Stereopsis

The Return of the Comeback

2010-07-28T20:49:00.005+08:00

It's been a long time since I last write in this blog. Actually, its been a long time I actually write something! Oh wait, yes I wrote some articles for my expository class last summer! Anyways, my title must be a bit funny but I remember there's this old Tagalog(Filipino) movie that has that as a title. A funny movie.

So this is my return to writing. I was inspired by my sister Cathy's passion for writing and my boyfriend Aloke's.

To give you some updates of my life. This is now my second year of teaching. I handle first graders in the public school. Contrary to my experience last year where I was teaching "fast learners" (which makes that easier to handle), this year I'm teaching "hetero" kids where its a combination of the bright, moderate, kinda slow kids. Some of them have attended early childhood education while still some haven't. So that makes the whole challenge for me. I was actually excited for this year! Compared to last year where most kids, if not all, have learned how to read at home, these kids now most of them doesn't know yet. So I had go to the basics. I do remedial classes every afternoon since they don't have the same level in reading. What makes me excited is the fact that once they get to read... I'll gain the honor of being the person who taught them how to read! And they'll have to take that with them for the rest of their lives.
Also this year, I have 3 kids who are older than the usual kids in grade 1. Everyday, I learn from my kids. I have one kid who's mom just died,other whose father got sick and has to be separated from them and whose mom doesn't have any work yet have to support all 5 kids and a sick husband, others live in a carton on the street and dig on garbage to earn a living and the lists goes on and on. It's a humbling experience to know a bit about their lives and yet in the midst of of all just like a normal child, they play,have fun,enjoy life.

I also started going back to school for masters degree last summer and I love it! Gained so many friends (close friends) and learned so much from good professors! This semester, I'm back to school again, have 2 subjects instead of three, since the one last subject is not offered this sem, so I had to go back next sem for that one subject (arrrgggh!). I'm also continuing my Spanish class for two months then probably take an exam and see if I can continue for another level. I enjoy that class and my classmates! :D

I've got more updates to tell..but for now I need to answer a biological call to eat something... oh I'm soo hungry! :D

...of Dragons and Damsels

2010-07-23T02:43:00.017+08:00

It's been an inexcusably long time since my last post here, which I believe started on a very similar note. Ah well, I suppose a lot of us start out with the best of intentions, but somehow forget what we'd intended.

I haven't forgotten, however. I've had numerous guilty reminders of this, - and other things - which I'd started and later ignored. I guess it took just so many to get me back here, writing again.

I'm enjoying a very flexible schedule, and will continue to do so until the beginning of November. Certainly a welcome change from having the ins and outs of my life dictated by a ruthless work schedule during my internship, which ended about four months ago, in March. I have realised that this is only in passing, and thus have been almost frantically trying to make the best of it. I now visit the forest with me camera at least three times a week to take photographs, I've taken on new responsibilities (or had them thrust upon me) at school, and I've actually started running. A lot. And I'm enjoying it, which was something I'd never thought would be possible.

Over the last several weeks, I've been paying more than the usual attention to dragonflies and damselflies. I say this because this was more than just "Oh, that's cool." Perhaps it was the Red Swampdragon that started it all. I had deviated off the regular trail onto a little-used trail leading into the thick of the forest at the MacRitchie Reservoir, when I saw it perched on a twig - and since it sat really still, I thought I'd put my tripod to good use and capture the ambient light with a long exposure, instead of using the flashgun as I normally do.

The Red Swampdragon, scientifically known as Agrionoptera insignis

Further down the trail, I found several individuals of a species of damselfly beside a little pond (some of them mating pairs, even) that looked slightly similar to the Azure Damselfly, but instead of folding their wings together like most damselflies do, these had their wings spread out, like dragonflies. I took a few photographs of them and was very pleased with myself at the find. Later, from a bit of research on the internet, I was able to identify them, which added to my pleasure.

The Flat Wings Damselfly, scientifically known as
Podolestes orientalis

Podolestes orientalis, a mating pair. The male is in front,
grasping the 'neck' of the female with its cerci

My research - which didn't require much more than a couple of keywords fed into Google, followed by few clicks of the mouse - led me to a few incredibly detailed websites which document the Odonata (that's the order that dragonflies and damselflies are classified under) of Singapore. I must say they left me amazed and humbled, because I realised just how much time, effort, and patience must've gone into taking all those photographs and putting all that information together.

