The last leg.

Last week to ASFV! Cheonging the last leg of editing, and I’m sure the committee is on the ball putting together the final toppings on this amazing cake of a journey we’ve had with WKWSCIFOC’09.

Praying, and continuing to believe God that all shall be well for the week ahead; no H1N1 can enter our camp in Jesus’ name. We are covered by the blood of Jesus, and ever protected. In this lead up, just want to encourage the rest of you to hold the camp, the freshies, the seniors, and everyone involved in camp in prayer. In this time of the devil’s attack, it becomes even more important to uphold and remember the finished work of Jesus Christ which has set us free from the afflictions of this world, and has made us to be above only and not beneath. And we are above H1N1 and not beneath, in Jesus’ name!

So seniors and freshies who happen to be reading this (or anyone else for that matter), keep the camp and your loved ones (and don’t forget yourselves!) in prayer! It shall all be well in Jesus’ name, and we shall all have the most amazing, spectacular, enjoyable, history-making, ground-breaking, earth-shattering, record-breaking WKWSCIFOC ever.

Welcome to CS, ye fresh blood. This is the beginning of what could possibly be, the wildest ride of your life. Of course, this depends on how interesting you decide you want your school life to be. You could choose to lurk, but that’s a moment wasted there – make use of your youth. These are the last 4 years of your student life. It may not seem poignant to you yet, but soon it will; so go ALL OUT AND ENJOY IT YO!

That aside, it has been an interesting FOC’09 journey for me. I didn’t start out with the rest of you, I was not there from the beginning, only watching slowly as the committee gradually took shape, the OGLs were picked, the pieces were coming together… I have only been on this ride since the summer hols began. It has been a busy two months, not just with FOC, but with everything else I’m involved in right now. The fact that the Thailand mission trip has been ‘postponed indefinitely’ is a good season for me to rest, and I know that when I finally get to go, it’s going to be 7 times more awesome.

But for now, commitments abound everywhere, FOC is but one of my many, but it is also a journey I have no regrets having started on. And am blessed to be able to complete.

And guys (and gals), we WILL see this camp to fruition, H1N1 or not!

(But we will still be responsible and accountable of course. Do listen to WL’s safety briefing, his long windedness may rival the Yangtze River, but it is neccessary.)

Walking (and sometimes running and sprinting) the FOC journey has brought me closer to certain people (apart from, obviously, Peds Shiu), certain friends, and certain aquaintances, with whom I would not have bonded with if not for this journey we have taken together. And for that, I am thankful to God that it has been, and will continue to be, amazing.

Alright. It’s 2.30am and I’m up at 7am to head down to NTU again.

Should be getting some new equipment tomorrow though. New camera toys…

In an update about the kitty – it is the cutest, most adorable, most lizzy-connection cat she has ever been blessed to meet. Unfortunately her family does not want to keep it for many practical reasons – that being the existence of our two rabbits, hamster and already other part-time cat. The fact that we are not home most of the time will induce him to wander, and we are also not prepared to allow an animal to freely roam the entire house as he wishes. AND… among other reasons.*Sad*

But he is the cutest thing really. I really do adore the little fella. Got heart to heart connection. But I agree with my Mom and Sis, we are not equipped, prepared or willing to be responsible for another furry life. Furthermore I’m moving back to hall in 5 weeks. Which means…………….school is starting in 5 weeks. Buggerit. Lol.

Okay. Sleep sounds like awesome now.

So goodnight.

Rhema.

Was randomly browsing through my archives.

Sometimes when I read what I wrote when I was younger (This blog goes back to 2004, after all), I feel like my English was better then.

Now I write in bits and pieces and maybe I actually do sound younger. Regressive aging. Not bad.

I take that back, I read a few more 2005 entries and changed my mind.

I think I was more coherent in Sec 4 (2004). Even found an old entry on what I thought about love as a 16 year-old. Nice. Justifiable, back then, for my age. But still pretty much me, except that I’ve learned what it is to commit.

And even this entry which is addressed to a random person who was in my life at that point in time who I can no longer drag up from memory. (So no, I don’t remember who I was actually talking about.)

