Set Apart

Smart Eco Homes in Russia

2011-10-26T15:43:00.000+10:30

Smart Eco Homes in Russia: This smart Eco home is Russia is a must-see. This timber house designed by Russian architects Alexander Leonov and Svetlana Vasileva of Polygon Lab, is all about integration of energy efficiency, environment, health and comfort – a collaboration between engineers and energy specialists – and everything a home should be! Developed by one of Moscow’s leading developers, the Zagorodny Proekt company, and the Velux Group, the house takes the shape of traditional architecture with a modern twist. The simple wood-clad facade extends to the walls and roof of the house. Minimalist interiors feature a white backdrop, high ceilings and "snapshots" of nature through its many windows and skylights, creating a sun-soaked, bright and airy atmosphere indoors. Behind its walls, careful consideration for construction creates an eco sustainable home with thermal massing, natural lighting, solar thermal collectors, a photovoltaic solar cell system to generate electricity, and a highly effective heat pump. For more information visit Active House or Polygon Lab.
via ArchDaily
photo credit: Alexander Leonov, Torben Eskerod

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A girl's heart

2010-11-19T22:02:00.000+10:30

"A girl's heart should be so close to God that a boy has to chase Him to find her"

CS Lewis

Toiling in obscurity

2010-11-13T19:24:00.000+10:30

"If the savior of the world saw fit to toil in working-class obscurity for thirty years before embarking on his cosmos-changing mission, it probably won’t hurt you to spend a bit more time forming your intellect and character before you’re ready to make your mark on the culture"

The concept of substitution (deep!)

2010-07-03T11:50:00.002+09:30

The concept of substitution may be said to lie at the heart of both sin and salvation. For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices Himself for man and puts Himself were only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives which belong to God alone; God accepts penalties which belong to man alone.

John R. W. Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downers Grove, Ill.: Intervarsity Press, 1986, p. 160

What is excellence?

2010-06-25T21:01:00.000+09:30

"Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

Aristotle

Life's small victories

2010-06-24T15:33:00.001+09:30

I write most often about plans, aspirations and attitudes for the future in my personal diary. Failures and setbacks serve as reminders of either what could've been done better or of what not to do again. The things least documented are life's victories, big or small. From now on, I shall endeavour to record them too.

So I shall start with this one: I got a job! Cong's deacon has agreed to take me in. Pay is what you would expect for a graduate architect, but it's not the main point of the story. What will really count is the experience gained in designing a house and getting the plans approved by the council. Now that would be something worth putting in a resume. Not some dead end job that pays well.

To God be the glory!

3 Cups of Coffee

2009-07-16T00:53:00.004+09:30

It was going to be another ordinary weekend. Discipleship. Gym. Karaoke. Jamming. I couldn't sign up for Operation Encounter because the spaces were filled. Then, at camp, someone fell sick. And I got a phone call. "We have an extra space. You interested?"

I'm glad I went. It wasn't just another evangelistic event. We learned about the heart and soul of culture. There are many different ways to see the world. That's why we have many different cultures. If you visit an Arab friend, he gives you 3 cups of coffee. The first represents peace between you and him. The second represents friendship; the reason he invited you into his home in the first place. The third represents the sword; his willingness to die for you. Profound!

During dinner I asked someone if he would give me three cups of coffee. He said he would give me two and a half cups. Why two and a half cups? Maybe because the half cup was a sword like the one used by Peter Pan. Or a Keris. Anyway, if someone asked me if I would give them 3 cups of coffee, I would say no. Because I'm not Arab =)

According to James W. Sire, "Everyone has a worldview". What does a typical worldview look like? At OE, we learned it looks like an onion. The onion has 3 layers. The first is called 'cultural behaviour'. It is "Manners, conduct; a way of behaving" according to the Reader's Digest Great Encyclopaedic Dictionary.

Let's look at cultural behaviour of the Agta people in the Philippines. A little boy is caught stealing a missionary's pen. The boy's father scolds him and beats him. Like what most parents would do. But there's more. Dad picks up a machete and chops down his house. Then he leaves the village with his family. They are gone for three months. Then they return and rebuild their house. That's how the Agta people punish stealing. If it was the Middle East the boy's hand would just be chopped off.

our cultural behaviour is influenced by our cultural values, defined as what is considered good and honourable in a culture. In many traditional cultures, the 3 greatest things of value are survival, community and identity. men go out to hunt or plant food to feed their families while women take care of children. everyone participates in group activities such as harvest festivals and initiation ceremonies when boys become men. And there is a connection to the land because the people farm and hunt on it for food.

On the other hand, the three most important things in western culture are mobility, convenience and privacy. We buy a car because we can drive around to anywhere. We depend on our mobile phones to call people any time we need them. we build tall fences and make sure the neighbour's house doesn't have windows overlooking our backyard.

At the core of our worldview is cultural beliefs. it is our beliefs that drive our values. a belief is defined as what is held to be true or real, with or without evidence.

