Blessed Christmas

It's finally Christmas!!!!! !⑈ˆ~ˆ!⑈ A joyful season which I always look forward to — not only because of the amazing Christmas food, the vibrant and colourful decorations you see along streets and shopping malls, decorating the Christmas tree (I don't even have one but I would love to), gift shopping (although it can be pretty stressful esp when it's last minute and there are masses of crowds queueing up trying to buy easy gifts like Royce chocolates and overrated Pandora jewellery for their loved ones), scented candles, and festive songs playing everywhere!!!!! But you know what kids??? •ᴥ• Jesus is the reason for the season!!! The true meaning of Christmas isn't just about buying and receiving gifts, it's the celebration of the birth of Christ!!!!! And this unspeakable joy and peace He has gifted us with, and it can't be replaced. So yeap I won't be turning this post into a sermon aha but just wanna share with you what Christmas is really about.

Today I spent my afternoon at my aunt's place having loads of food which includes the heavenly cheese fondue (prepared by my dad) and it's actually antique because my mum bought the pot 30 years ago in Switzerland and it was only first used today (can you believe it???) and other super good food. Look at the amount of calories i've gained!!! ●︿●

Tonight was just spent sleeping but i'm somehow fine with it, at least Boy is kept accompanied. Honestly, to come to think of it, I prefer spending Christmas at home, in Singapore, with my family and friends instead of overseas even though they have pretty iconic places and scenic landscapes because it has a more cozy and homely atmosphere and it's where I was brought up 2/3+ of my life.

Hope you had a blessed Christmas everyone!!! ❀◕ ‿ ◕❀

Had quite a sudden urge to blog and update about school but most probably a brief one.

School has been alright, but I feel that I haven't been productive as of late and I still feel physically and mentally drained. I've no idea why. These days have been particularly stressful especially because there are projects to complete and presentations to be carried out. (Actually just 1) and i'll be having gen ed discussion cafe tomorrow but i'm only halfway done researching my points and i'm exhausted. I know it's really boring to read about my school life but right now, my life only revolves around school and more school and occasionally church.

Anyway, thank God that FOM prezzie is over and i'm so gutted to say that my tutor, Ms Jamie will no longer be there for next term because my original tutor will be back and she wasn't teaching our class due to medical reasons so she was substituted. Just wanna submit the rest of these 2 weeks to God. I know my strength isn't sufficient and i've to rely on God and it's really difficult to stay on top of things when there seems to be an endless list of work to be done. God please help me get through these 10 more days i'm so tired even though I haven't been doing much. This is ridiculous.

Okay enough negativity, just wanted to share how my dad was so sweet and thoughtful recently when I casually told him that my iPhone cable was spoilt, he then bought me a new one a few days later with a special feature but unfortunately, it couldn't be plugged into my phone. So the next day, he went to get me another one. This was a really simple act of love but I was immensely touched. It's small acts of love that gets me going and makes me really happy and blessed to have a father like him.

“Sister. She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child.” Barbara Alpert

Everything but that last sentence describes sisterhood. Thank God for giving me a lifelong companionship because I don't know what I would do without you. 

I lied. When I said I stopped crying, it wasn't true. It's your companionship that makes me last till today. You're one of my motivations to carry on going to church. When you said you were going to leave, my heart literally sank and I had to take a few moments to get it all in and put myself together. You said it's just temporary, but you didn't give me a definite date of when you will return for good. And do you not think that your absence will affect my commitment? It does and it already is. It will never ever be the same without you and I forgot when was the last time I was so depressed because of a friend. I miss you so much. God if this is one of your tests to see how much dedication and commitment i'm willing to give you, i'll try my best to make it work but I don't know how much longer I can last.

It's finally November and school has started - in the middle of the 3rd week and I just kind of really want to finish this sem quickly so I can have my break to really work out and try out making new recipes and I just want rest. School isn't really hectic yet but projects are starting to pile in and I know I should stop complaining and start appreciating school more because work is definitely gonna be more challenging but it's quite difficult to so God please give me a positive outlook on this, to cherish my time studying along with my friends and not put it to waste because true enough, time flies so quickly and before you know it, it's graduation. And also the thought of in 2 months, we will be welcoming 2015 is quite unbelievable... Kind of just want time to pause and take my mind off things. Gonna leave you with a quote -- "If there's one thing i've learned in life, it's to fight. Fight for what's right. Fight for what you believe in, what's important to you. But most importantly, fight for the ones you love, and never forget to tell how much they mean to you while they're still alive." Just wanna thank God for Your countless blessings - surrounding me with family and friends whom I really treasure. The words of affirmation and acts of service they would say and do - even if they're small and simple, they do add up and it really makes me happy. So thank you Lord for blessing me ever so abundantly, delightfully and unexpectedly.

Don't kill yourself

Just watched Anna Akana's video where she talked about her sister's suicide and the emotional scar it had left her was indescribably painful and heart wrenching, I ended bawling my eyes out even though I had never lost a loved one because of suicide... And I absolutely admire her courage to put herself out there to talk about this huge issue - one that's the third leading cause of death among teenagers. I feel like I'm incredibly stupid and ignorant that a few years back, I would ask myself why would people want to actually commit suicide???? There is so much to live for, so many things we haven't seen and experienced, so many opportunities to take up and so many dreams to fulfill. It would all be wasted, wouldn't it? I hadn't thought of things like depression, addictions, bankruptcy and so many other things I had no knowledge of. Obviously I don't know of many social matters raised up on the news but one thing I know of is that killing yourself is a permanent way to end a temporary problem and I wouldn't even say it's a solution because of all the unnecessary confusion and emotional trauma your family, friends and people who love and care about you have to go through everyday of their lives. They have to cope with what you've left them with. It's totally not worth it at all. Even if you think you're at your lowest, please ask for help from anyone, you don't deserve to go through this alone. You are loved and if you dare say someone doesn't care about you that no one would even care if you actually didn't exist, you're wrong. Think again. I care about you and you can talk to me if you like via my tumblr - http://frithe.tumblr.com/ I know i'm not good with words but as long as I helped one of you, I don't mind spending more time on this post.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

