I thank You for bringing me back home safely and for the time I've been able to spend here.
Hello readers. And spambots.
So. It's the end of June and I realise I have exactly two weeks left back home. Sad thing happy thing...hmm...once again, mixed emotions cloud my judgement.
In the past week I've been home, I've missed cell, missed school (believe it or not!!), taken the time to browse through the past chapters of my life....
There were the times I had in the YO together with all you wonderful wonderful people. I realise that two camps have passed since I was last there and hey, I miss you guys. Of course, Aiyo came over to visit Kuching and I spent a day with her and we just took some time to catch up and...well, talk about nothing, I guess. Haha. Then there's Kinya with whom I've been in contact with via text. Such a wonderful fella. V, C and W...there's not much to say I guess other than I miss playing with you guys. A lot. And the other C who calls me the Cheeky Monkey...well, the time I had with you was short yet meaningful. We'll be sure to hang out if I'm in town, kay? And A. LOL. A, D and H. All they need is another D. Haha. Great bunch of guys who never fail to show up and make us all LOL. Of course there was C's best buddy, Plants vs. Zombies...and anyone else I missed out? Oh, Aiyo's dearest. Of course. He comes to hang out and stuff when I'm in their vicinity, and together with Aiyo, they're ever so hospitable each time I visit Penang. I stay with Aiyo and then they take me around and feed me. Haha.
Together with all my couriered documents from the YO's admin for YO purposes, there was the one-time SIR thing. Where Strawberry, Ally, the Cap and I went and well...haha. That's for us to know. Lol. But it was good just being reminded of the one time we did that. Ally made it the furthest and her fall was Propinquity. And look where she is today - with her human flips and stuff. Go go Judo girl!!!
The next envelope was a big official one from WSDC. I reached in and took out the contents and began flipping through. First was the speaker rankings from WSDC 2009...and then I started flipping through the adjudication sheets. Which was interesting. I should pull up my notes from then...from my thick file and start reading through them, replaying the arguments in my head. Then I stumbled across the one case where I lost it and went nuts. I can now look back and laugh. *looks over shoulder and LsOL* And I had a chance to relive moments of the 2009 event with two fellow participants. And we had a good laugh at one of them in particular, ever the victim...or so it seems...but what is it they say, that things are never what they seem...
Then came WSDC 2010 and I looked at the speaker rankings and just had to smile to myself. Haha. Flipping through the adjudication sheets brought a smile to my face, recalling little things and comments made throughout the event. I must say that I am quite pleased with the way things turned out said year for the particular event.
Penguin, Sher, All, Lv and I met up in the Spring on Sunday to celebrate Penguin's birthday. I got her this compilation of guitar stuff. 4 CDs. Good deal. The Spring's Speedy has a basket and all the CDs in said basket are priced at RM9.90. Some very good stuff but I must not spend. No no. Jireh comes first. So the five of us had lunch and cake and a chance to catch up and have a good laugh. It was really good, seeing all of them. And of course, we bumped into Chinny in MPH. Which was also good. Haha.
Nihplod and I met up with Commando B just the following afternoon and we had tea in a coffee place while Commando B had an ice blended, something he told us he couldn't have. Bad Gramps.
I'm looking forward to more meet-ups with good friends...and of course, the baking tomorrow.
Spending time with Mummy and the rest of the family has of course been awesome, all the conversation and the interesting things that happen. I think being home this time has really brought more things to light with regards to my family and well, education in general. Seeing how God is blessing my parents and opening different doors for them and realising the extent they go to so that we are able to get the most out of what we have...I would have to borrow someone else's words here...words just can't express what I feel with that realisation. I suppose we've always known...but this time, it's just hit me harder than it has before.
I'd like to thank God for His providence, and of course for Daddy Dearest who pushes and reminds my siblings and I to do things...because hey, we all know that he only does it with our best in mind. I thank the school's SP as well. Looking at the opportunities that have come up in the past year for me...it's just pretty amazing, and I'm looking forward to a lot more. Faithfulness is the key, and I can never be reminded enough times.
Teddy Bear's a good friend. May Ed RIP.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
MFLD
This post is gonna be a little different. Just read on if you're looking for something to entertain your boredom.
Yesterday. Where do I even begin?? Have been trying to get my thoughts organised. I scroll through my call catalogue (latest to earliest for yesterday) and I see this:
Unknown
*music assistant*
*year 2 senior*
*Teddy Bear*
*Teddy Bear* (outgoing)
Daddy (outgoing)
Unknown
*music assistant*
Unknown
*music assistant's office* (outgoing)
*music assistant's office* (missed)
That's yesterday's call catalogue. Yup.
Yesterday was a big day for me. At this stage in life. I woke up and thought to myself, "I'm just gonna take my time today, shower, do my long tones, pack my turtle shell (credits to Mr. EW for the nickname), then slowly get to school and take some time to 'chill' (kinda impossible in my school environment, but yeah), rehearse with my accompanist (maybe not the whole programme), then 'chill' again and warm up shortly before I have to go in.
BUT.
I received a call (we're working our way up from the bottom of the list). Which I was unable to answer. So I called back...and was told that I have outstanding fees.
It's school policy that anyone with outstanding fees will be disallowed to take the final exam. My final and most important exam was scheduled for yesterday, 1540hrs. There's no way I was going to be disallowed from taking it. That would mean I would have to retake the whole academic year. Another school policy.
I'm not complaining about school policy here. In fact, I think the policies are fair. What I'm getting at is that they told me I have outstanding fees. Nothing against the Music Assistant, he was just the messenger. The thing about me is, I don't want to pay extra school fees. It's $187.50 per extra credit. So I make sure I stay within the 20 credit limit so that I don't have to pay extra. I checked and double checked and triple checked before I signed up for this additional module. I was pretty darn sure that I stayed within 20 credits even with this module in.
Instead of berating the MA, I decided to go in and speak to the finance officers in person. So I finished my long tones, and rushed everything else, skyped Dad to tell him what happened, and rushed down to school. Having gone offline right after I typed in the skype chat, Dad called me as I was on my way to school. It was a big, big day for me, and I was to have my Principal Study exam. No joking matter. It's the deciding factor whether I go on to Year 2 or retake Year 1. And believe me when I say that going through Year 1 once is enough. For any module.
