Coffee with boss

:-P

:: On work and God's providence ::

Started a new job this new year, and it has been good. Was exposed to new responsibilities. It was simply God's good timing - despite I can see it or not. ohh Oh just in case you still don't know, I'm working in church as a SAJC Mentor! =) I have quite a few close friends who studied there. And yup that was my first choice actually, just that I didn't manage to get in.

People ask about the pay, and sometimes, even Christians ask me, "Are you sure you can survive on that?" But I've heard of many many testimonies of how God provided besides the basic pay. And I have seen how trusting God in finance is a very practical way to get by. For me, in my first month here I was blessed by the way God provided. One way was, I haven't heard of phone allowance until I was called to claim it. Haha.. that day my boss just called me to say Rachel, the admin "lao ban niang" wants to see me, Theodore and Vincent, without giving more details. I freaked out man. Vincent guessed that it could be about phone allowance...I was still in a "huh?" mode. So in my ignorance and lack of expectation, God has actually given me more. And I have to say that this allowance is really important to me, because in my planning of my own finances, based on what I THOUGHT I would have got, I would only have $25 for food and own expenses. Anyway I thought the phone allowance figure was quite funny...as in, it wasn't a round number, but aiya you got my point.

Another way God provided was in my red packet from my mom this year.. Haa... I used to receive only 1 from both my parents. This year they give separate... and this year both packets got 2 pieces of notes! (Different colour by the way) Hmmm don't really want to talk abt CNY now. Feels not really CNY, maybe because Christmas passed by too fast. Yeah I've been complaining about the lack of 'feel' during Christmas, because I was stuck in Singapore...... kk I ought to give thanks and stop complaining abt that anymore.

And some other ways were like, getting treats from people etc. May God bless all those who blessed me, even if it were not a considerable amount to you!

:: The Old Rugged Cross ::

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross
The emblem of suffering and shame
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged cross
And exchange it some day for a crown

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true
Its shame and reproach gladly bear
Then He'll call me someday to my home far away
where His glory forever I'll share

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged cross
And exchange it some day for a crown

In the old rugged cross stained with blood so divine
A wondrous beauty I see
For t'was on that old cross
Jesus suffered and died
To pardon and sanctify me

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged cross
And exchange it some day for a crown.

This is where i am right now.

:: StanChart Marathon 2008 ::

I finished the 10km run in 1:49:25!! =D Found my photos but so not glam. =( LOL

:: reflective mood ::

Haa long time no update.

Nothing much. Just a bit depressed over the past few weeks. Partly because a few of the dramas I've been catching have ended around the same time. LOL. I've been catching a Thai drama called Koo Poun Ollawon - on Youtube now that I'm back in Singapore. It's about 2 couples who end up exchanging partners, the original couples drifted apart due to misunderstandings and incidents caused by an evil girl who likes one of the guys, and also because of parental objections. I was pretty impressed that they didn't really bother to clear things up, but the misunderstandings would end up getting cleared by themselves. Hmmm... that was probably why I've been thinking, is it necessary to clear up misunderstandings, or just let the truth surface by itself?

And then the passage on the Beattitudes came to mind - "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." Mathew 5:11

"Woe to you when all men speak well of you..." Luke 6:26

"...Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?" 1 Corinthians 6:7

How dangerous is it to be in the place where you are very approved by people! After all, God sees the heart.


Mmm... and then I've been at home trying to cook different styles of macaroni. I missed my cheese pasta when I was in Bangkok... I managed to cook it once there! =)

And... a few days after I returned I went to Comfort Driving Centre to terminate my membership. I AM FREE!!!! I've got 1½ yr to regret this decision though. LOL.

Some more random thoughts... Christmas is coming........ and I MISS HONG KONG!!!!! *sniff* I've got this impulse to book an air ticket right now, but I've already submitted my 2008 budget (to myself) and it didn't include a Hong Kong trip. =( nvm, 2009 is coming soon!

:: solitary ::

In Your presence, that's where I am strong
In Your presence, O Lord my God
In Your presence, that's where I belong
Seeking Your face, touching Your grace
In the cleft of the Rock
In Your presence O God

I want to go where the rivers cannot overflow me
Where my feet are on the rock
I want to hide where the blazing fire cannot burn me
In Your presence O God

I want to hide where the flood of evil cannot reach me
Where I'm covered by the blood
I want to be where the schemes of darkness cannot touch me
In Your presence O God



You are the peace that guards my heart
My help in time of need
You are the hope that leads me on
And brings me to my knees

For there I find You waiting
And there I find release
So with all my heart I worship
And unto You I sing

For You alone deserve all glory
For You alone deserve all praise
Father, I worship and adore You
Father, I long to see Your face

For You alone deserve all glory
For You alone deserve all praise
Father, I love You
And I worship You this day



Jesus Christ, I think upon Your sacrifice
You became nothing, poured out to death
Many times I've wondered at Your gift of life
And I'm in that place once again
I'm in that place once again