Here are the links to these wonderful sources of information:

http://www.greenunity.net/odonata/intro.asp by Tang Hun Bun

http://sayhitoant.blogspot.com/ by Anthony Quek

I'm truly inspired, and I'd really love to see and photograph more species of dragonflies and damselflies. Let's see where this takes me!

P.S: I came across the same Red Swampdragon perched on the same twig, when I went back a week later.

...of Returning

2009-06-11T02:13:00.002+08:00

Wow, it's been over half a year since our last post here... doesn't quite seem like so long has passed though. I know a lot has happened since this blog was started, but from where I am now it seems like I was at my parents' computer in Laos only yesterday, sipping cool black iced tea (brewed from real Darjeeling tea leaves, of course) and trying to come up with a nice design for this blog.

I'm in Singapore now, been here since late September 2008. I miss Ycar like crazy, and I know she misses me too, but happily for us, the internet makes it so much easier to 'be' with each other than it would've been, had we been born ahead of our time. I'm now almost at the end of my third term at school here - I shall submit the last assignment due this term in a few hours! And soon we'll have the end-of-term exams, a short excuse for a break, and then it'll be back to school again!

I have a lot to write about; places I've been, books I've read, people I've met, the things I've said, and haven't... but I shall have to put it all down in installments - if I actually do get down to writing. I was just telling Ycar's sister that it's been ages (and I honestly don't remember when it was) since I last wrote a proper e-mail to anyone.

For now, however, I shall curl up and go to bed, because it is well past my bedtime!! Goodnight world :)!

LOVE

2008-11-27T16:39:00.003+08:00

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenver the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

... There are three things that will endure - faith, hope and love - and the greatest of these is love.

- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7,13

my battle cry

2008-11-24T12:51:00.005+08:00

These past few months I have been fighting different battles. Emotional battles. In all these battles God has been and will always be faithful. HE never left me. He heard my cries, saw each teardrop fall and offered HIS hand each time i fall. and so, everytime the pain is unbearable... I shout my battle cry... God's word and promises

* Early this year, I was struck with a disease, that i never thought i'd get in to. I was so down feeling like the whole world crushing on me..like the end is near for me. I had so much dreams in my life and I worked hard, really hard...but when the disease came...i felt like all my dreams slowly fading. I cried hard...really hard every night,bitter cries of WHY's. Thank God my family was so supportive of me,a few friends who understood and extend their emotional support, my boyfriend Aloke who comforted me,encouraged and even walked beside me all the way. So, with all these people around me...cheering at me as I faced the giant. I slowly stood up and uttered my battle cry..." He ( GOD)forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases"-Psalm 103:3. Then instead of asking why, i started asking WHAT...what are the things HE wants me to learn out of this.. and things change because my mental perception in the battlefield changed.. It didnt heal me overnight...but healing came gradually. I started to see the blessings and not curse. I started to appreciate HIS perfect time table designed only for me...Along with all those, the LORD chose to use me and bless others. I coordinate,teach and lead worship in a Friday Fellowship with a choir in a small chapel, on Saturdays i teach and facilitate cell group for the young people,and Sundays i worship the LORD by being a part of the choir. More than being a blessing i get so much bless myself. I won my battle bec. I have a big GOD!

*Early August of this year Aloke left the country to study in Singapore. The day he left, i looked perfectly fine..we kissed and said our goodbyes. But that night i called my friends and we gathered in a small veranda of my friend's place and there.. I cried so much! Sobbed like theres no tomorrow. They just listened...didnt say anything, just listened and comforted me. The days & months past, Aloke and I are still fighting our battles. We both believe that this is part of God's plan for us. But many times i get wounded in the battle, Aloke had to remind me many times that we are in a "long distance relationship" and that we both have to live a normal life. Many times i'd cry and ask help because i can't take the emotional depression going on inside me. My battle cry.. "My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, But God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.-Psalm 73:26 came to me in a powerful way. God never fail to offer HIS loving hand. So i slowly stood up and face the giant. We are still fighting this battle though.. It's sooo hard! But as long as we cling on the LORD and believe on HIS perfect plan for us...We will win this battle. Someday, in HIS time.

*September this year i took the Phil. Licensure Exam amidst the fact that i was way late for the review. Review centers closed their doors for applications. I just reviewed by myself when most of my friends had group studies and regularly attend in their respective review centers. I took the exam with faith on a loving GOD who knew exactly what i'm going through and how i studied hard.... and I waited...waited for almost two months. The battle inside was very hard, arrows of fear and doubt came on my way...My battle cry became... " God is faithful,He will never fail!" November 15, 2008 they published the successful examinees...i read my name and rejoiced with my family and friends..the faithfulness of GOD. I won the battle!

