Come Read My Radically Written Writing

xie xie ni, lao shi

2010-06-25T21:51:00.003+08:00

Thanks, teacher ...

Actually, this post is dedicated to specific people... Let

For the teachers of Taman SEA,
who sacrificed much and went through so much to make our school the top tep schools in Petaling Jaya,

For the installation commitee,
who planned much and skipped nearly the entire week of school (not to mention discussion of mid-term papers) and some who could withstand great tonnes of pressure and overcame various obstacles (expected and unexpected)

For the performers,
who practised so hard and made Hari Guru SO awesome

Lion Dance: We should have you next year! You were so unique!

Violin and keyboard: Your intonation and skills were complimentary

Kavitta's Indian Dance: I didn't get to see it coz an emergency turned up and I was forced to leave the hall, but since you all danced so confidently in the auditions, I know you just did very well on the stage on the real day.

Alpha Crew: No one does it like you do. No one. All the prizes you got for your dancing, you deserve it 101%.

Diabolo: There were some mishaps, but it was still very entertaining!!!!

4-girls dance: Rock on!

Yasmin and Affrinna: We all loved and enjoyed ur singing and playing!!!

Nicholas: You wrote that song? You're awesome ...

CF GIRLS: YOUR WONDERFUL DANCE WAS ALL FOR GOD!!!!! YOU WERE AMAZING !!!!! :) TOTALLY

For the students,
Thanks for being there to enjoy everything! :) Keep it in your memories well, k?

I'm GLAD

2010-06-03T16:35:00.003+08:00

For ten-minus-four reasons:

1) For a mom who gives me massage when I'm exam-stressed

2) For chemistry paper to be over (THANKFULLY)

3) For peanut butter cookies before lunch

4) For friends who never seem to be jealous of anyone ...

5) For me to be accepted by friends whom I am jealous of ...

6) For a God who gives me all those things ...

SO THERE. I'm GLAD. :)

CRAZY!!!!!!

2010-05-25T14:21:00.002+08:00

That

is

how

i

feel

after

doing

Physics

You know what, if you want to do well in Physics you gotta just keep doing and doing and doing exercises, or else you will be in a TOTAL blank out session during the exam. IT's a FACT - It's not SCIENCE stream or SUB SCIENCE. IT's MATHS stream or SUB MATHS.

I'm so glad that I'm not the only one saying this ... even smart people like SAMANTHA HO says it ok!!!

Huh, ok .. I better get back to studies .

But before that,

A VERY HAPPY EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY TO MY LADYBUGGIFIED SISTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MID TERM BLUES

2010-05-13T17:42:00.003+08:00

Don't even have time to blog about it.

Well, ...

Physics is cracking my head ...

Chemistry make me explode ...

Add Math add stress to me ...

aiya, I guess I just have to hit the books really hard and then let it go. After all, it's not lasting forever, huh?

You think?

2010-05-06T22:50:00.004+08:00

My grandmother is .. well, going for her operation tomorrow. Yeah ...

I still DO NOT KNOW how her intestine collapsed, but I think it's something to do with her health. All I want now is just for her to be well again.

Thanks Jamie and Tien Mie for everything. I owe you two so much. :D

Nigel, I'm glad you smsed me yesterday. I still prayed for you last night. Trust God in this, ok?:)

Chow Ping and Darius, I know you won't see this, but if you do, I just want you to know that I have been praying for you both very much for wisdom in talking and accompanying Po Po. She needs you both very much and you know you two are the best people to speak to her ... and I think you both will make Malacca Flying Academy proud! Seriously ...

THE RESURRECTION OF MY BLOG

2010-05-04T15:28:00.008+08:00

I thought it was over ...

And I thought that this had all come to an end ...

But little did I know ...

THAT MY BLOG STILL EXISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You see, I cancelled off my blog months ago because I had not enough time to cope with both studies and activities and this ... and I seriously thought it was no more ... but, well, as you can see ...

Since this blog still exists, I decided to continue posting from today. If you have a blog, please, please link me (after telling me who you are, of course) :)

Some time ago, I was just taking time, thinking about the things that have happened this year. (The last time I blogged was months ago so alot has changed) ... Well, I sort of concluded this:

I am so blessed !!!!!!!

God has given me a good class, good family, good friends, good traits, and so many good things that I can share with others.

All I could ever ask for right now, apart from Chow Sern's condition to improve, and my grandmother's health, I would ask for my family and friends to be blest.

I just could not resist the urge to play this song. It's a very old song, but a very meaningful one too:

God will make a way,
when there seems to be no way,
He works in ways we cannot see,
He will make a way for me.

He will be my guide,
Hold me closely to His side,
with love and strength for each new day
He will make a way.
He will make a way.

I don't know why, but I was like ... in estatic fantasy, you know. The bow dragged its way acorss PERFECTLY smoothly across the strings, and my fingers thrilled the vibratos in the correct milliseconds as they danced on the correct intonations. I had not enjoyed playing so soulfully before ... It was simply sweet and so very enjoyable ... I could only put my violin down at 11.30pm. And I had the best sleep ever. :)

You know, I wondered before, how the world would be without music. I guess ... it'll be pretty horrid ... Well, I don't know...

Mid-term exams are coming and I am determined to study hard for it. So, I might not blog so often, but I will try to keep topics worth reading in store for you, OK? :)

I got to sleep. I need my nap. OK, I better not go round the bush and just log off.

BYE. :D

The FIRST week ...

2010-01-08T19:38:00.002+08:00

Hey you, how's the first week of school? For me, it's filled with joy and surprise. And also lethargy and stress ...

Welcome, welcome, welcome, dear Form 3s. Enjoy learning your subjects in school early in the morning! Lavish the thought of taking your injection! Cherish the time you struggle for your PMR because when you get to Form 4 it's going to be a lot much harder ... (snickers)

Well, Form 4s, here we are ... in a strange new land of Physics, Chemistry and Add Math. Let us brave this journey with endurance and determination.

Form 5s, YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!! And you know what I mean ...

As for me, this was my busy schedule: (When I say first, I mean first of the year.)

Monday: First BM tuition
Tuesday: First Chemistry Tuition (ADELYN, YOU ARE A GREAT PERSON TO SIT WITH)
Wednesday: First Piano Lesson (Poor teacher met with accident. Cannot drive. I had to go her house in Subang for lesson.)
Thursday: First Physics Tuition (Learnt that Sri Aman girls have lots of spunk.)
Friday: First Violin Class

CF today was awesome. It's so good to see so many of you all coming on the first Friday of the year.

Huey Lin and Huey Wern better take care of the Panda and Koala. You know what I mean. :) Chien Choon, don't let your cow die ...

Taking Grade 8 for Piano next year. I really want to do well. And I want to work hard for it, and I know I will. But I don't know if I'll work my HARDEST, but I'll try to because I want to ...

Puan Carol has many interesting ways to conduct lessons. From Danush, I heard she asked 4Ix to keep quiet and listen to the birds for 5 minutes. I know it may be weird, but I'd love to be there to do the same as you guys ... She gave a good message during CF about gifts. Now I know how "myrrh" is pronounced.

Chow Ern is getting on my nerves. I'm sleeping in her room because my grandfather is sleeping in mine. She has the weirdest problems - She must not feel the slightest bit of heat, which is why she switches on air-con every night. And she MUST HEAR THE SOUND OF THE FAN TO FALL ASLEEP.

I never switch on air-con when I sleep, and if I do once in a blue moon, I would NEVER leave the fan on at the same time. Reason number one: Wastes money and energy. Reason number two: I GET A RUNNY NOSE WHEN I WAKE UP!!!!!

Thanks to Chow Ern, I was sneezing in class during lesson on Thrusday and Friday. You are greatly appreciated for being such a good roommate.

Okay, sarcasm over. So, how's your week? If you posted the info on your blog, send your link to me so I can read it too. :)

For now, GOODBYE!!!!

It's a New Year ... and School Term

2010-01-03T16:43:00.002+08:00

I'm going back to school tomorrow and seeing all my friends once again.

I've missed so many people SO much during the hols, and when I get back, I wanna bully them like I've done before. (snickers)

There are things I'd love to ask, for example, the SIC Youth Rally Samantha Ho, Jeanne and Dominic have been involved in. It's no doubt they worked their souls out. I'll like to get updates on that ... I bet they've got loads of stories ...

A farewell to Jeanne who is leaving for Canada. Bye, Jeanne! You've been a great blessing to us all. I pray you find good friends and neighbours, coz I know you'll be a good friend and neighbour to them.

CFers, watch out, I'm gonna get more active! Yeah ... So sad Rachel Cheng and some others couldn't make it for Sayang Camp. Nah, I'll be seeing you all more than enough when we get back to school tomorrow.

