Our Life's Partner

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her.

Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE". When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing.

Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano maestro made his entrance and quickly moved to the piano. He whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience.

The audience was mesmerized.

That's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. With the hand of the Master, our life's work truly can be beautiful.

Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Feel His loving arms around you. Know that His strong hands are there helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces. Remember, God doesn't call the equipped; He equips the called. He'll always be there to love and guide you on to great things.

Author Unknown

Fun fun fun

Today was great!

I finally had more than enough sleep. I slept at about 1-2am last night and I woke up about 11am this morning. That's about 9 hours of sleep and WOAH that feels ultra good. I actually woke up at 7, but then I remembered I had nothing better to do, so I fell back asleep.

After waking up, my fingers and the piano were reunited! And I had HOME COOKED FOOD!!!

And then I met Tiffany at about 330+. We walked towards the floating platform and attempted to catch a glimpse of the NDP practise and we didn't really get to see much. But we talked a lot, yeah, and that was great. Haha. I know I talk to her online but it's more meaningful to catch up with each other face to face. Then we went to PS where she got her sister a gift and then starbucks! haha. You can read about it her on blog

Then had yummy food at my grandma's house. But I wasn't hungry.. sadly. So I just ate bare minimum. Oh wells. And then I spent a lot of time stoning.

And then I met Gerald at the starbucks at united square. Nope I didn't buy anything this time. That was fun too. I talked to him for soo long. Haha.

I hope I have more of such days here. AND OMG, IT'S SO HOT AND HUMID! I'm kinda missing Melbourne's weather.

OOOHH SENTOSA TMR!

MONICA IN SINGAPORE

I have arrived safely in Singapore. Yeah

OMG IT'S SO HOT!!
and another freaky thing. SARAH IS MY NEIGHBOUR AND WE NEVER KNEW ABOUT IT

wahh

I'm going to take the plane in a few hours and I'm SO SO SCARED!
I'm even getting a tension headache

Ok don't think about it monica. Just go and sleep

hmm

So after all of that,
When you're done with me
Where does that leave me?

Pre-flight jitters

Pre-flight jitters!

I really don't enjoy taking planes. I really envy those who enjoy the ride, because, woahh. I really cannot stand it.

In a matter of hours, I'll be boarding the plane. Ok I know it's still quite a long way more to go, but still, I'm so so so nervous. Monica and planes just don't go well.

I think I need a lot of prayer. To calm myself down and to make sure that I don't get motion sickness and that my sinus doesn't get bad. Even better, if they all don't come at all. Sigh. Me so so nervous!!!

6 whole months

25th of June.

Exactly 6 months ago (or do you count it as 5 months), I boarded the plane to Melbourne. Time has really flew by. Today marked the last day of term 2 and if not for my Further Math SAC, today would have been really pointless. I didn't have any lessons at all, but I still had to attend school anyway.

Yeah, it's so hard to believe that time has just zipped by so quickly. 6(or 5.. eh maybe it's 5) whole months in Melbourne. Wow. It seems like just yesterday when I was left all alone in Melbourne, facing the four walls, and suddenly just breaking down. Thank goodness for my friends back in Singapore and the support system I had here as well. And now, look at me, I'm more or less settled down and have a group of friends here as well. Life in Melbourne has really been improving I guess.

And wow. In this few months, I really felt myself grow. (No I'm not trying to be ego.) But yeah, I feel like I've grown mentally and spiritually. I'm really glad to have gone to OCF, and I'm even more glad that we did a study on prayer. Talking to God does not seem like a chore anymore. And yeah, many many things have really brought me closer and closer to God. And yeah, there's still a lot more things that I need, but hey, at least I'm getting there!

On top of that, within the last 2 weeks, I've been going for Coffee Ministry by OCF and yeah, it really feels good to be serving in His Kingdom again. Just to bless someone by a simple act of kindness feels so so good. It just reminds me again that God's love is really as simple as that. You don't even have to ask Him for it and it's there. And furthermore, it's free! And in return, He just asks you to believe in Him, trust Him and yeah, He has so much more installed for you. Wow.

