going there means leaving here...

I haven't updated for a while...and it's December already! I only really noticed that yesterday when I was at the airport leaving Hong Kong. It seems that it takes a while for me to realize that things are happening...and I've been away from Sydney for almost a month! So Hong Kong was really fun. I didn't get to go to the new Disneyland tho! But the festive decorations there were amazing...walking down the street you can really feel the Christmas cheer and spirit all around!

So I am going to be trite and say "I can't believe another year has gone by already!". Here I am, all ready to reflect back on the year again...maybe not just yet! I've been listening to George Michael's "Last Christmas" a lot these days because it seems to be playing whenever I am certain stores. It's such a sad song and I wonder why they play this during X'mas when it mentions nothing about the festival except in its title. However, it just makes me think of everything that happened since last Christmas and I'm feeling incredibly blessed...

"From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another" - John 1:16.

Amazing Grace...how sweet the sound!

So, what's happening this summer? I will be going on a short term mission trip to Taiwan (where I'm already at right now actually) with a team of 7 from my church in Syd from the 14th Dec (in one day!) 'til the 31st Dec.. The location is BaoShan which is a farming community and we will be teaching at a high school there as well as helping out at the local church.

I'm really excited about this trip...to experience God's work in a different culture. So much training and preparation has gone into this (we even hired a professional balloon twister to teach us how to make animals out of those long balloons! Must say I'm terrible at it...and have been told numerous times to try and smile while twisting those balloons instead of frowning in horror...I think I will just stick with making the 'sword' for the kids...:p). However, this is going to be the second year that I will be away from my family during Christmas time. :(

Alright, I better go pack and do some final prep!

Goodbye 2006...I think this will be my last post of the year! Toodles...

sweet november

This is an entry from forever ago...it's been sitting in my draft box for a while coz i never had the chance to finish it...

==

These days have been kind of crazy. Developing super itchy skin during exam time didn't help and I couldn't sleep because of it. The doc said it's eczema due to stress?! Now my skin is blotchy and yuck.

On a happier note, I got to see my dear friend Vivian again who came to Sydney for a conference. Too bad we didn't get to do much this time, but we did what we do best...eat! :)

I also got to be a tour guide and took a friend I met last year in Cali around Sydney. It had been the most exhausting week and I really don't want to see the Opera House ever again! But as always, is always nice to catch up with ppl I met last year.



viv and i were pointing at our thanksgiving "chicken" that we baked for almost 2 hours...didn't turn out pretty at all. but not that we celebrate TG day in Aust anyway right?


digging into our dessert at Y2K...sticky rice soup thingy with pastry?


With Lisa..i think i was almost falling alseep.

Also got to meet up with Jani, a NZ friend whom I hadn't seen for 6 years...

We were in this Anglican girls' school together for 2 years when we were around 10. I think we were the only 2 unspoiled kids there :p

Got to catch up with uni friends before exams also...
spent all night deciding on which DVDs to watch out of the gazillions that we had...:D

pic stolen from louis' site.


maddy and I with our soy latte. she has dragon ballz hair and she cracks me up.


with alice and maddy...we go way back to good old high school days.


Introducing....Team BaoShan!




FATHER MAKE US ONE...Unity and love in our team for the STM.

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." - 1 Corinthians 12:12

something i did on the plane :)

10 random things about me.
1. What I love most about a cold/rainy day is being stuck in the house with a good book, hot chocolate and someone to talk to.
2. I'm terrified of raw seafood, which is sort of sad because I love Japanese food.
3. I wish i could whistle or click my fingers.
4. I don't normally drink tomato juice but I always order them on the plane
5. I don't like it when people leave wet sponges in the sink
6. I'm almost always seen with my hair in a ponytail
7. I'm a dog person and therefore am scared of cats
8. I love watching cooking shows but they never seem to inspire me to cook
9. My childhood dream was to become a nurse like Florence Nightingale.
10. I love the final minutes of a cross country race. That floating feeling.

9 things I am unable to resist
1. humming certain tunes during Christmas...
2. eating healthy food
3. starring at the city skyline at night
4. buying cards and (forgetting to) send them
5. returning a smile
5. daydreaming during lectures
6. doing something spontaneous (then freaking out)
7. reading in a hot bath on a cold day
8. writing things in my journal
9. spending an arvo in bookshop/coffeeshop with friends.