Some cultures practice negative values. In Irian Jaya, Indonesia, there is a tribe that practices betrayal. They think it's honourable to backstab your friend. Don Richardson, a missionary to the tribe was telling them about Jesus and Judas. When they heard about Jesus, they thought he was a good person. When they heard about Judas, they thought he was a hero because he betrayed Jesus for good money! Don struggled to tell them why Judas was wrong. Then he realized that this tribe made a peace agreement with another tribe, by giving up one of their people to marry another person in that other tribe. The first son or daughter born from that couple was called the 'peace child'. If someone killed the peace child, the two tribes would become very angry. So Don Richardson described Jesus as a peace child; He came to make peace with God and man. Judas killed the peace child. Immediately, their perception of Judas went from hero to zero!

OE rocked. So did the people and organization that ran it! Wycliff Bible Translators is all about making the Word accessible to every tribe and tongue, in their own native language. Their passion to reach out and willingness to teach us how is exemplary. Three cups of coffee for them =)

Bittersweet randomness

2009-06-23T23:27:00.007+09:30

14 January 2002. I fell in love with the prettiest girl in class. My face (and hair) have not changed since then.

Unfortunately, she rejected me. But this is not the point of this blog post. Or my life in particular. Man the holidays are really getting to me =) Need to find a part time job.

Let there be light...

2009-06-23T23:20:00.003+09:30

23rd July 2005. And there was light.

More reminiscence

2009-06-23T22:49:00.006+09:30

A bookmark I made for OCF AU's Op Welcome for semester 1, 2008. Inspired by a KFC voucher.

Front:

Back

And then there was beach day...

Rawr!

Joanna the hot babe

Justin trying to be a hot babe

I wore no sunshades and no sunscreen. Had a massive fever that night. And peeling skin.

Food for thought

2009-06-10T22:20:00.007+09:30

OCF Convention 2006. Man, I had the most interesting angel back then. He gave me the bird...

The apple was getting brown as I only checked the fridge few days after being informed of the bird's existence. But before his spark of creativity he sent me this note:

Thought before the food. God uses any schmuck? okayyy... anyway this angel really rocked. Because I don't remember who my angels were in all the camps I'd been... except for this one.

Remiscence: The Tristantos

2009-05-17T00:56:00.002+09:30

2 girls. 4 guys. 1 band. The Tristantos!

Reminiscence: prayer meet

2009-05-17T00:17:00.002+09:30

Semester 1 2008. These were challenging times for OCF AU. So a few of us decided to have prayer meet every morning.

After that we would head off to David Jones for brekkie...

I seriously need to learn how to be dependent on God again, to the extent of seeking Him first thing in the morning. Iron sharpens iron; the journey made worthwhile, with like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ.

Night Shot

2009-05-17T00:14:00.003+09:30

AACC Church Camp, Victor Harbour. 8th March 2009

The Web

2009-05-13T18:04:00.009+09:30

The web can be used to do almost anything these days

Edit images...

Make Mindmaps...

Plan the week...

To do lists...

Notetaking...

No need for paper. Don't need to worry about losing your USB. Don't need to carry heavy files full of notes everywhere. Seriously if the Internet fails one day (an undersea optic fibre cable snaps somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean) I won't need to do ANYTHING.

Random Quote of the Day

2009-05-12T23:00:00.001+09:30

"Theory: Yoshi and Justie are trying to make me fat. Fact: they are succeeding"

Kiran

Random Pics

2009-05-12T22:50:00.003+09:30

Kiran after being told she can't drink teh tarik

Breakfast at ETC...RAWR!

Katrina's goal: lose 5 kg...

Caleb trying to be cool...FAIL =)

Trust me, this wasn't edited on Photoshop, it's Ben's actual reflection in the mirror...

Yet another surprise birthday...

2009-05-10T19:38:00.005+09:30

Thursday night 11pm. Katrina had a long day and was pretty tired. Suddenly I got a call from Norman: 'Make sure she doesn't fall asleep! Give her a call or something, we're coming to your place right now'.

So I did: 'Hey Kat, I'm just going to ask Adrian what time Catholic church service starts so your father can go this sunday, but I can only do that after his quiet time. So don't sleep yet ya. I'll talk to you on Facebook.

Because Erwin, Huey Chi and I were already on the way to Kat's place the Facebook conversation didn't happen. It was now Caleb's turn to keep Katrina awake. So they chatted online and he made up this wild story about getting evicted.

Gotta give it to Caleb for great acting skills. By the time we arrived he was still acting, outside Kat's door. Kat was too busy paying attention to notice someone coming up her door; Norman with birthday cake...

Gotta love James' face!

Midnight birthday surprise. Parents coming over. Still 19. What more could a birthday girl want?

Best BS Group Outing Ever

2009-05-04T17:04:00.016+09:30

Last Friday after OCF, I saw this on Facebook.

Penny wasn't coming to the BS group lunch because she would be working. So the next day at Primo Cafe, Jacq, Joel, Jonathan, Amos and I discussed plans on how to change her Facebook status...

Sunday. Jonathan picked Penny up from hospital at 7pm, as planned. He told Penny he was collecting stuff at my place and needed her help. Meanwhile, Amos bought the cake and magic candles. He came over to my place early to light the candles...

Penny came up to my apartment, opened the door and...

Her prayers were answered...

This was followed by an AB dinner at Blue and White Cafe. We had lamb, her favourite...

