by slicing up our mooncakes. We were laughing all the way yet careful enough not to let ourselves choke. At our express corner in the kitchen area, that's where I bump into Hannah most of the time. Either that, or at the loo. Busy angel.

Journey to the past
The holidays made me think a lot about the recent past. I dreamt bout my brother, think about school, friends... Then I remembered Kem Kepimpinan. Gosh I felt like a champ after I designed the logo for my group year after year. I just hate the performance part. Kem Kepimpinan was a stepping stone to a lot of things in my life. Independence and creativity... I remembered how Mr Steven told Jaryn's group during her presentation, she could've given better reasonings. "Why is the logo so colourful?"asked an audience. "We like colours," answered our school's head girl. Mr Steven suggested that she could've answered something like it reflects our vibrant lives.. or similar.

Beyond A,B,C's and 1,2,3s
Well, Mr Steven, I just realised years ago that it was from this moment that I think a little further than I used to. Also, I was never selected for any spelling bees or language competitions. I wasn't disappointed or anything but one day, Mr Steven was trying to make a point that there's always someone better out there, let the skies be our limit. He asked our champ to spell "intoxicated". Nope, none of us can. Ever since that, I got interested in expanding my vocabulary. I actually enjoyed reading the dictionary sometimes. I was quite a loser in primary school but I was surprised Mr Steven told my brother I was a pretty cool student who finished her English exam in 15 minutes. A pretty cool record ey? 15 minutes and 90%+.

Another cool teacher was Ms Yeap Gaik Choo. This woman was the first teacher I feared. I fear out of respect. I was the only girl who tasted her cane so much that I'm was to be sent to the Headmaster. Oh my nerves at that time. My mom was called to school. I would rather see the Headmaster, honestly. I was expecting all hell to break loose when I got home, but after the ceremonial lecture, she passed me Su Ching's math books. I spent 2 days to write all the questions and another day to complete them. My math marks have not sunk below 90% since then till college and uni because I got so lazy. (And also because Ms Lee isn't my math teacher anymore) What could be more disrespectful than to not honour our gifts? I put my talents to shame.

I thank God for all the amazing teachers in my life. Everyone from my school teachers, tutors, Papa, Mama, Chehcheh, Tua Ee to church leaders like Aunty Poh Choo, Jimmy and Joanne.. I will not be here without you. To my buddies, you know who you are and thank you for that little gift of kindness and friendship.

In Kem Kepimpinan, it's almost customary for us to sing this song. I recently found it on youtube and I'll try hold on to this. Winter has turned into spring, it's a good time to for a new beginning.

Fikirkan Boleh
Jika kau fikirkan kau boleh
Kau hampir boleh melakukan
Jika kau fikirkan ragu-ragu
Usahamu tidak menentu

Jika kau fikirkan kekalahan
Kau hampiri kegagalan
Jika kau fikirkan kemenangan
Kau hampiri kejayaan

Engkaulah apa kau fikirkan
Terkandung dalam pemikiran
Kau fikir boleh melakukan
Fikirkan boleh

Percaya apa kau lakukan
Tabah apa kau usahakan
Bertindak atas kemampuan
Engkau boleh

Brave Wings

2007-09-24T01:27:00.000+08:00

I entered this poem and another poem "Rain" to poetry.com just for the fun of it. Apparently, this made it to the semi-finals and I got an invitation to Las Vegas for some poetry convention. It sounded so much like a scam but I kinda like the idea of my poem being a semi-finalist so bugger that! (They even sent the invitation letter to Adelaide!) If only they realised I'm this poor and stingy student who's feeding on Petronas' generosity... So this is my poem, inspired during my shower and written in 30 mins on Raimy's laptop, while waiting for dinnertime.

A bird too scared to try,
like a peacock that’s shy;
It doesn’t dare to be,
what it’s meant to be.
A bird fearful of flight?

No, I refuse to believe that is me;
I am more than what you see.

I don’t just want to fly,
I want to soar high,
like the eagles in the sky.

Mend my broken wings,
And heal my torn spirits;
Once winter turns to spring,
I will then spread my wings.

It's a simple, unprofessional poem but it meant quite a lot to me. Writing this was satisfying and liberating at the same time. Seasons will change, circumstances both good and bad will fade away.

Spring Break Project

2007-09-19T03:37:00.000+08:00

Today marks the third day of my precious break. Like every other break, I intend to catch up with my studies and clear out the antiquated to-do list. Every holiday reminded me of the effects of procrastination and yet... sigh (needless to say, I disappoint myself)

Reviving this blog, is a good start. I have a lot of stuff in mind that I need to get rid off- so space could be given for fresh ideas. This will be both my art gallery and dumpsite. My adventures and misadventures, my dreams and failures, my hopes and prayer- all these treasures that will disappear if left untold.

I read some of my previous entries and found myself marvelling at my old self; so enthusiastic, so positive and so creative. Call it self-praise but it made me wonder what has become of me, and how much I have changed over the months.

So now, I've got this blog for myself, a family blog, a shared blog with my best friends, a SparkPeople account, a Friendster account and a daily journal. I think I'm overorganising! LOL! Let's see how long before I start shortlisting!

Here we go.

Random rambles

2006-08-27T15:41:00.000+08:00

I am:
lazy to hit the books.
owner of 25 sec concentration in lectures; 10 mins in tutorials.
constantly wasting time thinking of how people maximise their time; but kept as thoughts.
lazy to blog.
able to play Freecell & Solitaire for hours.
almost certain you feel lazy to bother bout this cobwebbed website.
a lousy student
gonna get a haircut on Thursday.
annoyed with circumstances I put myself in.

I miss:
my tua ee's cooking
my grandma's bak chang
wrestling with my brother when he was my size
my dogs
my bolster
waiting for my schoolbus
waking up to the waft of breakfast
taking the catered food from the delivery man
outings with the gang
free lunch/dinner/supper/breakfast/brunch/evryotherexisting meals with jiejie
being punctual
not doing laundry
watching astro
my brother's ps2

i want:
to fly kites with my bro n papa
my bolster
2 remember 2 wish the ppl closest 2 me Happy Birthday on time
Goo Goo Dolls to change the name of their band
Ronan Keating to not sing "Iris"
to go crabbing
friendships to not leave a gap when u leave the group
to read the comics I missed out

i need:
to study
to spend less time wasting time
to finish up all existing assignments
God

My Life Tastes like Rojak

2006-07-03T22:56:00.000+08:00

it's been a topsy turvy rollercoaster ride these few weeks. I successfully refrained myself from the internet *apart from checking my email n uni stuff* but still not focused enough in my studies. I cant exactly figure out wat's taking my time away- everyone has 24 hrs a day; i'm rather envious of how well d 24hrs' being maximised. care leaving a tip or two?