... the list goes on and on.Battles are always there and they come in different situations. But I have a big and faithful GOD! I will win the battle!

i passed the board!!!!

2008-11-17T09:32:00.004+08:00

I took up the Phil. Licensure Exam for Professional Teacher last Sept.28,2008...and waited for the results... Man, the waiting was that LONG....but its worth it! November 16,2008...the website of the Phil.Daily Inquirer posted the successful examinees for the said exam...and...... I PASSED!!!!! :D

Thank You LORD!!!! You are really faithful!

Thank you also for ALL those who prayed for me...God bless you!

To my sister who bought me the reviewer, prayed hard and included me in their intercession..Thanks so much sis...it means A LOT to me!

To my family...who is all so supportive! thanks!

To my khushi Aloke....for believing in me...and always giving me all the encouragement i need...for the support and prayers!!! Thank you!

To all my friends who prayed hard for me...God knows who you are...you will get your reward!

...of Racism in Singapore

2008-11-15T07:09:00.007+08:00

I was with a bunch of guys the other day, and this is what happened:

Aloke: Oy

Singaporean: Are you Filipino?

Aloke: lol, no, why?

Singaporean: Becauce you said 'oy'

Aloke: I say that all the time lol

Singaporean: Yeah I thought you were one of those stupid Filipinos who depend on Singaporeans to make money.

Okie, I'll come clean. I was playing DotA online. Yes, I still play sometimes. It is quite entertaining... except when you have conversations like this with such people.

Here's some crazier stuff I got when someone got ticked off at the way I played.

Singaporean: Fuck you noob. Your mother whore. I track you down. I go your house and make her suck my hairy dick. I know your IP address.

Aloke: Dude, you have a problem with me. Not with my parents.

Singaporean: Fuck off noob

This has actually happened several times, and every time, they get ticked off at someone, and promptly begin to heap insults at the person's parents, usually the mother.

I hear Singaporeans strutting around talking about how 'civilised' they are. Here's what I say - bollocks to your so-called civilisation. As long as you still have people who are racist, who litter, who smoke and piss in elevators, sniff glue (I have actually seen this), use profanity like water, steal bicycles - the list is endless - you have no right to consider yourselves any more civilised than the rest of the world.

So get off your high seats before you come crashing down because of your big heads.

Take it from the seed...

2008-10-26T22:08:00.003+08:00

I've been into planting/gardening lately. For me, there is some sort of connection when i dig the ground, touch the earth or feel the leaves. I just realized that there's so much joy and fulfillment in seeing a plant grow, a sprouting seedling. And tell you, a mere seedling can speak in volumes!

When i see a seedling, it gives me such joy because it symbolizes new life, a new beginning and a Wonderful Creator who made it.

Photographed by Aloke :)

I remember Holly Wagner said(as i paraphrase)," Each day you hold in your hand the seeds for tomorrow. But if you dont kneel down, dig a hole and plant them, they will remain seeds."

And God said, " Look! I have given you the seed-bearing plants throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food." - Genesis 1:29

...growing orchids...

2008-10-25T10:27:00.007+08:00

Yesterday - thats Friday..the whole day..yes, literally the WHOLE day i was so busy potting ang hanging orchids.... It's so tiring, but the feeling of fulfillment is different. Imagine, i was able to pot & hang 30(thirty) orchids! :D WoW! I only realized that when i finally finished and counted them. Most of them i placed on charcoal since i dont have enough pots, anyways charcoal is also good for orchids since its cooler :)

Little kids saw me so busy & so they helped me...they sprayed the orchids at the same time having fun! Such a nice feeling! Today, after my breakfast i went to spray my orchids...and the kids came and volunteered to do it...hehehe they seem to really enjoy doing that.

So i have here some pics of my dear little friends and my orchids...Enjoy! :)

**my cute friends are Pamie & 'Tol, and they call me "Miga"( short for Amiga - means friend) **

about staying at our post...

2008-10-23T10:37:00.004+08:00

I am reading the book WarriorChicks by Holly Wagner and i want to share with you an excerpt from the book...

Jesus stayed at HIS post, the Bible tells us. "for the joy set before him"

He did not quit.