And once again I look upon the cross where You died
I'm humbled by Your mercy and I'm broken inside
Once again I thank You
Once again I pour out my life

Now You are exalted to the highest place
King of the heavens, where one day I'll bow
But for now, I marvel at Your saving grace
And I'm full of praise once again
I'm full of praise once again

:: Sabbatical ::

Hmm it didn't occur to me that I'm taking a Sabbatical. It just dawned on me last night. =) Years ago Esther lent me a book on Sabbath, says something like, Sabbath is of course about God, but also, taking time to do what you've always wanted to do, not rushing to get something accomplished... eg. spending time with family, pick up a hobby

from dictionary.com:
Sab⋅bat⋅i⋅cal   /səˈbætɪkəl/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [suh-bat-i-kuhl] Show IPA Pronunciation

–adjective 1. of or pertaining or appropriate to the Sabbath.
2. (lowercase) of or pertaining to a sabbatical year.
3. (lowercase) bringing a period of rest.
–noun 4. (lowercase) sabbatical year.
5. (lowercase) any extended period of leave from one's customary work, esp. for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc.

Been meeting up with friends, and yesterday I went fishing!! With my brothers.. hoho.. Praise God for the wonderful weather!! Didn't rain, but was cloudy so it wasn't hot at all. Although we didn't catch any fish, we learnt many stuff. For them, it was their first time assembling a fishing rod, and casting the line. Jimmy thought he had never been there, but he learnt that the familiar place is called Labrador Park. For me, I've learnt that the bus from Harbourfront to Labrador Park only operates on weekends. We learnt that...

1. It is the experience that counts. It didn't matter we didn't catch any fish.
2. Labrador Park is not a good place to fish. We shall go elsewhere next time.
3. You must look at things at different perspectives, at some angles the water look very clean, but when you reach the beach it's different.
4. And time will tell. At certain times when the tide is high you cannot see how dirty the beach is, but when the tide is low you realise.

hahaha can tell that we had a good time there la. =)

I really dunno what's next. Keeping options open, and picking up design jobs to feed myself.

:: Fervency ::

Last night I was pondering on children's ministry in general. I'm not sure is it deception or not, but I think it's a useless ministry.

I myself grew up in a Christian environment, and I feel that I don't have a conversion story that I could share with pre-Christians, that they can relate to. Converted Christians have a before-and-after testimony which is more convincing and real to other pre-believers.

I was having dinner with Franza and Maple, both of them are converted Christians. So we asked each other about our testimony. There's just this gap between us (them and I), as we were brought up in a different way. I can never understand how it felt to bow down before idols. They say you can sense the difference, the peace, the first time you hear about Jesus, such that you want to come back again. Of course there are also people who have heard of Jesus and felt nothing. But those who did, those whose lives have been changed ever since, boy, they make such powerful witnesses.

And I think that the young people who were brought up like me, we are just too... stuck up? We think we know the word of God already, having Bible verses drilled in at Sunday School, but we grow up with less interest and fervency in truly understanding the Word of God. But people who hear about the Bible for the first time (at the age they start to think and question things), how they hunger and thirst for more!

Perhaps I'm being too critical, but I feel that I need more fervency and I question myself why there's such a lack.

:: US Election ::

The world's focus is on America now, as they have their election day.

One American-born HK artiste I admire very much discussed American politics a lot on his blog. He's totally in support for Obama. It kinds of influence me too... because I think this artiste is really wise, you can tell from the way he explains in details.

Yesterday I read a news article about Sarah Palin receiving a prank call a day before the election day. She was duped into discussing politics and family with comedian posing as French president. I'm not sure about the full content of the phone call, but i think she held her integrity in the conversation, as in she didn't reveal anything that would possibly damage her reputation. I'm pretty impressed about that. (I'm just not sure if it's because the conversation was about irrelevant stuff)

At the end of the news article, it goes: "Obama campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs, commenting on the prank, said: 'I'm glad we check out our calls before we hand the phone to Barack Obama.'"

I wonder if that implies that IF Obama had been pranked-call as well, would he reveal something ... damaging to his reputation?

:: The Pursuit of Happyness ::

YAY I've finally caught The Pursuit of Happyness... And it's so worth it to catch it on DVD because of the special features and behind-the-scenes!

I wasn't so happy about the ending because it ends describing the success of Chris Gardner's career, as though that is the source of happiness. I was expecting his wife to come back to him, or he'd find another woman who is willing to take care of his son. Of course his wife was not right to walk out of him during the toughest time of his life.

But I realise that this is a true story, and things do not happen as perfectly as I wished. And I realise that this is a story of a single father working hard to provide for his son, not about a family sticking through thick and thin.

Through the behind-the-scenes, I learnt that the man who passed by Will Smith at the ending was Chris Gardner himself. And that making this movie, walking through all the places where he suffered, was like re-living his past. It hurt damn a lot, but it also helped to heal his soul. Sometimes I think we should do that often. What we have become today, we ought to attribute to the pains we suffered in the past. Every thing in the past has caused us to become what we are today. Like for me, my dad's teachings, the time I was so poor I wore the same seriously-undersized school shoes until it wore out, and many many experiences, has caused me to feel for the poor and want to do something for them.