i'd like 2 share a brief account of wat i've gone thru 4 d past weeks. not in chronological sequence- just random events dat crosses thru my stupid brain. here goes:

Exams- the leap, the trip, the fall.
i just wanna pass them all! my exams was like a jack-in-d-box; surprised me tho i knew it's coming- and hitting me on d face. i found myself humming "it is well with my soul" after every exam paper; alongside rows of expletives runnin thru my mind. so full of regret.

it's always 2 late dat i enjoyed studying. seriously, my subjects were interesting n i dare say pretty fun- once d basic concepts are understood. brilliant. i took in so many new concepts in a short period of time my brain just refused 2 accept anything by d time i prepare 4 my 2nd n 3rd paper. d word is SATURATED. i also creditted my poor performance 2 lack of sleep, lack of consistency n "rusa masuk kampung" syndrome. my exams were held in a warehouse in d suburb. furthermore, i'm not a mornin person.

wat i'm glad of, is d fact dat i can learn from this n really, really pray i would make it happen next sem. i wanna make my sleep hours regular n sufficient plus put in some effort 2 study often, 2 prevent myself from digesting brand new facts close 2 exam. preparations b4 lessons will b a huge help- if i'm disciplined enuf.. i'm seriously looking 4ward 4 nx sem; wanna giv my old strategies a test drive in another car- Jesus fueled.

The Exam Aftermath
Treated myself with a good seafood meal with Raimy. D same night, cell group had some games n loads of food... really fun despite suffering from chronic sleep deprivation. Played games like mafia, some electric pulse thing, "this is a what?!" and other confusing games. Food was fantastic- sushi, rice cake, chocolates, roast chicken, chips, ice cream...

Day after my Petroleum Paper, caught a movie with raimy in Marion Centre; fast n furious. havent had such exciting movies in a while- n remembered how terribly i drive. love d movie. n raimy has dis weird obsession with donuts recently. hehe. we also indulged in ice-cream at a shop called Chocolat. d place was by far my favourite hangout place here albeit a little pricey. i just dun deserve all dis sudden luxury- especially after my lousy performance in exam- sigh.

Holidays! ~the long awaited~
i'm getting real lazy 2 blog so i'll just breeze thru wat we did. d holidays kickstarts immediately after exam's over- housemates and i made macaroni n beef casserole. had a pizza outing n i had 2 satisfy my weird winter craving- ice cream! ice-cream with cookie dough's fantastic! woohoo!

another funny thing we did was playing pool. u c, none of us knew exactly how 2 play so it was beginner's luck dat cleared d table. Dat was saturday. next day, we went swimming- i'm getting better at it, yet far from good. hahaha why do they call it 'freestyle' if there's a technique 2 it!? sheesh.

Winter Break- the plans, the shopping, the hole in the pocket
yippee! made so many plans- but not going anywhere outta adelaide. travelling further may b fun- but lotsa rushing around.. i'll do it nx break. if i do not haf 2 prepare 4 any supplementary exam, i'll attend a camp in victor harbour. plans are 2 do some stuff like painting, baking, outings... n i'm considering guitar classes. shud i? :P

Rain

2006-05-22T02:32:00.000+08:00

Smooth yet rigid they flow,

the drops of rain down my window.
Whichever land I set out to tame,
the rain never change, always the same.
Still as unpredictable;
A slap so hard, a stroke so gentle.
It's rhythm I know,
so mellifuous and mellow;
Occassionally fiery,
almost like you were very angry.
You nourish the trees,
and yet able to shake the seas.

Rain, you strange fellow,
for you come and you go;
At times you stay and wait,
tears of heaven held within your gates.

But after the rain,
was the promise of a rainbow.
Likewise my pain,
be it a forgotten sorrow.

~adrienne lim mei chen~
22/05/06 4.43 am

p/s: i'm not depressed! just wishing for a rainbow since it's a cloudy, cloudy day. stupid assignments, y dun u just die?! !@#$#@!

Another Monday

2006-05-15T21:10:00.000+08:00

It's Monday! Well, my alarm failed me again; either that or sleeping at 3+ in the morning results in deafness. I missed the maths lecture that morning but I could always attend the evening class. As usual, I woke up in time for the important classes. I think God wants me to have more sleep. :)

I woke up in the state of panic and started rummaging through the layers of mess for my Maths Assignment just to find myself laughing at myself; this week's assignment was submitted online. Went to uni, and attended a bible study group. I actually find it hard 'cos it took me time to digest what the question is. Accent was not a problem until now... hmmm.. Anyways, I enjoyed the session because it was just a simple passage in Mark but it was linked to other books in the Old Testament. It's funny how the Pharisees, Sadducees & teachers of law try to trick Jesus into incriminating himself. Christ's response were beyond expectations; making them look like and felt like jesters. We were reading from Mark chapter 11 & 12.

Oh, I then got an extension of my assignment due date! Woohooo! I picked the wrong title. Sure it's interesting; but if only it's as easy! Well, it ain't! I chose peak oil- one of the biggest debate in the oil & gas industry. I reckon peak oil should be easy to tackle because I understood the issue and resources will be highly accessible- unfortunately- too much data & jargons. I emailed my lecturer, who forwarded my mail to another lecturer; now I can narrow down my research cos he cleared my queries. *sigh of relief*

I'm also scouting for a 2nd hand graphing calculator; Texas Instruments TI-83 plus. I looked it up at ebay; placed my bid; priced shot up till $62 this morning! It's actually still a good buy but I'll go by a new tactic- wait till it's minutes before the auction ends.. then I shall.. bwahahha pray that my laptop and internet connection does not fail me.

hehehe have a nice day everyone!

by the way i came across one of the item description for the calc. this is how it goes~

You are bidding on a Mint condition TI-83 Plus Calculator. It has very little use and was recently purchased. In fully working condition. It also comes with the transfer cable which is very handy if your friends or teacher have a program you need, you can easily transfer from calculator to calculator.

Reset to factory settings.

You will NOT be dissapointed.

Bid with confidence (100% Positive Feedback)

Happy Bidding =)

Hmmm.. how very convincing, very little use... -_-"
Friends, happy everydays~~

Easter Holidays

2006-04-30T20:41:00.000+08:00

It's been ages since this blog has a new entry. Easter break was actually 2 weeks ago; to some, I have completely wasted my holidays. A part of me had this tinge of regret as well, 'cos I got diverted from the original holiday plan. Initially, I wanted to use this opportunity to catch up on my studies- Didn't really work out. Yet, I am so glad I had this break else I'll start breaking down.

