LOVE is a 3-letter word: August 2006

ironing away

been ironing my clothes, washing them, ironging them again... irritating when the weather isn't 'clothes friendly'. It's been raining here for like... forever. There was this huge storm that lasted a few hours and everything was flying everywhere! wowza... rained so heavily too. how to keep warm when u don't have a hair-dryer? Use the iron of course! Iron your clothes then put em on... haha~ lasts only for a few minutes, but well, it does keep me warm! - WHATEVER WORKS!

i'm missing Jeremy's 'Before 8' mint chocolates. They taste as good or better than 'After 8' mint chocolates and are way cheaper. Jeremy's got talent, that's what i can tell you! Ask him for his 'Before 8' Mint Chocolates... i asked him to do like... thin squares but he still prefers them in little cups... dunno what you call those... they're like little paper cups... yeah.

And update on my bike... turns out the alternater might be working... but the dynamo in the engine compartment might have a burnt wire or something. oh well~ sigh... WHY!!!! kekekekek gtg now!

not so smooth~

its the second day of school (yes I'm back in Thailand) and things havent been going as smoothly as i'd hoped for. been rather 'un-smooth' so to speak. i just hope that things will be better as the days go by. Classes have started and well.... general psychology's what's gonna happen in the next 20 mins. the weather is fine today - i think it rained last night, perhaps just a drizzle, but the ground was all wet and the air's a little heavy. my bike's alternater is not working right - sigh. i think someone did something to it when i wasn't around - gotta have it checked out soon. that's all for this morning i guess. tata

I got this cap just now in saraburi! eh - its not for me, its a gift for sumone. looks kinda cool huh? just thot i'd post it up since i hadn't been taking too many pix recently~ hahaha...

letting go to find myself in Him

it never is easy but life is full of decisions that one has to make. the irony of it all is that you've sometimes got to let go so that you can fly. there's a song by corrine may entitled 'Fall to Fly' and in that song, i find words that lift me up. if you are going to fly, soar high up in the sky... you've gotta learn to fall before the wind picks you up. well... thats it for tonight.

my aching woes!

i woke up this morning at 6:30am... not because someone woke me up, but because my back's been aching. Sitting in a comfortable contoured chair seems to be the only solution to my back pain woes - i'm only 22! i really don't want to spend the rest of my life with an aching back, its no joke and its been getting worse over the course of the past month than anything else. i should probably go see a doctor right? maybe i should... anyways. my back aches even when i lie totally flat. at 22 and already suffering from chronic back aches *sob* you don't want to be me. i'm going to go see a doc soon...

if you wanna keep up to date with what's going on with my back... check back soon~

Two headed baby

Reading this was a shock to me :( i read this with a little sadness... sigh. dun ask me why :(

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Doctors in Indonesia said Thursday they were unsure whether they would be able to operate on a two-headed baby, who was born earlier this week.The medical team at the Pelni Petamburan Hospital in Jakarta is still deciding how to treat the baby, hospital spokeswoman Dyah Purwanti was quoted by AFP as saying.The baby girl was born after a caesarian operation on August 8 "in a healthy condition ... and with complete organs" said Purwanti.The newborn -- officially called a dicephalus baby -- was formed the same way as Siamese twins but only has one body, one set of organs and two arms and legs, doctors said.Several pairs of Siamese twins born in Indonesia have undergone successful separation operations.

laughing at my past...

This is what i dug out from almost 2 years ago...
=======================================
i've learnt in my horrible 21 years of what you'd call 'life' these few things. i hope you can learn from them instead of learning them the hard way. you might find it kinda crude but that's just me. i'm a theologian and i'm proud of it too.

1. treasure life, friends, special someones - they dont come by twice in a lifetime, only once. they're like tissues u have in a pack... once you flush em, they're gone, but if you keep em in your pocket despite a little booger on it once in a while, they'll be there when you need em most. i've learnt it the hard way... trying to put my hand down the bowl to get it back or... whatever's left of it.

2. look on the bright side. sure, it's so difficult. almost impossible. just look at the bright side... you'll die young if you dont.

3. enjoy life. life comes but only once and if you don't take the time to enjoy it as it comes along, will your life be full of serious only events?

4. smile. it's just lame to not smile. people look at you and think 'sucker... bitch... freak... asshole... sad-kid... did't his mom ever teach him how to smile...' that's just to name a few. now, smile.

5. get on with life - im trying to do this now. things won't always go your way... or make you happy. you screw up big time once in a while and you feel like shit. you really do - and you don't have to try it to know - i'm there and I'm telling you. if you don't get on, you'll just stay where you are and rot! ever watch csi? Seen the rotting people? want that to be you? nah-ah... don't think so, didn't think so. lets get on to number 6.

