January Updates #2

Part 2 of the January updates, and I'm coming to an end I assure you.
But, this post is image heavy.
So, onwards!

6th January 2010
Meet up with Sean
So Sean came back from Aussieland for about a month.
Unfortunately, he was extremely busy and we only got to meet up once.
But he's one of those friends that we used to click so well and we still do even after we've been separated for a long while.
Miss him loads!


Seannnnnnnnnn!


Snap! : )


Snapshot #2.

We caught Sherlock Holmes at Pyramid.
It was fun catching up and all.
Come back soooonnnnnn! : )

9th January 2010
5 Kempas Reunion
The venue was set at Kayu's, SS2.
Never liked the place due to the price, but this time round the service was even worse.
Anyway, we had a reunion and slightly under half of the class were present.


Ken and Peng Cheng.


Joaquim and Pei Kee.


Wen and Suz.


The above are all the early comers while everyone else was fashionably late. Malaysia boleh! xD


Fashionably late, and went off to another table elsewhere. Tsk tsk tsk...


Peng Cheng and Lee Ping.


Ping and Wein.


Pei Kee, Jian Sheng, and Peng Cheng.


Ping, Ken, and Joaquim caught candid.


Wein, CCR, and Han Jung.


Peng Cheng, Wen, and Suz.


Jian Sheng, Peng Cheng and Wen.


Jian Sheng, Peng Cheng and Chris.


CCR, Wilson, and Han Jung.

Wein, CCR and a lil bit of Wilson.


Suz and Matt.


Matt and Wein.


Ping, Ken, Joaquim and Pei Kee.


Jian Sheng, Chris, and Wen.


Jian Sheng, Jack (who came after waiting so long), and Chris.


Wen and Suz.

17th January 2010
Lerida visited HCC.
Random, but just a few snapshots and that should end my January updates more or less.
So here we go...


Brandon and Lerry @ Pan Cafe for lunch!


Emo look.


Matt, Lerry and Brandon!


Smile for the camera!

And thus completes my January updates more or less, as promised.
February updates will be even more lengthy.
Unfortunately, they won't be coming just as yet.
Pictures have not even been uploaded, but updates will be forthcoming sooner or later.



Joy is not the absence of pain, but the presence of God.
I'm tired of being disappointed by men.
Though mum once quoted "Men's failures are chances for God to be glorified," but I'm done depending on people around me.
Even if I'm forsaken by the world, the same God who created the universe loves me unconditionally without flaw.

I believe this is the start to breakthrough into even greater things.
Yes, friends come and go...but the people who I expected to catch me when I fall never turned up.
Another reason why you'll always ever be disappointed constantly in life, but God never disappoints.
Backstabbing, betrayal, cheating, all the drama and politics involved in human relationships.
I am sick of it.

Belief and trust in friendship, yes.
But dependence, I'll think twice.
So tempted to complain and murmur, but it really is no point.
Oh wait, I just did. Ugh...
We're all imperfect, but I'm done making excuses for everyone else but myself.

God, and only God alone to pull me through life and its circumstances.

January Updates #1.

I am back from Malacca.
You could say that it was a good time to relax, but I guess it didn't really end too well.
Walking in the hot sun for too long on the first day cost me part of my health for later part of the holiday.
Nevertheless, I think it was really good.
KBU-ians are awesome.

As promised, before I get really busy preparing for exams...I'm here to update at least the January month.
So, here we go.

3rd January 2010
Andrew's Early 17th Birthday Celebration
It was a quiet celebration, but we were early by a day and we decided to go out for dinner.
Old Town White Coffee at Jaya One was the selected location as the parents were recommending a certain kinda rice that was apparently very good.


The parents. <3


With the birthday boy. : )


Take #2.


My nasi lemak. Standard dish at Old Town.


This was the dish they were talking about. Some sorta glutinous rice if I'm not mistaken. But it was really good. Mum and Andrew had this.


Dad's Hainanese Chicken Chop.


Spring rolls for sides.


Garlic bread!

4th January 2010
Andrew's actual 17th Birthday celebration
As tradition goes (well, in our family anyway), we bought dinner and headed to the grandparents to officially celebrate Andrew's birthday.
I think we ate till we were stuffed.
KFC was the main dish!


Yumz!


Family with the grandparents.


Candid! Hahaha!


Homemade cake!

Happy 17th you!
Late, but better late than never.
May God continue to bless you and bring you to greater heights!
This year is definitely gonna be awesome.
SPM! Whooo! *snickers*




Anyway, this is gonna be a separate post.
Onward to the next January post.

I Surrender All to You...

Surrender - Planetshakers

WARNING: Long post ahead! Read at your OWN risk! : )

Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Gong Hei Fat Choi!
San Lin Fai Lok!

and...

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

It's that time of the year when all you do (or at least I do) is go out, visit, eat, and collect...MONEY!
A time when prosperity is wished upon family and friends, when a full year is wished ahead to those around you.
This year however, it seems like the effect has sorta been nullified and dulled.
No, I don't think it's due to the coincidence that Valentine's fell on the first day (known as chor yat) of the new year.

