Our Journey

Beautiful Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Jaclyn) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 06:12:00 +0000

18 May 2010, another new page to write on. Stepped into our fourth year. Dinner for two at Fiorelli. We have been there once last year. If we left Melbourne one day, perhaps that is the only restaurant we will never ever forget because it has become our memory.

A day-trip to Philip Island on 22 May 2010. It was great to stay close to the nature once in a blue moon. No studies, no work... Only relax.

Straight through our heart..

noreply@blogger.com (Justin) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 08:05:00 +0000

Jaclyn has finally graduated - majoring in International Business and minoring in Asian Business and this is probably one of the largest photo-taking group ever. This is the fellowship that we are sharing ups and downs now. Not only in the church we meet them, some of us are even staying together too. Seriously, we never have thought that we would have known so many people in such a short term.

Life, one thing that is hardly explainable through words. It is also the major thing that God has planned for all of us. Being unnoticed throughout our life is probably one thing that we've been trying to do all these while, to avoid conflicts and unhappiness. We enjoy being just the normal person in anything so that no one takes us as rivals or anything else.

Recently, we're struggling a bit in some decisions. We do not know whether the steps that we are taking are pleasing God or not. However, "do not fear man, fear God" is what keeps on echoing in our minds. We truly understand that whatever we plan or do, God will direct the way but are we really suitable? We have no idea. Only He knows. Therefore, we decided to leave it all to God because we believe that whatever God brings us to, He will bring us through.

For this is God, our God forever and ever, He will be our guide even to death. (Psalm 48:14)

Our Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Jaclyn) — Mon, 18 May 2009 11:24:00 +0000

May 18. A new year started today.

In the past two years, we have walked through ups and downs together.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres."
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Patient, faithful and tolerant bring happiness.

Happenings

noreply@blogger.com (Jaclyn) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:47:00 +0000

6 March 2009, it was Justin's birthday. Initially, churchmates wanted to give him a surprise but... I did not know, so I told him that churchmates would come to our place that night.

Forgot the date. An outing with CMYF at Wattle Park. Activities we had: BBQ, praise and worship, games and sharing.

4 April 2009, my birthday. However, celebrated it a day in advance. That was a real surprise. Reached home around 8 something. Sitting in front of the notebook. An hour later, door bell rang. Few minutes later, churchmates came in with birthday cake.

10 April 2009, Justin and I went to the Royal Botanic Garden, Melbourne. It was crowded. Many families were having picnic there.

13 April 2009, a visit to Point Nepean National Park with CMYF. Both of us did not go for the bicycle ride as I have no confidence to ride up the hill. After the visit, we had lunch at Mornington town. Later, we went to Sorento Beach.

Those are the places we went. It is going to be a busy month as many assignments are waiting for us :D

Praise the Lord!

noreply@blogger.com (Justin) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Still remember when I post about me losing faith and got it back after struggling for a while? Well, let me tell you what God has done for me.

Just to let you know that I still didn't get my visa the day before I fly here. It was frustrating but I found a solution to come to Melbourne which was getting on the plane with a tourist visa and then re-apply for my student visa when I touch down in Melbourne. That was the plan even when I got on the plane to Kuala Lumpur. But God's works were so amazing! He actually approved the student visa that morning before I fly to Australia!

In my head, I yelled at myself.. "WHY DOUBT HIM?!" Shame on me, really.

Being able to see Jaclyn physically makes a lot of difference in my life. It's like whenever you feel mistreated or troubled, thinking about her will eventually get you out of them. I'm so glad that I have her with me now. But the only problem is that I start to miss my family now. :S

Anyhow, don't stop visiting our blog. Although it has not been as active as the past now, we are still around. Plus, we still hope to write more (which we will)!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)

One Day Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Jaclyn) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 13:00:00 +0000

It has been a long time since our last update due to our packed schedules. The hot weather in Melbourne is driving us crazy. 40-44 celsius degree for a week. If you asked us how the heat feel like, well, our answer is: It is like having sauna.

We joined the one day trip organised by the church's youth fellowship on 17 January 2009. Departed from Southbank. The belows were the photos taken along Yarra River.

This particular photo was taken by Mandy while she was playing with JT's camera. We did not purposely pose for it though because it was taken without our notice. Both of us love this photo a lot.

