RANDOM PHOTOS

Randomly decided to browse through my facebook pics,
and these made me laugh.


Weips and I in chiang mai. We don't need much entertainment cos we entertain ourselves! it's tiring sharing a room with weips!

Nothing much to be said here, except that it's a posed picture so no orchids were hurt.

Burger Queen. what happens when 2 girls are bored in the backseats. We startled the driver because he thought our camera flash was the traffic camera flash.

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This video just made me fall in love with juggling all over again.

WJF in Las vegas. the days of doing nothing except eat, sleep and juggle. and watch Sheng hau try to play DDR at max speed.

there's something abt jugglers that are very charming. you know there is a shit load of work involved in mastering the things they do, and yet there is this quiet laid back spirit of not taking yourself too seriously.

it's "just" juggling after all.

There is an org called performers without borders that travels round to poor countries and teaches kids to perform. Perhaps one day. *wink*

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Time to juggle.

Choices

it's still christmas so bear with me.

it was impressed upon me today on the impact of making choices.

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Ski train fire - 10 sec to disaster

i watched this documentary on friday.
161 pple got stuck in a train that was to bring them up the ski slope.
the train caught fire in the mountain tunnel.

they managed to get out of the train, and were faced with 2 choices.
Do they go downhill, towards the fire which started at the last train compartment.
Or do they go uphill, away from the fire.

12 pple went downhill.
149 went uphill.

12 pple survived. the rest died.

Uphill was the road to death becaue the toxic smoke all went up.
Most pple couldn't last 15 metres before the smoke killed them.
the fittest ones, like one olympic gold medal ski-er, managed 100m before succumbing.

Try to imagine that moment.
of standing there looking uphill and downhill and wondering which way to go.
you make the choice you're most comfortable with,
and take the chance that it won't kill you.

it's a scary thought.
and it's also a reminder that the most intuitive decisions (walk away from the fire) may not always be the right ones.

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The PArty

yesterday's party went great.
it was the first friends party i've ever done in the house.
we've had family parties, but never friend ones.

i was still indecisive one week before the event,
because it's too lei cheh and my parents will grumble abt me messing the house.

but in the end i went ahead.
and amazingly my parents were more excited abt the party than i was.
i almost had to beg them to stop helping so much. ("it's supposed to be fuss free! stop cooking!")
but in the end i left it to them because they were having so much fun.

i think we all had fun doing this together.
yesterday after waking up i went down and burst out "I'm ready!"
my parents stopped in their tracks. "ready for what?"
"ready to help!"

"it's YOUR party, we're the ones helping."
"look at your xiao jie fingers, what can you do", mom kept suaning me.

when bro found out mom was cooking, he told me "better QC the food".
mom overheard and went "eh, they'll like the food so much they'll request catering. tell them i dun do catering"
"next time your frens all eat full then come" bro quipped.

it was great great fun.
so nice to see weips and alia again. they are the bomb.
while we were playing taboo a flying cockroach flew in and all of us started screeching and running everywhere.

it was just a really cool night.
Poot came early to help out.
we poured ice cubes out into a tub and almost broke the tub.
there was a huge crack which i thought we did until mom said it was the previous maid who did it.

"aiya cheh. say earlier ma. we're so subdued cos we thought we did it!"

Shepherd came by early as well.

Jimmy was so sporting to do an impromptu performance.
thanks to poot who was so mesmerised by what he did during WJD that she had to ask him to do sth.
i think that really made the night special.
Jimmy did a demo, i did some lighted ball juggling, di hong did his rubik's cube thingy,
and we capped it off by Jimmy and I doing club passing with someone in the middle.

Poot had to be the one in the middle. haha.
then Ivan volunteered to be the one.

it was so cool and fun.

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Choices.
One week before the party i was still in two minds.
then i went "heck it, let's just do it."

that choice produced one of the best moments of the year.
a beautiful way to cap the year.

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As i grow in my faith, i'm starting to understand what it means to "know what God wants you to do"

i remember being quite frustrated abt this.
"how to know how to know?"
"you'll sense the peace in your decision"
"either way no peace lei", i said at that time.

but now in small little ways i beginning to get a glimpse of the "peace".