Somehow, the excitement that usually entails the arrival of the dates seemed lost.
So far, it has been really happening though.
The usual signs have been foretelling with the extreme weather conditions, noisy firecrackers going off at night, and house visitations that have begun.
Not to mention the crazy food spread that have been ever so often placed in front of our eyes.
Feasting, as we Malaysians call it.

I guess things are still on a pick up.
Progress, then regression.
I've never been known to be a fast healer.
Some days are better than others, but it's been nothing short of challenging.
One baby step at a time, is taking too darn long.

Finding my foot, it's been terribly tough for me at certain points.
I've watched myself crumble to considerable pieces...and friends who have walked by.
This stage is not something new.
College is interesting in terms of studies, but I guess ACCA students are just known to be pretty much lifeless to a certain extent.

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I am still here today, by the grace of God.
Reached a stage where I've questioned if anything anyone says is of any value.
Frankly, I've questioned if the friends I've made were genuine.
No particular disrespect to anybody, but I tend to rant when I'm not in the mood.
I do not expect anything, but too many times I've had people gone through breaking points in life...and I've always been the one to be there.

But...

I can't remember people who GENUINELY, yes...genuinely took the time to ask how I felt about certain things or decisions.
And they always disappear sooner or later.
Yes, I am ranting.
It really is tiring to love unconditionally so many times, and I really do wonder how Jesus could show such love and still die on the cross for the world when the WHOLE world was rejecting Him (and was even forsaken by the Father at that particular point of time).

I guess it's because He knew how to depend on the One source of strength that came from above.
He knew that the Father's love was UNCONDITIONAL no matter what.
And as long as I don't learn my lesson, I'll be stuck at this point in time.
I know now I definitely cannot do this on my own strength.
How I'm gonna get through this, only God will pull me through this...
A lesson He wants to teach me, I'm sure.

But I don't recognize myself anymore.
I think I'm beginning to lose faith in people.
Thank God though, that love will always remain.
And having faith in love will help me to love "in spite of."



Ugh, my apologies.
If you've read up to here, congratulations!
Haha! : )
Not the kinda prosperity post you'd be hoping for ei?

But, Happy Chinese New Year once again.
And again, I've still yet to update my January posts and now I've got the February updates coming up.
Soon soon.
Gah...

This is me, signing off.

A Four-Letter Word I Call Love...

*edited*

Some extra stuff I found on Samantha's blog.
Makes you wanna go "awhh..." : )
Click here.

And if you want the original link, then clicky here. : )


*Picture credits to google.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13.

Love.
For centuries, people have sought to categorise and define love in their own definitions.
Perhaps the most significant gift we've ever been given is the capability to love.
We were created out of love, and to love.
This huge void we have, a gap that we seek to fill with acceptance and love.
Some more than others, but deep down...this gap is so significantly felt.

We yearn to be accepted by those around us, to be loved for who we really are, to know that someone cares deep enough...
It's not a sweeping statement; as much as some claim to be able to live all alone, but deep down...there is that desire to love and be loved.

Love can be painful, but love can also be blissful.
Love can be discouraging, but love can also be encouraging.
Love can be depressing, but love can also be fulfilling.

The list can go on and on.
I've been through every season of love imaginable, and it came to a point when I questioned my capabilities and why I was given such a high level of sensitivity to love (in my opinion anyway).
My very strength, was my very weakness.
Heartbreaks came and went...and still I loved.

But while I've been crushed and broken beyond recognition, it was only recently that I understood the real meaning of love.
Christ, the perfect example.
To love and be shunned.
To love and be ridiculed.
To love and be misunderstood.
To love and receive the very opposite.

But I've realized that being dependent on others to be accepted and loved have led to disappointments and heartbreaks.
And this was the simple message that He dropped into my heart on the 1st of February...

"You've been placing your love in people and expecting something in return. Now I want you to place your trust in me and let me love you for who you are."

Don't get me wrong.
It does not mean that you do not love your family, your significant other and those around you...
While loving others will always be an integral part of life, I've realized that only God has the power to love you for who you really are.
And if He allows you to be broken, He'll love you back to the road to recovery.

I realized the pain throughout these years was never about me, but it was always about God.
Shaping me, molding me, preparing me for what's to come.
This is definitely in line with my call to the corporate world, to reach a position of influence...to reach out and love the needy, the poor, and the lost.

I still believe in love.
I believe that love and not money alone makes the world go round.
Love conquers all, and the very reason God would send His Only Son to the cross for the world is nothing other than...LOVE!

Keep believing, because the greatest of faith, hope and love...is and always will be LOVE!

Happy Valentine's Day in advance. : )

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I think hiatus shall be my middle name for a long while now.
ACCA course has begun for almost a month already, and things are getting hectic.
In fact, I believe that I may have to start nerding like full time (yes, I finally know what it means...like seriously) and get down to the nitty-gritty of the work involved.
No doubt I anticipated this, but if I continue this way...I may never fully achieve excellence and anything short of that would never suffice.

I enjoy classes a whole lot.
It's the workload I'm not looking forward to.

Before things get even more hectic, and before more belated posts start piling up...the next post will really be a full-fledged update on January's happenings.
I promise. : )

PS: Do I qualify as a nerd now? xD