Yeah, and in 2 days' time, I'll be back in Sunny Singapore. I'm most probably going to suffer because of the heat, but hey, all the local delights! And yeah, of course, my family and friends. I really can't wait to see all of you!! Oh oh, and not forgetting SENTOSA ON SUNDAY!

Yeah. I honestly hope that time would stop flying by so quickly. (haha, it's as fast as ben eating. haha) We need to pause and smell the roses. Haha. Yeah. Soon we've to make our uni preferences and all, STRESS! Oh well.

I'M COMING HOME SOOOOONNN!!!!!!

My First Fruit Basket

Today with the help of Jinli and wonderful suggestions from Aiwee, I made a fruit basket for Chris. Haha. I was supposed to buy it I think but I had no idea where to buy it from and so Jinli and I had to go to the Reject Shop to buy the basket, wrapper and ribbon and to Safeway to buy the fruits.

Wahh the process of putting the whole thing together was not easy man. I don't think I'm ever going to say that fruit baskets are overpriced again. Haha. It's seriously not easy you know. Haha.

The end product is something to be really proud of. Haha.

Presenting to you, my first fruit basket. With a lot of help from Jinli!

all the best!

All the best to all the J1s in Singapore who are having their common test tomorrow till I have no idea when. But yeah. ALL THE BEST!

AND TOC! I DON'T CARE. YOU'RE ALL GOING TO SENTOSA ON THE 29TH OF JUNE! BECAUSE I'M GOING!

Aiyoo aiwee

Aiwee, sometimes you really scare me. I can't believe you declared that you tasted markers before. haha. And the best thing was that, you even knew that white was really nice. HAAHAHAH.

9 more days

Finally it all boils down to this
I miss you all so so badly (I shall not attempt to put names for certain reasons)
And I so can't wait to come home

9 more days..

Happy 11th Birthday Ian

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BOY!
You're now 11 years old. So old already! Better be a good boy I tell you

Random

This is going to be totally random....

This is my 366th post and there's 366 days in this year! how cool

OH AND IT'S THE LAST FEW MINUTES OF FRIDAY THE THIRTEEN!!
I like friday the 13th!

Ok bye

officially done with

I am officially done with exams! THREE CHEERS FOR THAT!!!

So yeah, 3 hour GAT. It wasn't too bad. I thought I would be very bored, but I wasn't. Ok but I refused to check through the MCQ questions. And I really enjoy writing essays on my own pace, so that my handwriting can be neat. (Yes, my handwriting MUST be neat!) I can hear Dom saying ohh look, her handwriting looks printed. Ok thanks Dom. Now enough..

The talk at melbourne uni was... ok lah..

I'm going to give maths tuition to the year 11 girl and I really need to remember that. Which means no late night tonight. How can I look sleepy on my first job overseas right. Hopefully I'll get to teach her like, permanently. Haha. Not a once off thing. But whatever it is, it's going to be funnn..

Ok toodles. Going to sleep and then going to the BIG MAKAN at ocf. How exciting.

Exams are over!

Exams are over!

Ok, there's still the GAT. But I can't study for that... So, technically

EXAMS ARE OVER!!

And now I'm going shopping

stressed!!!!!!!!!

In just a few hours, I'll be going through another round of major exams. (Ok so I'm only examined for 2 subjects, but GAT has some sort of importance as well..)

and I am STRESSED!!

It's another whole round of, what if I don't do well, what if this, what if that.

Exam timetable
11th June - Accounting
12th June - Psychology
13th June - GAT

Ok, that's about it. And that's enough to stress me. I wonder how it would be like at the end of the year.

Ok so if I don't reply, don't hate me

And on a random note. I smell something really nice. And even though I just had dinner, I want to eat that too.

I'm coming home

I'm staring out into the night,
Trying to hide the pain.
I'm going to the place where love
And feeling good don't ever cost a thing.
And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain.

Well I'm going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I'm not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don't regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old,
So I'm going home.
Well I'm going home.