But I'm missing home now. I want my own room, my own space, so much that I cannot hear where God is calling me next. Having to be asked to move out so many times has made me unwilling to stay here any longer. I've learnt that I'm not so adaptable after all. I've been very pampered at home after all. Suddenly I feel like I'm not cut out for the field after all.

:: mama ::

hohohoho i feel like i'm ready to be a mama...

RCDC reopened on Monday, and i went to babysit on Tuesday at the nursery class. Full of crying babies!!

Fed some of them during lunch and tucked some to sleep after that. Felt so accomplished when they finish their bowl of rice + soup, and when they finally fall asleep!

One of them kept crying "har jee-jee gon, har jee-jee gon" i thought she wanted to pee, but another teacher translated that she wants to find her elder sister. Owww...

Went back again today and did the same thing. =D I'm starting to love these kids!

Naa-rak maak maak!!!

:: Coke Festival ::

Fon asked me whether i wanna go Ban Chang with her over the weekend or not... but i decided not to. Have been missing children's church and English lessons for 3 weeks... and also because.....


I saw this truck advertising something, but wasn't sure about the details. One word caught my ear ...

So i went to Centralworld again the next day after work ...


I went closer to take a look ...


POTATO !!!


I managed to get a 4th standing row position. Fans went crazy... i almost went deaf! (I screamed along actually)


Handsome... Win!!! =D


The MCs played a game... then i left.

:: back in Bangkok! ::

Back from Sawang Daen Din! I missed Bangkok!

But here's some photos taken previously.


Interesting cake! Don't need to cut! Green tea, chocolate and orange flavours. Can't find in Singapore eh!


Fon and I at the Church of Christ in Thailand during the CCEA


Flood on the expressway!!!! Jammed the whole stretch


Sleeping at the airport. I counted 5 people.


Chilling by the beach at Bang Saen... Fried crabs! Be careful of the pincers though.


I can't remember the name of this kind of crab.


Fisherman


Statue


Good catch!


Chinatown - my first time there for this trip!


Democracy Monument - i was actually quite scared to walk there alone that evening cuz i heard that was where the protests were held


Aloysius doing his braid


Revolving restaurant at the Grand China Princess Hotel

Ladies, here's a useful piece of advice if you ever need to attend a Thai wedding - wear an all-white dress with sleeves. I wore a purple spaghetti top and Fon advised me to cover up with a scarf. =( Most of the guests wore all white and so did the couple. So they looked like the same theme, except me. Sigh. Some guests wore traditional tailor-made silk suits. I feel interested to tailor-make a set for myself too. It makes you look more senior. LOL. Anyway the wedding ceremony wasn't very traditional, it was a Christian-style one. But the dinner was. There was karaoke!! Guests could go up the stage to sing and receive tips from the couple's parents!! And the dinner started quite early, about 5.30pm, and ended about 8+pm. Some guests left already, and the rest proceeded together to the couple's home to bless them. Very meaningful ceremony!

Had stomach cramps from before the wedding ceremony, not sure why, but Fon said it could be spiritual attack, because she wasn't feeling well too. She stretched the area around her operation wound since the missions conference when she carried heavy stuff and it was very painful for her. Our other roommate also came sick, so our room was really like a sick bay.


On the wedding day itself the stage was still not set up!


Throwing the bouquet....who will get it??


Achan Pranee!!!


With the couple


Ooohh! Creamy cake!


Fon and Mam joining in the karaoke

The next day we attended the church service there. Wooo.... the electric guitarist is a girl!

A team from Singapore came, I was surprised that all of them are youths. I think I got to know more Singaporean Christians in Thailand than back in Singapore.

There was a wedding celebration again, they even slaughtered a cow for the feast. There was barbeque-style, stir-fried style, minced, etc, together with sticky rice. Fon described the harmful effects from eating beef, especially since she recovered from cancer she has to watch her diet, and I felt a bit uneasy to eat it. So we abstained and waited for the last course - fried omelette. :P (I still ate a bit of the beef la, I'm less fearful of the harmful effects) There was karaoke again. Thai country songs. We were all encouraged to dance along. LOL.

Then the couple asked us to go to their home again as it was the bride's brother's birthday, there was another celebration there. There we watched the video of the wedding ceremony.

Next day, another spiritual attack. I lost my toothbrush. No one knew where it was. I searched all 3 toilets but couldn't find it. Very strange indeed. P'Prai suggested I buy a new one, but i was quite unwilling, after all I don't believe anyone would steal my toothbrush. In the end I went to 7-Eleven to buy a cheap one. =( The one I lost was a good one and quite ex, but at 7-Eleven it was even more expensive. I was getting financially tight as i didn't bring much money. I didn't manage to break my large note so i gave the whole note for offering. All the more i felt unhappy about losing my toothbrush.

