the times, they are a changing!

what's your resolution for the coming year?

mine is to be the best testimony for Christ that I can be-mind,body,face (haha. which means my skin shall clear up and be SO flawless) spirit and attitude. iloveterence (he just typed this in himself!) so vague right my goal? haha. i dunno. i just want to be all-rounded and you know, more balanced. not shop, eat, sleep then mug when exams come along. i spend too much money. i shall make a change. please root for me! 

i love terence (i typed this myself)! 

Season's Greetings

I wish all of you, my friends, love, joy, peace and hope this Christmas day. 

To believers, I pray that God grant you the grace to become more and more like Him.

Merry Christmas =)

3 days to christmas- hope in love

haha. guess who's back. ok no pet names to gross you out. it's TK.
YEAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

we spent the past 2 days jogging at the botanic gardens early morning, having breakfast after, then hitting the shops to do our shopping for gifts. the previous night we had an early christmas dinner with my family, then just last we attended an oakley premiere at Hacienda on Dempsey. hmm.. that place is ok. i was feeding the mozzies cos the rest of the sailors were in jeans. baha. terence is the best person to be with. he made every effort to ensure i didn't feel left out or awkward. and he dropped little kisses on my shoulder from time to time. priceless! we reclined on a swing and had complimentary vodka redbull and tandoori pizza. before the others arrived we had a little hoppity frog for company. as in, a real one. haha.. ok, well. and we took in second-hand smoke throughout the night. al-fresco. that was the downside. but. hahaa. can you imagine how delighted i am. shopping was swell! it's more fun braving the crowd as a couple. queueing for gift wrap, talking nonsense, having someone to hold... my hand. and the bags. haha.. the jogging is manic too, believe it or not. cos it's with him. no one else can make me push myself like that; waking up at 8 and sweating it out. sitting on the ground and dg stretches after. no one else hugs me when i'm all sweaty after a run.

"I owe this life to my saving King."

8 days to Christmas- hope in this darkness.

today, i was running to gospel (the best part about using the condo's gym: you can choose your own music!)
and to cool down, i spun around in the gym to Parachute band's Amazing. i'm SO HAPPY.
it might have been the endorphins; the HIGH after exercise. but i would like to think i was happy because i was worshipping my God in the privacy of my house gym. i was singing, spinning, swinging. i must have looked so silly.
but i don't care.
i looked out and it was raining. dark, at only 6pm.
usually i would be brooding.
but today, i felt such a rush. i feel a very inexplicable joy.
my focus is on God's marvellous light. not the gloominess.

Amazing:

"you are my sole provider
you are the prince of peace
you are my defender and i want to worship
you are the victory won
you are the risen one
to you i surrender and i want to worship

never gonna be the same
your love will never leave me
God you're amazing"

His love will never leave me. what a beautiful promise and hope, what a wonderful reassurance!

12 days to Christmas- hope for those still not yet in shape.

let me suggest how to get fit and beautiful for Christmas. before the feasting begins.
forget crash diets. forget dieting for that matter. diets are only for losers who believe in them. diets are only for people with low self-esteem.
i say have your meals. and exercise.
because it's THIS close to christmas, i have no time for the gym (haha. blushes. bad excuse). assuming all of you are busy folk like me, i recommend BINGE SHOPPING. i've been doing it for about 4 days straight, 6 hours each time.

if you have, like me, experienced a personal shopping drought for the past week/mth, shop madly NOW. when next week comes around, there'll be too many parties to attend. then you'll end up getting very mediocre and thoughtless gifts for loved ones and friends. NO-NO.

because it's the rainy season, you can be assured that you will experience a variety of workouts besides walking. you will work your calves cos there'll be plenty of tip-toeing to do to avoid puddles. you will work your arms cos of (duh) the many bags you'll be carrying (which looks so fashionably festive!). you will work your eyeballs cos you'll be very kaypoh and try to see what other people have purchased. you will work your legs and butt when you sprint your way home (this only works when you DON'T carry an unbrella. so either you run like mad or get wet. run like mad. trust me. not glam but it's ok. next week PLENTY of chances to glam it up.) so that's an all-rounded workout for you there.

to achieve a VERY desirable seasonal glow, don't buy into the facial hype. or microdermabrasion or whatnot. young skin acquires radiance easily. the above workouts will guarantee a healthy flush. on top of that, give. to the salvation army, to the buskers (rmb to bypass a particular one tho. ok? rmb!), to the students holding the collection tins. you'll feel good abt yourself. this will add to your wonderful face a sparkle in your eyes. like diamonds. imagine that! diamond-like eyes to complement your jewel-toned outfits.

christmas is SO rich. in every sense of the word. it is truly the best time of the year.
see you at the shops!

madman on the loose

i'm writing to warn you about a busker in orchard. i haven't seen him before prior to today. but i am assuming that during this festive season, he will be operating in the tunnel linking wheelock place to shaw.

mom and i were approaching the doors leading to the tunnel, and as i saw him holding his flute, i considered being charitable and giving him a token if he were playing sth lovely. but he wasn't playing; his fingers just moving along the airholes. as we walked pass with our mark's goodies in hand, i also rmb very clearly lowering my head with a polite smile.

a few steps later, i heard him: HMPHH!!!! keyi bang bieren ye bu bang!!!! (which translates to: don't even want to help someone when you can.) i whipped around in anger. on a typical day in a typically good mood, i figure i would have glared at him. but i am currently at the peak of pms. i shouted back in response: what is your problem?! and hold on for his response: i am not talking to you what! i am talking to myself! i am SIAO one mah! and of cos, i couldn't deny his moment of genius. i affirmed: yes, i think you are!

some people don't deserve to be given to. even if the money will go towards the treatment of mental illness. either that, or he doesn't understand that busking actually involves ENTERTAINING. whatever he was dg with his flute (cleaning/stroking/wiping it) doesn't count. and he shouldn't be harrassing any members of the public like that.

i always bypass that tunnel cos borders is a favourite hangout of mine. if i see him again, and if he dares afflict me with his sheer stupidity once more, i'm going to call upon our men in blue.

this is my christmas and no one is going to spoil it for me. particularly a super idiot like that.

