Slack

MY OFF DAY!
It has been quite awhile that finally i have a chance to really slack my whole off day. When i said slack, that means i literally didn't do anything much except planning for the China trip, gyming, reading, watching tv, gaming......& of cos do my QT lah. But really hor, SLACK leh. Somehow i cannot get used to this slacking moment, as i have been bz for many many & many months. Haha..my body like very uncomfortable, like something is missing somewhere like that. Haiz!!!

Haha..then next week going to beijing liao. Counting down man..8 more days to go :D This week will be more or less a relaxing one, though need to prepare for my preaching at the end of sep. Still got time lah, but i am someone who doesn't like to do last minute work & prefers to be more ready than rushing for completion. But then hor, sometimes when you are tight with time, you can come out with the end product faster since you are hardpressed by time. So yeah, pro-&-cons lah. You must know your character & work pattern, because everyone does things differently. That's why God creates us uniquely yet differently!

Today is the last day of aug! My gosh..how time passes so quickly.
If i may ask you to recap what have you done so far, can you remember?

G

Haha..today is a day of G's. Check it out:

1. Enjoyed God's presence at the service - both the worship & word were great.
2. Lunched with Gabriel, reuben, rabbit & cai. Haha my godson just made me laugh :D
3. Celebrated Grace's & Gaius's birthdays at the chalet - wow long time never bbq liao. Haha gaius boy like this poster card :)

If a little boy can brighten someone's life, what's more about GOD?

Terrible

While surfing through the channelnewsasia website, i was distraughted by this report: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/1001528/1/.html
Tell me how can you not be distraughted, angry or even disgusted?
What about God?

Sad to say, this is one of the thousand cases happening around the world. Just imagine there are many out there, who are still in captive & waiting to be rescued? If you recall, the kidnap of the koreans shook the whole world & many wondered how & who will save them. That kind of hopelessness, helplessness is unimaginable.

Thank God for your salvation because the willing God sets you free from captive, rescues you from hopelessness & helplessness. Yet there are many still in need of this God. They need the gospel! They need YOU!
Will you stand in the gap & share what is placed in your hands?
Will you be praying on behalf for the lost?
Will you be righteously angry at the sins that are super rampant in this age?

Familiarity..Absence

Familiarity breeds contempt.
Absence makes the heart fonder.

Very very true quotations.
Generally people take each other for granted when familiarity is in the relationship. Ironically, this is almost & always prominient in human relationships. People get sick of each other when they are together looooong enough to get sick of each other. That's why families fall apart, couples break off, colleagues turn off from bosses. Very sad ~ i hope i won't be like that but i am still human.

On the other hand, people miss each other when absence is also in the relationship. Someone passes away, goes overseas to work or study or migrate, meets rarely, fails in the relationship. People miss each other when the company is lost & somehow they just reminscent the memorable moments together, probably some lament of not spending enough time together or saying & doing something wrong that strain the relationship.

We are at times contradictory beings.
Have you taken someone for granted? Contempt has set into you?
Do you miss someone dearly? Fonder has budded into you?

Hmm..time to evaluate yourself, my friends!

D-day

Wanted to go back to fasting for a loooooooong looooooooooong time. Either no discipline or just cannot overcome the habit of eating.
That's it! I decided to start somewhere or else i will never do anything about it. Don't want & never want to become a NATO (no action talk only) kind of people, so die die give myself a hard push to start somewhere.

It's D-day!
I did it :)
Going to increase the frequency once my stomach is seasoned for awhile.


** fasting is not about abstaining from food, but a form of discipline where you exercise self-control over your body & mind, to be even more sensitive & dependent on God for more of Him **

That's It!!!

Ok..cleared the last hurdle of leave approval. That's it!
Finally i confirm going for my annual holiday trip to Beijing & Hong Kong.
Now is to work out the itinerary, book the hotel/ hostel & plan the budget with my two other travel mates, eunice & louise!
Hehe at least now got another pal to travel together & climb that steep Wall of China. Hopefully my legs won't wrobble & give way.

Hmm..still thinking if wanna borrow better camera for the scenaries over there esp we will be seeing one of the seven wonders, plus one of the rare views that could be seen from the outer space. Most likely won't go back there again, so hmm..or just stick to my canon camera (followed me to many places for the last 4 years)?

That's it! Tomorrow must remember to confirm tickets or else no need to go liao. Also make a trip to the coming travel fair for some ideas :D

My Dream Coming True

My dream is coming true!!
I finally have a chance to see the Great Wall of China soon :D
All along, it has been my dream to see this magnificent, gorgeous & amazing wonder of the world. I have been to Beijing once, but didn't go to the Wall due to time constraint. After all these years, i am making the trip there very soon. Yeah so exciting!

