Tears

I wish they would run dry..

I'd rather be called cold hearted than to cry at every single thing.

there is only so much I can handle.

no solution.

no answers.

I look to You.

How long will it take?

Isaiah 43:18-19
"Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland."

Isaiah 54:17
no weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and this is their vindication from me,"
declares the LORD.

You are my only hope. Where can I go from Your presence?

Blessed New Year 2008!

Dear friends, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
-3 John 2-

Enjoy the countdown! :)

My Favourite Things

"i simply remember my favourite things, and then i don't feel so bad" - Sound of Music, best musical of all times!

flowers never fail to cheer me up :) not real, it still is lovely to behold. so, still happy!

Bubble Trouble

The Heart of Christmas

taking a stroll in the newly renovated IMU building (nicely done i must say, too bad not there to enjoy it) brought bck memories, sweet ones at that. haha, what caught my eye was the atrium and the christmas decor associated with it. i thought to myself, just the theme "The Heart of Christmas", was enough to tell a message. sarah ng (my tour guide haha), told me many great testimonies that happened during christmas week itself. angelene penned it down in words. for a heartwarming and amazing christmas story of God's grace and goodness, click here.

Love is...

"unconditional" (i like how Jay puts it)

"blind" (One, sometimes sometimes ;) or pretending to be just because you love that person haha)

"give and take but never expecting anything in return" -Sau Tjun

"1 Cor 13" -Chris

these are some of the answers I got from asking this question.

the answer is... there is no right answer, but i felt, this is what God is trying to say to me throughout this season, about what love is all about.

"displayed when you are willing to part with something precious, something that causes you to have that "tug" in your heart, but would do it anyway, just because you love him/her."

God did just that. He parted with His precious Son, just because He loves us.

would we do the same for Him?

would we do the same for our loved ones?

The 4 part Christmas series by Max Lucado was very enlightening, taking different views from Gabriel, Mary, Satan and the Awaited One-Jesus Himself.

this is quite a different Christmas for me, but i do not hesitate to declare His love and His goodness in my life..

this wasn't how i initially intended my post to be, nevertheless i pray it's a blessing to you!

Merry Christmas!!

Love is...

can you complete the above sentence for me so I know what you think? :) i'd really appreciate it!
(u can leave it on the tagboard too, cos i think u need to have a google acct to leave comments.)

thks!

with christmas arnd the corner, the word "love" keeps coming to mind. this 4 letter word (a nice one at that) never fails to amaze me. how sad life would be without it. i'll devote my next post on Love, before that just want to know what your thoughts are.

p/s: HK trip will just have to be another day. haha..

p.p/s: i bet everyone's busy doing there last minute christmas shopping right now! :) just don't forget, to take a moment to think, and ponder on what christmas is really all about... Blessed Christmas everyone :D

attention everyone!!!

i'm proud to present to you......

http://bytesandbites.blogspot.com

a site created by me dear baby. where passion comes to life..

back from HK

helloooo :) i'm bck from the wonderful land of Hong Kong. i love the place! felt at ease almost immediately.

favourites and highlights of the trip in no particular order:
1) FOOD!! omigosh.. heavenly..
2) desserts (of course it's a separate category from food, helloo??!!)
3) shopping :) yahoooO!! cheap cheap cheap..
4) the view -> excellent. lots of waterfronts, seafronts, harbourfronts and also the view from the peak. fuhh~ breathtaking!!
5) disneyland.. so magical. so enchanting. *happy sigh*

pictures to follow soon :) and some travelling tips too! eg. the art of bargaining, and where to eat/shop/visit. stay tuned!

oh nooooooo!!!!

i have my very first EYE WRINKLE!!! nOOoooOOOOooooO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*resounds throughout HongKong*

:(

i'm sorry eyes (and face), i promise to remove my make-up before i sleep every day from this day forth. i promise to cleanse, tone and moisturise you daily.. i promise to not use any kind of soap, but trusted brands from now on.

*sigh*

i'm getting old. i guess aging is inevitable.. but not so soon???!!!

ahem.. i want to thank...