Back to my place again for cake cutting. While Penny was being entertained, Amos, Jonathan, Joel and Jacq took turns logging onto Facebook, uploading pictures of Penny from their phones and cameras, tagging, and writing on Penny's wall. We hoped to bomb the news feed so that when her friends logged on all they could see was Penny Penny Penny Penny Penny...her wall would be so happening and the number of tagged pictures of her would explode overnight...

Mission Accomplished:

This is what OCF is all about. And it all starts with the BS Group =)

Life after assignments...

2009-05-04T13:03:00.016+09:30

Thanks to a certain someone, I feel compelled to update more often...

But once again, depends on how I feel =)

Had 5 assignments due last Friday. So last week was one of my more anti-social moments...

They were major assignments. So certain sacrifices had to be made. No drum lessons. No Korean BBQ. No Gears of War.

Glad I made those sacrifices. Because the presentation on Friday was AWESOME.

How did I celebrate? By going back to a normal life. On saturday, resumed guitar and drum practice. Went back to gym. Had a BS lunch where we organised a surprise party for Penny. Jammed with Ronald and Lionel. Restarted drum lessons with Amanda and Athena. Went to Life Group.

He's getting better!

Edward, Katrina and Aaron all agree on one thing: Lionel can sing!

Sunday. After church, celebrated Andrew's birthday. Jogging with Ben, Danwin and Wei Shern. Surprise party for Penny.

Prince Andrew

Best picture of Liz and Betty ever taken.

The birthday cake was chocolate mixed with rum, nuts, lemon zest and raisins. All thanks to Mel the master baker...

One very surprised birthday girl. Best BS group outing ever!

Feels good to have a life again =)

Easter Camp

2009-04-20T22:14:00.002+09:30

A week before camp, I went up to the site with a few others to pray. Among our prayer points was an increase in numbers. So far that week only 55 people signed up, only slightly more than half of what was expected.

The power of answered prayer. around 120 people went for Ecamp. There were not enough bunks for everyone, so a couple of brave souls (myself included) decided to sleep in the gym. The next morning it felt like waking up in a giant refrigerator.

God moved mightily at Ecamp. During the apologetics session there was a guy who kept challenging the speaker with theologically impossible questions. That night God opened the spiritual eyes of this 'doubting Thomas' to see Him for who He really was. The angels in heaven rejoiced and a few of us wept for joy as he declared Jesus his Lord. This, my friends, is why we have Ecamp. Not just to remember His death, but to celebrate the return of prodigal sons and daughters. And it was His Cross that made this possible!

Many people question the relevance of OCF. "Students are better off serving in church", they say, "under the guidance of pastors and paid staff workers". Even churches nowadays have their own international student ministries. The answer lies not in whether OCF is relevant (that's an irrelevant question) but in how it has changed and impacted the lives of so many students who called themselves OCFers. And these students have gone on to become pastors and missionaries to distant lands. Among them are those who got saved in camps like this one, and now go on to preach the joy of salvation to their family members, their friends and to the ends of the earth.

And so, I feel proud to belong to OCF. It is a ministry unlike any other. It's not perfect. Of course there are conflicts. Of course there are politics. But it has accomplished much more for the Greater Good. So here's to 50 years of OCF, and here's to 50 more easter camps to come!

Selflessness

2009-01-02T14:45:00.003+10:30

I've been thinking a lot lately about selflessness. What does it mean? To me, selflessless means nothing unless it's put into action. And I have seen many actions over the past month that define selflessless.

Look at OCF Convention 08. The committee who fought against stress, self doubt and self comfort so that God could touch the lives of those who came. The people who overcame shyness and awkwardness to reach out to the other delegates in order to make them feel welcome. Without the selfless actions in the kitchen, pulpit, PA, bible study, AGM and people's homes, Convention 08 wouldn't have happened in the first place.

My graduation ceremony. Graduating with a Masters of Architecture is impossible without the sacrifices made by the parents. Especially mom. Back when I was 13, she turned down a high paying position. She left her company and joined my dad's firm. If you asked her why, she could sum up her answer in two words, "The children". A high paying position meant flying out of the country and only returning once a few months to see the family. In comparison, my father's office was only 5 minutes away from home. If Aaron and Lydia were naughty, they would be walloped almost immediately. So even while the cat was away, the mice won't even dare come out and play.

The trip to Melbourne and Tasmania. Tell me, where on earth would a person wake up at 4am to drive someone he only just met, together with his parents to the airport? Only in Tasmania, as far as I know. To those who drove us around, took me to a cool vego place for lunch, brought us to church, the fish and chip shop and for the Christmas BBQ, THANK YOU!

New Year's Resolution: Find out what it means to be selfless. By observing others and doing it more and more! Because the only way some people will see Jesus is not in a sermon. Or a song. But in actions that come from a heart that is thankful for His selfless love on the Cross. Amen.

Making Time For People

2008-10-06T00:00:00.001+10:30

My Typical Weekday

Get up
Meals
Work
8 hours
Brain dead
Go home
Shower
Bed

No-life architecture student. I clock in the hours out of obligation, not enjoyment. I've been saying "No" and "Sorry" more often this year. No, I can't make it to your graduation, sorry. No, can't join you for dinner, I'm working. Don't disrupt my flow. Sorry.