I'm joining District Marching for PBSM!!! Yeah ... Chow Ern encourages me 101% which was one of the reasons I put my name in. Nah, it's more than just that, and you know it. :)

Playing music and getting paid for it is not really my style, in fact, it isn't AT ALL. But my Pa and Ma agree that there are times I cannot do everything for everyone for free.

Miss Goh, my music teacher, is getting me all worked out once again. I got almost every question wrong in my last week's theory homework. Not a very pleasant sight ...

Prefects, good job with the orientation. Yasmin and Kavitta are totally interesting people to work with, you know. Yasmin's a good food and drink provider ... seriously, man ...

The Creative School of Ministry of FGA ain't seen the last of me ...

So, what can I say? I can only be thankful for all the experiences I have gone through, and look forward in anticipation at the ones to come ... :D

It's Another Year Gone By

2009-12-31T13:47:00.002+08:00

HEY THERE, YOU!!!!!

First of all, I'd like to say Happy New Year to you ...

It's one decade gone by in the 21st century and there are certainly GREATER THINGS in stall for us all.

I'm really keen on stepping into 2010, and I've got a list of resolutions set:

1. Praise and serve God always with a cheerful heart
2. Serve the prefect board of SMK Taman S.E.A. faithfully
3. Serve in CF and get to know the CFers better!!!
4. Get active in my House
5. Be a good First Aider
6. Perform better in violin and piano
7. Play the guitar BETTER
8. Take part in another tennis tournament
9. See Chow Sern improve in his speech, and let myself contribute to that
10. BLESS EVERYONE AROUND ME, regardless of gender, age, occupation, status,
attitude, behaviour, personality, and size.

Tonight is the night I have been waiting for. I'll be "stringing" the night away on my violin together with the musicians of Creative School of Ministry in Full Gospel Assembly, KL.

I hope you will have as much fun as I do, I myself will enjoy playing for God. :

:)

See you in the next decade, whoever you may be. :)

Youth RevAmp Conference

2009-12-28T12:14:00.008+08:00

Hey you, how's the holiday going?

As for me, I've been having an awesome time at the FGA Revolution Amplified Youth Conference from 14-20 December 2009 and I'm going to tell you all about it.

By the way, if you wonder what Revolution Amplified is, it's my annual church conference theme. It's not just about IMPARTING God's love to the attendees, it's also about IMPACTING society by serving the community.

Each participant gets to choose a department to get involved in. There's The Environment, the Refugees, the Orphans, the Sick ... and one more ...

Well, I chose the Sick, and boy, was it mind-blowing!!!! The ironic thing was that our nametag had two blank green sections, one big, one small. The big one was obviously for the name, so I wrote:

LEE CHOW XIN

And the little one was supposingly for the department we had chosen, but I didn't write it, because if I did, this would be my name tag:

LEE CHOW XIN
THE SICK

You can stop laughing now.

We had IMPART sessions in the morning, which was meant to teach God's word to us, and IMPACT sessions in the afternoon, where we went out to do community work.
Then, at night, we had Night Sessions where a speaker would impart to us anyway ...

The Sick people (not in that way) were volunteers for MAKNA - Majlis Kanser National. We were assigned to do Home Visits to Cancer Patients. Since the person-in-charge, a friendly lady named Mamma Gie, had instructed us not to "menceritakan" our experience to friends who were not volunteers, I would just give you the outline of the story.

It was interesting, it was a new experience, and it opened my mind to how privileged we are when we have healthy bodies. I loved the IMPACT session.

The whole conference was a whole new experience for Full Gospel Assembly, I must say, because all these years, our camps have only involved people coming, people getting touched by God, and people going home. This year, we not only have people coming, we also have people going out into the community to do good deeds for the less fortunate, to TELL PEOPLE THAT WE CHRISTIANS WANNA SHOW LOVE TO THEM! Is that amazing or what?

Chruch friends are so amazing. I met two girls from Shelter Home named Cassandra and Joyce. They are both two years elder than I am, but they were my very best companions throughout the conference. They taught me so many thing I never knew, and I would never want to forget those things.

FOOD. Conference food was so good I began to get suspicious why they were feeding us so extravagantly when we could easily settle for something simpler ...

Well, enough already ... Here are my photos:

I guess that's all for now. How about you?

It's a New Blog and a New Motive

2009-12-28T12:09:00.001+08:00

For everyone's information, I'm changing the motive of my blog. I greatly encourage you to read and comment on the blog. :)

Thank you.

I BROKE THREE STRINGS IN A ROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-15T17:33:00.000+08:00

I KNOW THIS TOPIC IS COMMON BUT I JUST HAD TO YELL IT OUT ....

"I BROKE THREE STRINGS IN A ROW WHILE FIXING THEM TO MY VIOLIN PEG!!!!!!!!!!!

I REALLY TRIED NOT TO!!!!!!!"

ARGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NO PAIN NO GAIN, I HEARD ...

NOW I UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF THE PHRASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ARGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Song for the Child at Heart

2009-06-19T21:25:00.004+08:00

Here's a song ...

Jesus loves me this I know

for the Bible tells me so

Little ones to him belong

They are weak but he is strong

Yes Jesus loves me

Yes Jesus loves me

Yes Jesus loves me

The Bible tells me so

Teacher ...

2009-06-05T22:15:00.005+08:00

Teacher's Day may be over, but the memoirs are still fresh in my mind ...

Thinking of Teacher's Day reminds me of a very special tutor who lived over 100 years ago - widely recognized for her achievement in educating a person without sight, hearing, or normal speech.

Anne Sullivan was only 20 when she became a teacher for six-year-old Helen Keller, an undisciplined, hot-tempered child - someone not many teachers would tolerate.

Joanna Sullivan, known throughout her life as Anne or Annie, was eight when her mother died, and two years later her father deserted the three children. Sullivan, whom an earlier illness had left nearly blind, entered the Perkins Institution for the Blind in 1880. Surgery the next year restored some sight, and she graduated from Perkins at the head of her class in 1886. (NOTE: If she had lived today, today's modern technology would most probably revive her vision.)

With patience and creativity, Sullivan within a month succeeded in teaching Keller, by means of a manual alphabet, that things had names. Her progress was rapid thereafter; Keller and Sullivan gained a national reputation as Keller mastered a full vocabulary and displayed a gifted intelligence.

In 1888 the two began spending periods at the Perkins Institution, and Sullivan accompanied Keller to the Wright-Humason School in New York City, the Cambridge School for Young Ladies, and finally Radcliffe College, where Sullivan painstakingly spelled out the lectures to Keller and read to her for hours everyday.

Without Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller would not have gotten where she had reached.

Appreciate your teachers, people. In years to come, we'll all be looking over our shoulders at them as we stand in honour of our accomplishments.

Junkies ...

2009-05-23T22:55:00.006+08:00

Exams are over, and the students of Taman Sea are evolving ... really ...

Proof of previous statement:

1) Wesley is the kangaroo once more

2) Weng Soon went hyper

3) Sheng Khai actually talked about Revolution ... wow ...

4) Emily talked about Kris Allen ... even though I don't even know much about the guy ...

5) Jamie is back to her food ... XD

6) Amanda made me go about school in this 'pretty' hairstyle ... Hmmm .... only for you, Amanda!
... and many more ...

By the way, people, don't forget to wish my sister her a happy17th birthday this Monday ... and a happy solo flight for my other sister (the pilot one).

Chow Yee, go do something about your hair ...

Random fact of the day:

Cadet pilots at Malaysian Flying Academy in Malacca have to be fast to devour their meals or they won't have any ...

When pilots are grounded, the statement applies for both literal and non-literal terms.

When the 'Chows' are grounded, the statement applies for only non-literal.

Good day, people ...

Geography project

2009-05-01T20:14:00.004+08:00

My eldest sister (the pilot) thought I was nuts when I told her I wanted to drive around Taman Megah to find the landmarks for my Geography project. I ended up using a map ... after an unnecessary rigmarole. She was right ... actually ... it saves time and petrol. Thanks, jie! :)

I've been searching high and low for info on Taman Megah, so, if anyone out there is doing research on the same place as me, I would be awfully appreciative if you would share it with me ...

I Got Infected by Nigel Lim

2009-04-25T16:47:00.019+08:00

This is supposed to be some funny thing that Nigel Lim infected me with ....
So just to keep it on, I'll do it, but I'm leaving out any parts I find quite offensive ... Still, I promise the results will be funny.