"For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living." Romans 14:79

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Sem break part 2 Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ

11 bucks and a wrong drink order but oh well their latte and mocha tasted similar so 

This week has been great (only halfway through though), did some café hopping and met up with Jan and went to quite a lot of places. Somehow I love to go to new places and do some exploring and take some pictures as well. Went to Bukit Merah specially to check out the family thrift store but ugh the clothes were pretty old-fashioned and it wasn't to our liking so we kinda just wasted our time and effort walking all the way there. Because it was still early, we decided to visit The Bakery Chef and just chilled and I really enjoyed it x

Met Jan again on Wednesday and we headed to Holland Village because of the popular soft-serve dessert sold at Sunday Folks so we took some pictures around the place and reached at 12PM and two waiters a few cafes away were looking at our direction and I was like "they must be thinking we're so desperate to be the first customers" because we were seated at their benches when they weren't even opened yet. We then realised that it only opens at 4PM so yeah they basically thought we were dorks aha but it's okay, we found a really crowded cafe called Baker & Cook. "The best moments are the unplanned ones that just happen but make your day perfect." Totally true. It's nestled in a secluded housing estate and it sells a wide variety of bread, cakes and other Western food and ah I really loved the ambience. (Plus the person taking our orders had an adorable accent) After having lots of chit chat time and stuff we went back to Jcube and ice-skated!!!!!!!! Even though the rink was so full, we still went. Better take a chance than never, right? So I was still a little awkward but I did improve by a lot compared to almost 3 years back!!! Was trying to be like those kinda rough ice hockey players but I fell. Even ended up with 2 blisters and aches but I guess it was worth the skate.

Also had my backbone check-up and my mum accompanied me and I kinda made her go to CBTL with me and I had my much-craved frap yum! Finally revamped my blog and added a new playlist hope you like it! Loving Jasmine Thompson so much x

Cruisin' and bruisin'

Hi welcome onboard to Superstar Gemini 〜(^∇^〜）

 “Being on a boat that's moving through the water, it's so clear. Everything falls into place in terms of what's important and what's not.” James Taylor *deep reflection in progress while casually posing for the camera*

Take me back to deck 12 please!

 The view when having our meals at Dynasty

Hello i'm finally back from my study cruise!!!!!!!!!! (Not like I was gone for many days, just 4D3N but it's long enough for you to miss me) So the cruise was quite a new experience really. Wasn't very excited initially but the thought of taking pale-themed pictures and the incredible scenery of the waters got me all hyped up!!! The breeze was just amazing and I could feel it caressing my face and on my feet, taking it all in. Shared a cabin with my roomie, Wei Yun and wow the bed was so comfy and I could fall asleep lying there within 5 minutes. Basically we had a lot of free time to do our own activities and spent 1/4 time doing work so it was more of a holiday trip to me (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ

Stopped by at Penang and Langkawi and briefly toured around Park Royal hotel and Berjaya resort and the casino and had our buffet lunch there. Did some shopping too but only bought some snacks, nothing much there actually. Also got to watch performances every night and we got front row seats 2/3 times! There was a crew dance done by 3 divas who were guys cross-dressing as females and oh gosh it was so uncomfortable and hilarious at the same time. Also watched the Brazilian show ah the guys were really hot and dreamy looking just saying. Wanted to watch the sunrise but didn't really manage to, was way too exhausted to get up at 6AM. Gala night was alright, preparation was kinda chaotic but we had full course fine dining at Bella Vista and I had salmon with wasabi sauce and shrimp pasta and chocolate lava cake which I kindly said I would skip it twice to the waiter but he still served me???????? But honestly I loved the cruise because of their excellent service!!! The crew was mostly very friendly and they would always greet everyone with a smile. Plus I ate a lot during the whole cruise, imagine 3-4 meals a day - all you can eat buffet and occasional full course meals ~(⊕⌢⊕)~ Atmosphere was also very friendly and homey, felt at ease. 

So thankful to have this opportunity to go on this trip with my course mates subsidised heavily by my school and i'm so glad that I enjoyed myself.

Went to Lola's Cafe located at Kovan with Chia Lynn and Cheyenne as well, was great to talk to them after like 3 months??? Was told that it was a 1.5h wait but thank God it was only .5h but it was worth it! Food was awesome and price was reasonable too!!!! Also had an overnight cyclist event called Ride For Rainbows 2 days before and we didn't really do our jobs, just fell asleep on the bus but our IC was so nice! And attended my dearest neighbour, Li Ping's 21st birthday party at Chevron with my class and did last minute gift shopping.

Listening to christmas songs 2 months earlier, why not? Guess that's all, goodnight!!!!

Sem break part 1 ヾ(〃^∇^)ﾉ

Made strawberry popsicles flecked with blackberries and blueberries last night. Could feel some seeds but other than that, it tasted rather nice.

