Friday 27 August 2010

Wind beneath my wings* - Bette Midler

This verse on the t-shirt is one of my all time favourite bible verses.


If you wanna read the English version, go here

Recently, one of the deaconess was sharing about this verse for devotion before our meeting. She asked an interesting question - why is it that God use the illustration of an eagle? Why not some other bird?

She did some research - and she found out a very basic truth - eagles very seldom flap their wings and fly, very unlike other birds. Instead, it would just spread out its long wings and just glide. Hardly any energy is used to flap its wings.

So what keeps it up in the air? It is the wind beneath its wings that lifts it up - very much like how a plane flies.

So when we wait upon the Lord and put our trust in him, we will soar like an eagle - but not by our own effort and strength - but by his power. He is the wind beneath our wings.

*This was the first version i've heard of this song. It was featured in the movie soundtrack of the movie Beaches and won the Grammy for the Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 1990.

Wednesday 25 August 2010

Shattered glass* - Britney Spears

It promised to be a good nite. I was hungry - only had a RM1.69 burger from Carrefour for brunch - and i was going to meet up with tGiF. We were also gonna check out wedding bands.

It din start off good, tho. I could hear the sounds of car honking even as i got into my car. As i drove out of the underground carpark, i was greeted with a super long standstill jam. Inside the campus. =(

It took me around 45 minutes just to get out of the campus. Even then, the road to the LDP was jammed-up too.

I kept meself entertained by listening to the radio, reading and taking pics using me mobile. Here are a couple which turned out not too bad.





Finally, i got onto the Damansara-Puchong Highway. As i drove past an electronic signboard, i was greeted with the announcement that the time to break fast is 7.24 pm. I glanced at my car clock and it was indeed 7.24, exact!!!!

It was good news cuz that meant the highway would be clear - and it was! So i drove happily down the highway, thinking of wat to eat for dinner with tGiF. Then suddenly, it happened. Out of the blue - there was a loud 'crack', i shouted out in surprise and my vision went blurred completely!!!!

In a split-second, i realised what had happened - my windshield cracked up. There were tiny pieces of glass on the dashboard but the windshield did not break into pieces. You can see it in the pics below:-







Still, it was very scary. I hit the hazard lights, made my way onto the slow lane and tried to ease out of the highway. The windshield made crackling sounds all the time and i was afraid it would just break into a millions pieces anytime and i would be covered with shattered glass all over me.

As it was dusk, visibility was low - and the cracked up windshield made it all the more hard to see the road. I called up my mechanic who instructed me to drive over to his workshop, assuring me the windshield would not break up.

It was quite an effort to drive to the workshop - altho thank God, it was just down the highway not too far away. The place where i stopped was near St Ignatius church and the workshop was near Atria Shopping Complex. Interestingly, the last time my car broke down, it was also near St Ignatius church!!!!



But thank God the traffic was light and i made it safely - altho i almost ran into a bike which was going on the wrong direction and was completely not visible to me until the last moment.

It was a scary incident - it could have been worse. I could have ended up with more than just a new windshield bill. I still dun know wat happened, whether it was a stone or did the windshield just spontaneously cracked-up. Some even suggest perhaps it was due to spirits?

What ever it was, i thank God for protecting me. Perhaps it was good that i was stuck in the jam initially for so long - this was because when i finally got onto the highway, the traffic was quite light.

I thank God oso that he kept me in high spirits and good mood. The incident may have spoilt our plans for the night but tGiF and i still had a great time over dinner - and i managed to buy some good stuffs at Atria after dropping my car there! =)

*Track no. 5 from her 6th studio album, Circus.

Monday 23 August 2010

We are the champions* - Queen

Well i did say i would explain my absence from 1st of August till the 9th. But since being 'back', i'm still finding it hard to get back to blogging consistently.

Can't seem to find the inspiration - it's not like i dun have anything to say. Oh well...

So here's just a boring post telling everyone that..... WE WON!!!!!!!

Hee...

I was involved with the students' moot competition - and one of my teams emerged champions!