I think i will take tons & tons of photos again. Poor eunice has to bear with me again, haha but i guess she would love me because i will be snapping all the memories into that little canon digital camera. During our last trip to Japan, i literally snapped around 6GB of photos, cannot imagine hor? So you can guess this time round will be the same too, who knows maybe more than 6GB? Haha..we shall see :) Come to think of it, i actually miss Japan. It is really a nice & good place of travel. Probably next year can consider Hokkaido! Huh, but i also wanna go Israel leh, then New Zealand, then Canada, then Taiwan........where to get so much money?!?
Haha, the only way is * drum roll * MARRY A RICH HUSBANDDD!! Nah..just sacrifice places that are expensive lor or save up lor. Well well, aiya conquer Beijing first!

God is Good

God has never failed to answer prayers :D
Today, went to visit Ps Chng & was very delighted to see the tremendous improvement of his condition. He looks cheerful except still having difficulty in sleeping at night due to the afternoon naps. Haha..also have good fellowship over lunch with them by buying their favourite duck rice.
I thank God for the continuous healing upon our pastor & more is coming on the way :D
Just keep praying!

Haha..also thank God for having my leave approved.
Yeah :) i can go for holidays liao. China, here i come :D

Fairy Tale

What is your favourite fairy tale?
Haha..or do you have one actually? Or some of you totally miss out all those nice & dreamy fairy tales.

My favourite is Cinderella. Erm..come to think of it, Snow White is also my favourite. Recently, saw on tv advert that Cinderella on Ice is coming back again. Really tempted to watch it, but the ticket is super ex leh. Who knows i might just go :D

Why i like Cinderella? Because

• She demonstrates the beauty of humility (obeyed the stepmum though she is mean to her & did not come out immediately to get her shoe when the prince came to test the size)
• She exhibits the act of forgiveness (bullied by the stepmum & sisters)
• She portrays the love for people (to everyone she met including those that mistreated her)

Some fairy tales do teach good values.

People

It is very true that whenever there are people, good & bad things just happen.
Yet we cannot live without people. No man is an island mah :)

Todae, i was pretty encouraged when people commented positively on my preaching. After 4 long years, i was actually thrilled to stand on that stage again, in that service, to preach. Haha..i like the part when i invited josline to act the old lady in the mini role-play. She was good in projecting out that "old" voice of an 87 year old lady, but of cos she is not that old lah. When i was up there, people just smiled & nodded indicating that they were listening. That keeps me going man.
One of the fears that preachers has is PEOPLE DO NOT LISTEN TO YOU & YOU LOST THEM!
Of cos, the preachers have to work on the art of retaining attention, the people also do not "cut" us off immediately, but giving us the space for improvement.

Haha..todae the foyer was filled with lots & lots of people. Every corner was occupied with counters. Here i was, sitting at one corner observing what was going on. Can't believe it at the number of activities that were happening in that little space of the church foyer. Then i went to the restrooms, wah also filled with people. Wah audi also sama sama. Win liao!
I think the only quiet place is the Prayer Room. So ironical right?

Yummie

We all love food esp Singaporeans.
Whenever & wherever we meet, eating must be one of the itinerary things to do.
Even big events, small gatherings or friends catchup, all cannot run away from the clutches of FOOD.

Captured pictures of some good stuff during the recent trip to Malacca:

Did your saliva droop? Hehe..i can tell you they are bagus..yummie..超棒!

Photos

** By the way, just in case you do not know, i do upload more photos at http://elainechua.shutterfly.com or scroll down & click at the left column "Elaine's Photo Albums" for your viewing pleasure. Many are really cool ones..well well, must see who is the photographer leh. **

I want to learn photography!

One Week of Silence

Haha..my readers must have wondered where i have been.
No update of blogs at all for the last week.
Total silence..shhhhhhhhhhhhh

I AM BACK!
Don't worry :D nothing has happened to me. Just that i was super engaged with preparing my sermon for this coming week at the Chinese service. It has been a loooonng while since i last preached there ** i still remembered what i preached to them the last round..not bad right? **
Finally!!! I finished & edited the sermon, did the powerpoint slides by 645pm this evening. Haha..now i can eat my dinner with relief *whew*.

Also decided to drop one subject for coming term, as realised i might not be able to cope with things ahead. Haha..somehow i was relieved & happy that i DROPPED the chim subject ST3!!! Haha..jialat hor? What to do..really chim leh, no joke lor :) Yeah! I can play badminton on wednesdays liao..so happy!

