I cut my hair!

Short.. really short..

I had my hair cut on Christmas Day. Haven't had such short hair for a long while... think since JC days. I was getting a bit bored with long hair - have been through highlighting, colouring, digital perming, ceramic perming... maybe time for it to take a rest. Feedback has generally been good so far... ha ha..

Graduation!

Wow! It's been more than a month since I have last written on my blog. Oops!

Just got back from a trip to London and Barcelona.

I have no intention to return to London for graduation when I left 3 months ago. But God has blessed me with the honour of winning the Herbert Smith Prize and Fion was right that Dad is entitled to the joy of seeing me on stage...so I took the initiative to bring Dad with me for my graduation ceremony at LSE, and I threw in a trip to Barcelona for him as a bonus (after he has hinted that he has not been to Spain before. Hee hee...) :)

As HH commented, this is a very expensive initiative indeed! But it's well worth the money. It's my joy and blessing to see Dad feeling so contented and happy. After mum left for our home in heaven, I have resolved to spend as much time as I can with my loved ones because I would never want to go through again the heartache and regret of not having spent enough time with them. And of course, I am very glad to see Gordon again after his 4-month exchange at Edinburgh. :)

As usual, God watched over us throughout this 1-week trip and everything worked out fine. We have had a fun and relaxing time in both London and Barcelona. This is a perfect close for my chapter in London. I couldn't have asked for more.

Let me share some of my graudation photos and my new-found interest in jump shots with you! :)

Little Victories :)

Was quite stressed over work lately. Even Immy said I am not as cheerful as before. But I am very thankful to my ST jiejie, who always know the exact words to cheer me on: "take this as an opportunity to know yourself, what you like and don't like, and identify areas of growth. Be gracious to yourself. There may be times you don't feel good about how you handle staff or situations, but learn to celebrate small victories and growth. See your staff as ministry..." I will!

And God encouraged me through the sermon today and sunday school. To love those whom I am serving, to rely on God, to not worry unnecessarily... Looking back on the days in London, I depended on God a lot and spent a lot of time with Him. And I have experienced His grace. I know, it is time to kneel before Him again and commit everything to Him. I am weak but He is strong. And if indeed God is with me, who and what else should I fear?

Gastric Flu..

Have been down with gastric flu for the past 2 days: vomitted 3 times, endless diarrhea, stomach cramps... cannot eat, cannot drink, cannot sleep..

I feel so weak.. :( I wanna get well...

People who care

As I grow older, I come to realise that be it good news or bad, I only want to share with people who care. True friends are those who will share my joy and carry my burden with me. They are always there for me, to cheer me on, to lend me their ears and shoulders. I feel safe with them. :)

Conversation -
A: Heard that you top your class.
B: Erm... ya... thanks to God.
A: How many pple are there in your class? 3?
B: ... Erm... 50 plus...
A: so what prize do you get?
B: ...Erm.. 500 pounds
A: Ha ha.. is there anyone on earth who weighs 500 pounds?
B: ... (T_T!!!)

I am glad that fortunately there are people around me who care deeply and sincerely for me. I thank God for each and every one of YOU! :)

To be worry-free

hmm.. 3 weeks into my work and I have discovered something new about myself... I can get very affected by work. I tend to think about an issue over and over and over when I get bothered by it. I think this is not very healthy coz it can make me lose sleep and also affect the quality of my time spent with friends ... hmmm...

I have decided to sing this song to myself whenever I get anxious over something:

Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version)
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." :)

What should I do?

Hai.. 2 of my team members argued over some work matters today and both were unwilling to take on a piece of work. I feel so vexed. Why is it like that le? I can sense the bitterness in both of them. I want to think of a fair way to deal with this issue. But I feel so helpless and inadequate.

God, please continue to guide me through this tough time. Give me courage and wisdom to handle this please.

What more could I ask for...

This week has been a challenging one. Going back to IRAS after having been away for 4 years is definitely not easy. New people. New systems. New duties. My new appointment and new job scope means new difficulties and challenges. But this is my choice and indeed, I choose to open myself to these challenges because I want to grow in these areas. I know the trainings are going to be tough but I will be brave coz I know God is with me...

Things weren't going very smoothly though. I still have not gotten my phone line, my internet email and my access rights for the HR systems... and I also encounter problems with my staff...

In fact, I was very discouraged on Fri, when one of my staff kicked up a fuss over some small matters. I felt wronged, angry, upset at the same time. And guess what, at the very moment when I feel discouraged, God sent a timely assurance and encouragement.

I received a phone call from LSE informing me that I have done very well in my exams and have been awarded the Herbert Smith prize (awarded to the student with the best performance overall for the course MSc Law and Accounting)! I could not believe my ears!

I mean, there I was, feeling defeated and depressed and God sent a message telling me that He grace has never left me. He grace is always sufficient for me. And even though things are not easy now, He will carry me through. Coz He has ALWAYS been showering me with grace and love!

And I just could not thank God enough! The past 1 year has been the most rewarding and fruitful time of my life. I have resolved from the beginning that I will make the 1 year meaningful. Indeed, I have no regrets. As I wrote on this blog before, although I played alot (heehee.. need to take the opportunity to travel and see the world mah!), I tried my best to fulfil my responsibility as a student. At the same time, I made use of the opportunity to spend more time with my dad during the holidays and also grow in my walk with God. And God, being faithful as He is, honoured my work. Oh! What more can I ask for...