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Today in the sermon, God says "to guard your heart, because it is the wellspring of life."

and i was reading Luke the other day and out popped the two commandments that haven't crossed my mind.

the two greatest commandments are:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul and strength"
"Love thy neighbour like thyself"

which tied in nicely with "get your r/s with God right and invest in pple and the purpose will come"

it was an "ah!" moment.
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I'll let you in on more stuff i've gathered from these weeks.

in juggling i was reminded to get back to basics. i've gotten myself all warped up in the wayang theme that i've neglected the juggling.

i watched a circus show live a few weeks ago and the juggler, female one too, was the most enjoyable act of the night. she wasn't the most spectacular juggler i've seen, and usually in circuses, i rarely find the juggling act the best because there are so much more spectacular stuff.

but there was something heartwarming abt her act.
it was her grace, her smile, her skills, and just an general sincere rapport with the audience.

Get back to basics.
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I was reminded that a few weeks ago, i was sliding back towards hoarding my time.

I was reminded that at work, do the planning and leave the rest to God. "who, by worrying, can add a single second to their day?" In my work there are often things out of my control. Lab rooms, for example, are not always available so it's hard to have exact completion dates.

In one of those "deadline" days, the lab room was miraculously empty and i got my results way before schedule.

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Choices.

Because choices sometimes radically change the course of things,
i am happy to have an extra help in God.

An extra friend.
An extra mentor.

My First Real Christmas

Christmas used to be like Deepavali,
just another extra Sunday.

this year is the first time it has any real meaning.

I enjoyed Christmas eve.
The christmas service was rather grand,
and i managed to inch toward the spiritual realm felt during church camp.
Not quite as intense as the camp, but better than usual.

I was reminded again of my baptism advice,
to always keep the spirit of thanksgiving and joy.

with thanksgiving, joy will come.

And even though the sermon last week preached of the 3 factors of "being rich toward God", which are 1) caring for people, 2) Fulfilling your purpose in life and 3) a r/s with God,

I was reminded that they are not in order of priorities.
What was needed was first to care for pple and get the r/s with God right, and the life purpose will unfold itself.

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it was a nice countdown we had.
Joyce managed to find a small enclave in some corner of Chijmes,
amazingly empty.

so we had a picnic there like it was an exclusive function.

Poot and her fren swung by to count down with us.
she was all ready to kill me cos she waited so long for us.
while her fren was just so happy to see us.

i told her she should hang out with him more and get his happiness.
it was an innocent remark but after she updated me on her very uneventful evening, it was coincidentally a very inappropriate remark to make.

i have a knack of doing things like that.

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amidst the tidbit snacking, the sparkling juice drinking and the cockroach screaming,
Ivan gave a mini speech since it will be his last christmas in singapore.

i don't know him that well,
but his take-charge demeanour, consideration, chivalry and politeness leave a deep impression.
Especially since his outer image - a tall, dark and bouncer like figure completely doesn't match this character.

he told of how he was in the past, and how he has changed,
and it's another amazing story.

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it's a good christmas.

Is there more to Life than this?

*warning for Jen: the following is bible.com-ish. heh.*

the toastmasters party yesterday went really well.
Like what PC the organising chairperson wrote in her email,
every time there was a need for something, someone would step up somehow.
And it's not just for this party, she found this spirit to be always in the club on the whole.

the members brought their family members along,
so it was like a kids party with kids running wild everywhere.

the food was great.
some were bought,
some were cooked.
and the president is a nonya so everyone's teasing her about the Nonya show and food tasting to find a wife.

she's a 40+ year old HR director in "real life",
and was telling us 20+ newbies that she found out while she was single that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
so she took up cooking and even has a diploma in cooking.

we had carolling ("no need conductor. we'll sing out of tune anyway")
spanish bullfight dances where the guys sportingly became the bulls,
ball room dances,
and SK did a really cool guitar instrumental piece.

I was quite mesmerised.
watching him play makes me want to learn the guitar.

i did a juggling demo that quite bombed cos it was completely impromptu,
but it was alright.

Vani was slated on the program sheet to do a skit.

"hey what skit are you doing?" i asked
"impromptu skit. All i did was email and ask if there was a skit, and suddenly my name is on the programme saying i'll be doing a skit!"

