picnic pix 23 June 2007

long overdued picnic pix wif my simmies! :)





















































































































He, to me, is an icon of Labrador Park. i like him. :)

the quay sights

momentary snippets

Holland V 27 June




















Pacific Coffee catch up 28 June

the pursuit of happyness

i just finished watching a movie 'The Pursuit of Happyness'.
it's such a touching show, adapted from a true story.
the love of a parent and the will to succeed and survive.
his hard work did pay off. for the sake of himself and his son. he made it. he slogged.
his son trusted him no matter wad. no matter how ignorant/naive/innocent the young boy may be given his age, he still trusted his dad. his life was in his dad's hands.
his wife however, didnt know how to trust her husband anymore. she left san fran where they lived to go to new york to seek a new life and a new job.
she, on the other hand, cudnt trust her husband. she didnt wanna stick ard.
it is tough i can imagine. to entrust ur heart and life to ur significant other.
however, isnt tt how love is?
mysterious and risky. being in love is a gamble. it is all abt managing risks.
can u manage it?
it is not abt controlling or dictating. it's abt compromising and supporting.
would you support ur husband if there shud be a problem in his life?
would you stick ard? or would you choose to escape?
decisions decisions decisions. choosing to stick ard is easier said than done, esp in down periods, definately.
but do remember, it was a choice u made to marry that person in the 1st place. thru thick and thin, happy times and sad, in sickness and health.
the movie did help me realise smthg. loving unconditionally is really really difficult. cos inevitably, everyone is selfish. whether we like it or not, face it, we are humans afterall, narcissistic individuals.

think about this...
how hard is it for a person to be happy?
does happiness = contentment?

how do you know when you are truly happy?
how does one measure happiness?
does success = happiness?

wad is your happiness, what is your idea of happiness and how do you think you will go about achieving it?
smthg to think about perhaps...

as time and life passes swiftly by, there's alot of things and pple we often take for granted. intentionally or unintentionally.
it is difficult to make sense of it all. esp when most of us are always caught up with our own lives, interests, committment and responsibilities.
the inner battle begins when we stop admist our busy schedules and start reflecting; looking back into things that were said and done.
that's also when reality sets in and possibly regrets and emotions.

so much for carpe diem - seize the day...
how much of it can we truly seize?
how many of us actually believe in conducting reality checks from time to time?
and who do we choose to assist us with that?

some pple think they can jolly well do it themselves, but really, can they?
i always believe that we need a 3rd person's perspective. not just our own.
who are we to judge anybody, let alone ourselves.
both micro and macro perspectives are an integral part of our entire "vision" or mentality.
both are equally important and we must ensure nvr to leave any one of them out.
that is why we need another person, a close fren, someone we can trust in confidence and all honesty to not judge or betray us, to help & guide us thru our thot process/flow.

some may question, wads the pt of thinking so much? just live and let live rite?
well my answer to that is, thinking is a way of learning. a way of self-improvement. a way to grow and a way to satisfy doubts/queries.
im sure everyone wants to work towards the betterment of themselves isnt it?
i heard this statement last nite, it is not a direct quote. but it goes smthg like this: everyone can pull off an average/be an average; but it takes effort to be at either extreme ends of the spectrum.
i cant help but agree. this is so evident in our society tdy.

well, enough rambling for me.
as usual im jus "penning" my thots.

with a picnic basket

im off to have picnic wif classmates tmr morn at Labrador Park!
im sure it'll be fun! wad a nice hide out.
jus hope the weather will be on our side! not too hot/scorching and pls dun rain!
gotta wake up early to prepare sandwiches. so im off to bed after posting this!

my time table for the coming sem is out. 3 mods. dats it.
but my weeks look pack ahead. gotta have gd time mgmt.
so i foresee that i would have to sit down and start planning proper by this coming monday.

it's an exiciting few mths ahead. i wonder wad's instore for me.
jus hope and pray all will go well and end well.

