Marrow.Org

Hey, this is Phoebe. Share your spit and consider becoming a marrow donor, yes?

Bon appetit!

So we had a potluck at my office (International Program Center) on campus last Friday. And everyone was expected to cook something and bring it to share.

I, of course, defaulted to a Malaysian meal and did Tom Yam Fried Rice. (And it was amazing, might i just say. Dusts collar.)

We also opened the potluck up for any person who stepped into the office space. So a Malaysian undergraduate student, Pravin Namby, and an Indian graduate student Sudhir ate my fried rice and had awesome things to say about it. (I wasn't kidding when I said it turned out pretty awesome.) But nothing prepared me for what happened next.

About the same time Namby and Sudhir was in sampling food, in came an African student named, Ben Doso. After eating the tom yam fried rice, he asked if he could google something for me. I offered him my deskspace and watched intently over his shoulder as he typed,

"riz au gras."

... I kept watching as he navigated his cursor to the top of the Google Search Page he was on and clicked on "Images". "There, look," Ben said, pointing to the picture on the screen.

"That's Riz Au Gras," he said, smiling. "Doesn't it look similar to what you cooked?"

Wow, I thought. It really did. So i nodded and asked, "Does it taste anything like it though?"

"Yes, more or less," came the answer.

"So, what you ate just now was more or less french?"

Ben Doso nods, amused.

Meanwhile, within the skull of the Phoebe-Brain, my logic began to kick into gear.

Syllogisms
Premise 1: Tom Yam Fried Rice tastes like a french dish (Riz au Gras).
Premise 2: I can cook Tom Yam Fried Rice.
Conclusion: I can cook a French DISH!!!!

The realization seeped in slow. But it came, just the same. I had thought, the day I mastered the ways of the Shepherd's Pie, that that was probably as far as it got for me when it came to trying out international recipes.

But why work so hard, when homeland cooking resembles that of french cuisine? w00t!

By the by, Riz Au Gras is pronounced:
Riz = Rrhee
Au = Oh
Gras = Grraa

(the "r" sounds like a gurgle at the back of your throat)

I can cook Riz Au Gras. A FRENCH Meal. Hoho!
As Phua Chu Kang says (Character, Singaporean Sitcom), "Don't play-play ah...."

What have you learnt to cook recently? ;)

Final Photography Project

My Photo Essay!

Final Project for Photography 2009.

Yay For Experiments!

The Moon is A Magnet by Jon Foreman



It's a little slow but only to go with the song! Great job, Tim and thanks for doing this with me. Let's hope my actual video assignment goes well. *fingers crossed for tonight*

Article One : Follow Up

And here they are!!

A bunch of Article One pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Simply click here!

Or copy and paste this into your address bar on your web browser!
http://usemath.multiply.com/photos/album/60/Article_One_Concert

More Writings

This happened awhile back actually. Some of my short fiction pieces have been featured on this website called:

http://555stories.com/

To read them or just browse through, click "Short Fictions" and scroll (middle scroller) all the way down to the bottom.

There should be a list of my stuff down there somewhere.



Alternatively, you can view the "text only" page, by clicking here:

http://555stories.com/phoebe.html

Disclaimer:
There are stories with elements of death and suicide merely because they were initially writing assignments for an english class. I just thought I've spent too much time on them and that it deserves a little public eye and critique. Feel free to browse and make comments!

Happy Mother's Day!

11th May, 2008

Happy Mother's Day, Mom (and to all the great mothers, I know!)

Love,
Phoebe Lee Mathius

My Wacky Birthday

As promised, an entry of one of the craziest birthdays I'd ever had! These were some of the most awesome gifts I have ever received in my entire Phoestory!

A pink handbag. (Note: PINK) Thanks Michelle Foo!

A handrawn card (entirely by pencil) attached to a banana cake. Thanks Jamie Khoo!

I am so totally crazy over this one! A gecko night lamp from THAILAND! Thanks Raymond & Suresh!

Ceramic Fuzzy Birthday Bear. (Note: Fuzzy yet CERAMIC) Thanks Parmena!

Editted photo. (Note: YELLOW CAR!! *smack*) Fantastic photoshopping by Tabbies. Thanks love!