GOD!!! for His grace, for if without, i would not have passed. truly truly. i was shaking and trembling when i read the announcement on the bulletin board. ahh~ and somemore checking it here in hongkong, in the midst of my holidays. i was almost close to tears.. took a while to register what NGP meant. and when it clicked and made sense! i did a mental leap and punched my fist in the air and a silent scream.. it was after all 2am in the morning and everyone else was asleep. ahh~ and i couldn't stop thanking GOD!!!!! because it's truly because of HIM!

now for the real deal. finally, a real holiday! happy holidays!! and congrats everyone!! see you all in 5th Year! :D

i'm going to disneyland tmr.. weeee ~

p/s: i do have internet access after all. the hotel rock my socks!

Enchanted :)

thks for your concern peeps :) i'm ok already... it was a sudden outburst.



i watched this with my family last night. a very typical fairytale, happily ever after kinda movie. i give it A+++ haha.. because i'm an idealist. still believe that life can be full of happiness contrary to Queen Narissa's belief. i like Giselle's simple and naive character that was indeed enchanting. true love's kiss :) every girl's dream. Disney has not lost its fairytale princess-y movie magic. spectacular. reminds me of my childhood dreams of a prince to sweep me off my feet. hahaha! any day, an idealist. never a realist.

i'm dreaming of a white christmas

was playing this song on the piano just now.. haha.. but here in JB, it seems more like a WET Christmas than anything else! it's been raining every single day for one week now!

i just hope it doesn't flood too badly, already there are signs here and there, with people being evacuated (and tons of money spent, which could've been channeled to solving the problem earlier not just treating the symptoms now - sometimes i think i shld go into politics)

i'll be going to hongkong in a couple of hours :) so don't miss me while i'm away.. hopefully it'll be somewhat "white" there since it's supposed to be winter. but then again.. haha.. how cold can it get there?

wow.. really?

came across this personality test thingy from fengy's blog, and decided to try it myself.. if he gasps at being einstein, i... i... i... am speechless at my own results. i'm not even close. but i really do admire her big heart, that served people all her life, so selflessly. truly God used her in a mighty way. well, hopefully, by God's grace, He will eventually expand, and stretch, and use me to help others with such impact too :)

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

weekend in s'pore!

so chia mein came over to stay for the weekend :) poor girl does not have leave so has to rush her trip. wish we had more time. but i must say, we spent the 2 days to the fullest! with all the shopping in chinatown and bugis st (obviously no photos BECAUSE we were too busy doing u know what) but sadly, due to financial constraints so i didn't manage to buy much. hopefully my hongkong trip makes up for it. muahahaha!!!

now you see it
[L-R: chiamein, kahming, estella, me, wenkeat, meyling, william]

and of course, we met up with some of our asean buddies. ahh, the good 'ol days. as usual wenkeat is the centre of.. err attention :P

now you don't :P spot the difference already!!!! my life is threatened by posting this picture and saying this.. aiyoyo..

this is at bugis junction. look at the amount of people~!!! -_-" it took 3 rounds of pedestrian traffic lights to change before THAT crowd is evacuated! omigosh~ claustrophobic to the max...

neuman is catching the SS-bug :D

crowded people, crowded buildings.. and more coming up! look at the cranes.. it's getting a bit too dense for me :(

this is his stressed-up look o_O

we went to church and then sent chiamein off at harbourfront. hope u had fun girl!

just having a go at my photo taking skills. i think it's pretty good if i do say so myself :P ha! kidding :P

atomic looking christmas tree?!! ok fine, maybe my skills kinda suck this time..

me & joanne at The Central having yummy japanese food.

this is their famous matsha parfait. it is super duper yummy yummy!!!

the atomic looking christmas tree doesn't look so bad from this angle. haha.. or maybe we beautify the picture?

one more photo along clarke quay. i am so FAT. with bad hair day :(


tired by now~ but!!! :) must say it was a well spent weekend! hehehe..