happy weekend all! :)

good reads

i find myself being a wee bit crazy over story books these days.
i think this shall be my new hobby! *chuckles*

found myself walking into MPH one fine day wif qin-a-lings and we spent quite a while in there scouting for good reads.
i made a not-so-surprising discovery abt my girlfren. she completes a novel in like a few days! when i say a few days i mean like 2 - 3 days! like crazy rite? mayb thats why she was in GEP and not me. haha.

she can read real fast man. its scary.
well thats cause i read real SLOW.
slower then my cuzy and definately much slower then most.
omg! maybe im dyslexic! hmmmm.. i've always sucked big time at math and i read/study super slow. so that's where i draw my conclusion. haha.

anyohow... yup so i have a few story books currently which have not been read. i'm three quads thru my latest buy frm Times. 'Simply Irresistable' is the title. indeed it has been. it's easy to read. every detail and adjective used is so descriptive and they become so vivid.
absolutely love it! :)
and i must say the story is touching and erm pretty sexual... haha. abt lust, relationships and such.

i'm looking forward to the ending! will be meeting my darling cuzy tmr for a "reading" session which we postponed frm the last time.
looking forward to complete this read. =)

i also came across this book by Paulo Coelho - The Witch of Portobello.
hope i can get my hands on it.
others also such as 'Golfing with God' by Roland Merullo
Jodi Picoult's - My Sister's Keeper, Vanishing Acts, Second Glance, Mercy

i must go get clear wrap to wrap my paperback books! shall do that tmr!
well i shall save up for these books! :)

im jus hoping my enthusiasm for reading doesnt fizzle out! keep it going! woohoo!
reading is fun! esp nw tt im on hols! keep myself occupied.

so peeps, try picking out a gd read. it will help keep you grounded and take ur mind of the harsh realities of life from time to time. steal time away from our busy schedules jus to be by ourself and quietly read or adopt a reading buddy. how awesome is that.

double standards

i hate pple who practice double standards.
God, pls help my mum to stop doing this to me.

I Will

my new cousin-in-law sang this song below to his bride (my cousin)
super duper touching man.
he sings not bad. must give him lotsa credit for courage and effort! :)
but really, this song is very nice.
lyrics below are from The Beatles apparently..
a few other singers did a cover of it too.
but i like it olllll' skooolllll ;)

Who knows how long I've loved you
You know I love you still
Will I wait a lonely life time
If you want me to I will

For if I ever saw you I didn't catch your name
But it never really mattered
I will always feel the same

Love you forever and forever
Love you with all my heart
Love you whenever we're together
Love you when we're apart

And when at last I find you
Your song will fill the air
Sing it loud so I can hear you
Make it easy to be near you
For the things you do endear you to me
And you know I will
I will
Ooo, la

Congratulations to Mr. Dalton Tay!

since such a situation will never happen to me,
i shall take this opportunity to congratulate Sir Daltz!
this is indeed something to be proud of!
so happy for u la sir daltz!
job well done!

you are right when you say never keep your hopes up too high, else the disappointment may be too hard to handle. you are righto man!

great statement.

nevertheless, seriously man,
dude, great job! so happening la you! kudos to you!
First Class Honours is YOURS!!!! woohoo!

next step, PhD!!!! rock on sir daltz! you study and research your life away ya! ;)
for now just enjoy your long awaited Europe trip ya! :)

awesome warm chocolate cake

as you can see from their faces, or maybe not.
the warm chocolate cake was seriously awesome.
i shall try baking one someday!
warm chocolate cake wif good old fashion vanilla ice cream.
comfort food indeed. all thanks to the good pple at the mind cafe.
twas great hanging out with the gang as always... love ya all!

my eye candies

they make my heart skip a beat. haa!
arent they all so handsome?
ooh.. lovely lovely. *swoons*

The Holy Trinity Sunday

02 June 2007 - Alison's wedding

Church wedding service at Holy Grace Church along East Coast Rd.
the pastor, i must say, young and dynamic. i was impressed with his homily.
the parable/story he chose frm the bible was the first sign that Jesus performed in His life at the wedding in Cana.