Daddy called again as I was walking from the MRT station to school. He said he phoned up the Finance Department and had a 'nice little chat' with them. Not his words, mine. Haha. Then MA called again, apologising for the whole thing and said that Finance called him after receiving my Dad's call. Haha. I got to the Finance Department and they had this printout with the amount I had outstanding. And they got three people to explain to me that I had $187.50 outstanding and that it was more than 120 days overdue and I was actually supposed to be disallowed from taking my final exam but that they were being gracious (not their words, mine) and letting me take the exam. They were obviously (this is a borrowed analogy) being like ostriches, sticking their heads in the ground, refusing to see the point I was trying to make. I was saying that it's impossible that I have outstanding fees because I stayed within the 20 credit cap. Even if I did and it was more than 120 days overdue, shouldn't I have received a notification/warning letter? Hmm??? And did I receive any letter of the sort? Nope. Absolutely nothing. But they kept telling me that I still had $187.50 outstanding but they were being nice and letting me take the exam. They even threw in a free lecture about the school policy of students being disallowed from taking to exam should the student have any outstanding fees. WHEE!!!!!!
You could probably imagine my frustration at this point with three people talking to me, telling me the same thing as if I didn't understand what they were saying. If I could multiply myself, I would have told them in three persons through loudhailers that it's impossible that I would have had outstanding fees because I stayed within the 20 credit limit. I got frustrated and it was hard to continue being polite to them, so I told them I was going to take my exam and then come back and settle the whole thing.
I got to my campus, booked a room, and MA walked past. He saw me and laughed, saying I looked like I was ready to kill someone. He showed me the email they sent to him and told me it must have been a mistake. We had a laugh about the idiocy of the whole situation then I went to the practice room. From there, I called Dad, told him what had happened. Dad heard me out, told me some stuff and then prayed for me. Then I tried calling Teddy Bear. Who didn't pick up his phone. He called me back, and I asked if he had to pay extra fees for the extra credit he took (same number of credits as mine) and he said no, because he stayed within the 20 credit cap. Which he said should be the same for me. I had the confirmation I needed. If Teddy Bear didn't have to pay extra then mine was obviously a mistake. But Finance insisted they were right and that they were going to check with IT if it was a technical fault, and they told me that I could come back and make the payment after my exam.
Then Year 2 Senior called, saying Lao Shi wants to take us out for dinner after his exam (Y2S's exam was scheduled for 1800hrs). I said yes, of course. Just a side note: Lao Shi is just awesome la.
I had this whole thing bugging me. And I had to take my exam. And to add to that, Ed's not in such a good condition. I feel for the guy, I really do. But there's nothing I can do to help him :(
Rehearsed with my accompanist, then went in for the exam. Two on the panel, GC and EY. Excerpts and then repertoire...exam didn't go as great as I wanted it to, and I'm just going to leave it at that. On a brighter note, it would mean that I have even more room for improvement. Let's hope I'll be the most improved student next semester. Lol. So much to do during this 3-month break. Which is good. Coz it'll keep me busy...and my neighbours possibly annoyed for the 2 months I'm back home.
After my exam, I put my turtle shell in one of the rooms, and headed to Finance again, ready to let off the pent up steam. When I got there, it was a different person at the counter, and she, being more sensible than the other three earlier, called the department with which I took the module and let me talk to the person on the line. It was quickly cleared up then. The whole thing turned out to be a mis-entry. So that cleared, I thanked the person on the line, and thanked the staff who had the sense to settle this whole issue in a much more civilised manner, and went back to my campus. MA called, telling me that he had just received a call from Finance, saying it was all a mistake, and that it was such a mafan issue. For it to have happened on my exam day...LOL. Then I chilled in one of the bigger rooms with the rest of the Flute Family, waiting for Y2S to finish his exam. Texted Daddy and told him what had happened.
Later, as we were walking to the cafe to meet Lao Shi, Daddy called and I talked to him for a while, told him how everything went...the whole tirade and then the exam and how the issue settled. Then told Daddy that Lao Shi was gonna treat us to dinner at one of his favourite little cafes near school. One of his colleagues, a clarinetist, joined us, and it was a lovely dinner and great fellowship.
Then I headed home. Bumped into KH on the way and walked with him to the MRT station, took the same MRT, he got off one stop before me, then I got home around 2230hrs. Took a nice long shower, finalised arrangements to visit EC's mum and then skyped home. Talked to Sis for a brief moment, then to Mum and Dad, Dad prayed for me and then we talked some more about HIM. Other Sis came on and told me about her day with OrPeS. And Seloka Cak Kun Cak, our 'favourite' song. Haha. Then she called back to ask a theory question.
Shot some important emails out, got a couple of replies, then got ready for bed and went to sleep.
SO. I THANK GOD THAT EVERYTHING WORKED OUT IN THE END. And that the first academic year is over and I'm still alive. Lol.
So that was My First Last Day. In case you guys haven't figured it out :)
Yesterday. Where do I even begin?? Have been trying to get my thoughts organised. I scroll through my call catalogue (latest to earliest for yesterday) and I see this:
Unknown
*music assistant*
*year 2 senior*
*Teddy Bear*
*Teddy Bear* (outgoing)
Daddy (outgoing)
Unknown
*music assistant*
Unknown
*music assistant's office* (outgoing)
*music assistant's office* (missed)
That's yesterday's call catalogue. Yup.
Yesterday was a big day for me. At this stage in life. I woke up and thought to myself, "I'm just gonna take my time today, shower, do my long tones, pack my turtle shell (credits to Mr. EW for the nickname), then slowly get to school and take some time to 'chill' (kinda impossible in my school environment, but yeah), rehearse with my accompanist (maybe not the whole programme), then 'chill' again and warm up shortly before I have to go in.
BUT.
I received a call (we're working our way up from the bottom of the list). Which I was unable to answer. So I called back...and was told that I have outstanding fees.
