Carol's Chronicles

Interns

2008-07-31T03:02:00.000-07:00

My internship ended yesterday. In all, I'm very grateful for the experience. The exposure to real life corporate practice was insightful as it's just so different from everything that I learnt in law school. I also met some very fabulous people. :) my mentor and kw were extremely warm and patient with me. they took valuable time out from their hectic schedules just to talk to me every day- abt practice, the nature of the work, school and other light-hearted things like football and movies (when they took me out for lunch). it's really nice to know that lawyers are normal people afterall, despite looking so serious and stressed most of the time. then there was the secretary sitting next to me who became my friend. initially, like the rest, all she said was "hi" on my 1st day and then it was silence after that. the ice broke when i offered her cut fruits every morning. hahaha.. she told me she had some gastric prob and then from there, the conversation branched out into multi-faceted topics over the days, ranging from the anwar scandal, good dinner places, wakeboarding, life in a law firm, her near-death encounter with the 2006 tsunami etc. when she was on MC due to a leg problem on tuesday, i was really lonely. the next day, it was the end of my internship and i came back from lunch to see a packet of dried cranberries with a note on it on my workstation. i was so touched at her small gesture of kindness. it meant alot to me, because she remembered that it was my last day and got me something despite her walking difficulties and nausea. i asked her whether she got me the cranberries because she saw me eating fruits every morning and she said yes, she wanted to get cake initially but didn't know whether i'd like it cos she nv saw me eating cake in the office. hahaha.. i really liked the NUS interns too. there were only 3 of us at the new office, which i liked very much over the main one.

anyway, i'm thankful for the experience and for the people i met. i'm even more undecided abt corporate work now cos the hours are insane and they don't get better, but i have a few more years to make a decision. can u guys imagine me as a barrister, fighting in court???? wahahah...

another thing tt i gained through my internship was the stark realisation of the bounds that i've made in my confidence and perspective. and i credit the overseas experience for it. :) thanks esp. to cheh and mark for encouraging me to take that first leap of faith into a whole new world. and to my parents for supporting me. and of course, to God, provider of all things good. i think i've finally broken out of the herd mentality so firmly entrenched in the entire system and culture here. :) ask me personally if u wanna hear more!

at the cusp of adulthood and working life.

fellow interns who showed me around NUS law school. we were there because i had to borrow a book for a partner haha.

Welcome to the working world!

2008-07-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

I'm interning now at a law firm. I really want to praise God and thank Him for His favour at my workplace. :) I don't wanna write in-depth abt my experience yet because I just got back home, am so tired and there's still work tmr. Gotta get up at 7am everyday! Ephraim told me tt adults who sleep less than 8 hours, as well as sleep more than 9 hours a day have shorter life-spans, ie they die faster. !!! Met up with him and Xin yesterday and I really enjoyed it. :) I love my friends- it has been wonderful catching up with all of u! :)

Today was an exception cos I went straight to the NUS law faculty to do some research for a partner, along with the other 2 NUS law interns! They showed me around (thanks guys) and it's very pleasant! Alot of greenery.

So many changes in my life.. How fast can I adapt? I've settled in pretty well into my new house I guess. Other than that, who knows how long it'll take?

homecoming

2008-07-09T00:03:00.000-07:00

i haven't been blogging since i got back to singapore.. the long hiatus is due to the fact that i've been incredibly busy- overcoming jet lag, meeting people or sleeping in. haha. i really enjoyed the YA retreat! even though justina and i were chatting as we leisurely drifted on the reservoir instead of vigorously kayaking :) how can, when the boys kept splashing water at us!! haha
anyway, im so glad to be with my church friends again- joyful people who remember and genuinely care for me. i'm happy that i got to know some of the girls better during the YA retreat :)

it's wonderful to be home. the past few weeks abroad have been extremely debilitating. to everyone who has been asking, that explains why i've lost SO MUCH weight. haha.. don't worry, the weight loss is unintentional, i haven't been on a diet etc. through this period of high stress, sadness and suffering, i've learnt so much. i feel that i've seriously aged ALOT.

yet empowering at the same time, especially in Spain, where i played tour guide to my dad and sis despite never having been there before. :) notts was of course, home turf so bringing them around was no problem. london too, cos i'd been there before. this really is a huge personal development for me, because i'm renowned for my poor sense of direction, i always get lost!!! yes, england-spain 2008 gave me a much-needed boost in self-confidence, navigational and leadership skills. thank you daddy for giving me this opportunity, as well as for being so good natured and accomodating during the entire trip. and to my sister, for all the laughter, shopping and fun times! and of course, thank you God for all your blessings towards myself and my family.

Cambridge

2008-06-08T11:02:00.000-07:00

Punting!! Our boat was named "Bunny". :)
Something unique to Oxford and Cambridge, so I definitely had to try it. I paid 2 pounds because I was in a group of 6. However, I would have paid more to get a guide who tells you the histories of the various riverside colleges while he rows the boat. I felt quite bad/nauseated after punting because a middle aged Chinese man was "rowing" our boat with the completely wrong technique, plus he wasn't strong enough so our boat went bump every 5 seconds, either against the banks or other boats. at least he always warned us" yao chuang le!!". thanks to the constant bumps, it was a very long journey, which took around 2 hours!! his young daughter was in our boat too and i was getting very annoyed with her because she kept whining to paddle the boat and laughed everytime the paddle splashed water all over my legs. and then she threw a tantrum because she couldn't see the ducks in the river anymore. -_-

at the start of the journey i went crazy taking photos, especially of the boats and the river.
after a while, i decided to stop and just sit back and relax, ignoring the periodic bangs of "Bunny" and the girl's behaviour and imagined myself studying in Cambridge.... every morning, when i rise, i look out of the window to see the peaceful river flowing beneath the arched bridges that Elizabeth the Virgin Queen herself glided through on a boat. i am surrounded by grand, intricate architecture which have stood for centuries and i walk through the very halls that brilliant young idealists strolled through, unknowing, perhaps, that they would in time become great men who will one day shape history. i lie on "The Banks", beneath the shade that the willow tree provides, its umbrella-like canopy fluttering in the gentle breeze. i read, i think, i become refined in all aspects.

what a supremely lovely and awe-inspiring environment to be in. one tour guide remarked "how do students here study, it's soo romantic!". it's the very picture of the romanticised overseas college life that i used to fantasise about during A level literature and history, when we watched classic English films and read novels set in Oxbridge like "Decline and Fall".

of course, notts is beautiful too and is widely held as one of the most attractive campuses in the country. but i'm disillutioned with student life here, as well as the citizens of nottingham in general. just go to the city centre at any time of the day, or simply stay in on a friday/weekend night and be prepared to throw off any preconceived notions of england as cultured and refined. then again, this is probably true of other uk cities too.

and a mighty piece of bad news: I LOST MY PHONE IN CAMBRIDGE.
sighhhhhhhh and i'm really not feeling well- stomach and head, the usual problem areas are feeling weird. it seems as though i have a 101 things to do. my room's still in a mess because of the packing!!! :(
anyway, i have a new number cos i've an extra SIM card so will email family and close friends.

Cambridge

2008-06-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

Clockwise from top left: The bridge of sighs, St. John's College, new friends made outside King's College, unsecured bicycles outside King's College.

Cambridge is beautiful.. I think it's my favourite town in the UK. I definitely wanna go back again! A day trip isn't enough. :)

Summer love

2008-06-05T17:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday and today, we glimpsed a faint rainbow after a long period of storm. Thank you God.

Here's favourite Thornton's ice cream with my favourite person! :) Double scoop of strawberry, pomegranate and blueberry sorbet (new flavour)
Tres bien!

We're all really busy now because of packing. Planning to transfer our stuff tmr. Lots to blog about. Just a short update on what I've been up to midweek:

1) Ensuite rooms are full- I'm on the waiting list.

2) I've bought a Lonely Planet guidebook on Spain and travel insurance. (Dazz you don't have to bring the guidebooks!)

3) Went for Home Group last night. Cat & Andy gave us a lift. It was very good!

4) I spontaneously introduced Liz, a lovely English lady who works with the chaplaincy, to Picasa and blogging! She was looking for her pictures of Cambridge to show me, but couldn't find them on her computer. So I asked her whether she heard of Picasa- things just started from there. It culminated it me helping her set up a blog for Globe Cafe that does outreach to international students. :) It was a joy teaching her, listening to her marvel at the simplest things in technology that we all take for granted. Also, her appreciation was so genuine and heartfelt; it made me feel so valued and happy. I was even praising God, "thank You that I can meet the needs of others and contribute, in a small way, to Your work!" It's common knowledge among those who know me that I'm rather computer illiterate. James Pang my IT teacher has teased me mercilessly on the "recycle bin" story! I never thought that my rudimentary IT skills would ever be useful to someone else, more so an organisation. But God proved me wrong. He showed me that He can use my skills, however limited I think they are. And I guess it's the same for whatever I invest my time and effort in- God can use my intellect, knowledge, legal training, interpersonal skills, healthy body and maybe even basic cooking ability for His glory! :)

accomodation

2008-06-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

i've so much time on my hands now i can finally sit and do what i love most. write.

thus the sudden spurt of long blogposts instead of the usual short ones with lots of photos. :)

i've been thinking of moving out of my studio room, into an ensuite room! the difference is tt a studio is comprehensive- it has a kitchen, toilet, study area in a bedroom, whereas an ensuite has the same things minus the kitchen, which is communal. there are really nice names for the different flats- studio flats are called redwoods, hemlocks or larches, while ensuite flats are called mulberries or laurels.

how i got the idea of staying in an ensuite room was really silly. the bf and i were out on a post-dinner walk to digest the food (mum will be proud of me! i did not sit in front of the TV/computer straight after dinner!) .he pointed out the ensuite rooms on the top floor of mulberries, which look like attics because they have windows on the slanting roof that open up to the sky. sooooo nice right!!! i saw the photo of such a room in the Broadgate Park (the student residence village where i stay) accomodation brochure and i'm in love with it. so he's been telling everyone tt i only want the ensuite room because of the window! -_-

apart from the window, the pros of staying in ensuite is that the kitchen is shared between the corridor mates, so at least there is more human interaction, as well as physical space. a studio is completely self-sufficient and therefore self-contained. my belief that it's designed for anti-social hermits who can't mix around with others or don't like doing so. the people on my corridor are very unfriendly without exception- be it the french girl next door or inconsiderate korean boys a few doors away.. i've a singaporean junior who hates his overseas experience in notts mainly because he's staying in a studio- there was once, during the exam period that he didn't see anyone at all for 3 whole weeks. poor guy, and it's his first year too. simply put, staying in a studio is extremely lonely. i've vincent, but i wanna socialise with alot more people, just like hall last year. i also want alot more physical space where i can walk around- a studio is too confining. although i loved it when i moved in, i think i need a change of environment.

as for the cons,
1. noisy
because i'll be in closer proximity to more people
mulberries is also supposedly known for its partygoers

but- discussing this with xuanee, she made a good point that redwoods can get noisy too. i totally agree. the worst thing being the rude, annoying people coming back from clubbing wayyyyyy past midnight who scream, holler and sing at the top of their voices in their drunken stupor. i feel like shooting them every time. i never knew i had this vindictive side to me. :(

2. i may get uncooperative or noisy flatmates who don't bother to wash up etc.

but- i guess i can make a special request for quiet flatmates though. or request to stay with another friend from law school.

3. i'll be further away from vincent, who is bent on continuing to stay in a studio cos he's very fussy about his kitchen.

but- that may be a good thing, because i want more personal space, which he has firmly promised to give me next year. as for meals, i can just go over to his place when i don't feel like cooking.

that's about it.

May I have your opinions please? Where should I stay next year? Studio (redwoods) or ensuite (mulberries) ?