last evening during mass, Fr. John Chua's homily was truly smthg to think abt.
this weekend is Holy Trinity Sunday. God the father, Son - our Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
they make up The Holy Trinity.
God knew we man were born to be tangible creatures. therefore he chose Mary to give birth to a human, Jesus. God in human form. the one and only baby born without original sin.
as we know, we cant see God, for if we do see God we will die. so how do we know that God truly exists? my experience with God started back in primary sch. as young as i was. i always thot it was so nice to be at mass. all the students will gather in the hall and the priest will be there to celebrate mass. it was nt only an escape frm class time. but also a time to know more abt God.
morning prayers and hymns sung after recess. altho i nvr quite understood its significance. i did however know tt it was somewhat sacred. like a special time.

as we all know, the Christian faith is indeed mystical.
it is smthg that is beyond science and all human logic and understanding.
how does one call himself a Christian den?

is it jus pure faith?
there are some pple who really go all out to find out the truth about Christianity and the facts behind the mystery.
however, God is really infinite. he's so "big" and complex.
so how does anyone propose he/she finds out ALL abt Him?

books can only tell you so much, wad abt real life accounts/experiences?
we learn in school that our text books and 10yr series are just practices and guide books.
we still need to go thru the whole process of creative learning and sit thru our exams by ourselves. only then can we really say that we've experienced wad it's like to sit for PSLE or O Levels isnt it?

life is always abt experiences. books arent everything. they arent the gospel truth.
ironic isnt it? sometimes some pple are jus too logical therefore they cant comprehend the immense information abt the Christian faith. it just seems too illogical to them.
these are the kind of pple that needs the real life experience with God.
in fact the truth is i believe most of us do.

seeing is believing. that's wad Thomas said.
but wad God wants us to know is Believing is seeing.
how many of us can truly do that?
i can safely say for myself that i do not know much abt Jesus, his miracles or his life story. i shud be quite ashamed of myself in tt aspect. fancy calling myself a Christian/Catholic but i hardly pray the rosary, read the bible or lead a very Christ-like life.
but wad i do hold true to myself is my experiences with God.
thru my brokeness, happiness, sadness, weeping and growing. He's the only one that's been constant. God has worked wonders in my life. just when i thot all hope is gone. He'll always be there to lend a helping hand and see me thru wadever ordeal i might be facing in life.
i believe that God doesnt give us challenges in life too great for us to handle.
all we need to do is believe in Him and pray to Him. seek guidance and wisdom from above.
prayers can move mountains. but do you believe?

why must man be so selfish? why do we have to be so full of ourselves?
why do most of us find it so hard to swallow our own pride?
if Jesus can be so humble, why cant we? really, why cant we?
why do we scold others, blame others or get angry?
remember that when u point a finger at others, 4 other fingers are pointing right back at yourself.

pride, greed, anger, resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, vengefulness, hatred, hurt, grief, selfishness.
do u possess any of these in your heart?
if u do, it is time to let it/them go.
when you have all these in your heart, you definately have no room for God.
it is only when u know how to love and respect yourself, then only can u share this love and respect with others.
everyone suffers setbacks in life. both great and small. but remember, wadever doesnt kill us, makes us stronger. we will always come out a stronger person.
once we are at peace with our inner being, we will be at peace with others.
slowly but surely.

the journey of self-discovery is long and arduous.
but it is up to us to see ourself thru it.

dont live ur life for others.
live it for yourself, so that others can see and know that you make a difference.

guess who's back!

announcing the arrival of my cuzy john. he arrive Spore ard 6am on 2 June just to make it in time for his sister's wedding! how sweet! best part is he's having his exams the following monday!

all the best cuz! God will make a way for u i'm sure.

he is the silly-est ding dong in the entire universe who loves to humiliate me! -_-

Claud's birthday

date: friday - 25 may 2007

destination: Holland V

agenda: Claudia's birthday

but the following pix are random.. taken when i was erm.. bored? haa.

but look at the family of beers! so cute rite the glasses! :) esp the baby heineken!

on the left is baby heineken. it is apparently half pint.




































extreme left is half pint erdinger. happy family.

