malaysia's 53rd

(I found this picture in a very old blog post, along with other class pictures! :D)
One of my lecturers said "Don't you think the copywriters for Merdeka ads are very racist? They put one Chinese, one Indian and one Malay guy in every ad!"

Yes. It is racist to put three different races together. But it's a better alternative than filling an ad with pan-Asians and Eurasians (who may be of the same descent) ala Astro's HD advert-thus giving job opportunities to those of mixed race descent only. I have nothing against Pan-Asians; I think they look absolutely pretty, but when the local media is chockfull of Pan-Asians, you know something fishy is going on.

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Malaysia is now 53 years old. Personally I feel 16th September should also be given high regards, as it was when Sabah and Sarawak was integrated, and when Singapore was cut off; thus forming the real, official Malaysia as we know today.

Anyway, happy birthday, beloved country. May God's kingdom come soon in this land, and may He bless Malaysia!

When you think about it, politics schmolitics, political parties own mainstream news channels and the not so mainstream ones are owned by radical extremists. Read the news at your own risk, and with a pinch of salt.


As Paul says, "Never cease praying,"!


I'm thankful for the freedom in this country :)

note 1

To find: a typewriter that works in times new romans.

more thoughts

Everybody needs an outlet of release.


An interest or passion helps us to put our talents to good use.


It keeps us from being self-centered, self-serving and self-pitying.


People who are passionate in their interest inspire me the most. They put their heart into doing what they do, making the best of the talents God bequethed to them. I see such beauty in that.


When the bible says that God made us in His image, it is not implying that God has facial features or physical limbs like man does-no; it is referring to the fact that God imparted within us the likeness of His heart, passion and ability to love. I think that is just amazing. That's why God's likeness is translated so well in people who are gifted in what they do!


People who have this passion not only benefit themselves, but they benefit others too. I see this especially through nurses, doctors and even school counsellors.


Most of all, they serve God through the administration of their talents.

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.
-i peter 4:10-11

What are you gifted in? How have you used it to glorify God?

nightmares?

John Mayer (source: tumblr/unknown)

one nightmare i had this year was finding out my family will be migrating to Australia. MAAN!

another nightmare more recent was finding out that John Mayer was having a concert in KLPac, with tickets costing RM 28 each, but I couldn't get my hands on any! And Joyce (who was there too) seemed nonchalant!

s-s-s-summer '10

Just got back from GHM and choir practice. August is never too early for Christmas songs!

Tomorrow shall be the start of a new semester, but I have no idea what time to go to college-because the timetable isn't out yet. And the results are being withheld till further notice. Nothing new. If the results and timetable comes out on time, however, that would be AMAZING.

My "summer" break of two weeks has been rather productive and enjoyable. Starting off with the bazaar outing for Seenamon (pronounced like the spice cinnamon btw-got lots of people asking me "what is si-nah-mohn?") and Kafka at KLPAC. Okay, those are basically the two major things I did during my holidays. Lots of other stuff in between.

Like, fine dining @ Truffles, Taylors' Lakeside. Also got to drop in their CF meeting. That campus is too pretty for words. A nice balance of nature and architecture.

Visits to Miss Petite's house for customizations...

And I also got to read this awesome book,

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And am still reading it! It's so good! I've never heard of Azusa Street Revival until it was mentioned in this book.

IN CONCLUSION, this August semester will be my last short semester.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."
Phil 3:4

Kafka's Metamorphosis (spoilers ahead? maybe)

A whole lot of people!
KLPAC, Sentul
Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis



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The play was an adaptation of Kafka's work which was originally published in the early 1900s. It was about this guy, the sole breadwinner of the family who one day wakes up and finds himself as a bug. What bug? Dung beetle, I think. Why and how? WHO KNOWS?! That's the one pertinent question Kafka avoids, as he discovers the metamorphosis of the man's (Gregor) family members (mum, dad and Greta), documenting their behavior and actions towards Gregor. They partially shun him, keeping him in his room the whole time. Gregor was still Gregor, albeit stuck in the body of an insect and could not speak.

"Just because you don't understand me doesn't mean I don't understand you!"

The set was a bunch of metal scaffoldings (?) concentrated in the middle, where the cage-like set surrounds a black podium that serves as Gregor's room. The other fixtures were three black stools for the mum, dad and Greta to sit on, which was also lent to the three lodgers.