After a long ride, we finally reached our destination - Williamstown. Photos below were taken at the Williamstown Botanic Garden and Williamstown Beach.

A map from Williamstown Info. The red line indicates the journey we took from Southbank to Williamstown that day. It is not necessary to go by the ferries. You can go by train or car as well (walk there? no one will disallow too. haha.)

Lucky Draw: Winner!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jaclyn) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 07:21:00 +0000

2008 has ended. How was your 2008?

It is 1 January 2009. First of all, we would like to wish everyone Happy New Year. Secondly, like promised, the winner of our first ever lucky draw will be revealed today. Are you the lucky one?

Here comes the most exciting part. The winner is "tiffanie.tan@123.321" (to prevent spam).

Congratulations!

The winner will receive a mysterious gift from us. However, please respond to our email within 3 days. If the winner fails to do so, a new winner will be drawn.

Thank you to all for your participation. Current subcriptions will not be canceled. Like what we have mentioned earlier, we may have the next lucky draw anytime soon. Who will be the next lucky star?

Thank you for following Our Journey. We really enjoy sharing about us and we hope to keep doing this. Feel free to drop some feedback because only through that, we can improve.

Happy new year and have a blessed year!

I feel.. but God says..

noreply@blogger.com (Justin) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 02:58:00 +0000

Days of waiting for my student visa application to be finalized were unbearable which also caused me started to lose faith in God. I thought that I could leave my burden to Him and He would carry them for me yet, it seemed like He had abandon me but it was Jaclyn's reminders that woke me up from the darkness.

"You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. (Matthew 8:26)

I completely gone out of track and was mad at God for ditching me. I felt as if He disliked me and overlooked me but after I said those words out of my mouth, I felt so pressured and guilty. I feared of Him because I knew that I had done something terribly wrong and so ashamed of myself.

I once told Jaclyn to draw a bubble in the center of a blank paper. In the bubble, I asked her to put herself into it. Then, whatever troubles that she faced would be drawn in the other bubbles all linked to her bubble. You can try while reading this, try to draw as below:

Yes, if you look at it.. it seems like I am facing a bunch of problems. But it is also because I am too self-centered. I believe that most of us are equally selfish. We often look for self-benefits in a matter that we overlook the importance of God's kingdom. We're supposed to spread His words and not to destroy Him yet somehow, we often do things without thinking over it first.

As you can see, it is impossible for me to handle all of these alone but Jesus said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God". (Luke 18:27)

So.. "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour." (Psalm 42:5)

Shame on me for my little faith. Shame on me for my fear. I never should have doubted Him but fortunately, Jaclyn knocked sense into me. I guess this is our way to encourage each other. Everytime when one of us falls, we will definitely motivate each other with His words. That's how we are comforted and feel peace.

I will never confess or focus on doubt and a lack of faith anymore because "God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." (Romans 12:3)

No, not there yet!!

noreply@blogger.com (Justin) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 04:34:00 +0000

Hey people, the subscription for our lucky draw is now officially closed! The total of eligible subscription that we've received is 17. However, you can still continue to subscribe to our blog. Like what I've mentioned earlier, who knows.. we may have the next lucky draw anytime soon? Plus, the more readers, the more motivation we gain. We will be extremely delighted to see the numbers growing everyday.

So, in these few days, we'll try to compile the emails. Like promised, the winner will be revealed on the first day of 2009 - 1 January 2009. Then, the winner of this lucky draw will receive a mysterious gift from us. However, if the winner does not respond to our email within 3 days, a new winner will be drawn.

Anyhow, I guess that some of you might have heard a little. Yes, I am not in Australia yet. I'm supposed to be flying over yesterday morning to celebrate Christmas with Jaclyn and enjoy shopping today which is Boxing day. But the fact that my application for student visa has been dragging for a while due to my medical history, is disappointing.

I'm sad, she is sad, and my family is sad as well because I actually have to pay some amount of money to change my flight to 7 January 2009. If you wonder why I have to pay for the change, well.. it is because I am flying with Air Asia X. That is probably the biggest drawback of the airline but I can't really blame them. There are only a few days left to 7 January 2009 and my class will commence on the 8th. I just hope that they will process my application swiftly so that I can fly on time. Otherwise, I seriously have no idea on what to do next.