MY WOODEN GIRAFFE. (Note: WOODEN GIRRAFFEEE!!!) It's about one metre tall! Thanks again Tabitha Ong!

Red hair. (Note: RED) Absolutely went beserk over this surprise! Thank you, dear. You know who you are.

[Green retro beads from ENVEE. No picture available. Yet.]
I love them to shreds! Thanks Seetha & Melissa!

[Big, big white towel worth RM30. Picture not available. Yet.]

Witty, witty gift from Joash and May. Thank You!

I truly felt loved! I love suprises and unique taste in gifts. I almost never care about the price tag - although i do acknowledge my friends who have parted with many a dollar to put a smile on my face. Nevertheless, I'm glad you guys are just up my alley. And all I feel right now, is love.

Thank you guys, for an awesome birthday!

Phoebe is back.

It's nice to actually be back to face my happy-lappy again. It's been yet another heavy week for me.

Haha. Okay, okay. I'm sorry i'm vague. I don't really like giving people accounts of the day. It's not particularly my favorite thing to do. I don't feel like i owe the world any sorta report -- but since there are requests, i do them for your sakes.

The Influence conference went great. It was most informative and it was definitely a mild jolt of sobering reality. Not that huge a jolt, but a jolt nonetheless. Money matters, conducting one's self, interviews, poise, communication, preparations, savings, decisions and most importantly PRINCIPLES, achieving balance and being the Daniel that God called us to be.

Aside the conference, I've had the greatest fun when out with my friends. On Thursday, i spent the whole day out hanging with my former college mates. I had gone to INTI itself with Eva and for some reason, somehow "inspired" her to skip a talk that she had rushed there for. *lol*

So we enjoyed together-time for a bit (in addition to the long talk the previous night), and i did my devotion there before Clayton came. We headed for lunch right after that, picking John Gan up on the way. And then, in the evening, we went to Ikea/The Curve to first meetup with my sister, 3 close pk-friends of mine, along with 2 other persons, whom i was to get to know. But when i got there, there were more people than expected!

So there was Lemuel, Melanie, Joash and May (whom i met for the very first time!), Angela, Chris, Tryphena, Clayton, Chen Fei and Lionel (the last time i saw him was at PK retreat!). What a noisy group we were! Angela said something like, "It's only with Lemuel that a meeting in Ikea could turn into a mamak one!" I laughed. We had such great fun catching up with each other! Later, Joshua Ong and Rachel came to join us too (they're both PKs) and that added to the merry fun we were having. So the day's quick gathering wound up being an unoffish PK gathering! Coo.

We adjourned to Laundry, to go watch my former band, OOF (Ocean of Fire) from Penang play for Project Bazooka. All my pk buddies weren't really up for Laundry, so my sister and I made our way over at 9pm leaving them at IKANO. They actually had far more fun without us after that, leading me to believe I'm not the fun person that i think i am. *lol*

However, I was already psyched then! I was going to watch OOF perform! It was exciting to be able to see Kelvyn, CHIAT, Jon BBQ, Scully, and ZHU again after such a long time! After talking much, i resumed my place with Clayton, Chen Fei, Kevin, Wee Kee and Tryphena and we talked some more. The suspense was definitely building.

To my utter joy and amazement, the rest of the PKs joined us then too! I was so pleasantly surprised and swelling much with gratitude. I felt honored that they could come and support my band with me too. I introduced as many people as i could to my band and then settled to wait for the show to start. It was quite a wait. Instead of OOF getting up there first, it was Two Sides of a Story (picture below) and then Poseidon.

The PKs couldn't stay long enough for the show, but i appreciate their attempt anyway. (Thanks, guys!) My band only got the stage at 11:30pm that night. Horrid scheduling.

When they finally got up there though, I was a bit nervous because my band was an instrumental one (and a super good one, at that) and might come off a little different than the usual. Nevertheless, my friends that remained with me were most impressed and i was so happy everyone had a great time. Clayton and Chen Fei even wanted to buy their EP album when it comes out (August's end, I've been told). I was never so proud of my band in my life. Haha. But then again, I'm always bursting with pride for them. You can really see it on my face!

So yeah, OOF blew me and my friends away that night! Enough said.