My main holiday activity was walking round Adelaide City with a friend, Raimy. We could almost film a documentary on ducks, swans and pelicans! The walks every morning was undoubtly one of my most memorable moments- and I felt like I was in a foreign country; a surprisingly rare feeling since I'm surrounded by so many Malaysians. (There's so many Malaysians that some of my Hong Kong & Indon friend speaks with the Malaysian slang!)

Veale Gardens
One particularly special event. One drizzling morning, Raimy and I decided to check out the parks to the south of the city. It was like pages from my childhood storybooks; the portion of my imagination whilst a kid. Vivid memories of my sketches flash through my mind; drawing has always been an integral part of me. A forest-like garden with green green grass, naturally partitioned by tiny rivers with those long long plants and duckies all over the place. *it's name I can't remember, but I love drawing it* Willow trees swayed mysteriously by gentle wind over a small pond as some ducklings trail behind some more ducks. I have never seen so many ducks before in my life. Not even in FattyLoh Restaurant...

We were in awe of its beauty, the best park by far we've seen here. Places like this never fail to make me reminisce on how impossibly talented is our God. Every intricate detail engineered so perfectly to sustain life yet covered by immeasureable beauty...

Ventured a little deeper and arrived to another park filled with roses. The smell of rain probably submerged the smell of roses, else it would have brought more effect. In the center, there was this fountain with a statue of Peter Pan, the fawn, not the Disney one. What I find rather interesting was another fountain; where heads of a koala, kangaroo, wombat & emu is spraying water from their mouths. hehehe I shall upload the picture if I visit the place again. Basically my bearings were screwed and we headed home in the wrong direction. :) We ventured into a suburb, 3 km from the edge of the city! We walked an approx of 7 km that morning. Since then, I found a whole new meaning to endurance; and map-reading.

Adelaidean Heroes
Another incident where we took a detour from River Torrens and headed back to North Terrace; in the center of a garden, we found a monument. A lady named Adelaide. Coool... Right beside it was a small pathway with lots of what seems to look like gravestones from afar. When we went up close, it turned out to be momentos of soldiers and other brave people who have served during the war. As little as you could have guessed, the name of the small trail: Pathway of Honor

Getting our names engraved on such grounds, our existence and deeds will be cherished for generations... but what good is there if our name is not engraved in the Book of Life? Appreciated on Earth, suffering in eternal damnation. Don't sound like a good deal to me. :P Anyways...

There's no place that far!
After the 7 km ordeal, we had this new mentality. Now the plan was to another suburb: North Adelaide. Goal: Ice-cream. :) Dairy Bell was one of the few Halal ice-cream parlours around and since I am living with Malays, I have been living on the same diet as them. It's not hard at all, especially when Chinatown is just blocks away :D We bought 5 buckets altogether to give all those seniors who have helped us both. Walking back was eventful. We were worried the ice-cream might melt before we reached home, then guess what happened. It rained and it was so very cold my fingernails started to turn purple. Well, at least the ice-cream'll be fine. :D It got sunny again later. God sent the rain, then the sun ~ to retain our fun. *& icecream of course*

In a nutshell, I really am glad I had this holiday but I do have some problem in time management. I terribly need to prioritise properly and not procrasitinate so much. Now I'm stuck with so much incomplete assignments and I am attending the Influencers Conference in the following week. Well, that's a portion of what I've been going through. I'll talk bout Infuencers and the most eventful week of my life in the next entry.

Hey all those out there, I just realised how little I missed home yet how deeply I missed some people back home. As much as it contradicts, it's how I felt inside. I miss you all; those who were always there. Thank you for that security invested in me that no matter how bad the circumstances; I have a God and people to turn to.

signin' off,
a kid

P/S: I just found out I have been pronouncing my name wrongly all my life! MOM!!! I should have just been called.. err.. a simpler name. NAH! Anyway, it's actually A-Dri-Anne. Pls dun name ur kid a name u dun know how 2 pronounce. it confuses the kid. poor kid.

A Series of Events: Part 2

2006-03-18T14:19:00.000+08:00

The ~~Playing~~ *Praying* Naked Chef
Have I told you guys before, that we have to cook dinner by rotation? I'm taking Thursdays. Since there's just the 4 of us, we rotate on Tuesdays. My prayer everytime I cook; God, bless and sanctify this food. May there be no IMMEDIATE nor LATTER side effects prior to the consumption of your child's cooking... If so, may the laxatives and diarrhoea medicine your child brought be of healing...

Hehehe, made a few blunders. Initially, any of us take the job whenever convenient. My roast chicken took an hour.. cause I didn't know we had to preheat the oven. My meatballs were coarse cos I didn't marinate it with corn flour. During my scheduled session, I made chicken and potato stew and steam egg. That morning, we went helter skelter rummaging every drawer for my rice cooker's cord. It's a tangible fact that human beings are very inappropriate as a conductor of electricity so how am I going to cook rice!? Why would anyone steal the cord?! Oh come on my cooking is not that bad, OK??!!! I marinated my chicken last night. I have no idea how it will turn out, Tua Ee just told me the ingredients without the measurements. I blindly took from the cabinet I placed the corn flour. It was almost 1 am. The next day, dampen by the missing cord, I almost resorted to cooking noodles when the cord mysteriously appeared on the kitchen counter. hehehe. It was returned to us. Looked at my marinated and think I should add more gravy to it. As I took the corn flour to add more corn flour, with a picture of a sugar cane that looked like a corn stalk, it read: Caster Sugar.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Who the !@#@! shifted the corn flour???!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
Fine! The stew shall be full of gravy. I added other sauces to cover the sweetness. Oh God, Oh God~ I think I was caught muttering.
I even asked the KDU Cf to pray for my cooking! Well, they're having prayer meeting anyway! Hitching a ride.
But guess what? It tasted like what my aunt cooked and I think sugar is part of the ingredient and the gravy came up enough! It was very successfull! I smiled with satisfaction as I sipped the stew. Oh thank you God!! :) :) :) My housemates did not have proper lunch and that added their apetite. The rice pot, rarely empty; was emptied that night. I was delighted but not taking the glory. Must not be overconfident. :) :) :)

This week, I'll have to cook twice. Sigh.. wish me luck, dear friends.

I seriously have to get back to my work. I realised my biggest distraction: Internet! I'm restricting myself to sign in msn & checking this blog to Friday and the weekends.

Round 70/210 Grote Street, Adelaide
I am the self volunteered house technician. Dishwasher mania? Me. Lightbulb blown? Me. Operate the oven? Me. I like to change the lightbulbs.. :) Lights kept going out because we turn it on and off too frequently. Last week, the lights above the dining table's another goner. Remove the lamp casing, then screwed the new one in and felt a light jolt! The switch was not turned off. Hahhaaa any higher voltage and we'll all have BBQ Adrienne for dinner.