Dear (the last person who left a comment on your journal):
I don't really know how to tell you this, but ___1___. I think I realized it ___2___ ___3___ and I saw you ___4___ ___5___. I'm sure you're ___6___ enough to understand ___7___. I'm returning ___8___ to you, but I'll keep ___9___ as a memory. You should also know that I ___10___ ___11___ .___12___,-Your name-1.

+++
+++

1. What's the color of your shirt?
Blue - Our romance is over
Red - Our affair is over
White - I'll join the monastery
Black - I dislike you
Green - Our horoscope doesn't match
Grey - You're a pervert
Yellow - I'm selling myself
Pink - Your nostrils are insulting
Brown - The mafia wants you
No shirt - You're a loser
Other - I'm in love with your sister
+++
+++

2. Which is your birth month?
January - That night
February - Last year
March - When your dwarf bit me
April - When I tripped on sesame seeds
May - First of May
June - When you put cuffs on me
July - When I threw up
August - When I saw the shrunken head
September - When we skinny dipped
October - When I quoted Santa
November - When your dog ran amok
December - When I changed tennis shoes

+++
3. Which food do you prefer?
Tacos - In your apartment
Pizza - In your camping car
Pasta - Outside of Chicago
Hamburgers - Under the bus
Salad - As you ate enchilada
Chicken - In your closet
Kabob - With Paris Hilton
Fish - In women's clothing
Sandwiches - At the Hare Krishna graduation
Lasagna - At the mental hospital
Hot dog - Under a state of trance
None of the above - With George Bush and his wife

+++

4. What's the color of your socks?
Yellow - Hit on
Red - Insult
Black - Ignore
Blue - Knock out
Purple - Pour syrup on
White - Carve your initials into<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grey - Pull the clothes off
Brown - Put leeches on
Orange - Castrate
Pink - Pull the toupee off
Barefoot - Sit on
Other - Drive out

+++

5. What's the color of your underwear?
Black - My best friend
White - My father
Grey - Bill Clinton
Brown - My fart balloon
Purple - My mustard soufflé
Red - Donald Duck
Blue - My avocado plant
Yellow - My penpal in Ghana
Orange - My Kid Rock-collection
Pink - Manchester United's goalkeeper
None - My John F. Kennedy-statue
Other - The crazy monk

+++
6. What do you prefer to watch on TV?
Scrubs - Man
O.C. - Emotional
One Tree Hill - Open
Heroes - Frostbitten
Lost - High<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
House - Scarred
Simpsons - Cowardly
The news - Mongolic
Idol - Masochistic
Family Guy - Senile
Top Model - Middle-class
None of the above - Ashamed

+++
7. Your mood right now?
Happy - How awful I've felt
Sad - How boring you are
Bored - That Santa doesn't exist
Angry - That your pimples are at the last stage
Depressed - That we're cousins
Excited - That there is no solution to this
Nervous - The middle-east
Worried - That your Honda sucks
Apathetic - That I did a sex-change
Ashamed - That I'm allergic to your hamster
Cuddly - That I get turned on by garbage men
Overjoyous - That I'm open
Other - That Extreme Home Makeover sucks

+++
8. What's the color of your walls in your bedroom?
White - Your ring
Yellow - Your love letters
Red - Your Darth Vader-poster
Black - Your tame stone
Blue - The couch cushions
Green - The pictures from LA
Orange - Your false teeth
Brown - Your contact book
Grey - Our matching snoopy-bibs
Purple - Your old lottery coupons
Pink - The cut toenails
Other - Your memories from the military service

+++
9. The first letter of your first name?
A/B - Your photo
C/D - The oil stocks
E/F - Your neighbour Martin
G/H - My virginity
I/J - The results of your blood-sample
K/L - Your left ear
M/N - Your suicide note<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O/P - My common sense
Q/R - Your mom
S/T - Collection of butterflies
U/V - Your criminal record
W/X - David's tricot outfits
Y/Z - Your grades from college

+++
10. The last letter in your last name?
A/B - Always will remember
C/D - Never will forget
E/F - Always wanted to break
G/H - Never openly mocked
I/J - Always have felt dirty before
K/L - Will tell the authorities about
M/N - Told in my confession today about<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O/P - Was interviewed by the Times about
Q/R - Told my psychiatrist about
S/T - Get sick when I think of
U/V - Always will try to forget
W/X - Am better off without
Y/Z - Never liked

+++
11. What do you prefer to drink?
Water- Our friendship
Beer - Senility
Soft drink - A new life as a clone
Soda - The incarnation as an eskimo
Milk - The apartment building
Wine - Cocaine abuse<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cider - A passionate interest for mice
Juice - Oprah Winfrey imitations
Mineral water - Embarrassing rash
Hot chocolate - Eggplant-fetishism
Whisky - To ruin the second world war
Other - To hate the Boston Celtics

+++
12. To which country would you prefer to go on a vacation?
Thailand - Warm regards
USA - Best regards
England - Good luck on your short-term leave from jail
Spain - Go and drown yourself
China - Disgusting regards
Germany - With ease
Japan - Go burn
Greece - Your everlasting enemy
Australia - Greetings to your frog Leonard
Egypt - Get Lost now
France - In pain
Other - Greetings to your freaky family

+++++

Dear I-didn't-check-your-name-so-I-don't-know-who-you-are,
I don't really know how to tell you this, but I'm selling myself (Which I'm obviously not). I think I realized it last year in your camping car and I saw you sit on ??????. I'm sure you're ashamed enough to understand that I'm open. I'm returning the pictures from LA (I went to LA?) to you, but I'll keep the oil stocks (no, I won't) as a memory. You should also know that I will tell the authorities the apartment building.

??????
THE CHOW CHOW

Look ... Pretty?

2009-04-24T21:32:00.008+08:00

Basic steps to fulfilling your duty to its limit for Tabik Hormat:

1. Look pretty and look in front

2. Wait patiently

3. Salute when the VIP walks by

4. Disappear

"When is the VIP coming?"

"Argghh!!! My legs so itchy!"

"So hot! So hot!"

"Perasannya ..."

That's exactly what happened on the Terrace this morning for Hari Ko-kurikulum. After that, I skipped class to do First Aid duty in the hall ... in my sister's words, do First aid duty in the hall to skip class.

Haha ... congrats to the people who went up the stage, whether to receive prizes or to do some Tae-Kwan-Do stunts ... whichever you are, you did a great job. :)

Have a nice day!

Fats' Day!!!!!!!!

2009-03-12T23:00:00.003+08:00

Canteen Day was a total blast this year, especially for PBSM!!!!

"Buy lah, very nice one!"

"Er, no thanks!"

"Eh, you don't buy, I not your friend ah!"

A great thanks to Wai Loan for teaching me the arts of the kitchen. We had a great time dishing out the wedges for ... two hundred customers. (Some were a mite reluctant.)

CF's Pizza Hut was the most successful stall of all, I would say. (I snuck out to grab a pizza halfway through my cooking shift!) During the afternoon session, there were a few long lines extending from the CF lot, and surprisingly, all of them looked really patient for their food.

What can I say? I'll say it again - Canteen Day is a SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-05T20:37:00.005+08:00

A.Word.A.Day (in courtesy of Wordsmith)

coeval

PRONUNCIATION:

(ko-EE-vuhl)

MEANING:

adjective: Having the same age or duration.
noun: A contemporary.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin coaevus, from co- (in common) + aevum (age), from Greek aion (age). Ultimately from the Indo-European root aiw-/ayu- (vital force, life, eternity) that is also the source of ever, never, aye, nay, eon, eternal, medieval, primeval, utopia, Sanskrit Ayurveda.

USAGE:

"Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were born in the same year, on the same day: Feb 12, 1809. ... Instinctively, we want to say that they belong together. It's not just because they were both great men, and not because they happen to be exact coevals. Rather, it's because the scientist and the politician each touched off a revolution that changed the world."
Malcolm Jones; Who Was More Important: Lincoln or Darwin?; Newsweek (New York); Jul 7, 2008.

Caution: This blog was unexpectedly devoted to the fella from CF who "stole" my birthday day.

Something random. I found this in the Word-A-Day programme by Anu Garg. From today onwards, let there be made known a more colourful word to describe the common factor of having the same birthday on the same day.

"COEVAL", not "co-evil".

To find out more, visit www.wsmith@wordsmith.com!

Prima Donna .... Not!

2009-02-27T21:37:00.005+08:00

What happens when you ask a cf-fer to perform solo on a cheap-string violin with a pro-pianist? The performance with Weng Soon today.

After worship, the first thing I could think of when I stepped in front was: Okay, this is not about you. This is all for God's glory. This is to touch people's lives.

Then, I saw their fixed glares and my heart sank.

"Oh, wonderful!"

The new strings were squeaking under my shaky fingers. I was so scared I couldn't do vibrato well, nonetheless forget to shift.