2 more days.. and i'll be in HK! ahhhh~ can't wait.

hm, coming bck to s'pore this time arnd gave me a different feeling. maybe i've been in adelaide for too long, or maybe this place really did change. i really felt the "tension" just being caught in the rush hour at the causeway, the "aggressiveness" of the drivers and motorcyclists; the mass of people, the only thing i see walking along orchard rd and bugis st was HEADS bobbing everywhere, every square inch is covered with people, it was a tad bit too overwhelming for me.

other than that, i also noticed a greater diversity in the population right now. i can almost safely say that 1/3 person in singapore is from somewhere else.. they truly are a metropolitan city now. with so many different cultures integrated into one bustling city.

but as we drove along the places we used to go, yes, somehow i still do reminisce the times i spent in JC. although it too, was one of the most trying and humbling times of my life. it was also through this 1.5 yrs, that i experienced God for myself and being able to not only say He is God. but He is MY God.

i remember how we used to "pakat" to break curfew to go for coffee, teach tuition at siglap to collect community service points, bbqs and asean activities at east coast park, taking long mrt rides just so we can make it to church, running after the bus with a "pau" in our hands because we are SO late! i am so happy to see that everyone of us, are doing well.. some have started working, most are getting attached ;) and hopefully getting married soon (hehe), the rest want to continue studying (post grad, third degrees, exchange programmes).. and the best part is.. the dynamics of our relationship did not change! despite studying different subjects, being in different places, we still talk like we never left JC.

nonetheless haha!~ ask me a chance to work/stay in s'pore? hm, i might just say no unless God says otherwise. haha.. but yeah, maybe i've grown older. i just don't think i can keep up with the speed and lifestyle (or fashion trends for that matter). it is still a nice place to visit, and meet up with people..

i must say though, the only type of "crowd" that i like and that never fails to amaze me, is the kind where people wait in line (i mean LONG lines), for church service to start.. and hundreds upon thousands of souls are added to the Kingdom every single week. well done, i say! church today was really practical, direct and also hilarious. God also reminded me of my assured future in His hands, the importance of letting go and letting God take over. how timely, as the Board of Examiners actually meet up tmr, and our results will be released thereafter. Hebrews 11:1 NOW, faith IS.

pray along with us, as we expectantly receive our results within the next few days!

chicken pie because i'm bored :P

super cheating pie filling

with pastry :)

the completed product

ooohhh.. would u look at that!

ahh.. leftover pastry? what do i do???
eh, bake some more la!!!

no more pie filling. now.. for a replacement! u definitely can't go wrong with apple ;)
added some raisins for a fresh twist.

it is quite obvious i have a lot of time. i made my apple+raisin pie into an ugly smiley *bleh*


i need to work on presentation i admit. maybe i shld try puff pastry next time!

anyway, here's the recipe! :D
Preheat oven to 200C.
Makes 9 small pies.

Pastry
1 cup cold butter
2 cups flour
2 tbsp iced water
rub until it becomes fine crumbs. using a rounded blade knife, in cutting motions, add water and form a dough. chill for 10 mins wrapped in cling wrap. roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut out desired shape.

Filling
1/2 can campbell's chicken/mushroom/chicken mushroom (whichever u like best!)
1/2 cup water
300g chicken minced/cubed chicken breast (shake with 2 tbsp of flour in a ziploc bag)
4 white mushrooms, diced
frozen mixed veg
chopped celery
1/2 big brown onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
(feel free to add anything u think fits!)
fry the onions and the garlic till lightly browned, add chicken -> cooked. add the rest of the vege, toss. add soup and water, bring to a boil. simmer for 20 minutes. leave to cool.