Hehe. Have a great week and weeks to come.
God bless.

Sustained by invisible hands,
AdrienneLimMeiChen~

A Series of Events: Part 1

2006-03-18T13:30:00.001+08:00

A series of both fortunate and unfortunate~

Uni life in a glance
"Ahhh.. done!" Passed up Assignment 1 of Maths, wiped that sweat of my forehead and received Assignment 2 next lecture. "Brother.." *smacks face*
"OMG this is so !@#$% HARD! ARGHHH" Completed the physics tutorial, just to get another during the following class. *mutter*
"Hybridization?!?! Carbon-Carbon double bond case le? How can you tell which one to hybridize to what!?" *Head leans backwards then just dropped forward hitting the table*
And this just pattern is repeated for all my other subjects.

Logically, it could be completed considering all the time I've got. Got myself involved with too many time bandits; but seriously when the work is so tough, I just am not motivated to start on it. OH, breaking news: Adrienne Lim took Chinese class. Adrienne Lim dropped Chinese class. Adrienne Lim sold Chinese lesson textbooks.
Yessss! I have dropped the ever stressful language class! I would prefer to learn practical Mandarin rather than the schematic and formal. But that was not the main contributor of my decision; Petronas will not pay. $2800 per sem would just make your friend live on cucumbers and tomatoes for the next couple of months. Lose weight? Forfeiting my happiness lar!

My Physic practicals, unlike my Chemistry, went extremely well! Grouped with my housemate and one Indon guy. We spoke in BM at times then he joined with his Bahasa Indon; so incredibly funny! hahaha I cant help laughing yes I realised it's rude. hehehehe this adik, a year younger, is a semester ahead of us.

Have fun always!

TV, Pork & Fish deprived,
Adrienne~

Paradise City Church

2006-03-05T11:55:00.000+08:00

Last year, Paradise, Adelaide came to Glad Tidings, Petaling Jaya and I was impressed by their music. I know it's not a factor to be taken into account when looking for a spiritual home but I once told myself, if I do make it to Adelaide (back then Adelaide seemed very distant, overshadowed by my disappointing exam) I would want to attend this church if possible.
I arrived on a Saturday and surprisingly, I had found a friend of a friend :) who attends Paradise Church. Immensely happy, yet extremely worried that I would not fit in. I can't open up to people I'm not comfortable with. It's more of 'I do not know how to' rather than 'I don't want to'. Well, want an honest answer? I am not comfortable. I have no idea why cause everyone's extremely friendly. sigh. The lack of confidence from there continued at uni. I feel so little in their midst.
That was the initial stage, I'm redeeming my self-esteem bit by bit now. In short, thank God I know God :) thus all those depressing moments, I'm blaming it on pms. Thanks Vi Vian, for the wake up call.
Back to Paradise, we had to take the O-Bahn; some funky bus that actually went on the railway tracks and it's quite costly. $3.50 per trip. Two weeks after that, the church expanded to the Adelaide City where I lived. Here I am, in front of my laptop, after a free meal at church. A Malaysian lady cooked it and it was absolutely tasty. It's been so long since I had fish. So apart from my incomplete tutorials; I'm doing Ok here! Love ya all loads! *hugs*

MH 139, Boeing 777 : Part 1

2006-02-24T23:39:00.000+08:00

3rd Feb, 9.45 pm : Took a last glance of KLIA, a last glance of Malaysia.
I opened the scrapbook made by Evelyn & Chia Yinn. I read the word "leave". My heart felt a pinch, and suddenly the plane accelearated. I can't control the tears.

I wrote a mini flight journal, this posting is made with reference to it.

I entered the plane, with the 'Malaysian Student' badge gleaming on my denim jacket. Got the window seating, how fortunate! Sat beside Azam. Cool. The most blur beside the most blank. :)
I took out the box containing the little gifts and letters my friends gave. There was this pride in me that although no one sent me off at KLIA, compared to the rest whose parents and friends came, I had these which requires more effort and heart. I glanced through the letter from Hooi Fong and Eu Ping, flip the pages of 2 story books given, and peered into my best gift; the scrapbook. The plane took off.
I was caught crying and giggling uncontrollably in the plane. I didn't dare look at Azam. (Cos I know he'll be staring in confusion not knowing what to do) That scrapbook; clearly took them a while to finish. I was marvelled at how much they knew me, at how much they remember the smallest things I've said or done and at how much I meant to them. Best part was how they captured the memories we shared at SGGS, the teachers, friends and all the forgotten gossips...
Thank you both, Foxie & Duckie.
Yours truly,
Hammie the Woodhead :)

Pre-Departure

2006-02-24T22:25:00.000+08:00

It was ages since I actually made a posting. I have so much to say, so much to tell, too lazy to type them out. But I reckon regular postings would be good for me to keep everyone updated on my life overseas. Here's what happened before I left for Adelaide.

The Barbeque
I received so many gifts from guests that strangers would mistaken my farewell BBQ to be a birthday bash or something. Seriously, *hypocritically* you shouldn't have. :)
Anyway, I was expecting 15 guests and 25 showed up. Couldn't thank my dear Chehcheh more, for handling the food so well. And of course to Marcus, Jamie, Kok Kuan & Dom. Special thanks to Mom, for financing it; Tua Ee, who bought and marinated the foodstuff; Marcus, for not being a brat on that day. :P
Kok Quin and Evelyn were the first to arrive. Something in my heart stirred when I saw them. It's the last time we're hanging out together. Jamie came a little while later and the rest just turn up fashionably late. :) Not that I mind though. At least you all (and many more) came. It made me feel appreciated and love.
After the BBQ were rounds of drinking and gambling. Serious. I took four glasses of wine, Eve took 1 and I finished Chia Li's. The rest were probably worried the wine would disrupt their concentration (hence ruin their chances to win in the gamble). I drank the wine like water and that made the alcohol kick in, a little. I played my all time favourite Chor Tai Tee and I won. This was the first time I gambled with money in this game. Won the second round too. But in the subsequent rounds, my playing cards weren't as good. Next, I tried my hand in Ginrami (not quite sure how it is spelt). I cleared my hand. Heck, I didn't know half the rules of this game, but it seems I won and that everyone has to pay me RM5 each! I rejected the money! That is way too much! They placed it in front of me and a new game iniated. Not many clear their hand in this game I figured. But Hooi Fong did. I gave a five dollar bill from my win. Emptied my hand in the subsequent round. My total win that night was RM37.50! My aunts & granny spend a lot on their cigarettes but they can't quit-or so they say-so I bought them each a packet.
Slowly, the crowd got smaller. I can't believe I forgot to give Jamie & Kok Quin a hug before they leave. I can't believe I didn't send Evelyn, Chia Li and Kok Kuan. Before I slept that night, I reflected on the moments we shared. 2 words: Thank you~ with all my heart