At the end, Weng Soon was like, "It's okay lah!" and then Samuel so eager to look at my violin but I only allowed him to hold the rosin case. (Sorry, Samuel!) At least he didn't drop it.

Choir practice was a blast. The Form 1s should applaud themselves. They are such an enthusiastic bunch who are not in the least afraid to take part in co-curricular activities! Let's pray they stay that way until they leave school!

Calling all choir people out there, do come to the choir practice tomorrow - on time ... or else ....

Oh careless love!

2009-02-20T21:24:00.005+08:00

My heart cries for my lovely Sarah,
I treasure the moments with you under my wrist.
How could this ever happen to you, Sarah?
that a precious violin like you should ever suffer like this ...

A bridge gave way
and had to be fixed
when it was fine,
a string found its kicks

As stated above, my violin has been given me lots of trouble this few days. First, the bridge (that tiny wooden thing holding up the strings) gave way ... I couldn't practise for a week. Then, today at violin class, my E string broke. (the G string's still fine!)

Oooh ... me favourite partttttt ....

FIVE WAYS TO TELL IF A VIOLIN'S A GOOD ONE

1. It's got strings
2. Its strings don't make squeaky noises (oh, then, it's just the strings, right?)
3. The strings produce a clear sound, when pressed at right position (no)
4. It was made by human hands, and not machines (oh ... so it's also the person right?)
5. A good musician buys it for 10 K (well, sorta ... )

Well, hope to hear from you soon. Oh, and Benji, thanks for telling me about the famous Greek violinist on Youtube.

Cheerio!

5 Ways to Keep Your Room Clean

2009-01-18T21:56:00.006+08:00

Hello readers!

I'm moving. Yes, I am. I'm leaving Chow Ern's room and settling down in the one across hers. Now, I have the study room to myself. I get to have an air-con, a tiny computer, a radio, and two whole bookshelves! Is this great or what? I always wanted a room, but I never expected God to really let it be possible.

Now, I get to play my violin (Sarah) and hopefully, my dad's guitar (when he gives me lessons) in perfect PEACE.

However, I told my mom that I wanted to clean my own room myself. This means sweeping it everyday and mopping it (not everyday too, I hope). This is so that I don't get too dependant on Kakak.

To make sure that my room stays spick and span, all by myself! I have 5 special strategies to have a clean room without much effort. And I'm going to share them all with you.

1. Don't dirty it if you don't like cleaning it. The easiest way to keep the space between your walls clear of dirt is to leave dirt out of it. If you should bring a soiled PJ T-shirt in, clean it first. As for the books, I put them all behind glass cabinets so they don't get dusty. The tiny uncovered bookcase has a curtain attached to it. (Thanks, mom!)

2. Keep a Neat nature. The Law of Order is the law of preventing things from "vanishing". I make sure my clothes are neatly folded always just by not tossing them into the wardrobe. That way, I don't have to rummage through anything. Same goes to my books - my hundreds of books.

3. Strategy of arrangement. Lay things on your table that you use frequently. If you're not sure of a particular item, store it away at a position where it is easy to retrieve. (Ex: Don't put your once-in-a-week-take-out KH project hidden behind your old primary school memoirs.)

4. Quality, not quantity. Get good furniture so they hold you and your things well. (And so that they stand up straight and not slant)

5. Go rubbish go. If there is anything unworthy to be kept in your precious space - get rid of it. Don't keep trash. It'll only make the room smaller.

Well, that's it. Now, I've got to go. Bye!!!!

Orchestral Instruments

2009-01-16T20:58:00.005+08:00

Hello, readers! Glad that you all could take time to visit my blog!

Today, I have a straightforward list of instruments in an orchestra for those who are unfamiliar towards it.

Orchestral instruments can be divided into four kinds: String, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments (definite and indefinite pitch).

The string family include violin (soprano), viola (alto), cello (tenor) and double bass (bass). It has the largest number of players in an orchestra. And, no - a cello is not an overgrown violin. All four vary in size and methods of playing.

The woodwind family are, well, played with the mouth. There is the piccolo (highest sounding woodwind instrument), flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, bassoon and saxophone. Modern flutes are made of metal. Reeds are parts of some wind instruments which vibrates to produce a sound.
We also have the brass instruments. There is the trumpet (soprano), French horn, cornet, trombone and tuba (lowest sounding member). Tenor trombone is the most important member in the trombone family.

Then, lastly, we have the percussion:

Definite pitch: Glockenspiel Indefinite pitch: Drums
Celesta Tambourine
Kettledrum Triangle
Xylophone Castanets
Dulcitone Cymbals
Tubular bells Gong
Marimba gong

Percussion instruments like the triangle, tambourine ... are considered unimportant as they do not play an important role in the orchestra.

There you have it - orchestra instruments in a nut case.

Ciao!

G-O-D is L-O-V-E

2009-01-09T21:15:00.004+08:00

The title tells it all. Hello, again, my dear readers! Today, the Christian Fellowship of SMK Taman S.E.A. held its very first meeting of the year at Block C. The theme was Amazing Grace. We sang the song, we heard the message, and we acknowledged just how wonderful this God-given privilege is.

I'm all about synonyms today, so I'm going to start the topic with a simple question: Do you know what the CF theme is for this year? If you don't, it's "LOVE". Yes, that pleasant, desirable feeling never lets you down.

Love ... (from Macmillan English dictionary): the feeling of liking and caring for someone such as a member of your family or a close friend

Love is also known as ...

Affection: a feeling of liking and caring about someone or something.

Infatuation (not a positive side of the topic): a strong feeling of love that seems silly, especially because you do not know the other person very well.

Adoration: 1. a feeling of great love and respect for someone
2. the worship of a god

Passion: a powerful emotion such as love or anger

Desire: a strong feeling of wanting to have or do something

There is unconditional love - (love that forgives everything and asks for nothing). That may seem like God's love, but only the upper half of the description truly suits it. God does ask for something from us - He wants us to love Him back and have a relationship with Him! Wow, that's more gracious than asking for nothing!!!

There is also unrequited love - (when you love someone but they do not love you). No one wants this. In the same way, show God you love Him by obeying his commands. Oh yeah, and don't forget to forgive the mean girl for calling you that nasty name behind your back. God wants us to love others, just as He has loved you.

What other words remind you of love? Is it Hawaiian pizza? Your best friend? Parents? God? Which one?

10 Gasp Facts about Shakespeare

2009-01-06T21:38:00.009+08:00

Good day, readers, it's good to see you again even after all the chaos from school's re-opening.

This topic which seemed quite interesting came to my mind, and I decided to blog about it. Today, I randomly posted 10 really surprising facts about the Father of Literature - William Shakespeare.

1. He never went to university. In fact, his family was illiterate! Yet, he grew up to be the greatest English language writer ever lived. (Don't get any ideas)

2. He married a 26-year-old woman, Anne Hathaway, when he was 18.

3. Anne, his wife, was three months pregnant when she married Shakespeare.

4. His eldest child, Susanna, received most of his property when he died, and not his wife.

5. All Shakespeare gave his wife in his will was his second-best bed. The second-best bed was their marriage bed - the best bed was reserved for guests.

6. Both of Shakespeare's parents had names of Bible characters. His mother, MARY, was a wealthy gentleman-farmer's daughter - she married JOHN Shakespeare, a tanner who was the mayor of Stratford.

7. In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the character "Juliet" was born on "Lammas Eve at night", which was probably July 31 - and "Juliet" means "born in July"!!!

8. Most of his plays were published seven years after his death.

9. Shakespeare survived the Black Death, but his descendants weren't so fortunate. All of his grandchildren died, leaving him no more descendants.

10. No one really knows what Shakespeare looks like - no portrait was ever painted of him when he was still alive.

BGR - Song of Songs Part 2

2009-01-04T15:18:00.006+08:00

Alright, readers - second part of my topic:

Song of Songs 5: 2 - 3

Beloved

I slept but my heart was
awake.
Listen! My lover is knocking:
"Open to me, my sister, my
darling,
my dove, my flawless one.
My head is drenched with dew,
my hair with the dampness
of the night."
I have taken off my robe -
must I put it on again?
I have washed my feet -
must I soil them again?

Here, the guy is coming to see his girl in the dead of the night. During that time, the roads were literally soil and dirt, people out on them were covered with filth.

This girl had just cleaned herself and was halfway sleeping - and getting clean was a very, very tiring process, and the nightgown she wore was almost like being in her underwear nowadays. So, imagine if the guy she loved was outside, asking to come in, she didn't want to tempt both of them since they were not married.

So, she was making excuses, trying to give a hint that it wasn't right for (her) to let (him) see (her) like that.

