Hello! from Dublin, Killarney and Paris!

At a park in dublin..And YES i was hard at work... conference, and being NERDYAt eiffel tower!Off to budapest tmr. Cya all soon~~ (yes.. i'm still hard at work here =P)

5 hours and 10 minutes more..

and i'd be on the plane, on my way to Ireland! Been some time since i flew a plane. In fact, this is the first time this year! and there are new travel buddies this time round, so it'd be exciting! Another 1 mth trip after my london trip.. but that was alone, while this is with many people! yay~ I haven't had the time to upload Ipoh and diving trip pics. well.. maybe next month? or maybe never.. since i'd be busy with europe photos then. hahaha. anyway, everybody take care!! don't melt! =P

sunday dinners at home ^_^

My mum cooked mee siam today!! yumyumyum~

So many tries later, i finally got to eat icecream at daily scoop again. i think i'm the most unfortunate, to go there without my wallet, then forget that they're closed for a few days, then went there to have lunch and felt too full for any icecream! argh. but yes, good things are worth pursuing. i finally FINALLY got to eat my icecream! and sure enough it was goooooooood

Yes, the bestest combination i ever tried. Peach bum with hot hot brownie. it's sourish, complements perfectly with the chocolatey brownie. oooooooohh


and the other one, plain crispy waffle topped with berry brandy! whoa.. the brandy was so strong, as compared to the other alcoholic flavors! nice nice.. ^_^

and i never really stopped by to take a look. the view was so beautiful, especially at that time of the day. wish i had a better camera with me though.

even the kids knew where to get the best view. and i think it's better to go as a kid. it's actually quite high, and i got quite scared. yes, my friends always luff at me being an acrophobic, considering that i'm not that short. >.<

proof that it's high! see? someone was there all strapped up!!

i really must make a trip there again, hopefully before i leave for europe. bah, so many things to do before i leave! but i can hear the berry brandy calling me.. mmmmm =P

Awesome Cinematics!

Go view HOME by Yann Arthus Bertrand. The cinematic will take your breath away! ^_^ (don't know why i cannot embed it.. so.. be hardworking and visit the website lah! hehe)

First post-exam activity

Pumpkin cake! ^_^


Is a gift, for a dear friend who's leaving. So, we decided to make it for her, since she's been requesting it for sometime but i've just been too lazy to do it.

Almost done, before putting it to steam.


The final product, after the garnishing! so pretty! and smells so good, tastes even better! ^_^


I hope she likes it. And thanks for helping. tho i am so very upset at the biasedness of my mum during the entire process. grr.

THANKS TO ALL!!

for your prayers! and encouragement! and everything you have done. It has been a really tough month, but i'm through with it now! yes, i've passed! "it was a perfect presentation" "wendy passed with flying colors", as i quote my supervisor. ^_^

really, i couldn't have done this without the support of everyone. the understanding of my bad tempers; the daily jokes to keep me happy; the encouragement to keep my morale up; the 'pretend nothing happened and let's have fun' to let me forget abt it sometimes and maintain my sanity; the prayers you included me in; the bearing with me ignoring you guys when you come around and have a chat coz i'm studying hard; the accomodating xb for her copilot.. all in all, THANKS! my next exam is in 2 yrs' time. til then.. life is great! hehe~

we have new friends from Finland! ^_^

This is Helmi and Rudolf from Finland! ^_^


so coincidentally, all our toys so far are winter animals. ^_^

thanks

to friends who happen to be there when i need them. 'twas such a weird ending to a happy day out at lunch. so rare to have time to have everyone go out together. ok, maybe weird is not the word to describe it, but rather unexpected. truly. i was fighting my emotions all the way on the bus ride back. whoaa.. think i almost suffocated trying to suppress everything. still had my 3:30pm meeting to think about. back at my desk, i was trying so hard to cram some last minute reading into my head. but i obviously couldn't. thanks for the offer... and so sorry, the moment u asked me what happened, i really couldn't keep it in anymore. thanks for taking time off the busy first day back, just to comfort me. so useless of me.. the only one who took it so hard. >.< and so sorry that i caught you off guard that we didn't bring money along with us. hahaha. but it wasn't a wasted trip! tho i was 5minutes late for the meeting, i was actually in a better condition than ever before, and was actually able to get thru the meeting all fine! so the day ended on the right note. ^_^ just 2 more meetings to go! then yes... now i have even more things to do after june 5th. will need some inspiration then...