Then at 10am youths from various churches around the area came for a leaders' training. That was what the Singapore team was here for. I was very impressed by their sharing. They were young and very passionate. Actually I stayed on in Sawang just to accompany Fon, so I just sat in during the training. But i learnt a lot too, especially about evangelism. I wish Eric could give a talk to my cell group / church about it.



Had cell group at a church member's house. It's in a village. Almost didn't want to go as I was still having stomach cramps. Finally I decided to go as I don't want to miss out on the experience.There was even blackout during praise and worship and sharing. Praise the Lord! What an authentic village experience. When we were greeting the family goodbye, someone suggested taking a group photo. By then Son, a partially-blind young man, had already gone up the van. After we were done, we walked towards the van and found him inside, and he realised we were taking photos and asked why no one asked him to join us! We all laughed and kept teasing him about it.

Next day... i wasn't obliged to wake up early so i kinda took my time hehe.. Still not feeling better so I rested whenever I could. Found my toothbrush!!! It was in another toilet. Strange! The youths were supposed to go out for evangelism but the plan was cancelled last minute. So they stayed on to go through a mock evangelistic event. The training ended and the youths went back. Cell group at night again, at another church member's house. Dinner was the best! Esp the fish soup!

Packed up. The team had gifts for us, so did the Sawang church, I felt pai seh receiving the gift as I felt that i didn't do anything to deserve it... I was just there to sit in.. =x Anyway I learnt that Huiling used to be from COR! She knows people like Pastor Chi Shyan, Shirley Sim, and my sister too...

Breakfast was as usual, soya bean milk and you tiao. But today there was fried chicken drumlet! woohoo~

Left in P'Prai's car at 9am. Stopped at Save Mart. It's a warehouse of household products. Something unfortunate happened. =( I went to the toilet and as I was squatting down, my handphone slipped from my side pocket and dropped into the toilet bowl!!!! =( I picked it up and removed the battery and sim card and tried to wipe them dry. Prayed that the phone will work again, but I was already starting to think about getting a new phone.

Visited Udon Thani, we stopped to visit a Korat church member. The family had a new-born baby!! Just 11 days old! Sooo cute! His name is Pantakit, which means "ministry"... so the baby will grow up to serve the Lord.



We also stopped at Khon Kaen, where we visited a school. Johnny (Singaporean) was there already. We had lunch there then we left, together with Johnny, as he was also going back to Korat.

At Khon Kaen, we stopped at P'Prai's friend's house. P'Prai used to live in Khon Kaen for 10+ years, she said she knows that place better than Korat. Haha..

Finally we reached Korat at about 7+pm. Had dinner at a roadside stall. Mmmmm san lek! =P Saw "Wia" across the road and i went to take photo of "him". haha it's actually a standing banner of a handsome Thai actor. They all teased me that I'm really like a Thai la. Go crazy over popular Thai actor. lol.



P'Prai dropped Fon and I at the bus terminal where we caught the 8pm first-class bus to Bangkok. Watched a bit of Udom (stand-up comedian), but I don't really understand. I was just very impressed by his rap of all the Bangkok BTS station names.

Reached Bangkok about 11+pm. Couldn't keep in touch with Franza because my phone quit on me. It was working fine for a while and I could call Gail, but when I tried to sms, it kept backspacing my text. =S

Stayed over at Fon's place. I was very upset cuz I had the feeling of being homeless.

Woke up at 7.30am, not sure what to do. It's a public holiday, but there's a meeting in church for some of the staff. Wondered if it was too early for me to go back to Gail's place to get my luggages and move into Franza's place. So i just stoned for an hour. Settled in my new place and got hungry at 11+am. Cooked noodles and went out at 2pm. Walked to Silom Soi 26.... i had no idea it was so far! Lol. Wanted to explore the Christian bookshop. I found it, but it was closed due to public holiday. Well, at least I know where it is now. Crossed the road and walked back to familiar ground. Went to Bangkok Christian Hospital to find a Christian bookshop too, but it was also closed. Oww.. Then I took BTS to Siam and walked to Chit Lom to meet Guorong. Then it started pouring heavily. Thank God we were under shelter. Went to Centralworld to walk around. Bought some gifts from B2S for friends. =)

Hey Jimmy! I bought something for you! Thought of you when i saw it. Hehe hope you'll like it.

Tired... Decided to go Siam Square to check out cosmetics at Beauty Buffet. I gave in to temptation =P Bought 7 items for 669 baht! =D But I think the nail polish quality sucks. After a failed attempt of painting my own nails, i now revere the job of a manicurist.

:: bass and motorbike ::

Last night i did something illegal.. =P 3 adults on a motorbike is illegal, plus, only the rider wore helmet.. And I fell off the motorbike after that. =(

And ohh.. i took a bass guitar lesson from Jeffrey yesterday! He's really good. He can play the drums, guitar, piano, bass and sing!! After that he invited me to his friend's birthday party, but i decided not to go.



Just some thought of the day:

"Designer" and "contentment" are oxymoron words.