Thanks lots! :)

home alone

2008-06-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

the bf has at the last minute left me home alone again. tonight's the 2nd night that i cooked and ate dinner on my own. i got a shock when xuanee told me he's in london now and tt he may not be coming back for a few more days. !!! then i checked my phone and saw his messages. asking me to pray for him tt he can go back to notts tmr. london and/or bath??!! i'm confused, i've no idea where he's going. bleahhhh

so i'm very grateful for xuanee who took the initiative to go up to my room for a chat and to present me with a box of 12 krispy kremes!! :) it's really so nice and generous of her. we went out to the city later and it was fun shopping with a girl for a change. we bought colourful GAP boxers for our respective malaysian bfs and Zara kids clothes for her sis and my niece. i'm really glad that i could confide in her about the recent issues that i've been facing. it's very refreshing to hear a 3rd party perspective. something in particular which struck me was how she said "vincent is such a good guy!" "he treats u so well and loves u so much" "talk things through with him first". it's just comforting to know that ppl who know us can see for themselves his love and care for me; that i'm not harbouring any delusions about the relationship. i should be more appreciative and not so discontented. i've been really grumpy and mean to him. sometimes i wonder, why does he love me so much? why is he so sure? i really don't see myself as that special.

anyway, we had a long, serious talk last night and he told me alot of revelations which he had over the past 2 days, when he was going through alot of stress and suffering. thank you God. you really do answer prayers, in your time. i'm over the moon. so proud and happy for vincent that he's finally convicted of all the stuff i've been telling him over the past 1. 5 years!! :) he's matured so much since we first knew each other. he's been listening to my Christian music repeatedly, voraciously reading the Bible and alot of my Christian books and surprise surprise, asking me to pray and study the bible together almost every night! i would never have expected this from him. the ex bad boy. God, You are amazing, You do change and convict the mose unlikely people.

so vincent told me that he wants to:

1) be a serious christian and love God again.

2) make sure that we go to church every sunday- no excuses of waking up late or of tiredness.

3) be involved in house group (bible study) and help out in church

4) let go of his bitterness towards God. he realised instead that God has been good to him despite all the setbacks that he has faced this year! the key is not to focus on the self, but on God. it's not about us, it's about Him! and then one's perspective would be set right again.

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth
Will go strangely dim
In the light of Your glory and grace"
- From a Christian song

5) he apologised repeatedly to me, for various reasons. and then he promised to give me my own space next year, as well as his encouragement for me to meet my friends and new people without tagging along. yes he's almost always the only guy whichever group of friends we hang out with! hahaha. since he has no close guy friends after jason went back, he said that he will get to know more Christian guys in church because he wants their friendship and advice! most importantly, that he will not try to do everything for me, but instead, guide me and let me learn it myself. a good example being cooking. he realised that doing so would retard my personal growth in different aspects and impede my quest towards independence, contrary to one of the main reasons i'm studying overseas.

6) work very very very hard next year and excel in his studies!

praise the Lord! to those who have been praying for him/us, thank you so much. :)

p.s while i was typing this, i received a text from xuanee, stating "vincent wants me to tell u he loves u very much :-) very rou ma". hahaha aww

Reborn bookworm

2008-05-31T13:41:00.000-07:00

I've always been a bookworm. I was weaned on Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, Carolyn Keene's (spelt correctly?)Nancy Drew, Sherlock Holmes and illustrated classics such as Little Women and The Count of Monte Cristo. I remember going to Popular bookstore as a 6 year old to buy my beloved Enid Blyton books that had wonderful stories which let my imagination soar. Teenage years' reading moved on to Sweet Valley (I'm ashamed), The Babysitter's Club, fantasy books for a short while and many recommended literature texts outside my syllabus such as The Silver Sword and To Kill a Mockingbird. I also had the privilege of reading many Christian books, such as "The Diary of a Teenage Girl" series, lovingly given to me by Cheh for birthdays and other special occasions.

As a child / pre-teen, I would read all day, even in the toilet, in the garden and at night in my room under the blanket with a torchlight. My mum always scolded me for reading so obsessively. My favourite haunt was the 2nd floor of Marine Parade Library, which had glass panelling and large black leather chairs and couches. I met like-minded book lovers in Secondary 1 and 2- dearest Hazel, whom I still remember said without hesitation, that her hobbies were "reading, reading, reading". But when I went into Secondary 3 & 4, I stopped reading fiction entirely. Firstly, there was simply not enough time. Schoolwork was alot heavier than lower secondary days and there was the introduction of incomprehensible Physics which tortured me to no end. I failed every test except the MCQ one. :( Secondly, the group of so-called friends I hung out with weren't inclined to reading or study at all; their attentions more focused on other more frivolous stuff. As such, I too got distracted by all sorts of stupid things. Thirdly, I had my first relationship which was a complete mess, leaving me a wreck. It is probably no surprise that I didnt do as well as expected for my O'Levels although I'd always been a top student. By God's grace however, I still managed to get into VJC. :) Fourthly, I was told that reading fiction was useless. Better to read current affairs or non-fiction, at least you'll learn something useful! Which at the time, I thought was true to a large extent. With that, my reading fiction was extinguished completely. On hindsight, so was my love for art and craft.

I finally rekindled my love of reading recently, thanks to Oxfam Books & Music, which has a shop in the small neighbourhood I live in. Over the past few months, I've bought about 10 books and given back 2. The best thing is that they stock all the bestsellers, albeit 2nd hand, at great prices ranging from 1.50 - 3.50 GBP. I'm sooo happy it's my favourite shop in Beeston after Sainsbury's.

So far, I've read, in descending order:

1. The Pianist
(Unforgettable, moving autobiography about the Holocaust set in Warsaw's Jewish ghetto . It portrays human nature at its most raw. I like the inclusion of diary extracts belonging to the Pianist's German saviour- a rare insight to his motivations and beliefs, which helps to explain his extraordinary acts of bravery and kindness. Watch the movie too!)

2. Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
(One of my fave authors! A powerful, haunting book about love, alienation, meaning, war and the supernatural. Widely regarded to be Murakami's masterpiece. I couldn't put it down. I finished it in a night and the next morning. Reading this and The Pianist has partly contributed to my melancholy mood.)

3. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
(A Ukrainian tart marries a 80+ year old Ukrainian man living in Peterborough, whose daughters are up in arms against the marriage. Most enjoyable. Very witty and funny!!)

4. The Time Traveler's Wife
(Wasn't worth the hype; I didn't really like it. Too much dialogue. The ending was touching though)

5. Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami
(Well-crafted, evocative writing. Very sad though. A constant theme in his works is the alienation and loneliness of living in an urban society)

Other unread/or half-read books on my shelf include:

6. Life of Pi

7. Fasting, Feasting

8. The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency

9. On Chesil Beach

10. God's Lavish Grace

11. Glory Days

exams over

2008-05-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

Vincent had his last paper today, Commercial Law, which was better than expected. :) He was so worried about it.
Praise the Lord!

At the bus stop outside the University Park campus, waiting to catch the bus to town

At the fountain in Old Market Square. We took a picture here after our exams last year too! We were both in hats. Cowboy hat and jungle girl hat. :)

It was a glorious summer day when Mr Sun finally decided to make an appearance after days of rain and gloomy weather.
Many kids running around half naked playing with water! My siblings and I used to do that too, with water from the garden hose :D
We also had a small inflatable pool when my younger sis and I were toddlers. I love my childhood :)

Everybody was out enjoying the sun! People smile alot more when Mr Sun is out.

Oh we saw Burton (Dorothy Perkin's "brother" shop) doing a Mr Men series of T-shirts. Told Vincent to get "Mr Noisy" or "Mr Bump", because he chatters away all the time and gets into alot of accidents. Hehe

musings

2008-05-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

unwillingly, i do all my serious thinking at night. which really sucks because in the day i am tired and have headaches and become the blur dreamy carol which most of u know.

yet i'm here at my computer while everyone is fast asleep at 3am, because i want to write this down. i've never been completely honest in my blog, because what i post is not limited to my family or close friends. the internet is a very public place and i don't want certain people, or people whom i don't know reading about my deepest thoughts and feelings.

having a blog is really different from having a diary because one tends to self-censor for fear that one's writings reach an unintended audience. as such, scrolling through the archives of my blog, you'll see mainly superficial, day to day posts. but i want to be more honest and go deeper.

anyway the profound insight that i've had about my own life is how i am so driven by fear of other peoples' judgments. as i was reflecting on the whole blogging issue, i realised that it's true of myself in real life too. in conversations with others, i am the listener. most of the time, i'm genuinely interested in what's going on in a person's life and i ask questions, i listen, i am concerned. and yet, i never ever seem to be able to open up to others about my struggles and fears. i am afraid of being judged. i hate to disappoint other people. alternatively, certain things are just too painful for me to bring up. alot of people think my life is perfect, or close to being so. i have a loving, well-to-d0 family, and a bright future as a lawyer ahead of me.

yet there are some painful experiences, like the crushing lows of my volleyball days or turbulent secondary 3-4 years fraught with cliques, petty fights, ostrasism, bad-mouthing, backstabbing, confrontations and heartbreak- which i have never mentioned to anyone. 5 years later, i still find it hard to tell even my boyfriend about this. how do i even begin?? i find it so hard to open up; so i bottle up my thoughts and emotions. why? i do so badly want to present to the world an image of being strong, smart and successful. yet i know this is all a front, that i suffer from lack of self-esteem, that i find it hard to fit in with my peers, that i am so fearful of what other people think of me.

there have been some breakthroughs though. i take comfort in the fact that God knows everything and that He loves me- something which i learnt in a powerful way during brighton's church camp in 2006. that's another story.

a more recent someone (other than my family) for whom i feel tremendously blessed is my boyfriend. between us, it has always been him loving me more than i love him. perhaps a 40-60 or even 30-70 balance? (i feel guilty about this sometimes.) knowing and constantly being assured, through his actions and words that he loves me so deeply, enables me to share with him openly without any fear of being judged. also, the fact that he knows nothing about my pre-notts self requires me to talk at length about my past. he's a great listener. :) talking to him has brought back alot of long-forgotten memories. like how, as a child, i loved to open the refrigerator and pop a precious lump of rock sugar into my mouth. :D i don't mind him calling me "sugar monster" and telling my friends that i'm a "sugar monster" though. haha

but i know he's not enough. so to all my close friends and family, i apologise for being emotionally distant and only talking about superficial things. i don't do it intentionally and i am still learning to speak up about things which affect me. i hope that this post has enabled you to connect more emotionally to me.

Motivation

2008-05-23T05:55:00.001-07:00

Nothing in this world that's worth having comes easy.
- A note stuck on my noticeboard from Vincent

Just one more day to go..

Exam update

2008-05-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

European Union law was HORRIBLE.
I've never sat for a paper which went so badly before.. :( I didn't sleep the entire night before because I just couldn't- too anxious and worried. Writing the 18 page legal research essay already left me exhausted. The paper itself was bad. Unexpected, took a different turn from all the previous years' exams.
It has completely killed off any interest in EU-related 3rd year modules. Like the European Convention of Human Rights. I'll stick to stuff I understand, however boring.

The trauma of EU has at least taught me a lesson- I've always managed to get away with last minute work. But it didn't work this time. Tough lesson, but one valued. What a waste, this year's academic performance started off so well for me. Next year, to make up for my dismal performance this semester, I will aim for all 1st class grades.

Criminal law went better than expected though, I was well-prepared. The only thing is that I didn't finish the last question!!!! SAD :( It's always a question of which to sacrifice- detail, or breadth. 45 minutes each for 4 essays is way too demanding. Oh, and last night, while revising, there was a sharp, acute pain in my right forearm that lasted throughout the night. Vincent quickly whipped out frozen sausages from the freezer, wrapped them in a towel and put them on my arm. Haha. He always knows what to do. Thankfully the pain was gone this morning..

Sorry these posts are so boring.. But I'm sure they'll be of interest to aspiring law students like my sister! Heheee :)

Next up: Land law. There is reasonable foresight (objective test), or shall I say virtual certainty (Woollin test) of it being a challenging exam. Grimace..

I can't believe that we'll never have to touch Criminal Law or EU law again... The brevity of it all! I actually did enjoy Criminal law alot, plus I have a really nice Greek tutor.

Can't wait for the exams to be over!!!

Summer catalogue

2008-05-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

Summer #1 I support GAP clothes and accessories

Summer #2 Say hello to a Korean concubine with huge floral headgear.

Summer #3 Rachel, aged 5. A natural!

Summer #4 Tired look after Garden Party.

Perfect summer days

2008-05-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

I sneakily took this shot through the trees because there were neighbours watching. This crazy angmoh was sprawled out on a public patch of grass for all the world to see, basking in the sun. Not an uncommon sight here I must say..