Be that as it may, stay tune for the next update! And also, the 17 subscribers.. PRAY HARD! One of you guys may be the lucky winner! :D

Lifestyle In Countryside

noreply@blogger.com (Jaclyn) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:12:00 +0000

Many people dream of luxuriant city life. Big shopping malls, nice apartments, high-classed restaurant, bars, branded clothing, luxury cars... Busy work, study, tuition, noise, clubbing... Activities go all night long. That is the lifestyle in city. Bustling, sleepless.

In contrast, both of us love countryside. If we were rich, we will buy a farm, with a cosy cottage, animals, vegetables, fruits, flowers, pond... Stressless and worriless, that is the lifestyle in countryside. Beauty of nature, that is the greatest of the world. Everything is non-polluted. I love the nature, it sends me carefree and joyous. That was the reason I joined scouts in high school. On the other hand, my beloved loves photography a lot. He also can take many photos of the nature.

Hope that the day will come.

Lucky Draw: It's Still On!

noreply@blogger.com (Justin) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:31:00 +0000

Hey, people. Just a reminder that the subscription for the lucky draw is still going on. The dateline is the coming Christmas - 25 December 2008. Don't hesitate! Join now.. who knows that you may be the lucky one?

For more information on the lucky draw, please refer here.

Memory

noreply@blogger.com (Jaclyn) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:22:00 +0000

There are many unimaginable memories that our beloved had given us. Can you think of the first unimaginable memory that your beloved gave you? Yes, of course I still remember, and for sure, I will never forget it.

Although we had not got together during that time, Justin did something that impressed me. What did he do? He "surveyed" on the thing that I wanted. He bought a little cute thumbdrive, which shared with other classmates, for me as my birthday present. Then, he delivered the little parcel to my house. I really appreciated the present a lot, and I appreciated him more. He impressed me as a good friend.

Time passed, everything will become just a memory, even be forgotten... Bon Jovi, a famous US hard rock band, day by day, anyone still love them as much as before? Perhaps they are getting old, but they have never changed, still as nice as before. Both of us fell in love with Bon Jovi's You Want To Make A Memory. Try to listen and think about it. Are we just a memory?

Snail Tale: Moving

noreply@blogger.com (Justin) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 04:25:00 +0000

It's a very fine day today. Sunny and hot. Somehow, it reminds me of the day when Jaclyn left Malaysia. Probably because of the annoying sound effects of the planes flying over my house too, I don't know. Be that as it may, I have no choice but to live with it. I can't just move out from this house or move the airport to somewhere else, can I?

Talking about moving, I saw a snail today. Not a big deal though but I don't get to see them everyday, unlike the planes! Well, this creature was trying its best to crawl up the wall. I did a little research, most of the snails move 1mm/s by alternating their bodies with stretching. To crawl a wall with that speed, that's crazy. But snails do crazy things, don't they? Sometimes, they even crawl around nakedly (without their shells).

We all know that it's exciting to explore a new place. The environment, weather, people, culture, all of that. Everything seems to be so fresh, yet even the sky looks completely different than the one that you live with throughout your life. You are so excited that you can't resist yourself from taking a second look at it (I don't know whether Jaclyn does that or not though. You need to ask her about it.) Probably that's the reason that the snail that I saw was trying to climb over the wall. The moon looks better on the other side.

Anyway, moving to a new place is what I want to talk about. Jaclyn used to tell me that she wished to study overseas, at least once in her life. It wasn't an easy decision, really. The day that she left was probably the day that both of us cried the most in this year. Yea, shame... I didn't manage to go with her. If only I could be born earlier, that would probably make a little difference.

However, I'm glad that we can see each other real soon. Christmas, it is. The best gift from my parents. :D

Are You The Lucky One?

noreply@blogger.com (Justin) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 06:07:00 +0000

Jaclyn and I have been separated by mountains, seas and whatever you can see on this planet for 3 months plus but this distance (Malaysia-Australia) hasn't pulled us away. We remain very close to each other and we are doing extremely fine now.

Setting this blog up has been a little roller-coaster ride for us. It isn't that easy as people thinks because a couple blog means that there will be two authors-cum-administrators. We will need to pull out a schedule to decide who to write next, what's to be changed, etc. It involves serious commitment.

Like what I've mentioned in the first post. We're extremely excited about this blog and so far, we've been writing a bit about us since the first day. We will continue to write and hopefully that everyone is enjoying as much as we do.

