On bended knee* - Boyz II Men

People will recognise this painting almost immediately:-

But most do not know that it depicted what took place the night before Jesus was crucified. Some do know that it is the "Last Supper" - because it was just that! His last supper where he told his disciples to take the bread and wine to remember him.

As i was thinking of the events of that night, i recall too what took place after the supper. It was unthinkable. Jesus actually got down on his knees and washed the feet of his disciples!!!! Read the account here.

Now back in those days, the task of washing the feet of others fall on the lowest servant. Certainly no one will want to do such a thing. It was degrading and humiliating - and certainly not nice at all!

So here is the scene - Jesus, whom these men treated as their master, took the role of the slave!!!! It is even all the more mind-blowing when one realises that Jesus is not only the master of these men but he is also God in the form of man!!!!! The creator washing the feet of those he created... And even more more mind-boggling, Jesus washed the feet of Judas, knowing that he is the one who was going to betray him to a cruel and horrible death.

Why did he do that? In John 13:15, the reason he did that is to set an example for us to follow.

Truth be told, i do not know if i can humble myself to such an extent... but if God can do it, why can't i? If God himself could lower himself in such a way, i know i shud do the same.

In John 13:17, Jesus says that we will be blessed if we do the same. It is not meant to make life difficult for us but to bless us. And i can testify to this in some small extent - for the times when i do things for others, i feel blessed myself. It is indeed more blessed to give than to receive.

If only i practice that more in my life...

*Their no. 1 hit in 1994, it actually took the no. 1 spot from another Boyz II Men song!

Rio* - Duran Duran

Was planning to watch Love and Other Drugs but thanks to a student's blog post, i decided otherwise. So tGiF and i watched this instead:-

There were no regrets watsoever! =)

Won't give any spoilers here. But nothing much to spoil anyways. It is an animated feature! simple and straightforward. But it was also pretty entertaining!

Here is the first scene - the music and the colours set the standard for what was to come.

Besides all the hip-shaking toe-tapping finger-snapping songs, there was this rather nice slow one - sung by Jamie Foxx!

But what made us enjoy it was the fact that it was funny! Great cast, funny lines, wonderful characters! We had so many LOL moments in the movie. But that itself is it's weakness - cuz it was just a fun ride. Unlike the Pixar animations, this one seemed to lack some "heart". Sure there was the love story, and the plot involving the human-pet relationship. But no tearing moments - or close to it! Tears from too much laughing, yes! =)

Anyways, i have been trying to collect the Happy Meal toys!

But i've missed out on the most important characters - Blu and Jewel!!!! Anyone knows where i can get them?

*One of their most recognisable hits, taken from their album of the same name.

Let it be* - The Beatles

It's coming to 4 years since papa left us. We have all moved on from that painful experience of seeing how he suddenly took the turn for worse and eventually passed away.

But there has always been one issue that i have kept with me all this time, something which i have not been able to fully let go of.

You see, my father's health did not just took a turn for worse out of the blue. It was as a result of a treatment that he received at the Sunway Medical Center. Yes, i'm saying out the name of the hospital openly.

I have always harboured the view that they could have been negligent - not so much with regards to the treatment but more to the advice that was given.

I am pretty sure that the doctor did not warn him of the particular complication which in fact did arise after the treatment. It was obvious as it took everyone by surprise. Even the doctor himself.

Recently, during a talk on Medical-Legal Health matters, this matter resurfaced again in my thoughts. Sure enough, in the Federal court case of Foo Fion Na v Dr Soo Fook Mun & Anor applied the test in the Australian case of Rogers v Whitaker and held that doctors are under a duty to inform their patients of the risk involved so that the patient can make an informed decision.

In my father's case, they did not inform him of the risk of what in fact did happened. The fact that the doctor himself was surprised when it happened and had to consult a more senior doctor on he matter showed that the doctor failed to discharge his duty.

So i had the law behind me. But i wasn't sure if i shud or not. The reality of being involved in litigation hit me. After all, i'll be going up against a huge private hospital who will no doubt have the best lawyers in town. I've seen many times how the rich can forced their opponents to withdraw their claims - solely by their ability to keep their lawyers going on for a long time, with interlocutory applications and appeals.

