softly sweetly

finally it's a friday...

one of the busiest, and most difficult week i've had so far this year. but i'm sure things'll pick up. pretty sure this is called the wilderness. lol

the good thing is, although God drives you in the wilderness and leaves you there to wander around for awhile, it doesn't last. i know i'm in this season of my life for a reason and i am very comforted that i don't have to face these things alone. ever realised that being in the wilderness is a very humbling experience? you are stripped down to the very core of your soul where at that very moment, the only one thing holding you together is your reliance on God's strength.

like i said, it has been a really tough week.

but i've also come to see that like the pot which has to be burned in the fire for a long time to avoid so that it will be tough and durable when it's used, i've found that i have some strength of character that i never knew i had. i've actually learnt so much more about myself and what or who i want to be through the heat. yes i've been burned and it was excruciating pain, but i feel like i will come off stronger, much stronger from this.

i know God's timing is never off. over the past two weeks, we have been doing a series on the Book of Ruth. and in a way, those sermons have been preparing my heart to deal with trials. Ruth is a quiet, simple and well written (my pastor says it's a very linguistically pleasing) story about God's faithfulness (and Ruth's too), and has always been one of my favourite books in the bible :D i don't really want to go into too much detail over the sermons but Ruth adamantly clinging to Naomi and her God, and without looking back on her past life... i am inspired by her. and the promise that one day God will send me a Boaz as well: honorable, influential, responsible, man of God (and he's rich too!)

anyway enough about that.

i've finished 2 courses already *huge sigh of relief*. it's really getting to me, i went to sleep last night spelling out my thoughts in transcription (which is the weird symbols you see in dictionaries fyi).

and i'm off to watch x-men later (can't wait!)

only one more paper to go next saturday and i'm free to be as idle as i want to. although i don't plan to be idle at all. just the thought that i can be if i wanted to is enough.

what does your birth order say about you

came across this insightful article about how birth order affects behaviour in children (but i think in a way, it can be applied to us as adults as well).

i only copy and pasted the stuff i thought was particularly interesting. but if you want to read more, it's linked.

Firstborn Child (only Child, Too)

Firstborn children ask lots of questions and want details. They thrive on being in control, on time, and organized. These kids have a strong need for approval. Kids who are firstborns are likely to be the best readers in your class. That's because firstborns are generally like little adults -- perfectionistic, reliable, and conscientious. They don't want to make mistakes. They like structure and order. And they're motivated to achieve. Firstborn children can be compliant or strong-willed.

Middle-born child

Unlike the firstborn child, the middle child is harder to define. Middle children have lots of pressures coming from different directions. So you have to look at the entire family to understand the specific pressures on the middle child.

Middle children often feel misunderstood and out of place. "So they often go outside the family to create another kind of 'family' where they can feel special," says Leman. "Middle children generally have many friends."

They often are mediators, and they avoid conflicts.

Last-born Child

The baby might be born last but is seldom least.

Last-born children are often affectionate and uncomplicated. They can be charming one minute and rebellious the next. Babies thrive on praise and encouragement. Babies often tend to manipulate, charm with an engaging personality, blame others, and show off. Many last-borns are messy and are poor readers.

Last-born children may try to shirk responsibility.

haha wonder how much of that was true for you guys. personally, i embody a lot of the traits she observes in first-born children. i naturally like taking charge of a situation, and can get bossy sometimes :P and i'm pretty organised, i like putting things in order, and yes, i need the approval of people to feel really satisfied about my work or feel good about myself. but trying to rely less on the approval of others but more of God's (the person who really matters). still a work in progress.

so, what do you think? do the traits match you? i'd like to hear about it :)

i feel like such a slacker today

i read my new novel when i was supposed to study (and i was supposed to save that for the holidays. not happening...), and watched tv when i was supposed to be studying again... sigh.

but i did manage to check off most of my boxes on my study list for the day. ord

er is key when you are overwhelmed with many things to do i find. and having a schedule to follow makes me less panicky and hysterical. hehe. well maybe not so much the hysterical part... i have yet to parade myself screaming or talking to myself in public during uni peak-assignment/exam season. but yeah, the whole is made out of the sum of its parts (or something along those lines), and the "sum of its parts" makes me feel a little less worried because it looks smaller.

anyway, i'm so boring i'm always droning on and on about the wonders of work and assignments.

but... and this will make me more exciting i hope...

i have found a new guilty pleasure.

nicola and i have been glued to the tv every tuesday evenings because of this. i know i know, it's a reality show, what more a one that meanly stereotypes people into socially and politically incorrect groups.

but it's so funny! hmm a little disturbing to find that i seem to like a lot of lame shows these days :S

and i'm happy now that the two most annoying girls in the show (imo) have been eliminated. but sadly, so has the cutest geek.oh well, can't have everything. can't wait for next tuesday!

monday in pictures

how has your day been?

mine was busy as usual.

really wish i had a whole day where i can be completely idle.

but then again,

i don't think i could handle that.

haha

today i almost finished writing my essay.

