31 August 2005

Today our country celebrates its 48th year of independence. Reading through my friend's blogs, no one has yet mentioned anything about "merdeka" (with the exception of Alvin), so I guess I'll add my two pennies worth.

Am I a patriotic person? Much as i would like to be, I hardly ever think about this issue, except at this particular time every year. Especially now, when all the patriotic songs are playing over the media, I can't help but get this warm fuzzy feeling thinking about the fact that I'm proud to be a Malaysian. Think about it. We are blessed indeed. We have been spared from wars, natural disasters and diseases which have taken the lives of so many people from neighbouring countries. Up until lately, that is. However, what we've experienced from the tsunami, haze, SARS, bird flu, the hike in fuel prices etc. is only a fraction of what others have suffered.

Above all, we're blessed to be able to worship God freely with no restrictions. Only today, the paper highlighted that the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) held prayers to remember our nation's independence. Others in countries such as China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and a host of others have suffered and even been martyred just to be able to tell others about Jesus.

We Malaysians have been too comfortable and complacent all this while. Looking at what others have gone through to share the good news of the gospel, we should really get off our rears and start doing something about it. With or without realising it, all the events that have hit our country in recent years can be likened to little electric jolts from God, telling us that it's time to wake up and realise that we are not really safe, even in our little piece of heaven here in Malaysia. As pastor put it, " No one is really safe till they are saved".

This Merdeka let us reflect on our lives thus far, and see how we can bless others the way God has blessed us and blessed our country. It's time to give back to others when we have received so much. It is our mission and our ministry as Malaysian Christians.

Karaoke blues

Just this past Monday, a friend of mine had a birthday, so a bunch of us (or rather, he) decided to go to Redbox to celebrate with him there. Bearing in mind that it was a weekday night, the guy who arranged for us to go out (he was the 'Ahmad" of the day) promised that we would be back early as all of us had to work the next morning. The initial idea was to wait till midnight to wish the birthday boy happy birthday (his birthday was actually on Tuesday), after which we would leave and head home, latest by 1 am. I reached home at 3 in the morning.

Having said that, we did have an enjoyable time. As a general rule, I'm pretty shy and dislike hogging the limelight. Thus the microphone was hardly with me, despite the badgering from my friends to "faster choose your song!" I've since realised that most people don't really care if they can carry a tune or not. It was all I could do to keep from laughing when my friend repeatedly began all his songs off-key or in a different pitch.

Which brings to mind another topic, rather off-tangent, but related nonetheless. I now know why those folks on American Idol or Malaysian Idol even bother joining the competition when their rendition of songs is enough to turn the composers in their graves. Somehow they're disillusioned by the fact that they can actually sing. To their own ears they sound great, but pity those other poor folks that have to bear with their singing. So it's not really a matter of being thick-skinned or whatever, but they actually think they're good at what they do.

Coming back to Redbox, I did reluctantly take the mike probably once in every 10 songs, after further hassling from my friends. Fortunately for me, after a while they got too engrossed to bother about me anymore, so I busied myself with the coke and kacang. Looks like I won't be getting an invitation to anymore karaoke birthdays anytime soon.. :p

Monday already!

I take back what I said in my earlier post. The "long week ahead" has gone by in a blur. I can't believe it's already Monday. And Monday means back to work, sigh... How nice it was those couple of weeks that I could sleep in until noon.

I wish this was a longer post, but I'm too sleepy... my eyes can barely open... *yawn* I'll just have to blog another day...

Long week ahead

I forsee it's going to be a long week. I've just come from reading a couple of my friend's blogs and it seems that everyone is still rather blue that Joel has left. Funny isn't it, how one single individual could have made such an impression on other peoples' lives? Well, what can I say? I did wish that he didn't have to leave on a Monday...makes for a dreary week. They don't call it Monday blues for nothing. Joel has been and always will be a dear friend. I will miss him.

Also, today my significant other has left for Bangkok on a working trip. I'm supposed I've been so used to seeing him almost every day, so today was rather strange for me to go out and run errands and get dinner by myself. I suppose I'll have to get used to it, though, if his job plans on sending him outstation or overseas more. I'm going to miss him too. However, I've already managed to overcome this by planning my week. Today I'm supposed to do laundry, tomorrow wash the bathroom, and on Thursday clean the floors, so that I'll have a spick and span home to host cell group on Friday.