The main reason I starteted writing this entry was just, to post something nice I dug out from my archive along with the rest of Lizzyness.

Reading everything, I don’t feel like I’ve changed all that much (except for the better). Grown some, but still, very much, me.

Enjoy this poem/lyrics. I don’t even know.

Erin O’Donnell \ Hold On To Jesus

You’re a little piece of heaven
You’re a golden ray of light
Ad I wish I could protect you
From the worries of this life
But if there’s one thing I could tell you
It’s no matter what you do
Hold to Jesus -
He’s holding on to you

The world will try to tell you
That might is more than right
That beauty’s on the outside
And being good’s a losing fight
But remember what I’ve told you
Because the world will make you choose
Hold to Jesus -
He’s holding on to you

Hold on to Jesus
Cling to His love
Rest deep in His mercy
Whenever things get rough
Don’t lose sight of His goodness
And don’t ever doubt this truth
That when you hold on to Jesus
He’s holding on to you

Hear me dear Jesus
Rock this little one to sleep
Keep her close when she’s scared
And give her grace when she is weak
I know she’ll stumble
But I know she’ll make it through
If you hold to her just like
You said You’d do
Hold her Jesus -
And she’ll hold on tight to You

TAI-YERDDDD.

Omagad exhausted to the max.

Saturday:
PLAY! @ Sentosa, took photos from morning till night.

Sunday:
Service + FOC filming (what I thought would be a few hours turned out into an overnight shoot)

Monday = big time K.O.

Tuesday:
OGL meeting + Papa rehearsal at night @ Pulau NTU.

Wednesday:
MIDWEEK BIBLE STUDY YAY.

Thursday/Friday:
FOC filming

Saturday:
Agreed to go for some roller blading class under Sis’ company thing…

Sunday:
Service/FOC filming

Next week: Rinse, recycle & repeat!

BUT.

IT has really been an exhaustedly satisfying weekend. Actually enjoyed everything even though I was out for most of today as though a herd of hungry hippos trampled over me to get to the watering hole.

And oh cannot forget to mention that Sis and I went for DISTANT WORLDS (Final Fantasy) on Friday! Was supposed to go catch the drama production with the TJ people but Distant Worlds was just too amazingly good to pass up. Sis got the tickets at the last minute (insert long-winded story about STB perks here) and they were REALLY awesome seats 5 rows from the front and Uematsu-san was sitting just in the row in front of meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. *fangirl fluff*

Okay but not big enough of a fangirl to stay for the entire dialogue at the end + autograph signing session. (Stomach led me, last meal on Friday before concert was McD breakfast.)

I did buy the tshirt though (even though I got scolded by Sis because I have too many tshirts). But well. As a self-respecting fangirl I needed to get something. The concert was really really good. (Except the opera singers) Victoria chorale was very shiok to listen to too. Woot woot.

Anyway, on to another topic, taking photos on Saturday was a new experience, first time covering an event of such a large scale, attendance was probably about 1.5k?
Shooting at night was definitely the highlight. DIFFICULT.

Things I’ve learnt:

• I need to invest in a Speedlight ASAP. [SB-600 here I come!]
• It’s always good to have all the other pro and semi-pro photographers around because you learn a lot from them. Really good experience, even though I felt quite n00b next to them and their big boys. But they taught me a lot.

Catching precious moments.

Overall pretty happy with my shots. Appreciating every different photography experience as I learn to love my D90 inside out. Long way to go but the learning curve so far has been a good upward climb, so it’s all good.

And oh before I forget! This is the video Lide and I were working on last week.

C-c-craaazy.

Back from London and Seniors’ Camp. This is madness.

London was the awesomez. I spent so much money I can forget about buying anything else for the next 6 months (for e.g. a new ipod. So my dear iPod touch please come home to me.). Mostly on clothes and a lot on books *guilty face*. Design books. Which probably took up a good 6 to 7kg in my luggage.

The nice thing about London (apart from, obviously, the contrast in the weather. It was 16 degrees Celcius there mostly, with nice sun.) is that there are so many old things there. Old buildings, abandoned buildings… the Tube system is a diverse mess of lines that were clobbered together without the systematic planning we’re so used to in Singapore. Each station has its own personality. The trains rush in with such dramatic whistling wind. Litter is everywhere. The city is imperfect and it knows it. Unlike here, where we try to mask over everything with a veneer of Utopian madness.