He completed His journey because He saw us, you and me in His future.

we are the joy that was set before Him.

He stayed at His post...for us.

I don't know to which posts you have been assigned. Maybe you are a student. Finish that class. Stay at that post.

How about your job? Can you remain faithful to that post?

Do you have a goal? A mission? A vision? Stay at your post.

I am doing my best to stay at the posts to which I have been assigned.

How about you?

People are watching us as we stay at our post,

alertly, unswervingly...

in hard times, tough times, bad times;

when we're beaten up, jailed and mobbed;

working hard, working late, working without eating;

with pure heart, clear head, steady hand;

in gentleness, holiness, and honest love;

when we're telling the truth, and when God's showing his power;

when we're doing our best setting things right;

when we're praised, and when we're blamed;

slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted;

ignored by the world, but recognized by God;

terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead;

beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die;

immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy;

living on handouts, yet enriching many;

having nothing, having it all.

-2 Corinthians 6:3-10

***a BIG thanks to my sister Cathy who left this book in our room... and for letting me borrow without permission.. :P I love you sis!

*** and thanks to Holly Wagner...for staying at her post... :) i'm blessed!

the ME is listening..

2008-10-22T10:39:00.004+08:00

I'm checking online while listening the radio on DYFR(..the life changing radio..). Some lyrics just stayed stuck on my head over again..

" I will fight for you..by the power of My Spirit, says the LORD!"

"..the voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"and the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"Out of all the voices calling out to meI will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.."

"...God said that He's a Healing GOD... Oh heal me oh LORD and i will be healed..."

"..be it unto me according to YOUR Word!"

Thank You, LOrd! I'm blessed! :)

...of Daily Bread

2008-10-13T16:17:00.015+08:00

Today's Fare:

Sandwiches à le Bloke, and a serving of arrogance.

Forgiveness for Dessert, if you can stomach it after the former.

****

First, the sandwiches. À le Bloke. A happy story:)!

By sandwiches, I really mean sandwiches:). I decided to make myself some after spending too much time and effort in the *ahem* toity . I've been eating out so much since my arrival in Singapore, it's screwed up my digestive system. And I'd just had it tuned up and oiled over my six weeks in Laos, eating all those veggies and all that fruit!!

I went to the supermarket, and bought stuff for the sandwiches - ketchup, mustard spread, cheese, ham, wholewheat bread, a couple of cucumbers, onions, and those little salad tomatoes. I also bought a bunch of other stuff. The bagger at the counter put everything in two bags, and I paid her and walked out with took ONE bag:).

When I got home, all excited about the yummy sandwiches I was gonna have for dinner, I opened the bag I had, only to find that its contents were a loaf of bread, ketchup, mustard, wax (for my bike; highly inedible), a carton of fruit juice, and two bars of chocolate. No ham, no cheese, no yummy veggies... and I was so disappointed and incredibly mad at myself for being such an absent-minded bum and hurrying home with ONE bag.

Ycar was waiting for me online when I got home, which was really a blessing because otherwise I would most likely have had a restless night. I expressed to her how upset I was about my stupidity, and she very kindly said that it was all okay, and I didn't have to be so upset.

Well, I went back to the supermarket the next evening, and when the bagger saw me she smiled immediately and said "Hello! You left so many things here yesterday-ah!! Please go to the service counter and show them your receipt!"

So I did, and they told me to go back and pick out the same items I'd left behind, and they'd clear them for me. I couldn't express how happy and grateful I was!! I kept thanking the lady at the service counter, and when I was done I went back in and queued up just so I could tell the bagger how thankful I was:).

So yay!! Praise God! Now I have my yummy sandwiches to eat, and a happy story to tell:)

I told you this'd be a happy story:).

***

And now, a serving of arrogance. A sad story.

I biked to school again!! Today was different though - it was raining hard, and I had to go slow so as not to get my clothes all dirty with the spray from my tires - so it took a bit longer than usual, but it was fun! And the rain was nice and cool, so I didn't get all hot and sweaty. I was still drenched though!

Anyway, the lecture began, and I felt myself heating up at the delightfully racist remarks. Here are the most common ones, repeated quite often every lesson we've had so far.