One week of silence..nah! I will update more sooooonn!

Short Cut

Eventful day :D

• Kopi break with our 2 handsome pastors in office (haha..make a guessssssssss)
• Bible study with my lovely mentee, regina (haha..she is such a deligggght)
• Lunch with my faithful cell member, ah hui (haha..find her if you need a beauuuuty guide)
• Visitation to our region's only doctor's house, yin (haha..qi hui is such a babeeeeeee)

Yin told me that there is a short cut from her place to Seletar. I remembered i ever followed aaron from leb's house straight to yio chu kang area, which is a short cut from the usual way of travel on the SLE & TPE. Haha..as gangho as i can, i just dare dare try the new route. Thank God for the road sign & the accompanying vehicles esp the dua-long-gong. Yeah..managed to turn here & there, then i saw familiar landmarks & whew..It was really a short cut, becos i reached home less than 20 mins. Fantastic!

Spiritual lesson to learn:
It may be a short cut, but without the road signs & accompanying vehicles, i won't be able to reach the destination. Likewise, there maybe short cuts in our journey, but look out for the signs that God would plant & accompanyng people that He would bring along, you will reach the destination.

Toilet Bowl

Went to attend a wake right after the prayer meeting (wow today i BSBH..led worship & prayer together), physically was feeling tired but i told myself i must go or else no time liao. Somemore, the wake is so near to my house, so i better buck up to support the bereaved family.

As we were chatting away with the couple, we shifted our topic to the toilets in China & India. Haha..we were pretty "amazed" by their toilets especially after i described my very first encounter in the village. I was there for ministry, then when we went to this particular village where we have to move up to the mountain area. Erm..the place looked decent until i needed to answer to the nature call. Wah..i got the shock out of my life when i was led to a big pit full of.....You can imagine what was my expression. I was like..win liao lor. Haiz..no choice lor, need to go means need to go. So can you imagine the scenario where you have to hold onto something, while balancing your legs & buttock porportionally towards the pit, so that whatever thing can go into that stupid pit?
Wah i tell you, it was really challenging man! Haha..i literally imagine myself falling into that pit if ever i did not balance properly..super eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Haha..but thank God it was winter season so the coldness dampened the smell away. Also i managed to overcome the "paranoid" of that pit the following day. Since i would be there for 3 days, so might as well take it as an experience lor. Haha..anyone wanna try?

All in all, thank God for our toilets including the ones at your home. Somehow they are just lovely :D

Sitting at the New Place

Ever since i moved to my new place in the office, i talk lesser & cannot interact as freely compared to the previous seat :( Haha..anyway i am basically a quiet person unless need to talk necessarily, though i must say i am still trying to get used in the "stuffy" cubicle. I think i really need to buy a small fan leh or else the other sides of the colleagues will be freezed to death, whenever i wanna adjust the aircon temp to 18 instead of the usual 23. Haha..please forgive me my dear colleagues. Will get the fan by this weekend :D

Last time when i sit in my old place, i will complain too cold as 2 aircons blow at me. Worst when the weather turns cold or it rains. Haha..now i am complaining too hot. Well well, hard to please but i die die have to get a fan lah.

Haha..one thing for sure, though the cubicle is stuffy, at least i have more privacy to prepare sermons, talk to members, plan my stuff & of cos interneting..

........i enjoyed cell tonight.....hehe & look forward to our JB trip..........

NDP 2009

I was out the whole day that i missed the NDP, then of cos also missed the 8.22 pledge man. Heard that it was not bad. Should have repeats right?

In my life, thank God that i had the privilege of participating in consecutive 2 years of NDP during my secondary school days. Amazingly, my school used different types of dance for different formations. As i recalled, though under the super hot sun & hours of practices, it was tedious yet fun. We literally sweat it out, wore those colourful costumes & danced our hearts out as we performed both in National Stadium & Padang. At least, i am proud to have involved in the NDP in my lifetime.

Yeah..i feel great to be a Singaporean!

They Just Amused Me :D

All the 3 angels wore RED today!!! They look so bright & nice :D

"Flower girl, the ice tea very nice leh.."

"Gaius, jie jie wants to drink the ice tea.."

"Nei nei put put, i don't want to give you.."

"Gaius, i want to drink the ice tea lah.."

"Flower girl, wait lah..i want to eat the ice"

Haha..i was amused by these 2.

I bet flower girl must be thinking

"How come my didi use straw to scoop the ice?"

"Gaius, jie jie angry with you!"

"Flower girl, i cannot take the ice."