It's school policy that anyone with outstanding fees will be disallowed to take the final exam. My final and most important exam was scheduled for yesterday, 1540hrs. There's no way I was going to be disallowed from taking it. That would mean I would have to retake the whole academic year. Another school policy.
I'm not complaining about school policy here. In fact, I think the policies are fair. What I'm getting at is that they told me I have outstanding fees. Nothing against the Music Assistant, he was just the messenger. The thing about me is, I don't want to pay extra school fees. It's $187.50 per extra credit. So I make sure I stay within the 20 credit limit so that I don't have to pay extra. I checked and double checked and triple checked before I signed up for this additional module. I was pretty darn sure that I stayed within 20 credits even with this module in.
Instead of berating the MA, I decided to go in and speak to the finance officers in person. So I finished my long tones, and rushed everything else, skyped Dad to tell him what happened, and rushed down to school. Having gone offline right after I typed in the skype chat, Dad called me as I was on my way to school. It was a big, big day for me, and I was to have my Principal Study exam. No joking matter. It's the deciding factor whether I go on to Year 2 or retake Year 1. And believe me when I say that going through Year 1 once is enough. For any module.
Daddy called again as I was walking from the MRT station to school. He said he phoned up the Finance Department and had a 'nice little chat' with them. Not his words, mine. Haha. Then MA called again, apologising for the whole thing and said that Finance called him after receiving my Dad's call. Haha. I got to the Finance Department and they had this printout with the amount I had outstanding. And they got three people to explain to me that I had $187.50 outstanding and that it was more than 120 days overdue and I was actually supposed to be disallowed from taking my final exam but that they were being gracious (not their words, mine) and letting me take the exam. They were obviously (this is a borrowed analogy) being like ostriches, sticking their heads in the ground, refusing to see the point I was trying to make. I was saying that it's impossible that I have outstanding fees because I stayed within the 20 credit cap. Even if I did and it was more than 120 days overdue, shouldn't I have received a notification/warning letter? Hmm??? And did I receive any letter of the sort? Nope. Absolutely nothing. But they kept telling me that I still had $187.50 outstanding but they were being nice and letting me take the exam. They even threw in a free lecture about the school policy of students being disallowed from taking to exam should the student have any outstanding fees. WHEE!!!!!!
You could probably imagine my frustration at this point with three people talking to me, telling me the same thing as if I didn't understand what they were saying. If I could multiply myself, I would have told them in three persons through loudhailers that it's impossible that I would have had outstanding fees because I stayed within the 20 credit limit. I got frustrated and it was hard to continue being polite to them, so I told them I was going to take my exam and then come back and settle the whole thing.
I got to my campus, booked a room, and MA walked past. He saw me and laughed, saying I looked like I was ready to kill someone. He showed me the email they sent to him and told me it must have been a mistake. We had a laugh about the idiocy of the whole situation then I went to the practice room. From there, I called Dad, told him what had happened. Dad heard me out, told me some stuff and then prayed for me. Then I tried calling Teddy Bear. Who didn't pick up his phone. He called me back, and I asked if he had to pay extra fees for the extra credit he took (same number of credits as mine) and he said no, because he stayed within the 20 credit cap. Which he said should be the same for me. I had the confirmation I needed. If Teddy Bear didn't have to pay extra then mine was obviously a mistake. But Finance insisted they were right and that they were going to check with IT if it was a technical fault, and they told me that I could come back and make the payment after my exam.
Then Year 2 Senior called, saying Lao Shi wants to take us out for dinner after his exam (Y2S's exam was scheduled for 1800hrs). I said yes, of course. Just a side note: Lao Shi is just awesome la.
I had this whole thing bugging me. And I had to take my exam. And to add to that, Ed's not in such a good condition. I feel for the guy, I really do. But there's nothing I can do to help him :(
Rehearsed with my accompanist, then went in for the exam. Two on the panel, GC and EY. Excerpts and then repertoire...exam didn't go as great as I wanted it to, and I'm just going to leave it at that. On a brighter note, it would mean that I have even more room for improvement. Let's hope I'll be the most improved student next semester. Lol. So much to do during this 3-month break. Which is good. Coz it'll keep me busy...and my neighbours possibly annoyed for the 2 months I'm back home.
After my exam, I put my turtle shell in one of the rooms, and headed to Finance again, ready to let off the pent up steam. When I got there, it was a different person at the counter, and she, being more sensible than the other three earlier, called the department with which I took the module and let me talk to the person on the line. It was quickly cleared up then. The whole thing turned out to be a mis-entry. So that cleared, I thanked the person on the line, and thanked the staff who had the sense to settle this whole issue in a much more civilised manner, and went back to my campus. MA called, telling me that he had just received a call from Finance, saying it was all a mistake, and that it was such a mafan issue. For it to have happened on my exam day...LOL. Then I chilled in one of the bigger rooms with the rest of the Flute Family, waiting for Y2S to finish his exam. Texted Daddy and told him what had happened.
Later, as we were walking to the cafe to meet Lao Shi, Daddy called and I talked to him for a while, told him how everything went...the whole tirade and then the exam and how the issue settled. Then told Daddy that Lao Shi was gonna treat us to dinner at one of his favourite little cafes near school. One of his colleagues, a clarinetist, joined us, and it was a lovely dinner and great fellowship.
Then I headed home. Bumped into KH on the way and walked with him to the MRT station, took the same MRT, he got off one stop before me, then I got home around 2230hrs. Took a nice long shower, finalised arrangements to visit EC's mum and then skyped home. Talked to Sis for a brief moment, then to Mum and Dad, Dad prayed for me and then we talked some more about HIM. Other Sis came on and told me about her day with OrPeS. And Seloka Cak Kun Cak, our 'favourite' song. Haha. Then she called back to ask a theory question.
Shot some important emails out, got a couple of replies, then got ready for bed and went to sleep.
SO. I THANK GOD THAT EVERYTHING WORKED OUT IN THE END. And that the first academic year is over and I'm still alive. Lol.
So that was My First Last Day. In case you guys haven't figured it out :)
Friday, April 22, 2011
Testimonies and more testimonies of His goodness :)
I thank God for the work He's doing in me.
