Us and our travelling companions
One of our tuktuk rides
At Suan Lum
Most Heavenly Food in the World
Flower Market
On the River Boat
Me and my cricket
More bugs...
And even MORE bugs! Alvin this is for u. You cant run away from them hahaha.
Beef Noodles
One of the lobby areas to hang out at
Our humble lil abode
Friends from around the world
Lalala
Day OneHad trouble finding our hostel, but finally got there, a lil haven tucked in a corner of Sukhumvit Road, Suk 11. Was trying to converse in Thai/English w the taxi driver and telling him the place is near Ambassador Hotel. Then he stopped somewhere and said we've reached, pointed to the lane and said something about President...
Me: Loi, just get off the taxi. He's saying the lane is blocked cos the President is coming down the street. We just get down and walk there laa.
Loi: What? No, he's saying this lane is one-way and it's near President Hotel. You need to clean your ears.
HAHAHA.
Had dinner at a roadside stall, this beef/beef ball noodle tt's v popular in Bkk, yummylicious at only 30 baht. Chilled out at the lobby of the hostel and had some drinks, then explored the place a bit before we turned in for the night.
Day TwoThe breakfast was largely disappointing though. Just toast, muffins and fruits. Oh well. Most other things bout the hostel made up for it though. Went to MBK, Siam, Platinum and bought a whole load of stuff. It was damn tiring. After we'd haggled the price with the tuktuk driver who'd send us back, i got onto the tuktuk, Loi put her bag on the seat and before she could get up, the driver took off. HAHAHA. I think Loi had one foot on the vehicle and she almost fell. I kept calling the driver to stop, and tapped him on the back. It was a few seconds before he realised. Just 2 seconds more and he'd have driven down without Loi. Lol. Even the other tuktuk driver was laughing. If u know tuktuk drivers, they drive like...horizontally and against traffic flow. One-way lanes are three way whichever direction lanes to them and they live in the constant risk of killing somebody.Aggresive and dangerous, these species of drivers if taken to my driving instructor will prolly be shot dead. And it's precisely the way they are that i just adore tuktuk rides. Haha. This one was particularly fun-loving. He'd do this fast zigzag move repeatedly and then look in the rear mirror and grin at us as if to say, "You liked tt right". Fun. Back to the hotel, girls u can guess what's coming next right? We threw all our new purchases on the bed and tried on every piece, unravelled every lil purchase in the countless plastic bags. Then since we were alr kinda in a mad mood, we finished off the session by pummelling our pillows to soften them. Haha. Dinner at the same beef store, the woman was somehow in a bad mood and screamed at us just cos there was a communication barrier. We ordered 4 bowls somemore, 2 each. Comes to show tt regulars have no special privilege. Anyway, there was this scary man in black, covered with dirt and sweat, with matted hair and a bubblegum wrap stuck on his back that came and stuck his hand out to us when Loi was taking out her wallet to pay for the meal.
Loi: Ummm, no?
Guy does not even blink. Hand outstretched. We were freaked out. Quickly moved out of the way. We would soon realise that he was a regular there. Roams tt street every night. He has money to buy cigarettes at 7-11 but no money to bathe or find a home. Even on the last night he still had the bubblegum wrap there. Hahaha. Guess he needs to sort out his priorities. We were so scared of him tt we ran into the restaurant when he came near and the singer in the band saw and laughed at us. lol.
Anyway, one of the highlights of the trip. We saw BugMan, and we bought from him. It was...an assortment of crickets, grubs, beetles, frogs, etc. Fried. For an hour or so we agonized over how we were gonna complete the deed. I was actually rather distressed. Both of us didnt even dare touch them, let alone ingest them. Finally we decided to offer them to the guys at the next table in the lobby. After one of them ate the grub and claimed tt it tasted like potato chips, we gained courage and promptly chewed on a grub, a cricket and a frog's leg each. Acheivement. Proud of ourselves. And no, we didnt get food poisioning of any sort. =)
Day ThreeWoke up late today, took the River Boat to Kao San and Flower Market(which was damn disappointing). To Central World, back to the hostel for in-house dinner, which by the way is like the best food i've ever had in my life, though simple fare, then out again to Suan Lum Night Market. Shopped ard, i got a massage(rocks), then back to the hostel for our nightly hang-out at the lobby where we generously feed the mosquitoes.