Volleyball Tournament at Siloso

thursday - 24 May 2007
Thanks to dearest cuzy, she bought us tickets to catch the tournament at Siloso beach.
part bonding part watching part tanning part bitching session.
haha. our usual...
so here are some random shots i caught during the exciting match between Cuba and Italy.
i must say it was an experience to be there.. just catching a live tournament.
actually i shud go catch a local soccer match.. maybe tampines rovers vs SAF or smthg? =X haa.
it will be cool im sure. smthg different.. :)




yup so thanks cuz for this volleyball watching experience! =o)













Cuba vs. Italy!

paging for...

*ting tong*
this is an announcement service...
if u have ANY lost and found enquiries or require ANY general information,
pls call Lydia at any time, on any day.
she will be at your service at no extra charge and no service fee!
thank you for your kind attention. have a good day!
*ting tong*

HR Grp Assignment

so apparently SIM released our HR group assignment results yesterday...
and as usual, my trusty efficient buddy uncle chan, checked it before i did,
even tho i faithfully log into my student portal everyday to ensure that i see the results firsthand.
thanks alex. ure so effi la!

yup. so anyway. the grade wasnt wad i expected.
it is still better den nthg.

nonetheless, great job guys!
thanks for the hard work and effort!

now i can only hope my overall wont be as disappointing.
*keeping my fingers crossed*

cuzy grace

dedicated to my dearest cousin Grace

this cousin of mine is not merely just a cousin,
she is also my pillar of strength, best friend, confidante, soul mate,
cheerleader, partner-in-crime, study buddy, school mate, neighbour, supper-scouts,
food-loving partner, shopping associate, beach bum, bright sunshine.
the chemistry and telepathy we share is exclusively ours.
such camaraderie is specially unique. one of its kind. rare.
nuff said. she has been, is and will always be a big part of me.

Cuzy, here's to a great life ahead!

Cheers to Dan

here's to our 11th year of friendship babe!

thanks for always being there for me.

esp thru all the whining and crying,

kicking and fussing,

outings and smokings,

scoldings and screamings,

nagging and crapping,

lateness and rushing/copying homework,

bitching and bad chinese,

copying 'ting xie'/'mo xie',

days at the coffeeshop and blk 51,

hanging out at parkway, TM, town wif the AC boys,

chalets and late nites,

pubs and clubs,

drinking and singing,

guiding days and campfires,

teenage angst and rashness,

being naive and silly,

cursing and swearing,

throwing chairs and banging tables & doors,

boys and toys,

relationships and problems,

cheerleading and dancing,

making a nuisance of ourselves,

birthday parties and presents,

the list goes on... haa.

babe, this is what 11 yrs of frenship has brought us thru.

i love you!

from truly UNGLAM days of yester yrs,

with john at the background always acting cool,

along with our dearest Prisssss!

to where we are now... look at that... how loving we are!

Dan, thanks for our 11 years of friendship.

you'll always be a very dear friend of mine. always.

Grand Canyon

Some pictures I took at the Grand Canyon. was trying to maximise the memory space, thus the low resolution and heavily pixelised quality... but just thought i'd share the magnificent Grand Canyon sights with everyone...











in awe of the canyon's beauty and colours, i stood before it speechless while wintry winds breezed past. the wondrous work of nature in all its glory. i couldnt be more thankful for the opportunity to be there.

Boston

another one of a more commonly played song tt i've been listening to:

Boston by Augustana

in the light of the sun, is there anyone? oh it has begun...
oh dear you look so lost, eyes are red and tears are shed,
this world you must've crossed...you said...

you don't know me, you don't even care,
you don't know me, you don't wear my chains...

essential and appealed, carry all your thoughts across
an open field,
when flowers gaze at you...they're not the only ones who cry
when they see you
you said...

you don't know me, you don't even care,
you don't know me, you don't wear my chains...

she said i think i'll go to boston...
i think i'll start a new life,
i think i'll start it over, where no one knows my name,
i'll get out of california, i'm tired of the weather,
i think i'll get a lover and fly em out to spain...
i think i'll go to boston, i think that i'm just tired
i think i need a new tow, to leave this all behind...
i think i need a sunrise, i'm tired of the sunset,
i hear it's nice in the summer, some snow would be nice...
boston...where no one knows my name...

uncanny isnt it?

heart of the matter

the lyrics of this song speaks for itself.
expressive and thought evoking.