Yay to cereal mag issue 7 (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ

Went for a class outing with 03 this afternoon and took bus 402 with Rasiya and we actually took the wrong bus even though the lady at the front desk of the financial building said we could. It was a picnic at Marina Barrage but at level 2, not the grassy fields and we had pizza, sushi, doritos, crackers, grapes and soda etc. Surprisingly, this bonding session was sponsored by SP so a maximum of $200 can be reimbursed for whatever food we buy. Not all came, attendance was 14/20. Played truth or dare and aha it was nice to spend more time with my classmates. Went up to the top level with Doris, Wei Yun, Chao Lei, Rasiya and Tricia and I managed to use my picnic mat yay. Took pictures, ate, chatted, and also screamed at the top of our lungs at the jetty (to relieve stress) we weren't psychotic okay but yeah people looked at us from a distance.

Went out with Rasiya in our gym clothes and we didn't even go to gym because laziness kicked in. Went to Jcube and watched people ice-skate and we're thinking of ice-skating after the cruise even though i've no skills/basic knowledge of how to. Met at Jem because I wanted to get a dress for gala night but I ended up buying a gold headpiece to match with my sister's white toga. Also got to buy a pair of jeans and socks yay #retail therapy is really satisfying ≧◡≦ Was great to talking to her (n˘v˘•)¬

Past week has been entirely spent with my parents because they weren't working due to market cleaning and yes I think i'll gain loads of weight when they're around because i'll be fed with plenty of food. On a side note, I got to go to Carpenter and Cook with my mum for breakfast too and I really enjoy spending time with her one to one. Doesn't matter where we are headed to, even accompanying me to JMC for my dental appointment or grocery shopping and having tea are really simple but they make my heart feel warm and fuzzy.

Will be seeing my grandma tomorrow with my parents and also to some HDB office hopefully there's a showroom at Toa Payoh. And i'll be going to a dog cafe with Wei Yun, Doris and Chao Lei on Friday. Saturday will be packing day for my cruise which lasts for 4 days. Will update after that x

Results are out

The constant fear, panic, worry, anxiety and paranoia. It's not worth going through all these, is it?

Insomnia. Not being able to sleep and feeling so helpless because what's done is done and there is nothing you can do to change the grades but only pray. 

The stress you get from the expectations you've to uphold not only from your parents but yourself, the intense competitive spirit you've to face in class and also amongst friends and relatives. 

"No comparison" but really? The amount of pressure and fear I was feeling, how incapable I felt was just horrible and I never want to experience it again. But thank God for answering my prayers. The peace of God which transcends all understanding guards my mind and heart and his perfect love casts out my fears. Yes I can rely on Him and He is indeed in control of all situations and nothing can surpass that. All glory to God x

Boy's 6th birthday

I guess I wanna do this every post where I upload a picture of a dish/drink i've made. Can be however simple. For today's it's toasted multigrain sandwiches and mango + kiwi ice-blended.

Hello today was a really fruitful day where I got to spend 2+ hours of my monotonous boring old afternoon with Wei Ling and Janelle at Little Part One cafe located in a hidden spot of Ang Mo Kio (which took me so long to travel) didn't know it was at Thomson Plaza area, could've taken 52. Anyway it was a really nice session where we got to talk to Wei Ling about her encounters with God through her testimony and she answered our quirky and also profound questions we had relating to Christ and cell group etc. Learnt a lot from it and i'm really thankful to have her as our cell leader. She also revealed to us her age and I had to take quite some time for it to finally sink in (it was quite shocking) but then it made sense because she looked really young. She also gave us secondhand Christian books, the one i'm currently holding onto is titled Walking With God. Hoping this season would bring about significant spiritual growth and health; and I would emulate a more godly behaviour and lifestyle that Wei Ling possesses.

Forgot to mention that we were also half an hour late and I felt bad considering the fact that I reached Ang Mo Kio 10 minutes later than I should.

Friday was spent with Jan at Sentosa. Watched The Maze Runner featuring the really stunning Dylan O'Brien and cute-looking Ki Hong Lee (✿◠‿◠) was kinda good in my opinion although it resembles so much like The Hunger Games and Divergent.

Also got to video tape Siloso beach and other places. And after much effort (having to carry around the heavy camera) i've finally compiled all the shots and edited them and also added a cute upbeat ukulele song to it. Ta da!!!!!! Presenting to you a 1:56 minute YouTube video i've made even though the first half of it was shaky.

Had sandwiches, sushi and doritos by the beach and Jan was really nice to walk to Macs to help me buy a cup of refreshing iced milo because I was really thirsty and lazy. Thank you if you're reading this!!!

Wanted to talk about this in a separate post but i've not much to say: went to Animal Lovers League with Jan on Wednesday to volunteer. Walked in and all the dogs surrounded us *so loved* but at the same time I was kinda afraid because they were initially barking but it subsided after a while. Was planning to act like Cesar Milan no. 2 but I failed because I was already struggling to handle 2 big dogs at once (much bigger than Boy, I can assure you) they had such great strength and yeap, was glad to be able to spread some love and affection to them knowing that they are being kept there for probably their whole lives.

Talking about dogs, Boy's birthday was on Friday and I got him this cute little cake from Pet Safari in Vivo. He really liked it (duh, he loves all food except for tomatoes) So there, happy 6th birthday Boy!!!!!!!!!! You've been such a great blessing to our family, this additional joy you've brought us is beyond what I can even describe because my english sucks and my love for you will forever be eternal and everlasting. Love how you greet me with squeaky barks and a wiggly bum and a mad dash to the door whenever I come home like as if you haven't seen me in months. And how I can cuddle with you during cold and rainy days to steal your warmth. Love you even though you've done many unforgivable things but also because you don't mind what I say to you and how I don't bring you for frequent walks but you still adore me and treat me the same xxx

Tomorrow will be spent with my cell group at church and bonding time at PlayNation so goodbye because it's late x

Exploring Haji Lane and more

Today was rather eventful I guess? Went to 3 places in total. Met Jan at Jurong East and had a simple lunch at Bugis and we talked and missed her a lot because I haven't seen her in 3 weeks!!! Always a joy hanging out with her xxx