Day FourWent back to Platinum to finish off the 3 storeys we couldnt finish tt day. (Shopping is really a vigorous exercise, seriously. Damn tiring.) Bought more stuff, then back to the hostel. Dressed up for our last night's stay, was planning to eat at a classy restaurant. Ended up having in-house dinner again instead, gosh i feel like importing the 'chef' back home. Then to a classy restaurant i've been before for desert, and the nightly hangout. Something else happened which i shall not mention here.
Day FiveMad rush to pack our bags, then chiong to Chatuchak. Almost fainted with the heat, weight, lack of sleep, mad numbers of ppl. It got to a point where we didnt even feel like shopping anymore, which is to say a lot. Had our pit stop where we had even nicer beef noodles, then to Dog Place! Goshgoshgosh. Super super cute. There was this Golden Retriever puppy, shucks or was it a Lab. How can i forget. But anyhows, i really loved her laa. Beautiful like...i dunno a swan? LOL more beautiful than a swan, and just the right mix of playfulness and lapdogness. Cradled her in my arms for the longest time and i SERIOUSLY didnt wanna let go. This is silly but i act had tears in my eyes, i cant describe my ache for a dog, i've wanted one since young i think. I've had rabbits and hamsters but they really werent the same. Sometimes i think about it and i actually get quite depressed haha. But oh well, the time will come when i can have my first doggie. Right now, Clawrs shall do.
The taxi driver who drove us from Chatuchak to our hostel and then to the airport was v nice, he bought us a flower bangle. I guess it was somewhat by tt kind gesture tt we trusted him enough to leave all our bags in the car while we rushed back to our hostel and grabbed the rest of our luggage to rush off to the airport. I at least had the sense to take our passports and there was that moment when we rushed out with our bags and didnt see the cab that we thought he'd really betrayed our trust and drove off with all our things. Really a lot of mommy-will-frown moments in this trip, but i guess it was truly by God's grace that we survived every risk we took. Thank God for a wonderful holiday.
Back in Singapore, i miss Thailand some, but...when i reached home and found my mom waiting up for me, when i sunk into my bed and held Clawrs...there is really no better place than home. Home Sweet Home. =)
Kaelyn
Thursday, 17 January 2008
The Question
I've been looking forward to CNY, with all its tacky songs and heaty food, the school-free days and the MAHJONG sessions, when all of a sudden i remembered The Question. What is the Question, u ask? It is one that often spills out of concerned/kpo aunties, especially those u haven't seen for a year.
Aunty: Do you have a boyfriend?
Me: Urmm, no.
Aunty (exaggerated shock): Don't lie to me! How can you not have a bf? You're so pretty!
*awkwardness looms in the air*
I smile and try my hardest not to roll my eyes.
Recently, at a dinner with Spike, Martin, his aunty and mom and my mom, the topic started again.
They were talking bout some lady in her early twenties who's unattached i think.Martin: Aiya, nowadays if u're 18 yrs old and not attached, it's already weird. If u're 20 plus and u dont have a boyfriend, u're a monster alr. (He didn't think of me)
Martin's aunty (to me): So, do u have a boyfriend?
Me: Nope, i'm a monster. LOL.
It was funny to see Martin try to eat his words, saying tt actually before 25 still not considered a monster bla bla.
That is the way the world perceives relationships. It's sad. It's almost as if only by hanging on somebody else's arm are u made complete, that apart from your love life you've limited substance as a person. I can understand, because before i became a Christian i changed boyfriends like nobody's business. I felt wanted, in control, because i had so many suitors and it made me feel...Important. Loved. Needed. Popular. Beautiful. But i failed to see that these meaningless relationships defined me. That apart from them i was but an empty vessel, seeking worth and identity in the excitement of these attention. I remember years back, i would tell my friends after my latest breakup, "That's it, i'm not going to get attached for the next year or so", and they would say, "Bullshit, u'd get attached within the next week", and so i did. It was only when i stopped, when i got to know God, that i realised dating had become an addiction. Something i couldn't do without. Apart from it i grew quickly depressed, and lost my self-confidence. But i slowly and gradually found true confidence in the Lord, i found my purpose and my identity in Him, not in what the world thinks of me, not in the praises that the opposite gender showers on me.