The next day, I hung out with Chen Fei, Clayton and Eva again. We did the general walkabout at 1U. We wanted to catch a movie together at first but we couldn't due to time constraints. They had their respective cell-groups to attend and i had the first night of Influence to go too anyway. Saturday was all Influence. I met God again and He blew me MILES away. OOF fades immediately in the presence of my Lord.

And him meeting me is the most amazing experience in the world.

I said the conference sobered me and here's why. Academically, I'm still stuck for various reasons - and the speakers of the camp were emphasizing early preparation, savings, direction and decisions. Thoughts bombarded me constantly about my past, present and future, and I was always shifting uncomfortably in my seat. But it's amazing how God is always ever-willing to hear my cries and anxieties. Even I would've grown bored of listening to myself. But he is my only help at this point and he strengthens me with words of rebuke, hope and love. and i always feel the deepest calm after being ministered to.

And then came the abrupt ending of my KL stay. I returned to Taiping on an 11:30am bus on Sunday, arriving 3:10pm. We left for my Butterworth Outreach Church at about 5-ish that evening. I was so tired from all the travelling but became very refreshed when playing the keys for church worship.

Needless to say, i fell asleep before my head reached the pillow that night. All in all, I've had a wonderful week! Thanks for meeting with me, friends. Thanks for meeting with me, my Lord.

So, how was your week?


Picture Sources:
http://moiham.blogdrive.com (Special thanks to Shua for the pictures!)
http://www.hispaniconline.com/magazine/2005/december/Features/sprituality.html

The Magic Faraway Tree Repost

If there are anymore of you who are still interested in reviewing my latest composition "Far Away", the demo track (or severely deformed recording due to lack of editing skills and software) is available here. I would appreciate as much feedback as i can get! I do have a small threshold for pain but i promised myself to take all criticism. It'll help me improve...and mayhaps even develop a bigger threshold for pain.

But try and be nice.

Pweedhee Pwease? *chuckles*

If you missed the link, here's where to go: http://herbrokenwings.blogspot.com/ Have a listen and let me know!

By the way, this is a scanned page right off my journal!
I found the little things i drew so adorable. Hope you like them too!
(if you're gonna re-post this picture elsewhere, all i ask is that you give me credit for it. Else I'll sue the night-lights off your rear-end. Gotta keep up with the trend, no? Thanks!)

Click to enlarge!

Fire Up!

Click here for more information!

Fire is the ultimate litmus test. When thrown in, we finally recognize what we are truly made of. We can be either one of two options:

a) Hay/Wood/Stubble

b) Gold/Precious Stones

Fire here may represent trials, tribulations and circumstances. Sometimes it's divinely brought upon you, but most of the time you bring it upon yourself. Either way, you learn and grow from the aftermath. (Or...you crash and burn.)

I've found that when i'm stuck in a rut, i usually try to work it out by myself - in my way, my terms, my strength. It's definitely good to be resourceful and strong in times like these, but you just have to know when to throw in the towel and rely on someone better or greater than you. You just can't help it if you're on the losing team. Being human is being weak.

In the words of a preschool animated series' jingle, the "Higglytown Heroes",

"Someone special, who could it be?

This job is too big for you and me,

We need some help,

But never fear-o

It looks like a job

For a Higglytown Hero!"

In most cases, I've just chosen to attempt solving everything on my own. Even when it became too big for me. I chose to endure the pain of it all, instead of just letting go of the helm and letting "a Higglytown Hero" help me out.

We're coming down to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow to attend the Fire Up Conference with Michael Rowan and I was talking to Lemuel earlier today about a particular football game we were g0ing to hold Saturday morning for the guys, whilst the girls played Pictionary. Kuala Lumpur vs Taiping. I told him that it might not be a very balanced football match as the Taiping team, in comparison to theirs, might not be so polished in their game. Then, he responded something similar to this line:

"Okay, we'll play that way first. And if they truly suck, we'll swap players."

That made me think a little. When we're losing in a team game or sport, sometimes the only way for you to win, or balance up the game at the very least, would be to "defect", or rather switch to the winning team.

This is not unlike "Osmosis".

