Refreshed... (but still stressed)

Just got back from service not long ago, and boy was it GOOD! I feel so much better, more energetic and focused. And as I was telling Anna on the way back, for once, I actually managed to stayed awake through Paul's sermon (for once)!

I've been looking forward to tonight's service since Thursday, I really needed to go back to my happy place (without the help of narcotics). I guess what they say is right- 'when you go in expecting much, you walk out with much'. Actually............ I don't know who said that or how I came up with that, but you get the drift.

For all those taking exams, all the best and press on! Or as my good friend likes to put it, 'Lem, sometimes we just got to bend over and take it like a man'.

Rock on! *lem plays on air guitar*

Bon Voyage!

For the second time this week, I found myself at Rich Mahal, stuffing my face with all delish food on offer. As I can't join the usual gang to the races this weekend (cos of exams!), I had to find an excuse to get Nina and Simon (or more affectionately known as Simmo) out for dinner before she heads back to Germany. I found out she changed her flight and wouldn't be stopping over in Singapore, so I just had to bring her to eat prata. I told her its our 'supper' food, the Singaporean alternative to souvlaki. We ate til our pants got tight, talked til we lost our voices and laughed at everything around us. Too much fun.

(outside their place, acting stoopid as usual!)

(the ever smiley nina)

(crackin open the beers)

(i ordered way too much food as usual)

(his expression says it all!)

(*cheese*)

Hope you guys have fun in Germany and come back soon... love ya guys!

:(

she still makes me sad.

Just another 27 minutes before a new day, a happy day.

He sees everything.

I have a great story to share. Last night as I was coming home, I spotted my neighbour furiously searching for something in the dense terrain of our apartment complex courtyard. I had just gone grocery shopping and was carrying my gym bag as well, so my hands were full. But me, being the nice guy that I am, asked her if she needed some help. Okay, to be completely honest, I just wanted to go home and i was just being courteous by asking.... me and my big mouth.

Anyway, she told me that she dropped her keys from the 3rd floor and its lost somewhere in the bushes. It's no easy feat trying to find a set of keys in knee high vegetation. After 5 minutes of looking, it was getting frustrating (at this point I had to put down my groceries and bag on the floor); and it didn't help that she was stomping all the grass down which made it harder for me to find the keys!

Me and my analytical mind decided that this primitive method would lead us nowhere. I took a step back, looked long and hard at the ledge on the 3rd floor, and started to compute (in my head) how the keys would have fallen and mapped its trajectory; based on the expected velocity, wind resistance, obstruction factor and bounce upon impact factor.

And of course, based on my predictions, I manage to find the set of keys almost instantaneously, which brought so much joy and relief to my neighbour (and even more to me). Yeah, all credit to complicated mathematics.... and remembering where my own set of keys landed when I dropped them from the 2nd floor not too long ago.

To cut a long story short, I was annoyed that i had to waste time looking for keys that weren't mine, leaving my groceries on the floor and getting my shoes muddy. But in the end, it felt good to help and know that I made a positive contribution that day. To my utter surprise, about 1 hour later, she came knocking on my door with a "thank you" gift, a bottle of wine.

Of course I didn't want to recieve it, I didn't think what i did was a big deal. (and it was a red, albeit a decent one though)

"Oh it wasn't necessary, you really didn't have to...."

"I know I didn't have to. Thats why I'm giving this to you, because I WANT to."

Wooooah... deep man. As Oprah would say, I was having one of those "full circle" moments.

Moral of the story- random acts of kindness MAY occasionally score you a decent Shiraz!

*AWESOME*

Its been a good weekend- life-group, church, pizza dinners and uni-brows rock!

In terms of uni work, its been rather slow and unproductive, but funny thing is, I'm not stressed by it. It's either I'm getting lazy and complacent or the peace of God has overwhelmed my every being. Who am I kidding, I'm just lazy... the finishing line is so near, yet every step is a struggle; and its got nothing to do with my big arse feet.

I must say, other areas of my life have definitely been on the up. I'm learning so much about myself that its scary; facing ones own reflection is probably the hardest thing to do. We can't do anything to change what we see, we were created as unique individuals and we are constantly being shaped by our experiences. I'm learning to see what I can be, not what I am.

Next time you come across your own reflection (and you don't particularly like what you see), give yourself a big-arse smile, and know that God is always smiling down at you; no matter how ugly you might feel.

Have a great week ahead people.

ps: My new fav happy song is 'Someday' by 'The Afters'... go listen, it rocks!!