:)

had some brain food

smiled a little

watched zombieland

i actually quite like mondays

today is saturday

hello dear readers whom i hope still drop by to read my blog as and when when i deign to post something up. my apologies, this blog is getting very sad... i know i've been neglecting it shamefully this year. but you see... i have my tumblr now and that is why humans should always remain monogamous. cos there be just no treating both parties (or maybe 3 or 4) equally. there. is. just. no. way. and i know this umm... because blogspot and tumblr tells me so :D

and i've noticed how my guilt always leads me to apologize before starting on what i have to say. man i have to stop being so predictable!

i love saturdays.

more specifically, i love the promise that a saturday morning brings. saturday mornings lay down endless possibilities to do for the day. i could sleep in (though that's not possible since i have life group at 11), go to the mall, watch a movie, bake, hangout... rush my assignments :( but you see... endless!

but as in some cases, expectations overshadows and is disappointed by reality. i usually wake up thinking of a million things i could do for the day but end up doing something completely different such as wasting away at home, and wouldn't you know it.. it's 5pm already and your day's pretty much gone. you know how chch is at night...

but today was a good saturday. and according to that american dude, the end of the world??? lol!

lifegroup in the morning,shopping in the afternoon, and dinner at night. and i'm proud to say that i didn't get any clothes, bags, shoes, or accessories at all today *patting myself on the back*. the only thing that marred it a bit was that after dinner i had to come home and get down with my LING assignment which is not fun at all.

speaking of assignments (yes that's pretty much all i have to contribute to the table since i haven't had much of a social life lately. been crazily busy with uni stuff), i emailed my lecturer the first paragraph of my (slowly but surely) developing essay to ask certain questions about it. he replied with pretty positive feedback but pointed out in the same sentence that i had misspelled the author's name :S epic fail!

i previously wrote a few more paragraphs detailing the new instant noodles i bought today (bak kut teh, turkey & herbs flavour, and soto ayam flavours, can't wait to try!), and some other rambly stuff which my tired mind refuses to process. but nah... a bit too lazy to attempt to reproduce them so here you go. that's it. finito.

goodbye. have a good sunday and eat lots. like me.

about weather

because great ideas sometimes happen in the shower

because i take long showers (i know i hog bathroom space and use up a lot of electricity but it's so nice and warm in there!)

and because my brain refuses to rest and be quiet when i'm resting, but appears to 'take a break' when i most need it to work (thanks brain!)

so we're now approaching the yucky part of autumn with lots of rain, worms and cold. most of the trees are now resembling prince william's head (poor guy, he should do something about it). and it's rather gloomy all around.

before i came to a place with a temperate climate (read: four seasons), the phrase 'winter of our lives' never really meant much to me. sure, i knew what winter was supposed to look like... snow and hot chocolate and snowmen... haha, but no one actually mentioned the bitter wind, the shivering in the room when the heaters are not turned on, the endless rain... the ugliness of trees not having leaves and hardly any flowers around.

i don't know if anyone uses 'winter of our lives' to mean when we grow old... but i use it to mean times of trial and testing.

and it's so fitting that winter be used to describe trials. cos frankly, i like winter least of all the seasons. like tough times, winter just tests you and tries your patience, one grey day at a time. and sometimes you just find it so difficult to get up from the embrace of your warm, comfy, delightful duvet because it's just too cold outside.

but one thing i learn, no matter how much i would rather avoid hard times... they're actually good for me. waiting and persevering actually brings me closer to God. and as cliche as it might sound, builds my character. i know i've grown more because of those times where i was tested. there were times when i failed, but the beauty of love is that no matter how silly we've been, He is always there to pick us up and lead us back on track. winter might seem despairingly endless, but one day... it breaks, and hola! daffodils (i LOVE them!!!!). i think i'll always love daffodils because they seem like the first rays of colour and sunshine that pierces through the gloom of winter. like hope :)

and ducklings, and tulips... but i digress.

on a side topic, i watched thor today. in 3D. pretty good watch. but not really worth watching in 3D i think. but on the plus side, the screen was huge as, and we had reeeally comfy seats with lots of leg space. no cramp seats where you have to get up for the people to pass you. haha.

being malaysian

got this in an email. so hilarious i just had to share :)

MALAYSIAN EXCUSES

So, which is yours?
NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR HAIR LOSS:
Ajinomoto

NATIONAL INSTANT FOOD :
Maggi Mee.

NATIONAL BREAKFAST :
Nasi Lemak

NATIONAL LUNCH :
Nasi Ayam

NATIONAL SUPPER :
Roti Canai & Teh Tarik

NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR BEING LATE:
Traffic Jam.

NATIONAL FAKE ILLNESS FOR GETTING MC (MEN):
Food Poisoning.

NATIONAL FAKE ILLNESS FOR GETTING MC (WOMEN):
Menstrual Pain

NATIONAL CURE FOR DIARRHOEA :Cap Kaki Tiga. Down one bottle with warm water and you are all 'dried up'.

NATIONAL CURE FOR HEADACHES:
Panadol. The 'cure for all'. If it fails we have another secret weapon : Tiger Balm.

NATIONAL CURE FOR NAUSEA :
Moh Fah Kor.

NATIONAL CURE FOR DIZZINESS:
Minyak Angin Cap Kapak.


NATIONAL WATCH :
Petaling Street 'boutique' watch

NATIONAL WATCH FOR YUPPIES :
Petaling Street 'boutique' Rolex

NATIONAL RICE COOKER :
'NATIONAL' Rice Cooker

NATIONAL RUBBISH DUMP:
Anywhere. As long as it is not your house.

NATIONAL MOST MIS-PRONOUNCED NAME:
Carrefour. Sometimes even pronounced as Carry 4!
On second thoughts, why bother pronouncing those French brands
like Peugeot, Renault or Citroen correctly.
I think it sounds better,when the local mechanics say 'Pew Jeot'.
When I was in school, Milo was always 'Mee Lo', now that I'm sophisticated, I say 'My Lo'.
So don't be embarassed saying 'Carry 4' when the Mat Sallehs shamelessly pronounce orang utan as 'rangutan'.

i'm currently going through a modern family craze. have just finished watching all the episodes i can get off the hub for season 2.

and the more i watch it the more i feel like i resemble claire. i mean, if i were to grow up and become a housewife with a husband and 3 kids, i think there would be a high chance i would end up being like her. minus the "and five months later..., we were four months away from having our little bundle of joy" part. she's bossy, she runs the show, she a perfectionist, and she does a great job at most stuff. doesn't sound very flattering, but if you watched the show you would know better what i'm trying to get at. haha.

and though i didn't like phil (the husband) very much in the beginning of the show, i have a feeling i'll eventually end up with someone rather similar; spontaneous, easy going type of guy.

now i've got to find another series to follow. hmm any suggestions?

men...

this is going to be rather controversial. so i'm sorry if i stepped on any toes or hurt anyone directly or indirectly.


what happened to guys who actually respected women? what happened to men who saved their virginity for their wives? what happened to guys who made a conscious decision to keep their thought life and their physical conducts (especially with their girl friends) pure?

seriously, where are they?


i'm so tired of hearing those people who try to keep themselves from sexual sin being slammed as gays, or wusses. well guess what? it takes more strength to resist touching a woman in a way that compromises her self worth, than to just give in to temptation. and i know i probably don't understand as much being a girl (and having much less testosterone), but it is not impossible. it will be damn hard but it is NOT impossible.

i respect those men who make that commitment. i really do. it's not easy when everyone's doing it, and sex (or anything that is related) is just taken for granted.

it's not to say that girls don't have these temptations as well... trust me, they do. i know. but being with a partner who has strong principles does help a lot. and to me, the guy is usually the one who takes the lead in a relationship, hence if he leads by making a stand, i think the girl will find it easier to follow as well. that is, from my perspective of course.

and yes, girls should do all they can to help as well. like understanding the need for boundaries. and really making a firm decision not to compromise. which is tough. and although a lot of people are going to hate me for saying this, i suppose we should also watch what we wear. it's a proven fact that men are more visual... so yeah. i don't like it either, having to have to always watch what i wear, but if it'll help my brothers... then i guess i don't mind covering up a lil bit.

didn't want it to end up sounding preachy... but i really am sick of excuses saying that it's impossible to do this and do that.

when irritated just listen to the happiest song you can find. soothes the irritation a bit.

man i hate the feeling of unfinished business. and you always leave things hanging.
sigh sigh...

really don't like it when everything just gets swept under the carpet. really. don't. like. it.