Just a short detour from my holiday blogposts...
(Sunday, May 31, 2009/12:13 PM)
I was too caught up with my own problems recently, that I failed to notice cracks surfacing in the lives of some of my closest friends. Humans are imperfect, everyone has their own fair share of problems. I was stupid enough to dwell on mine as if nothing else in the world can compare, so I'm trying my best to make up for lost time now, re-establishing relationships with friends who matter the most to me.
I've not conversed so freely and openly for such a long time, ever since the far-flung days of E30, 6 years ago. For the first time in fellowship, I felt the intimacy of the brotherhood I've longed for in years, ever since I've drifted away from Team AY. Time was not an issue. In the conventional CG fellowship setting, I would impatiently glance at my watch. But on both Friday and Saturday, we ended up taking cab after midnight *lol*!
We were real people dealing with real problems, without any hint of arrogance or superiority which many CHC members fall trap to. We talked about our initial struggles in church and the fundamental flaws in the system. What turned most non-believers away from CHC would be the hierarchical system, which caused members to pursue superior positions in church, leading to overambition, warped doctrines, backstabbing and hypocrisy.
I'm particularly sensitive regarding this issue because of my experience in the first E348 which left a bad taste in my mouth, and how my NUS friend backslided due to the mismanagement of the NUS campus ministry. We termed it as "THAT... phase" *hah*. So I implore any of my dear CHC brothers and sisters who are reading this... Be relational instead of legalistic, genuine Christians who cultivate pure hearts in engaging people around you...
When I knew about the formation of my new CG, I couldn't muster a single ounce of enthusiasm. Besides being elated in having W429 intact as a whole, the other CGs which were merged seemed distant and belonged in the "conventional fellowship" category. But I'm glad that my old friendship with Kenneth, the senior-junior respect and friendship I have for Francis since JC, and of cos' my 15 year long friendship with KC have sparked off and established a whole new brotherhood, and I pray that it will bring us to greater heights in our walk with God.
I also pray that things go well for my close friends who are experiencing problems in their lives. No matter what decision each one of them make, I hope they think of the one question which would help steer our lives as Christians "Does my decision bring me closer to God, or further away from Him?"
I've not conversed so freely and openly for such a long time, ever since the far-flung days of E30, 6 years ago. For the first time in fellowship, I felt the intimacy of the brotherhood I've longed for in years, ever since I've drifted away from Team AY. Time was not an issue. In the conventional CG fellowship setting, I would impatiently glance at my watch. But on both Friday and Saturday, we ended up taking cab after midnight *lol*!
We were real people dealing with real problems, without any hint of arrogance or superiority which many CHC members fall trap to. We talked about our initial struggles in church and the fundamental flaws in the system. What turned most non-believers away from CHC would be the hierarchical system, which caused members to pursue superior positions in church, leading to overambition, warped doctrines, backstabbing and hypocrisy.
I'm particularly sensitive regarding this issue because of my experience in the first E348 which left a bad taste in my mouth, and how my NUS friend backslided due to the mismanagement of the NUS campus ministry. We termed it as "THAT... phase" *hah*. So I implore any of my dear CHC brothers and sisters who are reading this... Be relational instead of legalistic, genuine Christians who cultivate pure hearts in engaging people around you...
When I knew about the formation of my new CG, I couldn't muster a single ounce of enthusiasm. Besides being elated in having W429 intact as a whole, the other CGs which were merged seemed distant and belonged in the "conventional fellowship" category. But I'm glad that my old friendship with Kenneth, the senior-junior respect and friendship I have for Francis since JC, and of cos' my 15 year long friendship with KC have sparked off and established a whole new brotherhood, and I pray that it will bring us to greater heights in our walk with God.
I also pray that things go well for my close friends who are experiencing problems in their lives. No matter what decision each one of them make, I hope they think of the one question which would help steer our lives as Christians "Does my decision bring me closer to God, or further away from Him?"
posted by MightyFlameboy. shoot me? | 0 shot me.
Jeju Day 1!!!~
(Wednesday, May 27, 2009/1:00 AM)
Hmmm... I've gotten terribly lazy eversince I came back from my overseas holiday... It has been over a week since I returned, but I've not blogged about my experiences! Alright, I'll get my lazy bones in shape and start blogging. =)
The trip was actually meant to have 3 straight nights at Jeju, followed by 2 nights of transit at Shanghai, but some flight connection conflict screwed things up, and we had 1 night of Shanghai first before going to Jeju. Man, with the H1N1 influenza and the ever-present terrorism threat, checking in and out of the airports was royally troublesome! (>.<)
I guess no one is interested in Shanghai, so I'll post pics from my Korea trip first. =)
Jeju is a sleepy island, so don't expect the modernity and entertainment thrills of Seoul. Being 10x bigger than Singapore but only 1/5 our population (shows how congested out city is...), their busiest shopping lanes probably can't even rival our heartland malls. Having said that, it's a nice change of pace in lifestyle, enjoying the serenity of the island, away from the bustling city of Singapore.