I like to believe that friends understand I'm busy, especially when it's final year. Of course they understand. But after a while the friendship becomes defined by "No" and "Sorry", instead of "I'll be there". What kind of friendship is that? And when something comes up, they will say, "Don't ask Aaron, he's busy, he won't make it".

Don't abandon the people whom you call your friends. Make the effort to MAKE time for them. Work is not an excuse. I sacrificed social life for work and still I get mediocre results. The worst feeling in the world is to get bad grades and feel alone.

We are created to enjoy relationship with each other. I need to start by making time for my Best Friend. The One who gave me His life so I could live in Him and for Him. AND to minister to the people He has entrusted to my care.

Life after the presidency

2008-10-02T13:54:00.004+09:30

What's life like after serving as president of OCF? FREEDOM! No more early saturday mornings, no more having to tolerate judgement and gossip from people outside the committee. No more sleeping 5 hours every night for 3 months. No more having to put up a front of being in control when my whole world was crashing to the ground. Life was fantastic as a leader. I remember this one week last semester when my cousin got hepatitis A. Then I became very sick. My appetite was replaced with vomiting and nausea. I had an assignment due the next day. On friday, the numbers in OCF suddenly dropped. I prayed and cried out to God, "Why?" And then I had a financial disagreement with a certain someone, and was threatened to court. Life was an action movie, the only thing was that I lost the remote.

But God has been faithful. Through the blur of misfortune and circumstance, He brought newcomers who were eager to serve in OCF. Prayers were answered as those earnestly seeking eventually accepted Him as their Lord and Saviour. There were young members who grew and stepped up to serve. OCF bonded well and got to know each other better. I'm amazed at how God uses our sicknesses, late nights, tiredness, prayer meetings and assignments to accomplish His purposes. We can be amazingly talented, organized or intelligent but sometimes God allows us to fail in order to demonstrate Who's in control. In losing the remote, I found the Owner.

I need to stop believing in myself. That I can do things better. That there will come a time when I will be control. That I will be able to solve my problems. I need to believe in the One who knew me even before I was born. I want to know His plans to give me a bright future. How do I live under His Control? It's hard to let go. But I know that to not let go is to set myself up for the same failures, inadequacies and disappointments that unfold when I lean on my own understanding. Do I trust Him? I have my whole life to work out what it means to say "Yes".

Thoughts about my beloved country

2008-09-16T16:21:00.004+09:30

1. The prevailing race should not fear meritocracy unless they suffer from inferiority complex. The current situation (quotas and all) is no different to apartheid in which our own leaders stood up against but have been imposing on their own people by calling it a different name.

2. When you have ordinary citizens coming up with better ideas than the government on how to run the country, then you have a problem.

3. In trying to justify their behaviour, the government has to come up with even more ridiculous excuses.

4. As a foreign investor, I will not do business in a country that arrests people without trial or reason because I could end up like one of them. Well, some people say that even 'democratic, westernised' countries like Uncle Sam do the same thing. Do not forget that those actions have been criticised and successfully challenged in Uncle Sam's courts of law without fear of repression.

5. There is little ethical value in trying to topple a government through defections. It makes you no different than those who are in power.

Method vs Heart

2008-06-17T21:47:00.003+09:30

A young Christian leader was given the task of inviting an elder to give a workshop on 'How to lead a Bible Study group' for his youth fellowship. That Christian leader emailed the elder, giving him points on what he should talk about for the workshop. When he phoned the elder for a confirmation, this was what the elder said (paraphrased):

Brother, I would like to comment on the points you sent me. These points focus a lot on method. On how to prepare Bible study materials. How to make bible study members talk. How to follow up the members. How to do things in general. Now this alone is very shallow. The fundamental principle of good leadership is having the right attitude. Of having the heart to teach the members, of wanting them to grow to be more Christ-like. Of having the desire to see people changed; the Word becoming meaningful to their lives. '

I admit that I am that Christian leader. That my life has been too focused on method. That my favourite words have been 'System, Strategy, Solution, Efficiency, etc'. No doubt these things are important. But what are the missing words that should come first? 'Heart and Attitude'. Youth Fellowship is not a corporation. If we focus on method but our heart is not right before God, we may have limited success, but we would not be doing His Will. His Will should be first in our lives, not right methods.

Yet it's easy to become too focused on the right attitude and forget that things need to be done properly for God's Kingdom to prosper. For this I have one word, 'Balance'. Lord, I pray that Your people will be wise in having a heart that is right before You first, then putting this right heart to action through the right methods. Amen.

Jesus and the environment

2008-05-13T15:06:00.003+09:30

Yesterday, Ian and I were about to cross the road to David Jones when this guy from an environmental group suddenly came up and said, "Hey, are you interested in saving the environment? Have you thought about the Great Barrier Reef or the forests in Tasmania?" It got me thinking. What does this have to do with us students? What's the connection between environment and assignments, exams, relationships, or graduation? If you want people to listen, you got to relate to them first. Find out what makes them tick. Then you can communicate your message effectively.