On the other hand, for Christians, do u feel sometimes as if God doesn’t care THAT much about our love lives? I mean, sure He cares, but sometimes it seems He cares just a tad more for His ministry in our lives, the people we touch, how much we serve Him. That somehow praying about our r/s seems kinda selfish, kinda greedy? Like, we should be praying about more selfless things like World Peace and not our marital bliss right? But God showed me that tt’s an utter lie. The desire to have a companion is etched deep in our hearts, precisely because it was carved there by God Himself. God was the One who created Eve for Adam, to accompany him. Love, marriage, sex, were all created by God for our enjoyment. And not just for enjoyment, but to be used to glorify Him. Great men of God throughout history have done great things, but would they have been able to do so without the support of their wives? Would they have been able to pass down their legacy without the lineage that marriage provides? The innate yearn for a spouse and children to run around our feet is one that should not be undermined. It is not something to be embarrassed about, or put aside. Sometimes, the more something matters to us, the more we run away from it, for fear of disappointment. Today, God says, He cares, and it is His desire to bring to you the significant other that He created to be with you for this lifetime. But would you pray for it? And would you yield to His will when He asks u to wait? Or would you pounce on the guy that u think u like right now, putting your will above His? It is this decision that will determine what kind of a marriage you would be tied to someday. One that will last, and endure all trials, or one that will destroy your life, and bring about much sorrow.
Kaelyn
Friday, 11 January 2008
Polar bear
Found out from my zoo trip that polar bears' fur are actually not white, but transparent, and that their skins are black. It was an interesting discovery, and God brought me to this revelation...
It's such an apt analogy of us humans. At the core of each of us we are black, filled with sin, and selfish desires. Yet when God's light of grace shines upon us, it reflects an image of us that is pure, and white. When God's graciousness surround us, we can look cute like polar bears do. Haha. (Clawrs is beaming right now)
Been thinking that time really speeds past. Newborns i've seen just awhile ago have started to walk, and talk. Toddlers i've known have become secondary school teenagers. Acquaintances i've known have gotten married, and pregnant within the blink of an eye. And this year, i'm going to be 21. An Adult. And in 1.5yrs time, i'm gonna graduate. And become a Working Adult. Hmm. Sometimes i feel all ready to face all these new transitions that i know will be challenging, yet exciting. But other times i still feel like a 16 yr old, prancing around the earth, only beginning to explore what life entails.
Some days i fall into a comfortable routine of my life, and kinda go into auto-pilot, doing the things required of me. And it scares me sometimes cos i'm afraid i'd forget to cherish every breath of life given to me, forget to appreciate every unique moment of every day. I guess i'm as guilty as anyone of living in the past, and the future sometimes. So many times we peer over the edge of our fences and marvel green-eyed at the "greener grass" in our neighbours' backyard, or even in the opposite ends of our own timeline. We sigh and lament that some friends have changed, that our friendship was stronger in the past. We tell ourselves that if only this or that could happen in the future, then we would be happy. But these are but ploys of the evil one to rob us of the Present. I want to cherish each moment of life that's been given me, from the moment i wake up every morning, to the last waking moment of each day.
P.S. I saw a rainbow today. Thank You, God. =)
Kaelyn
Thursday, 10 January 2008
Zoo trip!!
My Fav...polar bear!! Sheba, the mother of Inuka, the first polar bear born in our Singapore Zoo.
I love White Tigers too. But this one with his two concubines look as bored as they were the last time i came..
Baboons are fun to watch. There was a mother who dragged her kid all around damn violently, and many hold on to their kids by the tail while they try to run away. We concluded baboons are overprotective mothers. But they help each other pick fleas, like many species of monkeys do. Upon observation, u'd realise they eat the things they find from their friends' fur. Haha. Altruistic or self-seeking? You decide.
Kangaroos waiting for their food.
A tall tall giraffe.
Haha we always laugh at how the goats' smell make us crave for mutton soup. Hee but this one here is adorable, really. Kept sticking its head out of the cage and letting me pat it. Cute.
I think they're called meerkats. They ran to the front to pose for a picture haha damn cute. And the old angmoh man beside me kept exclaiming, "Thank you!! Very good!! Thank you thank you." to the meerkats for posing for us. Lol.