The whole plagiarism mess has finally been cleared up. What a relief. I hate being at odds with people.

Well, there is plenty more that I'd like to say, but the laundry beckons...sigh...

Retaliation

I feel mortally offended. It's past 2 am after a long, excruciating day, but I don't think I can sleep till I have posted this. I have been accused of something that I was not even aware that I have done. I have been accused of plagiarism.

Okay, here's the long and short of it. I was really impressed with a blog of a certain friend of mine, particularly the music on a radio station on it, and I told him so. So thereafter I always made a habit of visiting his blog whenever I could. I had no idea that I could even copy or paste or whatever...(refer to the post about me being clueless). Then one fine day, as I was chatting with another friend, he asked me if I would like the html code for that particular radio station so I could post it on my blog. I didn't ask him where he got it from, assuming that he was more "computer-conversant", which was probably my fault. Anyway, so I happily put it on my blog, ending up in my being accused of plagiarism...sigh... Worse still, it was plastered all over the chat boxes of various blogs. In the spirit of things, I could have said that talking about it amounted to defamation i.e. when you accuse someone of something without getting the facts straight. I think this is what rather upset me, even more so than the plagiarism itself. I always believe that if you have an issue with someone, you should discuss it with that particular person first rather than spread it around to everyone else.

Anyhow, it has since been removed and I just wanna apologize to my friend for "cheesing him off" as he put it. It was never my intention to do so, and never my intention to plagiarize. So anyway, this is just something to get off my chest ya, and no hard feelings... Hopefully, my friend feels the same way. I think this whole episode has given me blog-phobia. Better hope I can get over it fast or else I might not feel like blogging for a while...sigh...it never used to be this complicated...

February baby

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizing dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

I got this off my Friendster bulletin board. And speaking of Friendster, I have one word to describe it. Phenomenon. I don't necessarily know whether it's a good thing or bad thing, but it's definitely caught on like wildfire, especially when it first started. Anyway, I found this to be rather true of myself, but anyhow I shall put my skills to good use and analyse some of these traits.

Abstract thoughts
Is this the same as a wandering mind? Rambling ideas? Because if it is, then this is certainly true of me. I find it particularly annoying when I'm trying to concentrate when studying or even when reading the Bible, my mind drifts off and suddenly I'm thinking about everything else other than what I should be thinking about. Sigh..I suppose I have to train my brain not to get distracted.

Loves reality and abstract
This seems to me a contradiction in terms. As for loving reality, does this include reality TV shows? If it is, that's me, the reality show junkie. Blame it all on Survivor.

Intelligent and clever
Should I be a narcissist here? :) Well, I thank God that I do have some brains.

Changing personality
Hmm...I don't think this is so true of me on the outside. I don't really think that I display a Dr Jekyll-and-Mr Hyde disposition. However, I suppose what happens on the inside of me only God can fathom.

Attractive
Err..well...heheh...you decide la.

Temperamental
I am a phlegmatic-melancholy. What that means I have no idea. Or rather, I don't know how to explain it. Anyway, I think y'all should know. And if "temperamental" means to show temper, or to experience extreme mood swings, that's not me at all.

Quiet, shy and humble
I am quiet. I am shy. Well, most of the time, anyway.. :) As for being humble, I really do try. But sometimes pride rears its ugly head in my face.

Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted.
I suppose this explains my bouts of deliquency as a teenager... :) I think I was rather repressed as a child. Nevertheless, I do appreciate my parents setting clear boundaries for me when I was young. If they had not, just imagine what I would be like now. Being independent for the first time in my life has taught me a lot, and if anything, to treasure my freedom.

Gets angry really easily but doesn't show it
Well, I seldom get angry, but if I do, I don't show it. So I suppose this is half correct. I think many of my friends can testify to this.

Loves entertainment and leisure
Me to a T :) Movies, shopping, dining, watching TV, lazing around, reading a good book, listening to great music - love 'em all!