Makes me think about how we sometimes invite our friends to OCF or church without thinking about how it would relate to their life. Or sometimes we make up reasons. "Oh because they have cute girls". "You'll make lots of friends". Not all reasons are bad but most of the time we miss the main reason of why they should come. It is to know and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We can't depend on OCF to have this relationship. But we can't know Jesus without fellowship either. Many people are turned off when they hear the name "Jesus". But these same people have needs too. For meaning and direction in life. For a sense of peace and security. As Christians, we should let them know that Jesus is the source of our peace, security, and direction in life. And we do not despair when disaster strikes because we know God is in control and he sustains us through his Spirit. And we show them this through our lifestyle. Then they will go, "Perhaps this Jesus is real, because my friend here is different. Maybe I should go to church to find out".

"…to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some". – 1 Corinthian 9v22. To make people listen, we must relate to them. Know their needs. Then we can get our message across.

Back in Adelaide

2008-03-05T19:12:00.003+10:30

So many things have happened over the past week or so. The first week itself was a blur of happenings. OCF Welcome Night and Beach Day was a blast! So many newcomers turned up. I was asked, "Of all the newcomers, why did more non- Christians attend the events compared to Christians?" I'm like, "We are supposed to be salt reaching out to non salty people. How can we build up if we don't reach out first?"

I was also caught up in a legal dispute; Mr Will-not-mention-names called a solicitor. To all the people who encouraged me and gave advice, I am so grateful! This matter remains to be solved.

I got a slight fever which lasted for a day. Then my cousin got Hepatitis A. The person who informed me couldn't stop crying. I felt like a 911 operator, telling her to "Calm down, it's alright, an ambulance is on the way" and then calling Kazu the ambulance driver, "We have a code red situation down Henley Beach Road!" My cousin's leaving for home tommorrow, which is so unfortunate, because he had only just begun studying in Adelaide!

Overall, I thank God for teaching me the concept of Long Suffering. According to the preacher Paul Tan (not the guy with the car blog), long suffering is the ability to suffer for a long time. The key is to have patience. You cannot say, "God, please give me patience, I want it now!"

So I will not rush the process. By the time I get the answers to all these things happening one after the other, I would have grown more, spiritually and mentally. All I will do now is:

Trust and Obey
For there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to Trust and Obey

On a lighter note, a friend of mine posted me a link to this very awesome kid drummer on YouTube. His name is Tony Royster, and the video was shot when he was a 11. Man that kid can drum! His special bass pedal has 2 beaters instead of one. His coordination and synchopation beats all the mainstream rock drummers. Imagine if I started playing drums when I was 11 years old.

Last days in KK

2008-02-21T02:08:00.002+10:30

Just came back from Shenanigans. My shirt smells like smoke. My heart's beating faster than normal. Feeling slightly tipsy. Drinking isn't prohibited in the Bible, but we shouldn't get drunk. I'm still sober, though I feel a bit high. Vodka lime was sweet. In times like these, it's good to know your limits.

Going back to Adelaide this saturday. This will be a big year. My sis and I will be graduating. Hopefully Josh makes it to Uni. I predict a few tensions this year, but they will be resolved through God's wisdom and common sense. KK has been a blast. Highlights include hanging out with relatives and close buddies. Wonderful feelings and memories.

Moving into a new place with new housemates. Pray that we would gel together and resolve any disagreements with patience and understanding...

My beloved country

2008-02-06T23:21:00.000+10:30

Today I heard some interesting stories. My dad (he's an engineer) went to the relevant authority to get his proposal approved (the project is a retaining wall). The person in charge was like, "I won't approve this wall for you unless you do it my way". Dad was like, "But your way is too expensive. My client won't make any money. And I am the one responsible for this project." But the person was like, "I don't care. Either do it my way or I won't approve this proposal". Can you imagine my dad's frustration? This proposal definitely meets all the requirements but due to this person's attitude, the proposal wasn't approved when it should be.

Another story. There was a Sabah politician whose son was involved in a gang fight. One of the persons involved said he was going to murder the politician's son. And the son told the dad. The dad went out with a shotgun and killed the person who threatened to murder the son. A court case ensued. And this politician was like, "It was for self defence mah!"

Really makes me wonder whether I should come back here to work. It's the corruption and peoples' attitude in Malaysia that makes the Australian grass look greener. I hate prejudice. I hate abuse of authority. I love my country deeply. Yet when I look at the local Unis, 90% of the student population is taken up by Malays due to race quotas, according to mom. And you can't get any government contracts unless you are Malay. Look, I understand we should give the Malays a chance, I'm not against the Malays. But i feel this is unfair. No wonder my parents want me to work elsewhere. No wonder Malaysia is experiencing a brain drain.

Chinese New Year's eve. My mother's dinner specials are cooked lobster and shark fin soup. We wouldn't get this kind of food on normal days. Everyone's happy, especially my dad who can eat as much as he wants without my mom nagging him not to. I will not be able to sleep at midnight. Fireworks are supposed to be banned but this is Sabah, nobody cares. Gong Xi Fa Cai everyone!

Hehe guess what, my mother's car number plate is quite auspicious. Because it has the numbers 688 in it, which according to my mom, means "Collect double" to the Chinese. How "Stupidstitious". Haha!

Holidays

2008-01-30T12:14:00.000+10:30

I love long holidays. It helps me to appreciate life as a student. Plenty of time to hang out with good friends, eat good food and watch TV. Never felt so free in my whole life! But in the working world, everything changes. LONG office hours. Work to take back home. Financial responsibility. Life is peachy when you're a kid. Everything is taken care of by parents. All you have to do is study and play hard. That's why some kids say, 'I don't want to grow up!' But that's a rhetorical statement; you'll grow up anyway, unless you behave like a kid trapped in a 23-year old body.