Song of Songs 5:8

Beloved

O daughters of Jerusalem, I
charge you -
if you find my love,
what will you tell him?
Tell him I am faint with love.

God wants you to be proud of your relationship, if you have one. However, many teenagers, (and even preteens) try to hide it instead of letting others know, in fear of getting punished by their parents or "sabo" by their friends.

Here is where the concept of BGR steps in. Since God wants you to have nothing to hide about your relationship, it is always wise to think "Am I matured enough?", "Am I ready to handle this?" and most importantly "Is this God's will?"

You can take it all from the guy (Lover) and girl (Beloved) in Song of Songs. Here are the special characteristics of both of them:

The guy: - Head over heels for (her), pursues her, yet he knows his limits
- Knows (her) boundaries and accepts them.
- Praises her, even in front of his friends
- Thinks her as the only girl for him
- Waits for the right time in everything

The girl: - Loves the guy, and shows (him) respect
- Has firm boundaries and makes sure (he) knows them
- Praises him, even in front of her friends
- Saves her virginity for him, and also her heart
- Tells him that she prefers his love, rather then him having sex with her.

Here are just a few verses to close with:

Song of Songs 8: 4 "Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires."

Proverbs 31:30 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."

and my favourite ....

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

BGR - Song of Songs Part 1

2009-01-02T10:18:00.007+08:00

Blessed New Year, my dear blog viewers. How's the new start going? I hope it's running smoothly.

Now, I thought, what better way to start the new year than to speak on a topic that most people are curious about - BGR. I believe that most of you people who read my blog are young people, or, even if you aren't, I bet you'll find this topic quite interesting all the same.

Today, we will look at romantic relationships from God's point of view. This view is taken from the ultamite romance book - The Song of Songs from God's word.

The first thing you can think of when you hear of that book is that it is all about unexplainable love poems from a guy to a girl, and a girl to a guy, which no one from the 21st century can actually relate to. If you think so, You have to change your mind.

Song of Songs is a collection of love poems. These verses form the picture of God's ideal plan of perfect human love and marriage. In fact, Song of Songs is one of the Wisdom Books of the Bible. (Wow, God considers human love as a form of WISDOM!!!!) Besides, scholars state that although in some versions it is called Song of Solomon, it was not necessary written by King Solomon himself, so we cannot be sure who actually wrote them.

The poems are something like a play. Here are the "characters" as the Bible states them:

Lover: GUY in love.
Beloved: GIRL in love.
Friends (speaking after the Lover): Supportive Guyfriends of the Lover
Friends (speaking after the Beloved): Supportive Girlfriends of the Beloved

So, there you are. Now, I will just pull out some scriptures from the book and tell you what they really mean.

Song of Songs 1: 1-3

"Beloved
Let him kiss me with the
kisses of his mouth -
for your love is more
delightful than wine.
Pleasing is the fragrance of
your perfumes;
your name is like perfume
poured out.
No wonder the maidens
love you!

That was a girl talking about her lover. Do you notice how bold she was at the very beginning - she asked him to kiss her on the mouth - not on the cheek, not on the forehead. In those days, a kiss could mean a greeting, a blessing - but in her case, a kiss on the mouth was a mark of a romantic relationship. Then, she added, "Your love is better than wine." In those days, wine was usually associated with sex. So, she was saying, "I prefer your love for me, than you having sex with me."

It goes on with the Beloved praising her lover's name. A name, back then, represented your character, your personality, everything about you. In modern words, this was what she was saying:
"(You) are so pleasant. The sound of your name is so sweet. No wonder everyone likes you!"

The story continues with the guy replying the girl (now this is very important):

Song of Songs 1:9

"Lover
I liken you, my darling, to a
mare
harnessed to one of the
chariots of Pharaoh."

If you were to say this to any girl today, she will give you the cold shoulder; but if you were living 2000 years ago, the girl will run home and tell her parents she has met her future husband.

You see, in those days, stallions were used in battle. Mares on heat were released before them, and when the male horses saw the female horses ...

"NEIGGHHHHTTTT!!!!!" They would just charge forward like psychos. So, if this Lover guy was comparing his girl to a mare, he meant that when he took just one look at her, he was OFF!!! All he wanted was her. (Wow, what a guy!)

In Chapter 4, the Lover compares his Beloved's eyes with doves. Dove represented a gentle and loving person, so you must know what (he) thought of (her). The Lover goes on praising the beauty of the girl he loves, saying how perfect her outer appearance was.

PRECAUTION: Girls during those days had love handles, so, you can't say that fat is ugly. (Not to a guy who has fallen for her heart!)

In Song of Songs 4:12, he says:

"You are a garden locked up,
my sister, my bride;
you are a spring enclosed, a
sealed fountain."

The Lover was saying that his Beloved was saving herself up for him. The "spring" meant the source of life - her womb! The girl was saving her virginity up for him, and he was proud of it.

Now, there you go - part of one of the most mysterious books is is revealed to you. If you want to find out the whole story, come and read the next part of my blog which will be posted in several days time.

A dedication of this post to my church Youth Pastor, who gave me most of the information I knew right now.

Chicken Rice Balls

2008-12-31T10:32:00.002+08:00

Hello, readers. I'm so sorry to just jump off the blogging for sometime. It's a whole long story. Partly, I got myself squeezed into an Avanza with eight passengers, and travelled a few kilometers to Malacca for a little holiday.

When I was at Malacca with my family, we were introduced to the famous chicken rice balls at Jonker Street. They taste like chicken rice, but are curled up into balls. From the Chicken Rice Ball shop's website, I found out that the recipe is Hainanese (Like me!) and that the kampung chickens they use are wild, they run around, high on their knees! (Well, chickens don't have knees, but the Bukit Mertajam ones run around alot.)

When I entered the restaurant, I had a chance to see the rice ball machine. It was quite interesting to watch the rice running through it, and coming out spherical. The machine was penned with a glass fence, probably to keep disturbance away from the man cycling the man-powered turbos.

The fragrance of the rice balls are still stored on my tongue. Not that I never brushed my teeth, but that it tasted so good. When you bite into a rice ball, you can feel the wholesomeness of it filling up your taste buds and nasal cavity. It's so good you could it eat on its own!

To keep the reputation of their well-kown dish, Famosa Restaurant has their francise all over the state. They are placed in Jonker Street, Jalan Bendahara, Jaya Jusco and Mahkota Parade Shopping complex (1st floor), and Tesco Hypermart.

Bon Appetite!

Alien Meets Man during Christmas

2008-12-22T22:05:00.009+08:00

An alien came to visit Earth. He met a human strolling at the site where his spaceship landed. The man was stunned to see a Martian climb out of his saucer-like transport.

"Good day," the alien beeped in a monotonous manner. "Fear not, for I come in peace."

The man squinted. "Those words you say ... they remind me of something I read in this ... book."

"The Bible?"

"Yes, that was the title." He paused. "So, what have you come for?"

"As a matter of fact, you have well brought me into the subject. I have hailed from Mars to study this celebration you Earthlings are rejoicing over - Christmas. This celebration has my fellow Martians asking questions." The alien drew out a space notebook and a space pen. "Could you, my dear friend, help me answer these questions regarding Christmas?"

"Yes, of course," the man replied confidently.

"Now, first of all, why do Earthlings celebrate Christmas?"

"Err ... for fun?" the man thought. "No big reason - it's just a time for people to get around, have some fun, receive presents, drink beer ... it's all for a good time."

The alien was surprised. "Back home, someone told me that it was his birthday celebration. I was told that you guys had kicked him right out of his own party!"

"Oh, really? What's your friend's name?"

"Christ was his last name. I only remember his first started with J." He sighed. "OK, why is Christmas special to you?"

"Well ... like I said, we just have fun and presents ... Thinking about it, it's not in the least very special at all. It's just party time."

The alien was shocked. "My J friend told me that he was the one who made Christmas special. He said that if only you guys would think of him more often, Christmas would mean a lot much more." He simply scribbled down some notes. "OK, last question, I have to be going now." He made his way towards his spaceship. "What did you guys do to a God-man named Jesus who was born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago?"

The man didn't know what to say. "Now, I just know what it was ... I've heard this somewhere before ..."

"Did you give him your best gold and silver?" the alien was firing up the engine.

"No. I think, we gave him our leftover straw."

"Did you give him a lovely palace to live in on Earth?"

"No, we gave him this lowly little stable. When he grew up, he had no home at all!"

"Did you guys bow down and worship him?" The spaceship was lifting into the air.

"No." Then, just as the spaceship zoomed out into space, the alien heard the man say:

"WE KILLED HIM!!!!!!"

...........................................................