Osmosis happens when there are two solutions with different concentrations, in a same container separated by a semi permeable membrane (a sort of skin that allows molecules to pass through). The less concentrated of the two is referred to as the hypotonic solution and its other extreme, the hypertonic solution. Simply put, in order to achieve equilibrium (balance), molecules from each solution passes through the membrane and balances the whole deal out. The solution then becomes isotonic (similar concentration with solution on the other side of the membrane).

Simple phoebeology. But I sidetrack.

God's side is always the winning side. Defecting to God's team isn't such a bad thing. Sure, it's admitting you're weak. But it's also a point of realization -

that God is so much stronger,

and that we are in great need of him.

At least,

I know I personally need him that much anyway.

I hope my bringing the youth group down this weekend will reignite passion, commitment, wisdom and dedication towards fulfilling their God-purpose. I hope the word will speak to their hearts and cause them to rise up for his glory. i hope many things, actually.

So yeah, I'm really excited. 'Cause it's seriously time to turn the radars to what really matters.

Like God.

Picture Sources:

http://www.youthalivemsia.org

http://www.abc1uk.co.uk/shows/higglytownheroes/index.php

http://www.okc.cc.ok.us/biologylabs/Documents/Cells%20Membranes/Osmosis_Definition.htm

I wish

I wish the plans i'd made, could somehow, sometime come to pass.
I wish the dreams we had could just somehow, someway, last.

I wish i was a little stronger to stand this gaping void.
I wish we were more stronger than just end up numb, like droids.

I wish i was less arrogant, less pumped up in my pride,
I wish i could forget the thorn that's digging in my side.

I wish to catch a movie with two good friends, maybe three,
I wish to laugh and smile and talk; please say you will agree?

I wish to be all i can be, succeed in all i can,
I wish that they will hold me in high regard by then.

I wish my corner of the sky was a little more than dim,
I wish i could let my life revolve a lot more around him.

I wish to be a writer someday, though i may suck now,
I wish to keep practicing till i master the know-how.

I wish to be a singer, songwriter, and reliable band member,
I wish to be able to pass on messages, all can remember.

I wish to keep on praying, hoping for the best for you,
I wish i could get over the fact that roses can be blue.

I wish to know how tears can stop, how sadness can dissolve,
I wish to know how hearts can mend, how problems can be solved.

I wish i'd known, i wish i'd known, how it all would end,
I wish to never regret the day i let you hold my hand.

I wish all the plans you've made will have their chance at human-reality,
I wish to see you do your work, show the world your amazing ability!

I wish and wish and wish all night, in hope it'd all come true,
I wish to be all perfect, the day, the hour i see you.

-Phoebe Lee Matthews, completed at 22:46
(I drew that picture up there using my little brother's cheap crayons one night, and found the simple doodle quite intriguing. I could just finish the "I wish" sentence anyway i wanted! And so that inspired me to write this spontaneous piece. Hope you find it just as intriguing. Write your own and share with me sometime!)

I like Pie!

I've always wanted to make my own cottage/shepherd's pie. I've eaten plenty but i haven't officially made my own, save one time. Unfortunately, my house never had a workable oven ever since I was ten. I still want to make the pie, really badly. So when i move into a new place or if i see a good bargain, i'm going to get an oven so that i can make my very own homemade Shepherd's Pie! Who knows what else i would be able to do with my oven? I could even try making cheesecakes!

But first things first. What's shepherd's pie really?

It's a traditional English dish, lined with grounded meat and cut up vegetables, bathed in Worchestershire sauce and broth. Finally, it's topped off with a thick, creamy layer of mashed potatoes and then shoved into the oven to be baked till golden brown!

What's the difference between Shepherd's Pie and Cottage Pie? The filling. Traditional Shepherd's Pies are lined with mutton or lamb, whereas Cottage Pies are lined with beef. But i guess along the years, it's all been mixed and matched. Now, people even use chicken to line the pies with, which seems a fine alternative to me any day! What's important is you make it your own and like what you prepare!

I also love this dish because of how easy it is to make! Don't believe me?

