Thursday, January 29, 2009

29-01-09 (Thursday) "Nothing Much"

I realize that many blogs have gone stagnant during CNY. Everyone too busy bainianing around and only have enough time to sleep back at home. Heheh.

Anyway... Gonna be meeting up with Jocelyn again tomorrow. Its been a while... Its been TOO MUCH a while...

Pray for me, my dear bros- and sisses-in-Christ! For a safe journey to KL and that I handle the interview properly! Most of all, pray that I be honest!!

*blissful sigh* Ahhhhh...... Its raining again outside. Don't the grass and trees outside just seem EXTRA greeny when it rains? For those with no plants around, go to the park when its raining and ravel in the magic of the natural world, won't ya? I still haven't got to go and just play around in the rain to relive my childhood. Remember THOSE days? Well... Not suitable for those who're sick from too much bainianing now, right?
p.s: I really considered translating the previous entry to English for those who don't read Mandarin but I finally decided against it. Cos'... Its ONLY funny when its in Mandarin so for those of you who can't read a thing... Take up Mandarin lessons!! =P

There're more alcoholic drinks in my house than I thought I had. These are just 4 of them... Wooo... Some are still unopened. Whoa, momma!!

Monday, January 26, 2009

26-01-09 (Monday) "我的自述"

最近感谢中正帮我发现我“拉普托普”可以打汉字,所以我决定写一个简简单单的post,提名“我的自述”,希望您会喜欢。

我的名字叫Joseph,全名Joseph Ting Kee Lung。汉名陈其峰。每次人家听了英语全名猜不出华语名,因为我父母是用福州话拼音拼出来的。

我是一个男子。怎么晓得呢?很简单。看birthcert里,医生确认的。加上MyKad上政府确认的,我很肯定我是男子。

我今年二十岁了,踏入生活的另一个废屎(phase)。非常紧张,非常期待将经历的一切!

我家有六口。父母两个口了。两个哥哥加起来只有两个口。姐姐也很正常,只有一个口。感谢主,我也只有一个口。所以,总共六个口。(感谢主,我的数学还行!)

我还记得小学被逼每星期写篇作文。每年第一篇肯定是“我的自述”。补习也要写同样一篇给老师。心里想:我可出名了,那么多人都要更进一步认识我。现在终于醒了,原来我面子实在是厚得不得了。

我还是单身汉。不知几时才会在法医是补课(Facebook)改走是他吐屎(status)从"single"变"it's complicated"。全靠主了。

我的朋友们都说我很会“拱秋”。有些还敢说我惹他离月特(retaliate)废话第一,没人比得过。我不知把这当着compliment感谢他们还是把脸藏起来。

用汉语表达虽然很爽,但是我打了这么一点已经花了超过半个钟头。感谢您读我废话这么久了!

农历新年蒙恩。嗨屁!牛!哟尔!

First and last in Mandarin... =.=

26-01-09 (Monday) "Chinese New Year"

First things first... HAPPY CHIMOONESE NEW YEAR PPL!! feels gd 2 b celebrating CNY in dear ol' Miri again! More like in dear ol' SARAWAK, actually, with all the *BOOM**PRIAKPRIAKPRIAK**awwws....* that the police don't bother catching cos' they'd be all over town tracking d source only to find that they dun haf enuf cells in the prisons to accommodate everyone. So they do the smart thing. (Ignorance is bliss) They ENJOY THE SHOW!!!
I was looking back upon the CNYs in the past, of how my emphasis has always been on the angpaws/angpaos/hongpaos/angbaos/moneybaos that I get during this period. I always stared and wondered, "how come my siblings so gesi, oways get so much angpao money but i only get like.. sikit-sikit just enuf to last me till the end of February?"
So, I got smart and decided that it must be cos' I don't go around visiting. Ahh.... Money doesn't grow on trees, u know... U hafta go n EARN it. So... Go bai nian lo. Then, my 'income' increased over the years.

Now ah... Everytime some relative gives their nephews/nieces angpao, the parents hafta gif back to that uncle/aunt either similar amount or MORE... Now I realized how troublesome being 客气 is. What to do? We Asians what... Face heavy ah.

Now, having grown older,(Reminder: Age starting with '2' le. Not young anymore. I think I'm disqualified from receiving angpaos alrdy.) I realize that the fun is no longer in the angpaos but really in the meeting up with friends n visiting friends. Its d fellowship and all d fun we haf tat's important during CNY! So... This year... WHO CARES HOW MUCH MONEY I GET FROM ANGPAOS? AS LONG AS I GET TO VISIT MY DEAR PALS, ENOUGH LE!!

p.s all the 'Ke Qi' stuff between relatives has alrdy come n gone. all my aunts n uncles who're d super 'kay ki'(foochow) one all alrdy gif n take angpao lo. :)

Friday, January 23, 2009

23-01-09 (Friday) "Thank God..."