Zebras in a row. They look like little ponies that someone painted on while they were asleep. Wonder how much time God spent painting this one.
Kaelyn
Monday, 7 January 2008
Life's simple pleasures
1. Getting my favourite seat on the bus.
2. Food i've been craving for.
3. A nice hot bath at the end of the day.
4. Sharing my breakfast w the kitty tt skirts around my legs at the busstop in e morn.
5. Curling up on the sofa reading a book undisturbed. (Was doing tt tt day and i realised i'd read the book before. Downer.)
6. Wind tt (almost) blows me away.
7. Finishing a floral arrangement tt i'm pleased with.
8. Cleaning up-it makes me v satisfied sometimes.
9. Being able to play my first song on the guitar tt day! ("Heaven is a wonderful place." Thank u Von, Nuan, Cheong, Chng)
10. Huggs!!! From family, friends, and Clawrs & Lovena. I love hugs.
11. A romantic touch from God. Simply basking in His presence, feeling like i'm floating in Heaven.
12. A song, movie or scenery tt touches me, not just generally but deep into my soul, answering the exact question i've been pondering over.
13. Heart-to-heart chats with close friends.
14. Doing crazy things like..running barefooted in Orchard, trying to climb a tree,
etc.
15. Enjoying red wine at home. (I make it sound so refined. It's actually not like tt. Right Loi? Hahaha.)
16. Playing games with the GB girls, and leading cheers! Gosh i had so much fun cheering the other day. Hahaha. I am a sec sch girl at heart.
17. Wave therapy at the beach.
18. Visiting touristy places in Spore. Like Underwater World, Bird Park , Sci Centre etc. I'm going to the zoo zoo zoo tmr!!
19. Going overseas. YES bkk here i come.
20. Oh yar. Doing simple chores at e shop, dreaming of the day i retire to be a farmer's wife.
21. I must not forget. Bubble Bobble. Nuan i don't care we must complete it one day. Or i will show up at church w my lappie and force u to play with me haha.
Inspired by Mr Bean lol. Their tagline is "Life's simple pleasures" and it led me to think of this.
Kaelyn
Sunday, 6 January 2008
Ways to stay on the MRT seat that's not meant to be sat on
Failed attempt
New tactic!
And...success!
Our cute lil' Pris
Hahaha tt was fun i was laughing bout it on my way home. Hehe.
Kaelyn
Friday, 4 January 2008
Psalm 4
"You have put more joy and rejoicing in my heart than [they know] when their wheat and new wine have yielded abundantly."
(Amplified Bible)
"Why is everyone hungry for more? "More, more," they say. "More, more." I have God's more-than-enough, More joy in one ordinary day"
(The Message)
It's amazing, because there really are many occasions where i am the happiest on an ordinary day. When there's no sign of miracles exploding in the air, nor tangible blessings that i can hold, yet i feel happier than a time when i felt i had everything. Just a normal day, just doing normal things. Joy from the Lord is truly inexplicable. It is one that defies circumstances, one that flaunts its feathers most beautifully when sorrow strikes. What is joy when all is well? It is but a fleeting happiness, here this moment and gone the next. But joy in times of deepest sorrow and pain is one to be beheld, one that invites admiration. It is where joy parades itself in its fullest reign, it is where joy is complete. Thank you God for this joy you've given to us, that never fails, even when our worlds fall apart. =)
Kaelyn
Thursday, 3 January 2008
Everything in its time-Corrinne May
Sometimes I wonder what lies ahead
How long till my hunger is fed
They say it's hard to make it in this part of town
So many people on this merry-go-round
Some folks try astrology
Some turn to crystal balls
To find an answer
To get through it all
I just fall on my knees and I try to pray
In the silence I can hear Him say
The river runs and the river hides
Out to the ocean and under the sky
I promise you, the answer will come
Hold on to patience and watch for the sign
Everything in its time
I often feel like I'm two steps behind
Somebody must have moved that finish line
There are a thousand reasons
Why I should give up
But I'm stubborn in the things I believe
The river runs and the river hides
Out to the ocean and under the sky
I promise you, the answer will come
Hold on to patience and watch for the sign
'cause maybe there's another plan
One I still can't see
A little surprise, like your love in my life
Funny how time changes how we see
The river runs and the river hides
Out to the ocean and under the sky
I promise you, the answer will come
Hold on to patience and watch for the sign
Everything in its time
Everything in its time
Kaelyn
Psalm 2 and 3
Psalm 2 When God laughed, how did He laugh? In a hysterical way, a joyful hearty chuckle, a mocking manner, or a bitter laughter? I believe in this psalm, God first laughs like a father would when his lil girl tells him, "Daddy, i'm going to kill the lion tmr." Laughing cos of his lil' girl's naviety, and her guts. But that laughter fades as God realises His children are trying to bring Him down, and His ppl along with Him. Though He knows full well that their efforts are futile, like a lil' mouse trying to kill an elephant by hitting it furiously with its lil' palms, it hurts Him deeply, knowing they have such an intention. It's like when the lil' girl tells her dad, "And after i kill the lion, Daddy, i'm going to kill you." And then his laughter turns to that of derision, and of mockery. I didn't read the Message version until i'd finished writing this, and amazingly the translator seems to have gotten the same idea from God...
"Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing. At first he's amused at their presumption; Then he gets good and angry."
Psalm 3I read this psalm over and over again a few times, and i asked that God would show me how David felt when he wrote this. How would you feel if your son, your own flesh and blood, betrays you, plots to take over your kingdom and now sends tens of thousands of your own army after you, to take your life? Anger, fear, hurt...i believe these are but some emotions that David experienced at that time. But i believe at the moment of writing this psalm, the main emotion is fear. David could be hiding in some cave in the mountains now, faint from hunger and haven't taken a bath in days. He started the psalm by telling God how he felt, exactly as the situation is. "God! Look! Enemies past counting! Enemies sprouting like mushrooms, Mobs of them all around me, roaring their mockery: "Hah! No help for him from God!" David is afraid, terrified, and he is honest with God.
And then, Selah. From Ps Debra's devotional, i found out that Selah could either mean 'pause or moment of silent meditation' or 'lifting up of voices or the lifting up/blowing of trumpets' or 'musical interlude'. I doubt David would be blowing trumpets at this point, from my conjecture this Selah prolly meant 'pause or moment of silent meditation'. Why? Maybe cos his emotions were too overwhelming at that point, maybe cos he was crying too hard to continue. After that moment of silent meditation, he goes on to seek solace in God, and declare the Lord's faithfulness even in his extreme circumstances.
Next he said, "I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people. Who have set themselves against me all around." This is quite funny, because the reason i'm awake at this time is because i woke up in the middle of the night feeling wide awake, and i thought maybe God wants to speak to me, so i went to read this psalm, and "I lay down and slept: I awoke, for the Lord sustained me." jumped out at me.
That sounds like what just happened to me, i thought. Haha. As i struggled to understand what
David meant when he wrote this, God led me to the understanding that David must have been dead tired from days of climbing the mountains and hiding, yet was afraid to sleep lest someone attacks him in his sleep and takes his life. So he gave thanks to God for giving him the peace to fall asleep, and for protecting him from harm, when he awoke.
Kaelyn
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Psalm 1
This is a psalm that showcases the blessings of the Lord that will be given if we walk in His ways, and also a warning to those who do not. Two verses spoke to me today.
Firstly, "But his delight is in the law of the LORD..."
Delight, that's what God wants to give us in this season. What do we delight in? What we delight in shows where our heart lies. If we truly delight in the Word of God, we would rejoice over it, give thanks for it, and meditate upon it.
"If a person delights in something, you don’t have to beg them to do it or to like it. They will do it all by themselves. You can measure your delight for the word of God by how much you hunger for it."
"...and on His law he meditates day and night"
“Meditation chews the cud, and gets the sweetness and nutritive virtue of the Word into the heart and life: this is the way the godly bring forth much fruit.” (Ashwood, cited by Spurgeon)
It's not just reading. Nor is it sitting in a yoga position for 10 hours in silence. It's going about your daily activities, but thinking constantly of the verses, slowly chewing it, savouring every taste and aftertaste that lingers.
Secondly, "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither." A tree by a river has a constant stream of water, and is strong and stable, sinking down deep roots. (Guzik D. 2006) Yupp, and it will yield its fruit in season. Not all year round, but in its season. Let's look forward to the many bananas, apples, strawberries, mangoes and kiwis that God will give to us this year in our own seasons!
