My Yearly Review

New Year Resolutions 2009

1. To read more and grow more spiritually
2. To serve well in SS as I co-teach with Rose, and to be a good CGL as I lead the group this year. Really hope that footprints would grow as one in the Lord this year.
3. To keep up the rate of spending time with family and friends, maybe with a better temper
4. To read up more in the field and keep up the work, without losing the steam. Hopefully a paper would come up soon! ^_^
5. To successfully overcome the inertia and pick up a couple of skills outside of labwork.

Did I do it?

1. Read a really good book called "Divine Mentors". Was at SKS when i overheard someone recommend the book to his friend, and i just bought it. No regrets!! That aside, that was the only book i read this year. The rest of them, are all not beyond chapter 1. >.<
2. think i did a decent job at SS this year. not only did i teach the sec2s, i also substituted other teachers many times so i got to experience teaching other levels too. tiring but fun! ^_^ As for being a CGL, the year started of great, with a spike in attendance. but somewhere along the way, we went back to 'our old ways' and i guess i failed in keeping everyone together. was told by some older people in church that this is normal for a cg going thru these phases, but i still don't like it. it's time for a revamp. I hope the next cgl would be well equipped to do a much better job! and it's time for me to retire after 3 yrs of service. probably another 17 yrs before it's my turn again! hahaha
3. really me up with loads of friends, and made many new friends too, especially earlier in the yr. quite pleased with myself. hahah
4. still no paper, but i think i made decent progress. except for the IP. bleah. and i did pass my qualifying exams!!! i'm now a full fledged phD student (who is still not getting paid)! lalalallaa~
5. couple of skills, i did pick up. got my advanced diving license, and picked up tap dancing and lindy hop too!

I think this is one of the best years where i accomplised a majority of my resolutions. I'm quite happy abt it. hehe. There was a very difficult time somewhere early-middle of this year regarding research, but God was sovereign enough to provide more-than-sufficient support thru this period, and i walked thru it, smoothly and stronger. Other than that, the rest of the year has a been a breeze. basically, it was a good year!! ^_^

New Year Resolutions 2010

1. To (continue) to read more and grow more spiritually. Hopefully my first year with my new SS class would be good! May i be a good teacher..
2. Get a paper out! c'mon.. half way through 3rd year already.. time for a paper or two! I'd better succeed in this..
3. Spend less and save more. Had spent $3k more in '09 than in '08. I attribute that to the laptop and the 'skills' i picked up. traveling wise, i travel alot as usual. hahah. Hopefully i'll spend less next year while still traveling as much (or maybe even more, since faraway America is in the list multiple times next year, if time permits)
4. And upon request... MCTH. =P (though this is not really something to make as a resolution. not too much within my control. haha)
   

So much has happened this one year. A year where i truly experienced God's amazing planning and sense of humor (in a pleasant sense). I'm so looking forward to yet another great year!!! :)

if only good things don't need to come with long waitings..

if only i had lots of money to spare...
if only there was no such thing as inflation...
if only i could manipulate time as i wish...
if only i could take yr-end leave like all other staff, stay at home and bake brownies ...
if only i had my own room...
if only everything works as i plan for them to...
if only time would stop everyday on my way back home...


so many "if only"s, but i am still blessed and joyful of what i have right now ^_^

Limited edition Christmas Swatch! ^_^

".. but i did follow.."

those words i would never forget. those words that meant so much to me. the words that i had prayed so hard for, especially the few minutes before you told me that. haven't felt a surge of happiness so strong in a long time.. having to fight back tears of joy every now and then.

so happy for you. ^_^

a day that had 4 more hours!

Christmas combined service today, so i woke up extra early for 730am service. woohoo. difficult to wake up, especially after a super tiring week at work! but, by 9am, service had ended! and sure i was glad we made it a point to drag ourselves to church, for Rev Goh's sermon today was fantastic! It's a normal Christmas message again, one might think. But no, after so many Christmas-es i had spent, i still learnt quite a great deal today! :)

not only was the sermon good, but the day was much longer today too! Usual sundays start after service ends at 1pm, with not much time left after lunch and before dinner. But today, our day started at 9am! we were even wondering where we could go coz most shops are closed then! could even make it to the lab TWICE. hahaha. workaholics, but bobian. people who do lab know why we need to go back so often. sometimes, it's not within our control. anyway, we went back to work twice, went for meals, and even had time to shop a great deal!! so fun ^_^

i quite enjoy having such a long day on sunday. no need to rush through everything. had alot of time to enjoy the day. The only downside was, we were so tired by 5pm. oh well. once in a while, 730 service is fine. but not for the long term, i guess. :)

XIAOLONGBAO~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to Ben and Gav for organizing! Had a majorly fun time with the xiaolongbaos! (and of course everyone. hehe)

Jerry is shocked at how fast ben acts on the food. So...
Jerry shouts ATTACK!!!

Giving the prawns a good spa..