Overloaded
"Overweight?" asked Ah Ma after I announced to the entire house I finished packing.
"Yeah by 10 kg."
"I'm asking bout the luggage la, Mei Chen, I know you're overweight by 10."
"Err.. yes la! I'm 8.5 kg overweight!"
Fine. No significant difference. Don't have to be a petroleum engineer to tell that.
Packing is the worst part of the pre-departure ordeal. I packed and unpacked numerous times and the rice cooker my parents forced me to bring's a nightmare. Then again, we're using it quite often round the house. Not me though. Still over the limit no matter how it's packed but Papa said his farewell present to me would be paying the fine for the extra kilos. :P

Goodbye
It was at the Penang airport; the furthest my family and friends could send me off. Tears well in my eyes as I hugged each and everyone of them who came, before I checked in. I will never forget you all nor what you all have invested in me; love, hopes, dreams, every single cent & every effort~ I am not the expressive type, I am poor at articulating my thoughts, but I really really love you all very much and I would really try my best to not disappoint you all again. You have my word.

The Herbal Tea Conspiracy. . . ;p

2006-01-23T02:28:00.000+08:00

"Mom knows best"

Err.. Uhmm... Maybe.

Mum has been rather paranoid recently. Whatever the reason is; I'm concluding she's getting the Empty-Nest Syndrome; so that I could tolerate her better. Not working well though.
She complains and laments over the fact that I haven't bought all my "eSSenTiaL" stuff for Australia. Her dictionary has clearly messed up the word ESSENTIAL and NEW. She's paying I know and I'm going to get new stuff, only an idiot would bother. Well, Hi, my name's Anne Idiot, pleasure meeting you.

So one fine day, one fine morning, my mummy boiled some bunch of smelly grass, I mean herbs and soiled the stove area. My aunts, Tua Ee and Jee Ee were kinda furious because the stove was recently cleaned. It's not dirty, really. It's just that it's Jee Ee's favourite past time to exaggerate and make loud comments. Once ready, Mum emptied the pot and 4 relatively large mugs were filled to the brim.

The Plan

I decided to spend some time with my brother and dad. Mum had to work on that Sunday due to some urgent matters. It seems that her department where she has been working for decades is transferred to KL. Back to me, Papa drop me and Marc at Bkt Jambul Complex and Marc had to accompany me buy my baju kurung. He's officially on the list of "The last few people I will seek second fashion opinion from". Then we met Ps Sam. Then we had waffles. Then we meet up with Papa.

The Broken Nail

The three of us nearly entered the orange eating competition but only 2 vacancies left so I discard the idea as I do not want anyone of us to be left out. We went to the bowling alley and I lost to my brother twice. He was quite good at the game and I have butterfingers. But it was worth the fun. Dad was coach, spectator and fan at the same time. During one of my turns, I felt something in the finger-holes of the bowling ball. I shook the ball and out came a piece of broken nail. "Whoa! Someone's nail!" I said loudly to my dad and bro."AHH! It's mine!" as I noticed how familiar the broken nail is, and checked mine.
Exactly after the first game, Tua Ee called and asked when are we coming back.

The Conspiracy

"Not soon, Tua Ee, perhaps in another 45 mins or so."

"That will be round 6.45. Wei, your mother will be back round that time and you still have not drank your leng teh (herbal tea) . . ."

"OH NO!"

"Best thing is, come back before Mom does. OK? Bye"

SHOOT! I was suppose to remind dad and bro to drink. Once before we leave for BJC and finish the remainder after we some back. I'm doomed. Five consecutive throws end up in the gutter while Marc had 2 strikes. I was worried but Dad told us to continue having fun... Oh father.
I had a great time and had 2 consecutive strikes during the last round. If I'm gonna get lectured for the leng teh thing, it's still worth it. Dad drove like Schuey back home.

In the car. . .
"Ok, Papa, Marcus, here's the plan so listen carefully. Papa will park the car and Marc will take the goodies we bought. I'll dash in, and open the doors. Clear? You thirsty? Good."

In Lorong Delima 3, Island Glades,
"Mission failed. . ." I said weakly to my bro after I saw Mom's car parked outside 3-E.
Nevertheless, we ran in but really quietly. Tua Ee giggled then signalled us to drink the tea. Here goes. Glug glug glug. Silly bro start giggling at our stupidity and I can't stop laughing myself. Papa also came in quickly and drank. Each took a cup and even finished the largest mug meant for refills. We emerge victorious. It seemed that Mum came back only minutes ago and went upstairs without glancing at the tea. Thank God for our double storey house...

As soon as we dry the cups, Mum came downstairs.

"Eh, you all got drink the leng teh or not?" She saw the mugs weren't there anymore.
"Good, I thought you all didn't drink . . . bla bla bla . . . "

I smiled mischieviously at Tua Ee who to my surprise, stick out her tongue at me.
It shall remain a secret between us.

he he he

But I do hope Mom get to relax a lil'.
It's driving the whole house ill.

Yum char anyone? :)

2006-01-04T15:41:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I mysteriously woke up with a bad stomachache. Forced myself to take some breakfast.. "Come on, Adrienne, it's been ages since you've eaten Mom's breakfast.. !" Each time I swallowed, it felt like a sea urchin going down my oesophagus rather than bread & soup. I retreated to my bed; muttered a prayer then muttered an AHHH!

It's my last day of driving pratice before my test. My stomach suddenly felt a pinch.

Tomorrow.

Darn.

ZZZ.

I woke up in time for lunch. Lost my apetite but I ate anyway; couldn't take in much. Though it didn't hurt as much, my tummy still hurt. Crept to bed, disturbed Marc trying to nap on the mattress below me... and slept again.

I woke up in time for dinner, my biological clock seems to have adjusted itself to my meals... Instead of feeling better, I developed fever. I felt cold even in my oversized long sleeve shirt. After some porridge (Thanks for the chu cheong chuk, mama) and some TVB show, I went to bed again. Papa tucked me; hugged me and said,"Hmm.. temperature's rising.. Chen, just because you're stronger than other girls that does not mean you don't get sick. bla bla bla" Was busy trying to understand what he meant so didn't really concentrate on what he said next. He always tell me that. I always don't understand. Prayed and I don't think I finished it.

Alarm rang... I got up, reached for my handphone to shut the alarm. 6 am. It's not my alarm! MARCUS! Get up and shut your alarm! I doze off and my alarm rang within seconds; it felt like seconds.. 7 am. I snoozed. My dad checked my forehead. No more fever! Though a little delirious, I am healed! I had cereals, POST cereals. Mr Post and I share the same birthday you know? Just that he died long before I was even born. That's beside the point. Yes I am healed!