Come on, readers, laugh it out! This Christmas, let the man in the joke stop playing out his role in you. Give your best to the reason of the celebration. Let Jesus feel appreciated!

Christmas LOL LOLs!!!!!!

2008-12-20T15:35:00.012+08:00

Ho, ho, ho! MEEERRYYY Christmas, my dear readers! To brighten up your spirits, I am going to share with you a very sacred present - the medicine of laughter! I have collected a whole series of Christmas jokes especially for you. When you've had your share of giggles, do take the time to copy and paste it in your Yahoo so you can forward it to all your family and friends.

Do you know what the donkey said to Mary when she rode on it?
Nothing. Donkeys can't talk.
(However, if you read my previous post, they could.)

Guess what? Someone went around spreading rumours that I would
have my distant relatives for Christmas! I went over and gave him a
piece of my mind for telling lies. Oh, come on, why have your
family when you can eat the turkey instead?

Last year, a little boy wrote to Santa, asking for Croc shoes. Sadly, he never
received his gift. This year, he learned from his mistake - He stated
the exact size of his crocodile's feet in the letter.

If you ever wonder how you could make your name to be shone all over
the world like a Christmas deco light, worry no more. Just
change your name to Emergency Exit.

There was this plastic surgeon. He was silly enough to roast his own
turkey - and he had melted.

Ahh ... and my favourite of all - this Christmas carol quiz. This are all Christmas carols disguised in extended, flowery phrases. See if you can relate them all.

1) To sum forth the entire assembly loyal in their belief !
Answer: O Come All Ye Faithful

2) We listen to messengers of harmonious sounds!
Answer: Hark the Herald Angels Sing

3) Nocturnal times pan of unbroken quietness!
Answer: Silent Night

4) Small Judean municipality, southeast of Jerusalem!
Answer: O Little Town of Bethlehem

5) Our auditory mechanisms perceive their voices at the zenith!
Answer: Angels We Have Heard on High

6) Diminutive masculine master of skin covered cylinders!
Answer: Little Drummer Boy

7) May blessings grant respite to ecstatic personages of male gender!
Answer: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

8) Nocturnal awe of the time span characterized by religiosity!
Answer: O Holy Night

9) Distant from the present locale in a device devoted to animal alimentation!
Answer: Away in a Manger

10) The initial commemoration of divine incarnation!
Answer: The First Noel

11) It occurred during the nocturnal point equidistant between crepuscular periods of nonprecipitious weather!
Answer: It Came Upon The Midnight Clear

12) Felicitations to Sol's third major satellite!
Answer: Joy to the World

13) Do not prevent the crystallization of hydrogen hydroxide forming precipitate
from the atmosphere!
Answer: Let it Snow

14) Apply an ecologic visually aesthetic improvement to interior causeways!
Answer: Deck the Halls

15) I shall return to the situs of my domicile for the celebration of devine nativity!
Answer: I'll Be Home for Christmas

Song of the Ass

2008-12-18T22:27:00.002+08:00

Dear Readers,

In accordance with the sweet melodies that ring through the Christmassy atmosphere, I will introduce to you a less popular Christmas Carol. As the title of this blog indicates, the name of this song is called The Friendly Beasts.

This song is from a few animals' point of view, picturing the scene where Jesus lay in a lowly stable, clustered with eager beasts who were enthusiastically celebrating the LORD's birth with their natural characteristics - all from the composer's vivid imagination. Although the lyrics contain many "I"s, I wouldn't perceive the stable company as self-centred, but as creatures who are over-eager to contribute to the arrival of their Maker. From my point of view, it is a very amusing song for children who enjoy tales of talking animals.

The song is known to have originated from the 12th century. In the Augsburg Publishing House 1954 version of Carols of Christmas, the song is English. However, Wikipedia suggests its possible French origin, set to the melody of the Latin song Orientis Partibus. The lyricist of the current English version is Robert Davis (1881-1950).

The song has many other names - The Donkey Carol, The Animal Carol, The Gift of the Animals, and as you know, The Song of the Ass. Belafonte and Cash, artists of the song, used the title The Gifts They Gave.

Before further delay, here are the sweet lyrics of this lovely song:

THE FRIENDLY BEASTS

Jesus our brother, kind and good,
Was humbly born in a stable rude,
And the friendly beasts around Him stood,
Jesus our brother kind and good.

I, said the donkey, shaggy and brown,
I carried His Mother up hill and down,
I carried His Mother to Bethlehem town,
I, said the donkey, shaggy and brown.

I, said the cow, all white and red,
I gave him my manger for his bed,
I gave him my hay to pillow his head,
I, said the cow, all white and red.

I, said the sheep with curly horn,
I gave Him my wool for a blanket warm,
He wore my coat on Christmas morn,
I, said the sheep with curly horn.

I, said the camel, yellow and black,
Over the desert, upon my back,
I brought him a gift in the Wise Men's pack,
I, said the camel, yellow and black.

I, said the dove, from the rafters high,
I cooed Him to sleep that He should not cry,
We cooed Him to sleep my mate and I,
I, said the dove, from the rafters high.

I, said the rooster with the shining eye,
I crowed the news up to the sky;
When the sun arose, I crowed to the sky,
I, said the rooster with the shining eye.

Thus, every beast, by some good spell,
In the stable dark was glad to tell,
Of the gift he gave Emanuel,
Of the gift he gave Emanuel.

What do you think? Great song, right?

Something random ...

2008-12-16T22:08:00.005+08:00

Ok Readers, today, I decided to post something fun on my blog just to brighten it up a little. I will still put the Christmas post, but this is just a small fun additional.

Make sure no 1 is your name... too bad ...

1. Chow Xin
2. Jack Tung
3. Zi Ying
4. Yasmin
5. Si Rou
6. Jamie Lim
7. Adelyn Chooi
8. Weng Soon
9. Chow Yee (my brother)
10. Caryn Tan
11. Danush
12. Rachel Law
13. Anussha Joseph
14. Jeremy Lim
15. My piano teacher
16. Yuen Wei
17. Syahir
18. Chia Sing
19. Declan
20. Benji

1.How did u meet 2?
Jack Tung: In school CF. I first recognized him as the "guy in scout's uniform leading worship".

2.What would you do if u never met 14?
Jeremy Lim: I would laugh less

3.What would you do if 12 and 5 dated?
Rachel Law and Si Rou: Be happy, they're just going out together. They'll NEVER couple. Rachel is too good to do that. Si Rou won't dare to mess with her.

4.Describe 3.
Zi Ying: She's my cousin, the genius of SMK DJ, pretty (seriously), she has three sisters and a baby brother, and she's the one who introduced this random post.

5.Do you think 8 is attractive?
Weng Soon: Errr ... why not? Yes.

6.Tell me something bout 7.
Adelyn Chooi: She's this whizz girl who finished her Grade 8 in piano and is now earning money by teaching music.

7.Do you know anything bout 13's family?
Anussha Joseph: No.

8.What is 15's fav?
My piano teacher: Err ... teaching music too?

9.What would u do if 11 confesses that he/she likes u?
Danush: He'll never.

10.What language does 15 speak?
My piano teacher: English, Chinese, Malay, Cantonese ... ah ... everything a Malaysian Chinese will speak.

11.Who is 9 going out with?
Chow Yee (my brother): I'm rolling on the floor laughing. If this could be answered, my mom and my sisters will have a lot to say.

12.How old is 18?
Chia Sing: 15!!! Just finished PMR

13.When was the last time u talked to 19?
Declan: On the last day of school. I said, "Bye, Declan, have a happy holidays!" and my transport drove away at jaguar speed.

14.Who is 4's fav singer?
Yasmin: MCR! She's nuts over it.

15.Would you date 10?
Caryn Tan: I can't. We're both girls.

16. Is 20 a girl?
Benji: You think?

17.Is (1) single?
Me: Yes and no. No, I cannot be alone if God is with me always. Yes, I don't have a boyfriend.

18.What is 7's last name?
Adelyn Chooi: I just said it.

19.What school did 3 go to?
Zi Ying: I just said it. DJ.

20.Where does 2 lives?
Jack Tung: I don't know.

21.What's your fav thing bout 5?
Si Rou: She won't dunk me into a mud puddle. How random.

22.What do you think bout (1)?
Me: I'm a girl. I love God and others. Full stop.

23.What do 2 and 7 have in common?
Jack Tung and Adelyn Chooi: They both learn music. They both go to SMK Taman S.E.A. They both are humans.

24.What special qualities does 17 have in your life?
Syahir: He makes me laugh. He makes me kena duty for prefects. (That was last year). He makes me worried, because I'm going to see his face everyday next year.