We attended Cat's garden party celebration. I love the comfy swings! :-)

Meet Ivy, a Taiwanese Master's student and Cat, the birthday girl. I like them both very much- Soft-spoken and gentle.
I found a new travel companion in Ivy :) I first met her during Pancake Day, again at Cat's house. we're going to somewhere in the UK after the exams. Maybe the Lake District?
Cat is the most thoughtful person I know here; she's always trying to involve me in things by inviting me over or asking me out. Really blessed to know her!

I'm here with Yolanda, from Hong Kong. She's really fun and outgoing! She loves chocolate and travelling too! We were roommates during New Word Alive in Wales. Together we braved the freezing nights wrapped up in our down jackets.. haha. Too bad she's an exchange student who's going back soon. Oh yes, she reminds me alot of Maumau... hehe

Right, EU Law exam on Tuesday, Criminal Law on Thursday... Please pray for me ok! It'll be over in 2 weeks time!!!!!!!

Down

2008-05-04T17:31:00.001-07:00

I was feeling extremely discouraged about my Legal Research Essay just now, because I cannot seem to focus and compile all my research into an essay. The essay is about the rules of intoxication in Criminal Law and the deadline is on Tuesday, 6 may. I keep getting distracted whenever I'm stuck- end up doing other things which make me even more tired. It's a mental block of fear and "I can't"; which has been building up since the Easter holidays when I was trying to get the essay done.

But I'm feeling alot better now- After Vincent gave me a head and neck massage, made me hot cholocate and is now going to make me a nutella sandwich. Most importantly, I asked him to pray for me and then I prayed myself too. :) I asked God to take away the mental obstacles that I faced and that I am giving Him my fear and worries. Also that the results are in His hands, I will just do what needs to be done. Reminded myself of this truth which Cheh used to write in her encouragement cards to me over the years "For God has not given me a spririt of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and self-control". I pinned it up on my noticeboard and put it up on my blog; partly because I was reading about how publicly performed behaviour influences and validates self-conception in my Psychology text. And of course, as a reminder of God's truth!

Also on my noticeboard is a poem from Daddy dated 31 October 1999- The last stanza reads

"Look down when up
And up when down
The one and only
He is up, There".

Springtime

2008-04-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Cherry blossoms and daffodils near Hallward Library

Cherry blossoms in Broadgate Park, where I stay. :)

I only thought cherry blossoms could be found in Japan, but I am so wrong! There are sooo many cherry blossom trees here; there's even a place called Cherry Tree Hill on my campus. I love cherry blossoms; their ephemeral quality gives them a fragile, fleeting beauty.

Ok back to the books.....

continuation from the last post

2008-04-30T04:19:00.000-07:00

Being on the redbubble homepage twice has generated 976 views, 124 comments and 86 favouritings. To see the special photo, click here: http://www.redbubble.com/people/jebus/art/1052062-1-mother-and-child

Anyway, I received another internship offer from Allen & Gledhill! I'll be interning in the corporate department from 11 Aug- 29 Aug. As for WongPartnership, I'll be an intern there in July. So, 5 weeks of internship in 2 top firms!! :) Looks like I can afford to buy a new camera already.. Probably a Fujifilm one that will help my shaky hands. And start taking lessons from the pro!

Alright, 2 weeks to the exams!!
Focus!

cute kitten

2008-04-24T05:19:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Vincent! Another photo that he took of this adorable newborn kitten is featured on the homepage of www.redbubble.com.
Do check it out!
It'll make a perfect mothers' day card/poster. :)

brighten my day

2008-04-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've been baking alot. Perhaps to dispel some pre-exam stress?
Above: cornflakes, walnut and oat cookies. Below: Vincent's 2nd attempt at making a heart-shaped cookie. :)

Anyway, the exams are in 3 weeks time.

13 May: European Union Law

16 May: Criminal Law

22 May: Land Law

24 May: Individual in Society (Psychology)

Please keep me and Vincent in prayer! :) Thank you.

We went to the city centre today to indulge; it'll probably be the last time until the exams are over.
Ate dimsum at Manho to make me happy.. hehe and then it was shopping time! I can't comprehend why there's a GAP sale everytime we go to the city. They just want to make me spend money!!! I bought a navy blue hoodie and a formal white shirt for internship. I especially LOVE the hoodie!!!! It's so soft and the colour is so nice. :) The Body Shop was having a sale too and I got 6 GBP off my purchases. Then we headed down to M&S for grocery shopping.. Really, M&S food is exceptional. Bought Aberdeen & Angus beef mince, among others, for the shepherd's pie tonight which turned out very well, thanks to Peach. And a colourful striped mug and plate (also on sale) from Whittard. So that was major retail theraphy to keep me going!

Reflections

2008-04-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

Initially, I wasn't looking forward to going to New Word Alive at all. But I'm soooo glad I did... :)

There were so many wonderful things about the conference that I really don't know where to begin.

1. Teaching
Renowned speakers such as John Piper, Terry Virgo and Don Carson preached at the conference. It was really solid, mind-engaging teaching. Some of the topics were controversial, such as suffering, but the speakers really helped to clarify issues and best of all, based everything they taught on a careful study of the Bible. It was just sooooooo good. The Bible Overview series every morning was excellent too; really helpful.

2. Location
Beautiful, scenic place surrounded by the mountains of Snowdonia.. It was a very relaxing break. :)

3. People
-God has really blessed me through my caravan mates.
-Cat did a great job in organising the trip for international students from Nottingham; we didn't have to worry about accomodation, food or admin matters at all. Whereas the Singaporean students from London had to arrange those things themselves, which was a real hassle!
-Also, the presence of 4000 Christians at the conference was very encouraging to me, that there were so many others of the same faith, trying to live a godly life. Previously I'd been feeling very alone and defeated, due to various reasons such as lack of Christian peers, pressure from school, lapse in spending time with God, very worldly surroundings and mindsets etc.. But now I feel free to delight in God's word and worship again. Also, I've started reading this book "Glory Days" which Vincent bought for me at the bookstore there and it helped to change my perspective! :)

New Word Alive 2008

2008-04-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

More than a conqueror in Christ!

Ever the thrill seeker, he go-karted twice in a row!!! Haha he was sooo high after that.

Caravan-mates (minus Yolanda). From left: me, Vincent, Liz, Chye Fong and Cat. Vincent, as always, is with the girls, even though he was supposed to be in the boys' caravan! But I'm glad he joined me though. It was really a blessing to be able to stay and interact with such a group of sincere, caring and matured Christians. We had a very good time together and I learned alot from them too. :)

Caravan 59, Snowdonia View!

Snowdonia

2008-04-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

Pwhelli, Wales

I was so excited to see the sea after 6 months! It was just a 2 minute walk from the conference site.

The amazing multi-coloured pebbles that filled an entire beach! Vincent and I had a very good time hunting for the most special pebbles to bring home.

Low tide. The sun finally came out! It rained intermittently all week in Wales.

Midway point on the trek to the farthest stretch of sea cliffs. We went there 3 days in a row!

2008-04-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

I'm back from New Word Alive!

It was excellent!!!! :)

Getaway

2008-04-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

We're going to Wales tomorrow for New Word Alive. There's a couple from church who'll be driving us there!

Anyway, the conference is from 7-11 April, in Hafan y Mor Holiday Park, Pwllheli, North Wales. Accomodation will be in caravans :)

I'm really excited! It'll be a nice refreshing change to get out of Nottingham. Smell the fresh air, go for walks on the hills, watch sheep etc.

Will be taking my Psychology and Criminal Law books though..

My revision process is plagued by inertia. Have started but just can't focus! So slow; where is my sense of urgency...

The relevance of Psychology

2008-04-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

Finally, something I'm learning seems to be immediately applicable and impactful on my daily life.

I'm revising for my Psychology module and I found this topic on Nature VS Nature useful and illuminating. Excerpts from "The Psychology of Childhood" are summarised below.

With regard to the role of nurture in particular (since we can't change our genetically endowed intelligence), researchers have asked whether an enriched environment gives rise to higher IQ.

Diet and nutrition
Benton & Roberts have found that giving vitamin supplementation increases the IQ of the recipient children dramatically. However, their provocative findings were not replicated in another study. Benton explained the discrepancies in the findings by suggesting that additional vitamins will be redundant in improving a child's IQ score if the child's diet is adequate
in terms of vitamin content. In contrast, if the child has a vitamin deficient diet, this could prevent her brain from operating to its full potential.

The lesson to be learnt is that a healthy diet is vital to mental functioning.
An inadequate diet puts one at a distinct disadvantage!

After reading this, I went oh my goodness, I'd better put in more effort at eating a healthy and balanced diet! More fruits and veggies, as well as a faithful daily consumption of the cocktail of vitamins Mum has entrusted me with: DHA, Chorella, Wheatgrass, Vitamin C etc etc etc. Better force Vincent to take his vitamins too!

Social and psychological factors
According to Elardo et al, factors which they believe to contribute to an enriched environment are as follows:
1) Mother's voice conveys positive feeling when speaking to child.
2) Mother structures child's play periods.
3) Mother reads stories at least 3 times weekly
4) Age-appropriate learning equipment is provided for child.
5) Child gets out of house at least 4 times a week.
etc

This would be so relevant for Cheh. :)

After reading this I told that I cannot be cooped up in my room all day anymore! Must go out to breathe in the fresh air, admire the daffodils etc.

I'm feeling quite proud of myself today cos I exercised: skipping, crunches and weights. ;)

Ok I'm going off to cut an orange.

2008-04-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

It's the first day of a new month.. April!

Time to get serious and work hard! FOCUS

All the best everyone who has exams and coursework deadlines coming up!

Thanks for all the encouragement dear friends :)

We can do it!

new hairstyle

2008-03-31T06:13:00.000-07:00

At Cafe Uno, which had a very cosy Italian atmosphere. Unfortunately the food was disappointing so we adjourned to Pitcher & Piano for the delicious brownie and chocolate cocktail! :)

I like my hair now- it's alot thinner and lighter... Haha. This shot is for Mummy who wants to see my new hairstyle!

Anyway, Spring is beautiful but I haven't really got the chance to truly enjoy it yet. I'm really worried about the upcoming exams, in a month and a half's time. Also I've got this 18 page legal research essay about criminal law which is giving me a BIG headache. I spent about a week just contemplating its structure. And I've got a week left to write it. Terribly worried to the point that I'm not sleeping well at night. :( Please send me your support!!

Flat 14/14, Redwoods

2008-03-24T06:20:00.000-07:00

Finally, some photos of my room! I'll be staying here again next year :)

catcat

2008-03-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

I realise I've difficulty remembering the day-to-day events of my uni life as I haven't been journalling. Hence I shall attempt to blog more. There isn't really anything exciting to blog about though.

Went to the library today in a bid to start my 18 page legal research essay on intoxication.
So many Brits were there too; why didn't they just go home?!! If I could I would go home too. :(
Anyway, it's such a difficult question. I'm clueless as to its structure.
Would I advice anyone to do law? Only if they're smart, analytical, disciplined and able to work really really hard. Of late I have been extremely distracted, slow and unmotivated when it comes to studies. It's terrible how I waste sooo much time doing nothing. I've got to stop this sluggish attitude!

Sigh so much work to do even during the holidays. :( How to enjoy?
On the bright side, V and I have been watching movies almost every night during dinner. Last night we cooked yong tao foo ourselves!!! :D Cool right? Watched 200 Pounds Beauty as we ate. I've got a sudden craze for Korean movies; we've watched My Sassy Girl and Windstruck again.
Jun Ji Hyun is soooooo pretty.

Beef balls
I was whining how Vincent always got to do the fun stuff like making the beef balls while I, as the designated washer-woman always had to fulfil my washing duties and chopping. So this crazy boy mized up ALL the nicely done balls into a huge lump and told me that I could make it again! At first I was really mad at him but when I started moulding the beef into balls I couldn't help but smile. Unconventional, certainly not practical but he loves me all the same.

Taking over the dishes. Heh heh!