Kaelyn
And...2008 has arrived!!!
Thank you my friends for your concern. Hee. Well i guess busyness is part and parcel of life, but it's the attitude towards that busyness that fluctuates every now and then. Thank God for Sunday and Monday countdown services, it really brought me from dread to anticipation of the coming, and now arrived, new year. WELCOME TO THE WORLD 2008 YEAR OF SABBATH!! Ysd was a fantastic day. Work, then hung out at Changi airport w Nuan and WH, then to Countdown service...time just flew. It was like 8.45 one moment and 12am the next. I really really loved Countdown service 2007, relished every second. It's like the best countdown i ever had. Gwen your hard labour made a big difference!! Yes i did encounter God haha. Went Reg's house to play mahjong till morn after the countdown, so fun!! haha but yes by 7am i was like knocked out unconscious. Haha i just feel so happy, as Pastor led us to reflect upon 2007 and give thanks for the ups and downs of 2007, I found that i've so much to thank God for...
1. My Spiritual Family. In one year he gave me a complete family, and the cell has been a source of support and delight so dear to me in this year, without which i would not be able to do so many things. Not just my spiritual mother and sisters, but i also want to give thanks for all my spiritual relatives...i hope and pray in the coming year we'd get to know each other more, and delight in each other. And thank God for birthing spiritual children out of me, it is truly an esteemed privillege, that He would deem me enough to take care of others. Not i who choose to be a leader, but He who chose me. Many of them have really inspired me, like Huiwen, and others, melt my heart and keep it soft. I really enjoy simply hanging out and playing games together, or just sharing. =)
2. All my friends, that make life so exciting. I might not have a lot of time to hang out very often, but the time we do spend together, i really cherish and enjoy.
3. Healing me of my gastric.
4. My academic results. Miraculously He turned the situation around at final exams, and salvaged my results.
5. My parents becoming more and more loving.
6. All the tears i've cried in 2007, i know He's bottled them all up, and that every trial i go through, He uses it to strengthen me, and even to relate to others. Thank God for failing my driving test, and for the bad mid-term results that taught me what failure is, and how to handle it.
My Resolutions for 2008Spiritually:
-I want to know God more intimately as a person, as the Lover of my Soul, to feel His presence ever more vividly each day, so that I awake every morning joyful, delighting in the fact that He sits by my bedside, awaiting the time we can spend together when I awake.
-I want to grow in wisdom, in learning to fear God more and knowing the right decisions to make, the right words to say, at the right time.
-I want to take care of the spiritual children He has given to me, not just as “cell members” but to put in more effort and love like a physical mother would to the children she bears.
Physically:
-I want to exercise more regularly, ideally to jog once a week or at least once a fortnight.
Financially:
-I want to learn to save.
Studies:
-I want to be a good steward of my studies, to do my best and let God do the rest. Whether I take honours or not, it’s up to him. =)
Relationships:
-I want to seek God’s will for me, and not my own.
-I want to spend more time with my family, and get to know my parents more as friends.
-I want to catch up with the friends I’ve lost contact with over the years, and deepen the friendships I have now
Hobbies:
-I want to learn to play guitar properly.
-I want to sketch more.
-I want to read more, Lucado and all.
-I want to write more, maybe write a book for fun.
-I want to pass my driving.
Theng, i actually got a B for Groupwork leh, haha i was counting to get B when i got 40% D+ is miraculous, it means i prolly got A+ for finals. I really think it's God's blessing. Ehh or maybe our results got switched? Haha. Seems highly possible. Maybe you can show me yr paper when u review it? Don't know if i'm in any position to help but i can try.
Juan, don't be afraid to ask me out laa!! lol you know i love to spend time with you. No matter how busy i am, i'd find time. Just an emo grumbling then...i just needed to find back my joy and enthusiasm in God. =)
Loi, thanks for the mail, i really appreciated it. Hee. Really looking forward to our Seoul Garden feast, and most importantly BKK TRIP!!!
Gam, thanks for the encouragement and support, they really helped. =) may you get to know Jesus (I like to pronounce it Yeshua like it originally is) more and more each day as we all read our Psalms before food.
Kaelyn