Anyway, we're glad that this blog is doing well at the moment. In order to celebrate this excitement, we have decided to organize a little lucky draw for all of you. Yes, all of you.

What we're giving away:
One lucky winner will win a mysterious gift. Well, both of us have no idea what to give away yet but we've decided to buy the gift when I visit Melbourne, Australia this coming December.

How you can win:
It is absolutely easy - just subscribe to our blog, Our Journey. Head over to the side bar and you'll see a column as below:

This time, you do not need to register a new account for anything, filling form or survey, not even answering any questions! Just subscribe with your valid email and make sure you verify it!

Who is eligible:
The good news is.. EVERYONE is eligible!

When do we stop taking names:
Christmas. Thursday, 25 December 2008. But it does not mean that subscribing to our blog will stop on that day. Subscribing after Christmas will only rule you out from this lucky draw but who knows.. there might be more to come in the future so do not hesitate to subscribe even after 25 December.

When do we post the result:
First day of 2009 - 1 January 2009.

How do we contact the winner:
We will email the winner. If the winner doesn't respond within 3 days, we will draw a new winner.

So, what are you still waiting for? Subscribe!!

We're Lovin' It

noreply@blogger.com (Jaclyn) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:00:00 +0000

Is it necessary to dine in a nice, romantic environment's restaurant with our date? It does not matter to us. For us, having the food in the car is nice too.

When both of us were still in Kuching, we used to have Mcflurry very often. Guess what? We could have nothing else, we went to McDonald just for Mcflurry. We would share a cup of Mcflurry either in the store or car, we really enjoyed Mcflurry a lot.

If you want to have more oreo chips, you had better go to the store near Tun Jugah. Why? Because the servers are nicer. It is not joke, that is our experiences as we had tried both stores.

Does Mcflurry have any specialty that made both of us fall in love with it? The answer is - "No". It is just a normal vanilla ice cream with oreo chips. But why? It is because of our love. It was really nice enjoying the time with my beloved, spoon-fed him with the food. Usually, I would feed him with more oreo chips because I wanted him to have more. On the other hand, he wanted me to have more too. He would say, "I am really full. The rest, you finish it." However, I would still let him have more.

Love makes everything nice.

Couples Sharing Hobbies

noreply@blogger.com (Justin) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:24:00 +0000

Do couples need to have the same area of interests? Does it matter if two people have different hobbies? Well, Jaclyn and I do have different interests but this does not discount our love. These minor differences between us actually spark more chemistry in us because there are a lot of things about her that I want to know and I am extremely excited to share my experiences and passions with her as much as possible too.

Despite that, we still share a lot of common interests. For example, mountain climbing. This is what both of us are extremely interested. When both of us were still in Kuching, we used to climb Mt. Singai almost every Saturday morning. It is located at Bau, another small part of Sarawak. It took us around 30-40 minutes to travel from our place. So normally, we would get ready and depart before 7 am.

During this climb, you will approach 14 cross statues. They are all nicely crafted and displayed. I used to remember the stops that are slightly steeper but not anymore. Otherwise, I'd tell you which one to be more careful. Also, some of the wooden stairs are old and when they get wet, they are quite slippery. So, expect some slips.

Mt. Singai climb isn't that much of challenge if you are only targetting the church as your last stop. We, too usually returned after we've reached at the church. Well, the main reason was that both of us were not really familiar with the route and no one was there to guide us further. I heard that it does get a little nasty as there will be no more stairs available anymore. Basically, the real climb starts from there.

At the front of this church, there are some benches provided. You can take a rest here or even barbecue. There is this little barbecue grill available at the side as well.

This is the mini man-made fountain (whatever it is) with Lady of Lourdes. You may donate for the renovation of the church. There is this little box which you can insert your donation and every RM5 you donate, you get a souvenir. It is a Lady of Lourdes water bottle. Besides donating money, you can help by carrying the supplies like the woods, sand, bricks, and some other stuff that they need for the renovation as well.

Two very different person from two different backgrounds getting together do create conflicts at times. It is unavoidable and it is very normal. We do get on each others' nerves sometimes but it is also the time we both learned that tolerance is very important in a relationship. After every quarrel, I realized that we both appreciate each others even more, which is good. But that does not encourage couples to quarrel in order to be closer.

