Quick update

Had a fabulous time pigging out and laughing together with Amanda, Carmen, Aaron, Cassandra, Uncle Vincent and Aunty Dolly at Deb's place on Sunday. She had invited the cell to her place for Christmas lunch with loads of food, fun and laughter.

Her room's HUGE by the way. :)

Met Jas for coffee and shopping after. Yes! She's back! It was great just seeing her again and catching up. We met at Holland and went to Coffee Bean for old times' sake. :)

Moo's away in KL for Christmas. Miss him already...

When Christ was born.....

MERRY CHRISTMAS, one and all!

Will resolve to update my blog more often. :p

家好月圓

Under the influence from SK and Moo, I've been hooked on another Hong Kong drama, Moonlight Resonance (家好月圓).

It's a love-hate relationship. I get frsutrated while watching the characters do malicious things to break up families. On the other hand, I keep watching to find out whether good will still prevail over evil.

It's really difficult to summarise the story, but basically, it's about this family which was broken up because of an extra-marital affair and how the evil step-mother continues to sow discord between the husband, her mother-in-law, his ex-wife and their children. Michelle Yim (米雪) did a fine job in her role as the evil step-mother. She was two-faced but in very subtle ways.

I'm currently at episode 35, the climax! I've got 5 more episodes to go before I know whether there will be a happy ending. I've been warned that I'd need 2 boxes of tissue paper when I watch the last 2 episodes. :P

Thanks SK for watching all of 13 episodes with me! And forwarding the boring parts (read: the annoyingly unstable relationship between Bosco Wong and Linda Chung). :)

Eye candy: Raymond Lam (林峰) and Chris Lai (黎诺懿).

Desperately trying to be disciplined and not stay up all night watching the series. Heh.

On the line up is Forensic Heroes II (法證先鋒 II) starring one of my favourite actors, Bobby Au-Yeung (欧阳震华).

當狗愛上貓

Just finished watching 当狗爱上猫 (When A Dog Loves A Cat).

The so-so storyline was overshadowed by the great acting from leads, Gallen Lo (罗嘉良) and Myolie Wu (胡杏儿).

Essentially, it's about how Chow Chow (Wu), Account Manager of Raptor, an advertising firm, managed to change Media Director, MC's (Lo) perceptions of stray dogs. Of course they end up falling in love, typical of TV dramas. Highlights of the show include a "talking" dog, Siu Ba, and cat, CanCan. Their conversations are super cute!

Eye candy for me - Raymond Wong (黃浩然) and Bailey, a toy poodle. :)

Fans of TVB dramas, do try to watch this show. Laugh and cry with the adorable pets and their owners.

8 years on......

Met my Economics teacher from JI (Jurong Institute, not Jemaah Islamiyah), Mrs Arul and some of my classmates for dinner just now.

It was a great time catching up with them and just sharing laughs and reminising about the "good ol' days".

Honestly, I was pretty nervous prior to meeting them because there was some unpleasant history between me and one of the girls. But it's been so long and I've forgiven her for what happened. We were kinda distant but I guess our friendship can never go back to what it used to be.

It's amazing how much we have changed! Many of the girls I used to hang out with are married and forming their own families. Yuni's son is already 4 and her daughter's 2, Yati's just had her baby early this year, Judith Ko's just gave birth to Megan 5 months ago, Jud A is 6 months pregnant, and the list goes on.

It's been 8 years since we graduated from JI and there were many memories, both good and bad. I can say with pride that the best years of my school life were spent there, and some of the the friendships which were birth from there have lasted through the years. And I thank God for that.

When I met this friend today, I am truly happy that she's doing well. :)

Thank God for today, and for the friendships that have been forged and sustained.

We will have a bigger class gathering with the teachers when Jasmin comes back in December!

On a sidenote, 12 years on, I've been reconnected with friends from secondary school via Facebook! Woot! Wonders of technology.

Lamentations

Was lamenting and whining to Moo the other day (thanks for being so patient and encouraging, best friend!).

But I sense that God is reminding me that He is the Omnipotent God and that He has the ability to blow me away when it does happen.

Amen!

Happi Thots

Something made me very happy today! And I'm really proud of my little brother! :)

Thanks for the macaroons and thanks for the good news!

Children of the 80s. do you remember milk coming in pyramid-shaped cartons like this? :)

Ah... the good ol' days.....