Okay, I know this post is long overdue. Sorry about that. So much has been happening.
I've just been reflecting on my life...(okay let's set the mood. I'm sitting in school, typing this outside the music office, with Andrew Yeo's song 'Your Mercy Endures Forever' on loop)...and have been filling out my Happy Book.
For this post, I'm gonna treat it as a double post. Next post will be up in May, I think.
There are things I could choose to be upset about.
When I was really pushing for work and looking for students, nothing happened. I got one respondent, and that didn't work out. I turned down an offer coz it was too far to travel and the timing clashed with cell meetings. I'll admit, at first, I was pretty upset that we had to change cell timing. Friday nights are NOT a good idea. Then of course there's that class I have on Friday which ends at 1900. After which I have to rush coz I don't like being late. And then there was all that work I had to get done and no time to visit the theatre company I had to do one of my major projects on and they didn't reply my email, nor did they give me answers when I phoned to company. And then there were all those productions I wanted to watch...one after the other...coz the previous one didn't work out...whatever the reason was. It was just plain annoying. Then there was you. You who came into my life and intruded big time.
But. When I look back...
I opened my inbox one day and was greeted by an email from an unknown contact. After reading it, I thought to myself that it probably won't work out again, and so I replied you not expecting much. But then, today, I can praise the Lord coz I had my second lesson with her just the past Monday. After the first lesson, she was sharing with me how she almost gave up looking for a teacher, and then stumbled across my ad. It was reassuring indeed to know that God's hand was upon all of it. Even if I didn't realise it then :)
Then. Part Two. I went for a career fair with a friend of mine. Job scouting for her. And we walked into the wrong exhibition hall. There were three halls, the first hall was more for roping children in for extra classes of all sorts. Arts, dance, martial arts, music...you get the picture. So yea. We went into the wrong hall. I was really honestly kind of wondering why on earth I said I'd follow her to the career fair when I had work I needed to get done. So. The two of us were approached by this lady. She said "Oh, we don't only offer classes for children, but for adults as well" and that was the opening that got us talking about how I was actually looking to teach flute, not so much to take classes. That led to an interview, and the job offer.
Both the first lesson and the interview happened on the 4th of April, and this particular date is becoming pretty important to me as it was also the date on which I took my Grade 8 flute exam. Lol. It's pretty cool when we start looking at things God is doing in our lives and we start drawing parallels :)
That's the music side. Then there's the worship side.
10th of April. It was the beginning of stepping a level higher in worship for me. Breaking past the boundary of my comfort zone. It felt awkward at first, but as I trained myself on really just thinking about who I was doing this for, it was so much easier to get immersed in Him and His awesome presence. Pursuing something higher is never easy. How badly we want it plays a part in our obtaining it, but what's most important is our heart condition. We need to come before Him, broken, in self-abandonment. Yes, it sounds very drama, but it's true. If and only if we come before Him, ready to lay ourselves down and let Him be the main focus, then and only then can He truly use us. He's been showing me the importance of self-abandonment. I cannot say that I've reached the ultimate level, nor can I say I'm even coming close, but He's teaching me slowly, day by day. For now, it needs to be a conscious effort to be completely unself-conscious. I know it sounds like it doesn't make sense, but that's just the way it is. Lol. I'm glad that this is the God I serve.
Moving on, I was wanting to watch a few theatrical productions. I have to write this review, see. So I would wanna watch something, then it'd be sold out or it'd clash with my other things. It was super annoying. Then just as I was thinking there's no time and I'd just have to watch some play I didn't really wanna see...then I got a call from a friend asking if I'd like tickets for opening night at $28!! Haha. God is good. I was thinking I don't wanna go alone, and I texted a buddy from the theatre department, and she said she'd like to go with me!! Tee hee!!!! God is just awesome la.
Dinner, April 14th. Baby's birthday. Was supposed to go watch a movie with someone, but then I decided that I shouldn't. So I ended up coming home, and thinking a little about the little trip I'm going to make, and decided I needa get birthday presents. And then my stomach growled so I thought, I'll do dinner at the same time. Contacted a few girlfriends...all of them had plans...so I ended walking to the mall alone. Walked into a shop and ordered, sat down. While waiting for my food, I noticed this group of guys. Five of them. They were looking into the shop and saw that there were no seats. I was at a four-seater alone. They went off after a while. My order came, and the guys were there again. They spotted a four-seater that had just freed up, and went to said table. But there were five of them. I decided I'd move to the bar-like single-seaters and got up and told the guys they could have my place. After I moved, I overheard some of them asking if any of the others knew 'that girl' and of course, they all said no. That got me thinking. About common courtesy. About being nice. Isn't it practiced anymore?
Just a few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to share with the CF and I was talking about how it is so important that we completely lay our lives down and cast our crowns aside and live as testimonies for Him. People may not listen to us, but they watch us.
I had been looking for an accompanist for my practical assessment but wasn't able to find one, then someone who didn't even cross my mind said yes. Haha I truly thank God for her. She's been a joy to work with, and a really good pianist too!
More testimonies. This is gonna be a long long post but I WILL get it up by the end of today.
I feel loved :) Haha. I came back from home, and I was just thinking of how Mummy didn't make soup this time when I was back. And then..."Would you like some soup? There's soup on the stove". Haha. That day was a good day too. Bro cancelled his morning plans coz he was 'busy'. Yes, 'busy' spending time with me. Lol. And listening to silly songs courtesy of Platypus (thanks lots, dude!). Had a good lunch...Mummy made tomato mee. Yummy. Then headed to the airport armed with char siew pau. Haha. Student had to cancel lesson coz she said she hadn't had time to practice, which was good since my flight got delayed anyway. So I came home and had soup and a good rest.