Celebrate Love

2008-12-13T22:31:00.004+08:00

Dear readers,

In accordance with the joyful season of giving, I would like to share with you this story I saw on several web pages. Do you ever feel that giving can only become a burden after sometime? Then, read this:

The Doll and The White Rose

I hurried into the local department store to grab some last minute Christmas gifts. Seeing the ocean of people, I grumbled to myself. I would be in here forever and I just had so much to do. Christmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kinda wished that I could just sleep through Christmas. Hesitantly, I hurried as much as I could to the toy department. Once again, I mumbled to myself at the prices of all these toys. And wondered if the grandkids would even play with them.

I found myself in the doll aisle. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy about 5 holding a lovely doll. He kept stroking her hair and embraced her so gently. I could not seem to help myself. I just kept looking over and wondered who the doll was for.

The little boy turned to his aunt and asked, "Are you sure I don't have enough money?"

The woman replied a little impatiently, "You know that you don't have enough money for it."Then, telling the boy not to go anywhere, she left the aisle to get some items, promising to be back in a few minutes.

The boy continued to hold the doll. After a while, I asked the boy who the doll was for. He replied, "It is the doll my sister wanted so badly for Christmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it."

I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it. He disagreed. "No, Santa can't go where my sister is. I have to give the doll to my Momma to take it to her."

I asked him where his sister was. He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said, "She has gone to be with Jesus. My Daddy says that Momma is going to have to go be with her."

My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the boy looked at me again and said, "I told my Daddy to tell Momma not to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait till I got back from the store"

He asked if I wanted to see his picture. I told him I would love to. He pulled out some photos he'd taken at the front of the store. He said, "I want my Momma to take this with her so she won't ever forget me. I love my Momma so very much and I wish she did not have to leave me. But Daddy says she will need to be with my sister."

I saw that the little boy had lowered his head and had grown very quiet. While he was not looking, I reached into my purse and pulled out a hand full of bills.

I asked the little boy, "Shall we count that money one more time?"

He grew excited and said , "Yes, I just know it has to be enough!" So I slipped my money in with his and we began to count it. And, of course, it was plenty for the doll. He softly said, "Thank you, Jesus, for giving me enough money." He paused for a while. "I just asked Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll so Momma can take it with her to give to my sister ... And he heard my prayer."

"I wanted to ask him for enough to buy my Momma a white rose, but I didn't ask him, but he gave me enough to buy the doll and a rose for my Momma. She loves white roses so very, very much."

In a few minutes the aunt came back and I wheeled my cart away. I could not help thinking about the little boy as I finished my shopping in a totally different spirit than when I had started. I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing a little girl, leaving the mother in serious condition. The family was deciding on whether to remove the life support. Now, surely this little boy did not belong with that story, did he?

Two days later I read in the paper that the family had disconnected the life support and the young woman had died. I could not forget the little boy and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected. Later that day, I simply went out and bought some white roses and took them to the funeral home where the young woman was. And there she was - holding a lovely white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the store. I left in tears, my life changed forever. The love that little boy had for his little sister and his mother was over-whelming.

And in a split second a drunk driver had ripped the life of that little boy to pieces.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, readers, still feeling reluctant to give? I guess not. If you think closer, God's love was much, much, much greater than the love the little boy had for his sister and mother. So great that He was willing to give up His one and only son for the selfish, hateful world who refused to obey Him, or even want have anything to do with God!

Readers, do take a time to reflect on what you are celebrating? Are you celebrating parties and games? Are you celebrating the arrival of Nintendo or Sony Ericson phone? (If only, you think.) Or are you celebrating the gift that surpasses all branded clothing, all jewelry, all video games, all your best friends .... the gift of God's love?

I have a song in mind I would like to share with you. The title is "Celebrate Love" by Jordan Pruitt. Although it was among all other worldly songs in the All Wrapped Up album featuring recordings by today's stars, it has lyrics that stands out from the rest. Play this song at:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWtFqk_u8Js&feature=related

Handy Candy

2008-12-12T10:56:00.001+08:00

Dear readers,

Welcome back to CRMRWW. Just as hinted in the last post, from today onwards until Christmas is over, all my posts will be regarding the Yuletide. (that is, Christmas, in other words.)

Before we begin, I would like to dedicate this post to a teacher from my primary school's CF for sending me most of the information reagarding today's topic.

What candy comes to your mind when you think of Christmas? Why, the candy cane, of course! This hard, striped sweet is the icon of the season's treats. Do you know the meaning behind the candy cane? Let me tell you about it.

According to both primary and secondary sources, the candy cane was made by an Indiana believer who was a candymaker. The candy cane was meant as a tool for witnessing Christ.

The candy cane is in the shape of, well, a cane. But if you look closer, it is actually a staff - a shepherd's staff, representing the Good Shepherd - Jesus, whose initial is made into the shape of the staff! (1 Peter 5:4)

The snow white colour of the original candy cane stands for the purity of Christ's sinless nature. (2 Cor 5:21) Then, thinking it was too plain, the candymaker decorated it with red stripes, symbolizing the scourging Jesus had to undergo for us. The large red stripe is for the blood of Jesus by which we have eternal life. (Eph 1:7)The small three stripes stand for the Trinity (The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit)

Did you notice the candy is rock hard? This represents God who is our firm rock. (1 Cor 10:4) Besides, this rock candy was meant to be shared, as said in 1 Cor 11:24: "This is my body which is broken for you." Now, lastly, as for the smell and taste of pepermint - this has something to do with the herb hyssop. Here's what the Bible says about it in Psalm 51:7: "Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

What a sweet candy!

Forget-Me-Not

2008-12-09T21:43:00.000+08:00

Hello there, readers! It's so nice to see you again. Thank you for not forgetting me. That's it, today's topic - about a beautiful blue flower called the Forget-Me-Not.

The Forget-Me-Not is a flower native to temperate Eurasia, North America and the mountains of the Old World Tropics. There are about 50 species of the plant genus Myosotis ( family Boraginaceae). The hound's tongue (also called the Chinese Forget-Me-Not), however, belong to the plant genus Cynoglossum and is native to both the Old and New World. Nonetheless, we will only concentrate on the Myosotis today.

This tiny blue flower with a yellow center is a favourite old-fashioned flower resulting from its popularity among home gardeners for a long time. These dainty clusters of blossoms grow on compact, mould-shaped plants. They'll find a good home in today's wooded back yards and in rock gardens, too. For a fruitful product, they should be planted in a lightly shaded area.

When this five-lobed flower matures, it changes colour from pink to blue. This can be seen in the woods Forget-Me-Not (M. sylvatica). Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of it to show you.

Do you know that the Forget-Me-Not has its own day of celebration? On the 12th of November every year, people get in touch with family and friends, especially distant ones. Since Forget-Me-Nots represent true love and friendship, why not give one to your loved one today?

NEXT POST: As a child is born in a lowly manger,
How would that make this blog any stranger?

Attention, all readers!

2008-12-06T21:40:00.001+08:00

Attention to my dear readers, I would like to inform that from this day onwards, I will be posting frequently, on alternate days not as a diary author, but as a giver of random information regarding anything under the sun. (or even regarding the sun, perhaps!)

I have made a decision to change my diary blog into a journalists' blog. However, there will still be hints of the updates in my life along with the declassified information I post. I hope you will enjoy my unorganized relation with you through journal blogging, and I hope, bring your friends along to read.

Eat Out! (Literally)

2008-11-18T22:32:00.000+08:00

Hello, readers! Today, we shall embark on a very strange incident that has recently occur in Chow Xin's life ...

For the first time in history, I ate two meals outside the house when I'm not on holiday!

You see, my house is under a major filter repair. The drains have been stripped of their covers and a repair man came for a visit today.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, my sisters and I chewed our lunch and dinner away at Ming Tien Food Court and Kelana Jaya Mall respectively.

Do you know what my dad calls Ming Tien Food Court? Fifty restaurants in one! He always tries to drag us there at EVERY occasion. It's so humorous the way how he phrases it.

"Why do you want to go to one restaurant, when you could go to fifty?" he says.

Then we would answer, "It's not the FOOD, it's the PLACE!"

So funny!

Come on, let's close the blog with a laugh:

HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH

Ha ha. That was very funny.

Granados - A Memoir in Music History!

2008-11-15T20:55:00.000+08:00

Do you know who Granados is? Oh, you do! Good! Because even if you don't, I would still have gave you a brief info on him.

Enrique Granados was born in Lleida (in Spanish Lérida), Catalonia (Spain). He made his debut as a pianist at the age of 16. (To me, that's like going to university right after PMR.) He had a chance to rub shoulders with Felipe Pedrell, the father of Spanish nationalism in music. Granados' 12 Danzas espanolas and Goyescas became hits, besides his seven operas, of which the first was Maria Del Carmen.