Baby Preacher

This is so funny! :)

Second Chance

This song really spoke to me today.. :)

Second Chance
Artist: Hillsong United
Album: In A Vally By The Sea

Verse 1:
You called my name, reached out Your hand
Restored my life, and I was redeemed
The moment You entered my life

Verse 2:
Amazing grace, Christ gave that day
My life was changed when from my shoulders
Fell the weight of my sin

Chorus:
So it’s with everything I am
I reach out for Your hand
The hope for change
The second chance I’ve gained

On You I throw my life
Casting all my fears aside
How could greater love than this
Ever possibly exist

Verse 3:
Consume my thoughts
As I rest in You
I’m now in love with a Saviour
Bearing the marks of His love

Bridge:
So I’ll wait upon You now
With my hands released to You
Where a little faith’s enough
To see mountains lift and move
And I’ll wait upon You now
Dedicated to Your will
To this love that will remain
A love that never fails

Money No Enough 2

Went to watch Money No Enough 2 with Moo yesterday. Yes, I know that I said I wouldn't pay to watch a Jack Neo production but I didn't. Haha! I've got 2 movie vouchers from my company's anniversary lunch so I used them to redeem tickets instead.

I was pleasantly surprised that the movie was not too bad at all! Kudos to Malaysian actress Lai Ming who is brilliant in her role as Mrs Yang, the mother of the Yang brothers played by Henry Thia, Jack Neo and Mark Lee. Remember her as the lady in the Fab advertisements in Malaysia? Never thought I'd enjoy it but I did! Though I spent the whole time reading the English subtitles because I couldn't understand Hokkien. The computer graphics were really lame and they were making jibes at the government half the time. Moo and I wonder how the movie made it through the censorship board.

The film has the ability to make us laugh and cry. Thankfully, not everything is slapstick and there were more than a few tender moments which I thought created a balance. The issues presented were real, though albeit exaggerated. What I brought back was a resolution to value my loved ones more and spend more time with my grandmothers.

SK: Sorry for scoffing when you said you wanted to watch the movie. Haha! 我知道错了！

On a side note, some of my blog entries have been deleted after I change my blog skin! :(

Anyone knows how I can retrieve them? think I'd need a miracle.......

MSN

My boss just caved in to peer pressure and got an MSN account! Now the whole office is on MSN.

Woo hoo!!

New Blog Skin

My blog was gibberish for while. Think the designer for the blog skin removed it or something. So this will do for now.

Will look for a new blog skin when I'm free. :)

Cambodia 12th - 19th June

The Team

From left: Amitha, Noelle, Jimmy, June, Alissa, Lucas, Linas and Nicholas

The People

Nita

Pisey

Chandra

Baby Hannah

The Pooch

The Food

All in all, the team and myself learnt a lot from Nita and Pisey, both youth workers. Their perserverence and love for people have inspired us.

The Parting Shot

can't smile without you

Alright.. So I haven't updated in a while. What's new? :P

Will upload the pics from Cambodia real soon! When I have time. Heh.

Just want to share some happy thoughts with whoever still reads my blog. Haha!

First of all, I just found out that my ex-colleague from a certain events company has just became a Christian! I was pretty chummy with her when I was working there. Didn't even know she was seeking. But thank God that she has been saved and recently baptised! She now lives and works in Bahrain with her husband. That's so cool! One more soul in the Kingdom of God!

Another exciting thingy is the beginning of a Christian prayer meeting in my office. God birthed the idea in one of my editor's minds during service one day. It actually started last month with him and my Art Director, both from evangelical churches. They asked me whether I want to join them. So the 3 of us gathered this morning at what is to me, an unearthly hour to be at the office, to worship, seek and pray for the company - projects, colleagues, our upcoming company trip. It was great! But having to reach office at 8am is no joke if you have to journey from the West to the North-East of the island. There're actually a few Christians in the company. My boss is one (a Lutheran) and the new editor is as well (fellow Anglican). So it's great! I'm looking forward to the day when we can hold Alpha courses at the office. Woo-hoo!! God is doing amazing things!

An incident has taught me to give thanks for my family and friends. I have truly been blessed by the people that God has surrounded me with. I love you guys (and girls)!

Happy thought #4: Had lunch with Moo on Wednesday. My best friend makes me happy! :)

Last but not least, I have thus decided to focus on being satisfied in God's love. If we sing songs which speak of God completing us, that He is our everything and we love Him more than life itself, we should be living it too. He has said that He is able to satisfy ALL our needs. So I want to be truly satisfied in Him. During my DTS (Discipleship Training School), my focus was to know God as the Father. My friend, Jillian, was led to know God as her lover. In this season of my life, I too feel that He wants me to know Him in this aspect as well.

I have just started reading Song of Songs to understand the love that God has created for us to enjoy. I want to be fully immersed in His presence, of knowing Him once again.

Dear friend, if you're reading this, please keep me in your prayers. :)
Thanks!

Hearts!

Update!

So I've been told to read my tagboard and it has been brought to my attention that it has been 2 months since I last updated my blog! Haha!