INGREDIENTS:
1. Minced/Grounded meat/beef
2. 1 onion chopped
3. Mixed Vegetables - chopped carrots, corn, peas
4. Potatoes (A few big ones)
5. Butter

6. Beef broth/local oxtail soup? *lol* /think-up-your-own-alternative

7. Barbeque sauce
8. Salt, pepper, and other seasonings of choice
9. Milk/Cream

A. Boil the peeled potatoes in salted water. You can choose to cut them in fours to speed things up.
B. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan and sauté (fancy word for cook or roast) till it looks softened up a bit. It'll be great if you keep the flame small throughout. You wouldn't want to burn the butter.
C. When the onions are ready, throw in the mixed vegetables, followed by the meat. Now if you're chopping your own vegetable mix, put the corn and peas in after the meat is sautéd well. How to judge that? It turns from raw pink to yummy brown.
D. Add seasonings now. Salt and Pepper and any favorite appropriate thing. Squeeze in some barbeque sauce.
E. Pour in half a cup of broth to the mix. Tend to it for about ten minutes, pouring in a bit of broth from time to time to keep moist. Spread it onto a baking dish or pan, and that's done!

F. The potatoes should be ready by now. Mash them up real good with butter and a little milk. If you're one to be health conscious then substitute butter with olive oil! It is rather expensive though. Add a bit of seasoning for taste, if necessary. It's really up to you!

G. Now, spread a yummy layer of your mashed potatoes onto the meat-veggie mix. Rough up the surface a bit, so that the pointy ends will get all golden and crusty in the oven. You can even make patterns and whatnots! *chuckles*
H. Shove it into the oven now. Cook it at 400 degrees for half an hour, till it's all goldeny and gurgling. Of course, the time set really depends on the size of the serving. You may have to keep it in there a little more just to brown it. It's all cooked inside anyway, so no worries!

Bon appétit!

Picture Sources: http://www.jupiterimages.com/popup2.aspx?navigationSubType=itemdetails&itemID=23049966
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000216easy_shepherds_pie.php

My Friend In Time Of Need

It all began with a sneeze in the evening. Caused by a speck of dust mayhaps. Having acute sinus issues, one sneeze was enough to hand me a one-way ticket to a sneezing fit. Seven sneezes in a row was the most i counted. Gah.

My sinuses weren't that hard to deal with. I've had it ever since i can remember. But what i disliked most about having sinuses was what entailed it. Sinuses leave my immune system in battered condition, and prone to other vices. Namely, Influenza. *shudder*

There has got to be an easier way to fight off Influenza.

Needless to say, I was still up with a drippy nose at four in the morning. Not unlike a broken tap. For Phoebe, this was a very BAD thing. My body was under siege! Much blood from my valiant white cells was being spilled. I could almost feel the viruses battering the gates of my fort. My empire was under attack and all i could ever do was wait it out. Unfortunate for me, we lost the battle and the country of Phoebe was conquered.

And so there I was, sitting in my bed - prepped up against the wall, miserable. I had a splitting headache, my body ached everywhere and i couldn't breathe through my nose. Going back to sleep wasn't exactly an easy task, but i eventually did anyway. With my mouth wide open. At least I think it was wide open.

Three hours later, Influenza reigned supreme. I began my day with a horrendous sore throat and though my nose wasn't drippy anymore, it was in a state, nothing short of disgusting. Then the inevitable happened. My throat began to spew out contemptuous things from the very pits of hell. This was going to be a lovely week, I thought.

Trudging to my desk, I saw him. "Vic, what are you doing here?" I exclaimed, eyes lighting up. He was quiet as always. I walked over to him, held him and smiled. "Here to brighten my day, are you?"

Removing what covered his body, I brought him closer to me; to breathe him all in. Good ole' Vicks has never failed me when it came to clearing my stuffed up nose. Which is why this post is dedicated to the ultimate flu-buddy, the Vicks Vapor Inhaler. Live forever! (Or at the most, three years.)

This little inhaler holds about 0.5ml of product, and costs only two to three dollars. It lasts for quite a period - just as long as you keep it closed after utilizing it. It's fairly easy to use, just unscrew its long cap, close one nostril and put the tube at the entrance of the open nostril. Take a whiff or two (take as many as necessary) and then repeat with the other nostril. You'll feel a cold rush up your nostrils and down the back of your throat. You'll be able to breathe through your nose again in no time.