This trip home was a really good opportunity to have real quality family time. And perfect for a break, away from school and the Red Dot. When four girls are sharing a room, you can be sure that although they're pretty much wiped out, getting ready for bed and saying our goodnights takes a wonderfully long time. Not an awfully long time, but a wonderfully long time. And each night, our goodnights involved Mummy, Bro, Biltb and us girls. And Daddy too. No work, just quality time together, planning, talking about nothing, being lame...haha. I love them. I really do. Oh, and I know it's a little early, but I already consider Biltb family. Four birthdays and family time and some planning made an awesome weekend. Refreshing :)
Oh yes. Of course there was also that overdue meet up with a friend of mine. We finally met up for dinner last night, had a good chat. Haha. It's really cool to see the doors God opens for different ones. And to see how he gives others visions for their lives. And it's good to meet up with people like this friend of mine once in a while coz then I get encouraged and inspired.
Of course then there's my family here. Who continually encourage and inspire me and who I know will be here for me any time. I love you guys.
So now it's the end of Year 1. Well, almost the end of Year 1. But that's for another post. This is pretty long already. So I suppose this makes up for two months. I will be going to watch live jazz soon.
Okay, I know this post is long overdue. Sorry about that. So much has been happening.
I've just been reflecting on my life...(okay let's set the mood. I'm sitting in school, typing this outside the music office, with Andrew Yeo's song 'Your Mercy Endures Forever' on loop)...and have been filling out my Happy Book.
For this post, I'm gonna treat it as a double post. Next post will be up in May, I think.
There are things I could choose to be upset about.
When I was really pushing for work and looking for students, nothing happened. I got one respondent, and that didn't work out. I turned down an offer coz it was too far to travel and the timing clashed with cell meetings. I'll admit, at first, I was pretty upset that we had to change cell timing. Friday nights are NOT a good idea. Then of course there's that class I have on Friday which ends at 1900. After which I have to rush coz I don't like being late. And then there was all that work I had to get done and no time to visit the theatre company I had to do one of my major projects on and they didn't reply my email, nor did they give me answers when I phoned to company. And then there were all those productions I wanted to watch...one after the other...coz the previous one didn't work out...whatever the reason was. It was just plain annoying. Then there was you. You who came into my life and intruded big time.
But. When I look back...
I opened my inbox one day and was greeted by an email from an unknown contact. After reading it, I thought to myself that it probably won't work out again, and so I replied you not expecting much. But then, today, I can praise the Lord coz I had my second lesson with her just the past Monday. After the first lesson, she was sharing with me how she almost gave up looking for a teacher, and then stumbled across my ad. It was reassuring indeed to know that God's hand was upon all of it. Even if I didn't realise it then :)
Then. Part Two. I went for a career fair with a friend of mine. Job scouting for her. And we walked into the wrong exhibition hall. There were three halls, the first hall was more for roping children in for extra classes of all sorts. Arts, dance, martial arts, music...you get the picture. So yea. We went into the wrong hall. I was really honestly kind of wondering why on earth I said I'd follow her to the career fair when I had work I needed to get done. So. The two of us were approached by this lady. She said "Oh, we don't only offer classes for children, but for adults as well" and that was the opening that got us talking about how I was actually looking to teach flute, not so much to take classes. That led to an interview, and the job offer.
Both the first lesson and the interview happened on the 4th of April, and this particular date is becoming pretty important to me as it was also the date on which I took my Grade 8 flute exam. Lol. It's pretty cool when we start looking at things God is doing in our lives and we start drawing parallels :)
That's the music side. Then there's the worship side.
10th of April. It was the beginning of stepping a level higher in worship for me. Breaking past the boundary of my comfort zone. It felt awkward at first, but as I trained myself on really just thinking about who I was doing this for, it was so much easier to get immersed in Him and His awesome presence. Pursuing something higher is never easy. How badly we want it plays a part in our obtaining it, but what's most important is our heart condition. We need to come before Him, broken, in self-abandonment. Yes, it sounds very drama, but it's true. If and only if we come before Him, ready to lay ourselves down and let Him be the main focus, then and only then can He truly use us. He's been showing me the importance of self-abandonment. I cannot say that I've reached the ultimate level, nor can I say I'm even coming close, but He's teaching me slowly, day by day. For now, it needs to be a conscious effort to be completely unself-conscious. I know it sounds like it doesn't make sense, but that's just the way it is. Lol. I'm glad that this is the God I serve.
Moving on, I was wanting to watch a few theatrical productions. I have to write this review, see. So I would wanna watch something, then it'd be sold out or it'd clash with my other things. It was super annoying. Then just as I was thinking there's no time and I'd just have to watch some play I didn't really wanna see...then I got a call from a friend asking if I'd like tickets for opening night at $28!! Haha. God is good. I was thinking I don't wanna go alone, and I texted a buddy from the theatre department, and she said she'd like to go with me!! Tee hee!!!! God is just awesome la.
Dinner, April 14th. Baby's birthday. Was supposed to go watch a movie with someone, but then I decided that I shouldn't. So I ended up coming home, and thinking a little about the little trip I'm going to make, and decided I needa get birthday presents. And then my stomach growled so I thought, I'll do dinner at the same time. Contacted a few girlfriends...all of them had plans...so I ended walking to the mall alone. Walked into a shop and ordered, sat down. While waiting for my food, I noticed this group of guys. Five of them. They were looking into the shop and saw that there were no seats. I was at a four-seater alone. They went off after a while. My order came, and the guys were there again. They spotted a four-seater that had just freed up, and went to said table. But there were five of them. I decided I'd move to the bar-like single-seaters and got up and told the guys they could have my place. After I moved, I overheard some of them asking if any of the others knew 'that girl' and of course, they all said no. That got me thinking. About common courtesy. About being nice. Isn't it practiced anymore?
Just a few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to share with the CF and I was talking about how it is so important that we completely lay our lives down and cast our crowns aside and live as testimonies for Him. People may not listen to us, but they watch us.
I had been looking for an accompanist for my practical assessment but wasn't able to find one, then someone who didn't even cross my mind said yes. Haha I truly thank God for her. She's been a joy to work with, and a really good pianist too!
More testimonies. This is gonna be a long long post but I WILL get it up by the end of today.