There, buildings are allowed to be empty. Unfilled. Left for you to wonder over the past of who once lived there, or which company once filled that space – still littered with memories of their past occupants, now gone. Here, every empty space is almost immediately filled.

The sky there is so blue and beautiful too, when it doesn’t rain at least. But we had awesome weather for most of the week. Praise God. He wanted us to have a good time.

Did massive shopping and took too many photos… well, one can never take too many I suppose. Though sorting them out is something I’m dreading. Barely sorted out Seniors’ Camp shots yesterday. Should not have taken so many either. :S

Got myself involved in so many more things now… again. Liz liz liz. When will you learn to stop wanting to do everything?

Last semester I challenged myself to take up a lot of things just to see how far I could stretch myself. I survived (barely). But clearly haven’t learnt when to stop. I’m starting to get the inkling that maybe I’m addicted to being busy.

• FOC design/blog
• Online Chron
• Comma layout (est. 40 pages min.)
• Paparazzi
• Arrow camps/events
• FOC itself

Time to get cracking.

FOC first.

In other unrelated (good) news, the school emailed me to say that my matric card has been found and I can go collect it (yay!). Which means I won’t have to cough up another $50 since I already painfully parted with $100 for my I/C.

A Song.

Weili shared this really interesting song with me.

Which I almost literally LOL-ed at except that I was in the Reference section on the 11th floor of the national library and you can literally hear a pin drop in there. Lizzy laughter would not have been appreciated. At all.

Katy Perry – You’re so Gay

Go find the lyrics yourself. They aren’t sanitized enough to grace my blessed pages.

Lol.

–

In other news, its the exam season. And everyone seems to be mugging their asses off.

I’m definitely clocking far less hours now than when I did studying for the A’s. For some reason, I’m feeling relaxed. Well I am until I notice abc or xyz mugging their asses off. Then the questions will begin to pop into my head;

“Am I not studying enough? Am I not doing enough research? Am I not preparing enough? Why does everyone seem to be preparing so much?”

And then the next list of thoughts will stream in;

“How well I do isn’t going to depend on how much I study. And even if I do study and think I’m prepared, I’m not going to rely on that for my grades. Because I’ve seen myself fail myself. And I’d rather follow God’s kingdom way than the strivings of this world.”

People in uni mug a lot harder than I remember folks to be in JC. That’s saying something since I actually remember studying a lot as a JC student. But people here are so much more… intense.

Well I guess that reflects the fact that roughly 20% make it to JC in a year. And only 25% of this 20% will make it to the 3 mainstream local universities. Its all hogwash. Yes, I am in one of the three. That makes me safe in the eyes of those in my JC. Admirable to those below. And mediocre in the eyes of the 5 other JCs above (I think being condemned to a local uni is travesty to most of them).

When will the comparisons stop? It gets on my nerves. People say I’d do well because I’m smart. Or that I don’t have to study as much because I’m ’smart’. As far as it goes. Pride is the only thing that could kill me. So I’m better off going by God’s economy. Don’t need to be so smart. Even if I’m insecure because I’m not smart enough, all the better, because it means that I can let God in to do His work.

I’m not competitive by nature. According to Julia T Wood (author of the most lor sor textbook I have ever read), my conflict response would probably be “neglect”. The more you egg me on, the more I will choose to remain silent. I don’t like being in competitive environments. But I know I’ve happily thrown myself into one of the most competitive courses on campus.

It isn’t a bad thing. The media industry is competitive. And I came in with full knowledge of that fact. I just don’t want to be part of the rat race, that’s all. I’m not interested in being number one rat.

I will not derive security based on my grades. I will not let my worth as a person be defined by how well I do. And I know I will do well by the grace of God. It’s just that whatever appears on that transcript isn’t what defines Lizzy. I refuse to let my value as a human being depend on what class of honours I receieve.

I was born for greater purposes than to chase a slip of paper till I’m 23 years old.

The world will not turn brighter overnight just because I get First Class honours.