Before inhalers, i'm sure most of you have probably heard of the Vicks Vaporub. The one that comes in a little jar-like bottle full of cream? Well, unlike its predecessor, the Inhaler keeps the powerful smell of menthol and camphor for you and you alone. No matter how often you snort it. *chuckles* You won't reek of Vicks wherever you go, like many other remedies.

I'm still suffering post-influenza. Coughing up things in colors i never knew existed, things that i could never give a justified description for. But thanks to my Vicks Vapor Inhaler, I'm a little less miserable and a little more productive today.

Picture Sources:
http://www.herbsforhealth.com/index.php?page=article&do=view&id=cold
http://www.magazine.ucla.edu/features/flu-fighters
http://www.fotosearch.com/illustration/sleepy.html
http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/health-products/vicks-vapor-inhaler/1027697

Mercury Rising

I watched this movie just recently (two months ago, i think) on cable TV. It's a 1998 thriller feature film, one that came about when i was twelve years old. I'd never heard of it before till this year. Ever since, I've always wanted to highlight this movie on my blog for reasons i will soon uncover, but hadn't remembered to. But now i do, and so here it is.

This is not going to be a typical movie review as i've never really been good at being an objective critic about things. In fact, this might even seem lop-sided to you. Nevertheless, cutting to the chase, I was personally very inspired by "Mercury Rising". It took quite a hefty helping of negative criticisms I've heard, but this is me. I liked the movie. Big Woof.

What inspired me was the plot, really. (Based on Ryne Douglas Pearson's 1996 novel; originally published as Simple Simon.)

(According to Wikipedia) A code called Mercury was created by The National Security Agency so complex that its creators believe no computer on earth can decipher it. Originally created during the Reagan Administration as a test to keep the United States' highest priority secrets under wraps, their assumption is realized to be false when they receive a message from an autistic savant boy named Simon (Miko Hughes) who calls the telephone number found within the code, which was secretly published in a puzzle magazine by two of the creators to see if anyone could break it. Colonel Kudrow (Alec Baldwin) seeks to silence Simon. Kudrow sends a hit man to murder Simon and his family.

After killing the boy's parents, the assassin searches the house, fails to find Simon, and leaves at the sound of approaching sirens. Art Jeffries (Bruce Willis) is an undercover FBI agent who protects Simon. He finds Simon hiding in a cache of his bedroom closet and takes the boy under his wing. Jeffries begins to realize the difficulty of protecting, let alone questioning Simon, because of his impaired social abilities as a result of his autism. The situation is further complicated by the fact that nobody at the FBI believes Simon is in any danger. Meanwhile, Colonel Kudrow, upset by disagreement over how to handle the case, murders one of his employees. The murdered employee's friend turns to Jeffries for help, and together they set a trap in which Kudrow is killed. The film ends with Simon being adopted by a new family.

Can you now guess why it impressed me that much? That's right. The protagonist was a brilliant autistic boy. He did the impossible by deciphering a code, and kept himself the safest way he knew how. He had his address memorized. He remembered and distinguished strangers from friends. He cracked puzzles like they were simple arithmetic.

That's where Phanuel is going.
(Who's Phanuel? Click here.)

No, he doesn't have to be deciphering codes (or anything along those lines) to be going down that direction. If he does, that would be so coo. But more significantly, I want Phanuel to be able to live life in full capacity, utilize his full potential, dream big dreams, and set out to achieve them. His life is going to make a difference. Somehow. 'Cause that's how the Lord intended it to be.

Reality is a little bit more harsh. People make hasty judgements. Their pessimism gets to us more often than not, and we can't help but wonder "what if" and "how". Nevertheless, it is in these times that I am reminded of the time when Phanuel was far worse than he is today.

He could hardly maintain eye contact, couldn't respond to his name, didn't understand the purpose of "the potty", hardly uttered a word, spins around without stopping (even when he felt sick), etc.

As of today, he reads, he does simple arithmetic, he creates powerpoint presentations, surfs his favorite websites, watches videos, tells us what he wants verbally (he started out pointing at things first), he sings and composes his own songs, and expresses himself well. He hasn't quite arrived yet, but look how far he has come! We could hardly have imagined him achieving so much within the span of seven to eight years. And there's so much more in him!