Heart of The Matter by Don Henley

I got the call today, I didn't wanna hear
But I knew that it would come
An old true friend of ours was talkin' on the phone
She said you found someone
And I thought of all the bad luck,
And the struggles we went through
And how I lost me and you lost you
What are these voices outside love's open door
Make us throw off our contentment
And beg for something more?

I'm learning to live without you now
But I miss you sometimes
The more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I knew, I'm learning again
I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

These times are so uncertain
There's a yearning undefined ...
People filled with rage
We all need a little tenderness
How can love survive in such a graceless age
The trust and self-assurance that can lead to happiness
They're the very things we kill, I guess
Pride and competition cannot fill these empty arms
And the work I put between us,
Doesn't keep me warm

I'm learning to live without you now
But I miss you, Baby
The more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I figured out, I have to learn again
I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter
But everything changes
And my friends seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

There are people in your life who've come and gone
They let you down and hurt your pride
Better put it all behind you; life goes on
You keep carrin' that anger, it'll eat you inside

I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter
Because the flesh will get weak
And the ashes will scatter
So I'm thinkin' about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

music & lyrics

when both are combined, they bring about immense amounts of emotions.

17 May 2007

A 1129.

the end of 'for one more day'

i've finished reading "for one more day"
i love the story. i love the way its written.
and i'm glad i read it.
this is the first book that i've completed reading this fast.

now that i'm done with this book. it is now something to think about.

wonder what my next book shall be...

prayer on tree

carve a prayer on a tree, because trees spend all day looking up at God.

Mitch Albom's 'for one more day' has indeed made me blink back tears of nostalgia.
this third book of his that i'm reading hasnt failed me touch my heart and soul.
it helps keep me rooted in the belief of a mother's eternal love for her child.
it is so heart warming and wrenching as it speaks truth of how children even during the 60s treat their parents. esp their mums. it is evidently so up till today.
teenagers get embarrassed by their mums. at some point in time, we wished we never had parents or mums to nag at us. because we fail to understand their importance. as kids, we often stick to our parents as a source of comfort and familiarity..
as we move on to becoming teenagers, we seek to find our own identity, friends, boyfrens, groups. we crave for attention by outsiders and peers.
then we progress on to becoming late teens.. story of our lives...
as we age in our life cycle, inevitably, we gain increasing amounts of responsibility, pressure and stress. from both internally and externally. and of cos parents are always such nags. they always think they know whats best for you. but the truth is, they sometimes fail miserably at trying to be objective. that sucks. because it just frustrates us and makes us angry.
but like i said... story of our lives.
just make the most of it.

peace to you.

stars

i wish i could be lying on a field staring up into the midnight sky of stars and moon,
along with the soft, comforting dewy smell of the night,
to help me unwind and be at peace with myself and my surroundings.

if only the human mind could be a tad less complex.
being simple minded should not be something that today's society frowns upon.

far far away

could someone take me away from this place?

wad a pain.

even my mum is being a pain at home.
wad is wrong man?
is it really murphy's law at work here?

why do i always have to take the fall when it's not even my fault?
i hate it.

i hate being blamed for things i didnt do.

i hate her attitude.
why do i deserve that? i didnt even do anything!
stay home also wrong, go out also wrong.
wad the f*** la seriously.
i'm so sick of all these.
it's so frustrating.

cant pple talk nicely anymore?
wad is with the 'whole jumping to conclusions before finding out the truth'?
its damn annoying do u noe that?

den again who cares. my mum sure as hell doesnt.