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Gerald kindly offered to give us a ride to the MRT,
and along the way i asked where he was staying.

Turned out all 3 of us stayed within walking distance of each other.
the coincidence was amazing.

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there was a gift exchange,
and after i opened the wrapper,
i still didn't know what the gift was.
Truly mysterious gift.

had to come home and tear the box apart to find out.
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While SK was serenading us with the guitar,
i suddenly became very filled with gratitude and love for all the people i'm surrounded with.

not just the toastmasters in the room,
but all the people around me.

Years ago when i was digging around for the secret to happiness,
i found one line.

"the secret to happiness is gratitude"

:)

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We had a good sermon today.
I like it.

the title is "Is there more to Life than this?"

1) Life is more than our possessions.
Possessions do not last forever, do not make us secure, and do not make us contented or happy.

2) Life is more than our self centred pursuits.
it's more than just I.

Live life with an appreciation that our life is fragile and uncertain.

Invest your life in people.
Live out our destiny and purpose. God will help make us the best we can be.
and well, have a good relationship with God. Then He can guide you.

~~~~~
The Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21)

Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?"

Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.
He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'

"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '

"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

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(Poot i gotta share this to blow my own trumpet a bit.)

we were having another one of those catch up talks,
and I mentioned something about how she shouldn't choose to do so and so because it's wrong in principle. ("and i don't care if the other person doesn't have principle, but you must have your standards")

"wah you've become a better person!" she suddenly exclaimed.
"i last time very bad meh?"
"no la, but last time you won't talk and ask so much"

then after that it degenerated into "you've become a better person!" teasing battle everytime someone says something.

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Have a good one all.
Happy birthday baby Jesus.

Good Friday

oh dear.
i attended a wedding dinner yesterday, and wrote the wrong groom's name on the ang bao!

obviously it was the bride that was a friend,
and i was late, so i hurriedly checked the invitation card to find the groom's name,

and i wrote the groom's dad's name.

and check this out,
lao da asked me to help give her ang bao on her behalf,
so Lao da's ang bao is wrong too.

so amongst all of irene's ang baos,
there will be two,
that read

"congrats irene and (groom's dad)! have many many babies"
"congrats irene and (groom's dad)! have a long blissful marriage"

OH DEAR.

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the wedding dinner was fun,
pri sch dinners are always fun, regardless of the setting.

good old irene gave us a front table too,
while may fang and i were expecting a back table (as is usual for "friend" tables).

irene is a real sweetie.

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Went for lunch with shepherd at maxwell.
had a good dim sum lunch.
yum.

she brought me to the building they used to have service at,
wah it's some old school chinese opera theatre.
so interesting.

and then there is a chinese tea cafe thingy and a music cafe where you can play any musical instruments in there while you eat and drink.

we didn't have time to check those out,
but we'll prob do it someday.

chinatown is full of nooks and crannys.

talking abt the chinese tea cafe reminded me of the time at Poot's house,
where she decided to hold a tea party while we 赏月.
so she took out all her dad's mini tea pots and tea leaves,
and we tried to be cultured.

but then we were munching on very un-cultured roly poly chips
and we ended up with tea leaves all over the floor and she had to hose down the whole place.

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after shepherd left for her facial appt,
i explored chinatown a bit.

i finally found the mask shop i've been hunting for since i bought my first mask.
also found a shop that sold gongs and drums and fake boobs.

i came away very pleased with a tambourine, clown nose and another mask.

would have bought a vampire hat (it's a judge hat, the shopkeeper told me, looking very pissed)
and a 50cm long pencil.
but the shopkeeper was so rude i decided it's not worth it.

told Lu the fake boobs will make a great gift.
"great gift for who?" she replied.
"for gift exchange"

i would have bought the fake boobs,
if i didn't already have boobs.

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during lunch while waiting for shepherd to get her food,
an old lady approached me for a dollar for lunch.

i asked her if a dollar is enough.
she said no, two would be good.

so i gave her two.

if i'm wrong then i'm dumb.
if i'm right, then she got her lunch.