End up, i have to use my kopi spoon to scoop the ice for botak

before flower girl can drink her ice tea. Haha..super jialat lor!

How can you not amused by these 2 angels right?

No Mood

Till 5pm today, i still don't have the inspiration & mood to write the sermon.
Haha..maybe i can work better last minutes?
Oh please, no way! I hate last minute work & as far as possible, i will try to avoid doing that unless bo bian. No. No. No. I shall fight against the spirit of NO MOODNESS!

Suddenly this song came to mind:
"We shall overcome. We shall overcome. We shall overcome someday!
By faith in Christ I do believe. We shall overcome someday!"

Yes elaine chua, you better buck up & overcome your NO MOODNESS :)
Die die must produce something by this weekend.

Oh this coming weekend (long one), at least 5 persons that i know are flying off to Bangkok for holiday trip. So nice leh..i want to go back there & shop till my jaw drop & pocket one big hole. Suddenly i got mood liao. Mood this thing hor is super weird..so off to prepare my sermon. Chaos!

C.O.O.L.

Wow..magic!
Just realised that i sprained my right ankle & didn't even feel the pain till now. I must have sprained it when i was running after the shuttle at the badminton game yesterday.
Today, spent my time in office trying to work on my next sermon, in fact got to prepare 2. Haha..somehow no inspiration, no motivaton, so went to the toilet & 闭关. Interestingly, toilet is one of the good places that i can rest my eyes & think of stuff, as i sit on the "throne". Ironical right? I guess different people have different preferences 吧. Guess what, end up i still walked out of the toilet without anything in mind.

Haha..but i am still cool about it. Today no sermon idea, then tomorrow lor. Tomorrow don't have, then another tomorrow lor. This is not procrastination ok, but working on things day-by-day. Haha..i still wish to finish these 2 sermons before my school term starts leh. Come to think of it, quite sian to start studying again..oops :D

Where Should It Be

Where should the thing be? Hmm..
Scratching my head, trying to recall where did i place my cashcard after taking it out from my car on Tues, till now still cannot find :6
Haha..sign of old age. One moment take the thing on my hand, the next thing forget where i put it. 慘了! Oh cashcard cashcard, please appear right before my eyes or blink the lightbulb to indicate your location. Haha..i will wait till Sat to see if can find. If not, have to buy liao as going out with the kids so need it for parking :)

Somehow this incident strikes similiarity in some of my situations. Supposed to do one thing, then walk to that place & can forget what i want to do. Really CMI. Haha..i need to 補脑, vitamins!!! Then hor, i started to wonder leh: "If i grow old, how ah? Now memory already failing, then old oredi even more jialat lor. Win liao!" Well, at least i still can remember certain things & God also tells us to give thanks in everything, so appreciate the memories that i still kept in my little brain :D

A Day of Rest

After 3 months of studying, i finally have my monday free again :D
Can sleep late, do anything i want.
So i just relaxed, took the train, go for gym, read my book, listen to MP3, window shop, wash my car..** drum roll ** prepare sermon for the staff devotion tomorrow.

Sort of enjoying the temporary rest because i will be commencing my study in term 3 very soon, so better enjoy my "freedom". Haha,,wanna date me out?

Relax
Eat
Sleep
TV

Long Time No See

It is good to meet up with long time friends, whom we have not seen for years :)
Thank God for the time well spent in catching up with one another.
Come to think of it, all of us were from the same district during the youth days & it is great to know that the bond is still there after so long. Initially, the atmosphere was abit weird but it didn't take long before we started to crack jokes & break the ice. All thanks to JK & AW, the 2 老乡好!

When will we meet again? Another few years later? I hope not.

4 Ladies & 1 Boy

Wonder where & what 4 ladies & 1 boy did?

Haha..we went to Malacca, the place where Peranankan food & culture are richly founded.

Think about it, we were quite daring to go there without any man in the trip & then driving up by ourselves. Well, who needed men to be around right? Hehe..we have 1 boy with us :)

Haha..we took less than 3 hours to reach there because we didn't even stop for toilet break. Just chiong all the way, managed to locate our hotel at Jonker Street, checked in & then next thing we were out on the street again. We literally eat-and-shop, walk-and-eat, then eat-and-shop. Can't believe it! ATE SO MUCH but nevermind lah. Most impt, we all had fun together. Haha..we were saying this is the first time we are travelling together & it won't be the last time :)

For me, i enjoyed the food, fellowship, laughter, "gossips", 38 news, company & of cos botak :)

It is a lovely memory. Thanks ladies & botak for making it really fun.

Some pictures for your viewing: