He can make things different - when it really matters.

Struggling with Him - and realizing i have trust issues. But the message was clear - He always makes any situation different - from a timely phone call to the parting of Red Seas - when it really matters.

Same mistake

Today as i headed back home for lunch, I happened upon a movie i had watched maybe last year or the year before - Gerard Butler's 'PS I love You'. Granted that i am in no way a chick flick buff, yet i found this one forgivable - even slightly enjoyable- because it was the very admirable love between a husband and wife, and the reality of the pain and loss made it very much more real than most fairy tale-esque flicks they churn out nowadays.

But anyway, check out the lyrics. Does it strike a chord with you? I was jsut thinking about making the same mistake again. . . . .(in more ways than 1 ok).

Anyway, here's to breaking the cycle!!

Same Mistake - James Blunt

So while I’m turning in my sheets
And once again I cannot sleep
Walk out the door and up the street
Look at the stars beneath my feet
Remember rights that I did wrong
So here I go

Uhuh uhuh uhuh
Uhuh uhuh uhuh
Uhuh uhuh uhuh

I’m not calling for a second chance
I’m screaming at the top of my voice
Give me reason, but don’t give me choice
Cause I’ll just make the same mistake again

Uhuhhhh

And maybe someday we will meet
And maybe talk but not just speak
Don’t buy the promises cause
There are no promises I keep
And my reflection troubles me
So here I go

Uhuh uhuh uhuh
Uhuh uhuh uhuh
Uhuh uhuh uhuh

I’m not calling for a second chance
I’m screaming at the top of my voice
Give me reason, but don’t give me choice
Cause I’ll just make the same mistake

I’m not calling for a second chance
I’m screaming at the top of my voice
Give me reason, but don’t give me choice
Cause I’ll just make the same mistake
again

Uhuh uhuh uhuh
Uhuh uhuh uhuh
Uhuh uhuh uhuh
Uhuh uhuh uhuh

So while I’m turning in my sheets (Uhuh uhuh)
And once again I cannot sleep (Uhuh uhuh)
Walk out the door and up the street (Uhuh uhuh)
Look at the stars, (Uhuh uhuh)
look at the stars, falling down (Uhuh uhuh)
And I wonder where (Uhuh uhuh)
Did I go wrong?

man oh man oh man!

Here it is!

I promised a while ago (well, i promised myself anyway) that i would post these pictures. Well anyways, take a deep breath boys and girls, and say hello to the car every man should at least drive once - the 2009 Ford Mustang!


Shown here with the classic pony crest up front. *gleams*

And in the back as well. . . . . . . (the GT model has the letters GT in place of the pony above. . .


The sleek and slightly raised back designed to increase the forward torque in motion. I don't know about that - but it makes it damn nice to look at for sure!


The front has the typical arched brow, a concept added to many modern cars (think BMW roadsters, the new mitsubishi lancer), which invokes a very neanderthal image of strngth. But i like how the 2009 mustang has very minimal strokes, and very blunt yet clean arches and cuts to make it really look strong and gets the right amount of head turns without being terribly obnoxious. It's like . . . "I'm a mustang. Now look the other way bub!"


Also very much desired is the vanity mustang font on the side (as if people did not already know). Its like a less attention-grabbing version of the drag strip paint job that goes from the hood to the trunk.


Well honestly i am definitely not a gear head. But the car has the 'rev rev' and 'vroom vroom' sound that all too much make u feel like wearing a tank top and get a tattoo (yeah maybe a little too extreme an analogy, but u get what i mean!). And the first few gears exhibit a surprising amount of kick, and jsut lounge forward with every step of the gas pedal.

All in all - its a mustang! =D

Pacific Rim!

Another post long time due. =)

Again, i have fallen victim to clever advertising - this time with a oh so comforting asian montage on the label of the wine. And hey - its a riesling (pronounced reeee-sling). The bottle claims that they are riesling zealots - with good history and a string of accolades for their unique and very asian themed / toned fermentations. yeast is added (kind of like the way they use yeast for beer) to bring out more fruity / full flavors of the riesling grapes, that can be typically dry. To have greater control over the fermentation with said yeast, the wine is spun in a centrifuge, to seperate the denser yeast from the wine (cheh wah - so technical; but who knows if i am crapping?).


The initial aroma is somewhat lacking. Not much character in the initial breath.Taste wise - it is remarkably plesant! the website says it is a combination of pineapple and peach, but i feel the combination thereof leads to a very plum-like taste. This may have something to do with the subliminal impression the purplish label leaves. . . . .

But there is definitely a 'depth' to this taste. Also, the low alcohol content (about 9%) makes it a very easy drink to sip and taste, especially for newbies like me. The first taste is pleasant, followed by a quick pinch of dryness, and a ending note of sweetness, and a lingering after taste of peach. Very distinct.


I must say, a new favorite. =)

one-liners

From daily bread devotion, April 15th 2009

"When we forget about ourselves, we do things that others remember."

[pronounced Row-say]

I went to the Olive Garden for some Italian (pronounced Eye-tar-lee-anh) food. And you know how embarassing it is when they ask you about wine, spout out some funky gibberish and you sit there trying so so so hard to keep a straight face and say 'yes'. . . . hoping its the end of the sentence?

Bullseye.

Well, they did serve some good wine with my seafood alfredo, albeit a little ( actually very much so) unsuitable for seafood. But it did taste good! Then it hit me - maybe i should learn up a little about the many different types of wines, instead of settle for white and red as my distinguishing characteristics.

So last weekend, i ventured into Bevmo (think Walmart - but only for wines and beers and liqour) right behind my hotel and decided to start one aisle white and one aisle red. . . . but rose (pronounced row-say) in particular. I bought one sweet variety called muscato - a desert wine, and another which was the rose. I was deciding between this brand [see picture] and the ever so suggestive Menage A Trois (pronounced Mer-nah-jay-tuah). Tats for the next round.

So how does it taste?

I did not particularly like it - but not because it was not good - but rather because i was expecting something a little more fruity. But this baby was in essence more pinot noir than rose. But that's not a bad thing. the first hit is surprisingly plesant - with a hint of sour hit that lasts but for a fraction of time. It's nose is surprisingly sweet, with a flowery hint almost. The main bulk of it is however rather 2-D (but i only paid $9 for it. . . .) with a plesant after taste. However all in all you could almost separate the water part (is this even possible?) from the wine part. Not much of a blend, and not all that sophisticated. But who am i to say? I tell you though, that Principato Rose' was something else!!! Perhaps the threesome (whoops!) will do me better (pun intended).

Can anyone tell me what makes a wine 'dry'? This one i should ask my uncle (or maybe han wei) hahahahaha.

New . . . . . . again!

It was once told to me that some tribal culture never keeps birthdays ( i recall it was eskimos, but i googled it up and saw nothign of the sort - even on wikipedia. So i will leave it ambiguous and slightly presumptious for now.

Anyway, the reason they do this is because they believed that every night when you go to sleep, you actually die. And if you wake up the next day, your soul re-enters your body, and it is a new day of being 'born'.

Recently, i have been thinking long and hard (yet again) about myself, my mistakes and the shortcomings that were, are and are to come. And sometimes it can be VERY VERY VERY overwhelming. But as i spent some time in the jacuzzi ( yes you heard me right - i write my blogs in a jacuzzi!)

But indeed, i came to one point and i prayed and said 'God, would i wake up tomorrow?' If i did, it is a sign of your mercy and a new chance to do things different. The eskimoes were on to something good. =)

And gosh - i know i will screw up again. . . . . . but more and more i realise that every new day is a gift. If we only realised and lived with the keen awareness that the span of time we spend asleep between dusk and dawn really is a magical and mysterious moment of renewal - maybe we would live our lives more 'preciously'.

Simple post. =)

Deny Him?

Hey everyone! I am way overdue for pictures, and stories, both here and on facebook.
Gosh i need to catch up - stay tuned then! Will get down to it ASAP?


Lent meditation from 14th March Saturday.

Growing up, I would often think that Peter was such a wuss. But really, as I grew up (and I always say, having more years means more opportunities of self-abasement and loathing, and a greater humility through the many many faults we accumulate) I found that really we all commit this same sin constantly.

And I asked myself – if people saw me today – would I even come close to even being recognized as a disciple of Christ? At least Peter was close enough / lived well enough to Christ to be recognized as a disciple. You have to be associated with Jesus before u can even have the chance to deny Him.

So, would I really be found as one of His by others? The answer does scare me.