8 places I want to visit
1. France - paris, provence
2. Italy - tuscany
3. Switzerland
4. Greece
5. Canada - vancouver and banff, quebec
6. Africa - safari
7. Hawaii - aloha!
8. Drive across the US

7 things I will love about you
1. Be someone of action and not word
2. Lead me closer to God
3. be someone who can completely disagree with me while warmly holding my hand at the same time.
4. have a creative sense of humor and knows how to make me smile when im down
5. someone who has reached maturity and is not obsessed with themselves
6. someone who seeks to improve themselves mentally, physically and spiritually everyday.
7. stick up for me yet still respect my independence

6 sappy movies i can watch over and over again
1. while you were sleeping
2. the sound of music
3. beauty and the beast
4. pretty woman
5. you've got mail
6. sleepless in seattle

5 things I'm afraid of
1. being involved in a car accident and causing someone else's injury
2. some particular repetitive patterns *ugh*
3. being stuck in an elevator
4. being easily discouraged and giving up
5. losing people i care about

4 things I wish I had done earlier in my life
1. Read more books
2. Travel NZ when I was living there
3. Pay attention during chinese lessons
4. Play more hockey

3 things i believe in
1. Better to give than receive
2. Better is one day in His court than a thousand days elsewhere
3. there is HOPE

2 things i need to get this summer
1. a cellphone (my current one is 4+ years old...some of the functions doesnt work any more..boo)
2. a dress to wear to Angela's wedding

1 thing I've witnessed recently
1. Christ's love pouring out of people through their generosity in supporting our short term mission trip.

famous "look-alikes"?

i don't know most of the 'famous' ppl here....
yay for joe pesci.
http://www.myheritage.com/

im outta here in 2 days! update later.

still alive

ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!

I want to bang my head against the wall...or turn the music up mega loud...or go running without knowing where I'll end up.

I'm going mental.

HAHHAHAAAAA...I'm really OK...I AM. OK.

Coping with too much at the moment.

fight...on my knees

I feel something's coming up...so what are you up to, God?

Or, maybe it's the nearing end-of-year jitters that I'm feeling.

I can be in a crowd
Or by myself
and almost anywhere
When I feel
there's a need
To talk with God
He is Emmanuel
When I close my eyes, no darkness there
There's only light!

-Jaci Velasquez

the odd couple

while studying the other day, i heard the screechiest conversations ever from my balcony. so i walked out and saw the prettiest rainbow lorikeets in pairs!

i tried feeding them tim tams...heh found out they are not fans of chocolate cookies!

the right one looks like the dominant one! hehe guy or girl?

aww. kiss and make-up.

i hope they'll come back again someday.

so i survived this week in one piece. :) next tuesday is my thesis presentation/seminar day.

weekend retreat here i come!

dun-dun

I feel like this



But this is what I want to do



Next week.
Mon: BINF3 System Bio presentation
Tue: Thesis A Due!! + Analysis of microarray data due
Wed: Software Project Management project due
Fri-Sun: Church retreat

The following weeks will prob. be worse.

I am so T-I-R-E-D...

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
-Matthew 11:28-30

ma vie en rose...

Just before dear sis left for her Europe trip, I jokingly said to her "Now, you go find yourself a charming Frenchman who will sweep you off your feet..."

Unfortunately, she failed to get my joke and and took me way too seriously. This is what happened... I don't think mama's gonna be too pleased!

HAHAHAHAA!!! Ok, so I made it up :p he's a little bit too mature for her liking i'm sure.

Apparently, while she was dining with her friends in Paris, this French singer dude walked to their table and asked her to dance whilst singing "La vie en Rose" in front of everyone in the restaurant! The french are tres romantique, n'est-ce pas?

observation

Yesterday on the bus home from school, I sat next to this guy who seemed very nerdy and reserved. As soon as he sat down, he took out this thick intelligent-looking book from his bag and began reading. Anyways, it was really noisy on the bus b/c it was filled with a bunch of rowdy high school boys. Pretty soon, it got even louder as the boys started shouting some really disturbing and offensive remarks to this girl (prob from same high school). The bus full of people turned their heads in surprise...including myself. Anyway, this nerdy guy next to me asked the girl being targeted whether they were harassing her. The girl didn't say much as she was trying hard to avoid everyone, probably because she was so embarassed. Now, what surprised me was that this nerdy guy with his books, stood up, turned to the boys at the back and in the most calm and demanding voice that seeks immediate attention, he said "Boys, I want you to stop this at once..." Well he said something else, but I can't remember...oh he also said if they continue shouting and harassing the girl, they will get kicked out of the bus. Within seconds, the bus whole quietened, and Mr. Nerdy-turned-Superhero sat down and resumed reading his book. Now, throughout the rest of the ride home, I kept thinking, how nice it was of him to do what he did, and I wanted to say "Well done, mate!" to him, but he appeared too busy reading his book. I've always admired people who stand up for others during certain circumstances.The truth is, while most passengers on the bus heard how rude the boys were, they weren't the ones being harassed so they did not feel the need to step up and give the boys some spanking despite their behaviours. I really liked how the nerdy guy stood up for someone practically a stranger, without any hesitations...like it was the most normal thing to do (well it is a "normal" thing to do but if you live in a city like Sydney, most ppl would choose to mind their own business and don't give a damn about anyone else) . Anyways, so this is my story from yesterday.

One more assignment to go then my one-week holiday awaits me. Press on. I've been so touched by some friends who have called/written to encouraged and check up on me continuously in the past week when it got really tough...I feel so undeserving of the love and friendships I have....and was reminded of this quote:

To love another person is to see the face of God. - Les Miserables

Enough sappiness...off I go.