First up, we went to the obligatory national heritage museum (which every country should have).
The map of the island. Similar to Singapore huh?
Jeju's famous diving girls
My mum and I, in front of some random statue lolBoring huh? I'll move on then... =)
Can you guys see the rock formation behind? It's called Dragon Rock.
In a sleepy island without much attractions, I guess they just tried to convert anything remotely marketable to tourist attractions *lol*
Can you guys see the rock formation behind? It's called Dragon Rock.
In a sleepy island without much attractions, I guess they just tried to convert anything remotely marketable to tourist attractions *lol*We didn't go to many places cos' we arrived around 2 pm without lunch. Day 2 would have many more attractions. Stay tuned! =D
posted by MightyFlameboy. shoot me? | 0 shot me.
Signs that I'm turning Japanese
(Sunday, May 10, 2009/11:38 PM)
1) I'm gradually losing my once saavy command of English (and to a lesser extent, spoken Mandarin), but feeling more comfortable with hearing, speaking, reading Japanese by the day. (=.=)
2) Everyone mutters under their breath time to time right? Yeah, so do I. But I do that in Japanese nowadays.
3) When I was feeling so f-upped during those late-night project meetings, lingering nostalgic thoughts of myself relaxing and soaking in an authentic Japanese onsen during my holidays to Japan sprung up in my mind.
4) I can't be bothered befriending the 'typical' Singaporean anymore. Ops. =X
5) I don't find a sense of purpose in Singapore, and due to that, I feel terribly bored and frustrated as I get holed up in this little island nation, probably for years to come.
Am I losing my relevance in the Singaporean society? Do I feel this way because I'm going against the flow of conformism? Even with the semester exams already a week past me, I can't seem to experience the feeling of liberation which most university students should feel after finishing their exams. I'VE GOT NOTHING OR ANYTHING TO FEEL MOTIVATED ABOUT? =S
It's been only 6 days of holidays and it felt like eons since my last exam. Playing online games with KC, wandering aimlessly on cyberspace, watching Japanese dramas online, reading books on Japanese lifestyle and culture seem like the only things I can do in the meantime.
If I were in Japan, I'd definitely jam-pack my schedule each and every day. Within that dream scenario, wasting time like this is a mortal sin. Literally. (T.T) Oh gosh, this 3 months of holidays would be a drag for me. Zzzzz...
This mundane lifestyle will be abruptly halted for just a little while as I head off to Korea this Tuesday night. Gawd, I can't wait lol. =P
2) Everyone mutters under their breath time to time right? Yeah, so do I. But I do that in Japanese nowadays.
3) When I was feeling so f-upped during those late-night project meetings, lingering nostalgic thoughts of myself relaxing and soaking in an authentic Japanese onsen during my holidays to Japan sprung up in my mind.
4) I can't be bothered befriending the 'typical' Singaporean anymore. Ops. =X
5) I don't find a sense of purpose in Singapore, and due to that, I feel terribly bored and frustrated as I get holed up in this little island nation, probably for years to come.
Am I losing my relevance in the Singaporean society? Do I feel this way because I'm going against the flow of conformism? Even with the semester exams already a week past me, I can't seem to experience the feeling of liberation which most university students should feel after finishing their exams. I'VE GOT NOTHING OR ANYTHING TO FEEL MOTIVATED ABOUT? =S
It's been only 6 days of holidays and it felt like eons since my last exam. Playing online games with KC, wandering aimlessly on cyberspace, watching Japanese dramas online, reading books on Japanese lifestyle and culture seem like the only things I can do in the meantime.
If I were in Japan, I'd definitely jam-pack my schedule each and every day. Within that dream scenario, wasting time like this is a mortal sin. Literally. (T.T) Oh gosh, this 3 months of holidays would be a drag for me. Zzzzz...
This mundane lifestyle will be abruptly halted for just a little while as I head off to Korea this Tuesday night. Gawd, I can't wait lol. =P
posted by MightyFlameboy. shoot me? | 0 shot me.
A new beginning...
(Tuesday, May 5, 2009/1:16 AM)
YATTA!!! (^_^)*
This 3 months holiday is an absolutely important period in my life to reflect on myself and assess the true value of the friendships in my life. I do not wish to wish the next half of 2009 going through the same ordeal again. =S
I don't know what lies ahead... I may have lesser friends from now on, but I'm gonna make sure the friendships which I'm gonna invest in would bear fruits. I can't rely on my buddy of 15 years, KC, forever, can I? =P
I'm really excited that Wen Long, Royston and Victor (edit: sorry for forgetting ya, buddy LOL) would be entering NUS this coming matriculation. I'm sure they'll be great church buddies whom I can rely on. Pray that this would be a great opportunity for us to strengthen our friendships. =)
It's a pity that my plans for a holiday to Japan this holidays didn't come to fruition. But at least, I'm going to Korea with my family next Tuesday! (^_^) Definitely can't be compared to Japan, but oh well, I'll seize any opportunity which brings me away from this boring island. =D
I'll be terribly bored this holidays. I can't work cos' I got stupid reservice smack in the middle of my holidays. I'd probably take this chance to prepare myself well for next semester's work, so that I won't need to play the 'catching up' game yet again every semester.