6. study hard. it's boring and no one likes it. hell! you don't even really use a lot of what you learn when you get out to work - but!!!! it'll take you places and get you the jobs where you won't need to know what you learnt in school. okay, that was kinda tough to swallow, but, STUDY HARD! Aim for A's.

7. when in doubt, just do it anyway!!! NOT. Think it over and carefully plan your approach to do something. if there's a doubt, there's gotta be something troubling you and its always worth to think it over before commencing - whatever it is.

8. be yourself. people hate losers and fakes. be real, be yourself.

9. don't hate. love. make-love, not war? WRONG! Love, don't just go out making love... you'll probably die of STD's... or a broken penis if you're a guy. yuck. If you hate, people will hate you and when people hate you, you're done for. Make friends... share the love, don't hate. you'll live longer too.

10. read, digest, understand and follow my 9 principles of life.
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Well, times have changed and so have I, but how have my principles to life evolved? Lets have a look...

1. Treasure your loved ones. No matter how bad things can get sometimes, you know that they're the ones who make each day so much easier to live through. Don't mis-read their intentions, they're the ones you don't want to be without.

2. Look on the brighter side of life, all the time. The gloomy side is easy to see, but what's beyond is what makes you and me.

3. Enjoy life. Life has to be enjoyed and lived with a smile - life would be dull if not enjoyed to the fullest! (in a sane way...)

4. Be patient. Patience is something that you'll realize when you grow old... that you had more of. Why? It shapes your life... a little patience could change the world!

5. get on with life - im trying to do this now. things won't always go your way... or make you happy. you screw up big time once in a while and you feel like shit. you really do - and you don't have to try it to know - i'm there and I'm telling you. if you don't get on, you'll just stay where you are and rot! ever watch csi? Seen the rotting people? want that to be you? nah-ah... don't think so, didn't think so. lets get on to number 6.

6. study hard. it's boring and no one likes it. hell! you don't even really use a lot of what you learn when you get out to work - but!!!! it'll take you places and get you the jobs where you won't need to know what you learnt in school. okay, that was kinda tough to swallow, but, STUDY HARD! Aim for A's.

7. when in doubt, just do it anyway!!! NOT. Think it over and carefully plan your approach to do something. if there's a doubt, there's gotta be something troubling you and its always worth to think it over before commencing - whatever it is.

8. be yourself. people hate losers and fakes. be real, be yourself, be unique.. be who you were born to be :)

9. don't hate. love. make-love, not war? WRONG! Love, don't just go out making love... you'll probably die of STD's... or a broken penis if you're a guy. yuck. If you hate, people will hate you and when people hate you, you're done for. Make friends... share the love, don't hate. you'll live longer too.

10. read, digest, understand and follow my 9 principles of life.

A little bit of it has changed, but some principles have remained... mmmm :D

3 1/2 days till my gurl arrives on (my) HOME SOIL!

Aite! She's the one on the far right... she'll be flying in this coming friday! Ca oi! Can't wait for you to be back!! :D

patience...

a full day of doing nothing but thinking - makes me wonder if i'm becoming a really dry boring person. so many things i'd love to blog about but then again, i'd rather not. what i can say is, i really regretted saying some stuff today and i've learnt that i've got to be more patient when i need answers. more patient when things around me seem to be going too slowly. more patient when i want things at an instant. more patient when i make decisions...

more often than not, i believe that i'm a patient person... fine - i've put up with so-and-so for so long... isn't that patience? well, from a selfish point of view... yes, but in reality, no... because i was impatient - waiting for my patience to run out. hahaha... sounding like philosophy?

if i'm growing and learning, i really think that this year alone, i've grown up quite a bit. little immature nate is always gonna be a little immature... but he's learning, growing and maturing! *hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!* back to patience... i think that patience can be a virtue that all of us strive to have. i know that i certainly need some patience in my life. i've got to be able to wait out a little longer... lemme give you an example.

i was recently tossed into this big thing where there was an information overload. it involved myself and a few other people and man... my head was simply racing around trying to figure out what the hell was going on! i didn't take the time to realise that my brain and all that information is just like a clear lake that's stormy. when it's stormy, you can't see anything that's below the choppy water... u've gotta let the storm ride over, let the rain drip it's last drop, let the wind let off and the waters calm down till it is as clear as glass - it's only then that you're able to see what lies beneath.

if only i'd realized this earlier, things would have been so different in my life. people would react differently to my words and actions. i would have made many many different decisions that have already shaped my life. thankfully i've alreay realized that i need a little more patience in my life. patience is a virtue. patience can be achieved. patience and make the difference in my life. patience is what i want... now i've got to be patient and know that patience takes time to achieve :D

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Most of you have read this over and over again, but not in its original Greek language. Here's the New English Translation's version of 1 Cor 13:4-8... I'll have my translation later ;) (ReAL TRaNsLaTiON)

13:4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up.
13:5 It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful.
13:6 It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth.
13:7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
13:8 Love never ends.