Steamed minced prawn on tofu! :)

The Japanese cat keychain which he bought for me on Sunday. I told him I had a cat pouch exactly like this, but the cat dropped out of the pouch, so he secretly bought it and slipped it into my shopping bag!! I didn't even know. tsk tsk tsk. Now it hangs proudly on my notice-board, a cute and cheerful reminder to study hard! :) Sunday outing to the city was really fun, we went shopping at GAP (sale again!) where I got sneakers for 5pounds, a whopping one-seventh of its original price and a striped formal shirt at half price (15pounds). He got jeans and my sneakers, paid by his 25pound birthday gift voucher from the girls. We went for sushi buffet at Skinny Sumo :) Vincent will be frying teppanyaki there in 2 weeks time! Haha! He's teaching A level law tuition as I type this. What an industrious boy. I'm proud of him!

new bicycle

2008-03-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

I bought a new (2nd hand) Raleigh bike today! I loooove it! It's alot better than my current bike- more gears, newer tires and stronger frame. Riding up the hill doesn't take the wind out of me anymore. Previously, my lungs were always choking for air, my heart thudding explosively, my knees aching from the frantic uphill peddling. So yay! It was a good deal for a good bike; I got 20 pounds reduced from the original price. I'm happy with my new silver bike :D Vincent helped me to choose it. I will post pics of it soon! I never thought I'd be biking to school and my neighbourhood- cos the only place I used to bike was at East Coast Park back home! Was very afraid initially but I'm proud to say I'm a real pro on the road now. Hehe

Went to eat hot pot last night to celebrate Jenn's early bday. She's such a great girl- So confident and matured; I can't believe she's younger than me. Pictures will be up soon! Went to Pitcher & Piano afterthat; it's a church converted into a bar (blasphemous I know) where we had meaningful conversations and the most delicious chocolate brownie. To Dazz- I'll bring u and Daddy there when u visit!

Anyway, the Easter holidays start this Friday!
Not much of a holiday though cos the year end exams are after that.

Oh I cut my hair too! It's much thinner and I've got a fringe now. I like it- a big change from my previous hairstyles! Again, pics will be up soon.

Sorry all the posts are about random superficial things.

presents from peach

2008-03-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

Gifts with love (pre and post Valentine's)

Sheep version of Tic-tac-toe

My window sill.

Valentine's flowers arranged by my someone special. He bought roses, tulips and hyacinths from different shops, put them together and left them outside my door!

Meet Patrick :) He's soft and squishy!

Vincent's photos

2008-03-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

For some fantastic photography and gifts, check out Vincent's artwork at www.redbubble.com/people/jebus

You won't regret it! :)

Updates

2008-03-01T06:03:00.000-08:00

I'm sick. Down with flu- Stuffy/runny nose, sore throat and general fatigue.

Because of that, Vincent and I missed going to the Peak District with Cat and Andy, who were going to drive us there! :(

Don't worry about me though, because the boyfriend is taking very good care of me. He cooked oxtail/beef kuay teow soup for me and or beh (a chinese glutinous rice dessert) recently. With all his 5-star culinary skills, you'd think I'd put on weight but I've actually lost weight! Yay! Haha

Anyway, good news because he got an internship in Singapore too!! In August so all you people back home who are so excited to meet him can finally do so.

And my Dermalogica products arrived at my doorstep yesterday. :)
I was actually starting to doubt the online company that I bought it from because it'd been 3 days when I expected next-day delivery but those doubts were unfounded. Excellent products with free samples! I LOVE Dermalogica, their products are very effective, gentle and best of all, smell fabulous.

Ok gtg now.. Bye!

Expensive skincare

2008-02-25T19:06:00.000-08:00

I just spent about 70 pounds on Dermalogica products.

So much money gone!!! :( But at least they're cheaper here than in Singapore.

They'd better work on my skin.

I'm not going to buy anything (excluding groceries) for a long long time. At least I won't be travelling this Easter, so that's a few hundred pounds saved. Maybe I'll attend a Bible conference in Wales.

On the bright side, I got another internship offer, from Lee & Lee. ie the law firm set up by Lee Kuan Yew! I don't know whether to accept it or wait for other firms to reply..

Going to the city now.. Whee!! I love Tuesdays, it's free day for 2nd year law students.

Internship

2008-02-21T08:35:00.000-08:00

I got an internship offer today! :)

Thank u Lord!

Results back

2008-02-03T14:06:00.000-08:00

I received my results on the 31st and I'm really happy with them! It was truly unexpected.

Overall I got a high 2:1, a very big improvement from last semester.

Criminal Law was the most surprising as I expected to do badly for it. So was EU, on which I had given up all hope!

What can I say? I deserve no credit. All praise goes to the Lord :D

Also to my boyfriend who was always there for me no matter how tired and discouraged I was.

And to all back home who were faithfully and lovingly praying for me.

I love you all!

To celebrate, I went to town with Vincent :) The post-xmas/new year sales were still on and I spent 11 pounds on 3 items. Not bad huh! I got a white T-shirt and black pin-striped pants from Zara and a red long-sleeved shirt from GAP. I shall not do anymore shopping for the month!
Vincent then treated me to a lovely dinner at a French restaurant where we had the most delicious warm chocolate cake which had a moist centre, topped with vanilla ice cream.

Next week will be REALLY busy!! Alot of dinners to attend/host. :)
One of which is Pancake Day at Cat's home (my English friend from church). Updates soon!

BATH

2008-02-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

BATH continued

Visit to a glass blowing factory- it was very educational.

Next up we went to the Roman baths, which was established when England was under Roman occupation. This is Sulis Minerva, pagan goddess of the baths. People at that time used to write curses on lead, crush them and throw them into the baths in the hope that she would answer them! It was pretty funny seeing all their curses like "The person who stole my cloak should lose his eyes/mind".

The hot springs itself, which heated the entire building. To this day, the water is still bubbling and you can see the vapour evaporating.

BATH!

2008-02-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

BATH (end of January exams trip)

We had English cream tea at Sally Lunn's, who has world famous Bath buns.. I had cinnamon flavoured ones while Vincent had clotted cream and strawberry. After our lunch we went downstairs to visit the original 15th century bakery, which has been given a new lease of life as a museum.

Outside Pulteney Bridge, which is a medieval bridge modelled after the original bridge in Florence. It has the quaintest shops in the Bridge itself!

River Avon

The Royal Crescent.

Puff Fuzz

2008-01-29T13:11:00.001-08:00

I haven't been updating my blog regularly, sorry to those who want updates!

Well things are alright here. The pace of school work is still leisurely before tutorials start next week.

I've been feeling very anxious about all the applications and school work though. Applied to a few UK firms but am not expecting very much because of tremendous competition as well as the fact that I applied so near the deadline. I finally decided to get it done and over with after weeks of procrastination and uncertainty as to where I wanna work in the future.

I got my results for my Psychology coursework yesterday- Vincent and I ran down to the Pysch building right after our last Law lecture to get the results before the Psych reception closed. I was rather disappointed with my results because I expected to do better. But I still managed to get a high 2:1 afterall at my first attempt in studying Psychology! Oh well :)

I concluded that the Law course is alot better- better teaching, facilities (our reception doesn't have limited opening hours for instance) and online support.
I was aghast that I don't have any tutorials at all for my Psychology module this semester. How to prepare for exam then?!!!

I've also started watching Heroes. Hehee.. It's really good! And I'm on Season 2 right now.

It's dinner time now and Vincent my wonderful chef boyfriend has cooked up a storm... :D
Got to go!

gracie and me

2008-01-21T16:10:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2007

This is a long overdue picture of my best buddy Grace and me outside Trent Building in my uni campus. To Grace- I'm printing this and it's going up on my noticeboard! :) Thanks for coming down to Nottingham with me, I really enjoyed your company!

It was only 4+ in the afternoon and the sun was setting. It was glorious- the pinkish blue hues splashed across the canvas of the sky.

I played tour guide, bringing Grace, a girl from China whose ambition is to go the beautiful "Nuo Da", around University Park for a walk. We were too full to sit down after a delicious Christmas lunch at the Skippers', a very nice couple at church who invited us to their home.

Next up is the photos from Bath, which is still in Vincent's camera.

Plans for tmr:

-Gym in the morning

- Way overdue cleaning of room

-Laundry

-Land law lecture

sem2 starts

2008-01-21T15:38:00.000-08:00

School just started today, but I feel like being back home.
Spoke to Dazz, Mum and Dad yesterday and soooo much is going on at home now. Hearing from family is always so encouraging and uplifting :)

Independence can get quite tiring sometimes.

Daily studying, cooking, cleaning + other commitments takes up so much time; I feel that I don't really have enough time for myself.

This semester, I want to have more control over my time.

Goals
-No more late nights, I want to sleep early and wake up early.
-No more headaches, lethargy
-Regular exercise (gym/tennis/swimming)
-Be more confident, more secure
-Be motivated and disciplined with regard to studies
-Stop worrying

Exams over

2008-01-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

I finished my exams on 14 Jan. Wooohoo!
But I don't feel all free and wonderful because I messed up Criminal Law. :(
Was feeling very sick and uncomfortable in the morning of the paper- churning stomach, headache and persistent tiredness. Which is strange because I've been getting enough sleep!
I do feel very annoyed with myself for messing it up since the exam was easier than expected. Sigh. At least it isn't counted!!!

Less than one week of holiday left before school starts again.
So far, I've cooked 2 very delicious Chinese meals (with the Chef's instructions of course) and baked brownies. Tmr we're going to Bath! :D
Vincent finishes his Commercial Law exam today.
Thanks for all the prayers!

Semester 2 will be a NEW start!
Cheers!

2007-12-30T16:40:00.000-08:00

London, continued...

Bubble tea and mango sago in an asian teahouse

Grace acting cute haha

The fattest, furriest and friendliest cat ever.. :D it approached Grace and I on a London street. We spent about 20 minutes stroking it; I was sooooo happy!

SO CUTE

2007-12-30T16:27:00.000-08:00

London, continued....

Me, Vincent, Jaclyn (his sister) and Calvin (sister's bf), outside Shakespeare's Globe

Exhibition showcasing the social divide in Tate Modern Museum. Someone asked if there was an earthquake! lol

Saint Paul's Cathedral at night

2007-12-30T16:22:00.000-08:00

Borough Market, London
(Food heaven!)

Pheasants, Mandarin ducks, hares, deer

Brussel sprouts on a wheelbarrow

Soooooo crowded on a Saturday morning

Vincent, Danny and Grace. I'm glad all of them got along so well! Oh yes, Grace was accompanied by 5 lawyers on her trip to Borough Market. ;)

Xmas 2007

2007-12-30T16:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2007
Leicester, London, Nottingham, UK

In Leicester's city centre with Archana

The best crepes in the world! South Kensington, London. With Grace :D

Enjoying his crepe!

home alone

2007-12-17T15:00:00.000-08:00

My home alone experience wasn't good.

I started at 7pm and once I finished cooking, eating and cleaning, it was 830pm.

The food wasn't so bad, but I ended up throwing away 1 portion of it cos I hate eating leftovers. The carrots and chicken were overcooked.. :(

It was the chopping carrots and frying in the tiny pan, with alot of food flying out, then finally the washing up which was sooooo tiring. My shoulder is aching. These mundane things take up sooo much time. I've done nothing constructive today...

I am not a domestic goddess.

At times like this, I appreciate my super boyfriend even more- he who taught me how to cook, clean, iron, self-medicate and does them for me most of the time. I really take him for granted.

And I miss him. :(

Anyway, here's the plan for the winter vacation.

18-19 dec: Leicester to visit Archana

20-23 dec: London to be with Vincent and Grace

23 dec: Back to Notts with Grace

26 dec: Vincent comes back to Notts

Ice skating

2007-12-16T08:34:00.000-08:00

Outdoor skating in Nottingham

Finally, something I can do which Vincent could not.. ice-skating!

It was his first time and after 4 falls, he could glide on ice!!! So proud of him.. Hehee

The atmosphere was so Christmassy, ice-skating out in the open, underneath the stars and the kaleidoscope of colours from the German Christmas market not far away. Families, parents literally dragging their toddler between them, young couples, friends forming a chain, annoying hooligans, girls donning headscarfs and long black cloaks, big men falling- all on ice.. :)

Afterthat we went to the German Christmas market, had German doughnuts which were yummy, German wheat beer and walked around, hand-in-hand, enjoying the festivities. The next day we were back for the garlic mushrooms, German sugared muffins and a dome-shaped amaretto whip. More photos to come...

