In pain

I know having a toothache stands at one of the lowest ranks the hall of fame of the different kinds of pain. But I must say that I have not felt so hopeless for a very long time. Before the internet connection goes down I must blog this down.

On Friday I went for my tooth operation, the anaesthetic took one hour and the surgery was a quick half an hour, but after the effects wore off, I was in great pain. Prolly because the tooth had decayed and infected the nerve area.

Moral of the story: Never delay your dental appointment.

I cried myself to sleep, din know I was so helpless, I thought I was garang enough to withstand lotsa injuries, just this tiny toothache has defeated me?
I could hardly open my mouth, being a loud blabbermouth this is tough..I could not chew and till today 4 days after the operation, I am still on liquid food. I can't burst out in laughter like I always do, and face is still swollen...:(

The immense hunger and pain got me depending on GOd more, knowing that it is impossible for me NOT to open my mouth over the weekend with the birthday celebrations and church, having to sing and all...

Today my NIE fren, Mazlin told me she went through the pains of childbirth so her threshold of pain has increased...well, Lord help me then to ease this pain! Thanks for all the bros and sis who prayed for my healing...appreciate it lots!

Argh...

Difficulty in walking...shiong weekend

It really takes sure grit for me to walk around my NIE campus today...super pain!
My muscles everywhere are aching so badly...my legs and arms...

Today my Papa dropped me off at NIE carpark 3 near the canteen, I had to rush to my 830am lecture..then i met the STAIRS. The longest one in NIE yet...I felt like dying...wahhah you know little Mermaid when she had legs granted to her? In the original version she walked as if knives were cutting her feet?

That's exactly how I felt..I hardly had the strength to lift my legs up to the next step! I walked very very slowly around campus today..even standing up and sitting down is a real pain!

Well, I dun need to actually travel around to get hurt:

Situation A:- Fren A: Rachel! Have you zapped the latest readings? (grabs Rac's arm)

Rac: (*wincing in pain, teeth gritted tightly)

Situation B:- Fren B: Rachel! How are u man? (Slaps Rac on her upper arm)

Rac:(grinding teeth...) Aiiiii'm ccccoool.

Situation C:- Fren C: Come sit with us!

Rac: (grabs the chair as if an old lady would for support)OOOOOOkaaaay. Thanks!

Am reconsidering next time if I wanna play two sports - bowling and badminton in one day...This is too much..:P

Bloopers 2

As promised, here's Clip 2 and Clip 3 of "The Fast Forward Challenge"

Bloopers, "Bimbo" Rac

And I thought I had a fair share of my bloopers throughout my life already...until I found this next video of me ...(Warning: The following scenes you are going to watch are going to create nauseatic reactions, Caution to all to prepare paper bags.)

I was reading Ps Jeff's blog entry on his 10th Wedding Anniversary with Claudia. There was a wedding pic of them then...wah... that was just 10 years ago! Dun worry Ps Jeff! You look so much betta now.

This video was created for the NTU Freshmen Orientation of 2002 under the Generation Acts Club Singapore. I was roped in to play the role of Ah Girl in the last minute...gosh, Ps Jeff you thought yours was bad? No worries man, I shrink into horror at my "act cute" moments in the camera. Okay la...definitely much slimmer then...makes you really miss the old school grounds too...
Notable Cameos are AH CHENG!! with some voice overs too, CK (miss ya!) and Daniel with Peiru as the camera woman.

Take cover...you are warned...presenting the first of 3 videos..

Celebrating Sarah...:)

It was a really crazy, exciting weekend. Our dear Ms Lau celebrated her lovely **th birthday on the 13th Jan!

What was really exciting was that it was a themed celebration...all of those ladies who turned up had to wear dresses. I tell you that's really challenging, I hardly had any casual dresses that I could wear out. Still, we had a great time catching up at Waruku Restaurant at StarHub Centre. Superb good food, great company, what else could you ask for?

Really thank GOD for Sarah and Jeannie for these two gal frens/sisters/buddies who have been with me since NTU days...May God watch over our friendship for many more years to come!

We ate and ate, until the waitresses had cleared all our cutlery, still we ordered more sushi, and ice cream, think we were quick to catch the look they all gave us, they must be thinking, "Man can this table of ladies really EAT!!!" Well, after Sarah shared about her aspirations and dreams and of course hehe her criteria...well Non- rich, dashing, young, spiritual guys need not apply...nah kidding la that was from me :P...I am sure God will provide for Ms Lau and to supply all her needs!

We did a few more poser shots, hey its the weekend, stressful already as it is, we are not without our own fair share of troubles and worries, so let loose la...ended the night singing away at KTV...:P

Hahah capitalising my previous experience in the Hall Pageant team, not contestant la, just helping with the makeup, clothes, hair and poses! hehe..Ladies and Gentlemen, there are really certain poses that you can make when you take photos that would really look 1 million dollars better...

Here are some la...presenting the ladies of the night!!

Pose 1
The lovely sweet, Flo with her new hairdo! :D

Pose 2
Sweet demure Jeannie!
Pose 3

The lovely wonderful birthday gal! Sarah!

Pose 4

The usual ah Lian Rac!

Girls all sugar and spice and all things nice! :P

Happy Birthday my dear Sarah! We love you lots! :D

幸福是。。。

我是一个很简单的人。。。所渴望的幸福并不复杂也其实很天真。
往往让我感到幸福的时刻也许在别人的眼里会是些很无聊的事。就说今天吧，当我在准备上学时，我望着我的梳妆台上的首饰， 绝大多数的首饰都是一些好友或亲戚送的。也许我在别人的眼里表现的是一位很爱收集首饰很爱美的女孩吧！

就在这时候，我看到了它。。。

埋没在一个不起眼的角落里，是一条很漂亮很漂亮的项链。我的东西实在太多太乱了啦！
我嘴边露出了微笑。。。

原来， 能戴着一位你欣赏的人所送的项链上街。。。也是一种幸福。。。

:P

Reflections, Resolutions...2007

Read some interesting posts on reflections and resolutions recently around ppl's blogs ...