Thank God for drums!

Thank God for cameras!

Thank God for cars!

Thank God for CLEAN-ENERGY cars!

Thank God for the Internet!

Thank God for feelings!

Thank God for "Who Has The Biggest Brain?"!

Thank God for fast food!

Thank God for females!

Thank God for sports!

Thank God for music!

Thank God for families!

Thank God for lovely friends!

Thank God for problems and temptations! (Not that He gives it to us, He LETS it happen to us. :D)

Thank God for movies!

Thank God for servant leaders!

Thank God for our intellect!

Thank God for misunderstandings!

Thank God for school!

Thank God for animals!

Thank God for angpaus Chinese New Year!

Thank God for the privilege to worship Him!

Thank God for humour!




I PURPOSELY jumbled up the pictures/randomed pictures to see what wrong messages people would get from RANDOM pictures. All thanks to some old post... Don't say I implied sth with a certain pic THIS time. Ha - HA!

Your love is amazing
Steady and unchanging
Your love is a mountain
Firm beneath my feet

Your love is a mystery
How You gently lift me
When I am surrounded
Your love carries me
~ "Your Love Is Amazing"
Sung by various artists

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

20-01-09 (Tuesday) "Rain"


Its been raining so much that I think all the rain here adds up to more rain than the whole of Australia and southern Africa receives... In 5 years!

Rain always brings with that rainy smell. You know what I'm talking about. That smell that rushes through your nostrils when you open a window while its raining outside, or when you open the door wide and take a deep breath. I like that smell. It reminds me of how awesome God is, of His creativity when He created.

I do however, prefer when rain comes at more opportune times, like when I'm about to go to sleep. (Of course, these few days... Since its raining for practically the WHOLE day, its ALWAYS raining when I'm about to sleep.) That way, I can carry on with my outdoor activities per normal. Puts things in perspectives as well. I am not in control of MANY things in life, so I can make all the plans and decisions but there still is Someone greater in charge. I just hafta do MY part and leave the rest to Him.

By the way... Have I ever mentioned that Olympus digital cameras pretty suck? Sure, when they're brand new, they take rather stunning pictures. Give it a month or two and those pictures start becoming worse and worse... I've tried 2 (NEW) Olympus digicams over the past 2 years plus and my mom's 5-yr-old-plus Nikon digicam still owns its metal bottom! I think only daytime pictures come out rather decent on this camera now. :( Dunno abt their dSLRs yet but I think EVERYONE goes for Nikon or Canon*wink*. I think Canon Ixus digicams are THE BEST!

HELP!!! Anyone know how to get there?!

Rain down
Give me strength to cross this water
Keep my heart upon Your altar, Rain down
Keep my feet, don't let me falter,
Rain down

~"Rain Down"
Delirious?

Sunday, January 18, 2009

18-01-09 (Sunday) "

Just felt very fellowshippy today. I guess its cos of the gathering last night and church this morning and outing with mom and dinner with parents and uncle who just arrived. Feels really nice being with loved ones. This DEFINITELY includes friends on top of family. I really thank God for making us humans just as we are. Humans.

Sure, we all have our differences. We b*tch about one another every now and then. Of course, what we b*tch about in others are basically all the stuff we don't like in ourselves, even though we don't realize it. (Think about it now, ask yourself whether its true.)
Sure, we find some ppl queer and make fun of them cos' everyone else is doing it and it makes YOURSELF feel better. But... Think of the times YOU were the one being the laughing stock of everyone. Liked it? If you've never been in that position, well I sure hope you don't hafta learn the HARD way how painful it feels like...

We talk about loving ppl around us for who they are but what does it take, really?

I remember hearing or reading somewhere that... "you can't give what you don't have". I think that we are beings that need love. For those of us who're more fortunate to have experienced the perfect love from above, it is more than a privilege. I KNOW it is a responsibility to spread the love and NOT to keep it to ourselves, ESPECIALLY to those who have not experienced true love, even at home.

I thank God for my wholesome family, for loving parents(between them and towards us children as well) and loving friends as well. I believe God has blessed me with such so that I can show love to others who are less fortunate in terms of their family condition. I somehow feel that I can easily treat my friends as siblings instead of just friends. (Hmmm... This could be an area for others to take advantage of...)

For you, for whatever love you can have received, pass it on! I refer back to an illustration I made earlier. Love flows like wine in the champagne tower thing they have at weddings. The top glass(you) fills up with champagne(love) and the champagne starts to overflow to the glasses below it(the people that you show love to), which in turn overflow and fill OTHER glasses below themselves up!


p.s During today's sermon on Tithing and Offering, Aaron (Wong Ing Ho) made this statement to me, "God is so powerful, yet He still needs our money". I retorted, "He's just giving us a chance to be involved in His plans."