When he first awakes from his slumber as a bug, Gregor initiates a movement with a hand with fingers sprawling out. I think many in the audience snickered as they thought of Lady Gaga. It was very interesting to see Gregor climb up and down the metal railings, although I would have liked it more it was more utilised!

I did not see the cartwheels coming.

The climax was startling, to say the least. (no, not the cartwheels) I thought the ending was sombre-it did give a very dark tone, but the final scene was a nice touch, I thought.

Hey, you would be forgiven if you thought Gregor would morph into a butterfly in the end.

Check out pictures of the cast here

one minute

Seenamon has been reviewed by Artsy Fartsy! I like this Malaysian craft shopping directory.







I don't care if you're J-Lo or Leno or Bono one thing you gotta know

Someday you're gonna die, bro then where you gonna go?

Hey, I'm not talkin' some punk junk that's irrelevant like your grandma's church from way back when

It's not some preacher feature on tv, you need to be likin' or listening to,

The real superstar is Jesus Christ. He's the way, he's the truth, he's the life.

One day he's gonna split the sky He's the brightest light and the highest high.

So what I came to say and what I'm telling ya, is don't buy that stupid stuff they be sellin' ya.

It's all designed to fill your head and waste your space until you're dead.

Here's the bottom line in my rhyme, Give your life to God, while there's still time.

truffles

at gabby's 17th

"The Lord did not set His heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you."

Doesn't reading the scripture from Deuteronomy 7 make you go, "Awwwh :3"?


Today was my third attempt at fine dining by hotel management/culinary arts students, and I FINALLY got to sit through all three courses, with meals I wanted! Haha! Much thanks to JQ for inviting me, Yin Xian a.k.a. Miss Petite and Timothy a.k.a. Zhu Whee to Truffles. (My first fine dining experience at Cilantro was marred by the fact that the kitchen ran out of food before my appetiser was finished, and the second was cut abruptly through the salad due to fogging in the kitchen)

We had florentine quiche, rack of lamb + mashed potatoes + boiled vegs and dessert of the day-a sweet and sour tart. Yum!

Before dinner, I joined the CF at Taylor's. PTL for that!

Um, I'll be looking around Etsy for a while and going to bed! Good night! That's a lot of exclamation marks!

skirting around summer

I wish boys would dress like boys, and girls would dress like girls, and help us all avoid awkwardity! Embrace your body, people. Don't be fooled.

This Etsy seller located in China sells such wonderful (handmade) skirts! One skirt costs around RM 100, but most are in the RM 200 range.

All skirts have the same name (HIPPIE SUMMER DRESS/ELEGANT HIPPIE DRESS) but each are so unique and colorful.

Here are some of my favorite. Girls, wouldn't you like one for yourself? :D Wearing one would make it feel like you're spreading summer colors all around. Yum!






All images from etsy.com

chicken and corn soup

School is starting in a week! You know what that means! Your results are coming back!

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joseph gordon-lewitt by norman jean roy for details

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Tumblr is an artists' dream and nightmare-it's a coveful of treasuries and a platform for better exposure, but if his or her works are not trademarked/copyrighted, someone will re-blog it over and somebody else again, until the art reaches a point of "who made this in the first place?"

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Pasta for lunch! If there is one meal I can cook well, it is pasta plus Campbells soup as sauce. Or if you prefer, pasta soup. Soup with pasta. This particular version of Campbells soup was made specially for the people of Hong Kong to cater to their tastebuds! I read it in my Marketing notes once. I doubt this flavor is available here, maybe in Cold Storage.

Please do not use the following images without permission.









Yes, the color of the meal is rather bland and unappetising...

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I like to see people's smiles :)

saaturday

So there I was in the shower, splashing water from the bucket when suddenly, the tap ran dry ._. AAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHH!!!! NOT NAO!!!!!

Today I spent time looking at Railay, Phi Phi, Ao Nang and Ko Lanta on wikitravel. All of them sound like they offer the same things, but have distinctly different accomodation ranges and activities! What to do now? Railay sounds great though, with limestone cliffs for rock climbing and its accessibility to the beaches nearby. Phi Phi, ah, Phi Phi-that's the gem right there, with closest access to the best Thai diving sites and Maya Bay. Plus, cliff jumping! Ao Nang and Ko Lanta are just there 'cos there are tonnes of acc. close to the beach in a big range. Any ideas?

creed

When you are with me, I'm free
I'm careless, I believe
Above all the others we'll fly
This brings tears to my eyes
My sacrifice

I've always liked this song. Reminds me of...UPSR year. Yup, that's when this song was popular. The MV is hard to understand, but I like how the band is playing while half submerged underwater!

to learn

"To learn, you must love discipline;
it is stupid to hate correction."