But perhaps, the most important consideration - which in fact decided the matter for me - was whether i wanted to put my family thru it. Especially my mom. This will reopen a lot of old wounds and hurts. We will all be forced to revisit arguably the most difficult time in our family's history. The pain will resurface again. The memories, tho have fallen deep, will surely be brought back up again.

My family has moved on. More importantly, me mom has moved on. Everyone was so concerned for her at that time - but thank God she managed to pick herself up and had the will to live again and move on. She is doing so well - more than we had imagined, thanks to God's healing powers.

At the end of the day, even if we win the case, what will we get in return? Money for sure. A sense of justice being served? The need to blame someone has been satisfied?

I looked at my family now and see we are well off - not in terms of money, but in terms of our wants and needs. They do not need this - they have moved one. Perhaps it is time for me to move on too... and just let it be.

*Their last single before the break-up of the group. Quite fitting, dun u think?

When the going gets tough, the tough get going* - Boyzone

What a game!!!! I had given up catching and was going to bed when i heard my sis and mom coming upstairs. So that meant that i could watch the satellite TV!!!

It was such a nerve-wreaking game!!!! I was sure i would not have any nails left at the end of the game! And 7 minutes into the injury time, me heart was broken. A penalty was awarded to Arsenal - and they scored. Surely there was no coming back from that as there was only 8 minutes allocated for injury time. I switched off the tv and went up to sleep.

When i was at my room, i just checked my laptop to confirm the dreaded news - but there was a problem with the internet. when i could finally go back online, some curious sounding fb statuses caught my attention. Wait a minute.... I went to the sports website and sure enough, Liverpool equalised!!!!!! It was a Dirk Kuyt penalty 12 MINUTES into injury time!!!!

Can you imagine the immense pressure resting on his shoulders as he stepped out to take the penalty under such circumstances!!! But he tucked it away and Liverpool salvaged a much deserved draw - altho there were moments in the game when they could have won it too!

It was indeed a wonderful display of commitment and hard work. They were away from home, they ended the game with 4 teenagers playing due to the injuries suffered during the game:-

The 4 "J"s - Jonjo, Jay, John and Jack

All 3 subs were used to replaced injured players - while Arsenal made 3 tactical subs but all to no avail. Liverpool lost their captain too and then they were down 1-0 8 minutes into injury time.

But unlike me, they did not give up. They battled on. And they got what they deserved! It must have done well for the confidence of the young ones too - and bodes well for the future!

*Their remake of Billy Ocean's hit.

Ride on to die* - Michael Card

Yesterday was Palm Sunday - marking the start of the Holy Week.

I really like this song - it captures the emotion of the moment, that while there is a celebratory mood among the people, Jesus knew what he was riding to.

Sense the sorrow untold, as you look down the road
At the clamoring crowd drawing near
Feel the heat of the day, as you look down the way
Hear the shouts of "Hosanna the King"

Oh, daughter of Zion your time's drawing near
Don't forsake Him, oh don't pass it by
On the foal of a donkey as the prophets had said
Passing by you, He rides on to die

Come now little foal, though you're not very old
Come and bear your first burden bravely
Walk so softly upon all the coats and the palms
Bare the One on your back oh so gently

Midst the shouting so loud and the joy of the crowd
There is One who is riding in silence
For He knows the ones here will be fleeing in fear
When their shepherd is taken away

Oh, daughter of Zion your time's drawing near
Don't forsake Him, oh don't pass it by
On the foal of a donkey as the prophets had said
Passing by you, He rides on to die

Soon the thorn cursed ground will bring forth a crown
And this Jesus will seem to be beaten
But He'll conquer alone both the shroud and the stone
And the prophesies will be completed

Oh, daughter of Zion your time's drawing near
Don't forsake Him, oh don't pass it by
On the foal of a donkey as the prophets had said
Passing by you, He rides on to die

On the foal of a donkey as the prophets had said
Passing by you He rides on to die

(Michael Card)

*Taken from his brilliant album Known By His Scars.

Just you wait* - Audrey Hepburn

I can't deny that i feel sad. How can evil seem to prosper? I echo the words of the Psalmist in Psalms 73v3-12:-

For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.
They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills.
Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.
From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits.
They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.
Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.
Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.
They say, “How would God know?Does the Most High know anything?”
This is what the wicked are like — always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.