Just for laughs

2007-12-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

Just for laughs

This is what we do when we're sick of staring at law books. :D
That's my Halloween costume which I was supposed to wear but did not eventually cos I thought it looked too slutty. Hahaa
We made the collage of photos (centre photo) during my birthday because my noticeboard looked too plain. It was an arduous process, but doing it together made it alot better :) He has an amazing artistic sense...

Anyway, after the essay deadline on Monday, we've been enjoying ourselves alot, going out to town, eating out, shopping, having friends over.. and ice-skating.

Now I'm home alone for 2 days, having sent him off to London at 8.28am this morning. And all our friends have gone home for the Christmas vacation too... Yup, so it will be a test of my home-making skills as I cook and clean for myself. So far, it's been fine, I had a bowl of cereal and 2 chunks of grilled foccacia bread from M&S. Vincent is sooo worried; before he left, he chopped all the ingredients for the soup I'm making tonight and wrote out the recipe for me. He even drew me a map of the city centre.

I'm happy and grateful for him.. It's in the little things that he does which shows me that he cares, alot. Like making 3 trips to the laundry room (for washing and drying), in the dark and chilly night, lugging 2 huge hiking backpacks full of dirty clothes, simply because he didn't want me to be out in the cold. Cooking sweet corn and carrot soup and fish porridge (which he hates), because he knows I love it. And how could I forget, he made a cucumber and avocado mask for me! Hahahaha.. All this, among many other things he does, day by day, for me. I am a blessed girl.

20th birthday

2007-12-11T19:15:00.000-08:00

My 20th Birthday

This is a bit late, but I promised my family I'd put up pictures to let them know how I celebrated my birthday this year. :)
Vincent refused to let me into his room the whole Friday and only called me at 7pm to tell me to come down to his room. When he opened the door, this is what I saw. His room, neatly tidied, just for the occasion and the table set for two. 2 tealights floating on water, a circular glow to create the atmosphere. He had been experimenting how to make the candles glow tall and bright for weeks. I was so happy and surprised, I knew he'd be cooking for me but I didn't expect everything to be so perfect. Afterall, we were eating in his room. But yes, he exceeded my expectations! The food was amazing too; gourmet style specially prepared by him. The starter was smoked salmon wrapped around a chive and cream cheese dip, and ciabatta drenched in olive oil. The main course: vanilla flavoured haddock (because he knows i like fish and sweet things), with honey roasted walnuts and mushroom risotto. And a bottle of white wine bought from the Christmas market which was really expensive. Everything went so well, even the flame died once we finished eating. What made me the happiest was the fact that someone would go to such lengths just to make my day. He'd been planning what to cook for my birthday since last summer! ie 5 months ago.. Yes, I was beaming throughout the whole dinner! That's the happiest day for both of us in the whole semester, for him because he loves to see me happy.

After that, I wanted to go back to my room to get something but he persuaded me to stay and barricaded his cupboard, hinting to me that my present was inside and that I could find it at 12am. Then when it was finally midnight, Jenn and Xuanee came in to the room with a cake lit with 20 candles! :) That was really sweet of them. Jenn stayed for a really long time and the 3 of us talked into the night. The next day we went to Frankie and Benny's, this American-Italian restaurant in town. Although not as many people as last year turned up, it was still a nice get-together with close friends. :) And that's how I turned 20.

bday

2007-12-11T19:10:00.000-08:00

That's Jenn, me and Xuanee with the birthday cake in Vincent's room,
Claire, me and Jenn,
Chen, Vincent and Aidan in Frankie and Benny's.

I really enjoyed myself and I'm glad all of us got along well during the dinner. There were conversations mainly in English and Chinese (because of Chen) and smatterings of Spanish (from Jenn and Aidan), French (from Aidan) and Malay (from Vincent). And of course, lots of laughter. Thank you God for all of them! :)
My 20th birthday was a very happy one indeed.

Bleahhhh

2007-11-28T13:38:00.000-08:00

Once I finish my tutorials tomorrow, I wanna watch Enchanted. :D

Just had the chicken curry for dinner which Vincent cooked. It's really good.. :) I'm upstairs in my room now as he entertains Otto, a Ducth friend. Vincent was telling me loads about Otto, so I'm glad I finally got to meet this enigmatic character. Talking to him at first was a little awkward because his command of English isn't very good; hence the hesitant little pauses and silences. But after a while, he warmed up and our conversation was rather pleasant. We talked about European history and the Austro-Hungarian empire which ruled much of Europe, including Holland, Germany and Italy in the 1800s. As well as church history like where the Presbytarians and Calvinists originated. For the record, it was from John Calvin. And other stuff like how most Europeans attend the festival celebrating St Nicholas instead of Christmas. He asked me how I knew and I told him it was because of Milad, a German friend from last year.

Talking to him reminds me of the amazing international experience I had in hall last year and how comfortable I felt with internationals. Had so many close friends from all over the world- Germans, French, Canadians, Brits, Singaporean/Malaysian, Hongkies, South Koreans etc. Really miss that all of them, as well as being able to engage so many of them everyday. Every meal, every moment spent in each other's rooms was a cross-cultural exchange with like-minded people. The friendships and breadth of exposure were really priceless. They opened my horizons. And now I feel both a twinge of happiness and sadness. But as Jenn said, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it's happened". Because of last year, we know there is a place for people like us.

Anyway back to Otto. In brief, Vincent went over to Otto's place for dinner. Vincent had sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and half a sausage for dinner. He began by eating the food. A few mouthfuls later, he began swallowing it without tasting it, then as it became more and more intolerable, gulping it down without even chewing. Once he came back, he immediately threw up in my room. Wow... even hall food wasn't that bad. And he told me alot more interesting things about his host, like how he counts by the minute- "I'm going to the toilet, I will be back in 1 and a half minutes". "The potatoes will be done in 2 minutes". Truly one of a kind right!!

Ok back to land law... :(

2007-11-23T04:54:00.000-08:00

Goodbye Autumn
Snapshots from Clumber Park

I don't know why all my posts are in retrospect.

I think Autumn is my favourite season. It makes me love going outdoors; the amazing fall colours never fail to elicit a sigh and a "it's so beautiful" from me. My favourite moments this semester were all last season. Kicking through a pile of crisp, freshly fallen leaves, lying on the soft hay, looking for splotches of red and yellow amisdt the fleeting green. And most of all, walking/biking through the canopy of towering multi-coloured trees by the lakeside in my school. The view and experience is simply breathtaking. "I feel like I'm in a postcard!" :)

Now that it's winter, I dislike going out. Cold, rainy, miserable weather. It's much colder this year; last year we had a warm winter. It snowed quite heavily last Sunday night when we went to watch "Elizabeth: The golden age". Very good show. I like Cate Blanchett lots.

This semester has whizzed by. Will things ever slow down? It's tutorial after tutorial, readings after readings, late nights after late nights and the ever looming thought of the coursework deadlines and exam dates in the back of my mind, tacked in full view onto my noticeboard. I didn't even feel like celebrating my birthday. Why was last year so different? Cos our grades weren't counted. This year counts 50% towards our final law degree.

I have to finish preparing for my EU law tutorial soon.

On the bright side, I'm going to spend Christmas with Grace Tan! Who will be flying to London from Kenya! She's actually studying in New York though. I should be honoured that someone whom I haven't seen in 3 years will be traversing continents to spend Christmas with me. :) I'm looking forward to seeing an old friend (best friend in fact), whom I know very well, am comfortable with and who shares the same outlook and values as I do. This semester has been rather lonely at times. Don't really have any close, like-minded friends with all the Sherwood group back in their respective countries and the everyone else like Jen, Aidan and Hannah all so busy. Even for myself, I don't really have the time to socialise and make new friends. Hence, thank you Lord for Grace! God has also provided in the form of Cat Fairbrother. I signed up for this 1-to-1 bible study program in my church and she's the one I was paired up with. She's 23, married and living in Beeston, 5 minutes away from me. She's really nice and someone I can relate to; sensitive, soft-spoken and not intimidating. Will be meeting her every Wednesday to study Ephesians together.

And a shoutout to Cheh, I just received your package!!! It arrived a day early. :) I love the jewellery set, the pearls are so pretty! Will be wearing it tomorrow. Thank you so much! Feel so loved from home.

London pics

2007-11-15T14:08:00.000-08:00

LONDON
September 2007
(the photos which shld have accompanied the London blog entry)

This is Covent Garden. I love it; went there every day! It's very quaint and charming; buskers flock there to perform. We saw this Irish guy swallow a blown balloon!! And an African guy balance a shoe, then a whole metal trolley on his head.
It's also the setting of William Wycherly's "The Country Wife", for those who did A level Literature. Horner, the protagonist of the book stayed there.

This is Vincent (who took all these wonderful photos) and I. We're in the Embankment, which has a naval theme to it. The lamposts and benches have engravings of fish on them. In the bankground of the picture you can see the Big Ben and the houses of Parliament.

This is a very cool art display in the Embankment. The structures show the expulsion of water from the body, in different ways. In the foreground, you can see vomitting. There were spitting, urinating, perspiring etc too.

This is Whitehall on a cloudy Autumn day. There are guards and horses on the other side of the building. You can see the London Eye in the backdrop. I'm wearing my new Muji rain-proof coat here, bought from Covent Garden! hehh

I'm posting all this as a response to Dazz's endorsement of my blog on her's. haha.. She says to read my blog cos my life is so happening here. Unfortunately I haven't been taking that many photos of life in Nottingham, (so used to it now) so here's something about London! Hope is reader-friendly enough!

MSS events

2007-11-11T10:17:00.000-08:00

MSS Halloween Party
Guess who?

Answers from left: Lara Croft, William Wallace

I know this is super late but I havent been uploading my photos. A picture taken b4 my camera went out of battery.
My first clubbing experience in the UK. Besides "clubbing" in Sherwood C16 last year!! Unfortunately it was a most traumatising experience since I was put in charge of the cloakroom. Slept-talked about it all night. :(

Nottingham Games went really well! :) About 500 people from all over the UK universities attended the event. Met Shi En's sister there too, she came down from Warwick to play netball.
Good job everyone.. and especially to Vincent for the wonderful Pretty Orchid dinner buffet. Mmmmm.... Some mouth-watering dishes to tempt your tastebuds: Rendang beef and potatoes, sambal king prawn, tofu with vermicelli, sambal chicken drumsticks, mee goreng and coconut milk rice. Ahhh... Marshah our secretary hyper-ventilated when she saw the rendang beef. Hahaha. So did all the Japanese players who came the earliest. They loved the food and were very polite, thanked us for the food b4 leaving. Oh yes, and we sold ALL the lunches we bought from Pretty Orchid during the food fair! :)

Anyway, off to dinner and to doing tutorials....

updates

2007-11-07T10:06:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

Sorry for not updating. Have been very busy lately- to the point of not blogging or checking facebook.

The workload is piling up. Even though I've alot less lectures this year, there's still alot of independent study.
Have to finish Criminal Law tutorial which is tomorrow, so it's off to dinner and reading Criminal cases after this post.
Then there's a dinner at Hannah's place tmr evening where the Sherwood 9:20 group gets together.
Friday moving stuff to the Sports Centre in preparation for Nottingham Games on Saturday.

Yes, MSS stuff has been taking up ALOT of time. So after the culmination of everyone's hard work into Saturday's Notts Games, there should be alot more breathing space.

Got my questions for my Psychology essay already. Need to start preparing next week!

Yes, life is really different from last year's free and easy days. On the bright side, I've been learning alot. Time-management, efficiency etc... AND most importantly, how to cook!!! :)

I've been cooking alot of breakfasts which usually consists of sausages (Cumberland, stuffed cheese, British pork, beef) toast, eggs and sometimes mushrooms. Can do all this confidently now, without Vincent's instructions and supervision! Also prepared dinner all by myself a few days ago- Tortelloni (wild mushroom and smoked salmon) with garlic, peppers and chorizo. Proud of me??? Hehe

Tonight Xuanee (a Malaysian friend/neighbour) is cooking.

Today Vincent and I went to study at the Lakeside cafe. It's a really nice place, just overlooking the University's lake. We had mocha and Viennese Whirls. :) Autumn is coming to an end though, cos it gets dark at 4.30pm. We had to cycle back in the dark- it was fine because he installed lights on our bikes. I think I'm quite ready to brave this winter cos I've got all my warm stuff- A Zara wool coat and a Gap wool jumper which I just bought yesterday. Pricey, but at least I like them and will wear them. The exams start a week earlier too, so sigh... Will be busy studying this winter vacation.