I feel loved :) Haha. I came back from home, and I was just thinking of how Mummy didn't make soup this time when I was back. And then..."Would you like some soup? There's soup on the stove". Haha. That day was a good day too. Bro cancelled his morning plans coz he was 'busy'. Yes, 'busy' spending time with me. Lol. And listening to silly songs courtesy of Platypus (thanks lots, dude!). Had a good lunch...Mummy made tomato mee. Yummy. Then headed to the airport armed with char siew pau. Haha. Student had to cancel lesson coz she said she hadn't had time to practice, which was good since my flight got delayed anyway. So I came home and had soup and a good rest.
This trip home was a really good opportunity to have real quality family time. And perfect for a break, away from school and the Red Dot. When four girls are sharing a room, you can be sure that although they're pretty much wiped out, getting ready for bed and saying our goodnights takes a wonderfully long time. Not an awfully long time, but a wonderfully long time. And each night, our goodnights involved Mummy, Bro, Biltb and us girls. And Daddy too. No work, just quality time together, planning, talking about nothing, being lame...haha. I love them. I really do. Oh, and I know it's a little early, but I already consider Biltb family. Four birthdays and family time and some planning made an awesome weekend. Refreshing :)
Oh yes. Of course there was also that overdue meet up with a friend of mine. We finally met up for dinner last night, had a good chat. Haha. It's really cool to see the doors God opens for different ones. And to see how he gives others visions for their lives. And it's good to meet up with people like this friend of mine once in a while coz then I get encouraged and inspired.
Of course then there's my family here. Who continually encourage and inspire me and who I know will be here for me any time. I love you guys.
So now it's the end of Year 1. Well, almost the end of Year 1. But that's for another post. This is pretty long already. So I suppose this makes up for two months. I will be going to watch live jazz soon.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
I just had to pen (or type, rather. heh.) this down here.
I thank God for a wonderful senior who provided opportunity for me.
Yesterday was my third and (I think) last time filling in for said senior, who had something on. The filling in involved a young Korean girl who reminds me of me. I learnt a lot from the time I had with her, and I hope I was a good influence and that I motivated her to perhaps love the flute just a little bit more.
We played scales and long tones and duets and pieces...and she can do it, it's just the mentality. I have to get that hammered into my head as well. Push myself more. Hopefully with the new system kicking in next semester I will have more time to be more hardworking. And I will push myself harder and maybe even work towards flute comp or concerto comp?
They say we will 'specialise' in a sense. I really wonder what they would allocate for me. Lol. That would really be interesting to see. They would prolly have a hard time trying to find where I fit in, not coz I'm good in every area - in fact I'm far from that - but because they can't decide where to put me. Lol. Maybe they'll make me a pro doubler. Haha.
I just realised that I have 37 posts to date. This is the 38th. I miss you, Three-Eight. Looking back at how we became friends, then close like siblings...it's really cool. And really, I'm glad to have had that opportunity to get to know you. Hope you're doing okay there.
I also thank God for Daddy and Mummy. In the second session on a Saturday morning (and this was the most impactful for me throughout the whole conference), the speaker was talking about spiritual fathers, and I was asking myself who my spiritual parents are. God has blessed me with such awesome parents, who are both my natural AND spiritual parents :)
I haven't been the easiest kid to raise, and I was thinking about it throughout the session. Everything he said, the qualities he brought out in what a spiritual father should have, i could identify with in Dad. And Dad's a first gen Christian. There was a free flow of tears throughout the entire session. And I just needed to call Dad and thank him and tell him I really do love him. It was one of those EUREKA!! moments...well kind of. It was a time when I really identified with how awesome it is to have parents like mine. My prayer now is that He will teach me to be a spiritual daughter, and in turn, a spiritual mother. When the time comes. I've been thinking a lot about my ultimate career choice :)
This just in. I thank God for her. She pushed for me to get in, and she has truly been a great inspiration and encouragement to me. How cool is it to have someone like her rooting for me? Lol. There's a special bond which I hope will last. She's taught me so much, she's shown me that it IS possible to be an awesome musician, and a crazy one at the same time. She's a classical musician who plays jazz as well, a classical musician who isn't stuffy contrary to what the 'classical musician image' shouts out we should be. She's another major direct influence in my development in flute playing. It's so awesome to just know her. She's a joy to be around and have around :)
Okay, I really should stop and get some sleep. I just had to thank God for all these things before I KO.
And I also thank Him once again for my 'family' here. Had an awesome evening with 8 of my favourite people. It's always a joy to spend time with you guys. Any of you. And it's something I look forward to weekly. I think about you guys constantly throughout the week, and I just wanna really say thanks. Thanks for taking me in and making me feel loved and accepted and...like family. I love you guys, truly. It started on day one (July 17, 2010), and has been that way ever since :) You've all been blessings to me, and taught me so much whether you realise it or not. My prayer is that God will continue to bless you guys tons.
Yesterday was my third and (I think) last time filling in for said senior, who had something on. The filling in involved a young Korean girl who reminds me of me. I learnt a lot from the time I had with her, and I hope I was a good influence and that I motivated her to perhaps love the flute just a little bit more.
We played scales and long tones and duets and pieces...and she can do it, it's just the mentality. I have to get that hammered into my head as well. Push myself more. Hopefully with the new system kicking in next semester I will have more time to be more hardworking. And I will push myself harder and maybe even work towards flute comp or concerto comp?
They say we will 'specialise' in a sense. I really wonder what they would allocate for me. Lol. That would really be interesting to see. They would prolly have a hard time trying to find where I fit in, not coz I'm good in every area - in fact I'm far from that - but because they can't decide where to put me. Lol. Maybe they'll make me a pro doubler. Haha.
I just realised that I have 37 posts to date. This is the 38th. I miss you, Three-Eight. Looking back at how we became friends, then close like siblings...it's really cool. And really, I'm glad to have had that opportunity to get to know you. Hope you're doing okay there.