The miles are getting longer, it seems,
The closer I get to you.
I've not always been the best man or friend for you.
But your love, it makes true.
And I don't know why.
You always seem to give me another try.

So I'm going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I'm not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don't regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old,
So I'm going home.
I'm going home.

Be careful what you wish for,
'Cause you just might get it all.
You just might get it all,
And then some you don't want.
Be careful what you wish for,
'Cause you just might get it all.
You just might get it all, yeah.

Oh, well I'm going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I'm not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don't regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old.
I said these places and these faces are getting old,
So I'm going home.
I'm going home.


Ok I have this strong feeling, that even if I don't say anything about this, the whole world will still get to know about it anyway. So yes, to confirm everything for all of you,

I'M COMING BACK TO SINGAPORE!

So yes yes. Details.

I'm going to fly back on the 27th of June (no not same flight as tracy)
And I'll be staying for 2 weeks
And flying back here to Melbourne on the 13th of July

AWESOME BIRTHDAY

MY BIRTHDAYS ARE SERIOUSLY AWESOME YEAR AFTER YEAR!

Disclaimer: Long post with many pictures!

I want to thank (this is in NO particular order)
My whole family. Mushroom. Ryan. Jessica. Gerald. Delicia. Gloria. Tiffany Teo. Priscilla. Katie. Jinli. Weijin. Ben. Pauline. Rachel Ong. Ying Xing. Aiwee. Dom. Sasha. Vanessa. Agnes. Fatin. Faustine. Cathy. Jolie. My teachers in Taylors. Ziteng. Paul. Zhi Wai. Xinwei. Jixiang. Jingyi. Cherilyn. My amazing OCF cell group(sorry too many names..). Sarah. Jiun May. Tiffany Yow. Aunty Mary. Steph Siow. Tracy. Kat. Marina. Melanie. Joanne. Tee. Ya Ting. Rachel(from hobsons). Tiffany(from hobsons). Andre. Pam. Davina Lim. Sarah Lee. Ewen. Steph Wong. Faye. Shannin. Tracy(from hobsons).Bernice. Kjelti. Jamie. Glenda.
Basically everyone who made my day so special! (and I'm terribly sorry if I left anyone's name out.)

So anyway. Pictures and captions to explain my wonderful day.

And my family was so sweet. They called me at 530am, Singapore time, just to wish me happy birthday and at the same time, help me to get up for school. I could hear my brothers super tired voices. AWWW

#1 - Presents from my family. I was good ok. I managed to resist opening the parcel until my birthday.

#2 - The lovely scarf my mum knitted

#3 - Cool earrings. I love earrings btw

#4 - Funky paper clips. Know me and know I love stationary

#5 - How I look like in the scarf (and earrings which you can't see.) I got bored in accounting and started stoning and playing with my cam

So then school and then during homeroom, I received presents from my friends and they sang the weirdest happy birthday song. The tune was so funnily off. Haha. And wow mush. I can't believe you actually remembered the stuff that I ever said I wanted. I'm so touched. And that includes whoever who remembers as well.

#6 - White scarf from Mush, Jinli, Ben, Aiwee and honestly I have no idea who else

#7 - Elmo Jumper. YAY I FINALLY GET IT!!

#8 - Mush made this card apparently. It's uber cute. It's a tv with messages and wait till you see the next picture

#9 - Random pictures of guys at the back. Haha. So typical mush. Haha. But it's funny so I'll give her credit for that

#10 - A really random candle and banana from Ben. Yes I'll put a banana in my ear...

#11 - Present from Joey which are non other than...

#12 - NAIL POLISH! Notice the funky colours. Watch out mush. You're going to see more of my 'eyesores'. haha

#13 - Birthday card from xinwei. She took that photo btw. So yes, admire it you fools. And be jealous because you can't own that photo. IT'S MINE!! (Quoting her. It'll be priceless the day she gets famous)

#14 - From Xinwei

#15 - DUH. Who won't be nuts about me? haha

#16 - Queen Mon was such a 4i thing.