14 days to Christmas- hope for the poor.

i always reason that i'm buying inspiration. so every month, i'm well-equipped with uk, aussie and well (i'm sorry to say this; it's so awfully unpatriotic of me!) not-so-up-to-par local magazines. at the rate i'm going, you wld think that i'm gunning for a career as a fashion buyer or stylist or sth. while my peers digest the real deal like John Milton's epic Paradise Lost, i am so ashamed to say that my appetite favours say, Shop til you drop. i mean, that's just me. i don't like challenges. a fashion spread is so much easier to take in cos it's brainless. but ok, i suppose if you give me an ultimatum i would give up all this trash for the complete works of Shakespeare (hand on my heart).

today, my aunt called. she said the dec issue of Her World that i lent her 'has nothing'. and funnily enough, although she borrows my copies every month, she NEVER fails to say that i should instead be donating the amount spent on the mag to charity. today, i heard sth different. she found her worthy cause. hallelujah for that. i mean, the vast amount she has; the beneficiary will definitely be blessed. she says that she read in the papers that there was a report of an old man who doesn't switch on the lights at night. cos he's afraid he might not be able to pay off the electricity bills. i do have a very soft spot for old people (i think they deserve some dignity in their last years) and i erm, was a little bit surprised and sad. i always thot that even the poorest in singapore can blend into society (read: not-that-poor). it's not an excuse for my ignorance i know, but living in this part of the city, i can't say that i have ever seen poverty with my own eyes. i'm sure many of you haven't too.

and you know, it's embarrassing cos my parents and sis always use this stupid strategy of personifying electrical appliances/devices to make me aware of my wastage. i always hear:
1. rebecca, the lights are calling you
2. jie, the heater is waiting for you

i decided today to also contribute to the same cause as my aunt. i think sometimes we love excessiveness because we cannot keep our wealth to ourselves. don't you think so? short of just pasting dollar bills on our bodies we live lavishly instead. if we can afford to why not? if the poor are not our responsibility why should we care? reasonable on both counts. but. i think i want to be able to splurge (occasionally) without guilt. knowing that i have more than others but i have given so that others can live decently.

you heard it here. i'm giving up my monthly dose of local magazines from now (that is to say, elle, harper's bazaar, cleo, her world). that is twenty dollars to an old man somewhere. because i think for him i can sit in the comfort of Borders and browse instead.

i'm sure i have some friends laughing right now. and thinking that they can catch me some day going back on my word. time will tell. and by then, i'm sure said old man will not have to worry abt his bills anymore.

enjoy the holidays.

17 days to X'mas- hope for the hopeless.

i hope that you take some time to read the following lyrics.
and also watch the video on youtube- Bandaid 20 Do they know it's Christmas (feed the children). the part that tears at my heart most is the line that Bono sings. i've highlighted it. enjoy, and think about everything you have to be grateful for this season. :

It's Christmas time
There's no need to be afraid
At Christmas time
We let in light and we banish shade
And in our world of plenty
We can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world
At Christmas time

But say a prayer
Pray for the other ones
At Christmas time it's hard
But when you're having fun
There's a world outside your window
And it's a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing
Is the bitter sting of tears
And the Christmas bells that ring
There are the clanging chimes of doom
Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you

Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time
Feed the world
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

And there won't be snow in Africa
This Christmas time
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life
Where nothing ever grows
No rain nor rivers flow
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

(Here's to you) raise a glass for everyone
(Here's to them) underneath that burning sun
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

19 days to X'mas- hope for the future.

puan came over to my place for a workout that day, and i passed her a mag and a book to bide her time over the holidays. she mentioned wanting to watch the upcoming romantic movie P.S. I love you, so i thought she might be interested in reading another of Cecelia Ahern's novels.

as i handed her the book, i caught sight of my writing on the first page, relating the experience behind buying it:

terence and i were at a mega book clearance sale at expo, hunting down a HIGHLY-elusive book to complete a trilogy. the setting was warehouse-like, with books everywhere. it wasn't messy but it wasn't organised either. so we split up and decided to take up the challenge head-on. so you know, nothing exciting. we just thumbed titles upon titles, occasionally pulling some up by the spine to look closer. there were people everywhere but we were apart, focused on our task.

we didn't find the book. but i cannot explain how nice it was to reunite at the end of the search. it was the sweetest thing. you know, when we both were sure that the book was not in that massive sea. he held me and kissed my hair =) and he bought me a book instead. which was the one i lent to my friend.

i think you're probably reading this and haha. your eyes rolling back and forth. what is she getting at?!!! i don't really know how to express it. it was such immense relief being in his arms again. and i cherished the comfort and the familiarity SO MUCH MORE because we had spent time just losing ourselves in something else. it is so reassuring having that ONE PERSON you love and trust so much in a sea of people. in this sea of people. sometimes i find myself completely dazed and overwhelmed. mayb it's my problem of mistrust. i once took a survey and the results revealed that i see the world as a bad place. i still do. isn't there little to be optimistic about? but.

let me finally articulate my reasons for the season: faith and love. basically, the two things that give my outlook some positive balance. Christ and terence.

this christmas, in the midst of the excessive indulgences and extravagance, i hope you find your reason too.

and with that, the countdown begins!