I am actually just healing so I had cereal with warm milk. It sounds wrong and didn't exactly taste right but nevertheless thank God for a near-wonderful breakfast. Waited till 8.30 for transport to arrive. Then went to the driving school and off to Butterworth.. Judgement awaits!
Met a new friend, Avril. Never really thought I'd meet anyone with that name. Well thank God the JPJ fella was really nice and I was last so he seemed too tired to pinpoint my every move.. I missed that moment where I told my evil driving instructor I passed; well, that's for looking down on me, mister! hehe No hard feelings Uncle Rothman. (He didnt even bother to introduce himself & Rothman's is the name of his cigarettes)

I've passed driving! Now with my short term goal achieved, I wanna see my long term goal become reality! I wanna ... (for me 2 know, n u readers 2 find out!) Just gotta brush up on d gear switching and clutch and .. heck I'll drive an automatic.

Sooo.. Yum char anyone?

Lost & Gone Forever..

2005-12-27T23:52:00.000+08:00

A tribute to my Nokia 2600

I didn't bother giving you a name...
In fact, I labelled your batts, your housing; with my name.
It is really a shame...
To loose another like you again.
But if there's one last thing that could be said,
It'll be," I didn't lose you on purpose"
not," Just break down & die in the palms of your abductor!"
You're not the first,but for a second;
I thought you'd be the last.

And to the person who took it,
I saw you on the CCTV,
For fourty-five minutes,
I stared at that blur screen.
Well, may God be mercyful,
For the crime you did,
May the Lord bless you,
Trust me, you'll need it.

Thank you for making my mom loose trust in me again,
Thank you for making my mom snapped at me,
Thank you for making my 2-week camp an uncontactable one,
Thank you for making me feel miserable searching for it,
Thank you for making it a trend to loose a phone annually after big exams.

I hope you're happy I'm depressed.
God bless.
Seriously.

The Sheperd

2005-12-21T13:11:00.000+08:00

One day, one fine evening,

The sheeps went wandering,

Aimless, they went scattering,

All the enemy's doing.

The gates he wrecked open,

The sheeps he chased; beaten,

All for one little reason,

The sheperd's burden be deepened.

The enemy sly and slick,

Out to trick the weak,

A roaring teethless tiger,

The sheperd knew his cover.

The enemy now held by the neck,

But still the sheperd's heart bled,

So the sheperd held back,

He thought bout the sheeps he led.

The enemy he left aside,

To be dealt with another time,

Running, he went outside,

Paying for the enemy's crime.

The sheperd called out,

His voice spreading cross the place,

The sheep recognize his shout,

And return into his embrace.

One, two, three the sheeps came,

Though they all look the same,

He knew them all by name,

And not one, he blamed.

Ninety-eight, ninety-nine,

One sheep was lost in sight,

Hence the sheperd set out to find,

Leaving ninety-nine, to save one in fright.

There in a corner the lost sheep laid,

Hurt and fooled by the enemy's game,

"This is the price meant to be paid",

Sighed the little lost sheep in shame.

At that moment, the sheperd arrived,

By the sight of his sheep he is pleased,

Wounds and scratches he did not mind,

Cause his mission is accomplished.

by Adrienne Lim

Started writing the first few stanzas during one of the lectures at Petronas Orientation Camp.

Yes I was bored, but it made me reminisce on many events.

Yes I wasn't paying FULL attention, but I had no regrets! ;p

And I was always led to Psalms 23... My inspiration is You!

Probability's 1/365

2005-12-09T17:30:00.000+08:00

26th October; after running through the list found on the net, the only people I heard of born on this day are Mr Post (creator of my favourite cereals), Keith Urban (a singer) and Aaron Kwok (yet another singer). The probability of a baby to be born on this day's 1/365 on 1987, and I was born. Oh well, this just reminds me how unimportant probability is... cause as long as there's a possibility; even if 1 in a million, it could happen.

This year, I had a really wonderful birthday celebration. All the messages I received over the cellphone seriously made me feel sooo appreciated. And the surprises kept coming in one by one... Free desserts, free plush toy, big cake! (perhaps a little TOO big.. after giving a quater of it to the people at Bar-B-Q Plaza, still have a quarter)

Best part is, all my silent requests and stuffs I plan to get for myself are given to me! In conclusion, I really had a great time despite having a tough time blowing off those magic relight candles.. The night was spent playing Chor Tai Ti with Debbie, Muhin, Nick and Rae. Yes and my cards were fantasticly good. Hence was my birthday this year!

(Clockwise from right bottom: Zhen Hong, Nick, Kevin, Nick, Vi Vian, Ivan, Dixynn, Rachel, me, BarBQ mascot)

Thank you all, my wonderful friends!

Found this link and found out events that happened on 26th of October along with the people who were borned on that day: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_26

The raindrop's becoming painful... I need to borrow Your umbrella, God.

2005-10-09T23:17:00.000+08:00

Walking in the rain; my secretly cultivated hobby. Since Form 1, I've walked to and fro from Ms Lee's till Form 5. Sometimes, I secretly hoped that it'll rain a little so I could stroll in the drizzle. A couple of times, my wish came true. I remember once it got too heavy and the gentle soft droplets of water turn into heavy raindrops and seriously; it hurts.

I like reading blogs. It makes me look at life in another perspective. The blogger's perspective. And frequently, I reflect on many things regarding my own life. This time around, I'm going through a massive rainfall. I like challenges and responsibilities in small dosages. I felt poisoned now. What happened to my light gentle drizzle?

The one thing I thought I was quite successful in, my studies; it's getting from bad to worse. I can barely understand what the lecturer's teaching, and cause I cannot understand, I'm very demotivated to study. Not to mention how many times I've dozed off during lessons. I'm unable to concentrate. And I don't know where to start studying. HELP!

Masquerade! Paper faces on parade!

Masquerade! Hide your face, so the world will never find you!

Masquerade! Every face a different shade!

Masquerade! Look around - There's another mask behind
you!

Masquerade! Seething shadows breathing lies . . .

Masquerade! You can fool any friend who ever knew you!

(A portion taken from Masquerade by Andrew Lloyd Webber in the Phantom of the Opera)

Why does everyone wear a mask? How have I accidentally take part in a never-ending masquerade? My relationship with people is somehow deteriorating. I find it hard to talk to many. I always find it difficult to articulate my opinions and thoughts. Hypocrisy seems to be the way to go presently. It's so wrong but people are getting away with things simply because they are cunning enough. And they're talented in acting. Maybe I'm just jealous and in denial. I'm not good in seizing opportunities and often make many decisions that lead to regrets. But then again, without those decisions regardless of good or bad, I wouldn't be here. Perhaps it's a matter of accepting life the way it has become. I do not have the power to change the world... Well at least for now..