Ok, off to prepare tmr's lunch! Becoming so domestic now. Unexpected huh!

Clumber Park

2007-10-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

Weekend at Clumber Park

It was a clear Autumn day.

Clumber Chapel

Tandem-biking, which was really really fun! Explored all the bumpy forest trails on bike.

Swan lake. I counted 21 swans in just 1 part of the lake. :) We actually saw swans fly in a V formation! It sounded like a small plane taking off; the whirring of their huge wings brushing against the water surface.

081007

2007-10-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

7th month anniversary at Le Bistrot Pierre

We had an exquisite candle-light dinner at Le Bistro Pierre. (The photos are so bright only because the camera was switched to night mode with flash). starters were mushroom ricotta, portobello mushroom wrapped in bacon and our mains were sirloin steak and salmon with mussels in tomato and white wine sauce. Dessert was chocolate and raspberry tart with ice cream. :) We just had to go there as we were turned down twice on 2 separate occasions for dinner; manager explained that the restaurant was full with bookings until 10pm. So Vincent googled it online, found that it had won consecutive (Best Value) awards in Nottingham and Leicester and promptly made a reservation. The conclusion: Great food, great service, great atmosphere. And there was a 20% discount for students; just that we forgot about it! Haha

The other French restuarant in Nottingham is excellent too. It's called Le Petit Paris. I had the best cheesecake and mango sorbet I had ever tasted in my life. :)

Anyway, afterthat we went back to Redwoods, where Vincent brought out his guitar, sang and then taught me how to sing Everytime I Pray in Chinese. Cool right! So we were singing the chorus in both English and Chinese. :)

FOOD in Redwoods

2007-10-04T00:25:00.000-07:00

Food in Redwoods
Courtesy of Chef Vincent

Here are some pictures of meals that we've cooked so far. From left: stir-fried chicken with mixed vegetables, steamed plaisce fillet, tortelloni with peppers, olives, anchovies and sun-dried tomatoes and finally, a hand-carved melon.

Not bad eh! Had I been living alone, it would have been bread, cereal, porridge and frozen food every day. But now every night is a feast! :)
I haven't taken any photos of my studio flat yet, cos it's very messy. Will put them up soon though! I LOVE it!!!

Here is my new address:

Flat 14/14 Redwoods,
Broadgate Park, Turnpike Lane
Beeston
Nottingham
NG9 2UT
England.

I miss all of you!

London Sep 2007

2007-09-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

LONDON September 2007

Italian food with Grace & Danny, my wonderful hosts from UCL.

Covent Garden, my favourite place where we went to everyday.

Millenium Bridge.

Hyde Park which I really loved. :)

Cooked and biked to school and Sainsbury's today, which was very fun... Scared at first cos I've never ridden bicycles outside a park before, the exception being my near-death experience in Krakow. But it was fine with Vincent reassuring me and giving directions as he rode behind.. :) Yes I'm happy cos I'm doing things which I never thought I'd do! Never thought I'd be able to cook too. BUT it's a brand new beginning! All fired up for the 2nd year now. Good night.

Summer/Autumn in London

2007-09-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

I'm in London now and loving it!

Day 1: Went to many places that I haven't been to before, like UCL (where my wonderful host Grace is studying), Covent Garden (where Horner from The Country Wife stayed), Carnaby Street etc. Got a little bit lost walking back to her apartment with her housemate Danny but I didn't mind, as I got to see even more of London and chat with him about his Christian faith. Our legs were achingly tired though, after walking for 6 hours non-stop. I really like Grace and Danny!

Day 2:Covent Garden again for shopping and lunch. I bought a buttterfly jewellery stand and toiletries! I like this pair of Fossil shades, shall keep in mind. I just loooove shopping here, things r so unique. We went to Belgo for lunch, which has a very industrial design; it looks like a factory, albeit a really cool one. Next stop was The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square where my personal tour guide pointed out all the interesting and famous paintings. Walked some more to Leicester Square to check out tickets for Les Miserables and da pao duck meat and sio ba for my housemates. I really enjoyed myself today.. :)

Will be going to the Embankment, Waterloo Bridge and Hyde Park tmr.. Excited as I haven't been there before too!

Siem Reap

2007-09-02T01:29:00.000-07:00

Siem Reap: 25-27 August 2007

From left: Me, Daddy, Mummy and Aunty Lily in front of magnificent Angkor Wat, still standing after 200o years. Forgotten for centuries, accidentally discovered by lost colonial soldiers. Truly, it was entry into another world, another empire so foreign, so surreal. It was fascinating trying to imagine these ancient ruins in its former glory, teeming with life, activity and colour.

My fave pic; of these little boys playing with lotus flowers. I showed them the photo on my digicam and the smaller one was amazed to see himself!

The boat people of Tonle Sap's floating village. Very eye-opening.

I really enjoyed this trip although I was unwell. :) Relaxing, enriching.. Blessed by Aunty Lily's presence too, feeling her joy and enthusiasm for life despite her sicknesses.

Resolution Year 2

2007-09-02T00:26:00.000-07:00

The summer hols have just flown by like that. I've been back for about 2 months already and will be flying back to the UK in 2 weeks time. It hasn't really hit me yet; the brevity of my time left in this place I call home. Other things to absorb too, the fact that the home I've lived in all my life will be torn down when I return in June next year. No more welcoming, comforting Joy Court to return to, all that will be left are 20 years worth of memories. Perhaps it marks a significant transition for me, the physical shift in house would parallel my move into adulthood. Also a milestone of birth and new beginnings, for my niece will be born there! :)

My new school year resolutions are as follows:

1) Set boundaries.
-Guard my walk with God and my commitment to Christian activities.

2) Rise up to new challenges
-Heavier workload in school (2nd year law)
-Leadership commitments
-Develop meaningful friendships while being in a relationship.
-Growing responsibilities (cooking and cleaning for myself as I move out of hall)

3) Personal development
-Be equipped for independence
-Self-discovery (my interests, talents, how God has wired me)
-Learn to have a balanced lifestyle, one that does not revolve solely around work/study.

To do so, I really need to set my priorities right and good time management!! Also learn to change my perspective. From being trapped in fear to faith in practice!! I want to live my life for God, I want Him to be glorified in all that I do. I am so inspired by my big sis, she makes me want to live with a sense of purpose again. Thank you for giving me hope. Thank you for helping me see for myself, that God is still important to me.

2007-08-30T00:08:00.000-07:00

You.Can.Only.Type.ONE.Word.

1. Where is your cell phone?x floor

2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife?x vincent

3. Your hair?x brown

4. Your mother?x loving

5. Your father?x provider

6. Your favorite thing?x cats

7. Your dream last night?x forgotten

8. Your favorite drink?x water

9. Your dream car?x VW beetle

10. The room you are in?x homely

11. Your ex?x jerk

12. Your fear?x failure

13. What do you want to be in 10 years?x wife

14. Who did you hang out with last night?x family

15. What you’re not?x loud

16. Muffins?x yummy

17. One of your wish list items?x dunno???

19. The last thing you did?x webcammed

20. What are you wearing?x clothes

21. Your tv?x 50-inch

22. Your pet?x cat

23. Your computer?x dell

24. Your life?x blessed

25. Your mood?x sleepy

27. What are you thinking about right now?x naps

28. Your car?x non-existant

29. Your work?x starting

30. Summer?x home

31. Your relationship status?x attached

32. Your favorite color?x blue

33. When is the last time you laughed?x today

34. Last time you cried?x heathrow

35. School?x exciting

Meeting Vincent tonight!! :)

2007-08-24T02:50:00.000-07:00

I'm going to pick Vincent up at the airport in a few hours time... He's back from HK! :) And he got to meet my hallmates there! Haha it's so fun to have international friends. Don't know where we're going, maybe Clarke Quay or Esplanade. Anyway, I'm so excited! :D

On another note, I really like the song "At the Foot of the Cross" by Kathryn Scott.
Last night I got all stressed and worried- about Mum's sudden outbreak of rashes, about next year's workload, about the future... and I realised how much there is out of my control, as well as the revelation that I do not like it one bit! That's why the worry comes. So many uncertainties in this uncertain world. God I need you! I take hope in His promises. "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

And my favourite verse which I meditated on last night when I couldn't sleep. Why the insomnia? Because I watched the Ghost Whisperer! ARGH! And I watched it in the bright daylight of the afternoon too, on Starworld. Yes I'm pathetic. My younger sis and I both got nightmares after watching the Phantom of the Opera movie. -_-". Anyway I didn't feel so fearful after reflecting on this verse and drifted off peacefully to sleep. "The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?" -Psalm 27:1

Vincent comes to visit me in Singapore

2007-08-20T22:56:00.000-07:00

Vincent comes to visit

Vincent has come and gone on his 3 day whirlwind trip to Singapore. There is some truth in the saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder". He got to meet my family and friends and experience a little of the life that I lead here in Singapore. We went to Maxwell Market, Chinatown and Suntec City with his family, then to church on Sunday and Crystal Jade with my parents on Monday. Little things like taking the MRT together, sparring with toy swords in Toys R Us, introducing him to my furry darling, or him buying my family ALOT of tasty treats just made me so happy and grateful. Although there were some major hiccups in the planning, everything went smoothly, way better than expected. It taught me to be more patient and understanding, as well as to see things from others' perspective. Mum gave me words of wisdom at the peak of my frustration, "Learn to let go and the Lord will bless u even more". Indeed. We were both extraordinarily happy. :) I count my blessings.

Baking Day

2007-08-15T23:52:00.000-07:00

It's a rather lazy Thursday afternoon with alot of breeze. How I will miss staying in big, airy Joy Court! I just read more of Lee Kuan Yew's memoirs, which really makes the Singapore Story come alive. Tons better than boring National Education lessons which we had in school.

Since today is such a free day, I have decided to do some baking. Will make a trip down to NTUC later.. Brownies or mango crumble, or both? Hehe I'm going to swim and then cook Japanese with Cheh on Saturday morning, so am looking forward to that. Then await Somebody's grand arrival in Singapore! Roll out the red carpet! I can't believe we're meeting after 2 months of being apart. I'm used to not having him around already, but I'm sure things will be fine. Haha got to practice my Mandarin in the meantime.. Dun wanna be labelled a kantang. Excited... :) Can't wait for him to meet my family and friends and experience the life I live here. He will be so overwhelmed!! Xin instructed me to tell him "Eh Carol's CGL wants to meet you". Hahaha.

Separation is hard. He keeps dreaming of me; how come I don't dream of him? It's not fair. Only in dreams can I be in 2 places at the same time.

Inquisitive Itchy (the neighbour's cat) is on my window sill playing with the curtains now. She followed me into the house last night! Naughty... Anyway Whisky has recovered; his eye is much better and he is cute and clean once again. :)

Vincent comes to visit

2007-08-11T07:26:00.000-07:00

Shoutout: Vincent is coming to Singapore in a week's time!

:D

God's blessing

2007-08-04T03:30:00.000-07:00

I just want to give thanks to God for providing my family with the ideal house!
We'll be moving to Tanah Merah next January (of course I won't be there; will be welcomed back in June to a brand new home. hehe)

Truly, the whole house-hunting episode is nothing short of God's amazing provision. My parents were going on an intensive 2 week search for a new house and getting rather tired and anxious at the end of it. They were almost going to sign the contract with the Malay owner of a 3 storey corner terrace, even though they had reservations about it. The turning point came when Mum asked my Dad to pray. As I was out for cell group, my parents and Dazz prayed last night, for God's direction. Coincidentally, I prayed about that too, that morning itself! Then this morning, my dad searched Classifieds property, then went straight down to see the house, skipping his breakfast to do so. (This is unprecedented) Got to the house, looked around, liked it and signed the contract with the agent/owner in 5 minutes. Just like that! Both my parents had a very good feeling about the house.

-10min walk from MRT
-spacious enough for extended family. 4+1 rooms
-big living room
-garden
-reasonable price
-bright and breezy

It just reinforced the message delivered by Ps Philip Huan a few weeks ago- When God opens the door, He opens it completely. :)
He always provides us with the very best!
Praise the Lord!

neglected

2007-08-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

My poor blog is so neglected.. :(

Most personal things that matter to me are written down in my journal already; I don't think I wanna publish it here. You never know who's reading!