Nothing much to update actually. The most recent major happening has to be Andrea and Shawn's wedding last Saturday. :) It was a beautiful celebration of their love for one another and of God's grace and faithfulness in their 4-year courtship. :)
Will post pictures once I get them (from Elaine).

Had a Mexican theme party at Elaine's on the Vesak Day holiday. :) Great food, great company, great movie! It was a relatively small group of us - Vic, Jasper, Boon, SK, Noelle, Gaius, Elaine and myself. We had so much food! Beef and chicken for our burritos, and yummy salsa courtesy of Elaine, 52 (haha!), a Mexican version of a ratatouille, courtesy of SK and Noelle, tiramisu and chocolate mousse courtesy of Vic and Jasper, Boon made bread pudding, and I bought Chilli Con Carne. :)
It was fantastic! Watched The Motorcycle Diaries. Not Mexican, but it's a Spanish film, so close enough. Heh. Followed by margaritas at Cafe Iguana, and round 2 of food!
Pictures to follow once Elaine pass them to us... :P

My company started a Work From Home (WFH) scheme where 1 person from each department will work from home on a Wednesday. So there will be 3 people working from home each week. It's still in its pilot stage though. Being in the creative industry, working from home allows us to gain a different perspective (instead of sitting in the office all day) and promote family life. :)

So I was WFH yesterday and it was great. It allows me to spend time with my parents while getting work done. And being able to do that once a month is perfect. :) Can't work from home permanently though. Lack of discipline. :P

Oh! Will post some of my Bangkok pictures! They're on Flickr by the way. :) Can just search for juniejunejune. Haha!

passion

Main Entry:
pas·sion
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin passion-, passio suffering, being acted upon, from Latin pati to suffer — more at patient
Date:
13th century

1. often capitalized a: the sufferings of Christ between the night of the Last Supper and his death b: an oratorio based on a gospel narrative of the Passion

2. obsolete : suffering

3. the state or capacity of being acted on by external agents or forces

4. a (1): emotion
(2)plural : the emotions as distinguished from reason b: intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction c: an outbreak of anger

5. a: ardent affection : love b: a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept c: sexual desire d: an object of desire or deep interest

One of the components of a good leader as Rowie shared during summit last Saturday is PASSION. That prompted me to find the meaning of PASSION.
And I found it in the weirdest of places. While watching TV one day, I was strucked by what one of the contestants of Project Runway said on the trailer.

"This is not just a conpetition. This is my life."

That was it. Passion is something that has overtaken you such that it has become your life. Is God my passion? My life?

huh??

Ban on Suu Kyi shatters hopes for Myanmar polls: analysts

Myanmar's sudden decision to bar Aung San Suu Kyi from planned elections shatters any shard of credibility for the ruling junta's self-proclaimed "road map" to democracy, analysts said Wednesday.

The regime made a surprise announcement on February 9 that it would hold a referendum on a new constitution in May, to set the stage for democratic elections in 2010, the first in 20 years.
But late Tuesday just as the junta said the final draft was complete, foreign minister Nyan Win told a regional gathering in Singapore that the constitution would bar detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from running in elections.

"They have one goal in mind, that is to prevent Aung San Suu Kyi from taking office. All the rules have been set to prevent her for various reasons from running," said Sunai Phasuk, a researcher for Human Rights Watch.

And if the junta pushes ahead with its plans without opening a meaningful dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, the "road map" could lead nowhere.

"It doesn't mean anything in terms of improvement of the political situation, because the democratic forces will continue to be marginalised and persecuted," Sunai said.

If held, the elections would be the first since Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi led her National League for Democracy (NLD) party to a landslide victory in 1990.

The regime, however, ignored the result, and has kept the democracy icon under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years.

The military then spent 14 years drafting guidelines for a new constitution, which were released in September. The new basic law would block Aung San Suu Kyi from running in elections because she was married to a foreigner.

Her British husband died of cancer nine years ago, and her two sons are also British nationals.

Since releasing the guidelines, the regime has come under mounting international pressure over its violent suppression of anti-government protests led by Buddhist monks last year.

The September demonstrations were the biggest challenge to military rule in nearly two decades and soldiers responded by opening fire on the crowds. At least 31 people were killed, according to the United Nations.

After the crackdown, the junta made a series of concessions, allowing UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari to visit the country twice, and naming a liaison officer to hold talks with Aung San Suu Kyi.

Those moves had sparked faint hopes that the junta could be persuaded to make changes to its charter, said Myanmar analyst Win Min, who is based in neighbouring Thailand.

But the confirmation that she will be barred from the polls "is a signal that even the NLD could not be allowed to run in the next elections," he said.