:: Post-MCR retreat ::

Went to Bang Saen (Chonburi) over the weekend with my close Thai friend, Fon. =) It was a really impromptu trip. I was supposed to go Cambodia to 'chop' my passport, but P'Pu warned me that I may not be able to re-enter Thailand again because of my previous trips earlier this year. That really got me worried about my visa. I don't want to be blacklisted as an overstayed tourist!

Took a coach to Nong Mone and changed to a sawngtaew to Bang Saen, and halfway we met 3 high school students looking for accommodation in Bang Saen too. We didn't plan where to stay, but to ask around when we arrive. I really envy Thais at times. When they want to enjoy a weekend getaway, there are plenty of choices within the country, and they are able to get around as long as they can speak thai! We asked around for a few places to stay, but almost everywhere was full. The high school students come from all over Thailand to take their Entrance Exam, so they flock to places nearer the exam locations the night before.

We came to this very nice beach resort called The Tide Resort, but it was not affordable. They had a promotion for Standard Chartered cardholders but they don't recognise my card. Now I feel that Standard Chartered is really lousy. Same brand, but cannot withdraw money from the same bank in another country; promotions not available to cardholders of another country. So angry!

I offered to pay for the room (at the full price), but the students were wary of the good deal and decided to find their own accommodation. So Fon and I walked on to find other lodging. Finally came to a "hotel", 500 baht per night and it was really cheap. We took it and checked into our room. It was okay but honestly i was still very gian about the nice resort, after all we were going to have our post-busyness retreat. We went and splurged on a dinner at a nice restaurant instead. We chatted and got to know each other better. At this restaurant by the beach it would be nice to enjoy a beer, but I told myself that this isn't a personal holiday.

As we chatted I thought about the advice from a brother... almost felt like crying because I had been too naive about things. But then again, I also realise that being ignorant abt certain matters is also a bliss. It has protected me from getting involved in difficult situations. I praise God for the friends I met in Thailand... but for now I'm quite sure it's not really my mission ground. Many people ask me if Thailand is my long-term plan. For now I can say that it's not. I'm still seeking God about my future plans.

The next day we sat by the beach the whole day. Not really satisfied because the beach and the sea is not beautiful. Just very amused and intrigued by the new sights. And really praise God for the weather. It was exactly what we prayed for. =) It only started raining on our way back to the town and to Bangkok.

:: the in-betweens ::

While I also update my other blog, this blog fills in the in-betweens.

Last wed I still went to Ramkhamhaeng Uni, with Laphorn, Jaeng and Chat (it's pronounced as Chart actually). Chat drove us in the church van. First time i went, it was by bus and it got into a really heavy traffic jam, took us abt 2 hours to get there, but by van it just took half an hour. So we had time to go shopping. =D

Ramkhamhaeng area is a really nice local neighbourhood, with cheap nice things to shop, but unfortunately getting here is very difficult. You can only get here through the 'local' means - bus. Okay anyway. At cell group we played the memory game for icebreakers, IN THAI. I dun even know what I was repeating! LOL.

Gae had to translate for me when Jeff shared. He knows English too, and even spoke in an accent! but for the sake of everyone else, he shared in Thai and Gae translated. Went back to church, but we encountered a VERY BAD jam in Sathorn Road. So i decided when the clock strikes 6 i would get down and walk to Shalem House. We were stuck at the Suan Phlu junction for a good 15 minutes!

Taught Dukdik and Fern English, with Minta sitting in. Boy, she was really naughty, kept disturbing the lesson. P'Jarin had some problems with her mom and she was on the phone with her. When i knocked the door to let her know i was leaving, she was crying and still on the phone.. i felt helpless... =(

Walked back to church to meet Franza for dinner. Had steak! At just 55 baht! ($2+) Yummy..... Anyone wants? =)

Then went to her place again to chill out.

Thur
Gave the church staff a crash course on design and communication. Fon could not be around so thankfully there was Angie who helped to translate. But as the lesson went on i became more and more pissed off. It was partly because the staff here simply don't switch their handphones to silent mode, kept walking away while i was talking, and seemed to be in a rush to finish the lesson. Partly because i felt that someone in our midst had a strong sense of pride.

After the lesson there was some time, so some of us went downstairs for badminton. Same thing pissed me off. I had to walk outside and cool myself down. jai-yen-yen, jai-yen-yen!! This person is impossible, man! Why is there such a person?!!! She even gave me a photo of herself in a sexy pose and behind it wrote her height, weight, age, contact info etc. SICK! 45kg at age 17? I think it's more than double by now!

But i know Jesus loves her, and that she must have been a very insecure person. haiz. Pray for her.

Then at 5.40pm the same gang, Laphorn, Jaeng, Chat and I went to visit P'Gae. I learnt that they have visitations to church members' homes weekly. I also learnt that Chat owned/rented this house before (some of the glow-in-the-dark stars he pasted on the wall were still there).