Last saturday and sunday was really fun. Went to my cousin's wedding in Keningau. Got to meet my mother's brothers and sisters, and my cousins. Couldn't talk to all of them, especially those who can't speak English. But I love moments like these; it's a different feeling compared to being with friends, because you're part of an extended family. The bonding feels stronger. That's why family relationships are so intense. Family can really break you down or build you up. There are some friends whom you can forget. But the family remains with you until they or you pass away.

On the way back from Keningau, Uncle Steven drove down a slope on a road nicknamed the 'Mysterious Beyond'. To experience the mystery, Uncle Steven stopped the car. The car started rolling up the slope, instead of down. Uncle Steven continued driving down the slope and stopped again. The same thing happened. So weird! He parked the car in a clearing by the roadside and we got down to check what kind of mysterious magnetic force was pulling the car upwards. When we got to the road, we realised it was an optical illusion. We were actually driving up the slope, instead of the opposite. We thought it was going down at first because the surroundings gave us that impression, especially the hill in front of us.

Uncle Steven and family are leaving for Adelaide this friday. They're going to meet up with Jimmy, who's graduated and earning lots of money. 3.5 weeks left before I return to Adelaide. I feel like a kid that says, "I don't want to go back. I want to enjoy life like this forever". But the grownup in me says, "Save that for retirement man. And for the next life".

My Birthday

2008-01-16T02:44:00.000+10:30

14 Jan. 23 years old. Received a birthday song made by Ivy and Ben. Was so happy! It had a rap part, a hymn followed by the traditional birthday song. 5 stars! This will be my favourite song for the whole week!

I went with Ignatius to our old school.

Met a few old teachers. Not many of them left. Graduated from this school for 6 years now. Class mates are all over the world.

Cikgu Sylvester said our class was the best he ever taught. Of course man! The former principal's son was there!

At night I celebrated with family and favourite relatives at a Tanjung Aru restaurant. Got to eat shark fin soup! As far as I know, only Sabah has real shark fin soup that's not made of crab sticks (like the one in Hong Kong).

Was a memorable day =)

It's all about money...

2008-01-16T02:39:00.001+10:30

'The root of all evil'. Money is not evil, but bad management is. Last year I learnt how lack of documentation can lead to big bills with no reason. I asked the person responsible to show documentation, which he agreed to, but never did. So I didn't pay. The person complained to another person that I owed money, and mom was called. Overall, it was a messy situation. Not only were the bills dodgy, the papers 'justifying' it were red. Invoices stating overdue payments, and penalty charges added. The person has been keeping those papers, not telling us until one day we see a massive bill. If we had been informed beforehand, we would pay our share and there would be no red papers because that person was unable to pay everything.

So my 2008 resolution is, financial accountability. To inform people about how much they have to pay. None of this owing business. I can treat you lunch, but no way I'm paying your rent, utility bills, or home loan. That's my principle. Financial mismanagement can turn friends into enemies and family members against each other. My mom knows too well, she is an accountant. She was hired for two years to chase people with bad debts. And before you try to help someone in financial difficulty, you have to find out the root cause. It could be financial mismanagement. You could be conned. And you will never see your hard earned money again.

Friends, do not allow someone to ask for a large sum of money. He/ she might say, "I can't feed my kids, I am homeless" but they might be excuses. They should ask a bank for help, which is not you. Even if you ask for proof, they can easily give you false documentation. If they call you selfish, they are irresponsible because nobody should ask his/her friends for a handout. It's unfair; you work so hard for it, and they expect you to give it away.

Charities are a different story, but some people will use any outlet to lie, cheat and steal from others. So in the words of Jesus, 'Be vigilant!' Not only for the second coming, but also for your money.

Blogged with Flock

Home Sweet Home

2007-12-16T22:34:00.000+10:30

My Room. So good to sleep on my own bed again! And taste the local seafood, which can only be found in Sabah. Mom and dad still look quite young, which is understandable because mom is a health freak. Going to KL this tuesday with my favourite cousins. Then this saturday, will be flying to Turkey!

Random thought of the day

2007-11-21T17:56:00.001+10:30

Time capsule

2007-11-21T12:10:00.001+10:30

Was looking through pictures on my external hard drive when I stumbled upon some old pictures taken circa 2004 AD.

Hope Christian Fellowship Church. I was in the dance team, and we danced in front of Woolies at Rundle Mall every saturday. we would flash up this message at the end of the dance. Yeah this dance is sponsored by the one and only Son of God. I left this church at the end of 2004.

My house back in KK! Heavily photoshopped. The house has changed a lot since then due to renovations, though the front still remains the same.

Florence

2007-11-12T10:17:00.000+10:30

Monday, 29th October 2007. We took the train from Rome to Florence. It was a 3 hour trip. Florence used to be the capital of Italy in the 19th century. The city centre is a World Heritage site, and has a massive church called the Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as the Duomo:

It took 140 years to build!

At the front and sides of the church were African vendors selling fake leather bags. If a police came one vendor would alert the other and they would only take a few minutes to pack everything and run!