Life is learning, life is living, and living by the Word of the Living God.

Call me foolish if you will.

But I’d rather be foolish and follow the One whose guidance can never be wrong, than prove to myself just how worthless my human intelligence is.

I see the lives of people around me. I see the life of Agnes, a mentor, leader and friend, who didn’t even need that Honours degree to land her desired job when her better faring peers failed.

And all I know is that God is faithful to me.

I may not be the best. But at least I’m happy. Contented. Satisfied. And loved.

HAPPY THINGS. (MANY MANY)

Okay. This is a lizzy-waxes-lyrical post.

Although last week’s photos are really late….. there is something I MUST MUST MUST BLOG ABOUT!

HAPPINESS IN A CUP.

REESE’S MINI PEANUT BUTTER CUPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay I know I sound crazy but these are totallyz my favourite American milk chocolate which I am ridiculously crazy over and cannot get sick of. Sis found it in Cocoa Tree for approx. $25 for 40OZ. Which is like, 1.13KG worth of peanut butter cups. BWAHAHA.

Okay. Don’t look at me like I’m nuts. I know Candy Empire has been selling the bigger ones but they’re just not the same.

Peanutbutterygoodness.

So loverrrlyyy. I’m already thinking of how to use them to bake.

As you can tell the lizzy nerves have sort of unraveled all over the place this weekend for ONE GOOD REASON ONLY.

She has finally, finally, finally exhausted her assignments. NO MORE ASSIGNMENTS OR QUIZZES. All that’s left is to study for the exams which just so happen to be 3 weeks away but for now. THERE ACTUALLY ISN’T ANYTHING ON MY STICKY NOTES. (Well except work [the one that actually gives me $$] but let me me euphoric for now.)

AND.

I HAVE DECIDED.

That I shall return to paid hosting soon. AND get about doing my portfolio during the holidays. (The same resolution I’ve been making for the past 3 years, I know.)

Am looking at Limebox or Usonyx. Any other recommendations?

If anyone is interest in sharing domain/space let me know.

And here’s from last week.. (overdue photos)

Flaoweerrhhhhssss..

Someone looking very pleased with himself because of the flowers....

Also, if you are wondering why Lizzy has been so trigger happy lately… she has ver recently acquired a spanky new Canon IXUS 8015. It very suddenly and randomly appeared in her life and she has yet to come to terms with that fact. O_o God is so good at blessing his beloveds when they least expect it.

Mom has been using an IXUS 70. Sometime last week she decided that since I was always baking and going trigger happy on my baked goods, she would allow me greater ownership of that particular model. However, on the very same day, to cut a long story short, Canon gave her an IXUS 8015.

So Mom decided that she didn’t really need an 8.0 megapixel camera and the 8015 is now, Lizzy’s. o_O

Tadaaaaaaaa.

God is so good right? Supernaturally natural. Now Lizzy can go crazy taking pictures of her stuff.

Like this:

Icky soupy mess?

Which turns into…

Viola! Carrot cake.

And other important kitchen accessories…

Well-used baking acompaniments

Okay. Time to enjoyyyyyyyy the weekend before mugger mode kicks in.

Conversations with the sister.

Why I don't have a sense of humour - there weren't enough of those genes by the time they had me.

Surrounded by a plethora of such people, I am.

The trend appears to have started when I entered a realm where the male species existed (ie. JC). I remember Joseph (ACJC) used to think he was oh-so-witty.

Then I came to TJ. And Kenneth took his place.

All the while at home, there was Sis.

On one occasion Sis fetched Nef home. And I just wanted to sink into my seat listening to the verbal lets-see-who-can-tell-the-worst-cold-joke banter that was going on in the car.

I think I’ve built up some measure of immunity to cold jokes. Or at least, I wish and hope I did.

In WKWSCI. I am surrounded by too many of such creatures to count.

So we’ll not think about reigning champions on that front. I am unable to name only one.

In case anyone is actually interested in knowing why Sis’ nick is ‘the faster the peel, the faster the heal’, she just came back from one of her many dive trips sunburnt to a repulsive crisp.

And has unceremoniously used up half the tube of my expensive aloe vera gel trying to sooth her skin back into supple visions of humanity instead of a molting snake.