We had a time of icebreakers, worship, sharing and prayer. It was very good. =) Chat went for an Alpha course at someone's place at Fraser Suite Sathorn (wow!!!! 200,000baht per month!). Then we had dinner. Mmmmm I love fish! and sambal kangkong!! Chatted till abt 8pm, then Jaeng and I left. I asked Jaeng whether i could visit her place. Actually she lives in Ramkhamhaeng area, but for convenience she moved to Suan Phlu.

I felt that the people here move house a lot, so their belongings are mostly inexpensive and simple. They don't collect as much junk as I do. And they're not really into designer style. I think when i go back i want to re-evaluate my junk and revamp my room! I like the idea of living alone. The peace and the quiet... ahhh~

Jaeng's place is pretty nice, as compact as my sister's apartment. Not new though. I dun mind such a place, except that I would need a kitchen area, a fridge and a washing machine.. She wanted to learn English, so we started from her English-Thai bible. I find it's a good idea.

Then she walked me out to the main road where i took the tuk-tuk to Tops at Nanglinchee Road. Shopped for groceries and walked home. On the way I heard the thunder rumble, and soon it started raining. It got heavier and heavier i just decided not to avoid puddles anymore and just let my shoes get soaked.

Fri
Supposed to be teaching the church staff how to use Photoshop after lunch, but my students went out to donate blood. A bit peeved but not to the point of getting angry, because i have other things to do as well. Chat and Kae installed the 1gb ram into my computer now, but my hard disk space is running out. It was a 40gb hard disk, but only half was used and the other half was unpartitioned. So we decided to reformat the computer. That took the whole afternoon.

Then Fon and I went back together. I cooked instant noodles while watching the drama. Oh! Wia!! =D

Gail was flying back to the UK that night, so she had a few friends who popped by to say goodbye, it was like a party.

Sat
Children's church. Helped prepare the vegetables for lunch, but I don't even know what it's called. LOL. I am a veggie idiot.

English tuition. Fon couldn't help to translate, so I had to take more time to explain the idea as I was trying to teach the youths an icebreaker. Golf wanted the lesson to end earlier so he could go play badminton, but the rest of the students started getting interested in the icebreakers we played 3 more rounds. =)

After that I tried to install Microsoft Office on my computer, and anti-virus programme. Then I went to meet Franza. We took the BTS to Siam and we did manicure and pedicure in Siam Square! =D A bit disappointing though.

Shopped in Watson's as there's good promotions. Then we bought some snacks from some roadside stalls and took cab back to my place. Cooked instant noodles. Too much!! =x Ate until very full. Haha.. Watched my fav drama and then showered and went to Franza's place to stay over.

Sun
Had indigestion so I had lots of weird dreams. =x

Walked to church for the English service. I miss the Thai service....

Went back to Franza's place to put down our bibles and the heavy stuffs and went to Sala Daeng where we took the BTS to Chatuchak. =)

Shopped until we dropped. Wanted to go to a Standard Chartered atm in Sala Daeng to withdraw money because I had spent all that I set aside for my expenditure, but it was closed. ...

Similarly we bought some roadside stall snacks and went back to her place to eat with cup noodles. Actually I don't really fancy Mama instant noodles. I still love my Indomie Goreng... =D Watched a movie (Freedom Writers) on HBO instead, so i missed my drama.

Took cab home. Although her place is nice, there are things which i need to use at home so I'm not very used to her place.

Mon
Off day! Dried my clothes and as usual i skipped the gym =( By 12pm my clothes were dry, so I went out.

Took cab to Chong Nonsi where there's a Standard Chartered bank. Very disappointed though. I couldn't withdraw money from my own bank because it doesn't have CIRRUS.

Tried to withdraw from another bank but couldn't also. So i panicked after I called Fon to come out shopping.

Went to Lai-lai-saap to look for the 9-baht stall Franza told me about, but couldn't find it. Found the Bangkok Bank where I only managed to withdraw 2500 baht =(

Topped up my sim card with 400baht, at just 300 baht. Looks like the official DTAC service provider so can trust ba. hehe... also bought some sushi for lunch.

Then Fon had to go back to office, so i walked by myself. Bought a Potato CD. =D but owww i didn't bring the latest album which my sister got for me, neither do i have the songs in my laptop and mp3.

Tried my luck at another Bangkok Bank atm and managed to withdraw the full amount I wanted! =D

Took BTS to Siam and walked to Central World to watch Bangkok Dangerous (Nicholas Cage) =D Cool effects but story's quite bad. The Thai guy is handsome though. =P

Went back to Sala Daeng, where I walked to Sathorn Road and took the sawng taew, this time I took it from the church side, to see where else it goes in the loop. Dropped off at Tops @ Nanglinchee Road and shopped for groceries. Veggies (chinese chye sim) and mushrooms for dinner! =D I miss Chinese veggies... Doesn't have as strong tastes as Thai veggies.

Fell sick.

The longer I stay here, the more I miss Hong Kong actually. I wonder how it's like to stay there for... a month?

:: busy! ::

oohh i got the new Psalmist chordbook from Franza!! So happy!

mon
Stayed at home almost the whole day. Planned to go to the gym but... ermmm heehee.. but it was fruitful time spent drying my clothes in the perfect morning + afternoon weather.