Spendthrift
Well...did I mention that I love shopping? :) More specifically, I love hunting for good bargains. I managed to get this great pair of jeans in Australia for 7 Aussie dollars. So even after conversion, it only cost about 21 ringgit. That's what I call a good buy.

Tries to learn to show emotions
I think this may be one of my biggest struggles. I am not good at expressing outwardly how I feel on the inside, hence my inability to display anger or other strong emotions. I suppose I'm slowly learning that my feelings have to be sometimes channelled out so that they don't eat me up inside. It's a difficult journey, but one that I have to walk, with the help of God, good friends and family.

So what do y'all think? Have I "analysed" myself accurately? Any feedback is most welcome. :)

First 2 days of work

I started work on Monday. I only have two words to describe it. Sheer Exhaustion. I guess no more chatting/blogging/surfing until 3 in the morning for me...not when I have to drag myself out of bed at 8 am every morning. I know most of you will think that that's not early at all. I know, I know, most of you are awake at the crack of dawn, before the sun comes up. But when you have been waking up at close to noon the past couple of weeks, 8 am is quite a challenge.

Working in a legal firm is not much fun. Most of the time you're surrounded by files which eventually block you from sight. It's paper work, paper work and more paper work. And woe to you if you miss out a single word, or maybe even a comma. But anyhow, it's really not that bad, especially for me, since I intend to do this for the greater part of the rest of my life. I guess I will just have to learn to rely on God for His infinite strength and wisdom so that I will be able to do whatever tasks put before me to the best of my ability.


And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel and might;
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
His delight will be obedience to the Lord.

Isaiah 11:2-3 (TLB)

I'm sure most of you have read or heard of the book "Charlotte's Web". This is an abridged version, written and illustrated by yours truly :) 

Clueless..but then again..

I am so clueless when it comes to "beautifying" my blog. I have spent the last hour and a half putting up the extra things that weren't there before e.g. links, clock, weather etc. And even then, it doesn't come anywhere near to what Mike or Danny or Alvin's blog looks like...sigh.. I guess I have a lot more to learn, and I'm sure the abovementioned people will agree :)

Anyhow, as I was putting up the links, I realised that many of my friends do indeed blog, especially those who I had never imagined would do so. Among them you'll find romantics, poets, musicians, narcissists :p etc. Anyhow, I want to say a big thank you to Caroline for all her tips in helping me to set it up. Sisterhood rocks! :)

And speaking of cluelessness, many people out there were clueless as to their meaning and purpose of life. Nevertheless, as the 4o Days of Purpose campaign is coming to a close, I just wonder how many folks out there have truly discovered their purpose, what on earth they were put here for. Indeed as this event nears its end, there are many blessings to thank God for. Discover Groups have been formed, new friendships have been made and old ones rekindled, loved ones have been saved. I do regret not being able to be more a part of it due to my being away most of the weeks. However, what I have been able to see invested in the lives of others is reward enough. This Sunday will be the grand celebration/PCC anniversary at Equatorial Hotel. Indeed, it will be a joyous occasion.

Fantastic Facts

Human beings blink their eyes every six seconds during their lifetimes. This means that you will blink about two hundred and fifty million times - sounds frightening doesn't it?

Did you know that the average person has about five million hairs on his or her body, and that the only place where hair does not grow is on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet?

If you wanted to count a thousand million pound notes, one by one, it would take you seventy years to do it - without losing count of course!

If you ever want to make friends with a pig, sing to it. Pigs are very fond of music.

Is your surname Smith? if it is, you're not alone. There are enough Smiths in England and Wales alone to fill the Wembley Stadium eight times over.

There are plenty of unusual hobbies around, but Peter the Great of Russia had the strangest - he loved dentistry. The Tsar practised on members of his court, who were not always keen to volunteer.

In 1978 a doctor paid a visit to a woman who had been bedridden for forty years. He could find nothing wrong with her. He discovered that years before, her doctor had diagnozed that she had flu, and had told her to stay in bed until he returned. He forgot to come back, and she had stayed in bed ever since!


Taken from "Fantastic Facts", Cliveden Press