It was a very trying time - it took its toil on me, both physically, emotionally and mentally. It really cost me blood (figuratively), sweat and tears (literally). I really can't go into details on some of the stuffs i wanna say. But suffice to say that it has been a most memorable experience - and i'm so thankful for the few who made it all worth the time and effort.



The reward for doing a good job? In typical Malaysian fashion, more work!!!! We now have to prepare for the international rounds which will be held at Delhi in November!


The Taj Mahal - will be seeing the real thing soon, not just a wall painting in an Indian restaurant!!!

*One of their signature tunes - pretty overused, some might say, but still loved!

Thursday 19 August 2010

One of us* - Joan Osbourne

Had a great day yesterday! Hung out with me students.

First, i joined them for lunch at Klang. We went to this place which is famous for it's pork ribs. We had been planning for this for a really long time - and the wait was worth it!



Thereafter, we adjourned to another place at Pandamaran for some desert - basically shaved ice.



We just sat and chatted the whole afternoon away - right up till dinner time. Altho we were tempted to adjourn for dinner, we decided to call it a day.

I really enjoyed the outing with them - it was really fun. And what made it nice was that they treated me like one of them. It really brought back wonderful memories of me hanging out with me flat-mates when i was a student, talking and sharing and laughing and teasing and joking.

It was all the more special as this could be one of the last times i could spend with them all before they all fly over to the UK. Will definitely miss them - but i'll look back on that day at Klang in a simple shop lot and be glad for those few hours spent with them.

*This song was sung by Dr. Evil in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me - and he claimed to have written the song!

Monday 16 August 2010

So emotional* - Whitney Houston

The EPL 2010-2011 have just started - and Liverpool have played their first game. And what a game it was.

It had everything i wanted - except for Liverpool victory! What an emotional rollercoaster ride for me.

To be honest, it was pretty dull stuffs right up to the dying minutes of the first half when Johnson almost scored. Then the drama started. Joe Cole got sent off - his fist game in Red ended in red.



I'm biased of course but really, dun u think it was rather harsh?

But the incident only sparked Liverpool to life. In the early moments of the second half, Ngog scored an absolutely brilliant goal!!!!



And it ensured a nail biting 2nd half as Liverpool defended resolutely. Injured players dragged themselves back to their feet. There were anxious moments when Agger mysteriously needed treatment and went off, looking like he was in a daze.

With only 10 men, and then 9 when Agger went for treatment, and finally 9 and a half when Agger stumbled back onto the pitch as Liverpool had made all their subs, my heart was in my mouth and my fingers were being bitten to bits by myself!!!!

Time went by so slowly... and then there was heartache. Reina gifted Arsenal with an equalizer.



Despite having to play against only 9 men, Arsenal could not score. they brought in Van Persie but thankfully his World Cup form still remained! =) In the end, Liverpool had to assist them to get a point.

There were moments of anger too - like when Torres was fouled in the penalty box but no penalty was given. There were moments of exhilaration - like when Reina made a world class fingertips save. There were heartwarming moments - like seeing Mascherano playing his heart out and being applauded by the fans in what could be a last time. The press has been saying that he wants to leave - but he did not show it on the pitch, being fully committed to the cause and even setting up Ngog for the goal. He's truly a great professional!



Of course, there was the moment when Torres stepped onto the field in a Liverpool jersey - a sight that many of us never thought we'd see again.



Yes, it had it all - drama, suspense, comedy (of errors), action, moments which moved me. And the best part of it is that this is only just beginning!

[All pics taken from various sports site online]

*Her 6th consecutive no. 1 hit.

Thursday 12 August 2010

Shattered dreams* - Johnny Hates Jazz


Camden market, Thames, Piccadilly Circus, London Underground, London Eye, Chinatown, Uni of Essex, Rayleigh Tower, Misato, Wong Kei, roast duck rice, Jubilee Bridge, Michael, theaters...

Not this year...

*Their smash hit debut single!

Wednesday 11 August 2010

Doctor* - Cute Is What We Aim For

PhD - abbreviation for doctor of philosophy: the highest college or university degree, or someone who has this


A Doctor's graduation gown (pic taken from online)

You would expect very high standards then from someone with a PhD. After all, we all have to refer to him/her as Doctor so-and-so.