Anyway, the chapter from the book I'm reading is about how God speaks through circumstances.
2 things that I could immediately apply to what I learnt.

1) The South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan.
For sure, ppl question why God, if He's so mighty, doesn't save them from being killed by the Taleban. All I can say is that, God is sovereign. He is still in control. I like the remarks made by Daniel's friends when they were in the lion's den.. Draw some parallels- I'm too tired to type it down now.

2) Whisky's return home. :):):)
I am ELATED.
Will elaborate more on this tmr.

Just have that niggling sense that I need to articulate what I learn, before I forget.

Good night, world.

Whiling away the time

2007-07-26T01:50:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm whiling away my time by reading too much.
Should just get my butt out of the house!!!
And stick to timetables. And exercise. Seriously need to get fit again. My fitness freak boyfriend either plays tennis or goes to the gym every day. I feel like such a slob now! Ahhh

Playing badminton today. Perfect rainy weather now. :)

going around the world

2007-07-24T03:09:00.001-07:00

Maureen is coming to stay with me this Saturday! She will embark on her whirlwind tour of Singapore and Malaysia. Whoa super fast... Hehe exciting.

Vincent coming next month. :)

And I will be in Cambodia from 25-27 Aug. We were supposed to go a week earlier but tickets were sold out. Done my research on Siem Reap and Angkor already. Whee! I wanna go to Penang too...

Cherry blossoms: I miss him

2007-07-22T23:43:00.000-07:00

Wishing you were somehow here again.

I serve a warrior God

2007-07-22T23:05:00.000-07:00

Learnt some French today; I'm still not sure if it's something I wanna pursue as my external module. It's a completely NEW language; the last time I've had any contact with it was 7 years ago at the MOE language centre. It's a beautiful language, but one which will require much effort. This or Psychology? It's alot more appealing to me now after my sister's pregnancy. I can apply whatever I learn once the baby is born. How a wee babe makes its first contact with the world around it and how it gradually matures, finding its relation and making its contribution to society. Birth and new life- fascinating.

Li Kai passed me a total of 10 Christian CDs yesterday. Thank you! Timely and greatly appreciated. :) Got to catch up with Ephraim too, really miss this brother, full of wisdom and advice! Haha.. he taught HuiXian and I how to initiate spiritual conversations. The 1st step is that God must be relevant in our own lives. Then make Christianity relevant to the lives of our loved ones. Also shared with us how to answer difficult questions like our stand against pre-marital sex etc. The key is relevancy. Prayer is also important. I feel alot more fired up now... :)

Also started reading this book passed to me from Cheh "Becoming a Woman who Listens to God". It's very good and impressed me of the need to "abide in God's word". He/she who does so are then disciples of Christ, with knowledge of the truth which will set us free. People often dangle the verse "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free". But how will you know the truth? Where is its source? And we have to look at the preceding verses to know the answer: "If you abide in my Word". Read from the book of Joshua today too; and I got to see the warrior God, fighting for His people, delivering into their hands victory afer victory. He is not meek, passive, distant or out-of-touch, as is the common notion of God, but directly involved, intervening to give His people hope and victory.

Brownies

2007-07-20T01:53:00.000-07:00

Blogging so much recently. I just baked the 2nd batch of brownies :D Hopefully the texture will be better and not so sweet. Have to perfect it then I will move on to mango crumble or mango shortbread. Still, very happy that Xinxin and my family like the brownies!!! Hahaha my very first baking attempt (with Jiamin) in a very long time. This time I will bring some for the YA. The LT aim is to bake some for Vincent's birthday. :) Preparation starts now!

Last night's Bible study on Joshua by Ps Philip Huan was excellent, like the previous week. I'm very glad I went for it; it spoke to me, challenged me and fulfilled the need for good, in-depth study of God's word. Have I given that fundamental love commitment to God? Going to church, reading the Bible, and other Christian activities is not enough.. They are just add-ons which flow from the basic commitment. It's time to get back to the basics.

Do I value other things/people more than God? Very honestly, yes. It's time for God to be first place in my heart again. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also".

heartache

2007-07-18T22:04:00.000-07:00

After hearing sharing from a good friend/sister of mine, I'm quite glad that I already have my significant other so I will be spared all the match-making and whatever insensitivities that other people may display. I feel for her because I've been through what she has and it really sucks to have things blown completely out of proportion. Shudders.. Some things should just be kept private.

Anyway, jiayou to this sister of mine: You are special and loved. :) Things will get better soon.

But being in a relationship has it's own problems too. People, well-intentioned as they are, tell me conflicting things. Some to be serious and work things forward while others say to play safe, guard my heart and keep my options open. Don't know.. I'm happy as things are. Anyway I'm not even 20 yet! Still have plenty of time.. This aside, I can't wait to for him to be here. :)

Daddy called me just now, excited like he had a secret to share. He asked me whether I wanna go to Cambodia. 17 August. Definitely!!! LOL I will grab any chance to travel.. Vincent will be visiting around that time and maybe, just maybe I will get to go back with him. Jason is with him now, they're having so much fun in Penang! Lucky lucky lucky.. Nice to see the 2 best friends joking around together again.

visitor this xmas?

2007-07-16T22:18:00.000-07:00

Grace Tan may be coming to visit me this Dec in Nottingham! All the way from Kenya! How cool is that?? We've not met each other face-to-face for 2 whole years now! My oldest and bestest friend. Ahhhh can't wait to see her and show her around! :) And of course meet and interrogate the boyfriend, like how we've discussed many years ago before she left for NZ. Hehehe..

Other happy visitations being made around the world: Jason (Msia) is arriving in Penang soon, to visit Vincent. Lucky Bluebird! Wished I could go too.. Maumau (HK) is going to stay with me this end of July. And Vincent is coming to Singapore next month!

So many joyful reunions being planned... :)

Life is beautiful.

P.S I just uploaded some new photos online.
http://picasaweb.google.com/carolannekoh/LifeIsBeautiful

no more lazy holiday

2007-07-12T23:12:00.000-07:00

Alrighty, I've finally finished most of the important stuff on my holiday to-do list.
Redeemed the points Daddy accumulated to book my flight back to London in September, after much trouble. That's what I don't like about online bookings, because they can't and don't tell you what's wrong. Apparently I couldnt book a return flight because the dates were more than 6 mths apart so I needed to book a more expensive ticket. Only found that out after numerous attempts to book different dates, 3 calls to the customer service hotline and a "I need to talk to you now" sms to the boyfriend. Sheesh!!! So anyway, I'm going back to the UK on 17 September. 2 months more in Singapore..

Other things to do:

1) Learn to cook/bake
Part of preparation for next year!

2) Learn French

3) Read more
- Bible
- Christian lit
- The Economist

4) Volunteer my time/effort
- In church?
- Charity?

5) Make chrysanthemum tea for family everyday

6) Exercise!

7) Clear room and belongings for easy moving out this Dec

8) Spend time with family

9) Practice vocals

10) Spend time in prayer

Yes, no more lazy holiday but a constructive and refreshing one!

sentosa outing

2007-07-09T02:01:00.000-07:00

A day out in sunny Sentosa

Wei and me in the fairytale old woman's lived-in shoe. Wei is still pretty much the same; a very loyal friend and girlfriend!

ROAR :)

Thong jumping lots and lots of times for e camera. He has changed so much.. it makes me sad. Especially thinking back on the old VJC days when he was so passionate for God. Perhaps in a good way, it has made me alot more determined not to lose my own faith in God.

Love

2007-07-07T03:09:00.000-07:00

The heart is the happiest when it beats for others.

haircut

2007-06-30T03:58:00.000-07:00

I cut my hair today, after 3 months! My 1st thought: Aaaaah I look like a Japanese tai tai!!! :( :( :( Shoulder-length curls with fringe! Aaaaah!!! Good thing the curls are only temporary. Felt so sad as my long tresses were snipped off and left in a heap. See I do have my girly moments.

Have been having cramps for the past 3 days non-stop. Pain is so bad. :(

On a lighther note; I'm really glad I turned up for cell group/area meeting last night, even though the cramps and perceived lateness were making me very grumpy and pessimistic. It felt wonderful to worship joyfully together with the young adults, something that I missed in the UK. Also to hear real life testimonies of their growth, which really encouraged me. I see it in Eugene's stepping up to be a leader, Huixian's boldness in leading prayer and worship, Loyalle's dedicated service and concern for other members, Shella's increased passion for God.... and many more from my peers.

Here are young people, in their prime of their lives, actively seeking God and supporting fellow believers even when worldly distractions abound. I learnt alot from James' message about "Getting the right culture". I want to do my part too and improve in areas I'm weak in. Eg. Be more expressive, approach people who I perceive to have nothing in common with myself, take the initiative to change! God has really given me opportunities to develop inter-personal skills in the UK, especially in hall and in the Christian Union, as I was sharing with Loyalle and Weichuan in the cab home. Now, I not only want to apply what I've learnt back home in Singapore but improve too.

Out of my shell- finally! It's very encouraging when ppl tell me there's something different about you. Adrienne (who does facials for me) told me it's the way you carry yourself; alot more confident and outgoing. :) It's easy to slip back into the old me but please remind me to make a deliberate attempt to change!

The tauhuay and youtiao afterthat was yummylicious!!! Satisfied another craving. :D Next is tang yuan!

Also learnt about the 4 Love Languages.
1) Gifts
2) Quality time
3) Acts of service
4) Words of affirmation.

My love languages are 2) and 4) I like to affirm and encourage my loved ones, as well as spend quality time with them.
What are yours?

my darling and me

2007-06-29T01:45:00.000-07:00

You & me

VJC June outing

2007-06-26T01:34:00.000-07:00

VJC girls June outing
Venue: East Coast Park
Theme: Hawker delights + looong walks
By Fionne Tan (organiser)
That is all of us- sugar-puff-honey-crunch-fio. And my dear fio, you are right I bet you were always left in amazement at the litany of nicknames and secret codes. Wahaha.. Divine, PomPom, Nice Smile, MJ, Potato... Oh my!!! Hahaha thanks for reminding me of those hilarious times girls.. Hehe it seems like ages ago that we were in college. I really miss PE lessons where we played netball, tennis, soccer, ultimate frisbee, handball- and Mr ___ (I forgot his name!) the best PE teacher ever who always played with us. Also all the teachers, all so memorable and quirky in their own way. More important are all of you, who I'm so glad to say still count as being among my closest friends. Thanks for making the stressful JC period more bearable with all the humour, meaningful talks and support. It seems so long gone now, especially as I read through Fionne's entry about her memories in VJC. We've changed, we;ve moved on. And yet we remain friends. :) I'm glad.

Some memories I won't forget.
1) Hui and Wei helping me to wash my skirt in the toilet. I was and still am, touched and very grateful! Thank you for being there for me in such an emergency situation. lol

2) The fine system. Haha! Hui's brainchild! Which, as a result of all our late work and ponning school, amounted to an ice cream treat after PE. :D

3) Always forgetting to bring my tie on Mondays and having to sneak into the hall by the back in order to avoid Mr Seet. Also for having to rip out the string at the bottom of my shirt which was subsequently confiscated my him. What did we use to call it? I've forgotten already. haha
Getting caught for my short skirt more than once.

4) Deciding what to eat during lectures and tutorials. Delicious VJ food!!!

5) Best meaningful conversation ever: (in my opinion) We were at Lido sitting down at the benches waiting for e movie to start. I asked you girls, and Thong too, to share what each thought the other was going to become in future.. It was quite eye-opening, getting an insight of what your friends thought of you and what you would become. :) When everything was still heady and uncertain, the possibilities are endless. I vaguely remember: Thong= pastor! politician. Huimin= boutique owner, fashion stylist. Hui= resturant owner, food connoisseur. Me? = writer, journalist. How close are we to that now, I wonder?? How far does your course in university determine your future path in life?? Quite alot I think.

post jetlag

2007-06-21T04:13:00.001-07:00

I think I'm finally recovering from jetlag. Managed to sleep through last night without waking up until 10am!!! Woohoo no more 5am-5pm nights.
Caught up with the VJ girls yesterday at ECP. It was great fun meeting them again! :) :) Ate, chatted and laughed and listened to all the latest happenings in their lives. Exciting stuff going on. hehe.. Fulfilled all my hawker food cravings too. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to polish off everything. Shame on us! Talked to Vincent afterthat too, thanks for waiting 4 me to come home. :) the webcam is finally working!! YAY we can finally see each other. :)
Went 4 the Mango sale this morning and lazed around for the afternoon. Watched this Hallmark movie- Homeless to Havard which was excellent.Very inspring and based on a true story. Made me cry at least twice.
Alrighty, off to play badminton.
Waiting for Grace Tan Ai Peng's call tmr morning! Hehe :D

Bitten by the travel bug.