XIAOLONGBAO!!! our 2nd serving. they cheated us of the 3rd! so evil >.<
I realize.. we lacked a group photo! aiyah. too engrossed with xlb and prawns. hehe

suddenly, they're gone

so many unexpected deaths. young, healthy individuals living their lives as per normal, suddenly collapse and died. with no known heart problems. but they died of heart attacks nonetheless. WHY!?!?! so scary. i wonder why noone is affected by such news. don't you wonder, who around you, or even yourself, might be the next one? no symptoms, no precuring health issues also can happen. CHOI CHOI CHOI!! but still... it gets me thinking. and i can't help but worry

it's always nice to be recognized ^_^

So happy. The feedback was great! Things can only get better and better. Work harder now than ever, to make sure that i do more while things are running smooth! now to pray really hard. it seems like it's gonna work soon...

With that short email, all hardwork, all stress, all falling ill was worth it. Poor bf, has to tahan all these. all these while, most of the time we meet to go to work, then go home. meet to go lab, then go home. weekends, still go to work, then go home ler. whoaaahaha what a geeky lifestyle. It has to pay off. ^_^

photoshoot on gallops

what a random but fantastic idea! such random ideas don't usually get carried out. but it was a nice idea anyway. and how cool it'd be if we really went ahead with it one day! ^_^

nothings lasts too long. this is the real world.

in the span of one year, all the nicest people have gone. the people who really cared, the people who're hardworking, the people who mattered. one by one, they leave. for different reasons, happy or sad, but still they leave. or are leaving. the most important one to me now, is also leaving very soon. haiz. there is really less and less true happiness floating around in the air. More superficial smiles, more complaints, more selfishness.

it was a very sad day, when it was suddenly announced. very awkward, very upsetting. hated it. didn't know what to do. and it just reminded me of the whole series of people leaving, both past and future, that i finally broke down some hours later. delayed reaction, but just not appropriate at that point of time.

2012 was a very touching movie, i'm glad we finally went. too appropriate for such an upsetting day too. a good release of emotions. feel so much better after that. but nothing changed for the better. i've only lasted a year, and there's 2 more to go. i'm dreading the day he leaves too, but i know he wants to and i want him to leave. it's for the better. I cannot be selfish. Actually, the new people are really nice. I just do not have the time to play and hang around like i used to anymore. maybe it's just me. i don't like changes. and i wish i had more time to sit back, relax and enjoy.

de javu.

It came from a playful heart, an intention purely just to have fun. But at that split moment, i got so very scared. Old memories flashed across my mind. The difference is that this time round, i wasn't thinking of what would happen to myself. My mind was preoccupied with the safety of the one sitting beside me. I don't know how to describe how i felt. I didn't think anything would happen. Not like last time, when i was so scared i screamed. I had complete faith in him. Yet, at the same time, i wondered what if the next time he wasn't so lucky? I do not want that to ever happen. never. cannot.

I could do this everyday, for the rest of my life :)

T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R

Yesterday, we sat down together, and started lesson 1. Something that i'd been looking forward to in years. always thought it's very nice for family/couples to be able to do it together. Finally, it's my turn to be able to do it! It was simple, yet right to the point. I myself learnt from it, no matter how basic it was meant to be. A truly good recommendation, when described to be a resource for all young and old. :) looking forward to many more sessions together!

****

and on a hind note, i am sooo very glad there is nothing but honesty and sincerity involved. no haphazard acceptance, no lying just to please. ^_^

chocolate saves the day!! (as usual)

sister's birthday, and she decided to go somewhere really far. fortunately, the peak jam wasn't too bad in our direction, and we reached there just 15 minutes late. the restaurant was quite prettily decorated, and the food spread looked quite enticing. just main course alone was almost 20 dishes! bro and i were quite eager, tho i had a huge lunch for Z's farewell.

starters: usual vegs, cannot go wrong. there was feta cheese! but it was more sour and salty than usual. not to my liking. shrooms were fine. no other exciting salads. cheese spread was very limited. in fact, nothing much.

sushi: boring selection. didn't bother taking any

soups: cream of mushroom tasted ok, like from a can. lao huang gua soup happened to satisfy a craving.

main course: oh alot of things! didn't have the chicken tho it all did look not bad. had curry potatoes, i like. curry fish was extremely salty. mutton rendang was ok. hainanese mutton was something new, not bad. boiled vege was good. oxtail stew was quite tasteless, too huge pieces, and very oily. cereal prawns had prawns tt were not fresh, and cereal was meager and soggy. salmon was pathetic. self-made rojak was fun! but i forgot to add sugar. so it was a tad salty. plus, the youtiao was not crispy.

desserts: bread and butter pudding was yummy! had lots fo choc in between. brownie was chocolatey enuff too. cream roll was yucky coz it was not cold. but bro saved the day by digging out the cream and adding fresh icecream. just like arctic roll! yummy. other cakes were not nice. ohh there was sea coconut with longan, to which i added aloevera and nata decoco. no ice tho! had to ask for it. sigh.

all in all, there a few good things around, but alot were substandard. given the number of dishes, there's probably less than 20% that satisfies my palate. and i am not a fussy eater at all! this is the first time i am not pleased with a buffet. luckily my dear didn't get to join. don't waste his time. hee.

no need to go to extremes. a heart of gold is easily spotted in the slightest gestures. I couldn't help but stand at one side and gaze at the love that exudes. i want to be part of that too.