Food for thought

Pitera has always been attentive to the emotions evoked by a place, as an afternoon of "desk crits"(critiques of student work) shows. As he moves from table to table, where students draft a variety of landscape designs, he readily draws upon his own experience of place as he examines each design.
He examines one student's drawing of a teaching garden, a garden that will be used to educate children about the connections between farmland and the dinner table. Pitera scrutinizes the space designated for a small cornfield.
"Have you ever been in a cornfield?" he asks the student. "It's exhilarating, but it's also spooky. You lose touch of the horizon, of boundaries. That's why so many horror films use them."

What an interesting point made by Pitera. Must always consider the experience of a space yourself first before imposing others into the space.

What about the sharing of our own experience in life? Do we often give advise to other people not knowing what the consequences are, or will result in? It's a scary thought to know that as you try to influence others with some of your ideologies, they can see a darker perspective of your rosy scene...

Food for thought.

juxtaposed

Found this really cool website that helps you pass your time through solitary fun!

www.wordjuxtapoz.com

Here are some Holy Words to whet your appetite.

ANSWERS: unequally yoked, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, the three wise men

You are my Valentine

Valentine's Day was great!
I had fruits and marshmallows dipped in chocolate fondeau. All of which was homemade with tender loving care. It's my first Valentine's day and it started out great! Hope it will never be my last. Its amazing how I always go home empty-handed but so filled. haha...

Process

Whee!! Submission is finally over.

It was a tough process and going through this course is definitely not easy. Sleeping about 4 hours a day weeks before the submission can get your health down if you don't keep up the fruit and vegetable intake.
However, I'm inclined to say that this process plays a part to what we are to be in future.

I guess it can be illustrated through the design process of a product. For industrial designers, they learn stuff like following the thought process of a designed object( say maybe an Omega watch or a Nike shoe). I've seen some of the work and I'd have to say that beginning and end product are really worlds apart.
At the beginning idea, it looked like some lines scribblied oddly across each other.
As the idea develops, though it still looks rough at the edges, ugly and impossible to use, it starts to look more like the end product.
Through more excruciating thinking and making, the idea finally evolves into something sophisticated, beautiful and functional.

Similarly, I guess we all can look at ourselves in this way...
Though we are still rough at the edges, neither beautiful nor perfect, we are going through the same excruciating process of evolving to something so unique and beautiful no one can copyright who we can become. But we must remember to focus on the end product and not let other distractions make us lose our focus, strategy and style.( these are terminologies used in Design.)

Strength

It's amazing how I managed to live through the past few weeks.

Meeting up with friends was something that was almost impossible last semester.
But because I constantly reminded myself of the New Year Resolutions I made weeks ago, I tried my best.
Well, so farI can say I have been keeping to it. I really hope I can keep it up.

Hope is the word cos it's been getting really busy these few days. I seem to be returning to my cycle of late nights and less sleep.

One thing that sometimes keep me off that eye-drooping routine is the 24 hrs theory someone once told me. I think it was Mj.
But it's rather ironic that I am actually writing this down since I am still at the moment trying to complete my work at this unearthly hour.

But it's amazing how I pray for God to give me strength. Despite the late nights and early mornings( if 9am i what I consider so), I am surprised that I still managed to stay so awake.
Even reaching home safe and sound while driving home even though I tend to doze off occasionally. I thank God for Mj for being so thoughtful and sweet, buying me 'Kopiko' sweets to wake me up, to Sarah who consistently ask if I'm doing well and to Dorcas who despite her and my own busy schedule, just picks up her phone and send me an 'I just sms you to tell you I miss you' msg. So sweet!

Well, I do take some of these things for granted sometimes, like how I feel that sometime I have neglecting some of my friends like Hew Wing, Ridza, Verna, Violet, etc. , due to my busy schedule. I really miss these friends that took up a major part of my life up to now, especially in the period of growing up irrationally together. sweet memories...
Yet, I feel that they understand.

I think my relationship with God is progressing. Considering the time I spent with Him last year and last semester vis-a-vis to this semester, it has definitely progress and strengthened. Sometimes, I can even feel Him beside me, accompanying me through those long and lonely nights, when I do something so terribly upsetting, when I am unhappy and even when I am sitting on the train dozing off. If read wrongly it can be kind of eerie. However, knowing and trusting in the character of God, it isn't so.

I'm so glad that I'm so blessed. Can I bless others too?

Once upon a December

This song has been hounding my head for the past few days...I feel it possesses a very unique and yet haunting melody. It's from the movie Anastasia for those of you who haven't caught it. If you can, go check out this song...

Dancing bears,

Painted wings,

Things I almost remember,

And a song someone sings

Once upon a December.

Someone holds me safe and warm.

Horses prance through a silver storm.

Figures dancing gracefully

Across my memory...

Far away,

long ago,

Glowing dim as an ember,

Things my heart

Used to know,

Things it yearns to remember...