The streets of Florence, like Rome (or any Italian city) are very narrow:

So more people invest in motorbikes, mini lorries and smart cars...

An electric car. Note the power plug at the lower side, it's being charged!

On Halloween's (31st October) I decided to take a walk around the city without looking at the map. Night came and I decided to check the map, feeling excited and worried at the same time because I couldn't find where I was! What if I wandered off the map? It was only when I walked into this piazza...
Did I find myself again! The Basilica di Santa Croce, a Francescan church, sponsored by rich families during the middle ages for its construction. I felt so relieved and quite mad at myself for not checking where I should go first on the map. Then I walked into this narrow street and saw this:

A Halloween party! It was so nicely decorated I was a bit shy to go inside because it might be reserved for guests. But then I stepped in...

There was a lovely bar inside, and the bartenders had witches' hats on! One of the workers told me that the party would start at 7pm and it was free! So I stayed around, waiting for 7pm to come and taking more photos

Pumpkin used for the lighting feature

7pm came and nobody was there! I waited for 20 minutes more but still no one came. A group of kids dressed as witches, mummies and ghosts came in, had a look around and came out with their mouths full of sandwiches. I gave up and started walking back to the Hostel. When I got to the Duomo, I realised I haven't changed my hand phone time to one hour ahead because of daylight savings! D'oh!

Still was a very festive Halloween experience. I love pumpkin lanterns!

Ben's Birthday

2007-11-10T21:06:00.000+10:30

He is 25 years young!

The Cake

it was getting too hot...
"Eh water restrictions lo..."

"Ivy!!!"

wuahahaha...

Vatican City

2007-11-08T07:50:00.000+10:30

This is the smallest country in the world, as big as 6 football fields. I went there a few times during the trip, the first time I went the pope was speaking:

Pic by Cherry

The pope here is like a celebrity, the people LOVE him. St Peter's square felt like a football match, people were waving flags and banners, cheering for everything Benedict said. The German dudes I met in the Hostel said that when Benedict was elected as pope one German newspaper had a headline saying "We are the pope" (Benedict is German).

On my second visit I went inside the St Peter's Church:

When I looked up...

This sculpture is made of marble. I'm amazed at how they can make the clothing look so real , especially when marble is such a hard material to sculpt.

I wanted to go to the top of St Peter's that day, but it closed while I was in the queue! Doh! So I came back again the day after, took the elevator up and saw this:

and climbed these spiral stairs:

And narrow slanting passageways:

It was getting dark when I reached the top. I stayed there drinking in the awesome view until closing time.

By the time I left Vatican City it looked like this:

My Darling Italy, you are beautiful. Despite all the inefficiency and racism in you I can't help but think of coming back to see you again. Especially your architecture! It makes the Parliament house and Art Gallery look like cheap imitations.

Racism in Rome

2007-11-05T18:44:00.000+10:30

I feel proud every time someone thinks I'm Japanese. Even if that someone is racist. I've had a few racist moments in Rome. Was walking to the Hostel one night with Kim and Will when a group of guys started saying "Konichiwa! Konichiwa!" Will tried being friendly towards them by saying "Yo, Konichiwa!" back but they just made rude noises and walked away. Not far away was Graffiti on the wall that said, "Aliens go home!" And then there was this other time I walked into a shop to get some lunch and the man behind the counter started laughing and calling me "Jackie Chan! Bruce Lee!" while his colleague who was serving me put on a very sour face. The most 'kick' story is still the one on the bus where this group of Russian guys said I should be a monkey in a zoo and started going "Woot! Woot!"

It's not limited to Italy alone. In a bus in Barcelona, Spain, some dude was talking to his friend on his mobile about wanting to kill Arabs. One of the lady passengers looked at him in shock. He probably thought she was Arabic, and started kicking her, all the while talking to his friend about killing Arabs. This was caught on security camera in the bus, and it also showed that none of the surrounding passengers helped the poor lady. Nobody cared.

So much negativity in the world. Somehow I am comforted by this song I used to sing in Sunday school, "Black and yellow red and white, they are precious in His sight..."

Indeed we are so precious...

Lost in Translation

2007-11-05T18:15:00.000+10:30

Kim and I were checking out this Korean Restaurant near our hostel. As we enter the premises...

Manager and waiter/ waitresses: Anyo Haseyo! (Kim is Korean Australian but she can't speak Korean. So she decides to say...)

Kim: Bonjourno! (Italian for 'Hello!)

Manager (Looking a bit surprised): Nie Sher Zhoungguo ren ma? (Mandarin for "Are you from China?)

Aaron (Without even thinking): No, we're Australian.

Now everyone except Kim and I looks confused. We look at the menu for a little bit, then decide to leave.

Kim: Grazie (Italian for "Thanks!)

Manager and his workers smile and nod their heads, still looking confused.

The horrible airport experience

2007-11-05T17:19:00.000+10:30

November 4th. It was a bright sunny day. At last I'm coming back to Adelaide! I reached the airport at 11.30am, my flight scheduled to depart at 1.45pm.