Jesus, I'll live for You
In everything I do
And when You call my name
I just can't help but sing Your praises

I'll give You all my priase
I'll serve You all my days
Gonna let the whole world know
That Jesus I am so in love with You.
~ "So In Love With You"
Planetshakers

Saturday, January 17, 2009

17-01-09 (Saturday) "MIA: Frank Chuo"

For those of you who've been wondering what happened to this, I can tell you the answer right here, right now.
Its because of SoC.

The Settlers of Catan.

He's too hooked that he doesn't have time to update his blog anymore. Forgive me, his faithful readers... For robbing you of your only source of online entertainment. I assure you this situation will not persist for more than a month...

Friday, January 16, 2009

16-01-09 (Friday) "Starting From Scratch..."

Its actually midnight now so its Friday already.

At prayer meet last night, it occurred to me how I'll be starting all over again in Canberra just like when I went to Singapore 2 years ago. Except that this time... There won't even be people I know like Chen Pong and Gareth there. Geoffrey... Kinda lost contact with him for quite a while already so... yeah.
THAT BOY'S SO CUTE I WANNA PINCH HIS CUTE LITTLE CHICKY MEATY CHEEKS!!! *PINCH**PINCH*
I was thinking of how it felt like back in Singapore in January 2007. I didn't know anyone in school except my roommates, went church-hopping, got to know some people but didn't really get to KNOW anyone, know what I mean?
Then... I settled down in CMC. Other than Jene, Doris and Donald and wife, I barely knew anyone. Thank GOD He made me stick. No. No voices or stuff. It was just this feeling inside that went like "This is it... Here you're gonna stay for the next two years..."
So I did. And for the first year, I recall how tough it was going to church every week, trying to get some conversation going with others, constantly ending up with awkward silences, then either the other person walks off or I suddenly need to pee.

I wasn't exactly comfortable with that feeling cos back here in GMC, we were all so friend friend, so joke here and there. (Guess I know what the ppl we always left out were feeling...) Went on for almost the whole year. Yes, the leaders (Rulin, Pao Yin, Shaun, Neale...) talked to me and made things more bearable. But once again... Thank God He made me still EAGER to go to church every Sunday. It really is more about Him than myself, right?
Even joining the Godsrockers (Music team for youth side) didn't integrate me in fully. I had that feeling that 'these ppl r reli gd... MAN haf I got lots of work to do'. Feeling rather inadequate cos' of my 'inferiority' compared to other musicians. :P Of cos... In my weakness, GOD is made strong. Glad all that took place la.
The turning point came in Dec '07. Joined Youth Camp 07 ~ "I Am". I was telling myself, "This is it! Either you use this camp to get to know ppl or you're gonna be an outcast for the coming year! So... Since everyone felt so open and fun and campy during camp, I really just went up to anyone who seemed to NOT be in a big group and their cliques and did all the "A/S/L" kinda thing we did in mIRC last time except that I DIDN'T ask for their age... or their sex(duh...) or... where they were then. Got to know lotsa ppl.
Heading to church became a LOT more enjoyable after that. I didn't exactly have a clique, cos uh... I think the cliques then still existed. I just popped here and there. So many characters you see in different ppl. So interesting...
But I still say every camp and event, I got to know even more ppl even better. Church camp 08, one of the persons I recall getting to know only by then was... STACEY!! Hahah... Yeah. Fun. Then... Youth Camp 08 ~ For Real. I think I never got to be as close to most of the ppl until then. Seriously. Funny how you get to leave everyone behind RIGHT AFTER you get to be so close to them. Yes... All the tears... Sad embraces... God has His timing and I have to say now and even back then, "It is perfect."
I still think back and cannot help but be amazed at how amazing and awesome God is, having planned EVERY SINGLE RELATIONSHIP and SITUATION in His time, for everything to unravel in His time, for every lesson to be learnt in His time.
In less than a month's time, I'll be counting on God to lead me through all that excitement and experiences AGAIN! Its really a bout of mixed feelings right now. Excited to meet new friends and to experience a new surrounding yet... Intimidated by the possible time period of loneliness and seclusion. But whatever happens... I have this one thing, which was further convicted in me at Youth Convention 08, I'd like to remind you all out there...
Church, get rid of this thing called 'cliques'. ESPECIALLY the young ones, youth or children alike. God asked us to 'love our NEIGHBOURS', not just the ppl who have the same age as us, or the ppl who go to the same school, or ppl who play the same sport, or ppl who r in the music team... Remember the feeling back in primary school on the first day of school. Remember the loneliness. Remember the longing to belong. Yes, coming to church is supposed to be mainly about worshiping God but obeying God is DEFINITELY a way to worship Him.

"Joy unspeakable that won't go away
And just enough strength to live for the day
So I never have to worry what tomorrow will bring
Cos' my faith is on solid rock, I am counting on God"

~ Counting on God
Desperation Band