Why reflect? Why make resolutions? Ppl argue that resolutions are plain routine which ppl make and never set down to do it in the end...for me I do agree that sometimes the decisions and things that I choose to do in the year is really out of my "planned" schedule. Sometimes, things happen, situations put you down or set you in a totally new life station.

I am a person with plans...(I hope) I cannot do something without a plan. Say I can't go on a free and easy trip without plans or the itenary laid before me. I cannot go through a week sometimes without checking my schedules or simply filling it up with many many slots...

Ah...all these have a toll on me...where is the time for God? Where is the time for family and loved ones? I do my review every year and hopefully push myself for greater depths and distances covered, not just for myself but for God.

6th Jan 2007

I heard some news that normally I know I would jump around, wail, fling my arms around and cry. But unusually, funnily, I was really calm. Really calm. Not that its an hardening of my heart..It was the manifestation of my worst fears but GOD has changed me. I did not feel the least bit affected. Prolly the angst of praying through and crying to GOd has come and gone and there's this new level of handling emotions, new level of staying calm and being peaceful with the Lord. I guess its the months of preparation that led me to this stage. Come what may...God seemed to say it with me...

5th Jan 2007

We had met as usual for CG at Ah Cheng's place and our leader Poy-san wanted us to list down our reflections and resolutions if possible for the year 2006 and 2007.

I had some Thanksgiving points too.

1) Jobs - Thank God for all the timely providence in all the jobs big and small. UOB- Bank Analyst, Relief teaching job...all these came to me when I was down and out and had little financial support.

2) My career - Finally settling down in something that I know I would like doing and a fulfilment of my soul. I told J today that "It's not about the money" when he asked me why I did not take up music professionally where I would have a chance to earn big bucks.
Its being personally there at ground level by working with children that I know it would really change my viewpoint. This job is for me....:)

3)Missions Trip to Jakarta - Exposure to missions work and working in a team which I have not worked before, sharing to people of different culture.

4) Able to serve God in major church events :- Church Anniversary, Corp. Prayer Meet, Church Camp, Christmas services.

5) Played for my friend's wedding - very first Jazz band experience.

6) For my sheep Zhu Zhu for committing back to church.

7) Influx of new life into our group, Jason, Wils, Joe, Qiuping, new dynamics in the group, our group has certainly more life and fun filled days.

8) Thank God for Godly shepherds! CC, Kim

9) Thank GOd for our mini string orchestra! Shen Teng and Sijia!

10) Bonuses and pay increment! :)

11) Able to run and train for Stand Chart run!

12) ALL the trips and hols! Sarawak, Taiwan, Jakarta...:P

Things which I could improve ah...these would be compiled in the CG list...

1) Be more active in sharing my faith - Sharing the Gospel to friends and family, this is something very important, if you dun start with the close ones, where else?

2) Be more spiritually disciplined in praying and reading the Bible.

3) Be more spirt Controlled, slow to anger and temper, "volume" control according to Poy, develop gentleness, <- God's definition ...:P

4) Do Bible study of at least one book every two months using Study Bible helps.

5) Be faithful in follow up, planning lessons and sharing to sheep.

6) Get to know more friends, get out of my comfort zone.

7) SAVE MONEY!! See at least $2K more into my bank Account this year...:P

8) Exercise regularly and lose weight! wahahahahah...

9) Improve my communications with my family members, sisters and parents, spend more time talking to them.

10) Be more meticulous in my work in dedication to planning for lessons, teaching materials for the kids that I would be teaching...

11) Be more controlled in speech, less curt more love, that's my tag line for this year...:P

Any more inputs? Feel free to give suggestions...:P

wah.wah wah. School starts tml wor...

Thanksgiving to the Lord!

This is my prized certificate...I fought very hard for it...its my Violin Exam Certificate! (Which cert were u thinking of eh?) I passed my Violin Exams in the midst of preparing for Church Anniversary, My crazy workload and preparing for the pieces which drove me crazier some more last year...2006.

Year of many breakthroughs..God brought me through it, time and again He brought me through the stress the uncertainty and once again proven that In all things God works for the good of those who love Him. Unworthy as I am of His love, His hand is there to help me again...

Yupps this is another motivation for me to strive to higher grades, more genres of music, better skills...

THANK YOU LORD!

Met an Angel!

Just yesterday..the first day of year 2007, our group decided to meet at Shi Ming's place for cook-out and KTV.

I was late for the gathering and super lost and had wandered around Smith Street in Chinatown for a good half an hour thinking to myself: "Where in the world is Blk 335B Smith Street?"

Wondering up and down the streets...334, Blk 4 (which is very near Fairfield Methodist Church le), Blk 335, Blk 335A...Where in the world is Blk 335B where Shi Ming stays?

Then, i finally wandered to CK department Store and I met....HIM.

There's this old man, I have never met him or talked to him before in my life... the moment i crossed the small railing into the corner, he saw me, its rather immediate, i was looking at my handphone...he turned and smiled at me, "Miss, this is block 335 are you looking for Blk 335?" Can you imagine the shock i have? How can someone read your thoughts like that? I nearly freaked out.

Then he went ahead asked directions for from the nearby fruits stall and pointed me to the correct direction, he even walked with me for a while to make sure I got it right...

I was lost for the second time turned back and saw him again at that same place he asked me if I could find the block again..this time round I found the block FINALLY.

WOW.

Amazing.

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."
~ Hebrews 13:2

Still blows my mind...