Having said that, of cos' I'll be elated if anyone invites me for outings to dispel my boredom! Hear from u guys soon! Take care guys! =)
Overbearing project mates. Soured friendships. Hectic exam schedule. It all ends today... The topsy-turvy rollercoaster ride for the past 4 months is finally over, and words can't describe the joy I feel as my burden is lifted off my chest. (T.T)
This 3 months holiday is an absolutely important period in my life to reflect on myself and assess the true value of the friendships in my life. I do not wish to wish the next half of 2009 going through the same ordeal again. =S
I don't know what lies ahead... I may have lesser friends from now on, but I'm gonna make sure the friendships which I'm gonna invest in would bear fruits. I can't rely on my buddy of 15 years, KC, forever, can I? =P
I'm really excited that Wen Long, Royston and Victor (edit: sorry for forgetting ya, buddy LOL) would be entering NUS this coming matriculation. I'm sure they'll be great church buddies whom I can rely on. Pray that this would be a great opportunity for us to strengthen our friendships. =)
It's a pity that my plans for a holiday to Japan this holidays didn't come to fruition. But at least, I'm going to Korea with my family next Tuesday! (^_^) Definitely can't be compared to Japan, but oh well, I'll seize any opportunity which brings me away from this boring island. =D
I'll be terribly bored this holidays. I can't work cos' I got stupid reservice smack in the middle of my holidays. I'd probably take this chance to prepare myself well for next semester's work, so that I won't need to play the 'catching up' game yet again every semester.
Having said that, of cos' I'll be elated if anyone invites me for outings to dispel my boredom! Hear from u guys soon! Take care guys! =)
posted by MightyFlameboy. shoot me? | 0 shot me.
It's a reverse Labour Day for me!
(Saturday, May 2, 2009/1:34 AM)
When most people are taking time off from their work and school, I'm one of the sad people 'labouring' instead. That's why I said it's a reverse Labour Day for me LOL! How's the men's meeting and CG picnic, fellow E441 mates? =) Wish I could be there... =(
Not for the faint-hearted... LOL!
Not for the faint-hearted... LOL!What u're seeing is a compilation of my attempts at 5 past-year papers (some uncompleted). I don't know what 'possessed' me to do all these crap. (>.<) When I'm holed up at home, I'd usually sneak in a quick 30 min computer game session, or watch an episode of a Japanese drama online. Both of which I 'failed' to do today. Which is something really weird! =S
I don't know if my last minute efforts would pay off. Up till the last week of formal lessons, I was lagging very badly in this maths module cos' of project commitments. Everyone could breeze past advanced topics, and I was struggling to do the revision exercises testing our basic concepts. (=.=) Got back on track too late, but I'll pray that the Lord grant me wisdom for tomorrow's paper.
Which brings me to... Having a paper on a Saturday afternoon is probably one of the worst ways to cap off the week, but hey, at least I'll be one step closer to my freedom.
U ask me why am I blogging now instead of studying? Cos' my brain normally 'shuts down' after 11+. =S I managed to tahan until about 1 AM but my brain really couldn't absorb anything since then. I wonder how those crazy NUS muggers stayed in the school library past friggin' 1.30 AM... Singaporean university culture is really not for the faint-hearted *lol*
I don't know if my last minute efforts would pay off. Up till the last week of formal lessons, I was lagging very badly in this maths module cos' of project commitments. Everyone could breeze past advanced topics, and I was struggling to do the revision exercises testing our basic concepts. (=.=) Got back on track too late, but I'll pray that the Lord grant me wisdom for tomorrow's paper.
Which brings me to... Having a paper on a Saturday afternoon is probably one of the worst ways to cap off the week, but hey, at least I'll be one step closer to my freedom.
U ask me why am I blogging now instead of studying? Cos' my brain normally 'shuts down' after 11+. =S I managed to tahan until about 1 AM but my brain really couldn't absorb anything since then. I wonder how those crazy NUS muggers stayed in the school library past friggin' 1.30 AM... Singaporean university culture is really not for the faint-hearted *lol*
Look at that mofo in Spiderman suit prancing around LOL!!! (>.<)
Alright... I gotta sleep now and have a quick recap session tomorrow morning before my paper at 1 PM. Hope to cya guys really really soon, esp. non-church friends who have been inviting me for outings, but I kept declining, citing study commitments. Terribly sorry!
Ack, the late nights and stress have gave me some ugly pimples on my face... (>.<)
posted by MightyFlameboy. shoot me? | 0 shot me.