#17 - Yummy looking cupcakes. I haven't eaten them yet but I'm sure they're nice. These are times when you judge a book (cake) by it's cover (prettiness.)

And now it's my cell group's turn. Honestly, I kinda thought they'll forget about my birthday but they didn't! Haha. They worked with Joey and the plan was that while I was having dinner with Jinli, Aiwee, Bernice, Mush and Joey, someone from my cell would call me to say they needed to pass me something. And yeah, liwei called and then after dinner I walked to this place and my whole cell was there. Yeah. Even though I started to suspect after a while, it was still a very pleasant surprise. They tried to light up 17 candles which formed the shape of '17' but the wind was too strong. The cake, baked by Amanda and Joanne (I think) was lovely! And overall it was great! I was pleasantly surprised. Like seriously

#18 - From cell

#19 - Messages!

#20 - The really yummy leftover cake

#21 - BBQ sauce from my cell and the reasoning was because I complained about my hostel food so much, they decided to give me something that would make it better. Haha

And when I came back yesterday, I had another surprise. A package!
SHOES FROM GLORIA!

#22 - The shoes

#23 - The grand piano looks pretty

#24

#25

#26

#27

#28

#29

#30

#31 - DELICIA! I MANAGED TO RESIST AND OPEN ONLY ON MY BIRTHDAY!!

#32 - This is seriously cute and something that I would need when the weather gets nasty. yay

#33 - Not forgetting my present from my dear cousin. This is like chocolate galore! Seriously, who would dare eat this.

Another surprise today. ANOTHER PACKAGE! and more letters!
#34 - THANKS GUYS! This is so sweettt

#35 - All the letters I've received. Which includes you cher! thanks so much!!

#36 - This cool mask from Jess

#37 - haha. I think Jess is one of the only few who knows my obsession over notebooks. This notebook is seriously funky

#38 - And of course, EARRINGS!

#39 - Gingerbread man from tee. She broke the leg, not me

#40 - From Pauline, guess what's inside

#41 -CHOCOLATES!!

So yeah. Thank you once again to everyone who made my birthday to be so special. Yeah. I know I didn't really include every single detail of my birthday inside the post, but I can't help it. I'm just so tired now. Yeah.

So anyway.
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY WEIJIN. (060691)
and
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAODA (070690)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRITTANY (070693)
(I know there's more. But I can't be bothered)

seventeen!

I had such a wonderful birthday today and I'm too happy to blog.

Yes I have funny moods. Haha. I'll blog about it tomorrow!

go be comedian lah

Eh Mush, I think you're the real comedian lah


Y-A-D-A, YADA! I posted it. Yes I jiang!

YAY

Yay me. I never felt so proud of myself that I'm more or less on time for my studies, and hopefully I'll do well on my exams next week. Yay! Just hope that I don't suddenly stop studying.

And every subject is doing well. Yay. Ok not so much for accounting, but I'm almost getting a hang of it. haha. Just need to work on theory and speed!!! Haha. Things are going according to plan..

Tomorrow's THE day! double YAY

Time is passing by so fast. I kinda want this year to NOT zoom by so quickly!

In times of boredom

In times of boredom, find someone else who is bored and then do whacky stuff.
(Click pictures to enlarge)
We were communicating through our nicknames btw, in case you can't tell what's so funny about it

2nd day of winter

2nd day of winter.

To think it's already the 2nd of June. Time really just zipped past. I don't remember it going by so quickly last year, and even if it did, I remembered doing much more.

And next week, 11th-13th of June, EXAMS! I am super worried for accounting and I'm really hoping to do well for psychology. GAT, well. Let's just hope it goes well.

A realization

Today I came to this realization.

I really want to be back in the worship ministry. When I heard the keyboardist playing today, I seriously regretted not signing up to join the creative arts ministry. And so I'm going to hope that I'm not too late and ask Amy next week.

I really really want to be a keyboardist again. I really really want to be serving in the worship ministry again.

Wait Monica wait. Your fingers and the keyboard will meet soon