and life seems to be back to normal again. things seem good. at least, until 3:30pm today. At 10pm yesterday, he called for a meeting today. Yes, yesterday was sunday night. And yes, i did check my email and reply at 1am. And even more amazingly, he acknowledged my reply at 5am. Are we not expected to sleep?

I really hope the meeting at 3:30pm would go well. coz last week's meeting and presentation brought me back to square one. as though all my work and reading up was just wasted. went terribly. just wanted to dig a hole and jump in. wish i was never born.

Found this on my desk today by chance, while waiting for xb. ^_^ it was a note that brought me through university days. It's simple, but meaningful.

When you're down and troubled,
When you're sad and blue.
Just leave it to GOD
for GOD holds our tomorrow,
and He holds our hands.

^_^

yes, He holds my tomorrow, He holds my future. And I know He'd hold my hands as i go for meeting today, wednesday, and the final exam on friday :)

missing IPOH.. and more =(

Ok, we didn't just go ipoh to jump. haha. but no time to upload so many pictures now lah. next friday, after my BIG BIG exam, i will upload all ipoh pictures and tioman diving pictures! ^_^ meanwhile, just uploading this coz i miss those carefree times, tho it was just a week ago. it's been a big rush since i came back. tmr is my 3rd mock presentation.. with 20-strength audience. geez.

The last, and most synchronized jump shot :)

would seriously appreciate it if people would stop using vulgarities everywhere they go. so glad that many of my friends don't use them, and some others know about how much i dislike foul words, so they do make an effort to avoid using it when i'm around. but i don't usually bother informing other people around me if they don't know, coz though i dislike hearing it, i have no right in dictating what comes out of their mouths. so i just close one ear and pretend i didn't hear anything. just don't be surprised if i suddenly lose my smile and turn silent.

don't understand why people need to use those words. doesn't help the situation more when you use vulgarities you know. it doesn't turn the rain to sunshine. it doesn't stop drivers from cutting into your lane. it doesn't stop people from arrowing you to do work. it doesn't remove the stink of dog poo from your shoe. so why make it even worse by using such unpleasant sounding words? >.<

counting down... with distractions

The exam is just around the corner, and i am working extremely hard for it. for other reasons too, of course. but at the same time, my next weekends are full of distractions, with Ipoh and Tioman trips taking up my weekends! Can't wait.. haven't traveled with the FSC in ages. In fact, i've never traveled with 3 out of the 5 of us going to ipoh! whoaahaha.. the FSC is really going to the next level. we're going to conquer food out of singapore's borders! i'm sure it'd be a good trip. Thanks wyee for agreeing to bringing us home. ^_^

And that's not all. amidst exam preparations, i am preparing for other major activities too! amongst it includes the europe trip. FINALLY, tickets have been booked. at almost half the rates that i was quoted a month ago! Thanks to the flu, as well as the capability of the other 2 going on the trip. Thank God for them! now for the decision of where in Europe to travel after tt. =P there're other things i am planning for too.. really exciting things.. things i have had wanted to do ages ago but found noone to do it with. Now i have found companion! but... it cannot be done unless if i pass the exam. So... i will not announce it til i pass. hehe.

back to the topic of exam. if not for the distractions, i think i'd be so stressed. maybe overly stressed. if not for friends who're around to support me and give me encouragement every moment of the day, i may have collapsed. Lin asked me to watch 'Facing the Giants', and i did. 3 times in 2 days, in fact. truly enough, it touched me. right smack. And the scene on the death crawl (embedded film), really felt like i am doing it now. and i will only be able to do it with the encouragement and support of all around me. Thank you Lord, for sending these people into my life. =)

Space, the final frontier...