Gambari said in Beijing on Tuesday that he expected to be allowed to return soon to Myanmar, but analysts doubted that he would be able to convince the regime to relent.

"I can't see the charter being reopened, and Gambari, he's playing a very difficult hand. In many ways he's playing it quite well, but he doesn't have a lot of traction in the country," said John Virgoe, Southeast Asia project director for International Crisis Group.

"The question is to what extent can (Aung San Suu Kyi) and the democratic opposition more broadly find a way of engaging with the regime."

"Are there ways that you can use that 'road map' process, deeply flawed as it is, to advance change in Myanmar," Virgoe added.

The NLD has yet to stake out a clear stance on the referendum, but has warned that the regime must respect their victory in the 1990 elections in order for the country to move toward democracy.

Party spokesman Nyan Win has denounced the government's election scheme as "unjust," saying the military appeared to be making plans for the elections before knowing the outcome of the referendum.

Source: MSN News.

**********************************************************************************************************

What is the whole point then?

happiness

Just submitted 2 articles for 2 separate magazines to my Editorial Director. And she liked them both!

Smiles!

i'm getting OLD......

My tastebuds are changing! No, I'm not pregnant. I think it's got to do with the process known as Ageing.

While I used to like my drinks saturated with sugar.

I now drink my tea and coffee sans sweetener.

I used to need meat in every meal I have.

Now this looks appetising to me!

White chocolate used to be my favourite kind.



My choice of chocolate now is dark chocolate with 70% cocoa.

Steve and Youya bought a slice of Coffee Bean New York cheesecake and chocolate cake Josh and Su Lene yesterday. For the first time, I found both cakes too dense and sweet!

Vic will be so proud of me!
I feel like I'm betraying the Wong tribe. *Gulp*

Sadie BellyDance

I was researching about bellydancing for an article and I found this! She's amazing!!

Grand-dad

This is the second Chinese New Year without Grand-dad.

And he is dearly missed.

spotted at a bus interchange

This strange God of Fortune altar thingy was spotted at a bus interchange. I won't mention which lest I get sued by them or something. They have these horrendous plastic banana/pineapple mutant things to represent fruits. They're honestly ugly! They've got the pineapple crown sitting on elongated pink and yellow plastics thingies which don't look like anything at all!

On top of that, they've got this pseudo wishing well/ fountain with a Monkey God (?) and water flowing from this vessel he's carrying. This wishing well/ fountain is made of aluminium, no less and looks like the aluminium disposable containers we use for BBQs.

And why are there 2 lion heads at the sides of the wishing well/ fountain??

I'm horrified and confused.

I, am an escapist.

long overdue pictures from genting

Transtar's First Class Solitaire Coach

Inbuilt entertainment system on board :)

Cam-whoring on the coach, as usual

Lunch is served. Black-pepper chicken on rice with salad on the side. Courtesy of Island Catering. Not bad lah... a bit hard to eat while the coach is moving though.

See the Genting landscape? :)

It was freaking 19 degrees! We both got a shock when we alighted. Didn't expect it to be so chilly. First time to Genting mah, so a bit suaku.

This was the queue to check into the hotel.

And this is our number!?! We waited for a good one and a half hours just to check in. Oh, did I mention that the check-in area is a hole in the wall for Singapore agents? Talk about discrimination.

And when we did, our room didn't look like that. We got to wait for the room to be cleaned and all. That took another 15 minutes.

First World (third world) Hotel Deluxe room

Doing our usual :)

Our dinner for our first night there at Hainan Kitchen restaurant. Hainanese curry chicken with rice, and beef hor fun. Good stuff!

This is a must-take shot at Genting. Must tell the whole world we've been there mah. :D

Dinner on board on the way back to Singapore. Spaghetti Bolognaise with a side salad, this time from Delifrance. Pretty good.

The coach ride was good - personal entertainment system, considerate coach attendants, smooth ride, blanket to keep from the cold.

BUT Genting was terribly boring! We took the cable car, which was the highlight for Moo. We weren't allowed in the casinos because we were carrying a plastic bag. But the security guard didn't tell us we can actually deposit the bag at the counter instead. The outdoor theme park is closed because of the rain, and the indoor theme park at First World Plaza is too kiddy for us. Love the weather though.

All in all, it was fruitful for my work. But a really boring experience personally. My parents make their pilgrimage there once a month and I never understood why they did. I still don't understand. Well, perhaps it's only interesting to people who gamble. Moo has vowed never to go there again. I might be making a trip down with Mummy in April. Haha.

Japanese Classroom Comedy

This is hilarious!!

ten ten ten ten ten ten ten ten ten ten

a big shout out!

HAPPY 2008!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BESTEST FRIEND!

HAPPY BRITHDAY, MOO MOO!!