I'm excited to know what God has in store for him. We just can't give up on him now, you know? Every moment is vital. Every lesson may be a stepping stone to the greatness he will become. And i anticipate his arrival with bated breath.

Hope with me. Pray with me.

(Plot and Low Resolution Poster grabbed from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Rising)

Retreat, Soldiers, RETREAT!!

Unfinished and always will be. *smiles*

"O God, let us be
a Generation that seeks
That seeks your face
O God of Jacob"

I'm killing myself for words here.

Don't get me wrong. The PK Retreat in Genting Highlands was nothing short of glorious. But the string of vocabulary I'm coming up with don't seem to quite add up to the imprint the getaway left on me. It's like getting stabbed with a dagger and then weeks later, poking your mamaking-kakis in the side with your finger to let them know how that dagger felt.

If that made any sense.

I have no day to day accounts of the experience (sorry to disappoint), hugely caused by my weak excuse for memory power. But I'm sure you'd be most content with the little i have to offer you. I distinctly remember vacuumed moments in worship, when everybody disappeared. when all i saw was him. I remember moments when i reached out my left arm as high as it could go and felt him grasp my fingers. I remember holding to him tight whilst clutching my heart, hardly able to contain whatever that was bursting out of it.

I met him. But my experience was not exceptional. Many of the like-minded met him too. And i'm just so excited to be a part of this experience; to be part of the group that met him.

"You have turned
my mourning into dancing
You have turned
my sorrow into joy"

I do remember madness on the first night though. I remember running for my life. Yelling a string of inaudibles and admitting to major lack of stamina. Earned a lovely carpet-graze on my right knee.

It looks more revolting now, actually. I have septic slime oozing out of it.

Joash had an opportunity to worship lead, the morning of the third day, but he came up to me the second night and asked if i'd like to. I was quite surprised actually and even asked him if he was sure. The whole thing was quite a challenge as we had a bunch of rookie musicians; but honest to goodness, rookies who were all ready to learn and who did exceptionally well! I couldn't have asked for a better group. Everyone remained in good spirits and we practiced till 1:3o-ish that morning, i believe.

Whilst practicing, I made poor Jewls, Joel and Paul-o play invisible instruments; grabbed Jonan, Phile and Kenrick Kong to sing harmonies, and Mikha was handling the accoustic guitar. I don't think i speak for myself when i say we enjoyed every diminutive minute of practice! It was awesome! There were some folks who came to join us that night, so it became a good night of fellowship too.

I remember asking Joash for advice earlier that night, as i was quite nervous when the musicians told me they weren't familiar with many of the songs i had in mind. He had this calmness about him that really helps soothe the panicking soul. He said, "There's no need to do six songs, no need to conform. Four's good." Asked him for his opinion about some songs that I finally chose and got his nod of approval.

Jonan and Kenrick were a great asset to me as they really helped in terms of smoothening out creases in the technicalities. Chords, timing and backup melodies. They were also just downright great company! There should have been more microphones! One for each! Don't you agree?

All in all, I believe God truly took the helm from us that morning and steered it the way he wanted it to go.

Aside that, I enjoyed the meal times! It became the most exciting part of the day, no doubt for its network-expansion possibilities, but also it was thrilling to meet so many expectant faces. Faces that were eager to meet God, faces that held stories behind them, faces that weren't mere faces - but containers of passion and potential.

I mean, who can fathom the depth of our capacity? Capacity to play PICTIONARY all night long, for instance!

We stayed up till 5 a.m., completing the attempt to end the game. Good times, good times. I doubt i'm very hooked up to pictionary yet though. I'm still a hopeless fanatic of TABOO.

"Give us clean hands
Give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another"

Personally, i treasured the moments i spent with God. I had a lot of things to let go of, and surrendered them to him one by one. At each opportunity i got. Tore it away from my flesh. And it hurt. Madly. but he was there. and i knew i was safe.

PKs sure do rock! Hope to once again be able to gather with such an awesome bunch of people, to participate in such an amazing experience, and to have many more meets with such an indescribable God!