Originally planned to get some clothes but we are picky shoppers and in 20 minutes time, we walked out empty-handed but I already had an assumption that we weren't getting anything somehow, just didn't really like the things sold there and I wasn't unhappy that I didn't manage to get anything. Also headed to Haji Lane and Arab Street; wanted to video tape the street art and buildings and everything and I did! The camera was really bulky though but I guess it was worth the hassle bringing it out. Looked and felt like a total tourist. And then we got to Orchard Central to have our much craved churros and coffee frappe!!!! First time trying it and it wasn't that bad, tasted a little similar to 油條. Just chilling and talking are my two favourite things to do when i'm out with friends of course it would be perfect with the addition of food. Food therapy > retail therapy (▰˘◡˘▰)

Personally thought that this graffiti work is kinda creepy plus there were rubbish bins so I only took half her face #artistic

Introducing chicken noodle soup placed on a really deceptive and nice background which is a catalogue - wish my house looked like that. Always down for homecooked food because it just gives me this really warm and fuzzy feeling and it's cost-saving.

Also tried out Byron's cookie cup recipe yesterday and it failed miserably. The cookie dough sunk to the bottom of the cup because I forgot that the dough would expand and I made it too thick!! Plus the cookie is still stuck in the cup. Never gonna bake anything like that again. #once bitten twice shy

Hung out with Chang Ting on Wednesday at West Gate and last time I saw her was like a few months back during our term break! Had lunch at Hot Tomato and ice-cream at Gelato; was generally really nice to see her. Same old same old, nothing has changed much about her. Hope to see her soon though.

Gonna gym tomorrow again but i'm starting to lack the motivation already. Churros + ice-cream + frappe look at all the weight i've gained and not ready to lose. But yeah can't wait for next Wednesday + Friday; will be going to the animal shelter and Sentosa! And also i'm so excited because I just ordered my Cereal magazine issue 7 like 2 days ago and it's not very cheap but it's definitely worth the price knowing how good their quality is and the visual hook it has. Plus today I commented on Rich Stapleton's instagram picture and he replied me and even liked one of my photos I got so happy because of that. Yeah I get cheery easily, same goes the opposite. Till next time x

New season new changes

Ft today's breakfast: super tasty and crunchy Kellogg's strawberry flavoured whole grain cereal which has a really good blend of textures *recommended*

Today has been a totally unproductive day; one which I stayed at home napping and eating and watching animal planet and also daily devotion. While yesterday consisted of rising up at 6:45AM in the morning and going for service and then to Cherie's house for cell group. Talked to Eunice for quite a bit and it was really nice x

Am thinking of finding a part-time job during this sem break of 6-7 weeks because I currently have nothing to do and I need some cash to spend. Will be heading to Daiso at IMM tomorrow before gyming at Club Fit!!! Also thought about giving tuition actually but it's a long-term commitment which I don't think I can handle when school starts because i'll have to juggle between studies, church and tuition so it's a no from me *Simon Cowell voice* even though the income is not bad!!! Also thought of Paris Baguette but Eunice said that their management wasn't very good when she worked there so I was like okay, maybe i'll try out F&B next sem breaks.

This new season has brought about many changes which are inevitable but God doesn't change; He's the same yesterday, today and forever. Really glad to be doing my quiet time I think over time i'll spiritually grow more in Him and that's what I want. Unfortunately, Jessene's wedding falls on the same day as Encounter camp so I can't make it for this round but i'll definitely go! Having evangelism cell outing the following week so i'll be meeting Chang Ting this wednesday and hopefully, i'll have the courage to speak of God's words and testify of His faithfulness and His awesome work in my life.

Don't really know what to talk about because it has been so long since i've last blogged but yes, my dad allows me to bring his DSLR out so i'm really excited to be making a video tour kinda thing! Will update soon xxx

Please watch this if you've time it's really so heartwarming it made me tear then again i'm very emotional but yes, you should definitely watch it!!!!



Quick update: all my presentations are finally over! Had my very first formal prezzie yesterday which was ITB yeap so right now I can concentrate on econs and PACC. ESTs end in less than a week's time which is scary really; so excited for it to end though i've got many plans thought out (very typical of me) but that's what that really motivates me to push on. Also thinking of doing something like a video like what you can do in Singapore but I don't think i'm allowed to carry my dad's camera outside okay this is making me really sad goodbye while I find some snacks to relieve my depression.

First blood donation experience

#acting like i'm well-read

Have been caught up with ITB project work recently and I even have to return to school on Sunday to finish it up and prepare for our presentation so that means i'll have to skip cell group. Plus we are required to be in formal wear for our presentation on Wednesday oh gosh I don't like the idea of it because it adds to the stress and anxiety I may get. Thankfully, it isn't going to be long, 15 to 20 minutes per group. Most probably getting the formal wear at Jem with Wei Yun this Monday/Tuesday after our PACC revision with Mr Pang.

You know I just posted a 15 seconds cover of Cool Kids by Echosmith because i'm obsessed with the song ever since I first heard it on Vine by Kenzie it was so perfect and yeah basically it has more than 70 plays on my iTunes but you know the thought of other people (more of your friends and acquaintances) listening to your voice on instagram is kinda terrifying. I don't know but like maybe putting myself out there can somehow boost my self-esteem???? My singing isn't even good that's for sure okay but I enjoy singing and yeah bottom line is i'm really scared and nervous about putting my cover out there. 