What's more important is my walk with God. When everything's not right, it means my relationship with God's not right. God, I felt You're so far from me... Father, I really need to feel that refreshing touch from you. I can't study well, can't read the bible well, can't pray well, can't fast well, can't think well... and the list goes on...

I do not know what is ruining my relationship with God but I seriously want back my Heavenly Daddy. He's always there, but I'm unable to relate to Him anymore. But wait, do You want me to go through this phase? Learn to be more independent? YES! I shall continue to wait on God for His promises are true. He said He'll never leave me nor forsake me. I won't too. But God I pray to thank you cause if I were to fall, I know You'll be there to pick me up again. You will be there to share Your umbrella with me when the raindrops get too heavy.

The Alarm Clock Fiasco

2005-09-30T17:49:00.000+08:00

Ti-ti-dit, ti-ti-dit, ti-ti-dit... The sound I most dread every morning... For the past few weeks, I have absolutely no luck dealing with my alarm clock(s). This morning I woke up an hour earlier with the intention of practicing my presentation but after two practices, I got bored by my own presentation and decided to take a 45 minute nap. I set my alarm at 7.50 am. I closed my eyes.. Then I lift my eyelids and it was so bright! I checked my alarm clock and to my horror, it displayed 8.45! My class starts at 9 and I'm the first to go for seminar presentation! I glanced at my other clocks and saw 8.02 am. What? It didn't take me long to realise I set the time to be 7.50, instead of setting the alarm... Well at least I made it on time!

Couple of weeks earlier, I had very little sleep; an average of 3 hours of sleep per day. What have I been doing? Let's just say it's something for me to know and for you to find out! (Hint for myself as my memory's somehow failing: A voluntary Florence Nightingale & Kuli)
More of my own fault that I got myself into this mess. It was one lof the longest week of my life but no regrets at all! Oh anyway, I set my alarm before I slept and without fail, the alarm will fail. I thought I was too exhausted to even hear the ringing but then again I'm a light sleeper. Friday was my Moral Studies exam at 9. Lectures start at 8 daily except for Wednesdays which commence at 9. Miraculously, I made it to college on time everyday. Seriously if I were to depend on my biological alarm clock, I would have slept through college hours everyday. Explaination? God's SAVING grace. I suddenly will wake up exactly 20 minutes before the respective bus leaves. Amazing isn't it? I suddenly reflect a phrase coined by a pastor some time ago, "give God a small teeny weeny jewel and He'll grant you a crown of diamonds" I've paraphrased it.

Then on that Friday morning, I woke up, yup, at 8.05 am; to pack my underclothes which were unable to dry, along with a long list of things to do's... Finally, I had the chance to go back to Penang after many many months. I was supposed to wake up at 6.30!Only then I realised that my alarm have not been ringing for the past week!! I rushed and so wonderfully I managed to catch the bus. There I met Nick Gay (who borrowed my moral notes which XynnXynn wonderfully compiled, Thanks Girl!!) and we did a crash course in moral studies throughout the entire journey to college. It really helped me as 3/4 of what we discussed came out in the paper. Of course it was God who decided to highlight those wonderful stuff for me... Praise God!

Bus to Penang at 4.30 from Pudu,
Current time : 3.45,
Current location : 1-Utama Bowling Alley,
Current important fact : I usually take an hour to reach Pudu Bus Station
Current status : Panic

The brilliant idiot me went to organize a bowling outing for the CF so now I might miss my bus. But luckily Nick Cf was ever so so kind to drop me off at Taman Bahagia LRT station. And God was again so awesome. I didn't have to wait for the traffic to clear. I practically walked without any stop all the way from Masjid Jamek to Pudu. Traffic went to my advantage each road. In short, I reached home safely and told my mum about my failing alarm. She bought me an alarm that cost RM 70 the next day.

Ok. Not that I'm not appreciating the expensive alarm clock. Just that it is simply unnecessary! And prior to the fact she bargained with the coconut seller to get a 40 cent discount. Ugly lil' white thing with 8 buttons on them. Went back to Kota Damansara and guess what? The clock was blank. It died. 3 day old RM 70 lil' ugly thing.

I pressed a button randomly and it worked again. I set the alarm for tomorrow. I could barely remember my own name when I woke up.. And now I have 8 buttons to choose from. Yeap, I couldn't shut the noisiest thing on the face of earth although I'm certain I've pressed all buttons. ARGGHHH! Left it under my pillow and closed my eyes. And it's 15 mins before the bus officially leave me. Yes I am very blessed. In a way.

Oh a bitter sweet experience.. I have so much to write but so little time...
That's all for now. Seriously, trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding and in all your ways, acknowledge him and He'll make your path straight.
(Proverbs 3:5) We serve a real & personal God! Amen!

What Penang can inflict on weak souls... like me

2005-08-29T18:44:00.002+08:00

Sometimes I wonder how bad life can be... But then again, from another angle, life is so wonderful. Thank you God for not giving up on me. Penang's a heaven on earth but hell to my body and spiritual life. Ironic? Let me enlighten you.
Penang, my beautiful (although a bit dirty...) hometown, it has been some time since I last went home. (note: HOME as in "I want to go home" always refers to Island Glades, Penang! never crummy ol' KDU Teratai Court although I'm growing to love it)

It's been only a day since I came back from Penang but I'm missing it already... but then again..
Since I went back, I never read a single passage from the Bible till the night before I went home, Sharon sent me a message. I've fallen asleep in the midst of every prayer I attempted to make.. Such a failure aren't I? Lord, please forgive me! I wasted so much time.. (Darn, Chehcheh, it's a mistake to introduce me to God of War- one of the best Rpg PS2 game I've ever played!!) I've even been fostered by some medium ( the bomoh like personwho goes in a trance ). He's picking on me!! I could have been other family members but NO, I have to be the lucky one! Great so now I'm a "keh-kia" or "anak angkat" to the blasted "deity". But anyway, I've got Jesus! SO, that makes me blessed beyond curses for His promise endures forever!! yeah!
When I came back to Damansara, I lied to my mum. She gave me fare to take the taxi straight from Pudu to KDU Court due to my hefty baggage but I took the LRT instead. That saves me lots! Then again, I lied. Well wasn't exactly a lie... I didnt state clearly... She assumed but by fooling her and making her ASSUME, it's a lie.

Never ASSUME, it makes an ASS out of U and ME!