Here comes my own translation :)

13:4 love is to exhibit patience, love is being kind, it is absolutely not jealous. love is not boastful, love is in no way arrogant. (original word portrays someone who 'puffs out his chest' - pride/arrogance)
13:5 love is absolutely not rude/dishonourable, it does not try desire to possess things for himself/herself/themselves (ie. reciprocal relationships), it is absolutely not easily angered
13:6 love is in no way joyous in wrongdoings, but rejoices rather in truthfulness.
13:7 love puts up with/endures/covers everything, believes/trusts all things, perseveres all things.
13:8 love never dies

If you didn't catch what I was trying to do - I was doing a word-for-word translation to bring out the essence of what the verses mean. The 'love chapter' of 1 Cor no longer is 'mundane' reading but more applicable!

Are we living our lives up to what the Bible has to say to us about love, how to love and experience this thing called love. If true love is present, the characteristics that it exhibits are patience, kindness, not jealous, not boastful in onself and arrogant. I love how the greek word actually portrays someone who walks around with his chest puffed out!! You can just so see it!! haha :) Love is ABSOLUTELY not rude, it's not selfish in anything (the greek also can point toward relationships), it is not easily angered and does not rejoice in anything that is wrong - only in truth. Amazingly, love puts up with EVERYTHING... you read it... everything, not just 'some things', everything, believes all things, perseveres all things and in the original Greek language... love never dies. It doesn't even 'die hard'. Love simply never dies.

Well, its my blog, my call and my belief :) I hope it does make an impact in your life too...

John Mayer's getting to me AGAIN!!

I had it a few months back earlier this year and it's hit me again - the JM bug. His songs just are so down to earth :) A song i used to play and sing (sang it for a concert earlier this yr) heheh it's back!!! :D V sweet song. The As/Is version is the best! hehehe~ :) Gonna watch jeremy make his chocolates again

Title: Comfortable
Album: As/Is
Artist: John Mayer

I just remembered that time at the market
Snuck up behind me and jumped on my shopping cart
And rolled down aisle five
You looked behind you to smile back at me
Crashed into a rack full of magazines
They asked us if we could leave

I cant remember what went wrong last september
Though Im sure youd remind me if you had to
Our love was comfortable and so broken in

I sleep with this new girl Im still getting used to
My friends all approve,
Say shes gonna be good for you
They throw me high fives
She says the Bible is all that she reads
And prefers that I not use profanity
Your mouth was so dirty
Life of the party and she swears that shes artsy
But you could distinguish me from Jack Johnson

Our love was comfortable and so broken in
Shes perfect
So flawless
Or so they say

She thinks I cant see the smile that shes faking
And poses for pictures that arent being taken
I loved you
Grey sweatpants
No makeup
So perfect

Our love was comfortable and so broken in
Shes perfect
So flawless
Im not impressed
I want you back

Okay... so I stole this from somewhere

but does this make me a bad person? hahaha - NO! *enjoy*!

(from Jeremy's blog)

ok ... a LONG overdue update ...ok maybe not THAT long ...
but it has been over a week since my last update ... (sorry!)

anyways i've been having my routine twice a week journeys across singapore to the various firestations dotting the island ... and well, the adventure in the otherwise very boring trips come from the quirky (and irritating) dirver personalities and vehicles ...
like some drivers who speak very little and well ... are kinda weird ... and others who talk alot and very loudly ... and vehicles which can run and can run .. LoLz ... yep, feel the speed at 35km/h up kaki bukit flyover ... LoLz ..

ok, i highly doubt that makes much sense ...

anyway it probably won't make much sense to anyone but me ...

ok, apart from that ... we had MAD last sat .. =) ... was kinda like a Youth Alive preview ... yeah.. this year's theme is

"I GIVE UP!"

yup yup =) it'll be good, i'm sure it'll be ... so what are u waiting for? ... reserve your 1st and 2nd September evenings (6.30pm onward) for Youth Alive!!