Uniquely composed, Granados' music, mostly for piano, was rich with ancient air, with a somewhat Romantic style. He even had his own classical concerts society and a music school, of which many great musicians were born.

This gifted musician met his end on a ship to England, where he boarded the passenger ferry Sussex for Dieppe, France. Halfway across the English Channel, the Sussex was torpedoed by a German U-boat. In attempt to rescue his wife Amparo, Granados jumped out of a lifeboat in spite of his fear of water, but drowned eventually. How much he must have loved her!

Right now, I am studying a piece from the 12 Danzas espanolas, known as Andaluza. I had tried to figure out the tune for the piano piece by sight-reading. Thinking it was something like the typical Everyday in G major from High School Musical 2, I had a total shock when it turned out to be an unharmonious blend of 6 quaver beats!

"You have to play this piece well, Chow Xin," my violin teacher said. "Or I would have to ask you to play another song!"

Whoa, whoa! I'm not giving up on the Andaluza! I may have failed to perform well today, teacher, but I will try even harder, and I'm sure I will do better. Because, I don't think a piece of Granados' is worth letting go of.

Granados's "Goyescas", Metropolitan, N.Y. 1916

Braces, I beg you ... PLEASE!!!!!!

2008-11-08T23:03:00.000+08:00

Ahh ... those metal bits and wires in my mouth could push out some tears already! I went to the orthodontist to adjust them yesterday, and today ... WAAAAAA!!!!!

I heard Mr. Lee (my orthodontist) say to his assistant: "This one must push the teeth backwards ..." And the first thing I thought was:

"UH OH!!!!!"

Yesterday, I gulped down a litre of frozen diluted honey to soothe the ache. Today, I used Ribenna. The Ribenna worked better, actually, because it was left in the fridge longer.

Last night, I was like almost crying while I prayed in bed. "Please, God, help me," I said. The braces were really affecting my sleep and I had to be fresh for my violin lesson. At about 1 a.m., I finally was able to get some rest.

Thank God!

Freedom ...

2008-11-06T20:20:00.000+08:00

A cry of joy, a strain of laughter
Hurry up for the bus
So I can reach home faster

The strident buzzer
has made it's last call
The year has met it's farewell
and brought rest for all

My locker is left empty
My books are a-sleeping
With friends from school a-plenty,
The phone is quick in beeping

Yes, I may not own a cellphone
but I ain't need no one to tell me
I ain't gonna feel alone
when I have my friends ... and TV!

Good holidays need no technology
There are other things to be happy
so if you think you're acting all pudgy
then share some with the needy

Don't conceal time with all this laze
Don't be idle and make time rage
In all this chaos, this world of craze
Go help out in an orphanage!

You may think that time is vast,
Everlasting and more than enough
But when you see lives fail to last,
You'll wish those lives were less tough

Why keep your time all to yourself?
And let it go loose, till it shatters?
Get your diary off the shelf,
Fill the pages with your works for others.

* Don't keep time to yourself! Think of something to help others. :)

And I Asked If God ...

2008-10-24T20:55:00.001+08:00

"Don't you think that's wrong ...?" I asked.

"Just go back to Chow Xin world, lah!" Joon Wai teased. "You don't belong to planet Earth!"

"Yeah, then at your fairyland where everything is so good, so nice, with all the fairies coming out!" Jeshua giggled.

I laughed along with my prefect friends. I guess I do have a fairytale-world mindset. Don't know why they say it, but I think it's something good.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You know, nowadays I'm starting to wonder where I stand in my relationship with Christ. I mean after the three years He found me, what have I achieved for Him so far?

Here are the things God has used me for:
1)My leadership positions in my later primary school years
2) Leader in Taman S.E.A.
3) Musician
4) Writer

Here are my precious promises to God:
1) I will love Him forever
2) If I should sin, I will repent
3) I will love others more than myself
4) I will not try to manipulate boys
- I will not dress immodestly
- I will not be flirtatious
- I will present myself as holy and pure before God
- If God has someone for me, I will be loyal to him

Here are God's precious promises to me (and you too!):
1) John 15:9-11
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love."

Isn't that just awesome? God wants us to remain in His love! Just that one promise covers everything else he wants to tell us.

You know, this reminds me of a joke I know of. It really touched my heart:

A woman had done a really terrible thing - something grotesque before God. A month later, she realized her sin, repented and accepted Jesus into her heart.

Twenty years later, she looked back and wondered what was that terrible thing she had done. So, she prayed and said to God, "I have done this horrible thing twenty years ago. But, I've forgotten what it was. What was it, Lord?"

God replied in surprise, "I've forgotten it too."

Isn't He just wonderful?

Health Restoration Treatments

2008-10-17T23:42:00.000+08:00

Like most people know, my mom is a great health freak. Today, one of her decisions affirmed that statement - she put me on a vegetarian diet!

You see, Mama (that's what I call her at home) has been reading articles on how to improve health the natural way. At first it was interesting to have her warn us about our consumption, however, today, I realized that this strict diet has been frowned upon by my adventurous appetite.

Exams are around the corner, and I have been striving to remember all my notes. I have this strange condition which prevented me from studying effeciently. (Which is why I am online now to release stress.) Mama (being the food advisor) gave me a verbal questionaire which cruised me to this apple cider diet.

You know what? At first, yesterday, I just begged Mama to let me off health potions for that morning. Then, Mama told me at once that Milo is bad for health!

"Please, Ma, just for today!"

"No. Just drink it."

Then, I unhappily gulped down my concentrated carrot juice from China.

Later, I realized my mistake when I could not concentrate well because of my condition. Looking back, I saw that Mama had all the right to force me to drink the juices no matter how much I disliked it. She was trying to make me take something that didn't seem good for the moment, but would benefit in long term.

I then asked God for forgiveness and thanked Him for Mama. I will try not to be so childish next time.

Wormy Attack in Prefects' Room

2008-10-07T21:51:00.000+08:00

Today was a pretty awesome day at school, and most of the excitement began in the Bilik Lembaga Pengawas of SMK Taman S.E.A.

Do you know what are worms? You do? Good! Then, do you know what it feels like to be attacked by a worm? You don't? Well, then you have something in common with Yasmin.

After afternoon duty, all of us were in the prefect room taking out our books. Then, suddenly Yasmin starting screaming. I spun around to see a tiny black creature crawling on Yasmin's tudung! Yasmin was yelping away as the minuscule invertebrate danced on the white fabric. (Actually, it wasn't really small - it was at least two inches long)

Resulting from a brisk twirl, Yasmin succeeded in tossing the little pest off her head. Glancing in amusement, all of us erupted with guffaw at her reaction. Not laughing "at" her, of course, but "with" her! Danush conducted a climax by trampling on Yasmin's "attacker". It was simply grotesque to see the dark-coloured remains smearing the cement floor!

Poor Yasmin! I guess it wasn't surprising to give such great attention to a teeny weeny creature if it were yourself. I would have caused a greater sound pollution that than!

As I thought back on the incident that day, I realized that the "attacker" wasn't a worm, but possibly a four-legged vertebrate, most probably a black lizard. (Forgive me for telling you that, Yasmin! Yes, I'm REALLY sorry!) Since it was so tiny, it must have been a baby. The skeletons are not as tough as an adult's, so I guess the poor thing must have been squashed really flat under the soles of Danush's eager shoes! Look on the bright side, Yasmin - you have one less animal in the world to scare you again!

Alright, let's not talk about lizards! I'm getting blasts from my past phobia.

Another thing very exciting today was teaching Zhook-Yueng, my successor as the prefect board Treasurer, her new responsibilities. Sure enough, it wasn't as interesting as lizards on tudungs, but it was enjoyable to teach her all to do about money and reports, and how to improve from my mistakes made throughout the year. I hope she will be a good Exco. In fact, I think she will.

Ooh, yes, I have another fun thing to tell you! It's about our new keyboard. Chow Ern has always wanted one, and today, ta-da! Her wish has come true! Papa bought us this really "siok" keyboard for us - it cost RM1000, so Chow Ern better be grateful! Then, my two elder sisters (yes, the two people I look similar to) performed an informal march past with Chow Ping holding the back of the "stretcher" and Chow Ern the back. Careful with the casualty, monyets!

Come Read My Ridiculous Written Writing

2008-10-02T17:08:00.000+08:00

Hi, HUMANS!!!!!! :)

Like the title, this blog I have created on the 2nd of October is meant to be a canvas for the art of literature. Actually, I was inspired by my friends at school. Their suggestion of a blog seemed pretty impressive. After pondering over the suggestion for two months, I finally realized the benefits of a blog to a writing maniac. Thus, was borne this blog ...