I also thank God for Daddy and Mummy. In the second session on a Saturday morning (and this was the most impactful for me throughout the whole conference), the speaker was talking about spiritual fathers, and I was asking myself who my spiritual parents are. God has blessed me with such awesome parents, who are both my natural AND spiritual parents :)
I haven't been the easiest kid to raise, and I was thinking about it throughout the session. Everything he said, the qualities he brought out in what a spiritual father should have, i could identify with in Dad. And Dad's a first gen Christian. There was a free flow of tears throughout the entire session. And I just needed to call Dad and thank him and tell him I really do love him. It was one of those EUREKA!! moments...well kind of. It was a time when I really identified with how awesome it is to have parents like mine. My prayer now is that He will teach me to be a spiritual daughter, and in turn, a spiritual mother. When the time comes. I've been thinking a lot about my ultimate career choice :)
This just in. I thank God for her. She pushed for me to get in, and she has truly been a great inspiration and encouragement to me. How cool is it to have someone like her rooting for me? Lol. There's a special bond which I hope will last. She's taught me so much, she's shown me that it IS possible to be an awesome musician, and a crazy one at the same time. She's a classical musician who plays jazz as well, a classical musician who isn't stuffy contrary to what the 'classical musician image' shouts out we should be. She's another major direct influence in my development in flute playing. It's so awesome to just know her. She's a joy to be around and have around :)
Okay, I really should stop and get some sleep. I just had to thank God for all these things before I KO.
And I also thank Him once again for my 'family' here. Had an awesome evening with 8 of my favourite people. It's always a joy to spend time with you guys. Any of you. And it's something I look forward to weekly. I think about you guys constantly throughout the week, and I just wanna really say thanks. Thanks for taking me in and making me feel loved and accepted and...like family. I love you guys, truly. It started on day one (July 17, 2010), and has been that way ever since :) You've all been blessings to me, and taught me so much whether you realise it or not. My prayer is that God will continue to bless you guys tons.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Thank-You-ing :)
I thank God for so many little things today :)
First off, there was the lunch thing. I thank God for lunch buddieS coz there was one person I don't wanna be spending so much time with on account of me not being mature enough to know how to handle certain things yet. But when I went downstairs, said someone was with another of our classmates, and the three of us had lunch together. I thank God that He knows me better than myself that He knew there might have been another argument had there only been two of us :)
After that, there was the reminder that I've got those two vouchers I was blessed with sitting in my notebook at home...and that they could be a blessing to someone else. Which of course I told the person concerned so that it would stick in my head that I need to remember to pass the vouchers on to said individual. Being blessed to be a blessing is awesome :)
Following that was an email regarding something I was pretty upset about, straightened things out. So thank You God for clearing the air :)
Then there's the test Wednesday week. And the three songs chosen are three of the songs I have confidence in myself to sing (should I be in a situation where I have to sing alone) without screwing up. Haha :)
And I thank You Lord for Teddy Bear (lol I will be so dead if Teddy Bear ever sees this), who was ever-so-willing to help me get the application forms printed :)
And then there's the address thing I had to settle with OSA, which all turned out well and good :)
And the attendance for that platform where I was mismarked absent...that's settled too :)
And just when I decide I'm going home tonight and it's either get dinner on the way and eat later or just skip dinner (which I always end up skipping dinner), He knows me and shows that He's concerned about my well-being by having someone make a dinner date with me tonight...and not only will I get fed physically, but also spiritually :)
And I also thank Him that the weather was nice today, so I didn't have to open up my umbrella, or take a bus :)
He also gave me a lot of little reminders of little happy moments, which in turn, made me happy (eg. the FAIL birthday surprise from the gang. Haha. But thanks, guys. Lol.). People must have been thinking 'this girl is nuts...smiling to herself...and wearing an IMH t-shirt too!' Haha. :)
Today, I had a song in my heart from the moment I woke up...I thought it was going to be another emo day, but I was wrong. It's a happy day, and it's all because of my first love. Who is, of course, Him :)
I have a good feeling about the song I'm gonna write, and only now do I realise that He's been giving the song to me bit by bit. It's gonna come together well :)
Thanks for a good day :)
First off, there was the lunch thing. I thank God for lunch buddieS coz there was one person I don't wanna be spending so much time with on account of me not being mature enough to know how to handle certain things yet. But when I went downstairs, said someone was with another of our classmates, and the three of us had lunch together. I thank God that He knows me better than myself that He knew there might have been another argument had there only been two of us :)
After that, there was the reminder that I've got those two vouchers I was blessed with sitting in my notebook at home...and that they could be a blessing to someone else. Which of course I told the person concerned so that it would stick in my head that I need to remember to pass the vouchers on to said individual. Being blessed to be a blessing is awesome :)
Following that was an email regarding something I was pretty upset about, straightened things out. So thank You God for clearing the air :)
Then there's the test Wednesday week. And the three songs chosen are three of the songs I have confidence in myself to sing (should I be in a situation where I have to sing alone) without screwing up. Haha :)
And I thank You Lord for Teddy Bear (lol I will be so dead if Teddy Bear ever sees this), who was ever-so-willing to help me get the application forms printed :)
And then there's the address thing I had to settle with OSA, which all turned out well and good :)
And the attendance for that platform where I was mismarked absent...that's settled too :)
And just when I decide I'm going home tonight and it's either get dinner on the way and eat later or just skip dinner (which I always end up skipping dinner), He knows me and shows that He's concerned about my well-being by having someone make a dinner date with me tonight...and not only will I get fed physically, but also spiritually :)
And I also thank Him that the weather was nice today, so I didn't have to open up my umbrella, or take a bus :)
He also gave me a lot of little reminders of little happy moments, which in turn, made me happy (eg. the FAIL birthday surprise from the gang. Haha. But thanks, guys. Lol.). People must have been thinking 'this girl is nuts...smiling to herself...and wearing an IMH t-shirt too!' Haha. :)
Today, I had a song in my heart from the moment I woke up...I thought it was going to be another emo day, but I was wrong. It's a happy day, and it's all because of my first love. Who is, of course, Him :)
I have a good feeling about the song I'm gonna write, and only now do I realise that He's been giving the song to me bit by bit. It's gonna come together well :)
Thanks for a good day :)
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The Journey #1
I thank God for little pieces of home.
This week, I met up with four people from home. It was cool coz well...they're from home what. And today I had a lovely afternoon with one of them. Haha. And I also thank God for a friend who spent some time just talking to me about something that I've gotta make some serious decisions for. I fully appreciate that.