The departure time read 12.20pm on the display screen. What?! I checked in at the counter. The lady in charge says, "Why are you so late? It's past boarding time." I was melting to the ground as she called her superior to negotiate. When she finished I told her my flight itinerary said the departure time was 1.45pm. She said, "But we had daylight savings. Your travel agent should have told you this". Eh?! This kind of thing never happens in Adelaide. I asked if the plane was still waiting for me, and she said, "Yes". So I ran, thinking that even if DST was accounted for, the departure time would be 12.45pm instead of 12.20pm. But Daylight savings is not a valid reason to begin with! #@*%! There were massive queues at the metal detectors and passport checkpoints. One minute waiting there was like an hour. by the time I cleared those checkpoints, I saw other people running with me. One of them crashed into a lady carrying shopping bags. Then I reached the boarding gate for my flight and saw another queue. I quickly became relaxed. Ha! So I wasn't the only one caught off- guard. When I was finally seated on the plane in the middle seat =( I got news from the pilot that the flight was being delayed because they were still waiting for 6 people.

Here's to the inefficiency of the great Italy. Thank God I made it out alive. phew =p

Italy is NOT a developed country

2007-11-05T16:58:00.000+10:30

It takes two years just to get a building permit.

The government has too many people employed in it. Some government posts are unnecessary, but the people in these posts say, "Ah, but that's how we get paid". So unnecessary posts slow down the system, also costing the taxpayers their precious Euros.

The people are generally not civic minded. The drivers park their cars on road corners, on pedestrian crossings and block cars parked in legal parking areas. Most pedestrian crossings in Rome don't have signal lights, so you cross the street and hope that some kind soul of a driver stops for you, which doesn't happen because most Roman drivers are soulless monsters (haha, pls don't take this literally).

As a result of the above, people get hit by cars all the time. Even the sidewalk isn't safe, there was an article on the news about someone who got killed by a car that drove up onto the sidewalk. That's why you hear ambulances all the time, and they take ages to reach the hospital because of bad roads.

Art is more appreciated than practicality. You get beautiful water taps that don't work.

My experience at the airport (Grrr! Will elaborate on the next post)

Florence to Rome: Train Ride

2007-11-05T16:17:00.000+10:30

Last thursday I was taking the train from Florence back to Rome and my huge luggage bag occupied 3 seats! The train started filling up with people and suddenly, mom called. While chatting on my mobile, someone asked if they could sit next to me and I nodded. Then I looked up and saw 3 girls stealing my bag! But then I realised they were only trying to lift my massive bag up into the luggage compartment above so they could occupy the seats! At the same time they were giggling and commenting how heavy my bag was! I was about to help them but my bag was already stowed safely away and I could only say "Thank you very much!" They giggled in return and one of them said "That's ok!" And I made 3 new friends that day =D

I couldn't remember all their names so I gave them nicknames: Miss Personality, Lollipop and Sophisticated Lady. Miss Personality was the friendliest of the lot; she wore thick framed glasses and had a big, goofy smile. She's 18 years old, about to enter uni and speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and Hungarian! Lollipop was the sweetest among the three (hence her nickname), and her name was the only one I could remember out of the three girls' names because it was easy to remember; Maria-Julia. She was studying for a test, reading and highlighting from a textbook about two famous poets in Italy. One of the poets was very poor; when he was little, he had a mother who wished all her kids would die because she reckoned they'd be happier in Heaven. The other poet was a womaniser, flirted with a woman who fell in love with him, then went for another. Maria didn't talk about what happened in the end when the first woman found out, she just told me, "Don't be like this guy. He's horrible!"

Miss Sophisticated Lady was blonde, looked like a supermodel and was from Stuttgart, Germany. She was the quietest of the lot, but she did have cool clothes. In the end, we reached Rome, took photos (Miss Personality wasn't there though, she had gotten off earlier at another stop) and Maria exchanged hugs and told me that by fate, we might meet on the train again someday. Wished I'd gotten her email. D'oh!

Left to right: Me, Maria Julia and German supermodel

Random people in Rome part 1

2007-11-05T15:37:00.000+10:30

An odd collection of people I bumped into in Rome:

A Spanish student called Mario who is buck toothed, plays rugby and speaks horrible English.

A sceptical American who hates George Bush ("That guy's an idiot!"), saying he became president only because he was voted by 'ignorant, religious bigots' whose minds were brainwashed by Fox News.

A Filipino woman at the kebab shop who asked if I was American. When I told her I was from Sabah, she said she had lived in KK before (I started feeling homesick).

A black American who sees me sketching at the Vatican Museum, walks up and says, "It's the gift of God you have son and you're doing a great job. Have a nice day".

A friendly guard at the Vatican. I was walking into St Peter's basilica when he pointed at me at said, "Hey". I thought he wanted me to put my bag in the bagroom because maybe bags weren't allowed inside the building but he pointed at the Roma FC shirt I was wearing and said, "Support Lazio, NOT Roma!" I gave him a high five and walked off, while his friends laughed at me and said, "Australi" (they thought I was an Australian tourist).

A rude American who slaps my shoulder while I'm surfing the net at one of the computers at the hostel, saying "Would you mind getting off!" There is a plague of Americans all over Rome, I can see and hear them everywhere from the Vatican to the Hostel at 12 midnight when they're drunk...

Two German dudes at the hostel during my last days in Rome, named Dirk and Matthias. They had the most LAME jokes, eg.

"What did the man with one hand do to get another hand?"
"He went to the second hand shop"