For a non Star-Trek fan, this was really good! Had half expected to be totally lost during the movie, despite friend's assurances. Plus, i was not as hardworking as fangers to go do any reading up before we all went for the movie! But it wasn't what I had expected. It was not-so-geeky, it was humorous, and quite easy to understand! (yes, save for 'red matter'... bleah) But yes, it's highly recommended to all! doesn't matter if you've ever watched or even heard of previous star trek films/shows. You can still watch this blockbuster! ^_^


And yes, he's quite cute. reminds me of a friend. who's not in town currently.

And the seats at grand cathay are nice, big and comfy. i like :)

Thanks

for the chat, the counsel, the encouragement. haven't felt so terrible in a long time, and i really appreciate the timely comforting words.

i tried so hard, to keep the tears at bay when you came in person today. put on a strong smile, i told myself. and indeed, it helps. no more of crying in front of everybody. first time because he left, second time because of the meaningful present. I think that is enough. i have a reputation to uphold. may i pick myself up again, and win the next showdown! =)

Passage of the Day

This passage was brought to attention when i was talking to a friend today. It's a very popular story, and i've read it many times. But each time, it just gives extreme comfort to know that He's always there, no matter how many times I have wanted (oh have) turned my back to Him. Thank you Father, for your agape (unconditional) love. =)

The Parable of the Lost Son

¹¹Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. ¹²The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

¹³"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

¹⁷"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' ²⁰So he got up and went to his father.
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.^a]">[a]'

²²"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

²⁵"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

²⁸"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'

³¹" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

Luke 15:11-32

and i don't understand the discrepancy. Am i blind or totally insensitive or what?

i'm asked to be more competitive. fight it out. yeah.. if it were a few yrs back, i wouldn't even need to be told to do so. I was so convicted to prove everyone wrong if they looked down on me. i was ready to fight back every professor's demeaning words, every obstacle anyone placed my way. but i have changed since then. I don't want to be so competitive anymore. But is it wrong? It seems like i was more ready then than now to do a phD, to compete with people and to fight my way into "the elite club". I don't want to bother about all these. I just want to do my research. I am not here to compete, i am not here to be on the right side of favouritism, not be here to prove i am the best. But yet, it seems like it is all part and parcel of the game. either you do it all, or do nothing at all. sigh. maybe it's time to go back to the old days? or is there some other way i can find a balance? i really don't feel like living tt kind of life anymore..

This is amazing! Wonder if my bro will ever be able to do that.. haha

Evolution vs Creation

Was preparing all these for my lesson last sunday. Was quite intrigued by how nature really speaks for creationism itself. Had been quite convicted all along, but this only adds to it. ^_^

Assumptions in the evolution theory


Evolutionary Assumptions - Celebrity bloopers here

How the simple Chicken Egg defies evolution!


Scientific Discoveries : Incredible Creatures That Defy Evol - Click here for more home videos

Find more from "Incredible Creatures that defy Evolution"! ^_^

Thank you for all your prayers!

I also don't know why i was so stressed about the meeting. Just another meeting, ain't it? But i guess it was the 'warning' i received the previous week, that got me all jittery. There was nothing much i could do because it was sunday and i had no intentions to come back to work on a sunday. Hence, i went ahead with the meeting, able to only submit it all to the Lord. Vivi sent me an sms a couple of hours before, quoting Psalm 34:9 "Fear the Lord you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing". Thanks girl, for the encouragement you always give, be it sms or emails. ^_^

Thankfully, it went fine in the end. Of course i appeared really dumb and lacked all knowledge, but i was already prepared for the worst. Yeah, it's been so many years since i thought my life would be a big mess. gosh, the stress that made me all nauseous, which didn't help with the stench of the tumors i was working with in the morning before the meeting. The smell was still there after the meeting, but i felt alright! was even hungry due to the lunch i had skipped. Shows that the nauseousness was not from the stench, but anxiety! whoahaha... so old ler still stressed until like that. haha. well, i'm glad it's over. one month to piah now! >.<