Indeed, I have denied Him too in my choices, and in my conduct. God have mercy on me and forgive me and help me through.

I really know many things now - in my own life especially, why God called me back to Malaysia (called? He had to drag me back cause i stubbornly did not want to return. ). I don think i would honestly have been able to survive all the comforts this country has to offer. =)

Please someone educate me!

I am attempting to be a wine connoisseur ( i unfortunately had to dictionary.com that spelling) of some sorts. Wine here is suspiciously cheap, and yet with just enough range to whet the average hillbilly's appetite for some remote form of 'class'.
So shopping the isles, trying to select what is good to start out with can be to say the least a daunting task. Luckily, i had the power of advertising on my side:

Hey, wine of the year can't be all that bad! and for 4 bucks?! What do i have to loose?! Hahahaha.
so this wine is apparently a dessert wine, and goes good with asian food. Hey hold the phone! thats what i am having for lunch tomorrow! *GRIN*

So we will see - with the help of the internet and walmart, if this season can change me from a wine weiner to a fermentation figaro.

Good night everyone!!

Are we human?

Some songs you fall in love with the moment you hear it. This was one of 'em.

The killers - a non-ambiguous band with very ambiguous and catchy lyrics.

Initially, the lyrics seem to just stretch out and contain as much direction as a

schizophrenic lemming with a blindfold, but with a tad more introspection they

seem to unveil a deeper meaning - in fact a deeper more poignant cry.

Hell - the lyrics and the melody are just plain awesome!

I did my best to notice
When the call came down the line
Up to the platform of surrender
I was brought but I was kind
And sometimes I get nervous
When I see an open door
Close your eyes, clear your heart
Cut the cord

Are we human or are we dancer?
My sign is vital, my hands are cold
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer
Are we human or are we dancer?

Pay my respects to grace and virtue
Send my condolences to good
Hear my regards to soul and romance
They always did the best they could
And so long to devotion
It taught me everything I know
Wave goodbye, wish me well You've gotta let me go

Are we human or are we dancer?
My sign is vital, my hands are cold
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer
Are we human or are we dancer?

Will your system be alright
When you dream of home tonight
There is no message we're receiving
Let me know, is your heart still beating?

Are we human or are we dancer?
My sign is vital, my hands are cold
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer
Are we human or are we dancer?
You've gotta let me know
Are we human or are we dancer?
My sign is vital, my hands are cold
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer
Are we human or are we dancer?

We are not the main actors. =)

Its been such a long time since i wrote. Lazy lazy lazy. . . . .

At church, a friend was mentioning how a friend of his was once in a movie. A big movie at that - Pirates of the Carribbean. He continued to say how this friend of his was so excited about being in a movie, that he made all his friends (my friend included) go watch it and see if they could spot him.

At the end of the movie (which i personally felt was boring) my friend (called Hugo for simplicity and character trackings sake) quipped that he did not see a hint of his friend in the movie at all. This friend however insisted that he was in it.

A month or two down the road, the DVD hits stores, and this enthusiastic fella rounded up Hugo and a bunch of others over to his home (under the guise of some form of CG gathering) and when the snacks were served and the guests were lulled into a false sense of security, he played the movie again for them!

And at one scene, where the sea creature / pirate men stormed aboard the ship, he cried out "there i am!". Apparently he was an extra with a 'dying' scene, where he is shihs-kebab'ed by a human steamboat entree'.

the point i am trying to make?

Sometimes we live our lives as if this whole world revolved around us - the main character. But this misconceived casting will inadvertantly spoil the 'show' for many - and will definitely ruin it for us.

As important as we feel our lives are and as important as we view the issues we face are, we are not the main characters of the story of the earth, and of creation. We are at most calafe' and extras, in this articulate and intricate play which we call existence.

Duh right?

But we all tend to steer towards coursing on and walking our paths as if the convergence of the latter was up to us.

Maybe we all need to rerun the movie of our lives, and see if one annoying character seems to seek a little more attention then neccesary.

Thank God for the Editor. =)

Good night everyone.

Of roads and cars and scenic byways. . . .