ME
Nice, responsive, resonant. But ruled out.
MG
Also nice, also responsive, also resonant and also ruled out.
MD
Sensitive, not too bright, responsive.
MP
I like the weight. A bit dark, but I kinda like it. Hmm...
PS
Too light. I feel no connection. But it's a good flute. It's just a preference thing. Ruled out.
PA
Also quite light. Not too bright, but I highly doubt...well...I think it's ruled out.
That's the account so far. It's a bit hard to do this. Okay, 'a bit' is an understatement. But I thank God for bringing people around me who are helping me with this. Waiting for MS. And whatever else comes. The Ms are generally very nice to work with. Very 'friendly', if I may say so.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
2011.
I thank God for being the reason I can worship Him the way I do.
This weekend has been an awesome one. Through the week, I've been led through times of reflection and His speaking to me through the reading of His Word.
I received an email, a roster attached for the first quarter of the year. He's answered my prayer to be back in the ministry, to be back serving Him. It's been half a year since I've done that and I believe that He used this time to really prepare me for what He has destined for me.
This is my first post for the year. And I believe it is significant that I talk about two songs that have been ministering to me and have been making me ponder on...well...just Him.
This year so far I have had two songs in particular that I find myself coming back to over and over again and not get tired of them.
First, there's 'Offering' by Paul Baloche. The chorus talks about bringing back an offering of worship to our King. And that's what I was made for in the first place. To worship Him. Worship is a lifestyle...and my next book on my reading list for this year is 'Exploring Worship' by Bob Sorge. (Oh yes, a brother actually blessed me with a whole range of books by Bob Sorge for my birthday last year. This book was among them)
Right now I'm sitting here reflecting...and I realise that my journey serving Him in the worship ministry has been full of ups and downs. My prayer this year is that I will stay humble and not let pride get in the way. Saturday morning was...well...one of them described it as a feeling of such unity, lifting our worship unto Him. Later that day, I had the opportunity to serve with the worship team, on the flute. I was feeling very self-conscious and was wrecking my mind for ideas as to what to play to fill in the space and everything...my focus was all wrong. But later in the service, I praise God that He took all my anxiety away.
Today, during the first service, I could feel the anxiety creeping in again, but again, God proved triumphant. In the second service, I felt like He had just elevated me to a whole new level with Him, and being able to really worship just like that...it was as if I had gone back in time to when I was serving alongside Steve Harris, Uncle Mervyn and Wye Yi, except this time, God brought me to a higher level. I think back to the prophecy over me, about God taking me higher in Him, about Him increasing the worship anointing upon my life. It is so important that we yield completely to Him. It is so important that I yield completely to Him.
The second song is 'You'll Come' by Brooke Fraser. This song has been speaking to me of reassurance. Reassurance that He will indeed come for me if I wait upon Him.
I had stopped writing songs a while back because I got discouraged. Just before I left home to come back to Singapore, I had coffee with someone who has played a significant role in my being involved in the worship ministry back home. She encouraged me to get back into songwriting. Now as I think back (yes, I have been doing a lot of thinking), it was actually self-consciousness that caused me to stop writing. Another thing I'm gonna do this year is get back into songwriting.
I believe that as I strive to honour Him in all I do, that He will bless and multiply the fruits of my labour. That is my prayer for this year. 2011.
There's nothing more I can say. He is good. I will wait on Him more this year. And I will get back to writing songs. And I will fill out my Happy Book :)
This weekend has been an awesome one. Through the week, I've been led through times of reflection and His speaking to me through the reading of His Word.
I received an email, a roster attached for the first quarter of the year. He's answered my prayer to be back in the ministry, to be back serving Him. It's been half a year since I've done that and I believe that He used this time to really prepare me for what He has destined for me.
This is my first post for the year. And I believe it is significant that I talk about two songs that have been ministering to me and have been making me ponder on...well...just Him.
This year so far I have had two songs in particular that I find myself coming back to over and over again and not get tired of them.
First, there's 'Offering' by Paul Baloche. The chorus talks about bringing back an offering of worship to our King. And that's what I was made for in the first place. To worship Him. Worship is a lifestyle...and my next book on my reading list for this year is 'Exploring Worship' by Bob Sorge. (Oh yes, a brother actually blessed me with a whole range of books by Bob Sorge for my birthday last year. This book was among them)
Right now I'm sitting here reflecting...and I realise that my journey serving Him in the worship ministry has been full of ups and downs. My prayer this year is that I will stay humble and not let pride get in the way. Saturday morning was...well...one of them described it as a feeling of such unity, lifting our worship unto Him. Later that day, I had the opportunity to serve with the worship team, on the flute. I was feeling very self-conscious and was wrecking my mind for ideas as to what to play to fill in the space and everything...my focus was all wrong. But later in the service, I praise God that He took all my anxiety away.
Today, during the first service, I could feel the anxiety creeping in again, but again, God proved triumphant. In the second service, I felt like He had just elevated me to a whole new level with Him, and being able to really worship just like that...it was as if I had gone back in time to when I was serving alongside Steve Harris, Uncle Mervyn and Wye Yi, except this time, God brought me to a higher level. I think back to the prophecy over me, about God taking me higher in Him, about Him increasing the worship anointing upon my life. It is so important that we yield completely to Him. It is so important that I yield completely to Him.
The second song is 'You'll Come' by Brooke Fraser. This song has been speaking to me of reassurance. Reassurance that He will indeed come for me if I wait upon Him.
I had stopped writing songs a while back because I got discouraged. Just before I left home to come back to Singapore, I had coffee with someone who has played a significant role in my being involved in the worship ministry back home. She encouraged me to get back into songwriting. Now as I think back (yes, I have been doing a lot of thinking), it was actually self-consciousness that caused me to stop writing. Another thing I'm gonna do this year is get back into songwriting.
I believe that as I strive to honour Him in all I do, that He will bless and multiply the fruits of my labour. That is my prayer for this year. 2011.
There's nothing more I can say. He is good. I will wait on Him more this year. And I will get back to writing songs. And I will fill out my Happy Book :)
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