Today marks the end of Term 2 of Semester 1. Not exactly but in terms of lessons, yeap it is. I've finished with my gen ed (so glad it's over) video and I think I gave myself a heart attack and it led to an emotional outburst????? So it was rumoured (from Gabriel) that we were supposed to upload our videos by 5pm but my partner, Jia Ee and I were kinda lacking behind because we hadn't got a suitable time to meet until Tuesday which was our submission dateline and we finished making the video at 6+PM so when I reached home I couldn't even eat! I was so stressed about getting it uploaded and it literally took forever for it to be processed; almost 2 hours maybe? I even asked for a prayer request because I was really afraid that Mr Wilson Yeo would penalise us and deduct marks and I can't afford to do badly because i've done bad enough for my first CA. So thank God everything was fine and that gen ed and MOB presentations are finally done and over with!

Also, I finally plucked my courage to donate blood for the very first time!!!!!!!!!! And i'm really proud of myself because blood donation is something i've wanted to do because many medical procedures require blood transfusions and it may save a life! #acheivementunlocked I was very nervous the whole way through because I was afraid I might faint thanks to Rasiya describing her incident which gave me a fright — she had a seizure and blacked out for a while and another girl who fainted and fell off the stretcher and #SOS the nurses surrounded her and lowered her stretcher and she regained consciousness. The whole time I was like mentally preparing myself and thanks to the encouragement from my friends and cell group, I got through it!!! It wasn't exactly as painful as I thought even though the anaesthetic injection stung a bit and the needle looked terrifyingly thick! It hurt for a split second but generousity overrides pain plus the nurses were very solicitous and caring; which made the experience tenfold better and i'm just so glad I went.

This coming week will be a tough one and then it will be my exams on the following week - PACC and econs! Gonna give my best. Here's a verse "With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26 Just gonna rely on Him for strength and yes, I hope this coming 1.5 weeks will be a fruitful one!! xxx

Heartfelt reassurance

The parenting series has come to an end today and God has been really generous. His presence really manifested and touched a nerve in me last sermon. His words spoke to me; it was so clear and compelling, I knew I had to humble myself to go to the altar. This overwhelming intensity of His Spirit just washed over me and my eyes involuntarily welled up and I kept shedding tears for maybe 20 minutes, I couldn't hold it together. He heals, He really does heal our brokenness and it isn't temporary. The comfort He brings is so reassuring and it's just amazing how He works in each and every one of us.

"Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits — who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion," Psalm 103:2-4 (NIV)

6th anniversary

Can't believe that i've been blogging for 6 whole years ever since I was in primary 5, 10 years old and  guess how old I am now. 17!!!!! This is absolutely crazy and I'm just really really glad i've never forsaken this blog despite my pointless rants and emotional outbursts and peculiar thoughts expressed here. Honestly this blog means so much to me; it started out as a norm that everyone used to have just for the sake of it but really, it has developed into something much more significant and i'll always continue blogging even if i'm caught up in studies or whatever. Here's to another 6 more years xxx

Mum's 50th

It's august 3rd already can you believe it?  Left with one month before semester one officially ends!!! For the past few weeks I've been spending loads of time with Cheryl, Tricia and Javier on our DBE project. Made lots of effort in our report and presentation materials which includes a mexican piñata stuffed with styrofoam tacos and sweets. Even did the hat dance which was filmed OMG the embarrassment, nevertheless it was fun and super hilarious. Stayed back on certain days till at least 7-8PM even at ITE college west and had a great time with them x yesterday was our presentation and as usual, I prayed beforehand because I've a fear of public speaking and I tend to get nervous and I'll stutter but thank God it turned out pretty alright. Our hard work paid off even though it was kinda impromptu because we hadn't got enough time to rehearse but it was not bad in my opinion.

Last Sunday was my mum's 50th birthday!!! The big 50 but unfortunately she had to work. We celebrated the next day and my sister and I made her eggs benedict topped with hollandaise sauce and toasted waffles served with strawberries with loads of help from my dad because it wasn't easy as how the recipe video looked!! Bought her 3 small tubes of L'occitane hand cream and a wooden photo frame from Muji and also made her a card xxx glad she liked them. We had breakfast/lunch/dinner all combined (bc we ate at 3-4 and I skipped breakfast) at Sushi Tei wow their food is seriously overpriced. Also had a durian cake from Durian Mpire. Really blessed to have her as my mum; always giving and never receiving the same. Can never ask for more. 

As of now I'm sweating so much because I'm blogging while waiting for my bus to come when I'm already late and it's taking forever!!! Oh and guess who I saw this Wednesday at marine parade????? Mr Chua the discipline master from Queensway!!!!! #feelingsentimental 

Can't wait for tomorrow to come because the Scanteak furniture is arriving plus a new sofa woohoo that's all for now <3

Ramblings #1

I've orders of business. Let's get down to it! *Mulan song starts playing* Let's get down to business to defeat the huns~

Okay enough of me being weird, first I wanted to update you on my schedule and other things that have been happening in my life. That's right, Sheryl providing you with the highest quality of entertainment! Second week of school has gone by real quick, not even kidding. Piled with at least 5 projects; some of which are due next week followed by 2 weeks later and yes, when I reached home yesterday I ate some Korean food for dinner which I got from West Mall and sorry Chia Lynn that I wasn't able to come for your drama performance x proceeded to finish my gen ed photo essay on ageism and after that, I knocked out. And I woke up at 9 the next day which is basically today and ate apple flavoured granola bars and watched some HK shows and fell into a really deep sleep but still felt groggy after that like that always happens but yeah it's a Saturday and I think I can afford to do that as long as I can finish my revision and assignments at the end of the day because my mum mentioned that if I can't manage = no going to church #strictexpectations but I'M STILL trying to STOP PROCRASTINATION ugh it really bothers me that I can't prioritise my work properly

Sorry I ramble a lot when i've nothing to talk about. Anyway, last Sunday I went to Plain Vanilla Bakery at Tiong Bahru with Si Rui!!!!!!!! It's a cafe with pretty decorations and tasty cupcakes and other european desserts. As we were trying to take a photo of the whole shop, this Caucasian father was like posing for the pictures it was really hilarious and cute at the same time. Had a quick breakfast because we were rushing for prayer walk (turned out we were one of the earliest). I ordered a salted caramel tart and iced honey lemon drink and yeap, I guess that's all???