ok .. other than MAD and the upcoming Youth Alive .. lets see what else happened ..

ok .. i made chocolates (and just experimented another recepie ... (which was a disaster .. albeit a tasty chocolately disaster) ... and experimented/baked soft cookies with hard candy (which was also a disaster .. but a sweet fruity smelling/tasting disaster )

my cell grp also went out on tuesday night to Jurong for dinner (well .. not really dinner .. but close enough) and bowling ... but in the end some of us (who couldn't bowl (cos of injured fingers .. or simply having zer0 skill at bowling ended up at the very very old arcade they have there .. playing old stupid games ... LoLz ... 4 peepz playing DDR and 3 peepz playing para para at a time .. hahah ...and ancient jurasic park shooters ... with semi-spoilt guns ...

spend hardly half an hour there .. then we found ourselves at the playground there ... hahha ... and they talked me into doing chip-ups ... eventhough i gymmed and did lots of chin-ups earlier that day .. and was aching very badly ... yeah ... and we played around ... hahah ... so fun .. (even though it's still really childish and embarrassing ...yeah =D)

ok .. after that ... would be National Day!! ... yeah!! ... ok .. somehow the previous year's NDPs seem to be better and nicer ... =( .. oh well .. it's a holiday anyhow .. =) =)baked the hard-candy-soft-cookies on national day too .. hahaha ..

also ... took some time and planned my cell groups lesson on Worship (which was really tough ..) then i figured if it's tough for me .. it's gotta be tough for them too ..(since my cell members .. are like .. 5 years younger than me ...) so i just (like ... 3 hours ago) decided to dump it and re-plan a new lesson on Worship ... yeah ...
=)

also ... Lovin' this Song

The Other Side of the Radio - Chris Rice

Here I am on the other side of the radio
Wondering why I'm here and why anybody cares what I say
No, I'm not a better man 'cause I'm singing my songs on the radio
'Cause we're all the same
At the end of the day

Now I imagine you on the other side of the radio
Doing your homework, or driving with your windows down on the freeway
I see you tapping the wheel, I see you bobbing your head to the radio
Oh, and it makes my day
To see that smile on your face
And in some small way
I remember my place

Chorus:
'Cause it's you and me singing the same song right now
And maybe this'll bring us together somehow
And maybe there's a million people all singing along
Somebody started thinking about the third line
And maybe someone's saying a prayer for the first time
And that's enough reason to keep me singing my songs
Singing my songs on the other side of the radio

Crank up the volume, and sing at the top your lungs with the radio
Tuning in to some Good News, and laughing along with the DJ
We're changing somebody's world from the other side of the radio
Oh, Aand it makes my day
To see that smile on your face
And in some small way
I remember my place

Chorus:
'Cause it's you and me singing the same song right now
And maybe this'll bring us together somehow
And maybe there's a million people all singing along
Somebody started thinking about the third line
And maybe someone's saying a prayer for the first time
And that's enough reason to keep me singing my songs
Singing my songs on the other side of the radio

err ... uh oh ... gotta go carry on planing my cell meeting tomorrow .. =) tatabb.. >P< =X =D hahah =P

great is your reward~

Writing a song that would was well received wasn't expected - it started off as a prayer of comfort. I wrote this song a few months back... somewhere in February, just after Valentines. It was written to go with a sermon preached by one of my professors, on the 'sermon on the mount'

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Verse:
Blessed are you who are poor in spirit
Blessed are you who hunger for more
Blessed are those who weep now
For you will weep no more
Chorus:
For the kingdom of God is yours
and you will be satisfied
Crying will be no more
oh great is your reward
===============================

Played on piano, this is a very, very nice song. I remember singing it during service that day. It was sung three times in total, maybe four! We ended with that song and after the service, people were still sitting in their pews, meditating on the lyrics. A friend came up to me and said that the song had really ministered to him. Amen to that!

The lyrics mean so much to me... blessed are those who weep now, for you will weep no more. A promise from God that he will wipe away every tear from my eyes and that crying will be no more in heaven! Oh how great I believe that reward is - to have no more pain, no more sorrow, no sadness... wow :) Great is the reward!

A poem...

Introduced to me by my Ca Oi! A very very nice... meaningful poem...

Poet: Robert Frost
Title: The Road Not Taken...

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

Lens Fetish!

I just sold off my 11-22mm (super wide angle) lens... *sob* but it's for something I need - a tele end (50-200mm or 50-500mm). Either one. Not sure which I'll go with... yet~ Here's a post dedicated to a very very good lens... the Zuiko 4/3 System 11-22mm f/2.8-3.5.