"Singapore is better than your country"
"Service Quality in Singapore is better than it is in your country"
"Singapore is better than China, India, and Vietnam"

This time, my dad was online when I got home, so I told him what had happened, and he gave me a bit of fatherly wisdom:

"Focus on things over which YOU have control and CAN change rather than trying to civilize everybody else... next time you hear chauvinistic, arrogant, stupid and ultra-nationalistic shit, disregard it just as you would disregard shit. Because we do not mess with it."

So there.

***

And lastly, Forgiveness for dessert. Right after my daily bread.

To the people who dish out remarks dipped in arrogance and prejudice:

There's a huge part of me that wishes I could put a stop to your idiocy. But I have decided to disregard that part of me, and that part of you. Not because I am any better than you - God knows I have my own share of faults - but because my Master wishes me to do so. I choose to forgive you instead of stand up against you. Blessings to you, my friends, in Jesus' name.

...of Smugness

2008-10-10T21:32:00.011+08:00

I've been in Singapore for close to three weeks now. Which means I am still very new to the place. It only took me a few days, however, to discover how smug some of the people here can be (I'm not making any generalizations here, so don't go flaming me for stereotyping).

Upon my first visit to church in Singapore, one of the people who was called to entertain me after the service asked me how I liked Singapore. I replied, "Well, it's a great city, and it's very clean and organised, but I would rather live in Laos or in the Philippines, someplace where there aren't so many cars, buildings, and busy people."

He simply couldn't believe it! This is what he said (as I remember it) - "How can you say that!? How can you not like to live here, when you come from a place that's worse than here?"

*Thought*

Did you say 'worse'? By whose standards? Watch it, pal, you're asking around for a broken nose

*End Thought*

I tried to explain to him that I like nature as it was meant to be - wild and untamed. Not like you see it in Singapore, where all the trees and plants grow only where they are 'supposed to' grow, the hedges are pruned to how they are 'supposed to' look, and the grass is mowed down to how short it is 'supposed to' be.

But he still didn't get it. He said, "You're just running away. You can't stop development."

"Well, perhaps I am running away. It doesn't matter to me. And as much as I can, I will try and enjoy as much as I can of God's good earth as He meant it to be" I replied.

***

I mentioned in my previous post about how excited I am about my new bike! It hasn't worn off yet:).

Well, I'd browsed through some of the Singaporean forums, some of them specifically for bikers, and I found that a LOT of people had had their bikes stolen even though they'd locked them. Big bikes, little bikes, cheap bikes, expensive bikes, motorised bikes, pushbikes... it didn't seem to matter.

Read it yourself:
1. http://cyclinginsingapore.blogspot.com/2008/03/bicycle-theft-central.html
2. h ttp://www.singaporebikes.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4565042
3. http://togoparts.com/forum/showthread.php?fid=6&tid=56330

There are many more stories out there.

Anyway, my point is that I am seriously scared of having my bike stolen (trust me, I've had mine stolen before and I was literally in tears), so when I got to school, I asked the guard if I could take it inside and he smiled and said yes.

I used to take my bike inside the classroom sometimes while in the Philippines. It was never an issue, and this was done by other students and professors too. I figured I'd take my bike inside the classroom here, so I did - I just leaned it against the wall, and the class went by just fine. The professor didn't have any problems with it, nor did any of the students.

When the class ended, however, this guy - obviously one of the faculty - walked up to me and said "Why did you bring your bike inside? This is a school, not a parking lot."

"Well sir, I am just worried that someone might steal it" I replied

And he says "What? Have you ever heard of anyone bringing a car into the classroom? You go to the student council to ask them where you can put your bike."

So I smiled and told him I would.

I couldn't believe that a Singaporean can be so bloody rude. I do now though.

Consider an alternative scenario:
I walk out of class, and this faculty member spots me. He quietly calls me aside, smiles, and tells me that they don't allow bikes inside the classrooms, so could I park it somewhere else, and (if he were REALLY nice) he will try to help me find a safe place to lock it.

I happily agree, having been reassured that they do care for my bike's safety at least a bit. No hassles, nobody's upset, nobody is rude. Problem solved.

***

Another professor actually went so far as to call Americans 'Banana people' and 'Potato people' while lecturing in class.

***

And while we were in the middle of a lecture, two guys walked in, called out a girl's name, and said "Will you step out please?"

This girl is just eighteen, she is new to the school, new in Singapore... all of us thought she was in big trouble. I can't imagine how scared she herself must've been.

A few minutes she comes in, visibly shaken, packs her stuff, tells us that she's to be placed in another class, and walks out. And one of the two guys announces to the class "This girl has been coming to the wrong class for two weeks" and shakes his head and smiles like he is so cool and smart and she is just a stupid little girl.