Assembly
put filling into pie cup/tray (whatever it's called), placed the cut pastry on top and secure by pressing with the fork on the edges and in the centre to allow steam to escape. decorate if u want. "paint" a layer of egg wash (1 egg + a dash of milk) over the pastry.

bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. serve hot.

p/s: i know my grammar's bad. ugh.. it's late. haha..

i'm a big headed prawn (translated dai tau har)

but it is worth it :P

hehe.. let me tell u what happened..

i landed in kl right.... i stayed a few days in KL right.... so obviously i won't carry my passport
around in my bag right.... so i kept it in a safe place lah! right....

except. it was so safe until i forgot about it! haha.. i didn't even realize after i arrived in JB, mind you. it was a few days later, when i was all dressed and changed and ready to go over to SG to pick my brother up (and do some shopping), right.... that it occured to me (or to my dad rather) that i don't have my passport with me!!! -_-"

so while everyone had fun in SG i had to stay home boohoohoo....

anyway, i'll be going to HK next week! so i MUST have my passport, right.... so, hehe.. me & my whole family made a short trip to KL just for this mission. very important oK!

so you wanna know why it's worth it? :P

3-2-1, kawaiiiiiii :)

i seriously have no idea what my brother is trying to do?!

the chows acting cute!

tony roma's rock my socks

that and madam kwan's. i can eat there every single day and not get bored.
maureen misses me too :)

family time -> priceless :)

p/s: i brought my passport back. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

when night comes... what do you see?

this question was posted in max lucado's recent devotional - following the star.

so.. stars or darkness?
hope or hopelessness?

more often than not.. i choose the latter. sad to say.

i fail to realize that God is greater than my circumstances.

now i choose to see the stars! just as the wise men did. even if it takes me 2 years (it was speculated the wise men took 2 years - from the time they saw the star, to the point of finding Jesus in a manger) to find the treasure. i will continue to put my hope in God! and i hope u will too :)

since i've been home...

so it's been one week since i arrived on malaysian soil. the first few days in KL was meeting as many people as possible. i regret to say i couldn't meet everyone, and given my "blonde" moment, in clicking back up instead of restore on an empty phone.. i couldn't contact much people except those that i remember by heart. but twas a good time in KL meeting my family, relatives and friends. having good food.. wonderful shopping complexes.. ahh.. nice :)

so the few days before i left adelaide,

i bought myself a bag as a reward for surviving the exam week.


look at the mess -_-" last 2 days were spent packing :(


*faints* speechless right. i have too much things in my room!!!


bye bye dear soft toys.. don't miss me :P

in the plane on the way bck HOMEEEEE :)

a picture summary of the past week..

the much talked abt sri pandi's banana leaf rice. yuM!


din tai feng's xiao long bao.. slurp!


:)


chris' parents, aunty and uncle came to visit..


we went to pavilion. i declare this as the best shopping complex ever. the architecture is mesmerizing, i like the space, not crowded.. very well done.


joel and joshua, my twin nephews. are they cute or are they cute? :P


me & joel.. i look retarded but nvm, he's cute can already ;)


dinner @ delicious with my housemates + deva (but they are all housemates now)
i miss those times. me want to stay with u girls too..

good company, good food, unfortunately.. very very very bad service. *ugh* don't go there anymore if u can help it. it's a pity really, because their food is really good. but am so disappointed by the service.

this is my new hairstyle :) wanted something different.. hehe.. i got a 20% discount too!


project #1 (i am halfway done)


project #2 perfecting my baking skills. comments? :D
cupcake chapter 1: the pink selection

Basic Vanilla Cupcake

1.5 cups self raising flour, sifted
1.25 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1.5 cups castor sugar
4 eggs (room temp)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk

directions
1. preheat oven to 180'C/350'F.
2. cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. add vanilla essence.
4. add eggs one by one (low speed).
5. alternately add flour and milk until combined (use spatula to mix).
6. spoon 2 tablespoon full of batter into cupcake case. bake for 15 mins. cool. decorate with buttercream/royal icing or just eat it like that!

anyway, i'll be doing an attachment with the clinical research centre and cardiology unit for 2 weeks. hopefully it'll be good. BUT! heh.. i didn't bring lab coat la, didn't bring stethoscope la, didn't bring formal clothes bck from Adelaide. gosh gosh gosh.. my mind obviously not working well after exams :P