Now, people often wondered why do two person quarrel more after they're attached with each others. Isn't it better if they're off as friends? I, myself don't agree with that. For me, it is probably because they're more able to express themselves to each others than the others.

The Ring

noreply@blogger.com (Jaclyn) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:00:00 +0000

I am quite forgetful. I even forgot that I actually had worn my specs. But I was still searching around for my specs. -_-''' Speechless.

A ring is a small circular band, generally made of precious metal and often set with jewels, worn on the finger. Choosing a ring just like choosing clothes. To know more about choosing a ring style for the shape of your hand, check out Jewelers Design.

This simple ring belongs to my beloved, Justin. It was the Christmas gift from his mum. Due to money again, he gave me this ring instead of a new ring. After I had got it, I was afraid that I might loss it. Thus, after sometimes, I returned the ring but it came back to me again.

Because of my forgetfulness, I made many ludicrous mistakes since I have been living with the ring. Whenever I realized that the ring was not on my finger, I thought it is lost. Then, I would search around crazily. Eventually, it is placed nicely on the table or shelf. Phew... Unfortunately, history repeats itself. This situation keeps on repeating.

The ring does not only represent the pledge of our relationship, it is also a proof of my responsibility. I am so grateful that it is still here safely. I will keep it safely until the arrival of the new ring.

The Rabbit

noreply@blogger.com (Justin) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:43:00 +0000

How much satisfaction do gifts buy? Or do you prefer choosing the items that you want by yourself? I, myself have a monstrous list of the stuff that I want but money is the biggest obstacle. I have no income and that contributes nothing to my wish list. Nevertheless, when I've finally purchased something that I wished for a long time, I'd keep it in excellent condition.

Well, my dear, Jaclyn does that same. In one of her family trips, she bought this tiny, little stuffed rabbit that she wanted so much and kept it well. She was supposed to bring it along with her to Melbourne but decided to leave it to me on the night before the departure. :'(

Isn't this little fellow adorable? Well, at least it is cute enough to trigger Jaclyn's purchasing power.

Everytime a new stuffed doll is being displayed on the stores, girls nowadays go 'EEEEEEEEEE~ SO CUTE!!!", the bigger the cuter and the longer 'eee' the more obvious hint. The next thing you will realize is that their pitiful boyfriends' wallets broke a hole. This is really common, you see. I'd buy something that she loves albeit the price of the item is a killer too. A relief though, at least she doesn't do 'eee' because I hate that so much. :D

Be that as it may, it is the joy on her face that I am talking about. I can imagine the happiness when she bought this rabbit. Entrusting me to keep it until we meet again is a big responsibility. Who would dare to break their lovers' precious anyway? And I still have 50+ more days to go as I am visiting Melbourne on Christmas!

Dream Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Jaclyn) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 04:40:00 +0000

What is your dream wedding?

Since I was little, I wish that I would have a garden wedding because I love nature. I love the fresh air and beautiful garden, and of course with nice weather (this is the most important factor for a garden wedding). Wearing a nice bride gown, walking down the aisle. Can you get that picture in your mind?

Location: Rose Garden

Last Saturday, I went to Werribee Park, Victoria with my churchmates. As you can see from the photo above, someone was going to have garden wedding. Aww... I wished I can witness the ceremony.

Werribee Park is a nice place. I like it a lot. I would not regret to pay $13.50 for the ticket. Attention to all those studying in Australia, if you wanna visit, remember to bring along your student ID. I was unable to purchase a concession ticket, which costs $8.50 only, because I did not bring my student ID. As a result, wasted $5.

If you want to know more about Werribee Park, please click here. Find it out yourself, it is not just a park.

Our New Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Justin) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:17:00 +0000

As you can see, this is completely a brand new blog. But it will not be managed solely by me this time. This is a combined blog of my beloved girlfriend, Jaclyn and I.

The reason that I decide to move back from Wordpress is because of its speed. I do not know the actual reason but it somehow lags on me every time I try to update. Do not get me wrong, I love Wordpress, seriously. It has this professional feel that keeps me glued with it but probably because of my fussiness, it turns me off lately. Despite this, our blogs are still alive though.

Anyway, we do really hope that you like our new home. As for us, we are extremely excited about this and we can't wait to keep you guys updated about us! So, be sure to head over to the sidebar or click here and sign up as a follower of this blog.

Last but not least, welcome on board!