That was SPIRITUALLY, now it's PHYSICALLY. :) I've never stopped eating and resumed my position in the house as full time couch potato so, too much deposit and too little withdrawal is tangibly bad. (except if I happen to be a bank account, more deposit & less withdrawals sounds great) Yes, I brought back extra baggages (fats & lotsa other stuff) In fact, I packed so much stuff I saw the 1/2 dozen of Nutmeg oil (I promised Xiao Wei I'd get her those) So Penang, food haven? They missed the second fact: Health Hazard!*
*Apply only to gluttons who fail to contain themselves at the sight of that four letter F-word : "FOOD!" In other words.. Me!

Ice-Scrapping: A classic KDU hostel form of entertainment

2005-08-18T16:23:00.000+08:00

Living in KDU Teratai Court (as they call it now) brings out the best as well as the worst from everyone. Due to lack of entertainments and facilities round the area, we (this includes my dear housemates) developed a new one of a kind past time; ICE-SCRAPPING. Well, not that it's our fault, the walls of the freezer get's thicker by the day and before we know it, three quarter of the freezer is left. And before we know it, the lid couln't fit anymore...

"Solution?"
"Remove the ice!"
"How?"
"Errr.. scrape it!"

And yes, at 12 midnight 3 mentally fit girls armed with metal spoons begin to remove the ice by scrapping at first but eventually lose some patience and knock hard on 'em. After about an hour of hard work and laughs, we looked at the new face of the freezer... ahh yesss this is what a refridgerator should look like.

Felt really accomplished...
Felt it was worth the while...
Felt we've done a grand job...

...until we notice a label saying
"Press Button to Defrost"

A Series Of Unfortunate yet Fortunate Events

2005-04-27T18:05:00.000+08:00

Returning to Penang was fun but I never knew the journey back could also be as fun! The bus is scheduled to ajourn at 4.00 pm at Pudu. Now problem is...
"Can I make it on time to the bus station without skipping church?"

"YES!" Alright. Just do it! After church, it was lunch as usual. I lost track of time and before I knew it, my eyes stared in horror at my watch. Congrats, Adrienne, You have exactly 2 hours from now to reach Pudu and you haven't even kept your clothes from the clothesline yet. Lucky for me, another good Samaritan offered to take me to Taman Jaya LRT station.

I rushed again 4 storeys up to chuck in all my clean clothes from the line and 4 storeys down to Yew Jin's car. After we are about to reach the U-turn to get back on the highway, I found out I left my keys n handphone at my hostel... so poor Yew Jin got to do another U-turn back 2 my hostel. So it's another 4 storeys up and down... all for a free ride. It's worth the rush though.

When I reached the LRT station, I bought the tickets then I went up to the platform to wait for the LRT. There I met an Indian woman in her early 30's I suppose. She asked me where will the LRT of this platform head to. I realised this is not Kelana Jaya LRT where it doesn't matter which train you take. Yup as expected, I was on the wrong platform. Thank God I met that woman. We board the LRT to find out we are both coming down at Masjid Jamek. We had a great conversation and I found out she's a microbiologist. She iniates experiments on living creatures and this pains her as well as challenges her religion and morale. Her purpose of going to Masjid Jamek is to get new clothes for her interview. She wanted to get the job of an editor for a text book on microbiology that can be used as reference for up to a degree standard. We share many things in common, we had to abandon our dream to study medicine due to some circumstances. Mine was my depressing biology marks so is her's in a way. She couldn't meet the requirements, missed by a few marks. I admire her knowlegde but mainly I admire her spirit that never gave up to circumstances! Before we went our seperate ways, we exchange names; her name's Kavitha. I've a hunch, we'll meet again! Till then, God bless you Kavitha, I hope you get that job!

I walked to Pudu. Shoulders were aching but oh well had to go on. When I finally reached Pudu, I reluctantly followed up the staircase that I usually use. There seem to be some construction going on.. Yeap! A man, a scavanger with some kinda skin problem carrying a bag filled with aluminium cans told me. He also told me to use another route. Weird thing is that I have sudden faith in a stranger and I understood what he told me. He spoke in Cantonese mind you.

Well, made it into the bus. At about 8+ pm, the bus driver suddenly told us we're running low on diesel. GREAT.. Now what?! 3 consecutive gas stations ran out of diesel. I seriously do not want to be stranded at Ipoh. But hey, God's really wonderful. Again I've been blessed by Petronas. YAY.. I reach home rather late but it's never too late for Eunos Tomyam mee goreng....
Thank God for the wonderful experience and journey mercy!

MOB Camp 2005

2005-04-24T14:30:00.000+08:00

I'm with the MOB; not affiliated with gangs of criminals, nope, don't be mistaken, it's with the Master Of Breakthrough.

Held from 21st till 23rd of April, it has only been 3 days and 2 nights but what I have learned can last me a lifetime. It was funny. Of all days for my alarm to malfunction, it has to be on the morning I am suppose to wake up for camp. It was set at 5.45 am as I had to meet a friend at 6.30 am to take the cab to Summit Hotel Subang Jaya. Somehow, I woke up to find out it's 6.20 am! Rushing like never before I took my bath, shampoo my hair, dry my towel, continue packing my stuff for camp... in 15 minutes. It was a crazy but lucky start.

Reached the hotel a little too early. No one around so we waited at the lobby. Waited and waited. "Oh, God did we get the right place? I pray I meet someone I know so we could follow to the church and ..." before I could finish, I saw Jonathan. I barely knew 5 people from Acts and I met him. But actually it was the cameras that made me recognise him... haha so made it to church and thus begin the journey to Bayu Beach Resort of Port Dickson.

I was blur. Left my backpack on the bus so thank God to some good Samaritan I have it back on my back. Had the briefing and I was in Group Whanau. Whanau; family in Maori. Our nametag's fuschia in colour and it's worn like a loin cloth... yes that was our identity throughout the camp... During the group activities, I could really feel the spirit of a team. The people were all really nice. Not to mention outstanding in character as well. Thinking of our cheer still made me giggle.
The speaker, Rev. Dr Philip Lyn from Skyline Church was fantastic. His message was conveyed very clear and it really pierce me. Made me realise a lot of things. His testimonies were very inspiring and in a way, made me feel really good bout myself... hehe I have power! He's also very energetic and enthusiastic... irony is.. He's 52! I tell you, standing beside him made me feel 60! Apart from Dr Philip, Vionita, my Power Group leader is very inspiring herself. Her battle is an inspirition in my life; we have the same obstacle... family objection. But she made that leap of faith and now she's having a tough time but she definitely had her breakthrough.

This camp thought me stuff you can't learn from books and by yourself.. but because a foundation was laid for me through this camp, I think I can develop this. Then again, I still need lots of support and guidance but I know my Lord will take me across.

He brought me to it, now He will bring me through it! Thank you Acts Church! Little have you known this camp is truly a blessing in my life! Thank you God for teaching me so much in this short period of time! AMEN!