Some pictures of the rental cars (yes plural) i have gone through since my stay here. When i first arrived, National Car rentals had me slotted for a full size car. Then when I got to the airport, the man at the front desk was nice enough to bump me up to a premium car slot.So i trotted down to their car lot, and picked out a nice Volvo S60 T. =)

Its kinda teal-ish grey, and well its the turbo edition and has a full leather interior, dual climate and electronic seats (is that what you call them?). A full bodied wild stallion on the interstate - and later on from the pictures you will see, tears across the highways like an fat man through a KFC buffet spread. The gym i go to is also across the desert, about 5 exits away. So my therapy and time out here is driving across the desert roads in a nice car. Its not the car (denial denial denial), but more than that its the time alone to hear my thoughts.
But then there was always one car i always wanted to drive . . . . . .so last weekend before my trip to the outskirts of LA, i mossey'ed on over to the rental place, and traded the good old Volvo in for something with a little fresher fire. . . .I give you. . . the MAZDA 6!!!!! I initially popped in for a 09 Nissan Maxima, but they did not have any available at that time. =( So i went out into the lot, and say the Mazda 6! Needless to say i scurried back into the rental office like a rabbit on Speed and told the lady the Mazda was mine! Beautiful car. . . . .

The mazda catch phrase is 'zoom zoom'. In my case it turns out to be 'drool drool'. =) granted that this car had no leather interior. . . .well i was willing to forgive this minor shortcoming. =)

And gosh the thrill of going on the highway with this baby. . . . . .ooooooooooooooooooooooohhh. . Here are some shots from the highways we traversed the following day. . . . .

All of the scenery here seems to SCREAM for me to buy a cowboy hat. Pray i will fight that temptation. Right now here is the current temptation i am struggling with every night. . .

Ladies you may now post your spiteful comments. =)
Good night everyone.

Schedule:

This is my timetable - which i hope to follow as closely as possible. With any luck it will make the whole trip (5 months) zooooom by. =) 630 am: Up and at 'em (yes thats right! 630 am ok. . .)! 730 am: Go down for breakfast (its amazing how fast i start to loathe american food. uuugh. Wan tan mee oh dear God please some wan tan mee!!!) And yeah what do i need 1
hour to do? =) 745-ish am: I go to work! takes about 5 mins to drive there. about 5 mins to walk to my cube. 1130 am: Lunch! Sometimes homecooked food (with the rudimentary applciances and tools, barely resembling a home cooked meal i might add. . . . 1230 pm: Attempts to lepak at other people's cubes. . . . . . 100pm: Work (or so it seems). . . . 500pm: Time to shove off (is that vulgar? someone please do point it out if it is). 530pm: Gym time! Takes about 10 mins to get there - bar traffic. The gym is jsut spectacular - and only for $40 a month. Not too bad - but off course please don convert it lah. . . 730pm: Make it back just in time for some 'free' light refreshments (which is quite a decently heavy meal. . . .for a wiry asian fellow like myself). 800pm: Shower / make lunch and dinner for tmrw ( and it still tastes better than canteen
food). 900pm: Watching tv - but now i try to write a little, do some quiet time and also important business matters ( this slot to be filled when LCEC is around the corner). 1100pm: Moan and groan and then go to sleep. =) So quite a concise reduction of my days activities. See you soon June 2009!

How many hours difference?

Happy new year friends! A brand spanking new 2009! At least i post something in January, from way over here. One of my resolutions is to update my blog more - and since now most updates will come from it, I guess its a good a reason as any to write a bit more consistently. =) In the next few weeks (and months) you will see that for the CG this page will be a stepping stone to sharing our faith and experiences a little more convenient. . . .since i am way way way way over here. So lets begin shall we? I thought that sharing pictures of my home away from home would be most apt. . . .
The first picture is the first half of the rented apartment. . . .. . the left hand side of the room!
This is the other side of the room. . . . . .


And the kitchen. Red seems to be the color of the day. . . .or should i say the room. . . . But why oh why are the chairs green? The dinner chairs are green. . . . But I am liking the dishwasher and the fridge. Gun metal finish . . . nice.

The sofa ( which also is red) is also a pull out bed. Will be really useful when i have guests (a.k.a Mum and bro. . . .).

And lastly the bathroom - a little small, and without much storage. Actually the whole place has very little storage room. I have clothes and belongings stuffed in vaarious crevices all over the place . . . . . .


And so thats a little about what my place here looks like. I still owe some pictures of the ride. . . . I plan to turn it in for another one every other week or so. But don't tell my Optra - she might get a little jealous. =)

Good night everyone.