By the way I discovered this really cute, down-to-earth and lovely youtuber called Savannah Brown through an advertisement which played before Cameron Dalla's video. It was about a slam poem with regard to Nash Grier, Cam and JC's "What Guys Look For In Girls" video which created lots of drama and controversy. So that video really came in at the perfect timing. Here's the link to her youtube channel, you should definitely check her out! http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDAjO0-hd_RS8ZYJ4W-Iq5Q *promoting even though no one reads my blog*

24h staying up study session?

Kinda just spacing back and forth (not physically) but i'm currently staying up (probably through 24h), pushing myself and seeing if I can actually do it obviously not for fun and games, but to finish my accounting revision and assignment because i've prayer walk and service tomorrow and that means half the day will be used up. Sorry not thinking coherently because it's 2:54AM in the morning and i'm just typing out whatever that comes into my mind.

Honestly i've not been using my time to the best of my capability and I know that, why am I so lazy and unmotivated to make the change? Kinda just wish these 10 weeks will end so that the holidays will come again and it will be 1.5 months long! Super satisfying knowing that there won't be any projects and assignments given. Perhaps i'll find a part-time job but hopefully something that I like, no admin jobs for me anymore (unless i've run out of choices)

On the brighter note, i've been writing diary entries pretty consistently, that's good. It's really therapeutic and it calms me down whenever I get emotional (nothing to do with PMS okay) It's in my cursive handwriting, kinda illegible to me and I wonder if I can make out what the wordings are when i'm old and wrinkly, probably not but it will be interesting.

Don't know why this first week of school already exhausted me, whoever says "poly life is relaxing" should take his/her words back because it's totally untrue. It's just a very different learning environment compared to JC but I don't know much since i've only been schooling for 1 term but yeah, I guarantee you that it's more hands on and you will learn how to be more outspoken *still trying here* because of presentations and group projects etc and there will be internships during your 3rd year which is kinda exciting for me I don't know but part of me is looking forward to it 

Okay -rant over- going to continue with my assignments and i'll update you on how it goes!

LEO camp

"I love the feeling of being anonymous in a city i've never been to before."

LEO camp was quite a blast I must say even though I dreaded to go initially because i've a thing about meeting new people and making friends, not exactly the most outgoing person so I thought it might be quite a challenge. Maybe that's why I pushed myself to sign up for freshmen orientation camps in the first place.

Activities weren't super well-organised and time wasn't optimised but I generally had quite a lot of fun hanging out with my small group of 7, the teletubies!!!! Which includes Daphne, Amirah, Brian, Sanath, Brandon, Jonavan and me! First day consisted of playing games and getting to know one another etc, and we had lunch at school before heading off to Aloha Changi Resort. It was actually a chalet (my first time staying at one!) where we had to share 4 rooms among >70 people but yeah we had like our girl time and chatted and honestly, the people whom i've met were genuine and really down-to-earth. Could really connect with them, no barriers and stuff. Could be partly because people who participate in social services activities are generally more approachable and compassionate.

Had games like human caterpillar (which made my butt cheeks hurt) and amazing race and night walk and we had performances and the other usual stuff. Stayed up till 3AM on the second day because no one was willing to sleep and just talked etc. Couldn't be more thankful to have met these bunch of amazing people like Cherilyn, Daphne, Xenia and my other roomies and group members xxx

Right now i'm suffering from mosquito bites from Changi and my sister will finally be back tonight and yeah random fact of the day: my brace bracket fell out, gotta wait for the next dental appointment to have it fixed!!

Sem 1 term break

Letter-writing ♡

Finally watched the long awaited movie — The Fault In Our Stars today!!!!!!!!!! Can't put into words how excited I felt because I was anticipating for it to be out ever since i've read the book and it was probably the first book that brought me to tears and that's what made it special. The movie was amazing because Shailene and Ansel truly delivered and the chemistry between them was palpable, it was just incredibly heartfelt and a "sick" love story and I still can't get over it. P.S: I thought part of my archwire broke while I was eating popcorn and I got so scared OMG but thank goodness it was a false alarm

Yesterday was entirely spent with my parents because my sister is away in Korea at the moment and I had buffet at Pan Pacific Orchard and the food was delectable and the highlight was basically the durian crepes I had; it was super heavenly and yeah i'm totally craving for that now. Visited my relatives after that and saw Jerric and watched some World Cup.

Went for DTRM retreat last Tuesday and I was in group Hawkeye, the theme of it was superheroes hence the group name. Thankfully Rachel was in my group and yeah we had the same introductory games and amazing race but I had to leave at 4 for cycling FOP which was held at East Coast Park. Anyway Amelia and Wei Jie and other DTRM seniors were quite friendly and i'm glad to have them as my group leaders. Cycling was alright but rather tiring because I slept at 2AM the other day because of a concert and woke up early and we cycled in the rain and I had mosquito bites because I basically stayed at the shelter from 2 to 6AM.