Of course, this has in no way addled her sense of humour or stopped her from continually trying to impress me with Oh So Witty! jokes.

If anything, the lack of my presence at home these days on account of my citizenship at Pulau NTU, has built up collateral in her that can only be unleashed full force during the weekends onto her younger sister.

I guess she got so many of ‘em Funny genes, my momma could only offer me the Serious ones. (My dad is out of the question because his sense of humour is rather poor.)

Okay. Not punny.

It’s recess week. Hurrah?

Very loved and very blessed.

I am pampered. That much is true.

Not spoiled. Merely pampered.

And loved so very very much.

Ferrari horsey.

Okay I haven’t found him a better name other than ‘Horsey’. I have a tendency to name my stuffed toys very un-originally.

The boyfriend said it had to be something he liked. So of course this was about as manly a stuffed toy could get. And because he’s an F1 fanboy.

My first response was mostly, “Its a horse“. Horses don’t make it to Lizzy’s Top 10 List of Cute Things.

But Eeyore’s a donkey and I like Eeyore so I guess it’ll pass.

And looking at it makes me smile stupidly so I guess that works too.

My home bedfellows would like to say hi too.

Peter Rabbit, Blue and my favourite pillow.

I did say I wasn’t particularly original. The two hiding behind my favourite chocolate are kinda grubby cause they’ve been around ages.

The Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups cushion was a I MUST OWN IT purchase from the May 2008 LA Trip, bought in Universal City Walk at a novelty store.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups tops Lizzy’s must-have list if anyone goes to the US of A. I know they’ve recently started importing it here but not the miniature ones. And the ones for export taste different anyhow.

The second on her list are these:

PEPPERMINT Oreos!

They are awesome I tell you. Why don’t we have them here??

I digress.

Horsey’s my new hall bedmate, by the way. He joins Pooh and Eeyore from tonight.

(Yes I’m a sucker for cute stuffed toys. Yes I know I’m too old for them. No I don’t care.)

I think Jess (roomie) is amused by how crowded my bed is (or is getting, or will get, in time to come).

She hasn’t seen the one at home.

There was once Sis’ fan broke down and she had to sleep in my room. The informative SMS came through like this:

“Fan broke down. Slept on half your bed. The other half was your things.”

Okay. 2.08AM and an 8.30AM lecture.

Goodnight folks.

You make me smile.

Several thoughts for today.

One never really needs to spread gossip about oneself. It has its own feet. :O Even my generally uninteresting love life made it out.

Fireworks were amazing!! Sis had VIP tickets so we had an amazing view.. The best fireworks display I’ve seen, (I think the lovely Tokyo Disney ones don’t count), mostly because of the great view we had. Visibility was poor because of the air density, rain and voluminous amount of smoke the fireworks produced. But it was still a great show. And Daddy didn’t let it rain because His beloveds were there! Felt so loved. If we, as human beings, can be so awed by these man made pyrotechnics, imagine what heaven is like! We try to recreate the glorious… but its going to be so exciting when we finally get up there and see the genuine goods. Fireworks would be pale imitations of what God really has in store for us. [After all, the streets of heaven are paved with gold. GOLD. The most precious commidity (apart from oil) known to man, is road TAR in heaven. Can you imagine what everything else must be made of? Beyond human comprehension that is.

I really respect and admire the police and security personnel who have to be on duty every time there’s crowd control to perform. Controlling a stubborn, rude and uncaring Singaporean crowd is not an easy job. They spent half their time yelling at people to NOT cross the damn road. Respect yo.

Gotta admire the true, down-to-earth, bochup attitude embodied in the Singaporean DNA. We get lovely street performers from Germany and the WHOLE floating stage manages lackluster applause that any wailing child would be able to overpower. And no one humoured the emcee’s attempts at getting the crowd to be enthusiastic. Cats in the Cradle (a band I actually don’t mind listening to) played after the fireworks display and everyone just flooded out of the stadium past the poor desperate emcee trying most valiantly to get people to stay. Didn’t stay either because Sis wanted out of there ASAP.

