Monday, August 9, 2010

Layang-Layang!


Kite Flying at Marina Barrage was a success! Everyone had fun!
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It has been a looong time since I last fly a kite! And I enjoy reliving my childhood days... Haha! :)

Some simple kite flying tips...
1. Find an unobstructed spot to fly
So that your string will not entangle with the neighbours' easily

2. Invest in better kites!
So that they can withstand the strong wind

3. Get string extension (preferably the roller kind)
So that the kites can easily fly higher & further!
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Have a good time flying your layang-layang! (kite in Malay lang)

Monday, July 26, 2010

Barefooted


It was a beautiful Wed morning!
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After an early rest the night before, I was all ready for work!

Due to the peak hour traffic, Dhoby Ghaut MRT station was very crowded as usual.
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As I happily got into the cabin, I felt a kick on my sandal.

Lo and behold...

A guy accidentally kicked my sandal away!
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It did not fly and land on the platform. But, before our very eyes, saw it slip through the platform gap and drop into the seemingly "bottomless pit"!!!

Three seconds later, the train door closed.

"O man...!!!" I muttered under my breath, and not wanting to make a scene.

What am I going to do next?

I can't possibly stagger my way to the office!
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Think! Think! Think!... Think quick on my feet!
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An idea came!
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I gracefully bended forward, reached out for my surviving sandal and slipped it gently into my bag.

A while later, the lift door opened....

All right Joanne... 1, 2, 3... Here goes...

I walked nonchalantly... on the cold, hard ground. I walked fast, trying to keep pace with the fast-moving crowd while hoping not to bump into anyone familiar.
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Traffic was "sardine-packed" and most people were looking up ahead rather than staring at the ground!

Thank God my black pants was also long enough to conceal my naked feet!


A 3-min walk seems like eternity... I finally reached 7-11 and bought a pair of $2.90 slippers before continuing my journey to the office.

Phew! What a morning!

But I was determined not to let it spoil my day. Thankfully, the day turned out to be a highly productive day one!

For the 1st time, I appreciate the warning signal...
"Please mind the platform gap... Ti Ti Ti Ti..."

"I have never... walked in CBD,
felt the cold ground beneath my feet...
but under noooo choice,
I receive the faith to walk bare-fooooo-ted..."

Monday, June 7, 2010

My Church, My Family!

As I stepped into Jared & Jerb’s place for camp meeting on Sat, the hearty chat among the leaders simply lifted my spirit.

Shing’s encouraging smile gave a boost too!

Shortly, the lot went for lunch while I stayed back to update some changes in the camp program.

It was nice to work in the study room while listening to CHC’s “Reign” album.

Track 6 “Out of My Hands” is especially ministering during the time when I need it the most!

The truth is… My new work as a Personal Banker has been weighing my heart.

Well… Colleagues are nice and the environment is like a family.

The problem is… there are many new financial technicalities and market mechanisms that I need to grasp quickly. I have my helpless moments when customers are right in front of me, asking some product questions but the two-week old me can’t offer that immediate help and my colleagues are all on their hand phones, entertaining to different enquiries from customers!

Having said that, I guess I am my biggest obstacle!

If you do not know, I am quite a perfectionist and demand a lot from myself. To avoid that unnecessary stress... Perhaps, I should just take one step at a time and learn to R~E~L~A~X…

Coming back… When I was touched by the song, Jerb happened to come out from her room and gave a warm & loving “Hi Joanne!”

Caught unaware, I quickly rolled back my tear, hoping that the sharp Jerb will not spot anything. But I doubt so as my sniffle seems to give me away.

I went into the study room and continued with the editing.

A while later, bubbly Amber reached. She popped into the room and let out a chirpy “Hi!” and as usual, almost narrated her day’s happening but decided to change target after catching “DND” signals from me. Hee…

And there was Innocent Jerb in her room, trying to get ready for service when Amber conveniently knocked on closed door (I wouldn't do this… :p), candidly said “Hi” and spontaneously greeted Baby J as well! After which, she went on rattling her “Rapture” story… That’s our Amber!

What about me? In the room with my eyes fixed on the screen, trying to put the pieces together…. What a familiar sight isn’t it? Haha…

Shortly, the group returned from lunch and meeting started with some serious talk from Jared about changes in camp. Not long later… Our discussion deviated to some funny jokes and we gotta discipline ourselves to be back on track once again…

Joker Joseph then arrived and brought the atmosphere to another high with his forever-direct and exaggerating jokes!

See how diverse our personalities are... But yet, one of the strengths in ET zone is our UNITY!

We go through thick & thin together and share our lives like a family!

I like what Pastor Phil Pringle meant… The church is not built on one man or one woman alone but by you and I whose love & unity CEMENT this house together.

Even when the church is going through a rough patch recently, the members continue to unite our hearts, gather in the weekly services, praise and worship God, serve Him & people, out from a GENUINE HEART.

I can’t help but to think of Pastor Kong and the immense pressure he is facing.

All he wants is to love God and add value to people’s lives… but there are many adversaries.

Here is a man who has always been very strict with himself, physically and spiritually. Just take a look at his Before & After physique! And sense his conviction to make up a even a day of fast when he needed to end his long fast earlier.

My heart goes out for my beloved pastor!