Went to Holland Village with Si Rui last thursday and we visited Plain Vanilla bakery and their cupcakes were quite tasty!! Had lunch and talked at CBTL and happened to see Qian Yu. It was still early so we went to my place and used Tumblr and took pictures of stuff and sang worship karaoke songs (pretty uneventful I must say but still enjoyable)

Friday the 13th was spent with Chia Lynn, Chang Ting, Cheyenne, Yue Ning and Grace and it was so lovely to see them after what seemed forever!!! Had a buffet at Ssikkek Korean Grill BBQ at Junction 10, pretty affordable although their selection of food isn't great but quality beats quantity. Took polaroids and stuff and left for Si Rui's place, didn't do much to be honest just slacked and yeah I even took a nap OMG

Went to gym recently and I was really confused and a little intimidated because I didn't know how to use half the machines and it was a unisex gym so yeah also didn't know my way there.

Haven't been really doing anything productive to be honest, sometimes I would blast music (okay not really trying to add drama); listen to Gabrielle Aplin's playlist and worship songs and watch some HK drama and use tumblr pretty mundane life I have I know. 

The RED Tour

Went for Taylor Swift's RED Tour on Monday night with my sister and Rina and I must admit that it was absolutely amazing. It was my first concert i've ever been to and they gave out free cornetto ice-cream because the tour was sponsored by that company and yea we basically had to guess the newly-added flavour which was black forest but it was too sweet for my liking but yeah you can't say no to free ice-cream!

The concert was held at Singapore Indoor Stadium and the merchandise were way overpriced! The jersey & tour tees were sold at around 50-55 dollars - which I think is ridiculous. We also had trouble finding our seats because the stadium was flooded with loads of people and they were probably understaffed but I'm super thankful that we were moved down from category 4 to category 3 which gave us a better view.

We schemed to trick Rina saying that we forgot to bring the tickets but we ended up laughing and that obviously gave it away but if that were to happen, it would literally be the end of the world. Anyway, there were opening acts and videos playing on the huge screen and for some reason, it felt forever waiting to get the stage ready for the headliner. And then the moment finally arrived — the background music faded down, all the lights suddenly went out and there was total darkness and anticipation swept across the crowd. -Inserts descriptive adjectives- It felt incredible being surrounded by people who were just as passionate about the music and watching my favourite songs sung live was just surreal and overwhelming. Taylor was so gorgeous and OMG I wish I could relive the experience over again because right now i'm still suffering from #postconcertdepression

End of Term 1

Sorry for being on a hiatus lately, have been occupied with revision and was rushing through reports and project datelines. Term 1 has been rather hectic, not saying that i've been swamped with CCA and other school activities but I felt that the workload was quite overwhelming because there was a lot to handle really, juggling between school, family and personal needs. At one or two points during the past few weeks, my mind started reeling and I simply couldn't get myself together so I had a breakdown (not kidding) I don't know it helped to relieve stress in a way and I just told Emily about it and she was a total sweetheart and reaffirmed me that everything would be okay, so thankful for her.

The MSTs weren't easy at all, I felt like I screwed up my ITB and I knew that I didn't do my best but i'm trying to put things in perspective and just want to thank God that it's finally over.

Finally went to church today after not going for 2-3 weeks oops and it was a really fruitful time because it was my first time going up the church altar and getting prayed for. My sister also performed Part Of Your World by The Little Mermaid and shared her testimony during Pastor RL and LF's congregational meeting x

Went to Jem and Westgate with my sister and hung out at Hans and picked Sohhan's birthday gift and just bought some miscellaneous things on Friday after the MSTs were over #blessedtime

Had skinny pizza at Westgate with Si Rui before that and the portion wasn't filling at all I was still hungry (I don't have such a big appetite mind you) but it was a great catch-up session like usual. Got my AA bag yay planning to watch TFIOS and visit the Plain Vanilla and maybe Lola's Café sometime later during the holidays. Will be going for Taylor Swift's concert tomorrow night, kinda excited but I don't know the lyrics well but it's okay seeing her is satisfying enough. Till next time!! xxx

Guess what i'm currently listening to right now - 3 hours Christmas medley #rhetoricalquestion

MST is starting next week and I don't feel prepared. Have been trying to finish all my reports and assignments i've no time left for revision. It's kinda ridiculous how late I stay up to get things done before project datelines. Living off of 2-4 hours of sleep on certain days, still able to function but obviously feeling distressed and groggy, though i'm more or less accustomed to it. 

3 hours long of DBE lecture later #saveme but it's okay, everything will end next Thursday and i'll be having my term break which lasts for 3 weeks thereafter!! Going for Taylor Swift's concert - The RED Tour with my sister and Rina on 9th June!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was honestly a kinda impromptu and spontaneous decision made; booked category 4 tickets located at the balcony area but yay to my very first concert!

Also, blessed 21st birthday to my sister!!!! Attended her party and Kai Quan's wedding last Sunday and i'm so glad I went. So nice to see Sherwin after 1 year away at Queensland University.

Can't wait for next Thursday to end. Have events planned during my holidays — Cyclists FOP, DTRM retreat and LEO Club FOC and baking sessions so stoked xxx

Guilty as charged.

"I can do all things through Him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

Hello may

This is apparently 3rd attempt at blogging and i've 2 drafts saved #bloggerproblems

So school has officially started last Monday and it's currently Thursday (Labour Day) which means family day! Initially wanted to go to a dog cafe at Turf City but sadly there was a change of plans, didn't get to do much. Went for Momentum Conference yesterday at Suntec and it was a rather fruitful time where we had guest speakers such as Jim Garlow and Jennifer Morse talk about family and foundation. It was definitely an enlightening experience but unfortunately I couldn't attend today's session.

News to share: went for CCA fair and joined 3 CCAs in total — cycling, guitar ensemble and LEO club! Seems like it's quite a lot to handle but i'll try to manage my time well and gonna see how things go.