2007-06-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

Bitten by the travel bug.

Hello hello! I'm back from Eastern Europe and Nottingham; touched down in Singapore last afternoon. :) Super tanned now; because the sun was scorching hot in Eastern Europe and penetrated that many layers of sunblock we girls lathered on. Went out to eat Crystal Jade with my parents and Dazz as my Welcome Home meal. Delicious!!! Haha. I can't sleep now; still jetlagging- sigh. Some pictures to share with you- from Bratislava, Vienna, Budapest, Krakow and Berlin. :)

Highlights of the trip were watching a concert in one of Vienna's many stately palaces, extreme biking in Krakow (my first near-death experience lol), the cheap and gd food in Budapest, going to Auschwitz and the Jewish Museum in Berlin, getting my Birkenstocks way cheaper than in Singapore, lazing around in Starbucks everywhere we went, eating mouth-watering dessert everyday, singing all the backstreet boys, westlife songs with Fifi and Jin .... and many more. :)

Really enjoyed bonding with the other 5 people, from Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia on the whirlwind 11 day tour of Eastern Europe. Laughed non-stop at Jason, who's ultra funny and the twins, whose only goal on the trip was to hunt down all the kebab, Subway and Starbucks outlets in every city. lol.. Also got closer to the girls- Fidelia and Maureen who are wonderful. :)

Some pictures to share.

Schoburn Palace in Vienna. Just one shot from our summer collection taken in every city. :D
Maureen and Jason, the resident couple of our trip. Super sweet and funny! :)
3 of us girls in Krakow. Yours truly in front of the panorama of Buda and Pest.

exams over!

2007-06-01T07:43:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone, the exams are over!!!!!!! Constitutional law was bad; not only was the paper tough, the exam itself started one hour late! The statutes (ie Human Rights Act, Police and Criminal Evidence Act, Scotland Act, Devolution of Wales Act... just to give u a taster of what Consti Law is about) were printed only on the morning of the exam itself. -_-" When we finally got the statutes, they were still hot from the printing. And I was still sick. Oh well at least it's over!

What have I been doing?
Well, have been going to the city centre everyday for the past 3 days with Vincent to eat, shop and celebrate. :D So far, we've had Italian food at Frankie & Benny's, Vietnamese at Phat, American at Burger King (haha), Malaysian and Thai at Pretty Orchid and various nibbles along the way. Yummy! Vincent also cooked his signature carbonara with lemon sole last night (excellent!) complete with a very good hosea wine and absolutely scrumptious chocolate mousse. Bliss! And afterthat he taught me about wine-appreciation. I spent at least 30min swirling the wine in the wine-glass, while spilling alot of it on his rug. haha we finished the entire bottle of wine by ourselves last night! Face was so red. Hehe.. also watched Spiderman 3! It was very good, in terms of how they fleshed out the characters and their inner battles so realistically. God made us all with free will- in everything we do, we can make a choice.

Now I'm staying in to rest and read up about Eastern Europe, where I will be going in just 3 days time. Can't believe it's so soon! Fascinating reading up on cities with layers and layers of history behind it- you think of the myriad of civilisations and occupiers that came and went. Suddenly, our modern world doesn't seem all there is. It is but here and now and a tiny stretch on the timeline of mankind. And perhaps someday, people from the future will look back into our world with inquiring and renewed eyes.

Hua duo from ai ren

2007-05-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

Summer blooms to keep me going! : )
It's truly summer because we get woken up at 6am almost every morning because the sun shines too bright and it's still bright at 10pm. Bliss! Can finally walk out in skirts and shorts.

Tonight's dinner was so good. :D Vincent cooked pasta with garlic, anchovies and mushroom sauce for us (me, Maureen and Jason). The best pasta I've had since coming to England! Woohoo gonna have strawberry cheesecake later for dessert in Maureen's room.

Constitutional law exam on tuesday. And I'm down with the flu!!!! :( :( :(

Afterthat, I can fly. For 3 whole months!

Thank you everyone (male and female) for your encouragement and prayers! Truly appreciated. :)

Exam

2007-05-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

Contract law exam just 1 day and 2 nights away- i'm so so scared....

updates

2007-05-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

Some updates:

I will be going to Eastern Europe this summer!
With my wonderful Sherwood Hall mates; Fidelia, Maureen, Jason and his 2 friends.
- Bratislava (Slovakia), Vienna (Austria), Budapest (Hungary), Krakow (Poland) and Berlin (Germany).

Taking French next year as my external module too! Woohooo :)

Spring is here... :)

100th post

2007-05-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

This is my 100th post!

Between 2 worlds....

Friends n family with me at the airport

Back at Nottingham

Back to notts

2007-04-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

I'm back at Nottingham!

Many thanks to the people who prayed for me in church and at home, and to those who sent me off at the airport!
Thanks especially to James, Loyalle and Weichuan for coming and for their very thoughtful gift! :) I really like it.

I had a safe flight; didn't suffer from travel sickness. I have overcome it! Thank God. Touched down in London Heathrow at 530am; got the National Express bus at 7am and it was another 3+ hours to the Nottingham bus station. Arrived early, looked for my luggage; looked up- and lo and behold, there was Vincent right in front of me! Haha I'm sooo happy to see him again. :)

Managed to stay awake for the whole day, thereby fighting off the jetlag. Walked around town with Vincent to buy a few essentials, then to Broadgate to change my standard room to a studio, then to Sainsbury's to shop for groceries to cook at Xuanee's place. Vincent cooked for us- will post photos soon. :) Afterthat unpacked, slept then went to Fidelia's midnight surprise party. Hehe somebody is 21 years old!!! Happy Birthday FiFi!!!

Yes Mum, the change to a studio room is successful!

Today woke up early to do more unpacking and FINALLY finished. Will start studying today.

leaving on a jetplane

2007-04-18T18:02:00.000-07:00

I leave Singapore for the UK this Sunday. How quickly 1 month has flown by. :(
This time I leave not with mixed feelings of fear and excitement but with the sense of unfinished business. Things left unspoken and undone (on my part)- how I wish I had more time or more initiative. Went to visit my grandma in hospital last night; she looked very faraway. We all felt very sad. Just pray that her pain will be alleviated and more importantly, that God's will be done. But I trust that my family, friends and relationships are in God's safe hands. And I will be back in 2 months time!!! Hahaha! This time no more exams to study for. :D

One among the many I will miss- who also woke me up in the middle of the night.
Attention-grabbing Whisky!!! Super cute!!

Friends and family

2007-04-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

I'm back home! Have been since last Sunday and boy am I enjoying it. :)
Been super jetlagged the whole of last week but have since recovered from it after Kor's wedding. Kor's wedding was wonderful! It was full of joy and glory to God. Very happy for Kor and Jamie who are on their honeymoon now.

It's been great shopping, eating and meeting up with my family and friends.
I am a very happy girl. :) Have not been studying though!

Unfortunately I have not uploaded all the recent pictures taken in Singapore onto the com yet, so dear friends, you guys have to wait!

People I've met up with include:

1. VJC friends at Ichiban Sushi where Wei kindly shared her $30 voucher with us. Much fun, animated talking, laughing and photo-taking! I love you girls. :)
2. BLC youth, aunties and uncles at BLC itself during Kor's wedding. Nice warm feeling meeting the people who watched me grow up, also those with whom I grew up.
3. Brighton friends in church, which proceeded with an outing to Vivocity! Alot of excited squealing and hugging. Haha I was "re-introduced" to the Young Adults group, which was quite amusing.
4. Shopping spree with Shella in town, followed by Bugis hawker dinner with XinXin and Eugene.

Tomorrow will be a sisterly outing to Cheh's house where we'll watch DVDs, view each other's pictures and eat the much-anticipated Japanese meal Cheh is going to cook!! :)

Friday- cell group outing to Sentosa where we'll have our sharing and discussion by the beach! Nice!

Home sweet home

2007-04-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

Saying goodbye...

fi, me, vincent, jason and jingfeng(fi's bf who flew all the way up to visit)
Wonderful Sherwood hall mates :) Jason and his fans
Vincent, Brad and me off to London!
Mau mau, me and fifi

Homecoming

2007-03-23T06:02:00.000-07:00

I'll be back home on 25 March, Sunday.

Await my arrival! :)

Leaving for London in less than an hour's time, to stay the night at Vincent's sister's apartment. Flying off the next morning.

Today we just heard the shocking news that Deanna's room got broken into and her laptop got stolen, while the group was out at Pitcher and Piano. Robber climbed through the tiny slot in the window to break in- must have been a really skinny person. All I can say is I'm so sorry for Deanna. Poor DeBird!!! On the penultimate day of term too. I hope the police catches him and then you'll sue him big time. Sigh Nottingham is indeed the crime captital of the UK.

Alrighty, gtg now..Easter break officially starts tmr.
Will touch down in Singapore soon! :)

Love you all,
Carol

2007-03-20T03:34:00.000-07:00

Arch comes to visit (tour of Nottingham's University Park Campus)

More dancing daffodils

The lake with Trent Building in the backdrop

A sun-bathing Mandarin duck!

Future lawyers

Arch in notts

2007-03-20T03:24:00.000-07:00

Arch comes to visit

Outside the Sherwood dining hall

Trent Building and the field of daffodils

By the lake and blossoms

Probably the best hall in the world

commitments

2007-03-16T01:44:00.000-07:00

My Commitments

-Christian Union leadership team: Prayer
-Malaysian and Singaporean Society: Welfare Officer
-Law Student

Last night we had e elections for the MSS committee. I'm very touched and happy that all of my dearest friends from Sherwood- Fifi, Jenn, MauMau, Stef, Deanna, Chen, Jason, Raymond, Yifei, Vincent(HK) turned up in full force to support Vincent(Msia) and I.. :) I love you guys, thanks for all the support and encouragement!

Especially to Jenn "Jbird", Stef "Stepbird", Fifi "Chickybabe" who really helped me with my speech! Haha I had the best counsel, all the HK girls are seasoned debaters who take part in mooting competitions or in a leadership position. :) Jenn is really wonderful; she's running for President of the International Student's Bureau and I do hope she gets it- She does have what it takes! And her pep-talk really boosted my confidence and determination to achieve what I wanted. And Vincent, now the Vice President and Jason, who soothed my nerves by totally cracking me up with the things they said. lol!

Anyway, my position was the only one contested out of the 8 posts- I didn't expect that at all. Was also having a nasty headache, having not been sleeping well the last few weeks. Still, I prayed for strength and a clear mind to answer questions and God really did come through for me. Surprisingly, I didn't feel nervous at all and I could deliver what I wanted to communicate naturally.. :) The Q&A round was good too, although everybody was directing all the difficult questions at me rather than my competitor. My friends, not just the Sherwood peeps but seniors like Jon and Zijing told me I spoke and answered very well! Hehee praise the Lord!

I remember the last time I did something like this was 2 years ago during the Project Work assessment in college. Super stressful time.. I never thought I was cut out for public speaking, but Mr Hoe revealed to me the next day that the assessors told him that I answered a challenging question very well. I was very encouraged. Also ran for one of the slack positions in Dance Society in college but I met a couple of girls in the toilet who told me they voted me for President instead! Hahaha!

In all, I'm glad for experiences like this, where I'm pushed out of my comfort zone and stretched to fight for something which I'm not naturally inclined towards. It's great achieving something you put your mind to doing. Again, I have my Lord and my friends to thank for.. I couldn't have done it without you. :)

Congrats to Vincent too!! You'll do an excellent job, no doubt about that. Thanks for everything. :)

Hua Tuan Jing Cu

2007-03-14T01:58:00.000-07:00

You know it's Spring when the flowers are out in full bloom.... :)

Snowdrops in Shropshire

Daffodils! Pockets of gold everywhere on campus

Petunias in London

Roses and tulips in my room