I am really really touched by how much God loves me. And I thank Him for putting people in my life who have always supported me and encouraged me. He has given me so much. What can I do for Him?

Back.

I am back. Finally. :)

Actually, it doesn't really feel like I am home. Although it's been 16 years and although I like Singapore, I still cannot say I feel entirely at home here. I guess, home is where your family/loved ones are... and for the time being, we are still in 3 places - Hong Kong, Singapore and Scotland.

Coming back to Singapore means coming back to an empty house.. at least until Dec when Gordon is back. And this makes me feel a bit lonely.

Nonetheless, there are still things to look forward to. :) I am glad to be with my friends again. I can't wait to see my students again. And I am eager to start work as an acting manager at Corporate Tax division. There are new people to meet, new things to learn and most importantly, new experiences with God. I know, He will be with me.

My Safe Harbour

I am back in HK. To me, HK has always been my safe harbour. A place where I will go to seek comfort, a time of rest, a short escape from the hustle and bustle of life. Maybe because it is my birth place. Or maybe because Daddy and William (my 2 protectors) are here. :)

The weather is terribly hot compared to that in London. I am trying to adjust to both the time zone and the weather. So far so good. :)

The Last 10 hours

I will be leaving London behind in 10 hours.

The past 2 weeks have been a bit of a whirl with Gordon around - packing up, settling bills, helping Gordon to settle in (even though he is going to Edinburgh for exchange, not London), bringing him around London... we managed to squeeze in a 2-day trip to Paris and went for one theatre works (Boeing Boeing) and one musical (Chicago) together.

In the midst of all these hustle and bustle, I see God's loving hands guiding His 2 playful children. The weather has been fabulous, we have had safe trips, we managed to do quite a bit of sightseeing in London, I managed to settle the unfinished business from my previous rented place... indeed, God is with us not only in the toughest challenges and also in our daily lives. It is impossible to list down the countless blessings that we have received from God. I can only say that His grace is indeed sufficient for us.

It's been close to 1 year. I can still remember the nervousness and the apprehension I feel when I first arrived in London. I can still recall the targets I have set for myself for this 1 year. Yes, I have grown closer to God, because He has never left me from the beginning till the end. He is "my comfort, my shelter, tower of refuge and strength". Yes, I have grown stronger, because I have learnt to find strength in Christ and I know He is with me every step of the way.

Now, another set of challenges await. But I know who holds my future and my tomorrow. :) Home sweet Home! I am coming BACK! :)

The Important Man

Who is he? ha ha, Gordon of course. :P

Have been looking forward to the arrival of this important figure. Really adored this little bro of mine a lot. :)

I have been busy taking care of him and bringing him around these few days. Trying to tell him everything about London.. ha ha.. though he is actually going to Edinburgh for studies.

Anyway, I will miss him when he leaves for Edinburgh next week...

More photos. :)

1) Vienna - St Stephen's Cathedral, Hofburg, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, The Wiener Hofburg Orchester, the Prater

2) Salzburg - Mondsee

3) Vienna - The Prater, River Danube, Shopping at Manner

4) Zurich - Grossmunster, St Peter's Church, University of Zurich, Arts Museum

5) Mt Titlis, Lucerne

6) Zurich - Rhine Falls

Trip A to Z

Some say, we should save the best for the last. Indeed, this trip to Vienna and Zurich with MG is our last trip together and is the best trip we have had so far. We made the bookings right after the exams and I have little expectations for the trip. I just hope to rest and relax and see more of Europe. It turned out that in sharp contrast to the hectic and tiring Greece trip, this trip is amazingly relaxing and enjoyable, and I must say that Austria and Switzerland (especially) are truly lovely. I have actually fallen in love with Switzerland.

We went to the Alps, we went to see the waterfalls, we visited villages and grasslands of Salzburg, we walked through the peaceful and scenic city of Vienna and Zurich. We had great food, great deal of fun and we bought lots of chocolates!

And I took 764 photos in total! Till my memory card is full. :P It's impossible for me to upload each and every good shot. Let me just show you 5 of my favourite...(upload more when I have the time).

Switzerland and Austria, wait for me, I WILL BE BACK!

Blue and White

The colour of my primary school uniform. The colour of my secondary school uniform. My favourite colour combination. The colour of Greece.

Went with MG, Gwen, Rebecca and Yileng to Athens for 5 days - with 2 days on Santorini, a Greek island. It was an amazing trip. The weather was hot. up to 41 degrees. We climbed volcanos, trekked mountains, chased by donkeys... very tiring indeed. But the sights were breath-taking. And we watched the most beatiful sunset on Santorini.

Thank God for keeping us safe and healthy once again. :)

Day 1: London - Athens

Day 2: Athens - Acropolis, Filopappou Hill, Olympic Stadium

Day 3: Santorini - Volcano Island, Hot Springs, Sunset

Day 4: Santorini - Catholic Church, Black Beach at Kamari

Day 5: Athens - Archeaological Museum