"Amazing Love, I know it's true
'Cause it's my joy to honor you
In all I do, I'll honor you"

(Images courtesy of Shua and Michel)

KL Log II

To my dear tray of banana muffins,

I return to you with my last testament of the chain of events i recently experienced in the putrid land of Kay El. After many days of utter boredom and cold, i was at my wit's end trying to phoegure out a way to dissipate the monotony and well, live a little. So i whip out my cellphone and called, Eva the Diva.

"That's great! I was just wanting to go to Times Square and was looking for a shopping buddy! I'll pick you up at KLCC."

I love Eva.

No, really.

And thus my day was saved by that wonderwoman of a pal! She was looking for a pair of stage shoes for herself, but my sister and i ended up buying more than she did.

If you need a shopping buddy, Eva's the one to call!

She gave us great feedback and ultimatums to help with purchase related decisions. And we shopped till we literally dropped. I love all the stuff we bought. And Eva made us put them on immediately too! We must've looked horrible. Haha.

By the 22nd hour of that day, I had:
1. A smashing top
2. A pair of shoes
3. A pair of quarter pants
4. A content stomach

Announcement: As many would know, I was waiting on a college's decision to offer me exemptions for credit transfers, but that didn't work out. They offered me admission alright, but no transfers. My parents weren't too happy with this and so I'm not going to college anymore. I'll be in Taiping, doing what i can in church, and mayhaps I'll get back to college hunting soon. It'll be okay, I'm sure. *grins*

To continue the rest of the story, the remaining part of the week was spent settling my little sister down, teaching her how to take the train and bus and showing her around college. I also took her to KLCC! She loved every bit of it.

Somewhere in the week, I talked to Joash about getting a new phone for myself. My keypads were getting a little too hard for typing, so I thought of trading in my Samsung X330 to buy a secondhand phone. Joash swore by his Nokia 3310, the legendary brick of communication devices. *chuckles* But I'd already decided to purchase a second-hand Sony Ericsson K700. Unfortunate for me, the market value for my cellphone had dropped steeply and it would be a horrendous waste to trade it in for less than a hundred dollars. Later, my best friend helped me decide to just keep my Samsung till it gives up its ghost and then get another phone.

However, my sister needed a phone right away and so i bought the SE K700 for 250 dollars (it was going for 320 dollars). And now it rests safely in her pocket ready for communication. CALL HER! *lol*

Before leaving the land of Kay El, guess what i did - guess what i did - guess what i did?? We took a train and a car ride to Desa Sri Hartamas, KL Jam Asia to watch OCEAN OF FIRE at the BOSS_ADDICTION gig! I'm their true blue fan and of course, it helps that i used to be a part of them once! It was so awesome to have had the opportunity to watch them play LIVE again. The last time i saw them, they'd just won the National Asian Beat Championship held in the Rum Jungle last December!

So I cheered them on between 5 to 7.30pm, and won an inflatable synthetic pillow from BOSS too! Lovely souvenir. (I took a lotta pictures on my sister's cellphone, but forgot to bluetooth them over. One of these days, promise.) Right after, I whisked my sisters and myself away to Pasar Seni and weaved through Petaling Street to get to Pudu to catch the bus back home. I spent a wonderful Sunday serving in Shekinah AG Taiping. Nothing like home la. For sure.

It was our Royal Rangers Council of Achievement Day and my youngest sister, Theophile had received several merit awards and a certificate. Coo. Her patrol also gave a special number.

So that was that. And now, off to Genting Highlands! WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO! Time to meet the Awesome One and more like-minded hearts! It's going to be COLLOSAL!

Photographs

I've uploaded the pictures of my entire Butterworth randezvous in My Media Blog.

When you click here, you will be taken to an index of all the photo albums available for viewing. Photo albums that I've recently posted are always on the top, so no worries. No extra hunting required. *smiles*

Just decide what photos you'd like to look at, and click on the respective albums. All my albums are titled accordingly to avoid confusion. Most pictures have captions. Some have a little extra explanation to it.

If you do visit, DO leave me a message if you can. You'll have to sign up for an account to do that though.

Also, feel free to browse the rest of the site! My blog entries are exactly the same there as I actually cross-post from Blogger to Multiply. Looking forward to your visit!