Finally had food with meat. (Carl’s Junior!) Sorry but staying in hall has turned my already bad eating habits into an even topsy-turvier affair. My diet has been largely made up of grapes (of which I keep a steady supply of), Tiger biscuits (the only biscuits I have in hall) and Carrefour cereal (in a bid to finish all the milk which always expires far faster than me and Jess can finish it). I think I’m starting to lose the holiday weight from this plus climbing Mount NTU 4 days a week. Also had ice-cream from Tom Palette’s (at Shaw Tower) which has been another well-heralded ice-cream joint. It. is. GOOOOD! I think the quality of the ice-cream surpasses Ice Cream Chefs. The flavours are ‘just right’. The apple pie has the ‘right’ amount of cinnamon, the rum & raisin, sufficient twang of rum… Somehow I think some of the flavours at Chefs need just that little bit more to taste great on their own. Most of the time its the addition of the mix-ins that help it to achieve the right flavour. But I suppose its precisely because they expect people to add mix-ins that they can afford to tone down their ice-cream…

And for those who’ve not heard about it, here’s the news about Mike Guglielmucci (who wrote Healer), having lied about being terminally ill.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24216087-5006787,00.html

Didn’t know how to react or what to think. It’s now a bit hard to listen to the song without feeling different about it. But every word of the song still remains true. Man may have failed. But the lyrics still speak of an unchanging God.”I believe you’re my Healer. I believe You are all I need.”

These words are still the truth. And regardless of his motives, of which I completely cannot comprehend the psyche behind why he would’ve wanted to lie, my God is still even more real than ever. And I know that what the devil has meant for evil, God will definitely turn around for good. The devil thought he won when he nailed Jesus to the cross. He thought he could get Pastor Prince down by slamming him and turning so many people, even within the Christian fraternity, against him. But my God is faithful. And I know that that song is still a powerful song. And my God is still a powerful God. There will be a glorious end to this saga.

Alright. Its 2.30AM now… time to sleep. Goodnight!

On university life.

So I’m finally home today. Its not that I mind hall life, but there’s no place like home.

Have had some tiring days, settling into the humdrum of being a university student, of having to get to know people, again and again and again and again. I have a perennial fear of human beings. Which is funny, because I know I don’t look like I do and I know its something I shouldn’t have.

But to some extent, all of us have a fear of man. Of how he or she is looking at me. I don’t know them, should I bother saying hi? I’m smiling at him because I recognise him as being from CS, but he’s staring back blankly at me. Now this is awkward. Now what?

Such is life, here, in a new environment. Nothing major, because in life people will walk in and out all the time. Some you keep, others will pass you by. It is not how many popularity votes you acquire, but how many friends you can come home to at the end of the day and be yourself with.

But yes, here I am, making friends again. Knowing that I need not fear man because my identity is in Christ. Having to realize that although it is difficult to be the one who says hi first, even if my introductions are rejected, I am still God’s beloved.

Many things have been overwhelming, many thoughts have been mere worries. Yet how can it all not turn out for my good? So many things can happen in this world. So many things are changing every day. The world is volatile yes, and even your daily circumstances cannot be predicted. But this is road which God has laid out for me. And as I walk it I know that no matter what pebbles I trip over, or potholes I have to detour, it is a road that will be good.

So I’ll just hold on to Jesus. Because things are changing all the time. The only constant in my life, is Him.

In more recent news…

Liz is finally on her MacBook Pro. Which has yet to be named. The former Erastus still lives (barely). But it is such liberation to be using Photoshop on this lovely, beautiful, well-armoured darling.

I say well-armoured because…. uh, if you’ve seen it around, you’ll understand why.

Jason had to endure me OCDing over the new precious the whole weekend. I think he only found it mildly amusing but its a good thing he’s about 20 times more patient than me on a good day.

Have yet to fully utilize and maximize its glorious capabilities and yes you can tell I’m gushing can’t you?

Now to get a Wacom tablet. (LOL)

Okay nevermind I shall save that for a murky distant future when my current cheap, modest, tiny, non-pressure sensitive Taiwan tablet has fully exhausted its usefulness. For now, a hefty load of $$$ has already been spent by yours truly.

So I’m going to recluse into my kitchen now.

And bake.

;D