If you have seen his toil, you simply can’t bring yourself to utter anything bad about him.

I love Pastor Kong, I love CHC, I love ET zone!

Come join us with an OPEN MIND and you will understand what I mean.

A caution... We are NOT PERFECT people (putting hand on heart). We are just in the progress of learning how to work things out...

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Cough! Cough!

I have been having a persistent cough for the past one week...
The uncontrollable coughing has been sending "tremors" in the office *Pai Seh*
Needa total healing!!! Help!!!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

My 1st Brother!

Have I told you I have two elder brothers? And I’m the youngest in the family?

My 1st brother is called Keng Chye aka “阿强”.

He is a visually-handicapped person who has been blind since a tender age of three.

Lunch

We live together but I seldom get to see him during weekdays cos by the time I reach home, he’s already sound asleep.

Saturday is the only day I can spend some quality time with him.

Last Saturday, we went out for lunch.

In the earlier days, I disliked bringing him out.

He always walks BEHIND me… and even when I slow down, he will still walk BEHIND me.

After a while, I become uncomfortable as I need to turn my head 180 degree each time to talk to him.

Once, I snapped “Can you don’t always walk BEHIND me? Walk BESIDE me!”

To please me, he clumsily quickened his footsteps but a minute later, he was behind me again…

Walking

I figure out he cannot help it.

He needs to catch a faded image of me in front so as to follow my trail. Otherwise, he is unsure how safe is the unknown territory in front of him.

I have to accept the fact that my brother will not walk beside me.

Do you know he is not angry when I shout at him? Instead, he was pretty apologetic about walking too slowly…

Guilt crept into my heart. I was really rude. There and then, I repented and said a quick sorry to him. But, my kind bro was not even offended in the 1st place.

When I was in my teens, I used to find it awkward to walk together with him because his stiff and unaided movements often draw curious stares from passers-by who will unreservedly scan him and us from top to toe, and TOE TO TOP… I hate that.

As I grow older, I accepted the fact that people naturally look because my brother stands out from the rest.

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I must say… God is still fair.

Despite his sight disability, he is blessed with very long legs!

Do you see the drain?

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Whenever we meet such drains, I will often be the GPS cautioning…

“ Drain ahead ”

“ Be careful of steps "

He will then SPREAD his long legs and STRIDE across the gap!

My heart oftens miss a BEAT when I see him do that. What if he misses?

Well well… Either God is watching over him, or he is just too skillful. Till date, he has not fallen into any hole. =_=’

Last weekend… I was entrusted with a project to set up bowling booth at S3 Fiesta!

To create that party mood, I decided to use some balloons as decor!

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Roped in my brother’s help to sort the colors...

WAIT A MIN Joanne… What did you say? Ask your bro to sort the colors?

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YES! Something to be thankful for… my brother can still differentiate colors!

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done

Ta da!!!

Taking a closer look… you would have noticed there are different shades of color!

As such, his perfectionist sis, yours truly, decided to get him FURTHER sort out the colors.

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That’s better… 

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and the next day… these balloons contributed to….

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His reward? We had fun trying out the game!!!

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I’m really PROUD of my brother- a responsible and easily-contented man- someone who simply has no agenda…

Do you know he does a lot of house chores at home?  Ermm………MORE than me, much to my mum’s disgruntlement…

It’s ok… I will gladly let my brother win

Compared to his friends, he is already considered fortunate.

One of his friends can neither see nor hear.

Try closing your eyes and covering your ears…

What is the world to you?

Love gives that SPECIAL TOUCH!

No wonder Hellen Keller says….

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart.”

When I was a little girl… I used to hear this familiar melody from his toy piano…

JESUS- LOVES- ME

YES- I- KNOW

FOR- THE- BIBLE- TELLS- ME- SO

LITTLE- ONES- TO- HIM- BELONG

THEY- ARE- WEAK- BUT- HE- IS- STRONG

YES- JESUS- LOVES- ME…

YES- JESUS- LOVES- ME

YES- JESUS- LOVES- ME…

FOR- THE- BIBLE- TELLS- ME- SO

I really love my bro….

Ending off with my “PHOTO OF THE YEAR 2009”!

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(one of my few siblings’ photo… This was taken durg food-tasting at Conrad…. A very treasured piece!)

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Monday, February 8, 2010

B & B

The cg went for basketball and badminton after service yesterday!

Uncle Star, Aunt Betty and Aunt Irene spontaneously joined us and their hidden talent in badminton were discovered by the cg!!!

To our surprise, Aunt Irene was formerly a school team player!

The trio mentioned they had not touched this sport for 20+ years!

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We had a GOOD TIME at the court yesterday!

I really treasure and thank God for such synergy and unity in cg!

Court

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

“My World My Blog”

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Channel U launched an info entertainment programme “My World My Blog” aka “青涩部落格”

It captures true stories of youth growing up, baring their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, needs and wants.

My friend Edward Fan, your “ 豹哥” in Easter 09 drama

Edward Fan

and “King Herod” in the recent Xmas 09 drama,

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has a little role to play in this week’s 4th episode “Dream Catcher”

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You can read more about the synopsis here

Do catch “My World My Blog” aka “青涩部落格”at 9:30p.m. tomorrow, Channel U!

“Never despise the days of small beginnings…”