years ago i saw an old lady begging near city hall mrt.
and i saw pple walking hurriedly past without looking at her.
i was one of them.

the whole scene disturbed me.
so much that i wrote an email to a buddhist monk whom i didn't even know,
(it was a daily buddhist digest email thing).

i forgot what he replied,
but it didn't answer my question.

i don't think there'll ever be a clear answer to these things.
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I stood at the doors of the tooth relic temple yesterday.

i didn't go in.

it's a beautiful interesting place.
very nice.

Where have all the Quiet Toilets gone?

You know singapore is getting crowded when there are no longer any quiet toilets.
Was too early for my gig on Friday,
and after a quick bite i got flustered by the crowd.

it's just getting way too crowded.

so i set off to look for my regular quiet toilet,
to get some peace and quiet.

imagine my horror when i saw that there was a company function in the restaurant next to my quiet toilet,
and toilet was quiet no more.

and so started the search for the next quiet toilet.

i went up the escalators to the function rooms,
and was greeted by a large sign that said entry was only for vistors to the function.
they even stationed a staff up there to screen pple.

Good thing the lady in front of me distracted the staff,
and i walked in purposefully,
in search of my quiet toilet.

Everyone was dressed to the nines,
long gowns and all,
and i stood out in my non glamourous attire,
but anything goes for my quiet toilet.

And i finally found a posh little quiet toilet too. :)

As i sat in there and enjoyed the peace and quiet,
there were 3 ladies outside in glam gowns making up and gossiping while i sat there and listened.
One of them lost a diamond ring or something and had the cleaner sweep up the cubicles to search for it.
the cleaner didn't find anything.

the things you overhear in a little quiet toilet.

i strutted out the toilet in my clowny outfit,
looking like i was a performer hired for the functions.

beaming and refreshed,
by my little quiet toilet.

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M.A.D now stands at 8.
Just in case i lose count.

8th is the carolling visit to NUH.

It's the best M.A.D event to date.

Right after i agreed to shepherd's request to do something for the kid's service,
i suddenly got two more gigs.
and i am shopping for new props too,
so the money's handy and timely.
i like my juggling to be a self feeding activity.

Bless and be blessed. :)

So This is Christmas

Had a gig on Friday along Orchard
The tourism board was trying to add a festive mood to the place.
so there was a roadside stage where groups carolled and the emcee played games and all.

So i was just juggling for the crowd walking along Orchard.
I enjoyed it tremendously.
haven't practised for a while so i got tired quickly,
but i've always liked juggling for the general crowd.

And there're christmas carols for background music,
and that's always a good thing.

I took some photos with groups of tourists,
made friends with a very enthusiastic 2 year old,
and found the successor to the president of the Juggleress Fan Club.

there was this guy who was super hyped abt every trick i did,
and even pleaded for me to do more tricks when my time was up and i packed up.
He's a bit mentally handicapped i think,
so it's all very innocent,
but i was quite worried he'd start stalking me.

it was nice.
even bumped into my ex-colleague and his family.

"that's what happens to me at night. i transform into a clown, a bit like cinderella." i told him bashfully.

Can't believe i actually get paid to do this.
sweet. :)
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Today we had a carolling session at NUS.
5 juggler/ballonists actually turned up.
and in true free spirited juggling fashion,
all came "late" at their own timing, haha.

it was fine :)
i appreciated all their efforts to turn up,
some even after their gigs.

Christmas carols sound beautiful,
on guitars and acapella (almost acapella anyway).

there was really a spirit of christmas.

No patient cried on me this time,
(shepherd had one. i told her it's a moment to treasure)
but there was one memorable moment.

there was a severely handicapped lady in the children's ward,
and we almost missed her when we went bed to bed to check who we could sing to.

"i think we missed one, let's ask her, she's awake and couldn't call out to us. maybe she wants to listen to us." winnie and chi min pointed out.

and she did.
we sang to her as i made her a balloon flower
(i was praying that it wouldn't burst on me. the balloon flower is a challenge).

and just as we ended, the nurses put her on a stretcher as she was about to go home for the day.
"Leave the flower by the bedside. i will see it again when i come back tmrw morning." she told the nurse.

i hope the flower puts a smile on her face and hope in her heart.
it looks very pretty by the bed.

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the thing was good overall,
and over very quickly.

there was a little boy who wouldn't give back my orange singabola,
an 18 year old girl whom we had friendly chatter with,
a 1 year old baby girl who cried once we sang,
and a lady adult who really wanted my pink singabola (and i gave it to her).