She actually cried. And that was the first day that she'd actually enjoyed being at school because she'd finally started to talk with us and found that we were nice, friendly people.

What had happened was that the girl had been given TWO different schedules, meant for two different sections. And she decided to go by the first schedule that had been given to her. Of course, her name wasn't on the list of students enrolled in the class, but then even my name isn't on it, nor are the names of atleast a dozen other 'legitimate' students. So no worries, right?

Again, consider an alternative scenario:

The two guys give a note to the professor, who then quietly informs the girl that she is to go and meet such-and-such a person after the class is done. When she goes to meet them, they ask her why she has been attending the wrong classes, and when they find out she was given TWO schedules, they apologise for the confusion, and tell her that she needs to be moved to another section because that's where she was originally meant to be.

Why must they apologise? Because they had given her TWO schedules. She didnt' take two on purpose. Also, they run the school, they know how things work. She is just eighteen, and a stranger in town. How could she know where to go unless the instructions are made clear?

But no, they have to come in, make a huge issue out of it, and then go further and embarass her by telling the entire class. And what's worse, when she tried to explain to the PRINCIPAL that many students in the class didn't have their names on the official class list (Yes, a lot of us actually sign our attendance on a 'make-do' list even two weeks into class), he told her "So if your friends jump off a tall building, will you jump too?"

What farking rubbish!!!

I keep hearing (and I am sure I will continue to hear) about how GREAT the Singaporean Airline service is, and how NONE OTHER comes close. And how GREAT the Singaporean hospitality industry is, and how NONE OTHER in Asia comes close. For all their talk of 'hospitality management', 'customer satisfaction' and 'service quality', these people are hardly practicing it themselves. Quite a sorry act, I say.

***

I do not want to lead anyone to believe that I think all Singaporeans are like this. Read my previous post about how happy I was about having met some of the people here:). However, these few incidents, and these few people... they form a significantly large percentage of the people I've met in Singapore. And this is what they are like.

Smug? Egocentric? Pompous, pretentious, proud, and priggish? Self-righteous,arrogant, insolent, condescending, disdainful, and hoity toity? I don't know. You tell me.

I have to try and love them.

...of Starting Out

2008-10-09T23:43:00.008+08:00

It's been a while since either of us last blogged! Ycar was busy preparing for her exams, and I think she might've had her attention diverted (temporarily, of course) as we began to work out the finer details of our long-distance relationship as I moved to Singapore.

I have been busy getting life started over again in yet another new place! God has been very gracious, as He always is! Here's a list of what's happened over the last couple of weeks. (hahaha, yes, a LIST. Sorry, I don't have the patience or the inspiration to write these down in a manner that's more uh... appealing)

- I arrived in Singapore, no problems at all!
- I had a friend put me up at his place for the first few days (thanks Pradeep bhai)
- I found a nice room to live in
- Classes began!
- I've met a few nice people and I'm looking forward to spending more time with them
- I have been around town a bit and my surroundings are gradually getting more familiar
- I have an internet connection at home!!
- I made myself sandwiches for dinner tonight after having eaten out for two weeks!! YAY!

and finally...

- I have a brand spanking new BIKE!!!

Here it is:)

I rode it to school and back today! Here's a list of what I learnt from today's ride. (Yes, another list!)

- First off, four months off the saddle can render you haplessly unfit. I only did about 21 km today and my knees are actually sore.
- Although many people ride bicycles in Singapore, they ride theirs on the pavements. So if I decide to ride on the roads, I'm the odd one out.
- Cyclists (or bikers, if you will) do not wear helmets in Singapore. They aren't even required to do so. So much for their supposed penchant for rules!
- If I'm not careful, I might just end up someplace I'm not supposed to be, like the freeway. And I didn't even know I was on it until I stopped to look at the map and figure out where I was.
- It rains here even when the sun is shining.
- Some professors are hired just to antagonize you. There's nothing else to it. That's their job. Don't even ask. I have officially lost my faith in these so called 'educational institutions'. They're all just shoddy businesses asking exorbitant fees and providing lousy service. It doesn't matter where you go, or how big or small they are.