Going to resume my exercise routine (I keep saying this but it always fails). I'll be exercising before/after school starting from tomorrow 4 times a week. #thisisinsane making a commitment and publishing here so i'll keep my word. Really need to make permanent changes to my lifestyle and it's quite a big step to take but i'll try my best!!

Can't wait for the weekend xx

TGIF

So I was mainly occupied with my school's freshmen orientation programme this entire week except for Friday and the weekend of course! I'm in DTRM (diploma in tourism and resort management in case you aren't sure) class 03! Had registration and ice-breakers and an opening address by the diploma heads on day 1. Day 2 consisted of an amazing race and performances led by SP's wushu club and vocal talents! Really impressed because i've never heard an acapella group sing live before!!!! Day 3 was SPICE training and taking an EI test and day 4 was flag day! We were stationed at Lavender and yeah I just stood around the area outside the MRT and asked people for donations and I was being rejected and ignored loads of times but it's okay I think it's my last flag day anyway. Had a pizza treat kindly sponsored by Brian and Phyllis, our FOP facilitators! Thankful to have them. 

Had a quick breakfast at Mcdonalds with Si Rui before preparation for the TGIF party at Tanjong Pagar, Rohei. Had a great time catching up with her!!! Thank goodness Shaun came by Macs to buy takeaway so we went along with him to Rohei because we had no idea how to get there. Had ice-breakers, egg hunt, food trail, followed by The Bridge and testimonies shared by Kai Yee and Joevenn. Anyway, i'm just really thankful that the event turned out successful and that Chia Lynn and Cheyenne took time off to come. Hope it was a fun-filled experience and that God's words really spoke to you guys!! ♡

Had Easter service yesterday and it was great spending time with my cell! Had dinner at Toby's and we were offered student meals even when the promotion was over! Took bus 48 home and thanks Si Rui for coming along!!!!

School is officially starting tomorrow and i'm kinda dreading it but hopefully it will start off right and things will go smoothly.

Week in review

(Excluding the weekend)

Monday: went to SGH for my backbone check-up with my mum and it turned out okay - as usual and  had my dental appointment at JMC later in the afternoon. Felt great to spend quality time with my family. 

Tuesday: hung out with Beverly! Haven't seen her in such a long while (and by that I mean 4 years). So nice to finally meet her and catch up. Watched Noah together. The movie was pretty convoluted and flawed. I reread Genesis 7 and I realised that it wasn't biblical accurate, kinda disappointing to be honest. Had supper at The Soup Spoon and found out that she's applying for a place at Lasalle, meanwhile she's working part-time.

Wednesday: basically did some housework and slacked a little bit. Have been incessantly watching The Carrie Diaries, my current favourite TV series. At season 2 right now! Did some gp etc, nothing interesting.

Thursday: family day~ Visited the doctor in the morning and spent most of my day reading the second half of The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. For some reason, I put off reading this for a long time (since December) and I actually bought the book because of the hype surrounding it. But I got more wrapped up in this book than I thought I would. The book was amazing and heart-wrenching and hilarious and the characters felt so real. It was everything at once and I absolutely can't wait for the movie to be released!!!!!! I had goosebumps watching the trailer #thefeels 

Friday: Si Rui came over to my place and I made breakfast! Nothing spectacular, just a really healthy sandwich. Brought Boy for grooming at Yappily, thank God a cab came without us having to wait for a long time. They did a pretty good job i've to admit - he's clean-shaven now! Had lunch at Umi Sushi and Henry was so kind to give us a ride back home. Went to Kinokuniya at Jem in hopes of getting another John Green book but Looking For Alaska wasn't available but i'll most probably get it on Sunday. Had tea at Mado but I didn't really like it. Bummer! 

I guess that's all what a long update. P.S.: I won't be updating much since i'll be having orientation next week and actual schooling the following week. Love ya x

Sometimes you feel so mad but you've to hold it in and tears just keep welling in your eyes.

Feeling nostalgic, homesick. Guess i've to deal with it alone.

SB FOC 2014

Hello i'm finally back from SP's business school freshmen orientation camp! I was initially a little worried because I signed up for the camp alone but it wasn't that bad!! So the theme of the camp was disasters which included groups like tsunami, avalanche, wildfire and cyclone and I was in cyclone 1! Played introductory games so that we would become more acquainted with each other and stuff and went to many stations in campus. And they brought us into the auditorium where we were forced to watch a Thai horror movie and I was literally closing my eyes most of the time. We had a night walk thereafter and everything was pitch black and my seniors were dressed up as ghosts, something like a scene from a haunted house. #screamedloads my voice is a little hoarse now. Pretty well-planned out!

Had amazing race and running man the next day. Gala night consisted of dance performances and clubbing. They had music cranked up really high and it was basically like a dusky and dingy nightclub (not like i've been to one #underaged #dontreallyintendtoanyway) and I don't know it was quite overwhelming to be honest, I felt slightly dizzy and my vision was a little blurry after that. Headed back to Camp Challenge at Sembawang and slept at 2+AM for both nights! #insomnia

Anyway I don't have a picture of my group on my laptop but here's my group members' names: Joanna, Shurti, Jia Yang, Walter, Jia Hao, Jason, Jevin, Fifa, Evangeline, Daniel and Xi En x

Went to the post office with Si Rui this afternoon to collect our Boohoo package!! Items were in good condition but I didn't really like the emmie batwing cardigan, posted it up on Carousell hopefully someone would buy it. We went to Scape but I'm a picky shopper so I didn't really get much but anyway thanks for accompanying me to school for my superdrive!

Gonna sleep soon, tribe meeting tomorrow! Goodnight x