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My 2 aunty’s birthdays celebration.

Today’s EG2401 exam went smoothly. Predicted result is a B. I think, the credit can only go to God. Oh dearie me, still got 4 more. I’m not panicking but more like expecting bad stuff. Back to study! Must cram before dinner date with YX. Her birthday falls in the middle of children’s camp. So going to pak toh before I die on wed and thursday exams.

I just read the post before this. I think Proverbs 28:13 is something I need to really apply.

Anyway, today was as birthdays are. Messages came in as usual (but not taken forgranted). In order of appearance:

1. +6592275700 (Thanks, although I dunno who you are.. haha.. you din reply la!)
2. William
3. Eunice
4. Liying
5. My bro
6. Sandra
7. Weijie
8. Jeremy
9. Oswald
10. Jie
11. Bernice
12. Shulin
13.  Dad
14. My San Yi
15. Charissa
16. Zhao Ru
17. Timothy Lee
18. Darren
19. Angela
20. Darrell

Thanks to one and all. I ate at Marmalade Pantry just now. It was just a nice quiet dinner. Haha.. I really like nice quiet dinners.

My boat’s still rocking from the days before so I guess I’d say I’m quite fortunate to have lived the life I have. Just 4 and a half years of blogging will show anyone how much God has worked in my life. Even through all that I still feel so lousy, like I haven’t progressed at all. It would greatly comfort me to spout everything I feel thats wrong about me now but its kinda no point and unedifying. Just maybe some simple prayer things I could list out.

1. I am still looking for that elusive daily abiding relationship. I’m really lousy at doing things consistently.
2. I am still looking for that elusive 24/7 connected prayer life. I’m terrible at focusing my mind on one thing.

After so many years I’ve come to realise this is something no christian has or ever will have”gotten past” because its.. just something you can’t get past anymore than you getting past the law of gravity on your own. I need to be like that glove in pastor’s anniversary sermon illustration and I need to let God control me. And it all boils down to little decisions and sins I commit. Oh man.. I’ve grown like so cold and callus over the past couple of months again. The old old story.. is old once more. I’m not interested in God. I serve because its who I am. I’ve been terribly brutal with the truth on occasion. What a difference 9 months makes in my life! I shall go read my own writing once more, the thoughts I had when I just came back from the Spiritual Awakening conference. I feel like I’ve fallen asleep.. and there has been no friend to spur me on.

Hi darren, if you’re reading this we really need to get cracking soon before the desire goes away. It always seems that life deals me difficult times and trying circumstance to discourage me from doing anything. I’m going to die in another 50 years if I’m unlucky enough to live that long. Thats not long enough to serve God fully.

Lastly, instead of shying away from these circumstances and difficult times, I want God to throw them at me until I pass the test and become something that he can use. I want more irritating people in my life. I want more difficult modules. I want more loneliness. I want more stress. But most of all, I want more of God to take me through all this and teach me. Without all this, I’m going to be so useless. Die already have nothing to show for this life.

*Phew*

I shall go shower and then sleep. Have a test tomorrow at 6:30-7:30 pm then going to have dinner with YX. I must say.. I really appreciate what she’s been to me. I want God to bless our relationship and teach us. I’m kinda looking forward to the 6 months away. When she’s back I can “get to know her all over again” as dency says the same about my bro who’s been away for a month. No gushing lovey dovey for her over here, just a solid appreciation.

Me and yx got up early after like.. 3hrs of sleep (5 for her) after studying at the 24hr macs to go pick up Sandra and study with her at the parkway mos burger. I must say it was a nice time, very quiet and uneventful. The tables were small so I sat by myself and YX tuitioned her half to death. Me and YX rushed around to buy her birthday presents and got done in like.. 15 min. Gave her an early one to chase away the exam blues. After that we ditched her there to wait for her parents and went to pastors place.

Ate at pastor’s place.. nice food courtesy of aunty diana.. the chiken wings were especialy nice. It was so fresh and hot theat the oil squirts out and burns you. haha.. all the fingers and mouths burnt! Then we tu there very long and got to puishan’s wedding rehearsal 50 mins late. Well, it was okay only la. One thing I noticed is that everyone was at their usual stations.. ming yong upstair.s.. timothy at the door.. eunice at piano… chorale same ppl.. me with instruments during solemnisation. This could have been anybody’s wedding! I’m so guilty that I have a very flippant attitude towards the weddings already.. even though songs and messages don’t lose their meaning even if repeated 10000 times. Oh well.. I’m going to shower. All the TV shows in the US started! Prison break, heroes, the unit, stargate atlantis… haha.. I shall hold off until next year holidays then watch.. Or maybe I’ll just cut them out. Can’t watch everything.. its just too time wasting.

10 min!

Went douby Ghaut fish and co for zg’s bday. Made him a big ball of titbits for his birthday!

wah man! so many photos.. I think i’m too lazy to do the church teachers day one…

One last thing before I sleep.. it is my geekiest, most eccentric pal’s birthday. I wish him all the best. And thank him for all the rest.

The sound guy from the FBFI conference returns! This time its his birthday so me and YX went down to find him. Got him a polo tee from tamp metro sale. Its nice red striped. Anyway, here are all the photos..

I found this bunch interesting. I am 23 but somehow still feel like I could easily break into the group of 12-18 year olds. I was wondering if groups like the many ones in church are easy to join in, break into or just observe without feeling left out. I must say it is not really so. I know things are sometimes different here and there but here are a few things I observed from playing games with this group.

• They didn’t really talk alot of insider stuff and have any inside jokes that weren’t easy to catch on. n the contrary, jokes were all kinda easy to get and understand, even when you’re new. (hey, indian jokes are pretty quick to pick up.. esp when they are about Gopal)
• They didn’t make small talk for the sake of it. Although I initiated alot of it, we didn’t dance around the usual mundane topics just to make conversation.. they were just.. them. Sincere (I think) and unadulterated friendliness. Even if that is not true, I felt that it was, and thats all that really matters. i think activities also help take the weight off comunication by engaging minds in a seperate activity which still allows everyone to know each other.
• They didn’t carry out activities that excluded us/they included us by playing games that were more retarded and simple to pick up (no bridge and no dai dee for my sake)

Before anyone thinks such interactions are shallow, I would go as far as to say that you can’t go deep without going shallow first. Also, though some people tend to click easily, some just don’t.. can’t really help that at all. Also, it is important for the stranger to do some of the work (like us trying to talk and have fun with them, awkward at first but crazy fun at the end) but still, when we are in the majority group we can strive to be inclusive when we are in larger groups around a stranger.

One thing I have also noticed is that it helps a group to bond when you have a target, the butt of all jokes. Usually this works when that person is goofy and doesn’t care. Common humor also helps alot.

One last thing. One guy mentioned he knew our church and one of his friends a guy named Jason came for 2 weeks and left because he felt he didn’t know anyone. Hmmm.. I think sometimes people just slip through the net and we miss them. I hope this small dissection of simple group dynamics can help everyone think about how their own behaviour speaks to the new people in the existing groups.

This is specially for Charissa

I got a parking ticket! wah man.. my mom sabo say opposite downtown east no needput coupon.. There goes $30…

Well, had some pictures over the weekend which I haven’t shared yet.

And finally, a very nice group picture