And a song

Someone sings

Once upon a December

renewing what was once thought to be gone

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
(rest of text found here)

With so many things happening recently, I almost forgot the most important relationship that pulls me back to my feet when I fall and directs me through the more narrow and turbulent parts in life. Anxiety often captures my heart and then I start leading a panic-stricken life. One that constantly leaves you worrying even more at the end of the day and the cycle continues day after day. A renewed strength everyday is what I desire more than anything else at this moment in time...

Emotions

The past few days had been fluctuations of emotions for me. Not too extreme ones though.

Being open...
SAG (Seeking after God)
Sarah has been a great sharing partner and I never knew that sharing could actually reinforced what God has conversed with you previously in Quiet time or any time at all whenever or wherever we see He has put his hand in.

Dreading the pre-schooling...
boring boring boring watercolour lessons. Ineffective and unhelpful.
AND!..Bidding for an extra mod..even though I thank God that I don't have ot plan for my core modules like the Arts n Soci people, planning is still not one of my strongest points.

Bringing on the Tears...
The movie Narnia with Sarah, Jin and Siew yen. Narnia had more Christian connotations than I expexcted. It's deifinitely a have to watch film. But I guess it's redundant saying this since I'm sure most peeps have already caught it. It turned on my water pipes almost throughout the whole movie... I guess it successfully portrayed how Christ sacrificed himself and died for us and the events that build up to it visually. 'Cos I'm more of a visual person than anything else, I'm more affected usually by what I see pictorially.

Anticipating the excitements...
for one, Mj's just booked his BTT. Hope he passes! Can't wait when he starts to drive.
I'm getting a new car! yay...
Think it's the Chevrolet Aveo. I can't help feeling that God's hand was in this.
Firstly, it's sort weird my father bidded for the COE at 8K. Which, for those people who study the market, is really really Really LOW.
And, for those who know, my stay in the hostel is rather alike to that of a guest and a hotel only that I have to clean my mess after myself. So it's rather a waste of money for someone who stays there without eveneating the food there more then three time throughout the semester(considering last sem).
And lastly, I had already left everything to God and accepted my fate when my dad told me he's not going to raise the amount of the COE any higher and if we don't get it. I would just have to travel all the way to school and back. I sort of told myself everything would work out if I left it in His hands and it miraculously did!

100 DAYS!

I can't believe we are 100 days into it already...

Firstly, I never thought I'd be able to find someone so miraculously wonderful
Secondly, I really don't feel or think it's infatuation. It's something more real...

Having someone to make you see a whole new perspective and having a power over you that normal friends wouldn't have.
I'm just amazed that I would have learnt so much spiritually from someone who perhaps isn't even aware because of the perpetual rejections and denials.
It's the dawning of realization of what God is able to give you.. showing you how much he has and can change your life, whether significant or not... it's the realization of the power God has and how He is able to inflict joy or pain when it's best to.

During the few days in preparing for the powerpoint slides for him, it really triggered what I presently take for granted, make me re-focus some priorities and even remember what he actually said. It's not that I'm a bad listener but I sometimes shut my ears to things I really don't want to hear. It's unhealthy and needs a change...

Spent the evening at NYDC and attempted to relive the 2 special experiences yet again. It was a different feeling..not one of anxiety and anticipation but relief and blissfulness...
for the very first time is received flowers... Blue roses...no fake ones(private joke w Sa)! hahaha...

Head on towards 2006

New years' eve
Badminton with Sarah, Jinny and Huishan. The badminton game, as usual, was at Toa Payoh. But it has been such a long time since i was on time. Rather I was early. haha... Badminton was fun 'cos we were laughing at the many funny moves we were coming up with. But unlike most of the games I've had, I didn't end up with any muscles aching. Need a more vigorous workout!

Had Spicy Ramen with Jinny while Sarah ate some duck noodles i think. Jinny's the queen of spiciness la. I was already tearing and she was still happily adding more chilli into hers.
Like Sarah, I felt I haven't been sharing so closely with these two close friends for the longest time and it really felt good after that. We laughed alot alot...

Rushed home to bathe and then to meet MJ after that to look for his burner thing. After an unfruitful search, we settled down to a KFC dinner and rushed back to pasir ris to buy stuff for the countdown with Wing, Andrew, Ridza, Desmond and Cheryl that night before NTUC closed.
Still can't believe I read Sparklers as Sparkling wine. Sheesh!
It was good that Cheryl brought many packets over...heh
We were the first to get to Pasir Ris Park and we found a good empty BBQ spot.


























5 4 3 2 1!

New years day
Happy New Year!
So fun! We threw the sparklers into the sea and like cheryl described it, it really looked like shooting stars. So beautiful...
We stuffed ourselves we too much food that night. Can't believe Wing made such a big container of sandwiches...
She good at persuading us to eat i tell you...but most were quite tasty and unique la.
Too bad Quan Bao didnt' get to join us...

That morning on my bed, many thoughts concerning the new year ran through my head before I 'konked out'.

The day after NY day
Which is now...
Getting ready for the celebration of 100th day with MJ. Was instructed to wear 'nice nice'. hahaha...