Then in the evening i was going to meet Franza for dinner and grocery shopping. Almost had a scare.... i planned to take the sawng taew to near church, where i would walk to Silom. But the sawng taew went to some unknown area.... for a while i was wondering if i would end up somewhere very very far! Somehow there was an assurance in my heart that the sawng taew usually goes in a loop. And I ended up right outside the church. =)

I like going to Franza's place to chill. =)

tue
managed to wake up earlier for the staff devotion :) Seriously I found many passages in the New Testament that i ought to revisit and meditate on. The things I get to learn seem different every time I read it, it's like i've never read the Bible properly yet, just read through like a storybook without absorbing the deep lessons.

Found myself working harder and there's very little time left till the conference!!! I need to buck up!

Taught Laphorn and Jaeng HTML and Dreamweaver. I think due to the language barrier, Jaeng gave up halfway. haha.. =x

Bought a Thai language learning book at 299 baht (before 5% discount). =D I checked Singapore Kinokuniya's online store, it's selling at double the price! woohoo~

As Fon and I were walking around after lunch, we saw office workers going for lunch as well. I saw a man whose shirt looked rather wrinkled, so i commented, and we joked that he must be a single man. woohoo, now we know how to spot single guys ;P

Tuesday evenings are for sauna and chilling at Fon's place though. =) Supposed to teach English at Shalem House, but P'Jarin called to say there weren't any students so it's cancelled. Watched Kung Fu Panda (finally) and it was only at the credits that i saw who voiced which character, and i didn't recognise!! i may want to watch again, or at least certain parts just to recognise the voice again.

wed
supposed to go Ramkhamhaeng Uni, but they said there's gonna be a meeting today, so maybe cancelled.

Thank God for free lunches on Wednesdays and Fridays. =)

Getting busy! Ciao!

:: fast week ::

The week that I came back passed pretty fast. Been planning the lesson on design for my colleagues, had to do some research and lots of reading!!!! Most of the info I had in my notes from poly, but they're not with me! Sometimes i wish i could just go home (back in singapore) and take some of the things i should have brought. Do you know i still keep my pri sch, sec sch textbooks and ten-year series? They would be so useful here!!

Went sauna with Fon on Tues... :D We even walked halfway home from church (we gave up the 2nd half and took a tuk-tuk) well, partly because of the time. We wanted more time to sauna, and then watch the movie we rented - Hairspray! So after we got home we met downstairs again to use the sauna room. We realise i was supposed to ask the staff to switch on the mains in order for it to work. It was too hot for me, especially for my face, i turn red very easily, and it felt really painful. So i had to get in and out very frequently and we finished after 20 min.

Went up to shower and then i realise i had washed all my underwear (because of the trip) and that it had been raining and couldn't get dry so i panicked. Later i realise, thank God, that i did not bring one to the trip so that was my very last one. Haiz.

My colleague and apartment-mate Gail's keyboard had arrived and she was trying to assemble it. So Fon and i helped. Then we went to Fon's place to watch Hairspray. It was kind of disappointing, not the kind of comedy she'd understand. She was so tired (due to the walk home and the sauna and also the early morning devotion at 7am) that she fell asleep and only her sister and I watched the movie. Haha.. I kind of insisted on an English movie with original soundtrack, if not she has to translate for me throughout the movie because they surely won't have subtitles.

Then her sister walked me home (12am)!

Wednesday went past quickly also. Went to Ramkhamhaeng University (a student from this uni was killed in the protests) with Rev Yee, Laphorn, Jaeng, and Chart, (back to church for 15 min of badminton) and then Shalem House. I was totally lost in the university - they were having cell group and ...i shld have asked Rev Yee to translate for me. I was going to join their icebreakers too, but it turns out to be a Thai language game.

At Shalem House I was late, and there were only 2 children. They were doing maths and i really dunno how to teach them maths, so i asked P'Jarin whether they learn English in school and need help or not. And yay! I got to teach English! After lesson I walked home with the 2 girls and they tried to start a conversation in Thai with me. I barely understood, but roughly something like how long am i gonna stay in Thailand, where do i stay etc. So cute haha..

Thurs yeah had a bad day. Raining, no taxi, forgot to bring my water bottle, walked all the way to church, ended up late. I was waiting for an email reply the whole week and the wait made me frustrated. I conclude there isn't gonna be a reply huh. Went to Chulalongkorn Hospital at 2pm with P'Jarin and P'Gae. Met a family whose son was hospitalised. I watched the mother as she was talking to us, and once in a while she would bend down to kiss him. I was touched by her loving act. He was just lying there motionless (alive la), very skinny, reacting to us once in a while, closing his eyes and about to go to sleep. I don't really understand what his condition was, just something like there was water in his brain. Visited a few other families, waited while P'Jarin and P'Gae talked to them... then took taxi back to office because it was pouring heavily.