So it is with great surprise that i read this following e-mail sent by a PhD holder:-

Dear All
Yesterday we left the office at 9:20 PM, another colleague left at 10:00 PM. When we came today the cubical were locked but not as usual. One of my colleague he use to lock the cubical lonely one lock, he found that it was locked twice, and his watch (which he left it on the table last night) was gone!!! Another colleague also missed his watch and other one lost 4 expensive pen !!!!


Mind you, this person is an educator!!!! Sigh... i dun care if i get into trouble for posting this up. My employers should be ashamed of employing such people!

*Their second single from their 2nd studio album which was also featured in one of the episodes of Greek.

Another day in paradise* - Phil Collins

I have quite a number of incomplete posts in my drafts folder, just waiting for me to do what Tom Cruise's character did to Renée Zellweger's in Jerry Maguire. But i'm gonna write up a new post.

Louis Armstrong sang 'What a wonderful world'. Well, we do live on a beautiful planet - but is this a wonderful world? The problem with this place is what Agent Smith in the Matrix concluded - humans. Man can be a terrible being. And i'm feeling a little down because of it.

Was having dinner earlier with some students and ended up talking about India. One student was saying that we should not give the little beggar children there any money - after all, just like in the movie Slumdog Millionaire, these children are actually forced to beg by evil men. The student himself witnessed one of these children going to a man and giving him money which some kind soul had given earlier. But having said that, there is this dilemma - if you give to the children, the money ends up with these evil men. If you dun give them any money, the poor children will get beaten up by those men.

I felt very sad for these kids. What a sad existence they have on this earth. Some of them will be crippled just so that they can get the sympathy of tourists to give them more money.

**********

My brother's wife was telling me about a fren - who is going thru a terrible time. Divorced, her ex-husband keeps on disturbing her and takes her child under his care even tho he is not allowed to. The police say they can't do anything. The school and day-care do not want to stop the ex-husband from picking up the child. When he takes the child away, he does not inform her and refuse to answer her calls. She is so stressed up over this and her child is no doubt psychologically affected by this tug-of-war between her parents.

**********

Speaking about the police, i hear more stories about them, how they would pick on migrant workers and take advantage of them. Even if the migrant workers have proper passports showing that they are here legally, the police would still harass them, saying the passport is false and threaten to bring them into the lock-up - unless they give the police their money and handphone. Yes, the policeman are robbers. If these migrant workers do not have enuf money, then the policemen will ask for sex. What can these migrant workers do? Who would want to stand up for them? Who will protect them from thieves when those who are supposed to be the protectors are the thieves?

**********

I read this report today about this practice of bride kidnapping!!!! Yes, women are abducted and forced into marriage!!!! Read about it here. It is so rampant and so unchecked that some women have even accepted this as normal!!!!

**********

I can go on and on with these kind of stories but i found out about all those stories above just yesterday and today (altho i have heard of some of those practices in the past). I feel a little down - but what can we do about it?

I really dun know. If we can do something practical, we must do it. But i do know that the world needs more love - the real kind of love. The true kind. And what little we can do now is to love - for i'm sure that love will only result in more love.


Gypsy children in Romania - poor but happy when we went to share with them

This should also make us thankful for the things we have in our lives - we may complain a lot (i do!) but when compared to those mentioned above, a day in my life is another day in paradise.

*A song written to bring attention to homelessness.

Monday 9 August 2010

Breathe again* - Toni Braxton

Finally, get to post something up!!!!

It has been a crazy week - in terms of work. But finally, i get to take my breath - and normal life resumes... but only for a while.

What happened? Where was i? I'll let the photos tell you:-


Pics taken from the fb page for the LawAsia Moot competition

LawAsia Moot Competition (National Rounds) was help last weekend. Most unforgettable. Will explain in greater detail in future posts.

For now, lemme enjoy the moment - of just lazing around!

*One of the hits in London when i was studying there - brings back memories each time i listen to it.