But i am not too down. For the same reason why the Psalmist also is not disheartened. he goes on to say in verses 16-19:-

When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply
till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.
How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!

I look at their smiles and their present happiness - but i know that God is righteous and just. Woe will befall these evil people, as predicted in Isaiah 10v1-4:-

Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees,
to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.
What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?
Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.

Yes, the Lord will avenge his people - that's a certainty. The evil may seem to get away with it for now - but eventually, they will pay for their sins, for all the evil they did to the weak and oppressed. God promised this in Deut 32:35:-

It is mine to avenge; I will repay.
In due time their foot will slip;
their day of disaster is near
and their doom rushes upon them.

Amen, Thy will be done, Lord.

*Taken from the soundtrack of My Fair Lady. Although she was cast as Eliza in My Fair Lady, this was the only song of Eliza's that was not dubbed over.

I still haven't found what I'm looking for* - U2

Went to S'pore recently. Had a really good time! You can read about it here.

But the main disappointment was that i did not find something that i hoped to when i got there. I was looking for Jewel's latest album:-

It's quite sad cuz her recent albums have not been sold in M'sia. Before Sweet and Wild, Lullaby was also not found here - and i only got it from HMV at Hong Kong!

I was hoping that HMV S'pore would have it but they did not even have her older albums. So sad...

Thankfully, there is YouTube!!!! =) Heard most of her songs there edi. Love it! Would love to get the album tho. Am still looking for it.

But for now, i'll just have to settle for the clips on YouTube. Quite good too cuz they have versions not found on the album - like this acoustic version of "What you are":-

*One of their well known hits. Brilliant stuffs!

Again and again* - Jewel

Watched this last Sunday.

It was pretty entertaining! Basically, the premise was what if one could be sent back to experience the last 8 minutes of another person's life. I dun think it makes sense - but i could be wrong. In any event, it really shouldn't distract the viewer from enjoying a pretty good movie.

So Jake Gyllenhaal's character was sent back into the body of a victim who died in a terrorist attack on a train. Having only 8 minutes, he has very little time to find out details about the attack in order to prevent another one that is imminent. So he gets sent back again and again and again and again... until he manages to find out who the bomber is!

But it is not just about that - another all action anti-terrorist movie. Go watch it cuz it asked some really pertinent moral questions - and as usual, the question of what can we allow ourselves to do in order to save the lives of many. Do the ends ever justify the means? Are we allowed to do bad things in order to achieve good results?

I like movies which forces me to think about issues like this!

But on top of that, it was very interesting and thrilling - and we are drawn together with Jake's character in trying to find out who the bomber is as more and more evidence is revealed each time he travels back.

On top of that, i've always been a great fan of Jake as well as Michelle Monaghan - both of whom did not disappoint me at all!

Entertaining, thought-provoking, good acting. What more do you want from a movie?

Oh yeah - Russell Peters appears in the movie too!!!

The first single from her Goodbye Alice in Wonderland album, one of her best songs IMHO.

Who's that girl* - Madonna

Was listening to this as a consolation for not being able to attend the Script's concert on Tuesday. This is good or what?

Was also listening to this girl:-

Good-eh?

*From the soundtrack of the movie of the same name.

Dear father* - Madonna

Barney: I´m never gonna talk to my dad again

Marshall: No Barney. *I* am never gonna talk to my dad again, but *your* dad is alive and he lives just down the road

HIMYM S06E19

Been thinking about my pa lately. Coincidence? I was talking to tGiF the other night when i started to tell her about pa. She was impressed at how he managed to provide for all of us despite having only a lowly job. He managed to ensure that we have a car and a house, send me overseas to study...

I told tGiF that he prolly loved me the most. But we never really got that close - when i was younger, he'd be working and when he gets home, he has to cook for us all. Then he'd be really tired at nite. When i got older, i never really stayed home much.

I hold him in very high estimation. He loved us so much!

When i got home that nite, my neighbour started talking to me - and out of the blue, she told me that my father was a good man. And she has heard it from others too.

Yes, he was. No doubt.

Flowers for me dad today

I only wished i had expressly told him that when he was still alive...

An unreleased song of hers that was supposed to be on the Erotica album.