Went to Suan Lum night bazaar after badminton after work. I walked all the way there. It was raining :( and my shoes were soaked. Wanted to buy slippers there, but couldn't find nice and cheap ones. Suan Lum is really quite a failure. Closing down soon! Dinner was bad as well, expensive and... cooked without effort. Yeah glad to meet my poly friends here in Bangkok. I'm sorry that i wasn't such a good guide. Took taxi home and, hmmph, this pissed me off also. The meter on the taxi showed 39 when we stopped, so i paid the driver 40 and was waiting for my change, then he stared at me, and pointed at the meter. NOW it showed 41, so he demanded 41 baht! And then he acted as if he were the gracious one and said "mai pen rai." ARGH!!!

Fri went to MBK after work. Did my own shopping while waiting for reply from my friends about where to meet. Found a beauty parlour where i could do waxing for less than in Singapore. At least it's cheaper. Then Yvonne called and said she didn't see my msg and missed call till they left MBK. Anyway they came back and we had dinner in MK. Ate for about 2 hours. haha... I realise Ming Zheng is a very funny and crappy guy. haha.. And Algernon also... i did my FYPJ with him and it was quite a bad experience (i mean the project) so i didn't get to know him well that time.

Oh thank God for helping me on my way home, i didn't have much money with me so i was praying hard that the taxi fare would be under 53, if not i might get down to walk home. Turns out it was just 50.

Sat went to children's church with Gail. Today we taught English. Played an English Bingo game. I was trying to think of other ways to play and teach after 3 rounds of Bingo. Then Gail came back to the group with 2 storybooks. That really engaged the children, although I'm not sure if one of them was trying to be funny, imitating Gail's English accent. We had lunch - ow, very spicy - and debriefing. Then I went up to the office, I forgot I had keys to the ACT office already, but argh, my comp kena virus, not enough ram, very slow!! Was trying to print out notes for the English lesson at 2pm. Only 3 students today. The rest.. 1 was hospitalised with appendicitis, 2 had lots of homework to catch up, and the rest come only as and when they like. it was a fruitful time of teaching la. =)

Fon and I went to Platinum for shopping after that. =D bought a top, a formal jacket for the conference, a dress, a pair of heels, and had ice cream at KFC upstairs. I finally finished exploring Platinum mall!! =D Fon had to go so i walked around on my own while waiting for reply from my poly friends. Met them downstairs and we went to Big C for dinner. Ordered a takeaway pizza from The Pizza Company, then we went to the next door jap restaurant. We did that because we wanted to try all the restaurants there. haha.. Wanted to go Chester's next but we were too full already. Shopped inside Big C. The guys bought toy rifles. LOL.

Walked a bit down the Pratunam street stalls but i realise they were walking towards their hotel, so we bade goodbye and i walked to the BTS station. I bought a pair of shoes similar to my canvas school shoes - the display said, Sale 80, but the lady gave me 30 baht change from a 100 baht! I looked at her curiously because of the extra change and she told me she charge me 70 instead. Wow, auto-discount! I saw a similar design at 99baht in Korat so i thought 80 is a good price already. Bought 2 belts also. I was kinda lost abt the direction of the BTS, almost went to Chid Lom station then i had to U-turn to Siam station. And Sala Daeng was supposed to be 2 stops away.... i was so stoned that i missed my stop! I only realise the train was already at Sala Daeng when the door-closing beep came on! Took the BTS to one more stop, Chong Nonsi, then i took the other direction, back to Sala Daeng. It was late already, about 11pm. Reached home about 11.30pm. Feel a bit bad for going home so late...... i wasn't supposed to stay out late. (but ermm.. my friends are here for holiday!!)

Sun went to English service with Guorong at 10am. My first time! haha.. I'd probably catch only 60% because of the heavy English accent and the trailing off of the voice for each sentence. Took Holy Communion. Lunch at Silom Complex Chester's Grill (to finish the mission of last night) and then shopping at Central World. Although my new heels are pretty comfortable, they r not meant for long hours of walking. So i complained quite a bit. Went to B2S but didn't buy anything. Took many photos cuz Central World is really fun. :D Early dinner at 4pm (just wanted somewhere to sit actually)! At Sushi Tei. quite cheap ba. Walked to Siam Square and then MBK, to get sim card for Franza before meeting her. Then she called to say she would join us at MBK. Sooo tired!! Went around getting things she would need, and then took taxi to her place. Nice!! Photos soon! Left at about 10.30pm. Oh, missed the weekend drama! It's known to Euw, Fon and me as "my lor" because when we were in Ban Chang we started watching the drama and as they were surfing channels I said "i want the lor" (lor means handsome) =D

yeah so this week has been rushed and fast. Today's a good day to rest. Praise God for the wonderful weather, i can collect my clothes from the balcony soon. =)

:: had a bad day ::

☹

Just to clarify, it was the earlier part of the day that made me upset. It was nice meeting Yvonne, Ming Zheng, Algernon and his girlfriend, shopping at Suan Lum (bought nothing though).

Went to another hospital this afternoon. I was trying hard to hold back my tears on several occasions.

Just.... not happy la.