Well, that said... there are always reasons to be cheerful. I am very happy about some of the people I've met here. They've been very kind and very accomodating:). I joined a very nice group of young Christians last Saturday, and I will be joing another similar group soon, thanks to a friend who's showing me around:). I also have the capacity to bike now, which brings a lot of exciting prospects to mind. I badly need to get in shape though, before I try to pull off one of those cool long-distance trips I'm always raving about. And although I am alone, I'm really in very good hands. I know there are people in at least 4 different countries who love me, think of me, and pray for me. I have access to the internet right here in my room, so I can talk with my sister, my parents, ycar, or just about anyone who's also online:). And if they aren't, there's always e-mail!

So... another new start! One that isn't too bad either:). Yay!

Quote for the Day- 21, September 2008

2008-09-21T14:58:00.002+08:00

There are three things that will endure - faith, hope and love - and the greatest of these is LOVE.

1 Corinthians 13:13

Quote for the Day - 19 September, 2008

2008-09-19T15:55:00.001+08:00

Everything popular is wrong.

- Oscar Wilde

Memories

2008-09-17T16:55:00.007+08:00

Memories

You can't buy memories, borrow or steal them-
but you can't avoid collecting them, either.

Memories improve with remembering- extra little details & embillishments

are added. New people - both adults and children - are invited to share & enjoy.

Such memories stay with loved ones always, and become a strong & invisible bond that draws hearts together through good days & bad.

No memories are more highly cherished

than those private recollections that are shared by the people in love.

Romantic things, silly things, serious things, important things, everyday & once-in-a-lifetime things... all have a place in the hearts of two people who are interested in everything that ever happened to each other, alone & especially TOGETHER!

- Doris Faulhaber-

Lessons from Abram

2008-09-17T09:37:00.005+08:00

+ Genesis 13 - Abram & Lot separate

In this chapter i can see the humility of Abram.

Since there's an argument between the herdsman of Lot & Abram, he decided to separate with Lot. He allowed Lot to choose the territory/land that he wanted to possess &he will go the other way. From there, i can see Abram's humility, willingly allowing Lot to choose. Normally, people wants the best part and indeed Lot chose the better part - the fertile plains of Jordan valley, direction of Zoar(13:10). Of course there is nothing wrong with that, but it is still best to be guarded by the Lord & let HIM have HIS way in our life, plans, etc. beause only HE knows the best for us (Jer 29:11). God sees beyond what our naked eye can see.
And so, Abram stayed in the land of Canaan. What's really exciting is what GOD told him (after Lot left), "Look as far as you can see in every direction. I am going to give all this land to you and your offspring as a permanent possession..." (13:14). That's amazing! :)

God sees the heart & honors the humble (Luke18:14b)

Quote for the Day - 16 September, 2008

2008-09-16T23:13:00.001+08:00

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

And so i write...

2008-09-16T09:53:00.004+08:00

After a nice chat with my boyfriend, i felt like going to bed& sleep, but I couldn't. I dont know what's wrong but lately I just have a hard time sleeping during the day. Well, I usually do my self-review for the board exam but today I just don't feel like to yet. And so with my little-lighted-multi-colored radio tuned in to DYFR (a Christian Radio Station) I'm now on for something... And so I write.
I now have a very good atmosphere to relax & write. Taking a good look at my collection of seashells& stones, I think they are just so lovely and easy to use in decorating. I can just imagine how much they went through to come out such beauty. Every curves & holes in it marks the long process - like the death of the snail in it, the decay of the soft portion, some forces of nature, etc.
In the same way life is like that. The more a person went through hardships, the more he/she is stronger inside and that strength will make him/her beautiful(in character).
It reminds me of my Khushi (Aloke) telling me that he likes scars. For him they are pretty because they are a mark of what the person went through. When he told me that, it was like "words of wisdom" to me. I pondered on it from time to time, and for me in some ways a scar is a mark of strength...

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. "

- James 1:2-4

...of Rainy Days

2008-09-15T07:35:00.008+08:00

It's been raining just about all day and all night for the past four days. Strange, because Savannakhet is a plateau and most rain clouds just pass us over and condense only when they slow down as they hit the mountains near Vietnam. It usually just rains for a few minutes as the clouds pass by.

Well, I couldn't go out taking photographs, because even if it wasn't raining the sky was overcast and the light wasn't good enough to take good macro photographs. Yesterday being a Sunday, my parents and I decided to go out for a little drive in the afternoon, which turned out to be a trip to a little private zoo, a stop by the water supply lines from the river to take photographs of the sunset, another stop at the park by the river, a quick drop-in at the local pet store to buy two pairs of little guppies, and to top it all off, we had ice-cream!!