we might do another one at SGH soon,
to fulfil a special request by someone whose mom is seriously ill.

i emailed the request to the CG,
and asked them during CG as well.
i expected (and will understand) for some to turn me down,
but they were all almost instantaneously agreeable.

all very kind.

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before i went home, mosey made me a beautiful balloon flower bracelet.
i intended to give it away on the way home,
to someone who would appreciate it a lot more
(i do find it pretty, but i see and make balloons all the time so i know others will appreciate it a lot more)

just as i was looking around for a kid to give to,
this auntie next to me on the mrt started asking me questions abt the balloon.

i gave it to her.
another satisfied beaming stranger. :)

balloons are amazing.
they cost almost nothing,
and they're worth nothing in the raw form.
but 30 seconds of simple twisting into a dog,
and you have something that makes pple smile.

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everyone should learn ballooning and give it away.
both the giver and receiver will be blessed,
and the medium is just a 10 cent piece of rubber.

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i had a wonderful birthday dinner with the family.
the restaurant had nice ambience but the food and service not quite up to the price of the buffet.

there was a mobile 4 piece band and we made them sing for mom,
so that was nice.
even though the drummer looked like he was falling asleep.

they went from table to table and almost everytime they had to sing a birthday song.
it was pretty funny, they look quite sian.

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have another gig tmrw.
i really should be sleeping.

i'm feeling the spirit of christmas.
it's the day Christ was born. :)
Our very own sheep without defect.
Our passover mark.

Be blessed all, and be compassionate.

ViVa La Vida*
(*Long Live Life)

i am so hooked on this song by Coldplay right now.
heard it on radio a few days ago and the tune caught me.

this morning i had an urge to search for it on youtube and get the lyrics and all.
I am even more impressed with the song now.

"the lyrics are very good", i told Bro.
"why good?"
"because i don't understand it"

I played it over and over while on the way to NUH.
and i felt genuine compassion and sadness for the terorrists.

they lyrics had lots of biblical references to it,
it's a very clever song.
and while some sources on the internet say it's abt the French revolution,
i don't know crap abt French revolution so i didn't interpret it that way.

I saw it as a song sang from a point of view of a terrorist.
how they felt like messiahs for doing what they do.
kill and be killed for the sake of religion.

but then
"for some reason i can't explain,
i know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
and that was when i ruled the world"

it must be so terrible,
to feel so passionately abt something,
and then realise, too late, that you got it all wrong.

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Here are the lyrics. Italics my intepretation of biblical references.

I used to rule the world - Jesus was the King
Seas would rise when I gave the word - exodus. moses parted the red sea
Now in the morning I sweep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice - Einstein "God doesn't play dice"
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing:
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!" - Jesus was the new Messiah

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand - Bible reference: build your foundation on rock, not sand

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain
Once you go there was never,
never an honest word
That was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn't believe what I'd become

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate - John the baptist was beheaded
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

(Ohhhhh Ohhh Ohhh)I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world
Oooooh Oooooh Oooooh

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This is Our God

what a beautiful song.
it's almost like an anthem.

it reminded me of what it's all about.
the passion of christ.
watch the movie,
bearing in mind that he was a sacrificial lamb.
how do you turn away?

Poot asked me something interesting yesterday.
"why? you've always been so strong"

i'm not sure why.
when it clicks, it clicks.

like i told shepherd,
i think experiencing God is the only way to convince the scientific sceptics, like i was.
because then the barrier is broken,
and instead of looking at how "unscientific" it is,
you start asking "what was that?"

and in the same way you won't enter now because you can't see the science,
after that you can't turn away because you can't answer what "that" was.

"that" cannot be answered by science.
"that", could very well be God.

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Freely You gave it all for us
Surrendered Your life upon that cross
Great is the love
poured out for all
This is our God

Lifted on high from death to life,
forever our God is glorified
Servant and King
rescued the world
This is our God

This Is Our God