Proverbs 12:1

day 4

"summer" break does feel summery. it's been hot and windy all day long; so good to dry laundry! what have you been up to?

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."
mark 12:30

2 tim 1:7

Whenever I hear the Taylor Swift song going "Time slows down whenever you're around," I BET she's talking about my Malaysian Studies lecturer. Or history teacher.

Interesting Stuff


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Fuji Instax Mini. Cheaper than Polaroid. Smaller instant photos.



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Chalkboard paint. Apparently, only RM 5 at Ace Hardware! Of course I won't do that to the piano :x maybe something smaller. like a mini bar fridge :P



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These recycled clocks out of vinyl records by Pavel Sidorenko are eco-friendly and stylish!


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Dahlia ear studs. I'd love one of these in a vanilla cream or pale peach. So cute. These turqoise ones (not updated on Seenamon yet) will do for now (I have two pairs on hand). The colors remind me of the color scheme of 500 Days of Summer.




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Simply adorable handmade rubberstamps from Kulit Manggis. Hmm, perhaps its time for Seenamon to get one of its own ;)



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Inception was excellent. Simply because it was an original story that appeals to people and makes them talk, cos hey, who doesn't dream? Almost all the stuff in the movie I've dreamt of - the houses on the water, the stairs architecture, the dream in a dream, and the falling off Cobb's apartment into nothingness. Scary! Have you dreamt of any before?




Oh, and I tak jadi pergi Ipoh :( namun, kawan-kawanku masih dapat pergi, dan itu yang matters! :) PTL


I'd like to end with one of my favorite scriptures:

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline."

Ps. 111:10

Haaaay gurrrl.

D showed me this video. Hi. La. Ri. Ous!

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Tomorrow is Unite n Conquer with Hillsongs Australia and the youth at Ipoh, yo! Ipoh, kami akan mali!

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1. Put a bowl over head
2. Snip off excess hair over bowl rim

I miss having comments to read!

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Man, we are SO blessed.

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Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom.

(post title)

tueeesday

last saturday's mini bazaar was a mini success! i've never been so tired in a day. next time, i'm only bringing jq and the stuff! haha!

thanks to all my friends who made the effort to drop by and buy stuff or say hi. <3

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people are driving me crazy!!! are you driving someone crazy too?

saved

Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort...I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.

Phil 3:2-3,9

american spin and spanish arm

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Zooey Deschanel looks like Katy Perry...but a nicer version.




Sam came over today. Did you know she changed her Facebook name from Sam to Samantha to Sam again?

Today, there was only me and the other student at class. We were quite capable of learning patterns-so the instructor taught us the American Spin and the Spanish Arm. The Spanish Arm is a bit like a Right to Left or a Left to Right, but it turns the opposite direction during the second half. At first I couldn't see what was so Spanish about the moves, but after the arms were used, you could see that it was similar to the Spanish flamenco (?) dancers' stance. Cool!

The American Spin...the other student could do it quite well. But the best I could manage was a Malaysian spin =.= It's something like a pirouette on ice. I never pirouette/spin nicely, even when I was a kid.

After class I went to pick up some stuff from Miss Petite. We're meeting again tomorrow for more items. And of course, dinner with college friends + Mr. V at Cheers. Mmmm...can't wait for the fish head broth mee hoon.

sour cream and chives

Today was the last paper (Retailing). After I left early, I went to check my email, sent out an email and went downstairs to buy lunch (a packet of pasta + sauce in powder form. I think you call it instant pasta?) 'cos there was milk in the fridge at home, and being typical Asians, nobody in my family drinks milk as it is (unless it's Dutch Lady chocolate/strawberry milk) so I have to use up the milk before it spoils. I've been using milk in the crepes, but 1 liter of milk is a lot to use up. Anyway! I rang Sam and asked her if she'd like to watch Inception at 3.45pm at MBO (because it's RM5 day and my exams are over) but she was preoccupied.


After leaving college, I went to stock up for Seenamon for this weekend's bazaar.





My favorite part of the semester: sorting out my notes! This enjoyable activity lets me separate official handwritten notes from other notes. And so I did. Looking through how much I learnt this semester (not much), but not able to bind them together because I can't find the stapler. Chi kek.


I wish you a very terrific thursday tomorrow.

"Trust in the LORD and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you your heart's desires."
Ps 37: 3,4