There's a really friendly bear at the zoo. He isn't very big - about the size of a German Shepherd, and he's really quite adorable, the way ambles up to you when you get close to his enclosure, looking for a snack!

I had taken my camera along with me, but I didn't expect to take any macro photographs. While we were at the zoo, however, I saw a pair of damselflies having a romp in the fields, as it were, so I decided to have at it too! I got down on my knees and elbows and snuck up on them with my camera... and although the light wasn't all that great, I managed to get a couple of good photographs!

Click to see the big picture

In a low light setting, the shutter speed has to be set really low, and that makes it hard to take sharp photographs because the tiniest of shakes shows up as an unsightly ghost on the photograph. I reckon my hands were fairly steady this time though, because I'd planted my elbows on the grass for support, and I was praying hard for a good capture. Thank you Jesus for such beauty:)!

The guppies seem to be quite happy in their new quarters. My mom grows water plants in two glass bowls, but mosquitoes were laying their eggs in the water, so I put the guppies in the bowls. They love swimming in and out of the plant roots!

The sky today remains overcast, and it is pouring rain as I write.

I hope I see the sun soon...

Quote of the Day - 14 September, 2008

2008-09-14T15:08:00.002+08:00

Cockroaches really put my "all creatures great and small" creed to the test.

- Astrid Alauda

Quote for the Day - 13, September 2008

2008-09-13T15:31:00.002+08:00

" Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living."

- Jim Elliot in the book Passion & Purity

Quote for the Day - 12, September 2008

2008-09-13T15:27:00.002+08:00

" It is more blessed to give than to receive."

- Acts 20:35b

...of Small Things

2008-09-11T05:02:00.010+08:00

As a macro-photographer, I spend a lot of time taking photographs of small things; little insects, a leaf, perhaps, a curly green tendril, or a drop of cool morning dew on a blade of grass - given the diversity of subjects and settings, the possibilities are innumerable.

The online artist community that I am a part of probably has at least a few thousand other macro photographers, and I often find myself browsing through photographs taken by some of these men and women whom I have become acquainted with and wishing I could take photographs that are as good. Sometimes, I find that I can do better. I have always maintained that a good photographer is good because he has a unique way of putting things into perspective and then capturing it. On the other hand, I have also felt that I could do so much more, had I the equipment to do so.

I was out in our garden the other day and I happened to find a tiny, green damselfly that couldn't have been more than two centimetres in length! It was the most fascinating little thing! I lay on the grass and watched as it perched on a blade of grass. Soon, I noticed there were others too! I brought my camera out and crawled around on the grass again, looking for them. It took a while, because they were so small and well camouflaged in the grass.

It's been several days now and I haven't tired of watching them and taking photographs. Once I've found one, I lie quiet on the grass and sneak up to it as slowly as my excitement would allow me. Most times, they would zoom off and perch on another blade of grass a few feet away. Sometimes though, they don't think I pose any threat, so they just sit there, and I try to focus as well as I can and take photographs.

Most of the photographs didn't come out as well as I hoped they would. One reason was that my camera produces photographs with high levels of noise. To get around this, I made a sort of extension tube out of cardboard, which had a macro lens on one end and fit snugly onto my father's camera, which produces excellent photographs but does not have the macro capabilities that mine does. I found that it worked very well!! I got several clear shots sans the noise yet with a magnification ratio that I suspect is more than 1:1.

Well, it's like life, I reckon. Make the best of what you have, as it has been said. If I'd sat on my derrierre, daydreaming of what I might do with something I do not have, I wouldn't have achieved much, so I try and make do with what I have and stay within the limitations of my equipment. Sometimes, though, it's fun to try and stretch these limits... the results can be quite satisfying!

Stereopsis

The Return of the Comeback

...of Dragons and Damsels

...of Returning

LOVE

my battle cry

i passed the board!!!!

...of Racism in Singapore

Take it from the seed...

...growing orchids...

about staying at our post...

the ME is listening..

...of Daily Bread

...of Smugness

...of Starting Out

Quote for the Day- 21, September 2008

Quote for the Day - 19 September, 2008

***Memories***

Lessons from Abram

Quote for the Day - 16 September, 2008

And so i write...

...of Rainy Days

Quote of the Day - 14 September, 2008

Quote for the Day - 13, September 2008

Quote for the Day - 12, September 2008

...of Small Things

Memories